22 March 1873
Last Will of Margaret Mehan
Widow of Adam Andrew
From records of Notary John Childs
Record No. 6028
Transcribed from the Quebec Archives Microfilm #4M01-1605

Before us the undersigned Notaries Public duly admitted, commissioned and sworn, residing at the City of Quebec, in the Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, personally came and appeared Dame Marguerite Mehan, residing at Valcartier, in the County of Quebec, widow of Adam Andrew, being in good bodily health and perfectly sound in her intellectual and mental faculties as appeared unto us the said Notaries by her discourse and proposals, who declared unto us the said Notaries that considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof, she was desirous of making her present solemn will and testament which she required us the said Notaries to write down & which she named and dictated unto us the said Notaries word by word in manner and form following, viz.,

Firstly and principally, I recommend my soul to Almighty God.

Secondly, I do will and ordain that as soon as possible after my decease, my just debts be paid and wrongs if any repaired by my Testamentary Executor hereinafter named in the discretion and prudence of whom I rely for my burial and funeral ceremonials.

Thirdly, I do hereby give and bequeath unto William Andrew, my son, of Valcartier aforesaid, Farmer, all and every my property of which I may die possessed, moveable and immoveable, and of whatever kind or nature the same may be and wheresoever the same may be situated, for him the said William Andrew to use, enjoy and possess the same from the day of my decease, as he may think proper, hereby instituting him the said William Andrew my universal legatee i property and the Executor of my present will and testament into the hands of whom I do hereby divest and disseize myself of all my property according to law.

Fourthly, I do hereby cancel and revoke all other wills and testaments and codicils by me made before the present one which alone I consider contains my true intentions and last will and desire.

It was thus done, dictated and named unto us the said Notaries by the said Testatrix and these presents having been duly read unto her by John Childs, one of us the said Notaries, in the presence of Alfred St. Jorre, his colleague Notary, she declared that she well heard and understood the same, and persisted therein.

Done and passed at Quebec in the Office of the said John Childs, one of us the said undersigned Notaries, on the twenty second day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy three under the Notarial Number six thousand and twenty eight, and the said Testatrix declared unto us the said Notaries that she could not write nor sign, but made her ordinary mark in our presence and requested us to sign which we have done in her presence, in faith and testimony of the premises first duly read according to law.

One marginal note approved. Three words erased are null.

Marguerite Mehan, her mark;

A.St-Jorre, N.P., his signature;

J. Childs, N.P., his signature

Transcribed by Gerald Neville, 2012

Note by Patricia Balkcom:  Margaret and Adam had 6 known children, William was the second oldest.  Adam died almost 25 years before this will was written.  I have not found Margaret’s burial record.