| 16th June 1864 Last Will of John Navin Husband of Sarah Duffy | From records of Notary Benjamin Lelievre, No. 1274 Quebec Archives Film #4MO1-4421, Images 578+ |
On this day the sixteenth of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty four, I the undersigned Notary Public duly commissioned and sworn for Lower Canada residing in the District of Quebec at the request of John Navin, Esquire, residing in the Seigniory of Saint Gabriel, at the place called ValCartier, went to the residence of the said John Navin situate at ValCartier aforesaid.
Where being in the presence of Francis Martin, of ValCartier aforesaid, farmer, and of John Wilson of the township of Stoneham, farmer, witnesses thereunto required for the purposes hereof, the said witnesses signing with me the said Notary. I found the said John Navin, sick in bed, never the less sound of mind, memory, judgment and understanding as appeared to me the said Notary and the said above named and undersigned witnesses by his actions, discourse and words.
And the said John Navin considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof, doth hereby make, publish, declare and dictate to Benjamin Lelievre, the said undersigned Notary in the presence of the said above named witnesses, his last will and Testament in manner and form following. That is to say, the said John Navin recommends his soul to God, his Creator, when it shall please Him to dissolve his mortal body hoping for a free pardon and remission of all his sins through the intercession of his blessed Son and Savior.
The said John Navin doth hereby give and bequeath unto Sarah Duffy, his beloved wife, all his moveable and immoveable property generally without any reserve whatsoever, sum and sums of money, whether due by bond, note of hand, obligation or otherwise.
The said Sarah Duffy, to have, hold, use, possess and enjoy the said moveable and immoveable property in full property, from and after the day of the decease of the said John Navin.
Nevertheless, it is the desire, wish and request of the said John Navin, that should there be any moveable or immoveable property left and remaining from the present bequest, at the decease of the said Sarah Duffy, that the same be the property and belong to Ann Navin, wife of James Corrigan and to the children born of her marriage with the said James Corrigan.
The said John Navin, doth hereby, give and bequest unto the Roman Catholic Archepiscopal Corporation of Quebec, the sum of two hundred dollars in trust and for the use and benefit of the Roman Catholic Church of ValCartier, and it is the desire and wish of the said John Navin that the same sum of two hundred dollars be expending towards the building of a Belfry for the said above mentioned Roman Catholic Church of ValCartier.
And the said John Navin directs that the said sum of two hundred dollars, be paid by the said Sarah Duffy, his said wife, to the Roman Catholic Archepiscopal Corporation of Quebec in the course of six months from the day of his decease.
The said John Navin directs all his just and lawful debts be paid.
The said John Navin directs that his body be buried in the Roman Catholic Church of ValCartier and that a solemn grand Mass of Requiem be sung the day of his burial. The said John Navin further directs that five low masses be said every year for ten years from the day of his decease and that one solemn Mass of Requiem be said every year, also for ten years.
The said John Navin doth hereby nominate and appoint the person of Patrick Cassin of ValCartier, farmer, as executor to this his last will and testament whom he doth hereby request to render him this last act of kindness.
The said John Navin doth hereby annul, cancel, objurgate, and make void all former will or wills which may have been heretofore made and executed by him the said John Navin.
Thus done, made and dictated word by word by the said John Navin to the said Benjamin Lelievre, the said undersigned Notary, in the presence of the said above named and undersigned witnesses, on the day and year, first above written, under the number one thousand two hundred and ninety four, and after having read and re-read the present last will and Testament to the said John Navin, in the presence of the said above named witnesses, which he declared well to understand he hath persisted therein, as being his last will and meaning, and the said John Navin declared that he could not write nor sign his name, owing to his extreme weakness, but made his mark of a cross, having the said Francis Martin, one of the above named signed with me the said Notary and having the said John Wilson declared that he could not write nor sign his name but made his ordinary mark by a cross, in faith and testimony of the premises.
Words struck out are null. Marginal notes approved are good.
John Navin, his mark
Francis Martin, his signature
John Wilson, his mark
Benj. Lelievre, his signature.
Transcribed by Patricia Balkcom, 20 January, 2011
My Notes: John Navin died the same day.