| 2 April 1873 Will of Jane O’Neil Wife of Henry Patton | From records of Notary Paul T. Picard No. 92 Quebec Archives Online |
On this day the second day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy three,
Before us the undersigned Notary Public for the Province of Quebec in the Dominion of Canada residing in the parish of St. Ambroise de la Jeune Lorette and the witnesses hereinafter named and subscribed,
Personally came and appeared and was present Jane O’Neil, wife of Henry Patton of the parish of St. Gabriel of Valcartier in the County of Quebec, farmer, who being in weak bodily health, but of sound mind, memory, and understanding as to us appeared by her manner and conversation hath requested of us the said Notary to receive & reduce into writing this her Last Will and Testament which we the said Notary in the presence of the said witnesses, have taken down as dictated to us by the said Jane O’Neil word for word and as follows, that is to say:
I do hereby give, devise, and bequeath unto James, Catherine, and Mary Jane Patton my three children all and every my property real & personal moveable and immoveable without any exception or reserve whatsoever, which I may did possess of hereafter instituting them my said three children above (named) my universal legatee.
And for the execution of the present my Last Will and Testament I do hereby nominate and appoint the Reverend Andrew Balfour of St. Gabriel of Valcartier in the County of Quebec, Minister of the Church of England and James Patton, my son, in favor of whom I do in conformity to the Law & Custom of this Province, hereby disseize & divest myself of all my property for the ends hereof, hereby revoking all other wills and testaments and codicils that I may have made prior to the present to which alone I do adhere as containing my true instructions and last will.
Thus done and dictated word for word and published and declared by the said Jane O’Neil Testatrix for and as her Last Will and Testament to and in the presence of the said Notary and the Reverend Andrew Balfour aforesaid and William McBain of the said parish of St. Gabriel of Valcartier, farmer, in the bed room of the house and residence of the said Henry Patton at St. Gabriel of Valcartier aforesaid the day and year first above written under number ninety two between the hour of twelve and one o’clock in the afternoon.
In faith and testimony whereof the said Testatrix having declared not to know how to write or sign her name when requested so to do as to the presents first duly read set and made her ordinary mark of cross in the presence of us the said Notary & of the said witnesses who have here unto set & subscribed their respective names & signatures,
Words erased are null. Marginal notes approved are good.
Mary O’Neil, her mark
Andrew Balfour, his signature
Wm. McBain, his signature
P. Picard, Notary, his signature
(Transcribed by Gerry Neville – March 2011)
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: Jane died 8 days after writing her will. She was about 65 years of age. My records show that she had an additional three sons that were not mentioned in the will (Henry, John and Francis).