17th April 1885
Last Will of George Theberge Sr.
Husband of Ann Conway Neville

From records of Notary Paul Picard
No. 538
Quebec Archives Online

On the sixteenth day of April one thousand eight hundred and eighty five in the afternoon,

At the request of Mr. George Theberge, Farmer, residing in the Parish of St. Catherines, I, Notary Public for the Province of Quebec in the Dominion of Canada, resident of the Parish of La Jeune Lorette, undersigned, accompanied by the witnesses below named and undersigned, went to the residence of Mr. Gaspard Picard Jr. in the Huron Village of La Jeune Lorette, where I found the said Mr. Georges Theberge, sick in body but perfectly sound in mind, memory, judgment, and understanding.

The said Mr. George Theberge asked us to receive his solemn will which he instantly dictated and named to us word by word in the manner following, that is to say:

1º I recommend my soul to God, my Creator, asking him to grant me the eternal beatitudes through the merits of Jesus Christ my Savior.

2º I will and direct that all my obligations be met and that all my debts on my moveable and immoveable goods be paid by my Testamentary Executor later named.

3º I wish and direct that a service be sung over my body the day of my funeral and that another similar service be done at the beginning of the year of my decease and that a quantity of ten requiem low masses be said for the repose of my soul as soon as possible after my decease.

4º I give and bequeath to my wife, Ann Neville, widow of the late Edward Conway,

in usufruct and enjoyment only, during her life time, and without the power to sell, mortgage, nor alienate all the goods moveable and immoveable that I possess on the day and hour of my decease; and for my property of all my said goods moveable and immoveable, I give to my six children named James, Johnny, Felix, Joseph, Ann, and Jane Théberge, issue of my marriage with my said wife, Ann Neville, widow of E. Conway, instituting my said children as my universal legatees in property from the day of decease of their mother, Ann Neville, widow Conway.

5º I nominate as my Testamentary Executor, my said wife, Ann Neville, widow of E. Conway, into whose hands I divest and deseize all my said goods moveable and immoveable according to the law; I revoke at the same time all other wills or codicils that I may have made before the present which alone I declare conforms to my last wishes.

This was made and dictated word for word to the said Notary and witnesses by the said Mr. George Théberge, Testator, and after his present will was read and reread entirely by the said Notary in the presence of the said witnesses, he declared to have fully heard and understood the same and persisted therein as an expression of his last wishes.

Done and passed in the Parish of St. Ambroise by Mtre. Paul Picard, undersigned Notary, in the residence of the said Gaspard Picard the said day and year, under the number five hundred and thirty eight (538) of the minutes of the said Naotary in the presence of Mr. Frédéric Laine and of Mr. Adolphe Picard, both of the Huron Village of La Jeune Lorette, witnesses expressly summoned and required to effect these presents.

Read before the said witnesses and signed in the presence of each other and in the presence of the said Notary and the said witnesses, and the said Mr. George Théberge, Testator, having declared neither to know how to write nor to sign the required after the reading was made.

Words erased are null; Marginal notes approved.

George Theberge, his mark

Frédéric Laine, his signature

Adolphe Picard, his signature

P. Picard, Notary, his signature

[Translated and transcribed by Gerry Neville]

Notes by Patricia Balkcom:  George died one day later at the reported age of 65 years.  George had twelve children, six by his first wife, Elizabeth Savard and six by Ann Neville – only those by Ann were provided for in the will.  Ann was 45 when George died, she was left with his six children, aged 7 through 17, and her three children from her first marriage with Edmund Conway, aged 20 through 24.