| 21st December 1867 Last Will of Patrick White (husband of Ellen Chapman) | From records of Charles Henry Andrews No. 943 Quebec Archives Online |
On the twenty first day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty seven, about half past eight of the clock in the after noon, before me the undersigned Notary Public duly commissioned and sworn and residing at the City of Quebec in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada personally came and appeared Mr. Patrick White of the Parish of St. Catherine of the place known as Lake St. Joseph, County of Portneuf, Farmer, who being apparently in good bodily health and of sound and perfect mind, memory, judgment, and understanding requested me the said Notary and witnesses viz.: Edmund B. Holt, Bank Clerk, and Daniel J. Denis, Grocer, both of the City of Quebec expressly requested to act for the purposes hereof & I the said Notary, witnesses and testator then being at the said place known as Lake St. Joseph in the house of the said Testator, to receive and write down his last will and testament which he instantly made dictated and named in manner and form following, that is to say:
I will and direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid and satisfied with all due diligence after my decease.
I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Ellen Chapman all my property moveable and immoveable of what nature or kind whatsoever goods, estates, chattels, effects, and things, debts, obligations, plate, wearing apparel, monies or securities for monies which I may die possessed of and wheresoever the same may be situated at the time of my decease without any exception to have, hold and enjoy the whole from the hour of my decease during her natural life only, at being my will and intention that all my said property moveable and immoveable to be enjoyed as aforesaid by my said wife during her natural life do revert and go after her decease to my son Charles White whom I hereby institute by my present last will and testament my universal and residuary legatee of all my said property moveable and immoveable for him to have, hold, use and enjoy the same after the decease of the said Ellen Chapman my wife as his absolute property for ever en pleine et entiere propriété.
And I do hereby revoke all former wills and codicils at any time heretofore by me made.
And it was thus made, dictated and named word for word by the said Testator unto me the said Notary and witnesses, the present last will and testament having been read and reread by me the said Notary and also read and reread personally by the said testator the witnesses being present, the said Patrick White Testator declared to have perfectly understood the same and persisted therein declaring that it contained entirely his last will and testament.
Done and executed as aforesaid on the dy and year first above written under the number nine hundred and forty three the said Testator and witnesses having signed together with me the said Notary.
Three marginal notes are good. Fourteen words struck out are null.
Patrick White, his signature; Ed. B. Holy, his signature; D.J. Denis, his signature; C.H. Andrews, N.P., his signature
Transcribed by Gerald Neville, July 2011
Notes by Patricia Balkcom: Patrick had four children. When he wrote this will, his wife and all of his children were living. However, all but his son, Charles, predeceased him, so it is possible there is another will after his wife died in 1874.