Description Will of John McKay of Pleasant Valley, Pictou Co., NS

(Handwritten)

Estate of John MacKay late of Pleasant Valley, Farmer, deceased, Testate

Copy of Will for the Registrar of Deeds

IN the name of God, Amen.

I John MacKay of Pleasant Valley near the Middle River, in the County of Pictou, being frail and infirm of body, but of sound disposing mind and memory, Thanks be to God, and calling to mind the uncertainty of life, and that it is appointed for all men once to die, and after death the judgement, Do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in the manner following, namely, First and principally, I recommend my Soul to God who gave it, and my body I commit to the Earth to be buried with a decent Christina burial, believing the same shall be raised at the general judgement, and touching such worldly effects, as God has been pleased to bless me with, I bequeath and dispose of the same in the following namely,

1st. I will and ordain that all my legal and just debts shall be paid by my Executors hereinafter named, out of my estate and effects.

2nd. I give and bequeath to Christy my dearly beloved wife, One hundred and twenty dollars of lawful money of Canada, and my dwelling house with all its contents and as much land surrounding it on all sides as will include the Wood yard and the Pump, and to contain a piece of land surrounding said house, a Rod or sixteen and one half feet from the house on the north and East sides of the house but on the Southern and westerly sides of said house to follow the outside boundary of the Wood yard, so called, such boundary to extend Westwardly sufficiently to include the Pump, to be not less than one rod from the Western side of the house,

and also an annual allowance for her maintenance during her life time namely Two Cows and Six Sheep, the same to be fed during the winter ad Pastured during the summer seasons, also Three hundred pounds of good flour, two hundred pounds of good oatmeal, and two hundred bushels of Potatoes, also such quantity of firewood as will be sufficient for either fireplace or stove, cut, chopped or sawed in lengths suitable for either fireplace or stove, provided, prepared, and piled in a place convenient for her use, near her dwelling house also the half of the Pew I own and possess in Gairloch Church, to be used and enjoyed by her without molestation or incumberance during her lifetime.

3rd. I give and bequeath to my brother Hugh MacKay that piece of land situate and lying on the west side of Green Hill road, to contain one acre, more or less, also the red horse which I now own.

4th. I give and bequeath to Isabella daughter of my said brother Hugh MacKay one Cow and Six Sheep.

5th. I give and bequeath to my brother Alexander and his heirs, the balance of my real estate consisting of the lot of land on which I now reside, (the dwelling house and land attached excepted, being above bequeathed to my wife) and my personal property, to include the balance of my Stock and farming Implements, after all my debt are settled and former bequests paid over. This Bequest to my brother Alexander MacKay is made strictly on the condition, and let it be always so understood, that he will provide, deliver, and pay over, or cause to provide, deliver, and pay over, by or through his heirs or others, as the case may be the allowance above described to maintain Christy MacKay my beloved wife without any trouble, or deduction whatever during her lifetime, when all my bequests to my wife terminate and cease.

6th. I appoint and ordain Kenneth Ross of Mill Brook, Esquire, and my brother Hugh MacKay of Pleasant Valley, Joint executors of this my last Will and Testament, and I hereby utterly revoke and disannul all former wills and testaments by me made and appointed.

Signed, Sealed, and published and declared this as my last Will and Testament this fifteenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred an Eighty in the presence of Hugh Fraser of West River, Esquire, and Alexander MacKay of Big Brook West Branch East River, who have subscribed their names as witnesses in the presence of each other, and in the presence of the Testator.

Signed John McKay L.S.

The testator has Signed Sealed and declared this as his last Will and Testament in our presence as Witnesses.

Signed ---- Hugh Fraser
" ---- Alexander McKay

County of Pictou Sf
In the Court of Probate of Wills

I do hereby certify that the foregoing instrument consisting of three pages, is an exact and literal copy of the last Will and Testament of John McKay late of Pleasant Valley, in the County of Pictou, Farmer, deceased, Testate, which has been duly filed and admitted to Probate in accordance with the practice of the Court.

Given under my hand at Pictou this 12th. day of January A.D. 1881.
John H. Lane Registrar

To John Ferguson Esq.
Registrar of Deeds for the County of Pictou

No Stamp

Province of Nova Scotia, Registrar of Deeds
Office, County of Pictou, 14th January 1881 I certify that the within instrument was duly registered at 10 AM of the above day in the registry of Wills Book No 1, pages 81,82 & 83 on the certificate of John H. Lane Rgr.

John Ferguson Regr