52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #9 Where there's a Will

-- a little late

On this International Women's Day, I am going to share the Last Will and Testament of my 3rd Great-grandmother, Margaret Johnston nee Byres.

I have not seen the original will. I did try to find it at the Archives of Ontario, but I was unsuccessful.  I found a handwritten transcription in the family history of the David Johnston family [1] at the Uxbridge Historical Centre Museum & Archives (aka Uxbridge-Scott Museum & Archives). The author,  Helen Johnston, has small handwriting and some words are hard to read. She spelled the words as written in the original. She didn't provide the citation for where the will can be found. By the time I came aware of Helen Johnston and her work, she had already passed away.

I am copying the will as she did except the long s will be written as ss. I will try to transcribe what she has written correctly.  There are no commas in the listings.

Date this Dec. 11th 1865
This is my last will and testement maid this Twenty first day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and sixty five. I Bequeth to my son David Johnston or his family the following aftermentioned goods and chattels which I now posess = to David's oldest son James my round stand wash stand basin & pitcher = to my son David's Daughter Margreat 1 Black silk cape the dark bedstead 2 Bead ticks 1 striped and the other plain all my china dishes 1 fether Bolster 2 Blankets and 1 light Quilt one flowred delaine [2] dress to my son David's son David I Bequeth $8.00. I also Bequeth to my Daughter Margret my yellow Bedsted fether and straw Bed fether Bolster & 2 pillows Beurow 2 blankits and one Quilt night Chair muff & boae my black shall 1 Black flowred satin Bonnet. To my grandaughter Margret Jane Johnson * Bequeth my best drab silk shall 1 fine Linnen sheet 1 home maid sheet 1 Quilt not lined flowred 

To my son John I bequeth my loung 3 kitchen Chairs 1 kitchen Table and the small looking glass and one Cloths Horse.

To my son John's Daughter Catherine my folding leaf Table and Cover one quilt not lined color brown 1 Iron Candel stick 2/1 Doz diner plates & wash board.

To my son John's James my little squair dressing table.

To my son John's Daughter Margret my Comp Bedsed and the Curtains belonging to it one blanket one Quilt lind with flenel and all my  common plates and Blue Edged platter 1 Black winter Cape one Cream Jug & my Black dress.

To my son James I bequeth my Cubbord and my second best table cloth and to his son Ribert my Cooking stove and all belonging to it but the tin Tea kittel and the best spider. [3]

To my son William I bequeth my family Bible my old Cuntry Clock 1/2 Doz. Green Chairs the Big rocking Chair the nursing Chair the Brass kittle and Tin Tea kittle 2 stone Butter Crocks 1 washing tub 1 white ash Butter Tub 3 sap Buckits 5 milk Crocks my spinning wheel and reak  1 large Looking Glass my best Chamber smoothing Irons Tallion Iron & beeters my best spider 1/2 Doz knives & forks best ones 2 of my best Towels and all my preserves dishes allso my fire tongs my willow Basket

To my son William's Daughter Ann I bequeth 1 fine sheet linnen 1 cotton and Linnen Twild sheet my best Quilt not lined Flowred and 2 old Linnen sheets 1 Brass Candel stick 2 pillows and 2 best pillow slips one of my best Blankits 3 soop plates 1 platter 1 silver tablespoon.

To my son William's Daughter Margret I bequeth 1 small fether Bed 1 Linnen Sheet 1 home maid sheet 1 of my best Blankits my best Table Cloth my best Quilt light Lilock my little clock 3 soop plates and 1 platter 1 silver tablespoon 1 Brown pitcher 1 Blue stone pitcher.

As for money and my property I Autherize my son William to collect all my outstanding Notes and Accounts to sell my property which I own in the Village of Uxbridg and I give him full power to make a title for the same after that he has disposed of said property and received the money for it and paid for all my funrel Expenses he shall than put up a respictable head stone = the money he may have left he shall take one third of it for himself and the Ballance he shall Divide Equaly between his 3 brothers and his sister Margret and Margret shall give one half of her share to her Daughter Jane and for the Ballance of y Body Cloths and other articals that is not mentioned in the above I leve my Daughter Margret to divid them as she thinks Just and right among my family 

[signed] Margaret Johnston


[1] Johnston, Helen, Descendants of James Hardy Johnston 1788-1872 and Margaret (Byres) Johnston 1793-1866 of Annan Scotland and Quaker Hill. Queensville, Ont., H Johnston, 1984.

[2] delaine: a lightweight dress fabric of wool or wool and cotton made in prints or solid colors;delaine merino.

[3] spider according the Canadian Encyclopedia is
"Until about 1830 cooking was almost always done in an open fireplace. One of the problems of this was providing stability for the cooking utensils. Pots for stews or tea water had curved handles by which they were suspended from a swinging bar called a crane. A more reliable means of support was the trivet, an iron ring large enough to hold the pot and having 3 vertical legs that could be set in the fire. The trivet could be combined with the frying pan or skillet by attaching legs directly to the pan bottom; this combination was called a spider. Cooking pots were also made with permanently attached legs."

© 2018 Janet Iles