Amanuensis Monday: Last Will and Testament of Alphonse Grozelle

An amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I recently wrote about my distant cousin Alphonse Grozelle (aka Alphonso Grozell); see Alphonse Grozelle (1854-1921).

Today, I look at his last will and testament. It is rare that I find wills for my ancestors or relatives, so I was pleased to come across Alphonse’s will at FamilySearch.org last week. The digitised probate packet wasn’t large (it consisted of 40 images) and the documents weren’t complicated.

In the spring of 1912, Alphonse made a will in which he named his younger son Joseph as executor. The total value of Alphonse’s property was not more than $3225.00. [1] He bequeathed all his real and personal estate (two ¼ sections of land) and “all the horses, machinery, and in fact all that is pertaining to the said land” to his son Joseph. He added that he owed $100.00 to his son Peter Richard Grozell. Last, he specified, “to the rest of my children they are not to receive any of Estate what so ever”. [2]

Last Will and Testament of Alphonso Grozell, part one (FamilySearch.org)

Alphonse’s will, dated 12 May 1919, was proved and registered in Surrogate Court of Judicial District of Estevan, Saskatchewan on 30 December 1921. Its administration (letters probate) was granted to Joseph. [3]

Last Will and Testament of Alphonso Grozell, part two (FamilySearch.org)

Here is my transcription of Alphonse’s will. (Note: Portions of text that are filled-in by hand or typewriter are shown underlined.)

[image 7 of 40]

Sources:

1. "Saskatchewan Probate Estate Files, 1887-1931," digital images, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTN-FJT : accessed 3 October 2016), Alphonso Grozell [sic], 1921, probate file, no. 0648, “Petition For Probate” (image 3 of 40); citing Saskatchewan Estevan, Queen's Bench Provincial Court, Regina; GS film no. 1,220,692.

2. "Saskatchewan Probate Estate Files, 1887-1931," digital images, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTN-FJT : accessed 3 October 2016), Alphonso Grozell [sic], 1921, probate file, no. 0648, “Last Will and Testament of Alphonso Grozell” (images 7-8 of 40); citing Saskatchewan Estevan, Queen's Bench Provincial Court, Regina; GS film no. 1,220,692.

3. "Saskatchewan Probate Estate Files, 1887-1931," digital images, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTN-FJT : accessed 3 October 2016), Alphonso Grozell [sic], 1921, probate file, no. 0648, “In The Surrogate Court of […]” (image 33 of 40); citing Saskatchewan Estevan, Queen's Bench Provincial Court, Regina; GS film no. 1,220,692.

Copyright © 2016, Yvonne Demoskoff.