Denis Killeen made a will on 24 May 1850, a memorial of which was registered on 9 February 1854 (about three or four years after his death).
The memorial was “signed” (that is, marked with an X) by his eldest son Patrick Killeen; and was also signed (I mean, with actual signatures) by John Armstrong, Thomas Morgan, and Albert Hopper, all of March township. None of these three subscribing witnesses — John Armstrong, Thomas Morgan, and Albert Hopper — were related by blood or marriage, so far as I can tell. They were all Irish emigrants to March township, of Protestant (Church of England) background, presumably chosen as trustworthy and literate neighbours of the Irish Catholic Killeens.
The following is my transcription of the memorial, with hyperlinks to my database listings of the persons named in the will. A few words (indicated by brackets [ ] ) are illegible, or at least, not legible to me.
Memorial of Denis Killeen’s Last Will and Testament
A Memorial, to be Registered, of a will made the twenty fourth day of May Eighteen hundred and fifty, by Denis Killeen of the Township of March county of Carlton, province of Canada yeoman, whereby the said Denis Killeen declared it to be his last will and testament and directed that his beloved wife Mary Killeen should have a decent maintenance off his real estate being the South East Half of Lot Number eleven on the third concession of March and to be in full possession of the house on said lot during her natural life, and likewise bequeathed to his wife two cows, and by the said Will he further bequeathed to his son Patrick Killeen the South East quarter of said lot; and to his son John Killeen the North West quarter of said lot; and he further bequeathed to his sons Patrick and John all his moveable property, and required them to pay all his just and lawful debts, and the moveable property not to be [two words illegible: disposed till?] the debts were paid and he further required the said Patrick Killeen and John Killeen to pay, after all his just and lawful debts were paid, to their sisters Eliza, Bridget, and Margaret, ten pounds each, and to his sons, Denis, William, James, and Thomas, the sum of Ten pounds each, to be paid after the [rate?] of Ten pounds every year till each have received their Ten pounds. Which said Will is witnessed by “Thos Morgan” “John Armstrong” and Albert Hopper” and this memorial thereof is hereby required to be registered by one son of the [deceased] named in the said will, Witness my hand and seal this ninth day of February Eighteen hundred and fifty four
Patrick X (his mark) Killeen
Signed and Sealed
in Presence of
being first read over
and explained —
John Armstrong
Albert Hopper
County of Carlton To Wit
John Armstrong — of the Township of March in the said County Yeoman in the within Memorial named maketh oath and saith that he was present, and did see the Will to which the said Memorial relates duly executed, signed, sealed, and delivered by the therein named Denis Killeen, and that he is a subscribing witness to the execution of the said Will, that he this deponent also saw the said Memorial duly signed and selaed by the therein named Patrick Killeen — for the Registry thereof, Which said memorial was attested by him this deponent, and another subscribing witness, and that both said Instruments were executed at March aforesaid
John Armstrong [his signature]
Sworn before me at March
in the said County this 9th
day of Februrary 1854
Carleton County Land Registry, March, no. 7142, memorial of will of Denis Killeen, 1854.