Charles Lawrance - Yeoman - Talbot Times Tidbit from 1986

From June 1986 Talbot Times
Queries on past articles can be directed to info@elginogs.ca

WHO WAS CHARLES LAWRANCE, YEOMAN?

(Family names – Lawrence, Hosack, Hossick, Lale, Laclan, Stafford, Griffin, Zavitz)
Recently I recovered the “Last Will and Testament” of Charles Lawrance, Yeoman, Lot 28, Concession 5, Township of Yarmouth, initiated on the l4th day, the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy-Four. Although I’m conducting a genealogy research project on the HOSACK family of the Township of Yarmouth, this document was provided by the Land Registry Office, St. Thomas, Elgin County, in order to verify my families land ownership.

What makes it (the Will) so interesting is the fact that he Charles Lawrance, gave away most of his land to those tenants residing on the Lot/Concession. It would appear that he was a most prosperous farmer and his generosity was clearly related through his Will.
The document was broken down into nine segments making provisions for the distribution of his wealth as follows:
1)    To George Lale, Township of Yarmouth, his foreman, the sum of Twleve Hundred Dollars (1,200.00) plus One Hundred Dollars (100.00) to his five children.
2)    To Charles A. Lachlan, a minor, now living with me (Charles Lawrance) the sum of Four Thousand Five Hundred Dollars (4,500.00) and an additional Five Hundred Dollars (500.00) be paid to the other surviving children of Francis L. Lachlan, who at this time was residing in the State of Michigan, U.S.A.
3)    To Henry Stafford of the Township of Malahide, Yeoman, the sum of Six Hundred Dollars (600.00) to be distributed to himself and his own children.
4)    To Obadiah Griffin of the Township of Yarmouth the northerly twenty-five acres of the south half of Lot number Twenty-eight on the Fifth Concession of said Township of Yarmouth.
5)    To Francis Lawrance, of the Township of Yarmouth the next twenty-five acres of the said Lot.
6)    To Henry Hossick (sic) of the Township of Yarmouth the next twenty-five acres of the said south half Lot.
7)    To Osmen Zavitz, a blind person, the southerly twenty-five acres of said south half Lot.
8)    The remainder of my estate, real and personal of what nature to my wife, Harriet Lawrance, subject only to the payment of my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses.
9)    Lastly, he appointed his wife, Harriet Lawrance sole executrix of his last Will and Testament and revoked all former wills.
Charles Lawrance must have been aware that his time was near as he prepared this, his “Last Will and Testament”. He died within a very short time and his Will was filed for probate on the 6th day of August 1874. Witnesses signing the document were: William E. Murray, of the village of Aylmer, in the County Of Elgin, Conveyancer and George F. Clark of the village of Aylmer in the County of Elgin, Physician.
Altogether, Charles Lawrance, Yeoman, gave away 100 acres of land and over Six Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars (6,900.00) to his Friends and neighbors.

The above was submitted by. . . . MSgt. Edward A. Craig, 107 FIG/ DPMH, Niagara Falls IAP, New York, U.S.A.