Will of Judith Meehan Bourke.

In the month prior to her death, Judith Bourke decided to make her last will and testament, so on August 8, 1904, she called in solicitor Jeremiah Hassett from Yarrawonga to take down her wishes. The resulting document reads as follows:


“ This is the last will and testament of Judith Bourke, of Burramine, Widow.
I hereby revoke my former wills. I appoint my son, Patrick Bourke, and my daughter, Ellen Mannix, to be the executor and executrix of this, my will, and to be the trustees thereof and I desire that they shall appoint Jeremiah Hassett of Yarrawonga to do the solicitor’s work in connection with my estate.
I give and bequeath all my cattle and all my other personal effects to my daughter, Ellen Mannix, for her own use absolutely. I direct that when the present lease of my land expires, the land shall be sold and out of the proceeds my debts, including the mortgage on the land, shall be paid. I give out of the balance:-
Fifty pounds to my son, Patrick Bourke.
One hundred pounds to my son Edward Bourke.
Fifty pounds to Judith, daughter of my son Edward.
One hundred pounds to my son John.
Fifty pounds to Edward, son of my son Michael.
Fifty pounds to my granddaughter Judith Mannix.
Fifty pounds to my granddaughter Mary Mannix.
Fifty pounds to my granddaughter Margaret Mannix.
Fifty pounds to my nephew, Michael Meehan, of Yarrawonga.
Twenty pounds to the Little Sisters of the Poor, Melbourne.
If there be any residue after payment of the foregoing legacies, I direct that any such residue shall be divided in proportion to the amounts of money legacies amongst those who receive money legacies.
I forgive all debts due to me by my children.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of August, one thousand nine hundred and four.

JUDITH BOURKE x her mark.

Signed with her mark by the testatrix, Judith Bourke, as and for her last will in the presence of us both present at the same time who at her request and in her sight and presence and in the sight and presence of eachother have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses and we certify that the testatrix, being illiterate, the foregoing will was read over to her in our presence and she seemed fully to understand and approve of the same and thereupon affixed her mark thereto as foresaid and we further certify that before the execution of this will by the testatrix, the word “fifty” in the twentieth line of the first page was struck out and the words ‘one hundred’ substituted therefore by the direction of the testatrix.

William H. Gilmour, Boosey, farmer.

Jeremiah Hassett, solicitor, of Yarrawonga.”

In this document, Judith Bourke’s son, Edmund, is referred to as ‘Edward’. This also happened in other documents pertaining to him. I believe the mix up occurred because he was usually known as ‘Ned’, which can be a nickname for either ‘Edward’ or ‘Edmund’.