Dr Daniel O'Brien

Will, Dr. Daniel O'Brien_Page_1

• Death Notes
  • Sacred to the memory of Dr - Daniel O'Brien who died at his residence Beheating T.E. Dibrugarh on the 15th July 1907, aged 74 years, 8 months and 28 days deeply mourned by his benafactors and friends R.I.P. "God is charity and he who abideth in charity abideth in God in him" John 1V16.
    
    
    (Will)
    
    Be it known that Daniel O'Brien of the Beheating Tea Estate at Dibrugarh in Assam, British India, who died on the 14th day of July 1907 at Beheating aforesaid made and duly executed his last Will and Testament and did therein name Luke Hoyle and Edgar Atherlin Delanongerede executors who now reside in India. And be it further known that at the date hereunder written Letters of Administration with the Will of all the estate which by law devolves to and vests in the personal representative of the said deceased were granted by His Majesty's High Court of Justice at the Principal Probate Registry thereof to Alexander Cecil Lawrie of 14 St Mary "Axe?" in the City of London, Merchant, one of the lawful attournys of the said Luke Hoyle for his use and benefit and until he or his co executor or both of them apply for and obtain probate of the said will. Dated the 4th Day of March 1910. Gross value of Estate: ...£6323: 10s: 4d. Net value of personal Estate: " " ".
    
    In the High Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal Testamentary and Intestate Jurisdiction. Be it known that upon search being made at the Registry of His Majestys High Court and the Archives thereof, there well and faithfully preserved and kept, it appears that on the ninth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and nine the last Will of Daniel O'Brien, late a British Subject and a Surgeon retired residing at the Beheating Tea Estate, Assam, deceased, having whilst living and at the time of his death property and credits within the Jurisdiction of the said High Court was proved in common form of law and registered before this Court and that administration of the property and credits of the said deceased and in any way concerning his said will was granted to Luke Hoyle of Beheating Tea Estate, aforesaid at present residing at the Continental Hotel in the town of Calcutta, one of the Executors in the said will named, he having undertaken to administer the said property and credits and to make a full and true inventory thereof and exhibit the same in the said High Court within six months from the date of the said grant or within such further time as the said Court may from time to time appoint, and also to render to the said Court a true account of the said property and credits within one year from the same date or within such further time as the said Court may from time to time appoint, Power being reserved of making the like grant to Edgar Atherlin Delanongerede the other executor when he shall come in and prey for the same. The true tenor of the said Will is in the words following to wit:
    
    This is the last Will and Testament of me Dr D O'Brien, Beheating T E, Dibrugarh, made this morning the thirtienth of June in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven. I hereby revoke all wills by me at any time heretofore made. I appoint Mr L Hoyle Beheating and Mr E A Delanongerede Ghooroonia T E to be my Executors and I direct that all my just debts and funeral and testamentary expenses shall be paid as soon as possible after my decease. As I recognise no nearer relatives on earth neither nephews nore neices I hearby give devise and bequeath. First, All my securities, cash, shares, Goverment papers, and whatever valuables I shall die possesed of which are not mentioned in the second point in an endowment named after Mrs O'Brien for the education of as many Eurasian and European lads and girls or orphans as the fund will allow *[1]*. This fund is to be given to the very Reverend Fr Dr C E Becker Prefect Apostolic in Shillong or in -- case of his death to his successor as Superior of the Roman Catholic Mission in Shillong to be employed by him for Roman Catholic children only from this fund my funeral expenses, the erection of a tomb and all other expenses connected with my funeral are to be paid, besides that a weekly holy mass must be founded in the Romam Catholic Church of Shillong *[2]* to be said for the repose of my Soul. Then, 10000 Rs (Rupees ten thousand) shall be given for the building of the Roman Catholic Catherdral in Shillong. Finally from the securities held by me in India I bequeath 6000 Rs (Rupees six thousand) to Mr E A Delanongerede in Ghooroonia T E on the Sessa.
    
    Second, Beheating T E and Ghooroonia T E shall be converted into a limited liability concerning Dr D O'Briens Company Ltd. The houses, furniture, machineries and tools belonging to the gardens shall belong to that Company consisting of eight shareholders, two shares I bequeath to Mr L Hoyle Beheating T E, one to his neice Miss Mary Higham *[3]*, Beheating T E, and two shares to the Rev Fr Dr C E Becker Prefect Apostolic of Shillong, "one share to the family Clancy in Ballyvaughan County Clair Ireland" and the other two shares to be devided equally between Authur Grose *[3]*, Beheating T E "G Malcolm Grange and his brother Cecil Grange".
    
    If there should be left anything else it shall belong to the fund named after Mrs O'Brien as abovesaid Beheating T E the thirtienth of June one thousand nine hundred and seven. -- D O'Brien -- Signed by the said testator and acknowledged by him to be his last will and testament in the presence of us present at the same time and subscribed by us as witnesse in the presence of the said testator and of each other -- S T H Lane --- Alexander White Mary G White --
    
    In faith the testimony whereof there Letters Testimonial are issued under the Seal of the said High Court Given at Calcutta at Fort William in Bengal aforesaid this twenty seventh day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ten - W R Fink Registrar (LS). To all persons to whom these presents shall come I Sir Lawrence Hugh Jenkins K C I E Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal do hereby certify and attest that William Robert Fink Esq is the Registrar of the High Court aforesaid in its branch of Original Jurisdiction and that the document hereunto annexed and marked with the letter A being an Exemplification of the Will of Daniel O'Brien late a British Subject and a Surgeon retired residing at the Beheating Tea Estate Assam deceased is signed in the proper handwriting of the said William Robert Fink and that to all acts signed by him as such Regestrar of the said High Court full faith and credit are and ought to be given.
    
    In Testimony whereof I the said Sir Lawrence Hugh Jenkins have caused the Seal of the High Court to be hereunto put and affixed and have also caused the said exemplification of the said Will under the signature of the said William Robert Fink to be hereunto annexed. Given under my hand at Calcutta at Fort William in Bengal aforesaid this 27th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ten -- L Jenkins let the Seal be affixed -- L Jenkins (LS) -- On the 4th day of March 1910 Administration with Will was granted to Alexander Cecil Lawrie one of the attournys of Luke Hoyle one of the Executors.
    
    *[1]* A trade school in Shillong. It imparted training in printing, carpentry, shoemaking and smithery. It became disused when the German pioneers were recalled to their motherland during the first world war and later became the Don Bosco Technical School, Shillong. A plaque was erected at the school in memory of the late Mrs Sophia O'Brien (Ball).
    
    *[2]* The Church of the Devine Saviour, Shillong 1913, a wooded structure that was destroyed in the Good Friday fire of April 10, 1936. The present Catherdral of Mary Help of Christians replaced it. Run by Fr. Cristoforo Becker 1906 - 1920.
    
    *[3]* Miss Mary Higham, Married Mr Arthur F Grose 1906 - 1911 Calcutta.

• General Notes
  • Occupation: Asst-Surgeon, Bengal (Affidavit British Library: L/MIL/398/9 f. 596). Later, Tea Plantation Owner (Beheating Tea Estate, Dibrugarh, Assam).

Details of Daniel's family with Mrs Sophia Celilia Marielle Ball