Amanuensis Monday~Searching and Finding a Death Date For Allen M. Page

Amanuensis Monday is a genealogy blogging theme. It was started by John Newmark who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog.


His definition of Amanuensis is:
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Today’s subject is Searching and Finding a Death Date For Allen M. Page.

Allen M. Page, born in 1829, a son of Sion Page and his wife Nancy. Allen can only be found  in one census, by name. That census is the 1850 Census for Stanly County, NC. Allen M. Page is listed in the household of Sion and Nancy Page as a 21 years old male.¹ 

In 1853, Allen M. Page married Sarah “Sallie’ Huneycut. Sarah was a daughter of Mark and Charity Dry Huneycutt. She was my  2nd Great Grand Aunt. Allen and Sallie had one child, a daughter called “Bitha” born 21 June 1854. It was alleged and documented in many on-line trees that Allen M. Page died in 1854. No source was given. ²
No additional information, no sources, nothing more was documented beyond the fact that Allen M. Page died in 1854.  This lack of information stirred my curiosity so I went looking for the source of this date – 1854. That search led me to Allen M. Page Probate folder, which can be found here:³
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-35566-9873-39?cc=1911121
 
Two pages from that folder of 39 images are provided and transcribed below. What I found was that Allen M. Page did in fact died in 1854; how he died I do not know. Image 36, dated 13 October 1854, is a petition by his wife Sarah Huneycutt Page for a years provisions.  Image 38, states that “your petitioner is the relict of Allen Page who died in the year 1854 leaving some personal property & leaving your Petitioner wholly unprovided for, in view of the premises…” 

Probate record proves that Allen M. Page died sometime before 13 October 1854 in Stanly County, NC. No specific date was stated within the 39 pages of the probate file.
 

Image 36

State of North Carolina}
Stanly County} to the worshipfull Cort the Jestus of the of pleas and qarter sesfion August tirm 1854 wee G D Whitly as Jestus of the peace of said County and
                              and freeholders in obedianc to an order of cort procedead on the 13 day of october to new the estate of Allen page Desest and out of the crop stock and provishion on hand wee hav had layd laid off and allotted to Sary page wider as follows that is to say Thelve Bushels of Corn & five bushels wheat & tow hundred & fifty pounds of pork one bushel & there not being not A half of salt one dollar worth of shoggar [sugar] & 25 pounds Coffy Tow dollars worth to by molasses & spice & peper & Jinger one bedstid [bedstead] & bead and it nessary [necessary] furnature & tow pare shos & one small pot & skillet A half set nifs [knife] abd forks & a half set plats [platters] one small Coffypot as heare [her] Absolute property and and put heare [her] in perseashion [possession] of the same
given under ours hand and seals this the 13 day of October 1854
                                                       G. D. Whitley {seal}
                                                       Hiram X Barbar {seal}
                                                       Daniel Reap {seal}
                                                       Nelson Smith {seal}

Image 38

North Carolina} Court of Pleas and Quarters Sefsions
Stanly County) August Sefsions 1854

To thee Worshipful the Justice of said Court the Petition of Sarah M. Page Ex parte, respectfully sheweth unto your Worships, that your petitioner is the relict of Allen Page who died in the year 1854 leaving some personal property & leaving your Petitioner wholly unprovided for, in view of the premises, your Petitioner respectfully petition your Worships to appoint a Magistrate & three freeholders unconnected with your petitioner who to go upon the premises ad allot & set apart a years provision for the support of your Petitioner & family, and on a grant such other relief as to your Worships may seem proper,
And as in duty bound your Petitioner will ever pray & c.
                                                      M. Corkle Sol.
                                                       for Petitioner
 
Sarah Huneycutt Page is my 2nd Great Grand Aunt and by marriage Allen Page is also my 2nd Great Grand Uncle.
 
 
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[1] 1850 Census, Stanly County, North Carolina, population schedule, Furr, Stanly County, North Carolina, Page: 38A(stamped); Line 16, Dwelling 533, Family 535, Household of Sion PAGE; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 21 July 2015); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 645.
[2] State of North Carolina, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, Marriage; Stanly, North Carolina (8 December 1853), Allen Page and Sarah Huneycutt; https://www.ancestry.com.
[3] "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-35566-9873-39?cc=1911121 : accessed 26 November 2015), Stanly County > P > Page, Allen (1854) > image 1 of 39; State Archives, Raleigh.