Amanuensis Monday~Probate of the James Smith Estate, 1890

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 Probate of the Estate of James Smith, 1890.¹

James Smith was born 4 March 1826, a son of Duncan Smith. He married Catherine McLaurin about 1855/56 and they had 6 children; 3 sons and 3 daughters. James died on 23 January 1890. His wife died approximately 3 years later in September 1893.  

The Widow and six children are shown here in this distribution of assets:













By amt paid Widow, one third – $98.05
D. A. Smith [Daniel A.] – $32.68
I. J. Smith [Isabel Jane] – $32.68
M. C. Smith [Mary Cornelia] – $32.68
F. J. Smith [Franklin James] – $32.68
M. D. Smith [Milton Duncan] – $32.68
N. A. Smith [Nancy A.] – $32.68



State of South Carolina}
Chesterfield County}
To Hon. H. D. Tiller Judge of Probate for Chesterfield County
The petition of the undersigned respectfully represents to the court
1st. That James Smith late of Chesterfield County died intestate on the 23^rd day of July 1890 leaving a personal Estate amounting to about one thousand dollars.
2^nd. That Letters of Administration has not [been] issued to any one and that the heirs of Said Estate have mutually agreed for letters of Administration to be granted to the undersigned.
Wherefore your petitioner prays that Letters of Administration be granted unto him in order that the said Estate may be managed and Settled according to law and your petitioner will ever pray &.
August 18^th 1890                                                     F. J. Smith
 
 
 
 
 
______________________________________________________
[1] "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19384-30467-45?cc=1911928 : accessed 12 June 2016), Chesterfield > Probate Court, Estate records > 1865-1927 > Cases 0153-0227 > image 695 of 1550; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.

Chesterfield County SC Estates~Estate Folder #285–John Ellis

This is a new series of posting, appearing every Sunday, on selected Estate Folders from the Estate files of Chesterfield County. No known estates exist for the period before the Civil War. They were destroyed with the burning of the Courthouse. There are a few “Equity Records” in the State Archives. Do not overlook this valuable resources if you are looking for ancestors in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. 

Today we will be looking at the following Estate folders:
Folder #285
John Ellis ¹
This estate folder begins at image #140 and ends with image #172. (images 140-172)
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19383-35028-53?cc=1911928

Nowhere within the Estate folder of John Ellis is there a document that shows his date of death; but his tombstone in the Peniel Cemetery records his death date as 15 November 1871. John had lost his entire family by the time of his death. His two children, William Archibald and Sarah Ann had passed away in 1864. Then in June of 1867, his wife Eliza passed away.
The loss in his entire family resulted in his estate being divided between his siblings and surviving nieces and nephews. 
At the time of John’s death he held a large estate consisting of both real and personal which included 400 acres of land on Bear Creek. Court was held on the 27th day of December 1872 to determine the disposition of said land.

http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2016/05/amanuensis-mondaysummons-to-sale-lands.html

This document from his estate shows those surviving heirs at law.

Image 150

The heirs-at-law were:

• Jacob Ellis
• --------------------------
• J. J. Ellis, son of illegible
• Wesley Ellis, son of illegible
• ---------------------------
• Elisha Ellis
• -----------------
• Rachel Bone – [Wife of Charles Wesley Boan]
• -----------------------------
• Wm Smothers, son of Nancy
• Christian Kissah , daughter of Nancy
• Elisha Smothers, son of Nancy
• Catherine Smothers, daughter of Nancy
• Effy Ann Gainey, daughter of Nancy
• ----------------------------
• Rebecca Ann Odum
• ----------------------------------
• Elisha Ellis, Jr. son of Arch

If you are a descendant of John Ellis you should take the time to review his probate file.
The inventory and list of buyers at this estate sale is well worth taking the time to browse through this estate folder.



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[1] "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19383-35028-53?cc=1911928 : accessed 11 June 2016), Chesterfield > Probate Court, Estate records > 1865-1927 > Cases 0282-0330 > image 140 of 1448; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.