notes on probate records
in pawnee county
You will have to go to the courthouse if you want copies of documents. However, here are notes about the contents of some of them. Probate records are located by means of alphabetical index cards. Each has a name and a probate case number, such as "McNeal William P10. William McNeal, who died i 1860, was the 10th estate to go through probate. Ask the clerk for P10 and she will walk into a small vault and retrieve a small package the size of a business envelope and in it is the file.
george w. jennings, p64
Date of death August 26, 1872
J. B. Pepoon petitioned to be appointed administrator; the petition said that George’s properly chiefly consisted of horses and a wagon, all worth about $400. Pepoon was appointed administrator.
4/6/1880 affidavit of widow Jane A. Jennings of Allegheny County, New York says that his heirs are herself and a daughter who was about 2 months old when he died, Amy A., and who is at the time of the affidavit 8 years old.
The affidavit of George’s widow does not mention a son, Loren G. Jennings, born January 1868, died November 11, 1879 at age 11, five months prior to Jane’s affidavit. Mr. Puckett was his guardian and submitted an affidavit that he had been appointed guardian on November 5, 1873.
In December 15, 1873, Loren received an inheritance from David Jennings of Allegheny County, New York. It appears that he inherited all of Jennings’ property through a will. The terms are very general, and there appears to be no information in the record about what, if anything, Loren received
J. B. Pepoon petitioned to be appointed administrator; the petition said that George’s properly chiefly consisted of horses and a wagon, all worth about $400. Pepoon was appointed administrator.
4/6/1880 affidavit of widow Jane A. Jennings of Allegheny County, New York says that his heirs are herself and a daughter who was about 2 months old when he died, Amy A., and who is at the time of the affidavit 8 years old.
The affidavit of George’s widow does not mention a son, Loren G. Jennings, born January 1868, died November 11, 1879 at age 11, five months prior to Jane’s affidavit. Mr. Puckett was his guardian and submitted an affidavit that he had been appointed guardian on November 5, 1873.
In December 15, 1873, Loren received an inheritance from David Jennings of Allegheny County, New York. It appears that he inherited all of Jennings’ property through a will. The terms are very general, and there appears to be no information in the record about what, if anything, Loren received
william mcneal, P10
William Mcneal died intestate “in about the year 1860.”
Background: A final settlement was not reached until 74 years after William’s death. This is not because the matter was grinding through the court system but rather because the original administrators did not complete the probate process. Apparently the heirs had need of final settlement in order to resolve property distribution issues. There may have been some, as there was a transfer of land by son James R. McNeal and son-in-law Hiram Billings (husband of Rosetta McNeal) under unknown circumstances.
Sadly, by the time the heirs sought final closing in 1934, those remaining had forgotten two of their brothers! They had died long before, William McNeal III in the Civil War and Andrew at some time after. The documents recite that William had six children, and recite as to some of them who inherited their parts. But William and Andrew, who had no children, are ignored. Usually probate records acknowledge the existence of children who died during the probate process, and both sons died after William, and then establish by affidavit that there were no children. Anyway, genealogists should not consider this probate record as the ultimate source of information about the children.
The name of William's wife was Elen, and she also was known as Ellen. She signed her name with an X.
The few records other than bills and notices included these:
August 22, [illegible date]. Elen McNeal and John W. Brock affirm in the probate court that they have been appointed guardians of three of William’s children: Mary E., age 11; Sarah J., age 9; and Martha, age 3. (Guardianship records are in a “G” file.)
Livingston Jenkins had three other children: James, Rosetta, and Andrew as wards; they were minors over the age of 10.
Nothing is said of William’s son William, but he had perhaps just reached the age of majority; his death as a Civil War soldier occurred when probate was just getting started.
6/22/1861: Ellen McNeal executed an oath to care for the following wards: Andrew J., Mary E., Sarah, Martha, and Nancy. By this time, James was probably off to be a soldier as well.
The 1934 petition for final settlement says:
William Mceal died intestate “in about the year 1860.”
Administrators Ellen McNeal and John Brock are now deceased.
He had the following children:
1. James R. McNeal
2. Rosetta Ann Billings
3. Martha E. Heer
4. Nancy S. McNeal
5. Mary E. McGinnis
6. Sarah J. Holverstott
He owned real estate, the west half of the SE quarter of the SW quarter of 20-3-12 (Section 20 of Table Rock Township, which is in Range 12).
A final settlement was issued in 1934, adopting the petition.
Background: A final settlement was not reached until 74 years after William’s death. This is not because the matter was grinding through the court system but rather because the original administrators did not complete the probate process. Apparently the heirs had need of final settlement in order to resolve property distribution issues. There may have been some, as there was a transfer of land by son James R. McNeal and son-in-law Hiram Billings (husband of Rosetta McNeal) under unknown circumstances.
Sadly, by the time the heirs sought final closing in 1934, those remaining had forgotten two of their brothers! They had died long before, William McNeal III in the Civil War and Andrew at some time after. The documents recite that William had six children, and recite as to some of them who inherited their parts. But William and Andrew, who had no children, are ignored. Usually probate records acknowledge the existence of children who died during the probate process, and both sons died after William, and then establish by affidavit that there were no children. Anyway, genealogists should not consider this probate record as the ultimate source of information about the children.
The name of William's wife was Elen, and she also was known as Ellen. She signed her name with an X.
The few records other than bills and notices included these:
August 22, [illegible date]. Elen McNeal and John W. Brock affirm in the probate court that they have been appointed guardians of three of William’s children: Mary E., age 11; Sarah J., age 9; and Martha, age 3. (Guardianship records are in a “G” file.)
Livingston Jenkins had three other children: James, Rosetta, and Andrew as wards; they were minors over the age of 10.
Nothing is said of William’s son William, but he had perhaps just reached the age of majority; his death as a Civil War soldier occurred when probate was just getting started.
6/22/1861: Ellen McNeal executed an oath to care for the following wards: Andrew J., Mary E., Sarah, Martha, and Nancy. By this time, James was probably off to be a soldier as well.
The 1934 petition for final settlement says:
William Mceal died intestate “in about the year 1860.”
Administrators Ellen McNeal and John Brock are now deceased.
He had the following children:
1. James R. McNeal
2. Rosetta Ann Billings
3. Martha E. Heer
4. Nancy S. McNeal
5. Mary E. McGinnis
6. Sarah J. Holverstott
He owned real estate, the west half of the SE quarter of the SW quarter of 20-3-12 (Section 20 of Table Rock Township, which is in Range 12).
A final settlement was issued in 1934, adopting the petition.