Identifying the Correct Ancestor #kygenealogy #kentuckypioneerscom

Identifying the Correct Ancestor

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

I recall the time when people were saying that our population was so large that America was running out of land! Granted, the population continues to grow and expand, yet it has been calculated that the number of people in the United States today could easily fit into the State of Utah! As genealogists, we are forever dealing with large numbers of people and searching for evidence of their existence. And, because of the duplication of names, we have to be careful that when we find someone, that it is the correct ancestor. The solution lies in researching census and county records and comparing the same. However, the best solution is to research all of the persons with the same surname (in that county) and prepared family group sheets for each family. That way, we realize that some of the people having the same names are cousins, however far removed! Just knowing the identify of each John Smith is clarifying , and will keep us on the correct path. 
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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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You Need an Eye to Detail #kentuckypioneers #kygenealogy

You Need an Eye to Detail

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

A number of clues exist in public records which help the genealogist to locate lost relatives. One ancestor which I had researched for many years was discovered by reading Revolutionary War Pensions for that surname. It was Joseph Lane, resident of Missouri whose application stated that he had two sons who'd left home years ago, one who went west and the other to either Kentucky or Georgia. Although no given names were provided, my detailed notes provided two brothers in Georgia fitting that description. From there, I studied their estate records, viz, inventories, sales, annual returns and vouchers to see who was listed and where they resided. The names given in these types of records bear close relationships to the deceased. I found one lost ancestor by searching Jasper County annual returns (for everyone with that surname) and discovered that a trip to Kentucky was an item paid for and listed in the annual returns. This linked "the origin" of the family. Other great digs are deed records where heirs sell their inheritance and name other heirs in the deed. Every single record of that surname must be researched for little clues. . . . more . . .

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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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The meaning of "Child in Esse" #kentuckypioneers #kygenealogy

Child in Esse

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin 

It is not uncommon for a wife to be expecting a child at the time that her husband writes his last will and testament, or dies intestate. To learn if this was the fact, one should look for the legal language of "in esse" in the will. It means "in existence". Otherwise, a complete study of the probate records is indicated. If the person died intestate (without a will), then the letters of administration, annual returns, vouchers, receipts, sales, inventories, etc. should be closely examined for any activity which resembles the birth of another heir. This includes Inferior Court cases which might be on the books as well as Minutes of the Inferior Court. There are some census records which could help. Say, the husband died in 1841. The 1850 census should reveal the name of the widow and all of her children. Then there is the court for orphans where bonds are given and guardians are appointed. Old newspapers (announcing births and deaths), cemetery plots which contain infant graves, and so on, need to be carefully considered. One of the most interesting facets of researching in Virginia is that the wills, inventories, sales and deeds are contained in one book. This is the best source for learning little tid-bits of information which help to form the puzzle. 
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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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Annual Returns are Part of Every Estate #kentuckypioneers #genealogy

Annual Returns are Part of Every Estate

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

Even if a person dies intestate, you can still find the heirs. This is done by examining the annual returns for every year until the estate is closed. The first thing which happens is that an administrator is appointed who makes an inventory of the estate, has a sale to sell off the items and subsequently files a return every year thereafter to the probate county in the county which the person died. This return lists all disbursements ranging from funeral expenses to distributions to the heirs which may occur at any time over the period the estate is active. The heirs then give receipts, called vouchers. Examine the expenditures closely. Try to ascertain the identity of the payees. One easy method is a study of the census records for that county. Some of the heirs are husbands of daughters, so check out these names in the marriage records. . . . more . . .

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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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The Stuff That We Are Made Of

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin 

The stuff that we are made of literally flows through our veins. Our DNA is a blueprint of ourselves which may be traced back in time to our ancestors. And we are a mixture of many individuals who played their roles in history. Siblings born of the same parents possess features from a variety of ancestors, and the dosage is not equal. Although it is quite interesting to discover the origin of our features, statue, and personality traits while viewing old photographs (everyone should do this), the more interesting aspect of it is the decisions made in the face of adversity. No generation escapes troubles, for all are tested. We share many common elements of those past lives, viz: war, religious beliefs, immigration, marriages, divorce, death and so on. And our trials of today run a pretty close parallel to those of the past. After it is all done, scholars write a history of those days. Owing to the difficult times of our ancestors, how did they stack up? Everyone's history is not written by the scholar. Yet, the ancestors left their story for us to tell. It is in the records (census, county court houses, pensions, bibles, cemeteries, etc.) During troubling times, the memories of their era is somewhat consoling, especially when we know that they stood among the righteous, exhibited bravery in the wars, and had a strong belief in freedom. Yes, this country was founded upon that one belief. Freedom! I found some old letters of one of my great-grandfathers and discovered that he was overtaken by a deep sadness when he left his family during the Civil War. In this way, I understood that same sadness existed during my own unhappy moments. As one traces the families further back in time, the old last wills and testaments display a virtual reality of those days. We can almost put ourselves there, in the shoes of our kin. There are many questions concerning the migrations and lifestyles of our ancestors. And the answers are there, but require a great diligence and patience. And might I say, time? During this era, genealogy research is very much improved, however, as more records are added to the internet. Kentucky Pioneers is processing more old wills and estates, and I must say, the answers are in the details. . . . more . . .

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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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The Perils of Settling the West Country #kentuckypioneers #genealogy

The Perils of Settling the West Country

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

During the time that families were venturing into Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio to take up land grants, Indians were marauding, raiding and taken white women as slaves. Yes! Throughout this region women and children disappeared never to be seen again. During the 1730s there was a movement along the wagon trail road leading out from Philadelphia as well as Wilderness Trail which led as far west as the falls of the Ohio River. The historians documented the career of Daniel Boone, however, other Boone families from Philadelphia also ventured out. The Boones had lots of children, and some of them were quakers. They moved through Virginia and Kentucky with other relatives and friends. What I am saying is that Daniel Boone was not the only adventurer into Kentucky; a large movement was afoot. The reason: land grants.
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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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Tax Defaulters are Important Genealogy Resources #kentuckypioneers #genealogy

Tax Defaulters are Important Genealogy Resources

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

All tax digests lists persons who have defaulted on their taxes, usually enumerated as the last page of each district. The tax digests are not alphabetical, so we have to thumb through all of the pages to find anything. The default list does not necessarily reflect persons who refused to pay their property taxes. Rather, from the point of view of the genealogist it lends itself more as a report of those who have either died or removed to another county. If the date is close to a mortality census (every 10 years), you can look there. Otherwise, if the person is old enough to have died, then searching the local cemeteries in the area is indicated. People were on the go and we have to be detectives.  . . . more . . .

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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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Tales Told by Old Cemeteries #kentuckypioneers #genealogy

The Tales Told inside Old Cemeteries

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

The tales told in old cemeteries are both written and unwritten. Relatives often erect an obelisks which defines the lives of their ancestors at the entrance of the cemetery and the DAR marks the burial location of Revolutionary War Soldiers. It is the result of a ton of research performed by interested persons. The unwritten part lies in the the graves themselves. I once found a concrete slab covering a sunken grave of an uncle born in 1795. This would not have occurred had I not first cleared away the thorny briars. Soil indentions inside the family plot could suggest the burial of an infant or small child. Everyone was buried inside the family plot except uncle Joe. His grave was discovered in a neglected wooden area. The old slate tombstones did not last long. They often broke and fell into the dirt. Did you search nearby sheds and wooded areas? I was surprised to find several slate tombstones stacked inside an old barn in the general vicinity of where the old family home once stood. 
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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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How Lost are your Ancestors?

How Lost are your Ancestors?

Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

It seems that finding some ancestors is only a dream. Let us face facts, everyone does not create records of themselves. They don't purchase land, pay taxes, register their marriages or file estate records. Some people avoided census takers, or were missed because they resided at a county border or near the frontier. So, what to do? Here are some suggestions. First search the tax digests for likely counties. These digests are never alphabetical. Do not forget to look for defaulters for this may be a clue of when they left the area. Another place to search is the Minutes of the Inferior Court where mention is made of road overseers, commissioners of various public offices, etc. Also, check the Superior Court records looking for law suits.

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Index to Kentucky Wills and Estates

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