Monday, May 11, 2015

Amanuensis Monday: 1821 Will of Robert Little of Middletown, New Jersey

WILL OF ROBERT LITTLE
of the Township of Middletown, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Signed October 20, 1821
Proved November 8, 1821
Monmouth County, New Jersey, Wills Volume B, pages 271-273


In the name of God, Amen.  I, Robert Little, of the Township of Middletown, County of Monmouth, State of New Jersey, being weak in body, but of sound mind, memory, and understanding (for which blessing I most devoutly thank my God), do make and publish this, my last will and Testament, in manner and form following, that is to say:

First, It is my will, and I do order that all my just debts and funeral expences be duly paid and satisfied as soon as conveniently can be, after my decease.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Mageret Little, one third part of all my real estate and in addition, one Bed and Bedding for the Same, she having her choice of the Beds.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my Brother, Thomas Little, the use of the Farm with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging until my eldest Daughter, Sarah Jane, shall arrive at the age of twenty one years, that is to say, until some time in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty seven.  The farm on which Joseph Combs now lives, containing about 105 acres.  It is further my will that in case my two daughters should die before the time above mentioned, 1837, that the farm above mentioned shall be, and I do will and bequeath the same, unto Thomas Little, his heirs, executors, and assigns forever.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my sister, Mageret Little, fifty dollars, to be paid her by my executors within one year after my decease.

Item.  I give and bequeath to Asbury Fountain (in consideration for his kindness to me, and fidelity in my business), a full suit of cloaths of such as he shall choose out of my store viz. coat, vest, pantaloons, hat and pair of boots.

Item.  I give and devise unto my daughters, Sarah Jane Little and Fanny Little, all my Lands, Tenements, Hereditaments and real estate whatsoever, and wheresoever, subject to the right of Dower in the same of their mother, my said wife, to them, their heirs and assigns forever.  Also subject to the charges heretofore created, and bequests made, and put upon the same, to be divided between them, share and share alike.  But in case either of my daughters should die before marriage, the surviving Daughter is to inherit her portion.  And in case both of them should die before marriage, then it is my will that the property bequeathed them shall then go to my brothers and sisters in equal shares, who shall then be living, or in case of their death, then to the Heirs of all my brothers and sisters in equal shares.

Lastly, I hereby appoint my brother, William Little, and my beloved Friend, Henry Arrowsmith, executors of this, my last will and testament, and guardians to my children during their minority.
--Robert Little--

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Robert Little, to be his Testament and last will, this twentieth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty one, in the presence of us, Eli F Cooley, John Frost, Asbury Fountain.

John Frost and Asbury Fountain, two of the witnesses to the within will, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, did severally depose and say that they saw Robert Little, the testator therein named, sign and seal the same, and heard him publish, pronounce, and declare the within writing to be his last will and Testament, and that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound and disposing mind and memory as far as these deponents know and as they verily believe, and that Eli F Cooley, the other subscribing evidence, was present at the same time and signed his name as a witness to the said will, together with these Deponents in the presence of the said Testator.
--John Frost
--Asbury Fountain
Sworn at Freehold the 8th day of November 1821, before me, Caleb Lloyd, Surrogate

William Little and Henry Arrowsmith, the Executors in the within Testament specified, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did severally depose and say that the within Instrument contains the true last will and Testament of Robert Little, the Testator therein named, so far as they know and as they verily believe, that they will well and truly perform the same by paying first the debts of the said deceased and then the Legacies in the said Testament specified, so far as the goods, chattels, and credits of the said deceased can thereunto extend; and that they will make and exhibit into the Surrogate's office of the County of Monmouth, a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the Goods, chattels, and credits of the said deceased that have or shall come to their knowledge or possession, or to the possession of any other person or persons for their use and render a just and true account when thereunto lawfully required.
--Wm Little
--Henry Arrowsmith
Sworn at Freehold the 8th day of November 1821, before me, Caleb Lloyd, Surrogate

I, Caleb Lloyd, Surrogate of the County of Monmouth, do certify the annexed to be a true copy of the last will and testament of Robert Little, late of the County of Monmouth, deceased, and that William Little and Henry Arrowsmith, the Executors therein named, proved the same before me and are duly authorized to take upon themselves the administration of the Estate of the Testator, agreeably to the said will.
Witness my hand and seal of Office the eighth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty one.
--Caleb Lloyd, Surrogate







Jody's family note:  The widow of Robert Little, Margaret Combs, remarried to Joseph Dunlop in 1824.  I descend from their daughter, Hermione Dunlop.

Jody's research note:  You can view wills from New Jersey (except Morris County) free at FamilySearch.org.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Working Girl

Anna S Andes (1870-1949) was married to James G Romig (1866-1905).  This couple appeared in the family tree of a DNA match whose recent ancestry I was reviewing, looking for the elusive common ancestors.

Anna is easy to locate once she was married.  Here is Anna and James in the 1900 census in Kansas with two of their children, James and Carrie.


The graves of Anna and James are posted on FindAGrave.  No parents are linked to Anna.  You can only link a child to a parent if you maintain the memorial.  The absence (or presence) of this connection is a guide, not proof.

Several online family trees have Anna as the daughter of Levi Andes (1844-1910) and Susanna Stark (1846-1914).  California's death index is online at Ancestry.com.  Anna died in California in 1949 and her parents are listed as Andes and Stark in this index.  This is tertiary proof of Anna's parentage, even less reliable, because this is an index and not the original record.  Death records can be very informative, but the Names of Parents section can be wildly inaccurate.

The potential parents, Levi Andes and Susanna Stark, are easy to locate in the census.  But they aren't enumerated with a daughter named Anna.  Between 1880-1885, the family moved from Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Newton, Harvey County, Kansas.

If Anna S Andes was born on July 1, 1870, she missed enumeration in the 1870 census by one month.
Although recorded on July 11, 1870, the census had a cut-off date of June 1st.


1880 Federal Census
No Anna

1885 Kansas State Census
No Anna

When a child is "missing" in a family's records, one explanation is that the childhood name and the adult name were different.  "Anna S," wife and mother, may have been called "Susie" growing up.  To test this possibility, I looked for Susie Andes as an adult- and I found her.  Susan was born in 1871.  She married Robert Bascum Stayton (1858-1934) and died in 1922.  So Susie is not the missing Anna.

The next records to turn to locate a missing child or sibling would be wills and obituaries.  I don't usually deal with records in Kansas or Pennsylvania.  [I've started Pennsylvania research for my Dunlop line, but that will be a different post.]  When I looked to Google for information on this family, I found a lovely and informative blog post written by the Harvey County [Kansas] Historical Museum and Archives.

The article, complete with photographs, explored the lives of three Andes sisters who worked as maids in Newton, Kansas after relocating from Ephrata, Pennsylvania.  Their names:  Annie S, Susie, and Winnie.  Their father was Levi Andes, a tailor and a minister.  This was the link I needed!

The article included a picture of the original, color marriage license for Annie S Andes to J. G. Romig, dated March 30, 1893.  Annie's father, Levi, performed the ceremony at his residence in Newton.  Additional information included that James Romig died in February of 1905 from injuries suffered in a train accident, leaving Anna to care for their two children, James and Carrie.  Anna later moved to California to be with her daughters, Carrie and Alice.  Yes- Anna was pregnant when her husband was killed.  The third child was born seven months after her father's death.

After reading that Anna worked as a maid in Newton, I returned to the 1880 census in Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where Levi Andes and Susan resided with their children, minus Anna.  There was an entry for a ten-year old Annie Andes in nearby West Cocalico.  This Annie was a servant to the Wolf family.  I was hoping that was a mistake- how could a ten year old work as a servant?  There were many child servants in this community in the 1880 census, so such a situation must have been acceptable.



Because young Annie worked as a servant in other people's houses during her childhood, she is not found with her parents in the census.  That must not have been an easy life.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Amanuensis Monday: 1806 Will of James Combs of Upper Freehold, New Jersey

WILL OF JAMES COMBS
Of Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Signed March 19, 1806
Proved March 23, 1813
Monmouth County Wills, Volume A, pages 579-582

I, James Combs, of the township of upper freehold In the County of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, Being of Sound mind And memory, Do make and Publish this for my last will and Testament.

First my Will is I Do Direct and Impower my Executors Herein after named to Sell and Dispose of all my Lands of Every Discription in the way that they Judge most advantagious and for them to execute Lawfull Deeds of Conveyance for the same.

Item.  I give and Devise unto my Beloved wife one good Feather Bed, Bestead, and the necesary Beding and I Direct my Executors to pay out of my Estate as much as shall be sufficient to Support my Widdow comforably for one year after my Decease, and I also give my Executor in trust the sum of Three hundred pounds, which sum I Direct them to put out upon Intrust as soon as they can safely do it.  And to pay the Intrest arising thereon anually as soon as they Recieve it to my Widdow for her support and In Case that Is not sufficient for that purpose they are upon Necessary occasions to Expend so much of the said three hundred pounds as appears to be needfull, which maintainance I give unto my Widdow In lieue of her Right of Dower, and in case any part of the said sum Remains unoccupyed at the Decease of my Widdow after paying for her Burial and other Expences the Residue Is to be devided among my Heirs agreeably to the Distribution hereafter Discribed.

Item.  I give and Devise unto my Daughter Lydia Combs one good Feather Bed, Beadstead and the necessary Beding and also the Sum of Fifteen pounds In money to Be paid by Executor as soon after my Deceas as they Convenently can.  And I Direct my Executor to sell and Dispose of all the Residue and Remainder of my moveable estate and after paying all my just Debts and Burial Charges and Complying with what I have allready Directed, to Devide all the moneys Belonging to my estate Equally among all my Children Sons & Daughters Share and Share and Share alike and In Case any of my Children Decease Before me or Before the Devidend Is made and leaves Lawfull heir or Heirs there Devidend Is to go to them.

And Lastly I nominate and appoint my Friends, Edward Taylor and Samuel Craft, Executors of this my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this Nineteenth day of the third month called March and the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and six, 1806.  – James Combs --

Signed, Sealed, Published and Declared by the said James Combs to be his last will and Testament.
-- Noah Cain
--Samuel Evernham
--George Craft his mark

N. B.  The words (heir) & (or) was Interlined before Executing of this Will.

Samuel Evernham, one of the witnesses to the within will, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did depose and say, That he saw James Combs, the Testator therein named, sign and seal the same, and heard him publish, pronounce and declare the within writing to be his last will and testament- that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound and disposing mind and memory, as far as this Deponent knows and as he verily believes; and that Noah Cain and George Craft, the other subscribing Evidences, were present at the same time, and signed their names as witnesses to the said will, together with this Deponent, in the presence of the said Testator.
--Samuel Evernham--
Sworn at Freehold the 23d day of March 1813 before me- R. Throckmorton, Surrogate

Edward Taylor and Samuel Craft, the Executors in the within Testament named, being duly affirmed according to law, did severally declare and say, That the within Instrument Contains the true last will and testament of James Combs, the Testator therein named, so far as they know and as they verily believe- that they will well and truly perform the same, by paying first the debts of the said deceased and then the legacies in the said Testament specified, so far as the Goods, Chattels and Credits of the said deceased can thereunto extend- that they will make and exhibit into the Surrogates Officies of the County of Monmouth a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the Goods, Chattels and Credits of the said deceased, that have or shall come to their hands or possession, or the possession of any other person or persons for their use- and render a Just and true account when thereunto lawfully required.
--Edwd Taylor
--Samuel Craft

Affirmed at Freehold the 23d March 1813.
Before me R. Throckmorton, Surrogate

The foregoing Will, being proved Probate was granted by me unto Edward Taylor and Samuel Craft the Executors in the said Will named, the being first duly Affirmed well and truly to perform the same, exhibit a true and perfect Inventory and render a just and true account when thereunto lawfully required.  Given the Surrogate Seal of the County of Monmouth, the day and year last above said.
--R. Throckmorton, Surrogate





Sunday, May 3, 2015

DNA shared with a Third Cousin

In a prior post, we were introduced to a third cousin who reached out to me.  The common ancestors are a pair of German great great grandparents who settled in Newark, New Jersey: David Uhl (1834-1884) and Clara Patschke (1840-1914).  I featured pictures of the heirlooms from these ancestors- some passed down through my branch and others through his branch.

Just as the heirlooms from these ancestors were dispersed to the succeeding generations, so was DNA.  This cousin kindly added his DNA to the ongoing genetic genealogy studies of the family at 23andMe.

My father and his three siblings all share autosomal DNA with this third cousin.

 The amount of shared DNA for three of the siblings is on the high end, while the other sibling is on the low end, sharing only 43 cM.



This picture represents where on each chromosome these 3rd cousins match.  The colored lines represent segments of DNA that traveled four generations from David Uhl and Clara Patschke to their great great grandchildren.

Many people- "DNA Cousins"- match my father and his siblings on these segments.  If these DNA Cousins also match the known third cousin, then we know to look into the branch of our family that holds David Uhl and Clara Patschke.  I will have information that the DNA Cousins do not, and vice versa, and we will break down brick walls.




When compared to my father and his two children (my sister and me), we see interesting results.  I inherited most of my father's DNA that he shares with this third cousin.  My sister received almost nothing:  13 cm over two segments.  This is such a small amount that a DNA testing company may not even recognize it as a match on its own.  Imagine if my sister were the only one who tested her DNA.  A match this small would likely be disregarded, yet it is fully solvable based on surnames and locations.

Two years ago, we compared DNA to another third cousin from a different branch- great great grandparents Calvin Cook (1826-1889) and Mary Neal (1830-1898).  The amount of shared DNA was lower than what we see with the Uhl/Patschke cousin, with a low of 70 cM to a high of 121 cM.  The next generation- my sister and me- inherited none of this DNA.