Monday, August 19, 2013

Amanuensis Monday - Post 185: Probate Records of Henry Carringer (1800-1879) - Part 1

Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent  TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme called Amanuensis Monday. What does "amanuensis" mean? John offers this definition:

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The subject today is the probate records of Henry Carringer (1800-1879) of  Columbus City, Louisa County, Iowa.  He married Sarah Feather (1804-1848) before 1825 in Pennsylvania and they had ten children:

*  Eliza Carringer (1827-1914, married 1758 John Robinson (1814-1867)
*  David Jackson Carringer (1828-1902), married 1851 Rebecca Spangler (1832-1901)
*  George Carringer (1832-before 1880), married 1864 Mary --?-- (1845-????).  Mary (--?--) Carringer married (2) James McLaughlin
*  Cornelius A. Carringer (1834-1916), married (1) 1859 Elizabeth Green (1834-1870), married (2) 1871 Nancy Elizabeth Donaldson (1852-1908)
*  Mary Carringer (1835-1908)
*  Sarah Carringer (1837-????)
*  Henry Carringer (1839-1864)
*  Louisa M. Carringer (1842-????)
*  Matilda Spangler Carringer (1845-1911), married 1867 John Spencer Moore (1838-1908)
*  Harvey Carringer (1848-1870)

Henry Carringer died intestate, and his probate papers are in Volume 5 of the Louisa County, Iowa Probate court records.  D.W. Moore was appointed administrator for the estate.  One document in the probate case, dated 13 September 1881, is the administrator's petition to sell the real estate in order to pay the debts:


In the Matter of the Estate
of Henry Carringer Decd } Administrators Petition to sell Real Estate for the payment of Debts

To D.W. Moore Admr it is hereby granted to Sell Real Estate for the payment of Debts

David J. Carringer, Rebecca Carringer, Eliza Robinson, Matilda S. Moore, John S. Moore, Cornelius Carringer, Elisabeth Carringer Mary C. McLaughlin, Mary Carringer, Louisa Carringer, and Wilbert H. Carringer and Francis I. Moore his Guardianship

And now on this day come on to be heard the petition of D.W. Moore Administrator of the Estate of Henry Carringer deceased asking for License and authority to Sell certain Real Estate described and it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that said Defendants above named viz. David J. Carringer, Rebecca Carringer, Eliza Robinson Matilda S. Moore, John I. Moore, Cornelius Carringer, Elisabeth Carringer, Mary C. McLaughlin, Mary Carringer Louisa Carringer and Wilbert H. Carringer, a minor and his Guardian Francis I. Moore had each been duly and legally Served with notice of the pendency of this application and came not, It is ordered by the Court that a Default be and the same is hereby ordered against said adult defendants above named and it appearing to the Court that Wilbert H. Carringer is a minor thereupon John Hale con??ly is by the Court appointed as Guardian ad litem for said minor defendant and who appeared to pled his answer on his behalf and thereupon the Cause is submitted to the Court upon the pleading introduced by Plaintiff and the answer of said Guardian ad litem and the Court having seen and heard the Service and being fully advised in all things touching said application is of opinion that the authority prayed for should be granted.

It is therefore Ordered by the Court that the said D.W. Moore as Administrator of the Estate of Henry Carringer Decd be and he is hereby authorized and confirmed for the purpose of paying the claims filed against Said Estate do sell all of the following described Real estate situated in the County of Louisa and State of Iowa viz. The North West quarter ¼ in the North East quarter ¼ of Section Number twenty nine 29 Township number 75 seventy five Range number five 5 west be it containing forty acres more or less either at Public or Private Sale for cash and when sold to execute a Deed thereto to the purchaser thereof and before delivering the same to present such Deed or Deeds with a report of Sale to this Court for its approval or rejection.

And it is further ordered by the Court that Martin Sherwin John McCurley and Ralph Robertson be and they are hereby appointed as appraisers to appraise said Real Estate and that a commission issue to them.

The source citation for this document (using the Probates, bound (FHL microfilm images) source template in RootsMagic) is:

Louisa County, Iowa, District Court Record Books, Volume V, Pages 237-239, Henry Carringer administration, dated 13 September 1881, administrator's petition to sell real estate; FHL microfilm accessed on FHL US/CAN Microfilm 1,006,640.

There are several other probate records for this probate case in Volume V pertaining to appointing a guardian for Wilbert Carringer, the appraisal of the property, a claim on the estate, and so on.  

This administrator's petition is the only one that names all of the heirs to the estate.  They include:

*  David J. Carringer (a son of Henry)
*  Rebecca Carringer (David's wife)
*  Eliza Robinson (a daughter of Henry, widow of John Robinson)
*  Matilda S. Moore (a daughter of Henry)
*  John I. Moore (Matilda's husband)
*  Cornelius Carringer (a son of Henry)
*  Elizabeth Carringer (Cornelius' second wife)
*  Mary C. McLaughlin (wife of George Carringer deceased, current wife of James McLaughlin)
*  Mary Carringer (a daughter of Henry)
*  Louisa Carringer (a daughter of Henry)
*  Wilbert Carringer (son of George and Mary (--?--) Carringer)

Because George Carringer, son of Henry, was deceased, a guardian had to be appointed for Wilbert since he was under age 21.  George's widow, Mary, had married again and was named because she evidently still had an interest in Henry's estate.

I don't exactly know who the administrator, D.W. Moore, is.  He may be a brother or the father of Matilda Carringer's husband, John I. Moore.  I also don't exactly know who Francis I. Moore is, Wilbert's guardian.

Other than census records, this is the only document I have for Henry Carringer that includes David Jackson Carringer, my 2nd great-grandfather.  


copyright (c) 2013), Randall J. Seaver

1 comment:

Geolover said...

Sometimes the administrator on an intestate estate was a principal creditor. Sometimes in this case the person is identified as such by the appointing authority, and/or in the petition for administration. Petitions for administration also can identify heirs and their residences, and even ages of minor heirs.

If any accounting or settlement were filed, if the administrator was a creditor you could see him receiving a large share of the estate assets.

It is possible also that some personal property goods or monies were allocated to the widow for her support for a certain period of time.

It really is useful to obtain a full estate record, start to finish.