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| Image from a receipt in John Hart's Probate File o Ancestry |
It was a great day when Ancestry added
millions of U.S. Probate records to their collections, as one of
these records pertained to my two times great grandfather, John Hart.
As you will recall, records regarding him are not easy to find, so
this discovery was very welcome. He died intestate in 1864, but his
probate file was rich with information, including a list of each of
his living children and where they were residing at the time of the
proceeding. Unfortunately, there was nothing to connect him with his
father Stephen or any of his siblings. This was not to be expected,
however. Sadly, I still have yet to find a probate record for Stephen, or an obituary.
The only other time John appeared in a
probate record that I have found was that of his wife's uncle,
Stephen W. Wright, who died without having produced any children of
his own. Therefore, all his living siblings, nieces, and nephews were
named in his will. Although Stephen Wright's will was of little help
in connecting John and his father, it turned out to be instrumental
in my proving my descent from his father, Charles Wright, my
Revolutionary War patriot.
John's probate file records the steps
of his widow, Sarah (a.k.a. Sally), to legally obtain the right to
administer his estate. The documents state that John died at this
home in the town of Forest in Rice County, Minnesota on October 26,
1864. It is also stated that he left an estate valuing no more than
$1100.00, with no real estate, and that he was leaving no debts.
Among his living children listed, only three are living in Forest
with him and his wife, these being his sons Joel and Melvin, and his
daughter Hester. Also included in the file is a copy of the notice
placed in the Central Republican
newspaper, of Faribault, Rice County, Minnesota, the venue of the
legal proceedings. This is the only newspaper article I have ever
found in which John is named:
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| from Ancestry |
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