Estate Records of Wesley Trahern from
Hinds County Chancery Court, Raymond, Mississippi, file #017
Wesley apparently died much earlier
than previously supposed, sometime in 1825.
The first document is dated November
29th, 1825, and names William Trahern as Administrator,
and William L. Arick, Jesse Cole, and William Matthews as securities
of a $6,000 bond for the estate. For some reason it isn’t recorded
or approved until November 29th, 1829.
March 10th, 1826 an auction
and accounting of the estate was performed by William Trahern. The
property of the estate was valued at $1339.70, debts due to the
estate were $1240.00, amount of cattle due to be sold May 1827,
valued at $700.oo for a total estate value of $3219.97. The
outstanding debts amounted to about $5,000 per his statement. He
declared the estate insolvent at that time. This is recorded April
18th, 1827.
Sale of items on March 10th
are as follows: (I have found error’s in their math)
William Trahern purchased a secretary,
3 poplar tales, 12 chairs, 3 mirrors for a total of $53.00, Joseph A.
McRaven purchased 6 chairs for $3.00, William Trahern purchased 6
chairs for $4.oo, Silas Brown purchased one shot gun and pouch for
$13.00, William Trahern purchased one pine cupboard, one lantern,
candle stick and castor, one decanter, 2 tea boards, one pair steel
yard for a total of 15.37 and ½ cent, Stewart McRaven purchased one
set of knives, forks and flat iron for $2.00, William Trahern
purchased one bed and bedstead for $13.00, one for 11.12 and ½ cent,
one for $20.00, and one for 10.50 for a total of $52.62 and ½ cent,
Stewart McRaven purchased one cot frame for ? amount, William Trahern
purchased one cot frame for $25.00, and one for $ 6.20 and ½ cent,
two pairs end irons and a large kettle for $8.70, one small kettle
and oven for $2.75, one oven and one grid iron for $2.56 and ½ cent,
one pair waffle iron’s and a tea kettle for $1.25, Samuel
Wooldridge one plow for $2.??, William Edwards, one plow for $1.??,
William Matthews a plow for $3.??, Silas Moor a plow for $1.??,
Benjamin Fortner a plow for $1.??, Arthur Fortner two weeding hoes
for $1.??, Thomas Oasley, two weeding hoes for $1.??, Samuel
Wooldridge one scythe blade and 2 large hoes for $1.87 and ½ cent,
Abraham Cook one grubbing hoe for Unknown amount, Arthur Fortner one
broad ax for $6.??, Martin Fortner 3 Chipels(?), 2 drawing knives,
and a hand saw for $3.??, and a lot of old iron for $2.??.
This is to amount to $197.00.
Page 2, (page is largely unreadable)
Abram Cook, 2 axes for $1.??, Arthur Fortner 2 axes for $1.??, Martin
Fortner on3 axe for unknown amount, Samuel Wooldridge one pair
hammers for unknown amount, four bells for $4.??, William Trahern 4
wagon wheels for $29.??, Hiram Runnels 22 sheep for $5?.??, Samuel
Wooldridge one pair double trees, unknown amount, William Trahern, 6
dishes, for unknown amount, and a lot of hogs for $5?.??, William
Arick, one horse for $6?.??, Joseph M. Cook, 6 hides for unknown
amount, William Trahern, six hides for unknown amount, Abram Cook,
one horse mill for unknown amount, Thomas Copeland, fifteen geese for
unknown amount, William Trahern 3 slaves for unknown amount, Obediah
Dummis, one plow for unknown amount.
The auction raised $1339.70 as below,
and had been valued by the appraisers for $1103.87 and ½ cent.
On June 4th, 1826, William
Arick, Jesse Cole, and William Mathews request that they be relieved
of their bond.
On October 23rd, 1826,
William Trahern, J.W. J. Minor and Ann Trahern sign a record for a
bond. Ann Trahern, is probably the widow of James Trahern, Jr. the
nephew of Wesley who died September 24, 1824, or a niece of Wesley,
daughter of James Trahern, Sr.. J.W.J. Minor married Mary Trahern,
(possibly the sister of James Trahern, Jr.?) on April 13th,
1826.
This is recorded August 30th,
1827.
On April 23rd, 1827 an order
for appraisal was given.
May 14th, 1827 cattle, one
small bed stead, one warren, pork from wild hogs, and horses sold for
$547.50, and the orphans of Wesley paid $300.00 for a slave named
Mary. (though all 3 slaves had already been purchased by William,
this is puzzling, unless he failed to pay for them)
April 21st, 1828, a bond was
issued to William, James and Ann Trahern for $6,000.00 on behalf of
the estate.
December 20th, 1828 James
McRaven, John A. Grimball, and Thomas J. Coffee, commissioners filed
a report of claims against the estate of Wesley Trahern. The allowed
claims are William Barnes, dated 1824 for $355.??, F. H. Baird dated
1828 for $5.8?, H. G. Runnels dated 1825, for $78.??, A. G. Holland,
dated 1825, for $14.??, Martin McGilvary, dated 1824 for $81.??,
Josiah Shipp dated 1825 for $5.??, Caleb Young dated 1825 for $2.??,
and William Trahern, administrator. They also ask for some claims to
be discharged. (This is hard to read and is partly cut off on the
copy). … Which, these shall remain, in sum of $1803.38 to be
applied, in the education and support of the heirs of Wesley Trahern,
or should it be so determined to discharge of some old claims against
the estate, which the commissioners do not conceive themselves
authorized to allow-
The first is an account in form of
James Trahern for $4237.59 ½ cent ? as far back as the year 1807,
and extending up to March 1813, This account from it’s antiquity
the commissioners are disposed to think, in legal ?, they cannot
allow, keeping in view at the ? to the rights and interests of the
heirs and ? ?, although they have no doubt, but they consideration
upon which the sum was founded, did actually exist. There was a
payment made as late as 182? Upon said account, which is proven by
William Trahern, the effect of which, the commissioners ? as a ?,
fully to understand, rather believing, honor ?, that said payment
does ? as waiver and acknowledgement of the claim, by the deceased.
In the midst of this embarrassment, the commissioners therefore ? ?
the said claim bact th his honor, the court from which they arrived
their authority, and the party wherein, can determine a final
decision on his claim, by having the same referred to referees,
especially appointed. The second account is in form of John Trahern,
for one hundred dollars, dated in 1807, which the commissioners have
ejected (last line unreadable).
James took
William to court over this claim, and his handling of the estate.
John Trahern, is another brother, who resided in Tennessee.
January 14th, 1829, James
Trahern signs a receipt for $4237.59 and ½ for the claim.
March 28th, 1829 Order
ordering William Trahern to appear to update the court.
June 26th, 1829, William
Trahern ordered to appear.
(September 11th, 1830 Dated
the recording) Superior Court of Chancery Northern District, June
Term 1830
James Trahern, complainant, against
William Trahern, administrator, of Wesley Trahern, Defendant.
This day this cause came on to be heard
on the commissioners report filed herein under the interlocutory
Decree pronounced in this cause at last term, and no exceptions,
having been filed or made to the said report, it is decreed and
ordered that said commissioners report to be confirmed and it is
decreed ordered, and adjudged that said complaint recover of said
defendant the sum of six thousand eight hundred and eleven dollars,
eight five and one half cents, the amount reported by said
commissioners to be due herein, to be levied of the goods, chattels,
and credits of said Wesley Trahern, in the hands of said
administrator to be administered. It is further decreed that said
complainant recover his costs herein expended. decreed, ordered and
adjudged on the 12th day of June 1830. John A. Quitman.
Accounting of Estate, 1831 (I corrected
addition errors)
Amount due and paid to Est. James
Trahern as decreed by the Chancery Court $2003.43
Amount paid to William Barnes, which
was due, and allowed $ 102.91
F.M. Baird, rate of his allowance
$ 1.50
(William had a total of $2007.84,
an error) $2107.84
A. G. McNutt, for professional
services $ 40.00
For vouchers filed and allowed by
commissioners, including administrator $ 746.25 ¾
Again his total off by $100.00
$ 2894.09 ¾
Paid Commissioners of Execution
$82.62 ½
Officers of court $30.50
Costs $40.50
Again his total is off by 100.00
$3047.72 ¼
Funds belonging to estate $2908.17
July 4th 1831, order to
appear for William Trahern
March 26, 1839, Letter from Cornelius
Lane, William M. Brown, and William M. Murdock, can’t read it
entirely, but William died, it does mention $2,000.
1844 to 1845, notices to appear, and
posting of the sale of Wesley’s land in the Southwestern Farmer,
printed at Raymond, Mississippi, by James Kerr, the new administrator
of the estate. It is acknowledged by F.E. Plummer, representative for
Amelia, Letha, and Washington, Wesley’s heirs (minor’s at time of
his death). SE quarter of section 1, NE quarter of section 12, in
township 4 of range one west, and the south west quarter of section
six, and the north west quarter of section 7 in township 4 of range
one east.
Also in 1844, the heirs of Wesley are
named in a letter by James Kerr … The said children were named
Wesly Trahern, since dead. [no mention of his heirs], Willim
(William) who resides in the county of Hinds [actually lived in
Holmes], Amelia who has since intermarried with Claiborne C. West,
who are supposed to reside in the Republic of Texas. Letha, who has
since intermarried with Cornelius Land, and whose husband is supposed
to be dead, and who is also supposed to reside in the Republic of
Texas, Minerva, who has since intermarried with____, (name unknown)
{Josiah Metcalf}, who are supposed to reside in the county of
Tallahatchie, Washington Trahern, who resides in parts unknown,
supposed to be beyond the jurisdiction of this state, if living [he
was, he fought in the Mexican war, in Texas, was briefly in
Washington, D.C., and then moved to California, none of his children
are on the Dawes, his children never mentioned being part Choctaw.]
and Gilbert Trahern who is supposed to reside in the county of
Tallehatchie, according to the best of the information which your
petitioners can obtain.
Sale of the land to Alfred Dixon for
$200.00, left the estate $153.20.
From the rest of 1846 to 1856, notices
to appear, and costs are itemized. James Kerr, died in 1856, and the
estate was finally dismissed. No mention if any of the heirs were
located or paid in the paperwork. The last date I found was July of
1856.
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