The Importance of Ephemera

My 2nd cousin 3x removed cousin Besse Pearl (Greene) Modesitt's funeral card, thanks to Ancestry user robpower11.

I found this gem while I was straightening up my Tibbetts relations.  There was little information available online for Besse Greene, daughter of Samantha Eva Tibbetts.  I couldn't find her obituary in the three newspaper databases I subscribe to, and her death date was only available as 1969 (FindAGrave). 

But thanks to another Ancestry user I was able to fill in her death date and place.

I share George Tibbetts, Mary Burnight, John Hill Messinger, and Mary Martha Miller with Besse Pearl (Greene) Modesitt.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Ann Sill - Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - 1851

Ann Sill, one of the daughters of William Sill (and therefore my fifth great aunt), signed her will on November 28, 1850, and it was presented in court on February 4th of the following year.

In the name of God Amen, I Ann Sill of
the Borough of McKeesport, County of Allegheny
State of Pennsylvania, being weak in body
and of sound mind memory and understanding
but considering the uncertainty of this transitory life do make and publish this
my last will & Testament in manner and form following, to wit; First,
It is my will, I do order, that all my just debts and funeral Expenses be duly
paid and satisfied as soon as conveniently can be after my decease Second,
I give devise and bequeath to my sister Jane Penny and my niece Margaret
Miller my farm of land situate in Versailles Township, containing one hundred
acres, or thereabouts, which is now in the occupancy of John Gray to them
the said Jane Penny and Margaret Miller  their heirs and assigns forever
share and share alike, Subject however to the payment of the sum of Fifty
dollars each as set forth in the following bequests Third - If the congregation
worshiping in the Presbyterian Meeting house in this Borough should within
the period of four years from the time of my decease, erect a new meeting house
I give and bequeath unto the Trustees of the same the sum of One Hundred Dollars
for the purpose of assisting in paying the expense of erecting the same
which sum is to be paid by my sister Jane Penny and my niece Margaret
Miller viz Fifty Dollars each when the said building is finished, which
sum I have left as a lien upon the farm above bequeathed to them. Fourth, I
give and bequeath unto my brother Jesse Sill the sum of Tow hundred Dollars
and my watch Fifth I give and bequeath unto my nephew John Penny son of 
William the sum of Two hundred Dollars - Sixth - I give and bequeath to the
American Bible Society the sum of One hundred Dollars, to be applied to
the uses and purposes of said society. Seventh - My nephew John Penny
has in his hands the sum of Five hundred Dollars of my money, out of which
is to be paid the foregoing legacies to my brother Jesse Sill, and The 
American Bible Society: which it is my will that he may retain 
      
              

the same, in his hands for the term of one year after my decease without paying
interest therefor; and if at the expiration of that period, he is unable to pay
the said legacies, it is my desire, and I order that he be not distressed therefor
but that he have further time, not exceeding Three years, to pay the same
he giving the Legatees security, and paying them lawful interest annually
for the time he retains the same in his hands after the first year above
mentioned. His own Legacy he may retain in his hands; and what shall
remain of the other one hundred Dollars after defraying my funeral expenses
etc he shall pay out to my residuary Legatees hereinafter named, in the
same manner as the above mentioned legatees are to be paid. Eighth - 
I give and bequeath to Rachel Miller, daughter of Margaret Miller one of
my beds and bedding. Ninth. I give and bequeath to her sister Caroline
Miller my Bureau.            
                                            Tenth - I give and bequeath to her sister Martha
Miller one set of chairs. Eleventh. I give and bequeath to Mrs. Jane Webb, one
of my Beds and Bedding - Twelfth. I give and bequeath to Martha Houghton all
the articles contained in my cupboard, consisting of Plates, Dishes etc
Thirteenth - I give and bequeath to Mrs Jacobs (wife of my Pastor) my saddle
bridle and whip Fifteenth I give and bequeath unto Ruth Penny and Marga-
ret Penny, all that shall remain of my personal estate, after paying my just 
debts, funeral expenses and the foregoing Legacies to be divided between
them, share and share alike. Lastly, I nominate constitute and appoint
Hezekiah Gamble to be the Executor of this my last will, hereby revoking
all others, by me heretofore made, and declare this and no other, my
last will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty eighth day of November A.D. one thousand eight
hundred and fifty                                                     Ann Sill {seal}
Signed sealed and delivered by the said Testator as her last will and
Testament in the presence of us, who have subscribed in the presence of each other
The words son of William being first interlined between the 20th and 21st lines
from the top of the first page                                John Patterson
                                                                              Alex Miller

[All the above are from "Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G991-MTMH?cc=1999196&wc=9PMX-ZNL%3A268499101%2C281889701 : 3 July 2014), Allegheny > Wills 1845-1854 and 1888 vol 6-7 > image 436 of 724; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.]

                               Be it Known that on the 4th day of Feby. A.D. 1851 person-
ally came before me John Scott Register etc in and for the County aforesaid John Patterson&
Alex Miller Ergo the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing instrument of writing who being
by me duly sworn did declare and say that they saw & heard the Testatrix Ann Sill
sign publish and declare it as being her last will and Testament. That at the time of so
doing she was of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of their observation &
belief and that at her request and in her presence they subscribed their names as witnesses thereto
     Given under my hand the above           John Scott  Register
Allegheny County    }
                                 } Be it Known that on the 4th day of Feby 1851 Letters testamen-
tary with the will annexed on the estate of Ann Sill were granted to Hezekiah Gamble
Executor in said will name who was duly sworn to administer the goods and chattels rights
& credits which were if said decd. to make a true Inventory & appraisment of the personal
property & file the same in the Registers office in one month to settle an account of his
administration in one year or when thereto legally required and to comply with the provisions of an
act of assembly of this commonwealth entitled an act relating to collateral Inheritances
        Given under my hand etc                       John Scott  Register
Recorded Feby 5th 1851

It's clear from these clippings from the Pittsburgh Daily Post dated April 28, 1853, that Mr. Gamble complied with his instructions to comply with the provisions of the law pertaining to "collateral inheritances":*

[Newspapers.com]

Looking back at her father's 1841 will, we see that Ann retained the property he left to her (and that John Gray was still residing there).

I haven't been able to determine whether McKeeesport's Presbyterian congregation built a new meeting place in time to receive Ann's bequest but I learned that The American Bible Society is still in existence.


 *Here's a description of Pennsylvania's inheritance taxes: "Traditionally, the Pennsylvania inheritance tax had two tax rates. A rate of six percent applied to assets that passed to so-called lineal descendants, such as children, grandchildren and stepchildren. A rate of 15% applied to so-called collateral beneficiaries. This included brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and all others."




© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Peter Worden II - New Plymouth, New England, 1680 (Part III)

When the elder Peter Worden left everything including "all my lands Leases tenaments with goods movable and unmovable in ye Towne of Clayton in ye County of Lankester" to his only son Peter Worden II (who accompanied his father to Massachusetts in about 1638) both men would have known what that property was and had some idea of its worth. 

However by 1680 no one seems to have been able to judge what value to put on the property described as "all my estate in old England both land and other estate that came by my wife*" in the Peter II's will. 

["Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-V3D1?cc=2018320&wc=M6BX-F29%3A338083801 : 20 May 2014), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 516 of 616; State Archives, Boston.]

Item an Interest in house and land and mony in old England
not knowing what it may be worth                                              xxx--00---0
Item an house and land both upland and meddows
in the Towne of Yarmouth                                                            500--00--0


Peter II's oldest son Samuel Worden was the main beneficiary of his father's will and he and his mother Mary acted as executors of his estate, giving their oath that the inventory** was true.

["Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-V3D1?cc=2018320&wc=M6BX-F29%3A338083801 : 20 May 2014), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 516 of 616; State Archives, Boston.]

This  2i of March 1680
Samuell Worden and Mary Worden the Relict of the
said Peter Worden maid oath to the truth of this inventory
Before mee John Freeman Assistant?;                   John Miller
                                                                               John Hall Junior:
                                                                               Paul Sears: ????


*Although there are claims made that Peter II's wife Mary's maiden name was Winslow or Seares, I'm not comfortable with either name. In any case, we don't know what property in England she had brought to the marriage.
**I will cover the complete inventory of Peter II in a later post.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Some Notes on the German Miller Family in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and Marion County, Indiana

My grandfather George Hartley and the line going back to the Miller family.

May Tibbetts Jarvis has provided the only information I have on Mary Martha Miller (1800-1871):

John Hill Messinger..., farmer, mill-wright, soldier in the War of 1812, was born in 1789 near the Monohghela [sic] river, in Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania: died 4 July 1859, aged 70 years, at his home in Jefferson township, Bremer Co., Iowa, a few miles east of Waverly; buried in the old burial ground just south of what is now the village of Denver (Gravestone).  He was the son of Abraham and Catherine Messinger, both of German descent.  His death was instantaneous and was caused by a stroke. He was short in stature, had blue eyes and curly hair of yellow tinge.

He was married twice.  He married first, in Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania, probably some five or six years before his service in the War of 1812. The name of his first wife is not remembered.  They had three sons, viz., John, George and Peter, who, after they had grown to manhood, went to Illinois where they spent the remainder of their lives.  Nothing further is known in regard to them.  The following records deal only with the history of his ten children  by his second marriage.

John Hill Messinger was married secondly, about 1817, in Allegheny Co., Pa., Mary Martha Miller, who was eleven years younger than himself.  She was born 14 Aug. 1900 [1800] in Allegheny Co., Pa.; died 1 June 1871, aged 70 years, 9 mos., 17 days (gravestone), at the home farm in Jefferson township, Bremer Co., Iowa, having survived her husband twelve years; buried beside her husband in the old burial ground south of the village of Denver. This was the first cemetery in the township and is located in the northeast corner of Sec. 25, on the farm which was originally owned by Elias J. Messinger (her son).  it consists of about one half acre of land and was deeded to the township by Elias J. Messinger.  Their graves are marked by gravestones which are now, 1931, in a good state of preservation.

Mrs. Mary Martha (Miller) Messinger was of medium height and had dark hair and dark eyes.  She was twelve years of age when she learned to speak English. She spoke German and "Pennsylvania Dutch". She was daughter of Rudio [Rudie?] and Abigail Miller, both of German descent, who resided in Allegheny Co., Pa., and who had undoubtedly removed there from Forks township, Northampton Co., Pa., where many families of Millers were among the early settlers. It is quite probable that the name of Amos may be found in one of her ancestral lines as she named her eldest son Amos, and her brother John Miller named one of his sons Amos.

(Note: She was a sister of the John Miller who married her busband's sister Catherine Messinger and moved to Franklin township, Marion Co., Indiana, about 1826 and located on lands which he, John Miller, purchased three or four years later.  In 1853 he, the said John Miller, sold his land to William Miller who afterward sold it to Thomas Porteous (See Sulgrove's History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, pp. 519-520. Pub. 1884). 

Catherine Messinger (1827-1862), daughter of Mary Martha Miller and John Hill Messinger.  Like her mother she had dark hair and dark eyes--her father apparently had curly blond hair and blue eyes.  User HermitInTheValley originally shared this on Ancestry on 14 Jan 2009.

© 2015 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.