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| Due to the Cincinnati court house fire in 1884 the original record of this will was destroyed, although the actual will was apparently preserved. Hamilton County, Ohio, Probate Court, Will Record Vol 37, pp. 360-363, Ruth H. Paul, deceased, 18 Oct 1882; microfilm, LDS, Roll No. VDS 628 Ohio; digital image, Ancestry database Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998 (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8801 : 14 October 2017). |
Ruth H. Paul (1798-1882) was my 3rd great grandmother Rebecca (Paul) Hartley's (1806-1901) oldest sister. According to family history (May Jarvis and Richard Stanley Dunlop):
A family story has it that George Washington stopped, while passing through Germantown during the last year of his life, and happened to pick baby Ruth up and hold her for a time [CManczuk NOTE: I think this unlikely as he seemed to have been in Mt Vernon, Virginia the last few years of his life]. As a young woman, Ruth lived in Cincinnati, OH; Ruth was a diminutive person. She seems to have lived with a McLaughlin family, wealthy from cabinet-making, and cared for their children. Family records remember her especially for always remembering the birthdays and other important dates of relatives. When Ruth became too old to work, the McLaughlins looked after her as they would have a member of their own family. Ruth died at an advanced age in Cincinnati, OH; the McLaughlins divided her property among her own brothers and sisters."This wonderful woman named her siblings in her will (image and link above). Note that I will call anyone "wonderful" who names their family members in any document like this!
Although born of Quaker parentage, she became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. She carried a day book and learned a verse every day. She was very good, always thinking good thoughts and grateful for good received. On their birthday anniversaries, she remembered with some little gift all the children in the families of her various relatives. When she became too infirm to get these gifts ready, she had Louisa McLaughlin do this for her. All her keepsakes were divided among her sisters and sent by Louisa McLaughlin after Ruth's death. She gave to Sylvia a cup made in 1776 with Martha Washington's picture on it.
She was small and slender, smaller even than her sister Mrs. Rebecca (Paul) Hartley -- as small as her great-niece Mary Hartley Read.
The McLaughlins were a wealthy family, were cabinet-makers in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their children were, Miss Louisa McLaughlin, above-mentioned, and her brothers, James and George McLaughlin.
Ruth H. Paul Deceased.
It appearing to the Court that on the 18" day of October A. D. 1882, the last Will and Testament of Ruth H. Paul deceased was duly admitted to Probate and Recvd in the Probate Court of Hamilton County Ohio and that the original record of said Will and the Probate there-of upon the record and journal of said Court were de-stroyed in the burning of the Court House on March 29" A. D. 1884, but that the original Will and the testimony of the witnesses thereto were preserved. It is now ordered by the Court on its own motion that the record of said Will and Probate thereof be and the same is hereby restored from said original Will and testimony as provided by statute in the words and figures following to wit.
"Pleas at the Court House in Cincinnati in the County of Hamilton State of Ohio of the Hamilton Probate Court at a session thereof held at the place aforesaid on the Eighteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty two before the Honorable Isaac B. Matson sole Judge of said Court.
26778.The State of Ohio Hamilton County S. S. Probate Court.Be it remembered that on the day and year aforesaid the last Will and Testament of Ruth H. Paul late of this county deceased was this day presented to the Court for Probate and Record clothed in the words and figures following to wit.
Will.I. Ruth H. Paul of the City of Cincinnati County of Hamilton State of Ohio do make and constitute this my last Will and Testament. I hereby authorize and empower my Executor herein after named to sell and dispose of a lot of ground now owned by me situate in the town of Cumminsville (or Ludlow) in said County either at public or at private sale as he may deem advisable and make such conveyance to the purchaser or purchasers thereof as may be necessary to carry titles to the same and also to sell and dispose of three hundred dollars par value United States bonds now on deposit in the vault of the Safe Deposit Company of Cincinnati. It is my Will and desire and my Executor is hereby ordered to use and dispose of the funds arising from the sale of the same as follows. First. I direct that my funeral expenses and my indebtedness that may exist against me may be paid with as little delay as possible. Second: That the remainder of my estate after the payment or satisfaction of the claims mentioned and specified above shall be equally divided share and share alike among the following named persons Mrs. Jane P. Reynolds now residing in the State of Iowa. Mrs. Rebecca Hartley now residing near Cedar Rapids in the State of Iowa, Mrs. Margaret P. Dull now residing in Iowa City State of Iowa. Mrs. Sarah P. Streeper now residing at Barren Hill Montgomery County Pennsylvania. Mrs. Anna W. P. Wily now residing at DeSoto Jefferson County Missouri. Mrs. Sarah P. Fisher now residing at Barren Hill Montgomery County Pennsylvania. Mrs. Rebecca Paul now residing near Chestnut hill Montgomery County Pennsylvania and George W. Hartley now residing in the State of Iowa -**- The first five of said parties named as above being sisters of the undersigned testatrix Mrs. Sarah P. Fisher being a daughter of Mercy Eddleman a sister of the undersigned testatrix deceased the said Rebecca Paul being relict of Samuel Paul a brother of the undersigned testatrix deceased and George W. Hartley being a son of Rebecca Hartley the second named of the eight decisees above described among whom it is my wish that my estate be divided. Fourth: It is my wish and desire that in the event of the death of my sister Jane P. Reynolds or my sister Anna W. P. Wiley before myself or before my Executor shall have transmitted or paid over the distributive share or shares to which they or either of them would be entitled as aforesaid that such share or shares shall be given to and equally divided among the surviving decisees named. Fifth: It is my wish and desire that in event of the death of either of the decisees not specially named and indicated in Section Number Four before myself or before my Executor shall have transmitted or paid over the share to which such decisee would be entitled as aforesaid that such distributive share shall be given to the surviving child or children of such decisee Sixth: I hereby constitute and appoint George McLaughlin of the City of Cincinnati Executor of this my last Will and Testament giving him power and discretion to sell and disposed of said property already described within twelve months after my death and it is my further wish and request that he shall not be required to give bond for the Execution of the obligations and requirements imposed herein. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Cincinnati this 19th" day of July Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and seventy nine, Ruth H. Paul {seal} Signed and sealed by the testatrix in our presence who have attached our names as witnesses hereto in the presence of each other and of the testatrix respectively" The word "ordered" being first interlined as above. Jas. McLaughlin [CManczuk NOTE: James W. McLaughlin (1834–1923)] M. Louise McLaughlin [CManczuk NOTE: Mary Louise McLaughlin (September 29, 1847 – January 19, 1939)],
Thereupon on the Eighteenth day of October in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty two James McLaughlin and M. Louise McLaughlin subscribing witnesses to the last Will and Testatment of Ruth H. Paul late of this County deceased personally appeared in the open Court and were duly sworn and examined according to law and their testimony therein was reduced to writing and filed in manner and firm following to wit.
Affadavit. The State of Ohio Hamilton County S. S. Hamilton Probate Court. Probate of the last Will of Ruth H. Paul deceased preented on the 18" day of October A. D. 1882. Personally appeared in open Court. Jas. W. McLaughlin and M. Louise McLaughlin the subscribing witnesses to the last Will and Testament of Ruth H. Paul deceased who being duly sworn according to law to speck the truth and the whole truth and nothing but the truth in relation to the execution of said Will depose and say that they were present at the making of said Will and at the request of the deceased subscribed their names to said Will as witnesses in the presence of the deceased and of each other that they saw the said Ruth H. Paul deceased sign and seal said Will and heard her acknowledge the same to be her last Will and Testament that the said Ruth H. Paul was at the time of making signing and sealing said Will of legal age and of sound and disposing mind and memory and under no undue or unlawful restraint whatsoever. Jas. W. McLaughlin. M. Louise McLaughlinSworn to and subscribed in open Court this 18" day of October A. D. 1882. Isaac B. Matson Probate Judge.
Probate. Now here to wit on the same day Our said Court made an order herein as follows to wit. In re last Will and Testament of Ruth H. Paul late of this County deceased was this day presented to the Court for Probate and Record. It appears to the Court said decedent died leaving no husband or next of Kin resident of Ohio surviving her. Whereupon Jas. W. McLaughlin and M. Louise McLaughlin subscribing witnesses to said Will of decedent personally appeared in the open Court and were duly sworn and examined according to law and their testimony therein was reduced to writing and filed. It appearing to the Court from the testimony no token that the said Will was duly executed and attested and that the Testarix at the time of executing the same was of fully age and of sound mind and memory and under no restraint, and the Court now admits the said Will to Probate and orders the same together with the testimony so taken to the recorded according to the statue in such cases made and provided."And it is further ordered by the Court that the said Will and Probate thereof be re-record and the same is now done and that the record have the same force and effect - so said original record.
Isaac B MatsonProbate Judge.
**This is possibly where the Third term would have appeared, maybe it was missed in the transcription?
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