I have the Probate Index to Putnam County ca. 1850 to 1880. Apparently they didn't keep good records or the index isn't complete. There were no records listed for any of the Bakers that died there, most of whom owned property according to census records. There is no one named Baker in the index. I will be happy to do lookups in the book for people on this list until Sept. 1st, 2005, but I'll be going back on the road (work) and I'm not taking any books with me. Please don't forward this message to other lists. I will send my answers to the Putnam List. This is an index only but it could tell you if a record exists and the date, book and page. HELP! I would appreciate any information (other than the census) on the following Baker families who lived in Putnam. Please check any resources you may have. I THINK they were brothers. They were in Wayne Co. earlier and were born in Kentucky. I'm especially looking for info connecting them to Conant (Connett) and/or Wilson families of Putnam. James and Phoebe (vanished between 1870-1880) Sylvester and Hulda (Died in Bainbridge, Sylvester in 1887, Hulda in 1892) Lorenzo and Eliza Jane (went to Illinois, then Missouri) Thanks, Jim . . James R. Baker, Jr. (jrbakerjr) Free Genealogy Databases http://www.jrbakerjr.com . .

Be sure to check land sales when probate records are absent. Sometimes people "sold" their property to a child or children who was expected to care for the parent in old age. In these circumstances there are no helpful probate records to consult. That is not to say that indexes don't miss people because they do. Sharon Mills At 09:13 AM 7/20/2005, James R. Baker, Jr. wrote: >I have the Probate Index to Putnam County ca. 1850 to 1880. Apparently >they didn't keep >good records or the index isn't complete. There were no records listed for >any of the >Bakers that died there, most of whom owned property according to census >records. There >is no one named Baker in the index.