Hey Listers, Well as promised I am finally getting around to posting this estate information on Jacob Chism. First I must thank Carolyn Gibbons and her sister Anne Silar for finding these documents at the Salt Lake City archives... and sending them to me. A large package of documents came in the mail from sisters and they have been following my postings as I search for enslaved ancestors in Missouri. Carolyn and I have been emailing for some time..and slowly the surnames of Chism, Howard, Tutt etc., have emerged in my research. It has taken me weeks to get the courage to transcribe these documents. When I first got the package in the mail and saw that slaves would be sold for 1/4 of a 1/9 part interest it made me physically sick. It was and has been very hard to transcribe so many documents with people listed as inventory and chattle. So with with a fresh (and large) glass of vodka and lemonade and a new cd playing loudly, I bit my lip, fought back the tears and forced myself to type. Below is the beginning of another journey that may help me find other enslaved ancestors -- Emperor and Tom. At least now I know from the Will of Jacob Chism (Ann transcribed the will and I've uploaded the will to my website at: <http://www.missouri-slave-data.org/jchism.jpg>) that my gggreat grandmother Mary Ann Howard did indeed have siblings. Now the challenge will be to track the households of Howard Chism, Jacob C. Chism... and literally all the Chism siblings who owned slaves. In particular... I believe Jacob Chism and his brothers James Thomas Chism, Phebe Breed Chism, George Chism, William Belew Chism, Michael Chism, Kesiah Chism, Elizabeth Chism and John Chism may have all owned slaves in Barren County, KY -- before they migrated to Missouri. The 1810 Monroe County census notes the following Chims: George, James, Michael and William. It appears that only Jacob and his brother Michael Chism were the only two siblings from the family of Mary Howard and James Chism who came to Missouri. Mary Howard Chism and her husband James Chism both died in Monroe County, KY. So my next big step would be to find a will and probate information on James Chism... which may give some direction as to how Jacob and his other siblings came to own a number of slaves. Looks like I need to track down a Barren County probate records book etc. If you can help me with any of the families noted above, I would be most appreciative. thanks again to Ann and Carolyn for it is the kindness of people like them... that assure me that unselfish humanitarism exists in abundance... if only we seek it. traci wilson-kleekamp african americans in missouri http://www.missouri-slave-data.org P.S. I will also post the estate record to my site. Awhile back I pulled inventory and settlement records for Cooper Co... some of these families may be yours. I'll post the slave entries piece by piece. If you need additional information on the ones I post.. just let me know. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Estate of Jacob Chism March Term 1858 page 445-448 Order of distribution; it ordered that said administrator to distribute the sum $720 between the heirs of said deceased according to the will of said deceased as follows to Howard, David H., Jacob, Michael and Stephen Chism eighty dollars each for their lifetimes and remainder to their children by their executing bonds and seeing to the heirs entitled to the remainder said admin to pay said to Lot Howard and Elizabeth Howard his wife $80 during the life of said Elizabeth then to go to her children and to Sarah Williams $80 during her lifetime then remainder to her children and upon the said Williams and the said Howard executing their bond to their heirs entitled to the remainder with good secrity, that they will only use the interest of said money and at their death. The prinicipal is to go to their children and absolutely to Hardin, Mary, Susan, Elizabeth and Francis Chism; children of John McClanahan deceased sed the sun if $80 each the share of each is sixteen dollars and absolutely to Susan A. Priscilla I and John McClanahan and George Thurston due the sum of $80 the share of each is twenty dollars. Page 446 March Term 1858 Michael Chism et. al. vs. Hardin Chism et. al Petition for the Partition of Slaves And now at this day comes plantiffs by their attorney and at appearing to the court that Hardin, Mary L, Susan, Elizabeth and Frances Chism and George Thurston were minors under the age of twenty one years and also George Thurston is a minor under the age of twenty one years all of said minors are defendants in said actions and at appearing to the court that said minors were duly served with process returnable at these term of the court and it further appearing that said minors have a legal guardian. It is therefore ordered that William C. Sever (sp?) be appointed guardian addition for said minors Michael Chism et. al. vs. Hardin Chism et. al Petition for Partition And now at this day comes William C. Sevein and files his answer as guardian addition for said minor heirs Micheal Chism, Howard Chism, David H. Chism, Jacob C. Chism, Stephen Chism and John McClanahan, Susan McClanahan, Priscilla McClanahan plantiffs against (re: Petition for Partition of Slaves) Against Hardin Chism, Mary C. Chism, Susan Chism, Elizabeth Chism, Frances Chism, John Williams, Sarah Williams, Lot Howard, Elizabeth Howard, George Thurston defendants And now this day comes the said plantiffs by their attorney and it appearing to the court that Lot Howard one of the defendants has at the last term of this court entered his voluntary appearances and further appearing to the court that all the other defendants had been legally summoned at twenty days before the first day of this court as shown by the returns of affidavits now on file in this cort and William C. Sevein guardian addition for the minors heirs having filed his answer and John Williams, Sarah Williams, Lot Howard and Elizabeth Howard having failed to answer said petition pursuant against them for the want of answers. And the court doth find that said plantiffs and defendants are legal heirs of Jacob Chism deceased and that said deceased died some time in the year of 1847 and left slaves mentioned in the petition to wit Emperor and Tom and that the said Jacob Chism deceased made and executed his last will which was duly probated by which will said slaves were proven to his widow for life and she having died they are now subject to partition among his heirs according to said will those entitled to take under said will were Michael, John, Howard, David H., Stephen, Jacob C. & Longan Chism, Sarah Williams, Jane McClanahan afterward Jane Thurston and Elizabeth Howard and the court doth further find that (---) the death of the said Jacob and his son John Chism has departed this life leaving the above named children to wit Susan A., Priscilla I and John McClanahan and George Thurston and that since the death of the said Jacob Longan Chism died leaving no children having never married and the court doth find that said slaves Emperor and Tom are subject to partition among the heirs under the provisions of said will of said deceased and that Michael, Howard, David H., Jacob C., and Stephen Chism are each entitled to one-ninth part of said slaves during their natural lifetimes with remainder to their children and John Williams and Sarah C. Williams to one ninth part is right of the said Sarah during her natural life and remainder to her children and Lot Howard and Elizabeth during their natural life and remainder to her children and Susan A., Priscilla and John McClanahan and George Thurston each to one-forth of one-ninth absolutely in right of their (moth? Mother) Jane Thurston and Hardin, Mary C., Susan, Elizabeth and Frances Chism each one fifth of one-ninth absolutely in right of their father John Chism and the court doth find that the said Susan A. McClanahan, Priscilla McClanahan and John McClanahn are minors and that William Thurston is their legal guardian and that George Thurston , Hardin, Mary C., Susan, Elizabeth and Frances are minors and a guardian addition has been appointed for them and filed answers for them and the court doth find that said slaves cannot be divided in kind among those interested. It is therefore ordered, decreed and (___) that partition of said slaves be made among those entitled to them to wit plantiffs and defendants according to their respective rights as set forth above and it is further ordered and decreed that said slaves be sold and the proceeds of the sale be partitioned among the parties according to their interest as before set forth and it is ordered that the Sheriff of Morgan County sell the said slaves of the court house door in the town of Versailles on the second Monday of April 1858 and that he give notice of the same times and place of sales and a description of the said property to be sold by handbills put up at those public places in said county and said slaves to be sold to the highest bidder on a order of nine months the purchaser giving bond and approval security and said sheriff is required to report at the next term of this court until which time this cause stand continued. John Clark, admin of estate of Biram L. Clark deceased Report of the sales of real estate continued until the next term It is ordered that the administrator of the estate of Jacob Chism and Longan Chism pay James L. (?) Ross ten dollars five dollars and of each estate as a fee for professional services for setting the complicated accounting between estates. Hiram Madole Executor of the estate of Elizabeth Routon deceased And now as this day comes said executor and makes his first annual settlement of said estate is charged with amount of interest: $249.88 plus $16.88 = $266.88 and is entitled to a credit of $20.14 - subtracted from $266.88 = $246.654 - balance due on estate. I can not read the last term entry - looks W. H. Godd and Shiff present his account examined and allowed for $7. Ordered that court adjourn until court in county - signed by John A. S. Tutt Judge ( the Tutts owned another part of my family)