Subject: A Probate in Both Wilkinson Co., MS & West Feliciana Par., LA Preparer: E.W. Wallace Rev 11/98 ELEANOR WADDELL, dau. of Noel Waddell, a Methodist minister of Wilkinson Co., MS. Married to George Keller (later called George W. Keller) in 1819 in Wilkinson Co. "George Keller Bible Record," shows that George Keller, Jr., born 5 Feb 1795, married Eleanor Waddell 11 Mar 1819. (Mississippi Genealogical Society Publication, CEMETERY AND BIBLE RECORDS, V. II, "The George Keller Bible.") Other records bear out that this couple is the subject of our interest. Although the forename is given as Eleanor in the George Keller Bible Record, a transcription of Wilkinson Co., MS marriage record volume 4, page 52, gives the forename as Elizabeth. There probably was an error in transcription as will be seen below from the newspaper notice of Elender [sic] Keller's remarriage after Keller's death and the note attached thereto by the editor. Also probate records of George W. Keller give her name as Eleanor, not Elizabeth. Application for marriage license: Page 52. Geo. Keller to Elizabeth Waddell applied 9 Mar 1819. No return. Bondsman: Geo. Keller and Abel Waddell. (Note: This George Keller was son of the elder George Keller of Wilkinson Co., MS. The son was more generally known as George W. Keller or G. W. Keller.) Before he died, Eleanor's father, Noel Waddell recorded a document in Wilkinson Co. making G. W. Keller and ... McElwee trustees for his, Waddell's, daughter, Mary Waddell. In this trust document, he gave Mary four slaves ?, a feather bed, some furniture... It is unclear the relationship of McElwee to Waddell or to Keller, but it is of interest that later, after G. W. Keller's death and before 1844, Mary Jane Keller, his daughter, married W. G. McElwee. In 1827, Abel Waddill and G. W. Keller were administrators of the Noel Waddill estate, according to a notice in the WOODVILLE REPUBLICAN, 13 Oct 1827. (O'Levia Neil Wilson Wiese, THE WOODVILLE REPUBLICAN, Dec 18, 1823-Dec 17, 1839, V 1, p. 33, p. 38, p. 86-87, p. 148) In Mar 1828, these two administrators held an estate sale. The final settlement of the Waddill estate was in 1831. Noel Waddell/Waddill was the father of Eleanor; he had been a Methodist minister, it seems. Abel Waddell is brother of Eleanor. On 25 Jun 1832, in Wilkinson Co., MS Eleanor Keller and Robert Blount (both signing) made administrator's bond in the amount of $20,000 for George W. Keller, deceased. (FHL Film 877,086. Robert C. Blount ws married to Keller's sister Malinda Keller.) Later there was a change of securities, Feb term 1833, to William Lipscomb and Jesse Saunders, bond in the sum of twenty thousand dollars. R. C. Blount had failed, according to court record, to give counter security as the statute required. (In Copiah Co., MS, Blount or Blunt was later found guilty of malfeasance as a county official. It is unknown whether he had to serve a sentence.) At the same term of court, 1833, letters of guardianship were granted to Eleanor Keller on the person and property of Wesley S. Keller, George W. Keller, Abel T. Keller, Mary Jane Keller, and Martha E. Keller (five children). By 1835, Eleanor remarried: 23 May 1835. "Married on the 19th by the Rev. T. C. Brown, Mr. James McDonal, formerly of Macon, Georgia, to Mrs. Elender Keller, daughter of the Rev. Noel Waddill of this county. (Wilkinson County Marriage Book states that Eleanor Waddell m. Geo. Keller, 3-12-1819)" In 1836, 15 December, James McDonald and his wife Eleanor McDonald filed a petition with the Probate Court of Wilkinson Co. to sell the land of the heirs of G. W. Keller. The petition and a subsequent petition the following month give some genealogical or history information about the family. "To the Honorable Nathaniel Scudder Esqr. Judge of Probate of the County of Wilkinson & State of Mississippi the Petition of Eleanor McDonald formerly Eleanor Keller Administratrix of George W. Keller deceased and James McDonald Administrator of said George W. Keller in Right of his wife Eleanor Respectfully Shew unto your Honor that there belongs to said Estate two tracts of Land containing in all about 595 acres more or Less Lying in said County and one of said tracts containing about 436 acres Generally Known and the Archibald McGehee Tract and bounded North by Noland Stewart, East by Judge McGehee & Wade H. Gaulden & G. B. Foster [?] South by the Line of Demarcation of Louisiana and West by Polaskie [?] Cage and the other tract containing about 150 acres Bounded North by Nolan Stewart East by M. G. Gaulden North by Wade H. Gaulden & west by Edward McGehee Land -- that said Land is nearly worn out and nearly all the timber is cut off from said Land so as not leave enough to fence the premises that there are four Heirs of Said Estate to wit the said Eleanor & three minor Children, to wit, George W., Mary Jane, & Abel T. Keller of which said minor Heirs there [sic] petitioners are the Guardians, that and equal division cannot conveniently be made of said Land among said Heirs and their petitioners believe it to be to the interest of Said Estate to have said Land Sold Wherefore your Petitions pray an order of sale for said Land on a Credit of Twelve months & ..... December 15th 1836 "James McDonald "Eleanor McDonald "The within Petition Granted Complying in all Respects with the Law January Term 1837 "N. Scuttder, Judge of Probates Apparently two of the Keller children had died prior to the 1837 petition, in which only three minor heirs are named. The deceased ones were Wesley and Martha Keller. A subsequent notice from 15 April 1837 edition of the WOODVILLE REPUBLICAN indicates that Eleanor and her second husband were removing to West Feliciana Par., LA. Refer to biography of George Keller, Jr. (In 1842, a Waddill family was still in Wilkinson Co. as there was a newspaper notice of the application to divide inherited property by Charles D. Waddill and his wife, Matilda Waddill. This was the land of the heirs of Peter McGraw to be divided into five equal parts.) A West Feliciana succession (probate) document (abstracted) - 20th day of Mar AD 1841: A. L. Simmons petitioned court to allow him to resign his undertutorship of minors George W. Keller, Abel T. Keller, and Mary Jane Keller - reason being a minister of the Gospel, he finds it inconvenient to attend to the duties devolving on him in his capacity of Under Tutor. Also included in the succession papers, personally examined by this writer in May 1998, is an undated petition of James McDonald. (Abstracted) The Succession of George W. Keller opened in the State of Mississippi where he died, leaving property in the Parish of West Feliciana. Later, A. L. Simmons, the first tutor, sued the estate. Also included in the probate is an undated petition of James McDonald. (Abstracted) The Succession of George W. Keller opened in the State of Mississippi where he died, leaving property in the Parish of West Feliciana. McDonald petitioned to have letters of curatorship. W. Feliciana Parish Conveyance Book I-13 gives some genealogical information in that Mary Jane Keller has now married--to W. G. McElwee. On 20 Nov 1844 Mary [Jane did not photograph] Keller, aided and authorized by her husband W. G. McElwee & George W. and Able T. Keller "for and in consideration of the Love and affection we [have for] our mother Eleanor McDonald, have assigned, transfered and delivered.... our undivided interest in the following described property, to [wit] a Negro boy Ned (?) aged 42 years, negro boy Ben aged 15 years, negro boy .... aged 13 years, negro boy Isaac aged 10 years, negro girl Caroline aged... years, negro girl Laida aged 32 years--negro girl Rose aged 20 years, negro girl Mariah aged 17 years, negro girl Hannah aged 9 years. Also two horses, one Team of oxen, and one waggon..../s/ W. G. McElwee, Mary J. McElwee, G. W. Keller, Abel Keller Witnesses: Randolph Check, Toliver Smart, Anthony Toadvine, Charles Richards. Rec. 21 Dec 1844" In Jan 1854, in Wilkinson Co., DB Q-333, we learn the names of three of the children of George W. Keller, Sr. The sons, heirs, were selling 537 A in Wilkinson Co., seemingly to the husband of their sister, Edward McElwee (of the second part). The sons were Abel T. Keller and G. W. Keller and their wives were Mary and Florida, respectively. Abel T. Keller & Mary A. Keller, wife of Able [sic] T. Keller, and George W. Keller & his wife Florida are selling to Edward McElwee for $2,000, 537 07/100 acres "being the same tract of land inherited by the said Geroge W. Keller, Abel T. Keller and their sister Mrs. McElwee from their father George Keller decd." A legal description of the land is given. Reportedly an Eleanor McDonald shows up on 1845 MS State census.