Mentioning someone in a Will and giving them $1.00 is/was a legal maneuver, I believe, to indicate to a court that the person mentioned was not forgotten at the time the Will was being drawn up. I read a discussion about this that said heirs to an estate could not claim in Court, or protest a Will, that their benefactor had forgotten them. $1.00 made the transaction legal. Maybe the ancestor who was given $1.00 and the "money your husband owes me" was considered enough of his share of any inheritance. No doubt someone else can explain this better, but this is what I understand. juanita > In a message dated 3/15/2005 9:36:14 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > OHGALLIA-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > > > X-Message: #26 > Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 21:31:55 EST > From: McNab2000@aol.com > To: OHGALLIA-L@rootsweb.com > Message-ID: <ff.f502649.2f68f49b@aol.com> > Subject: Re: [OHGALLIA-L] Re: Peter's Cornell's Will > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > Just out of curiosity, how much would a $1.00 have taken a person in > 1839? > > I looked it up at _www.westegg.com_ (http://www.westegg.com) and it > is very interesting. What cost $1.00 in 1839 would cost $16.49 in > 2003. (there are no figures for 2004 yet) Obviously, they either got > their inheritance early or they were intentionally cut out of their > father's will. I have an early German ancestor, Gaspar Link, in the > Shenandoah Valley who left his daughter, my foremother, as well as > his other daughter, her sister, who married no-account Harless > brothers, "$1.00 and the money your husband owes me!" Her husband, > my forefather, disappeared, was thought to have been killed by > Indians, but turned up two counties away with a wife and several more > children! Ha ha! Later,the other brother was caught passing > counterfeit gold coins in Pearisburg!! So, no wonder the old man was > angry! > > > > > > Sharon Lee Gates > > > > ==== OHGALLIA Mailing List ==== > Check the address you are replying to before sending your message. >

Another consideration: if the will gives other family members $50 or $100 or large amounts of personal property, it certainly indicates that the $1 was a legal maneuver to prevent the one person "written out of the will" from contesting the will or, as you say, to indicate that the person wasn't forgotten at the time of the writing of the will. My g-g-grandfather appears to have been written out of his mother's will. I'd love to know why. Kathie ----- Original Message ----- From: "juanita" <juanita2@cox.net> To: <OHGALLIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 7:07 AM Subject: Re: [OHGALLIA-L] $1.00 in 1839 vs. today > Mentioning someone in a Will and giving them $1.00 is/was a legal > maneuver, I believe, to indicate to a court that the person mentioned > was not forgotten at the time the Will was being drawn up. I read a > discussion about this that said heirs to an estate could not claim in > Court, or protest a Will, that their benefactor had forgotten them. > $1.00 made the transaction legal. > > Maybe the ancestor who was given $1.00 and the "money your husband > owes me" was considered enough of his share of any inheritance. > > No doubt someone else can explain this better, but this is what I > understand. > > juanita > > > In a message dated 3/15/2005 9:36:14 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > > OHGALLIA-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: > > > > > > X-Message: #26 > > Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 21:31:55 EST > > From: McNab2000@aol.com > > To: OHGALLIA-L@rootsweb.com > > Message-ID: <ff.f502649.2f68f49b@aol.com> > > Subject: Re: [OHGALLIA-L] Re: Peter's Cornell's Will > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > > > Just out of curiosity, how much would a $1.00 have taken a person in > > 1839? > > > > I looked it up at _www.westegg.com_ (http://www.westegg.com) and it > > is very interesting. What cost $1.00 in 1839 would cost $16.49 in > > 2003. (there are no figures for 2004 yet) Obviously, they either got > > their inheritance early or they were intentionally cut out of their > > father's will. I have an early German ancestor, Gaspar Link, in the > > Shenandoah Valley who left his daughter, my foremother, as well as > > his other daughter, her sister, who married no-account Harless > > brothers, "$1.00 and the money your husband owes me!" Her husband, > > my forefather, disappeared, was thought to have been killed by > > Indians, but turned up two counties away with a wife and several more > > children! Ha ha! Later,the other brother was caught passing > > counterfeit gold coins in Pearisburg!! So, no wonder the old man was > > angry! > > > > > > > > > > > > Sharon Lee Gates > > > > > > > > ==== OHGALLIA Mailing List ==== > > Check the address you are replying to before sending your message. > > > > > > > ==== OHGALLIA Mailing List ==== > Please keep your topic related to genealogical research > in Gallia County, Ohio. > >