Tag Archives: wills

Robert Darling: Unmarried, But Key to My Family Tree

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52ancestors-2015-18Too often in our genealogy, we skip over our ancestors’ siblings. That’s especially true when it comes to the siblings who didn’t marry. When we do that (or, rather, don’t do that), we could be shutting ourselves off from valuable clues.

I don’t know a lot about my 4th-great-grandmother Mary Darling Young, but I do know her maiden name (Darling) and that she moved to Washington County, Ohio, where she died in 1855.

In the Washington County, Ohio wills is one for Robert Darling, written 12 November 1841 and probated 30 April 1853.1)Robert Darling will, Will Book 1, page 13, Washington County Probate Court, Marietta, Ohio. “Darling” isn’t a very common surname, so when I saw this in Washington County, I had to look at it. It’s a short will, just two paragraphs:

I Robert Darling of Fearing Township, Washington, Ohio, being in good health of body and sound and disposing mind and memory praised be God for the same and being desired to settle my worldly affairs whilst I have strength and capacity so to do, do make and publish this my last Will and testament, hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at any time, heretofore made and first and principally I commit my Soul into the hands of my Creator who gave it and my Body to the Earth from whence it came and as to such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to intrust me I dispose of the the same as followeth, Viz:

To my Loving Brother Andrew Darling I give and bequeath One Dollar, and to my Loving Sister Mary Young I give and bequeath One Dollar, and to my Loving Brother Thomas Darling, I give and bequeath all the rest of my property, Either of Goods and Chattels, Lands and tenements and of all kinds of property of whatsoever name or nature and at his death the property to be given to his heirs and I appoint as my Executors William Affleck and Adam Darling, in witness here I have hereunto set my hand and seal this November the twelfth One thousand Eight hundred and forty one.

/s/ Robert Darling

As I work more on the Darling family, this will is going to be a key document. With it, I now know that Mary Darling Young had brothers named Robert (who also lived in Washington County), Andrew, and Thomas. Having the siblings will make it so much easier to identify the correct Mary Darling.

(Of course, this will begs the question of why Robert left $1 each to Andrew and Mary, while Thomas got all the property. One possibility is that Robert had already given Andrew and Mary some property and that the $1 was a token amount so they couldn’t claim they were left out of the will. It’s also possible that Robert liked his brother Thomas the best 😉 )

Always, always, always look around for the siblings.

Robert Darling will, Will Book 1, page 13, Washington County Probate Court, Marietta, Ohio.

Robert Darling will, Will Book 1, page 13, Washington County Probate Court, Marietta, Ohio. (Click to enlarge.)

References   [ + ]

1. Robert Darling will, Will Book 1, page 13, Washington County Probate Court, Marietta, Ohio.

Robert Nixon: The Will to Learn (52 Ancestors #44)

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If you’ve been reading my past few 52 Ancestors posts, you’ve probably picked up the fact that I had to dig deep to put together the origins of my great-great-grandmother Susan Tucker Kelley. One of the key documents that put it all together was the will of Robert Nixon, who turned out to be Susan’s maternal grandfather.

In his will1)FamilySearch.org, Ohio Probate Records, 1789-1996, Robert Nixon will, Perry County Will Book vol. 2 and B, page 64; Perry County Probate Court, New Lexington, Ohio. dated 5 December 1828, Robert specified his sons and daughters in birth order (grouped by gender):

  • John, my eldest son
  • Levi, Isaac, Jonathan, and Elijah, “my sons the second and third and fourth and fifth sons”
  • my eldest daughter Elizabeth
  • my second daughter Mary Ann
  • my third daughter Susannah
  • my fourth daughter Sarah

He left his sons “my plantation” and instructed them that “they are to keep and to raise my family and to support them and my dear wife Catherine.” The daughters received bequests of either thirty or fifty dollars’ worth of bed, bedding, cows and sheep.

In other words, pretty typical stuff.

I already adored Robert for specifying the order that his sons and daughters were born — and that he actually named his wife! (I get so tired of wills that say “to my beloved wife” and then never actually give her name.) But it was two stipulations in the will that gave me insight into Robert. Instructing his sons that the cows, sheep, etc., to his daughters were to be paid from his plantation, he added this:

“…and they [Robert’s sons] are to give my four daughters schooling so as they can read.”

Regarding his two youngest sons (Nathan and Elijah), the oldest sons were to give them each $100 “laid out in land for them”

“…and they are to give them learning as far as the single rule of three.”

I’ve read a lot of wills over the years. I’ve seen people stipulate that their estate was to provide for a decent burial and a tombstone. I’ve seen wills that state that if an heir contests it, that person would receive nothing. I’ve seen countless wills that leave something “to my beloved wife” and then never give her name. But this is the first time that I’ve seen a will stipulate that the daughters were to be taught to read and the youngest sons learn basic math.

"Book 8," by Brenda Clarke. Used under Creative Commons license CC BY 2.0.

Book 8,” by Brenda Clarke. Used under Creative Commons license CC BY 2.0.

References   [ + ]

1. FamilySearch.org, Ohio Probate Records, 1789-1996, Robert Nixon will, Perry County Will Book vol. 2 and B, page 64; Perry County Probate Court, New Lexington, Ohio.