Bland Letter

Have you ever clicked on an Ancestry Story hint to find that it circles back to your own research? That is what happened while going thru hints for Osborn Bland. When I clicked on the Indian Story, it took me to a ‘story’ that contains a link to my old website.

Fortunately, I have all of the files for that website and can ‘reproduce’ it below:

This is a photocopy of a letter from Robert L. Bland of Weston, West Virginia to Judge W. T. Bland of Kansas City, Missouri. The letter is dated July 1911. The body of the letter concerns the BLAND family in England.

At the end of the letter is a note addressed to Mrs. Lillie Brown of St. Joseph, Missouri. This note gives some information on the BLAND family in Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri.

July 1st, 1911.
Robert L. Bland Attorney and counsellor at law, Weston, West Virginia.
Judge W.T. Bland,
Kansas City Mo

Dear Will;

Referring futher to your letter of June 24th,and the letter addressed to you by Hon. James H. H ull,under date of June 23rd.
I beg to suggest that I do-not incline to look with favor upon the suggestion that there is an estate in Germany ,in which the Blands are interested. Of course I know nothing about the facts are circumstances upon which Mr. Hull bases his conclusions.
I do know ,however, that the Bland family is pure English.

In 1826,Nicholas Carlisle published a very comprehensive work which he called “A History of the Ancient family of Blands”,and dedicated it to his friend, Michael Bland, Esquire, F.R.S., F.S.A. etc. This book was limited at the time of publication to an edition of one hundres.SO far as I have ever been able to ascertain there are but three in the United States. One is in the congressional library at Washington, another is owned by John Randolph Bland of Baltimore, ant the third I have.

It is regarded as an accepted authority in relation to the Bland pedigree. The author does the family credit to say that it is of very high antiquity and may not hesitate to compare the virtues and renown of it’s several branches with those of the proudest gentry of the kingdom.

The Bland family derives it’s name from the original seat, a place called Bland, in the Parish of Sedburgh, Yorkshire.

In 1337, a branch of the line of Sedburgh settled at Gibard, in the Parish of Orton, Westmoreland.
Edward Bland of Burghfield, a younger branch of the Gibard, family died at the time of Edward IV, and from him descended Rogder Bland, of Orton, who had Adam Bland, of London, Sergant Skinner to Queen Elizabeth, married about 1549 Joan dauhhter of William Atkyna Bland.

Thedorick Bland, the immigrant of Westover, Virginia, is a descendant of said Adam Bland, Prior to coming to America, he was a merchant at St.Luca, Spain, but came to Virginia about the year 1654,and settled as Westover on the James River, in Charles City County. He was one of the Kings council “and of as good repute for circumstances, and understanding as any man of his time therein”.

The family of Bland by the marriage of Samuel Bland, Esquire, to Elizabeth third daughter of Sir Edward Longueville, Bart, was intitled to a fellowship in All Soul’s College, Oxford, by virtue of their consanguinity to Arch Bishop Chichele, the founder .–Stemmata Chicheleana,No354,Page 55.

Carlisle in referring to the family of Blands observes that few families of private gentry had spread more widely are flourished farier than this well allied house. But several stout branches ‘, he proceeds “: have perished like the original stock whilst some trace their blood without hereditary possessions . Of the younger sons, who were slenderly provided for by life annuities and small monied portions ,it may be difficult to connect there descendants , though all must be presumed to bare a distant kindred to the old family tree, who have the honor to have the name”.

It is possible that some of the Blands may have settled in Germany, and that Barbar Bland, may have inter-married with Louis Fisher.

I have been able to trace them in the principality of Wales and Kingdom of Ireland, and have had very extensive correspondence with persons bearing the name in this country.

I confess, however, my inability to establish any connection with the family of Louis Fisher, and Barbara Bland his wife.

The name Barbara Bland is occasionally found in the study of the History of the English Family.

You have perhaps knowledge of Nathaniel Bland, LLD, the second son of the very Reverend James Bland. Dean of Ardfort. Who was an eminent civilian and held the metropitan seal ,and sat as judge in the prerogative Court at Dublin.
Francis Christopher Bland, of Derryquinn Castle, was a near kinsman of Nathanial Bland.

He married in 1797,Lucy third daughter of Arthur Herbert , of Brusterfield, his second wife was Barbara Ash.
It is possible she may have survived her husband and married Louis Fisher, but at this point I observe that Louis Fisher, and Barbara Bland, his wife, are supposed to have come to Culpepper, Virginia, between 1728,and 1832.

Then there was Henry Bland, of the city of London, whose will bore date July 11th,1726,and was proved on the third of January 1729.Whereby he gave to his wife ,Barbara Bland, certain property. This Barbara Bland, may have inter-married with Louis Fisher.
I might continue in this way to mention members of the family who bore the name of Barbara. I think,however,that the Blands of Weston Missouri,who are interested in this estate would porbably make most headway by commencing their investigation at Culpepper Virginia.

If I can be of any service you need not hesitate to call upon me.

I am rather interested in the fact that there is a man by the name of Bland who bears my own initials residing at Weston Missouri. I should like to know more about him, and his family line.

With best wishes, believe me,
Yours very truly,
Robert L. Bland.

St. Joseph, MO 10/21/11

Mrs. Lillie Brown
1619 Savannah Ave.

Dear Sister,

In compliance with your request I enclose you a type-written copy of the letter addressed to Judge W. T. Bland, and a part of our own History as written to me by Mr. Bland,
The History he has deals with the English House of Blands and consequently, would hardly embrace the American descendants ,he has, however, numerous notes, relative to the Blands in this country, and has promised to write me more fully in regard to my special line of decent.
James Bland ,a lineal descendant of the branch of Sedburgh, settled in Stafford County Virginia, and died in 1708, he had a sone John who married Marguret Osborne, John and Marguret Osborn Bland, moved to Kentuckey ,one of their children was Osborn Bland, Osborne Bland, and his wife was captured by the Indians and their baby murdered and it’s blood smeared in the mother face. He was kept bound but his wife was unfettered and he told her to try to escape this she did,l iving for two weeks before she reached the settlement’s on parched corn, and herbs, he was afterwards exchanged and the wife and husband were reunited.
William Bland a brother of Osborne Bland, borned in 1777, in Prince William County, Virginia, moved to Kentuckey in 1784, married Sarah Peake, William Bland had a son Elijah H. Bland, who married Corilla Willet, Eli Bland, a son of Osborne Bland settled in Monroe County, Kentuckey, married Sarah Anderson, and died in New Orleans in 1826,
Mathew M. Bland, a son of Eli Bland, settled in Platt County Missouri, in 1838,married Mary Burnes Turner, of Mason County Kentuckey in1845, born December 5th,1816,and died July the 27th,1879. Robert L. Bland, a son of Matthew M. Bland, born in Platt County Missouri June the 1st,1870.

Death Date

Do you have an ancestor in your tree whose death date and place is unknown? That’s been my struggle with my 3rd great grandmother, Elizabeth Ann Bland Burke.

Elizabeth’s husband, Henry Burke died in 1845. He is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Weston, Missouri. Elizabeth Burke is found on the 1850 and 1860 census living in Platte County, Missouri. However, she is not there in 1870. Nor, have I been able to find an Elizabeth Burke living across the Missouri River in Kansas.

Since Mrs. Jane Burke married Joseph Moore in 1866, I’ve wondered whether Mrs. Jane Burke was my missing Elizabeth Ann Burke. However, I’ve never found anything connecting Mrs. Jane Moore to the children of Henry and Elizabeth Burke.

At some point, I located a HORNBUCKEL deed to partition land that Elizabeth Burke had purchased in 1851.

Platte County Missouri
Deed records 1839-1895

Deed Index v. 7-8 1876-1879
Film 988239 DGS 8486504

Vol. 7 p. 584
Image 298

To all to whome these presents shall come
know ye that whereas at the November term 1876 of the
Weston court of Common Pleas of the said county of
Platte in a certain quit then pending in said court
wherein Gilford Hornbuckel and Sarah Hornbuckel
his wife and Hiram Curry and Anglina Curry his wife
were petitioners against John M. Burk and Milton E. Burk.
defendants for the petition of the following described real
estate situate lying and being in the county of Platte
and state of Missouri to wit.
All of the east half of the south west quarter of section (34)
thirty four in township (54) fifty four and range (36) thirty six
lying and being situated in Weston township Platte County
Missouri save and except (1) one acre beginning at the north east
corner of said east half and running thence west (20) twenty poles
thence south (6) six poles thence to the eastern line of said quarter
section then to the beginning and also except all that part
of said east half of said quarter section lying east of Bear
Creek on the southeast corner of said East half.
The said court then and these decried that partition of
said land be made among the parties according to their
respective interest and it appearing to said court that
said land could not be divided in kind amongst the
parties therein the undersigned Marshall of the Weston
court of common pleas was ordered by said court to
sell said real estate and it was thence ordered and de
=creed by said court that the said marshall proceed to
advertise and sell the same according to law all of
which facts and orders of court fully appear from the
records of said court and whereas a certified copy
of said order of sale was duly made out by the clerk
of said court and to him the said marshall delivered dated
March 12th 1877 and where as in obedience to said order
of sale I the said Marshal did cause the said real
estate to be advertised for sale for a period of not
less than twenty days next preceding the day of the sale here
inafter mentioned by advertisement in the Weston
Commercial a newspaper printed in Weston Platte county
state aforesaid containing a particular description of the
real estate to be sold and stating the time and place
and terms of sale and whereas in obedience and
conformity to said order of sale and advertisement

page 585
aforesaid I the said marshall did on the 9th day of July
1877 at the July Term of the said court of said last named
county for the year 1877 and while said last named
court was in session between the hours of nine o’clock
in the forenoon and five o’clock in the afternoon of
that day proceed to offer and expose to sale at public
auction to the highest bidder on the following terms
viz for cash in hand at the courthouse door
in Weston of said county of Platte the real estate
above described and having so offered and expo
sed the same for sale for a long space of time as
aforesaid and Milton E. Burk being the best highest
and last bidder for the following described part of
said real estate became the purchaser thereof for
the price and purse of thirteen hundred and fifty
dollars and — cents to wit.
All of the east half of the south west quarter section (34)
thirty four in township (54) fifty four of range (36) thirty
six lying and being situated in Weston township Platte
County Missouri save and except (1) one acre beginning
at the northeast corner of said east half and running thence
west (20) poles thence south (6) poles thence to the eastern line
of the said quarter section thence to the beginning and
also except all that part of said east half of said quarter
section lying east of Bear creek on the southeast corner
of said east half
And whereas the said Milton Burk has fully paid
and satisfied to me the full amount of money by him
bid as aforesaid for said last described real estate
now therefore know all men by these presents that I
Joseph B. Evans marshall as aforesaid for and in
consideration of the promises and of said sum of
thirteen hundred and fifty —/100 dollars to him in hand paid do
assign transfer and convey and set over unto
the said Milton E Burk heirs and assignees forever as
fully and effectually as I the said marshall by the powers
and authority in me vested in the premises as such
can sell and convey the same
In testimony whereof I the said Marshal have

page 586
her unto subscribed my name and affixed my seal this
12th day of July 1877
Joseph B Evans (seal)
Marshall of the Weston court of Common Pleas

State of Missouri
County of Platte
In the Weston Court of Common Please
July Term AD 1877
Be it remembered that on this fourteenth day of July in the
year of our Lord 1877 before W H Roney Judge of the
Weston Court of Common Pleas within and for the county
aforesaid came into open court Joseph B Evans
Marshal of said Court personally known to said
Judge to be the same person whose name is subscribed
to the foregoing instrument of writing as having execu
ted the same and also know to be the marshall as in
said deed described and then and there in open
court before the said Judge acknowledged the said
instrument to be his act and deed for th purposes therein
mentioned. This certificate of said acknowledgment
being ordered by the said court to be endorsed by
the clerk on this deed.
In testimony whereof I William F Yocum clerk of our
said court have hereunto set my hand and affixed
the seal of said court done at office in Weston
in the county aforesaid
(LS) W F Yocum clerk
Filed for record at 9:30 am October 1st 1877
R L Waller
Recorder of Deeds

Missouri, Platte County. Deed records, 1839-1895. Film #988239 DGS 8486504. HOrnbuckel, Curry petition, Nov 1876; Vol. 7: page 584-586 (image 298-299); digitized images, FamilySearch http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 5 September 2022.

Based on the above deed, I concluded that Elizabeth Bland Burke had died prior to November 1876. Since the deed refers to a case in the Court of Common Pleas, I decided to see if I could locate any court records.

Unfortunately, the Court of Common Pleas records are not available for Platte County, Missouri on FamilySearch. However, two other sets of Platte County court records are available. In Volume N of the Platte County, Missouri Court Records 1839-1887, I found additional information about the argument between the children: Guilford Hornbuckle and Sarah his wife; Hiram Curry and Angelina, his wife; John M. Burke and Milton E. Burke.

Missouri Circuit Court (Platte County)
Court Records, 1839-1887

Court Records, v. N-O 1875-1881
Film 988428 DGS 8486528

Index image 15
Hornbuckle G et al vs M E Burke 388 407 409
Hornbuckle G et al vs J. M. Burke et al 407 409

Volume N page 388 (Image 231)
Thursday April 5th 1877

Guilford Hornbuckle and Sarah, his wife & Hiram Curry
& Angelina Curry his wife
vs
Milton E. Burke
Now came the parties by their attornies and

Volume N page 389
Thursday, April 5th 1877
announcing themselve ready, waive a jury and submit the tract thereof to
the Court; the Court hears the evidence and being fully advised in the premises
finds for the plaintiffs and assesses their damages in the sum of six hun
dred and seventy nine & 92/100 dollars ($679 92/100) It is therefore consider
ed by the Court that the plaintiffs receive of the defendant the sum of
six hundred and seventy nine and 92/100 dollars ($679 92/100) so assessed as
aforesaid and their costs and charges herein ex[pended] and have thereof execu
tion

Volume N page 407 (image 240)
Tuesday April 10th 1877
Guilford Hornbuckle & Sarah Hornbuckle his wife
& Hiram Curry & Angelina Curry, his wife
vs
John M. Burke & Milton E. Burke
Now at this day comes
the parties herein
by their attorneys &
this cause coming on
for a hearing, the same is submitten to the Court by agreement; the Court
having duly considered the papers and exhibits therein together with the
arguments of counsel, order, adjudges and decrees that the judgment
rendered herein by the Weston Court of Common Pleas, be affirmed
and that a copy hereof be certified to said Common Pleas Court
(Furnished by J. W. Coburn)

Volume N page 409 (image 241)
Tuesday April 10th 1877
Guilford Hornbuckle & Sarah Hornbuckle his wife
& Hiram Curry and his wife Angelina Curry
vs John M. Burke & Milton E. Burke
Now came the parties by
their attornies and the de
fendants present their mo
tion for a new trial herein
which by agreement is taken up by the Court and overruled & ordered to be balance
on file; also their motion [vs] arrest of the judgment herein which by a
greement is taken up & by the Court overruled & ordered to be placed on file
and thereupon their affidavit for an appeal hereof to the Supreme Court
of this State, on consideration of which the Court order that an appeal
be allowed. and the court grants to defendants ten days to file a
bond for said appeal in the sum of $500 and twenty days
to prepare and file herein their bill of exceptions.

Since the April 1877 court entry indicates that the court “allowed” an appeal to the Supreme Court, I need to expand my search for additional court records.

However, a search of the set of Platte County, Missouri records group titled “Court Record, 1839-1887; probate docket 1894-1901” found a court record that helps narrow down Elizabeth Burke’s death date.

Platte County, Missouri
Court Record, 1839-1887; probate docket 1894-1901

Court Record, v. I 1864-1867
Film 988954 DGS 7631756

Image 7 – Index
Burke Elizabeth 112

page 112 (Image 90)
Vacation February 4th AD 1865
In the matter of estate
of Elizabeth Burke decd
Adm presents proof of motion of Grant of
letters which is ordered to be filed.

Missouri, Platte County. Court Records, 1839-1887. Film #988954 DGS 7631756. Elizabeth Burke, 4 Feb 1865; Vol. I: page 112 (image 90); digital images, Family Search http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 5 September 2022.

Missouri, Platte County. Court Records, 1839-1887. Film #988954 DGS 7631756. Elizabeth Burke, 4 Feb 1865; Vol. I: page 112 (image 90); digital images, Family Search http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 5 September 2022.

Since Elizabeth Burke is listed as ‘decd’ in the above record, I have concluded that she died prior to 4 February 1865.

This 1865 court record not only explains why I couldn’t find Elizabeth in the 1870 census records but also verifies that she is NOT the Mrs. Jane Burke that married Joseph Moor.

Elkanah Bland

#Friday Find

Instead of posting about some record I have buried in my files, this post is about a recent find. While trying to locate court records for the estate of Elizabeth Bland Burke in the Platte County, Missouri records, I was also following leads to BLAND records since some of her siblings migrated from Tennessee to Missouri at the same time Elizabeth and her husband Henry Burke did.

In volume G of those court records is a testimony by Alfred Kirkpatrick, whom I believe to be the husband of Mahala Bland [K87B-G3M] and thus the brother-in-law to Elizabeth Burke. In this testimony, Alfred Kirkpatrick discusses the death of Elkanah Bland, son of William Bland and his wife Polly M. Bland. Not only does this testimony identify the parents of Elkanah but also the mother and grandfather of Polly M. Bland!

At this time, I can’t find this particular family on the FamilySearch tree. It is possible the Cynthia Anderson mentioned in the record is Cynthia Sims Anderson [KNBR-RY3] and daughter of William Sims [LDYT-2FY]. Hopefully, other researchers of Cynthia Sims Anderson can use this find to place Elkanah Bland in the tree.

Platte County, Missouri
Court record, 1839-1887; probate docket 1894-1901

Court record, v. G 1859-1861
film 988952 DGS 631735

image 7
Bland Elkanoh 17
Image 41 – page 17
Tuesday March 8, 1859

In the matter of the death of
Elkanah Bland Infant of
William B & Polly M Bland

Now at this day comes into open court
Alfred Kirkpatrick who being duly sworn
deposes and says he knew Elkanah Bland
who was the son of Polly M. Bland who died
in Jackson County, Tennessee and that he knew said Polly M. Bland in the
said state of Tennessee and he knows she was the daughter of Cynthia
Anderson and Grand daughter of William Simms of Monroe County
Kentucky. That he knew the said parties in the state of Kentucky &
Tennessee and that Polly Martin Bland died in Tennessee & that after
wards that William B P Bland the father of Elkanah Bland & the husband
of Polly M Bland (formerly Anderson) removed to the state of Missouri
about the year 8141, bringing with him Elkanah Bland his infant
son. and that he resided near the said Bland in the state of Miss-
ouri until August 1852 at which time he saw the said infant child
Elkanah Bland then aged about thirteen years and that when he
last saw him that he was quit [low] & not expected to live but a few
days. That his disease was the [scrofula] of which he died in a few days
afterwards as witness was informed and believes that he heard of the
death of said Elkanah Bland frequently at that time and was at the
house of William B P Bland a few days after the reported death of said
child in August 1852 and that he was then informed by all the family
of the death of said Elkanah from and of the sickness aforesaid and
was shown his grave was at the house of W B P Bland frequently after
such time and never say said child or heard of his being alive at
any time and is positive of his death at the time aforesaid and
that he is the identical boy that was the child & heir and the only
living child that survived Polly M. Bland formerly Polly M.
Anderson and further he says he is not interested in the estate of
said infant. Which said proof is ordered to be recorded

Burke Findings

Do you ever struggle trying to verify the death of a female ancestor? I’ve struggled for years with Elizabeth Ann Bland Burke.

Elizabeth and her husband Henry F. Burke were living in Platte County, Missouri in 1840 with three young children. Henry Burke died in 1845 leaving behind his wife Elizabeth and 5 children: Angelina Jane, Milton E., Sarah E., Pamilla A. and John Martin Burke.

Five years later, Elizabeth Burke is listed as the head of household on the 1850 census with the five children living in Weston, Missouri (Platte County). The 1860 census also shows Elizabeth as the head of household living in Marshall Township, Platte County, Missouri.

Elizabeth seems to disappear after that. Until recently, the only possible record I’ve found for her was a marriage record of a Mrs. Jane Burke to Joseph Moor. Since I have not found any record tying a Mrs. Moor to any of the five children, I am doubtful that the Mrs. Jane Burke is Elizabeth Jane Bland Burke.

Since the daughters, Angelina Jane Currey and Sarah Hornbuckle file a petition against John Burke and Milton Burke seeking partition of Burke land in 1876, I believe this indicates that Elizabeth Burke had passed away prior to 1876.

Then a few years ago, a site for Elizabeth Burke appeared on Find a Grave in the same cemetery where her husband is buried (Laurel Hill Cemetery). This site is using the date of the court case as the death date. It is possible that Elizabeth is buried beside her husband, but I have yet to find a tombstone for Elizabeth. The tombstone pictured is up the hill from Henry Burke’s stone. It is for Eleazor Wilhite.

Thinking that Elizabeth and Eleazor may have married, I started investigating that possibility only to find that Eleazor did not marry Elizabeth. In the process of researching this possibility, I stumbled across a reference to a probate record for Elizabeth in The Border Times (Weston, Missouri).

Public Administrator Notice
By virtue of Orders of the Probate Court of Platte County, made June 6th, 1864, I have taken charge of the following estates:
Elizabeth Burke
…
All persons having claims against any of said Estates are requested to exhibit them for allowanct, to me, within one year from said respective dates, or they will be precluded from any benefit in such estate, and if such claims are not exhibited within three years from the date of said orders, respectively, they will be forever barred.
W. M. Paxton
Public Administrator, Platte Co.

“Public Administrator’s Notice,” The Border Times (Weston, Missouri), 30 December 1864, page 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspaper.som : viewed online 29 May 2021).

“Public Administrator’s Notice,” The Border Times (Weston, Missouri), 30 December 1864, page 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspaper.som : viewed online 29 May 2021).

Since this ad provides a court date for the probate proceedings, I turned to FamilySearch to see if the court records had been microfilmed — and found them available online.

Since I had the exact date from the ad, I was able to quickly locate the actual court proceeding on page 777 of volume H.

In the matter of estate
of Elizabeth Burke decd

Now at this day William M Paxton Public Administrator is ordered to take charge of said estate and administer the same according to law.

Missouri, Platte County. Court Records, 1839-1887. Platte County, Missouri, Courthouse, Platte City, Missouri. Film #988953 DGS 7631736. Elizabeth Burke, 6 June 1864 Vol. H: p. 777; digital images, Family Search http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 29 May 2021.988953 DGS 7631736

Missouri, Platte County. Court Records, 1839-1887. Platte County, Missouri, Courthouse, Platte City, Missouri. Film #988953 DGS 7631736. Elizabeth Burke, 6 June 1864 Vol. H: p. 777; digital images, Family Search http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 29 May 2021.988953 DGS 7631736

This simple advertisement in the newspaper led me to the court document that confirms two things:

• Elizabeth did not remarry
• Elizabeth died before June 1864

Now, I just need to read more of the court documents to try and pinpoint a death date and continue searching for more information about her death.

Crossing Paths 2

As you are researching your ancestors do you ever find a family living in the same county as ancestors or cousins from a totally different branch of your tree? That’s been my experience recently.

Yesterday, while following up on a comment on a blog post about a reader’s potential connection to my Garrard County, Kentucky research, I stumbled upon such a situation. I discovered a reference to Osbourn Bland as one of the survivors taken prisoner at Blue Licks in the Winter 2006 issue of Kentucky ancestors.

Trowbridge, John M. “‘We Are All Slaughtered Men’: The Battle of Blue Licks,” Kentucky Ancestors. Winter 2006 Vol. 42, No. 2 p. 61.

This would place an Osburn Bland in Madison County, Kentucky a little before my Crawford line. Now this may not be my Osburn Bland, but it might be. I have tax lists showing an Osborne Bland living in Nelson county prior to 1800. Much more research will need to be done to figure out if this is the same person – or NOT.

Again, my Bland line is on my dad’s mother’s side of the tree while my Garrard/Madison County, Kentucky research is on my dad’s dad’s side of the tree, my Crawford line.

Because of this instance where one branch of my tree seems to cross paths with another branch, I decided to investigate the ‘Who Was There’ report in my genealogy software. I’ve used this report to identify people in Kansas in 1950. However, I’ve never run the report for a specific county or for a range of time or both. Thus, I decided to try this report for Kentucky prior to 1800.

Because I have a relatively large database with lots of facts, this report takes a long time to create. To help speed up the process, I created a marked group using the option to ‘select people by data fields’

Then I configured the ‘Search for Information’ to find ‘Any Fact’ with the ‘place’ containing ‘Kentucky’.

After saving the group, I can now go back to the ‘Who Was There List’ Report and use that marked group instead of ‘Everyone’ for the people to include.

The report still takes a bit of time to generate results, but it produced a 24 page report of the individuals with a fact placing them in Kentucky between 1750-1799. To narrow that down to the area of Garrard, Madison and Lincoln Counties, I created a new marked group. (Note: This uses OR between each of the statements.)

Using this new ‘AnyFact Garrard Madison Lincoln’ group, I re-created the ‘Who Was There’ Report.

This produced an 8 page report.

I thought I was finished. That was until I scanned this report and discovered it didn’t pick up Osborn Bland. After much hair pulling, consultation with others and more hair pulling, I discovered that Osborn Bland wasn’t included on the ‘Who Was There’ report because I didn’t have a birth fact and a death fact for Osborn Bland.

This discovery led me to the ‘Missing Information List’ report. To start with I selected the ‘death’ fact and set the criteria to either be missing or with a blank date. I then changed the people to include to my marked group for Garrard, Madison and Lincoln counties.

I discovered three pages of people in the marked group for Garrard, Madison and Lincoln counties that don’t have a death fact. Thus none of these people will show up on a ‘Who Was There Report’ for Garrard, Madison and Lincoln Counties.

_, Hannah-10231 Abrams, Elizabeth-10219 Adams, Jane Jean-13252 Adams, Reuben-13286 Anderson, Anne-10225 Anderson, Betsey-10224 Anderson, Isaac-10227 Anderson, James-10226 Anderson, Mary-10223 Anderson, Samuel-10228 Banta, Hendrick-16927 Brown, Aristippus-13500 Brown, Margaret-10210 Campbell, Susannah-10212 Clark, William-10383 Crawford, Anne-1447 Crawford, Archibald-10209 Crawford, Elizabeth-10380 Crawford, Elizabeth-13499 Crawford, Isaac-1454 Crawford, James-8577 Crawford, Jenny-10217 Crawford, John-1412 Crawford, John-8574 Crawford, John-10062 Crawford, John-10071 Crawford, Joseph-10211 Crawford, Milton-10218 Crawford, Molly-8579 Crawford, Oliver-10220 Crawford, Rebecca-8578 Crawford, Sarah-6761 Crawford, Sarah-10384 Crawford, William-10385 Croucher, Edward-14946 Crutcher, Absolem-14949 Crutcher, David-14951 Crutcher, Elizabeth-14948 Crutcher, Lucinda-14950 Crutcher, William-14945 Davis, Betsy-10386 Davis, Elizabeth-9980 Dooley, Henry-13306 Elder, William-5260 Ellis, Sally-10382 Estes, Delina-10221 Garrett, Ignatius-10379 Gass, John-10232 Harris, David-16730 Harris, Leah-16734 Kennedy, Elizabeth-14971 Maxwell, Bazeleel-10229 McAlester, Sarah-6762 McClary, Samuel-172 Miller, Elizabeth-13541 Miller, Jacob-13498 Montgomery, Benjamin-10206 Moore, Alexander-11622 Morrison, William M.-10478 Reed, Joseph-14024 Rolston, Andrew-10216 Seever, Annie-16797 Sellers, John Finley-5252 Sellers, Nathan-5257 Sellers, Samuel-10381 Shuck, Sally-16928 Smith, Polly-10207 Yewell, Mary-5258

Thus, I have work to do if I want this report to include everyone in the region. I will probably use FamilySearch to figure out approximate birth and death dates.

Establishing Death

As I’m working on a narrative report for Angelina Jane Burke Currey, one of my 2nd great grandmothers, I’ve discovered several data clean-up issues. I’ve already tackled the shared fact issue by converting the shared land and court facts to individual facts. Today, I was working on improving the citations for some of those land and court facts.

One of those facts is the court case that originated on 5 May 1876 in Platte County, Missouri. This case is recorded in the Register of Deeds office in Deed Record Vol. 6 on page 598.

Weston Mo. May 5th 1876

We have this day instituted suit in the Weston Court of Common Pleas for Platte County Mo in the name of Guilford Hornbuckle and Sarah E. Hornbuckle, his wife & Hiram Currey & Angelina Currey, his wife, plaintiffs against John M. Burke & Milton E. Burke, Defendants for the July term 1876, thereof, for the purpose of compelling the execution of a trust & fees partion of the east half of the south west quarter of section thirty four (34) township fifty four (54) range thirty six (36) in Platte Co., Mo.
Guilford Hornbuckle
Sarah E. Hornbuckle
Hiram Currey
Angelina Currey
By Doniphan & [Cohem] Attys
Filed for record, at 6 P.M. May 5, 1876
R L Wallen
Recorder of deeds

Because the sisters, Angelina Currey and Sarah Hornbuckle, are suing their brothers, John Burke and Milton Burke, I’ve always assumed this suit was over their mother’s property. Thus, I’ve also assumed that this was an indication that their mother, Elizabeth Burke, had died prior to May 1876.

Curious as to where this portion of section 34, township 54 of range 36 was on a map, I used the First Land Owner’s Project ($) to locate the section on a map.

When I scrolled in to view section 34, I discovered that the first land owner of this section was Alfred Kirkpatrick. Alfred Kirkpatrick was the husband of Mahala Bland. Mahala was the sister to Elizabeth Bland Burke, mother of Angelina, Sarah, John and Milton. Thus, Alfred Kirkpatrick was their uncle.

If I scroll out just a bit, I find that Elizabeth’s husband, Henry Burke, was a first land owner in section 27.

These maps along with the original deed record raise some questions:

• What happened to the land Henry Burke owned in section 27?
• Why are Henry and Elizabeth’s children fighting over a portion of the land originally owned by Alfred Kirkpatrick?
• What is the ‘trust’ mentioned in the deed record?

Perhaps finding the answers to these questions will help fill in Elizabeth’s life after 1860 and help establish a death date.

Adams on Sugar Creek

Garrard County, Kentucky
Deeds 1787-1902; indexes, 1899-1960

Vol. C 1793-1796
Family Search DGS 183284 Film 008141322

Book C page 554 – image 291

This Indenture made this 6th day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five Between Charles Bland of the County of Madison and State of Kentucky of the one part and Fethergill Adams of the state and County aforesaid of the other part witnesseth that for an inconsideration of the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds current money of the aforesaid state to him in hand paid by the said Fethergill Adams, the receipt whereof the said Charles Bland do hereby acknowledges and himself therewith fully satisfied and contented hath granted bargained sold aliened and confirmed and by these presents doth grant bargain sell alien and confirm unto the said Feathergill Adams one certain tract or parcell of land containing one hundreds and twenty six acres situate lying and being in the County of Madison and on the waters of Shugar Creek being the [apperend] of a seven hundred acre survey assigned to Walker Daniel by Green Glay and bounded as follows to wit Begining at three beech trees standing in Moses Dooley’s south and north line of his five hundred acre survey and on the west side of a small drain extending from thence south eighty one degrees east at thirty four poles crossing Jno Clarks road in all one hundred and ninety four poles to three beach trees standing in William McClures line thence

image 292 — Page 555

with his line south forty five degrees west two hundred and seventy poles to a Shugartree standing in the said Dooleys south and north line thence with sd Dooleys line north two hundred and eighteen poles to the Beginning with its appurtenances To have and to hold the said land and premises with every of its appurtenances unto the said Feathergill Adams and his heirs forever and the said Charles Bland for himself his heirs exors and admors the said tract of land and premises unto the said Feathergill Adams his heirs Exors and Admors shall and will warrante and defend against the claim of him the said Charles Bland his heirs executors and Administrators or from any other person or persons by or under him or them and against the claim of all and every other person or persons whatsoever In witness whereof the said Charles Bland for himself his heirs exors and Admors hath hereunto set his hand and affixed his seal the day and date above written.
Charles Bland (LS)
Phillis (her mark) Bland (LS)
Signed Sealed acknowledged
and delivered in presence of

At a court held for Madison County on Tuesday the 6th day of October 1795.
This Indenture was acknowledged by Charles Bland and Phillis his wife to be their act and deed she being first privately examined as the law Directs and relenquished her right of dower therein and ordered to be records.
Teste Will Irving MCC