Among the details shown here are the names of his parents, Alonzo Patrick and Louisa Beard. I will talk about Alonzo and Louisa in my post about the census.

L to R: Edward Alanson Patrick, Leo A. Patrick, Ella (Askins) Patrick, Carl Amos Patrick. Circa 1897.

When my maternal grandfather, Harold Wesley “Jerry” Patrick, died last May, I realized how little I knew about his family. If pressed for details about my Patrick line, I would have said that Grandpa’s father was Carl Patrick (above right). I also might have guessed that the Patricks were Methodists and Ohio farmers. That would have been about it. Over the last 10 months, however, I have spent a significant amount of time researching my Patrick line. Today’s post marks the first in a series on the research steps I have taken so far to trace that line back from Carl to the end of the American Revolution.

This research project started in earnest when a cousin shared this photograph with me that had previously been in the collection of his grandmother, my great aunt Kay. Unlike other copies of this picture that existed in my family, Aunt Kay’s was carefully labeled with names the people in the portrait. Her label indicated that Carl’s father was named “Edward A. Patrick,” along with his birth (1857) and death (1938) dates. His actual middle name, which would turn out to be a significant clue during further research on the Patricks, would not become clear to me until I had a copy of his death certificate. While I waited for a copy of that document to arrive from the Ohio Historical Society, I started hunting for Edward and his family in the census. Tomorrow, I will talk about the questions raised by the census records I found.

Although I have never met Mary in person, we worked together virtually on A Century of Family History, the book of Grandma’s photos that went to press back in December. Mary contributed key information and priceless anecdotes through the book’s blog and via e-mail.  Through our e-mail conversations over the last few months, she knew that I wanted to learn more about our family history. She promised to send her memoir when she had finished it. I am thrilled that she did.

She also sent a copy of another cousin’s memoir and a journal written by one of my second great-uncles. Now I have a lot of reading to do.

A striking thing about this special delivery of family documents is that I never would have received it if I had not decided to “do something” with my grandmother’s photo collection last year.  Asking my relatives one question (“What do you know about the people and places in these pictures?”) yielded more information, insight, and genealogy leads in one year than I ever imagined possible.  Here is my new question: What’s next?

My cousin Joyce took me on a tour of our family’s home sites last year. Without her, I never would have found many old homes, because they have changed so much since our ancestors lived in them. Like many older houses in Morrow County, most of the Victorian features have disappeared from this house over the years.  The intricate woodwork is gone, and the original clapboards have been replaced with vinyl siding. Although the original iron fence no longer lines the road, a few fence panels have been moved to decorate the home’s current main entrance.

The people in the photograph are, left to right: Mary J. (Hicks) Throckmorton, my second great-grandmother; Lizzie (possibly a Throckmorton family foster child); Mary Edna Throckmorton (my great-grandmother); and Verner Throckmorton (Edna’s brother).  This photograph was taken on June 9, 1908 outside the Throckmorton farmhouse on Township Road 197 in Morrow County, Ohio. Mary’s husband (and the father of Edna and Verner) was Charles Wesley Throckmorton, who died eight years before this portrait was taken.

Election of Widow

And now comes Elizabeth Patrick widow of Alonzo Patrick deceased, and in open Court made her election to take under the last will and testament of said deceased as follows towit:

The State of Ohio

Morrow County SS

Probate Court

May 29 1889.

I Elizabeth Patrick widow of Alonzo Patrick late of Morrow County deceased, fully understanding the provisions of the last will and testament of said deceased and of my rights under it, and also of my rights by law to take and accept of the provisions made for me in said last will and testament, in lieu of my dower interest and distribution share of the estate of said deceased.

Elizabeth Patrick

Subscribed in open Court, before me this 29” day of May 1889

L.K. Powell, Probate Judge.

(Source: Ohio, Probate Court (Morrow County), “Complete Record 1871-1921,” vol. 1: pp. 428, Elizabeth Patrick’s Election of the Widow, 29 May 1889; FHL microfilm 1,928,463.)

My concept of vacation reading is a little strange, I admit. Exhibit A: This Republic of Suffering, which I picked up at the Colonial Williamsburg visitor’s center last summer. In the post-vacation unpacking chaos, I lost the book. It resurfaced a few weeks ago when I was getting ready for my trip out to the Family History Library in Salt Lake. This book, written by Harvard University’s president, covers the ways in which American society’s attitudes about death, mourning, and burial — among other things — changed as a result of the Civil War’s carnage.

I have been trying to identify the mystery man in this daguerreotype for the last 14 months, when I started organizing my late grandmother’s photography collection. The portrait dates from the late 1850s, at which point this man appears to have been approximately 20 years old. Little by little, I have eliminated ancestors from contention. Some men would have been too old at the time this portrait was made, others too young. It finally dawned on me that the mystery man may be Charles Wesley Throckmorton, my second great-grandfather.

Wesley, as he was known, lived in Morrow County, Ohio. Although I have verified pictures of his wife (Mary Jemima/ Jane Hicks, my second great-grandmother) and children (including Mary Edna Throckmorton, my great-grandmother), I do not have any verified photographs of Wesley. My research task now is to find another portrait of him.

The 1911 History of Morrow County, Ohio, written by Abraham J. Baughman and Robert Franklin Bartlett, includes almost four pages of information about Wesley’s life and family. That profile begins with the following passage:

Such a glowing account makes me believe that another portrait of Wesley, perhaps taken later in life, must exist. The question is where.

I first looked for a record that would show Archibald and Emily getting married during the nine-year window between the death of Archibald’s first wife (Ruth Simpson) in 1871 and Archibald’s own death in 1880. This search turned up a  marriage record from 1874. Not only was that document created during the correct time frame, it also matched the place I would have expected to find Archibald living: Morrow County, Ohio. Archibald had lived in the small Morrow County village of Sparta with his first wife.

My next step was to see if I could find Archibald and Emily living in Sparta on the 1880 census. I did. The Archibald (or “Archie,” as he was listed on that record) was the correct age (75) to be my ancestor. The census also showed that “Archie” was unable to work or carry out his normal activities due to rheumatism at the time when the census was recorded in June that year. My Archibald could have been quite ill in the summer of 1880, since he would die that September.

The probate records also listed “C.W. Throckmorton” as executor of Archibald’s estate. The only “C.W. Throckmorton” I have found in Morrow County in the 1880s was my second great-grandfather, Charles Wesley Throckmorton. Although I have not exhaustively researched Archibald’s children yet, I currently believe that Charles Wesley (or “Wesley” as he was known) was the only one  of Archibald’s sons living in Ohio at the time of his death.

Altogether, these various facts lead me to believe that the Archibald Throckmorton referenced in Emily’s probate case was actually my third great-grandfather. With that established, I could move on to analyzing the case itself.

Emily asked the probate court to more than double the amount of money she was to inherit from Archibald’s estate. She was set to receive $250, but asked for an additional $275. Ohio law relating to wills stated that, once medical and funeral expenses were paid, there was an expectation that a widow (and any children) would receive sufficient funds to get them through the first year after the deceased’s passing from the estate. In the end, her inheritance was bumped up to $319. These amounts did not intuitively seem to be that much, even adjusted for inflation. I checked. In 1880 dollars, $319 is equivalent to $6,905 in 2009 dollars (the online  calculator I used didn’t go all the way to 2010).

The idea that $319 would get Emily through an entire year was based on the idea that she had inherited Archibald’s house.  As a widow, she might earn income by renting portions or all of that house.  The house was her “dower,” not to be confused with a dowery.

Emily Throckmorton

          Plaintiff

against

C.W. Throckmorton et al

           Executors

                     Defendants

 

Review of widows [sic] years [sic] allowance

 Emily Throckmorton widow of Archibald Throckmorton deceased, having filed in this court her petition praying that the years [sic] allowance as set off to her by the appraisers of said estate be reviewed by this court and increased. This day by consent of the parties, this cause came unto be heard, waiving the continuance as heretofore entered of record upon the Journal of this court in this cause. An upon the proofs exhibits and testimony, and the arguments of counsel and upon consideration whereof the court being fully advised in the premises do find that the sum of $275.00 as set off to said widow by the appraisers of said Estate, is insufficient for her support for the period of twelve months from the date of said Archibald Throckmortons [sic] death. It is therefore by the court ordered  adjudged, and decreed that said sum of $275. be increased to the sum of $325.00 being an addition of $50.00 to said first mentioned sum of $275.00. And this shall be the years [sic] allowance of said Emily Throckmorton as contemplated by the statutes of Ohio, in such cases in such cases made and provided. Exclusive of and without the court’s having taken into consideration any rents that may accrue or arise from the leasing of the Mansion house of her deceased husband for the period of one year from date of said decendent’s death or without the court having taken into consideration any right of said widow to occupy the same. It is therefore ordered that the sum of $319.00 be paid to the said Emily Throckmorton of the Estate of said Archibald Throckmorton deceased. The said Emily Throckmorton having selected in personal property belonging to said Estate the sum of $6.00. And it is further ordered and adjudged by the court that the costs that have been accrued in the continuance of this cause, being the witness fees & c taxed at the sum of eight and .81/100 dollars. And it is further ordered that all other costs of this action be paid by the executors of said estate out of the assets of said estate.

W.D. Matthews

Probate Judge

(Source: Ohio, Probate Court (Morrow County), “Complete Record 1871-1921,” vol. 1: pp. 499-501, Emily Throckmorton probate case, 27 November 1880; FHL microfilm 1,928,463.)

This day in open court came Emily Throckmorton widow of Archibald Throckmorton deceased and filed herein duly verified by her affidavit petition praying that the years [sic] allowance as set off to her as the widow of the aforesaid deceased by the appraisive of the Estate of the aforesaid decendent [sic], be reviewed by the court and increased and the court being fully advised in the premises do order that a summons issue to the Executors of the Estate of the aforesaid Archibald Throckmorton notifying them that the same will be heard on the 27^- day of Nov A.D. 1880 at 10 oclock [sic] A.M.

W. D. Matthews Probate Judge

Probate Court of Morrow County Ohio Nov 27” 1880

Emily Throckmorton

Plaintiff

Against

C.W. Throckmorton

Defendant

Continuance

This day came the parties by their attorneys and thereupon this cause came on to be heard. Whereupon the same is continued by consent of the present of the parties to the 8^” day of January A.D. 1881 at 10 A.M. of said day.

W.D. Matthews

Probate Judge

(Source: Ohio, Probate Court (Morrow County), “Complete Record 1871-1921,” vol. 1: pp. 499-501, Emily Throckmorton probate case, 27 November 1880; FHL microfilm 1,928,463.)