The Society has just published Kings County, New York, Administration Proceedings, 1817-1856, compiled by B-Ann Moorhouse, CG, FGBS, assisted by the late Joseph M. Silinonte. This book gives genealogists greatly improved access to a portion of the Kings County Surrogate's files. For example:
Mary Gilmore died in Brooklyn on 1 Nov. 1843. The Surrogate's index shows that Fitch Taylor was issued Letters of Administration, meaning that Mary had died intestate (without a will). If you are researching this family, you will check out the Letters and, of course, will be disappointed that they only name the decedent and administrator.
However, if you think that is all that the Surrogate's Court has on this case, you are making a big mistake. Behind the Letters there is a file containing the court clerk's notes and documents relating to the proceedings in the case. Depending on the date, the size and value of the file are going to vary, but it will almost certainly provide you with information not in the Letters.
In the case at hand, the court file reveals the following, as abstracted by Miss Moorhouse:
MARY GILMORE d. Brooklyn 1 Nov 1843; L/A 22 Feb 1844 to son-in-law Fitch Taylor of Brooklyn; next of kin: husband Elijah Gilmore of Salem, Salem County NJ and children Susan wife of Archibald Thompson of Burlington, Boone County KY, Julia Ann wife of Benjamin F. Lodge of Paris, Edgar County IL, Harriet Brooks of Burlington aforesaid OH (sic), and "Mareen" wife of John Penton; Citation, returnable 11 Apr 1844 to all, published in the Albany Argus. (675)
Mary's next of kin, like many described in the abstracts, were scattered in several states. The Albany newspaper notice was required when citations could not be personally served on next of kin.
Our new book contains almost 2,000 such abstracts, starting with the earliest surviving file in 1817 and running to 1856. The files reveal many different situations. All of the deceased either died in Kings County or died elsewhere but left property in the county. In this period Kings County's population grew rapidly, mainly because of the expansion of the City of Brooklyn. Many of the abstracted files pertain to older Kings County families, largely Dutch (see the Stoothoff abstract on the next page), but more of them reflect the large-scale migration of the period into Kings County from other parts of New York, other states, and other countries. Numerous files also show migrations out of the county. Thus the abstracts may be relevant to genealogical research in numerous locations far from Brooklyn.
Here is a sampling of the abstracts, starting with one for an African American resident of Brooklyn, some of whose relatives were still in slavery in the South:
WILLIAM HATHAWAY d. Brooklyn 19 Aug 1843; L/A 17 Feb 1844 to widow Eliza Hathaway; next of kin: mother Lucy (surname not known), and siblings Betty Johnson of Edenton NC and a sister whose name not known, also a brother whose name not known and another sister whose name not known, all slaves at Edenton NC. (677)
As might be expected in 19th century Brooklyn, many of those who died left relatives in Ireland:
ELLEN MULLEN of Brooklyn; d. there on or about 17 Aug 1850; L/A 12 Sep 1850 to nephew James Cain and, with his consent to join, to Daniel McDonnal of NY City; next of kin: 3 brothers Michael, Miles, Hugh "Tool", and a sister Catharine wife of Alexander McDonnal all of County Tyrone, Ireland; and the children of deceased sister Bridget (namely, said nephew James Cain of NY City, Patrick Cain, Ann wife of Daniel Mullen of County Derry, Ireland); and the children of deceased brother Matthew Mullen (namely, Peter, Hugh, Sarah and Jane Mullen residing County Tyrone, Ireland); and the children of deceased brother John Mullen (namely, Arthur, Hugh M., Sarah wife of John McCogh, Catharine wife of Daniel Conway and Ann wife of Thomas McCarden, all of County Tyrone, Ireland); assets totaled $1000. (1364)
-or in England:
WILLIAM ROBINSON of Brooklyn; d. there 7 Apr 1845; L/A 21 May 1845 to brother Charles Robinson of Brooklyn; next of kin: siblings said Charles; John residing Bradford, England; Joseph residing Richfield, Otsego County NY; James residing Northamptonshire, England; George residing Bedfordshire, England; Mary Ann Rowlatt residing Huntingtonshire, England; and Anna Matilda Townsend residing Northamptonshire, England. (1688)
-or in Germany:
HENRY JURGENS of Williamsburgh; d.s.p. there 21 Oct 1851 of consumption; L/A 8 Nov 1851 to brother Martin Jurgens of NY City and, with his consent to join, to John H. Cordes of NY City; next of kin: siblings said Martin, Margaret Jurgens residing in the Kingdom of Hanover; and the children of Catherine Strucke, deceased, namely, Claus Strucke residing NY City and George Strucke residing in the Kingdom of Hanover, both minors. (1511)
-or in many other countries, such Christian Magens who had relatives in both Denmark and the then Danish West Indies:
CHRISTIAN E. MAGENS d. Brooklyn 1 Nov 1854 of debility; L/A 19 Dec 1854 to brother Edward W. Magens of Brooklyn; next of kin: siblings said Edward W.; Carl R. residing Elsinore, Denmark; and Eliza Hicks residing Brooklyn; and Julia Haagensen and Anne Magens both residing on the Island of St. Thomas, West Indies. (1133)
-or Zachariah Griswold who had a son in the Philippines and a granddaughter in Belgium:
ZACHARIAH GRISWOLD widower; d. Brooklyn 26 Oct 1854 of a rupture; Citation issued to son Charles Griswold, residing Manila, Island of Luzon, Philippines, published in the Albany Evening Journal for 6 weeks beginning 3 Nov 1854; L/A 31 Dec 1854 to daughter Emily A. Griswold of Brooklyn and, with her consent to join, to William W. Skaats; next of kin: children said Charles, said Emily A. and Elizabeth J. both residing Brooklyn, and Julia G. Hosmer residing New Haven CT; and grandchild Frederick James Heron (ink blot by clerk left some of that entry illegible) residing Brussels, Belgium (whose parent, i.e., decedent's predeceased child, not identified by the clerk). (1131)
Some abstracts mention Canadians:
DANIEL BOYLE of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, d. there 13 Feb 1855 leaving assets in Kings County NY; L/A 2 Jul 1855 to widow Jane of said Liverpool; next of kin: said widow and children Rosanna, Josephine, Mary and Teresa. (1251)
Quite a few abstracts pertain to men who died in military service. Some served in the Mexican War:
BERNARD CRUMMY of Kings County, a soldier in the NY Volunteers under Colonel Ward B. Burnett, d. of wounds 20-21 Aug 1847 at the Hacienda of Los Portalos, Churubusco, Mexico; while in Company "G" under Captain D. E. Hungerford; L/A 3 Jul 1848 to mother Rosanna ("x") Crummy who deposed that her said son left no widow and no child; and her husband (decedent's father John Crummy) also deposed that the decedent had enlisted as a Drummer and after the War, he was promoted from Drummer to the rank of Private; that decedent's brothers Henry, Edward and James Crummy received directions from decedent to turn over to their mother Rosanna the assets of decedent. (1948)
-while others were in the Navy:
JOHN O'NEIL, otherwise WILLIAM JONES, who entered the Service of the US on board the Frigate Constitution about 12 Dec 1852 under the name of William Jones; d. at sea between May and Nov 1854 of a natural death; L/A 19 1855 to father John ("x") O'Neil of Brooklyn and, with his consent to join, to decedent's sister Agnes Sloan of Brooklyn; next of kin: said father and said daughter. (1138)
Many decedents had connections in New York City (Manhattan) or in the other Long Island counties:
CATHERINE STOOTHOFF d. Flatbush 25 Apr 1848 of consumption, leaving will 31 Dec 1849 declared null and void; L/A 2 Jun 1854 to brother John Stoothoff of NY City with the consent of William Stoothoff of Jamaica, Queens County NY; next of kin: said brother John; Gertrude wife of Samuel Ryder of Bushwick, Ann wife of Stephen J. Voorhis of Gravesend (children of M--hard Stoothoff, deceased brother); and Catherine wife of Charles Hendrickson of Flatlands, Elizabeth Bennem of Gravesend, John Bennem of Success, Queens County NY, Ann widow of James Donly and Sarah wife of Bernardus Donly of Gravesend (children of deceased sister Joanna Bennem); and Cynthia Smith (clerk's writing not legible here) of NY, Catharine wife of Nicholas Bogart of Brooklyn, John Van Duyne of Flatlands (children of deceased sister Catharine Van Duyne); and Sarah Remsen of Flatlands (a daughter of deceased sister Ann Remsen); assets totaled $2000. (961)
-or in New England or Upstate New York:
WILLIAM P. WELLS of Brooklyn; d. there on or about 29 Apr 1846; L/A 12 May 1846 to widow Phebe R. of Brooklyn; Theodore Eames and Ruston S. Hammond to be appraisers; next of kin: Thompson Wells of Westerly RI, half-brother Elisha C. Wells of Providence RI, Susan P. wife of Jacob Tremper of Westchester County NY, Charlotte C. wife of Theodore Ballou of Utica, Oneida County NY, and mother Susan Wells of Attica, Wyoming County NY; (widow's name not listed by the clerk); assets totaled $9000. (1733)
Originally published in The New York Researcher
Summer 2006
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