Introduction to Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS and Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS v. Heirs of JS
Page
Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS
Hancock Co., Illinois, Probate Court, 19 September 1844–8 May 1848
Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS v. Heirs of JS
Hancock Co., Illinois, Circuit Court, in Chancery, 22 October 1846
Historical Introduction
Between 19 September 1844 and August 1848, Latter-day Saint served as administrator of JS’s estate. Although statutes generally favored the appointment of next of kin as an estate’s administrator, the , Illinois, probate court revoked ’s appointment as administratrix on 18 September 1844 and replaced her with Coolidge on the following day. During Coolidge’s tenure as administrator, he managed JS’s personal and real property, liquidated assets at public auctions, addressed claims of creditors, and answered lawsuits.
Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS
On 19 September 1844, swore an oath before , probate of , and signed a security bond promising to perform his legal responsibilities as the administrator of JS’s estate. and acted as on the bond, which included a $6,000 penalty should Coolidge fail to comply with the terms of the agreement. The probate court also instructed to deliver “all goods, , monies and other effects belonging to the Estate” in her possession to Coolidge. Prior to the revocation of Emma Smith’s letters of administration, court-appointed appraisers , , and compiled an inventory of JS’s personal property, which was filed during Coolidge’s administration. It included carriages, horse tack, furniture, cattle, and other miscellaneous personal property appraised at $1,022.25. Coolidge prepared to liquidate JS’s personal assets by publishing an administrator notice on 25 September for the property listed in the inventory, informing the public of sales to be held on 25 October at the and on 26 October at . The proceeds from this sale are unknown. Coolidge also inventoried additional personal property of JS on 5 October, allotting property valued at $939 to Emma Smith before the public sale. The same month, Coolidge published a notice in the Nauvoo Neighbor, instructing people with claims against the estate to submit them to him or the probate court before 19 May 1845. This call for submissions produced only a certified copy of a for the guardianship of the children of and three claims for legal fees from the law firm of Bachman & Skinner, one of which disputed.
In January 1845, filed another inventory that comprised several totaling $3,686.75 and six parcels of property. This inventory, a bill of sale for personal property, and a list of book accounts were examined and recorded by the court. Coolidge published two additional notices—one of them requesting submission of claims by April, and the other stating his intent to petition the court to sell five parcels of JS’s real estate. He also published a notice in late March for the sale of personal property, which included three stoves and JS’s interest in the Nauvoo House Association; those items were appraised at $20 and sold at auction for $33.62½ on 12 April. The court granted Coolidge’s petition to sell JS’s real estate on 31 May, and Coolidge notified the public of real estate to be sold at auction at the on 1 July. In addition to the property sold at auction, Coolidge sold 120 acres to William Kay, assignee of Mary A. Bennett, for $1,091.25 on 5 February 1846.
Liquidating the personal and real property of the deceased enabled the payment of claims against the estate. statute declared that all claims filed against estates were subject to examination by the court to determine their validity. Claimants could either serve a notice of the claim upon the administrator or file notices of claims or accounts with the probate court. Claims could not be proven by oath, although documents such as case judgments or documents containing the verified handwriting of the deceased were considered “duly proven” and allowed. Forty claims on JS’s estate, produced in response to the published administrator notices, were filed with the probate court during ’s administration. Of the forty total claims, fifteen appear to have not been allowed by the court. State statute granted courts the right to allow or reject claims but only defined the terms for their allowance, not their rejection. Coolidge evidently paid in part the 24 March 1845 claim of prior to its examination by the court by deeding him a ferry JS acquired from in 1841. No other claims are known to have been paid by Coolidge prior to their examination by the court.
The remaining twenty-five allowed claims were assigned one of four classes and entered into a claims record book. These claims, totaling $4,877.79, included lawyers’ fees, surveyor’s fees, cash loans, property tax payments, and costs relating to the care of JS’s body after his murder. The smallest claim was a $1.60 payment to Russell & Donaghue for JS’s coffin; the largest was $4,033.87 to be paid out of his assets for the guardianship of the Lawrence children.
While most of the claims submitted against the JS estate were routine in nature, attempts to claim the assets of the heirs of were more complicated. JS had been appointed guardian of Lawrence’s minor children in 1841, and a certified copy of the 1841 guardianship bond was filed with the probate court on 23 October 1844, likely to validate JS’s rightful possession of guardianship assets at the time of his death. When a copy of a receipt for guardianship assets totaling $3,831.54 was filed with the court in April 1845, the court evidently found the receipt insufficient to verify the claim. Three certified copies of statements of account pertaining to the guardianship, as well as one schedule of accounts that included an inventory of notes and bonds with a copy of the receipt, were filed with the court on 6 May 1845, and the court subsequently allowed the claim.
Although probate courts were required to keep a record of inventories, appraisal, and bills of sale that detailed the liquidated assets precisely, this record for the JS era is evidently missing. The assets of the JS estate during the entire administration, based on inventories, bills of sale, real estate, and promissory notes held by JS at the time of his death, totaled $4,717.88½, approximately $150 less than the total allowed claims. Coolidge applied to the probate court in September 1845 for an order to compound the claims against the estate, but it is unknown if the court granted that order. In 1848, filed an affidavit claiming that Coolidge had left the state, and the court ordered Coolidge to make a settlement of his accounts. Coolidge, who was then living in Winter Quarters, Nebraska Territory, failed to appear, and the court revoked his letters of administration on 8 May, appointing John Ferris in his stead on 8 August.
Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS v. Heirs of JS
If administrators discovered that the personal assets of the deceased were insufficient to pay debts against the estate, statute granted them the right to petition the circuit court to sell the real estate of the decedent. petitioned the Circuit Court, in , on 22 May 1845, claiming the combined real and personal property “would not pay the first second and third class of debts” of JS. The court ordered that the lawsuit, Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS v. Heirs of JS, “be placed on the Docket” upon the filing of the petition. The court examined the petition and its “exhibits,” noting no public resistance to the sale, then ordered Coolidge to give notice of the sale of real estate in accordance with state statute, sell the properties, and file a bill of sale with the court.
Prior to selling real estate, statutes required executors of estates to file an inventory and bill of appraisal with the probate court, which apparently did, and to submit a bill of sale after the sale had occurred. In June, Coolidge published an administrator’s notice for four consecutive weeks in the Nauvoo Neighbor, notifying the public of six parcels of property to be sold at public auction at the on 1 July. These properties, totaling approximately 290 acres, were sold at auction to and , the wife of Joseph Coolidge, for $462.51. Properties in and , Hancock County, that were not identified in the inventory but evidently advertised in an unlocated administrator’s notice, were sold to at auction for $450. The case was continued for two court terms until October 1846, when Coolidge filed his bill of sale, which the court confirmed. In April 1849, after Coolidge’s administrator rights were revoked and subsequently assumed by Ferris, a fee bill for the case was submitted as a claim against the JS estate. No further action occurred on the case.
Calendar of Documents
This calendar lists all known documents created by or for the court, whether extant or not. It does not include versions of documents created for other purposes, though those versions may be listed in footnotes. This calendar also includes documents submitted as claims against JS’s estate. For claims believed to have been created after JS’s death, the recipient has been standardized to “the Estate of JS.”
Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Hancock Co., Illinois, Probate Court
1844 (8)
September (5)
19 September 1844
David Greenleaf, Letters of Administration, to Joseph W. Coolidge, for JS, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
19 Sept. 1844. Not extant.
Ca. 19 Sept. 1844; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. C, p. 43, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; unidentified handwriting.
19 September 1844
Joseph W. Coolidge, Oath, before David Greenleaf, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
19 Sept. 1844; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of David Greenleaf; signature of Joseph W. Coolidge; docket and notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf; notation in unidentified handwriting.
Ca. 19 Sept. 1844; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. C, p. 43, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; unidentified handwriting.
19 September 1844
Joseph W. Coolidge and Others, Bond, Hancock Co., IL, to “the People of the state of Illinois”
19 Sept. 1844. Not extant.
Ca. 19 Sept. 1844; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. C, p. [42], Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; unidentified handwriting.
19 September 1844
Docket Entry, Administration Papers, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
19 Sept. 1844; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 356, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
23 September 1844
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Notice, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
Docket Entry, Inventory and Bill of Appraisal, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
21 Oct. 1844; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 362, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
1845 (44)
January (2)
Ca. 14 January 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Inventory, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
Ca. 14 Jan. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; docket in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
15 January 1845
Docket Entry, Bill of Sale, Inventory, and List of Bonds and Accounts, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
15 Jan. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 390, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
March (4)
1 March 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Notice, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
1 Mar. 1845; in “Administrators Notice,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 5 Mar. 1845, [3].
12 March 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Notice, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
12 Mar. 1845; in “Administrators Notice,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 12 Mar. 1845, [3].
23 March 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Notice, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
23 Mar. 1845; in “Administrator’s Sale,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 2 Apr. 1845, [4].
25–26 March 1845
Alpheus Cutler and Others, Bill of Appraisal, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
25–26 Mar. 1845; microfilm 1,637,612 at FHL; handwriting of William Clayton; signatures of Alpheus Cutler, Reynolds Cahoon, and William Clayton; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf; docket in unidentified handwriting.
April (23)
12 April 1845
Jonathan C. Wright and Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Bill of Sale, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
12 Apr. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Jonathan C. Wright; signatures of Jonathan C. Wright and Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf; docket in unidentified handwriting.
Ca. 13 April 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Bill of Sale, Hancock Co., IL
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; docket in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claims from Onias Skinner, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 412, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from James Huntsman, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 412, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Newel K. Whitney, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from George Bachman, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from John Mackemer, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Artois Hamilton, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Powers & Adams, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from David Bryant, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Russell & Donaghue, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Windsor P. Lyon, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Jonathan Dunham, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from John Wilson Williams, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 413, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from George W. Crouse, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 415, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from James Brinkerhoff, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 415, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from E. Evens & Co., Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 415, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Charles Ivins, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 415, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Inventory and Bill of Appraisal, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 415, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Bill of Sale, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 415, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845
Docket Entry, Sale of Judgment, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 415, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1845–19 April 1849
Docket Entry, Allowed Claims, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1845–19 Apr. 1849; Hancock County Probate Court, Claim Record, vol. C, p. 242, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
30 April 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Agreement, with Charles Ivins, Hancock Co., IL
30 Apr. 1845. Not extant.
30 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Deed Record, 1817–1917, vol. N, p. 403, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of A. W. Blakesley.
May (5)
6 May 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Reuben McBride, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
6 May 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 421, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
6 May 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Almon Babbitt, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
6 May 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 421, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
19 May 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Jacob B. Backenstos, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
19 May 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, pp. 428–429, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
28 May 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Lorenzo D. Wasson, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
28 May 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 434, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
31 May 1845
Richard M. Young, Decree, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Notice, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
4 June 1845; in “Administrator Notice,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 4 June 1845, [3].
July (6)
1 July 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Deed for Property in Hancock Co., IL, to William Clayton, 1 July 1845–A
1 July 1845. Not extant.
8 July 1845; Hancock County Deed Record, 1817–1917, vol. N, pp. [528]–530, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of A. W. Blakesley.
1 July 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Deed for Property in Hancock Co., IL, to Elizabeth Buchanan Coolidge, 1 July 1845–B
1 July 1845. Not extant.
6 Dec. 1845; Hancock County Deed Record, 1817–1917, vol. O, pp. 53–55, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of A. W. Blakesley.
9 July 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Ezra Chase and Isaac Chase, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
9 July 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 446, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
9 July 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Ezra Chase, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
9 July 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 446, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
9 July 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Isaac Chase, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL, 9 July 1845–A
9 July 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 446, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
9 July 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from Isaac Chase, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL, 9 July 1845–B
9 July 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 446, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
September (1)
20 September 1845
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Notice, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
David Greenleaf, Summons, to Any Hancock Co. Constable, for Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
20 Nov. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of David Greenleaf; notations and docket in handwriting of Timothy Gridley Jr.; notations in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
December (1)
30 December 1845
Docket Entry, Allowed Claim from William A. Richardson, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
30 Dec. 1845; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, vol. A, p. 475, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
1846 (1)
February (1)
5 February 1846
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Deed for Property in Hancock Co., IL, to William Kay Assignee of Mary Ann Barker Bennett
5 Feb. 1846. Not extant.
13 June 1846; Hancock County Deed Record, 1817–1917, vol. P, p. 581, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; unidentified handwriting.
1847 (1)
June (1)
21 June 1847
Joseph W. Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS, Deed for Property in Hancock Co., IL, to Almon Babbitt
21 June 1847. Not extant.
23 Feb. 1848; Hancock County Deed Record, 1817–1917, vol. U, pp. [9]–10, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; unidentified handwriting.
1848 (3)
April (2)
10 April 1848
Onias Skinner, Affidavit, before David Greenleaf, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
10 Apr. 1848; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Onias Skinner; signature presumably of David E. Head; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
14 April 1848
David Greenleaf, Notice, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
14 Apr. 1848; in Warsaw Signal, 15 Apr. 1848, [3].
May (1)
8 May 1848
Docket Entry, Letters of Administration Revoked, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
8 May 1848; Hancock County Probate Court, Probate Record, 1841–1849, p. [191], Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Claims on the Estate of JS
1837 (1)
September (1)
1 September 1837
Jared Carter and Others (Including JS), Promissory Note, Kirtland Township, Geauga Co., OH, to Mead & Betts, Buffalo, Erie Co., NY
1 Sept. 1837; handwriting probably of William Perkins; probable signatures of Jared Carter and 31 others. Not extant.
Ca. 13 Apr. 1846; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; unidentified handwriting; docket in unidentified handwriting; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 13 Apr. 1846; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; unidentified handwriting; docket in unidentified handwriting; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
1840 (1)
January (1)
16 January 1840
JS, Promissory Note, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., PA, to Charles Ivins
16 Jan. 1840; private possession; unidentified handwriting; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
1841 (8)
June (3)
3–4 June 1841
Schedule of Accounts, Quincy, Adams Co., IL, for the Estate of Edward Lawrence
3–4 June 1841; Adams County Courthouse, Quincy, IL; microfilm 1,839,547 at FHL; handwriting of Wilson Law and Calvin A. Warren; signature of JS; docket in handwriting of Wilson Law; notation in handwriting of Andrew Miller.
22 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Andrew Miller; notation in handwriting of Andrew Miller; notation in unidentified handwriting; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
4 June 1841
JS and Others, Bond, Quincy, Adams Co., IL, to “the People of the State of Illinois” for the use of Maria Lawrence and Others
4 June 1841; Adams County Courthouse, Quincy, IL; microfilm 1,839,547 at FHL; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of Andrew Miller; signatures of JS, Hyrum Smith, and William Law; docket and notation printed with manuscript additions in handwriting of Andrew Miller.
27 Sept. 1844; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Andrew Miller; docket in unidentified handwriting; notation in unidentified handwriting.
4 June 1841
JS, Receipt, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, to Executors of the Estate of Edward Lawrence
4 June 1841; Adams County Courthouse, Quincy, IL; microfilm 1,839,547 at FHL; handwriting of Calvin A. Warren; signature of JS; docket in handwriting of Wilson Law; notation in handwriting of Andrew Miller.
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; private possession; handwriting of William Clayton; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 5 May 1845; private possession; handwriting of Andrew Miller; notation by David Greenleaf.
August (1)
25 August 1841
Ephraim Potter on behalf of JS, Promissory Note, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, to William Allen on behalf of E. Evens & Co.
25 Aug. 1841; private possession; photocopy in Historical Department, Nineteenth-Century Legal Documents Collection, 1829–1973, CHL; printed form with manuscript additions in unidentified handwriting; signature of Ephraim Potter on behalf of JS.
November (1)
16 November 1841
John W. Latson and JS, Promissory Note, to Daniel H. Wells, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
16 Nov. 1841. Not extant.
Ca. 21 Oct. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Daniel H. Wells; certification in handwriting of David Greenleaf; docket and notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
December (3)
13 December 1841
Ezra Chase and Isaac Chase, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for JS
13 Dec. 1841; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of William Clayton; docket probably in handwriting of Ezra Chase; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
17 December 1841
Ezra Chase, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for JS
17 Dec. 1841; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of William Clayton; docket probably in handwriting of Ezra Chase; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
17 December 1841
Isaac Chase, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for JS
17 Dec. 1841; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of William Clayton; docket probably in handwriting of Ezra Chase; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
1842 (1)
March (1)
28 March 1842–25 July 1843
Sidney Roberts, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for JS
28 Mar. 1842–25 July 1843; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting presumably of Sidney Roberts; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
1843 (3)
June (3)
3 June 1843
The Estate of Edward Lawrence, Statement of Account, Quincy, Adams Co., IL, for JS, 3 June 1843–A
3 June 1843; Adams County Courthouse, Quincy, IL; microfilm 1,839,547 at FHL; handwriting of James H. Rollins; signature of JS; certifications in handwriting of Andrew Miller with signature of JS; docket and notations in handwriting of Andrew Miller.
22 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Andrew Miller.
3 June 1843
The Estate of Edward Lawrence, Statement of Account, Quincy, Adams Co., IL, for JS, 3 June 1843–B
3 June 1843; Adams County Courthouse, Quincy, IL; microfilm 1,839,547 at FHL; handwriting of William Clayton; certifications in handwriting of Andrew Miller with signature of JS; docket in handwriting of Andrew Miller.
22 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Andrew Miller.
3 June 1843
The Estate of Edward Lawrence, Statement of Account, Quincy, Adams Co., IL, for JS, 3 June 1843–C
3 June 1843. Not extant.
22 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Andrew Miller.
1844 (8)
April (3)
24 April 1844
JS, Promissory Note, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, to Isaac Chase
24 Apr. 1844; BYU; handwriting of JS; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Between 24 and ca. 28 April 1844
George W. Crouse, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for JS
Between 24 and ca. 28 Apr. 1844; JS Collection, CHL; handwriting presumably of George W. Crouse; endorsement in handwriting of William Clayton with signature presumably of George W. Crouse; docket and endorsement in handwriting of John S. Fullmer.
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845. Not extant.
29 April 1844
JS, Promissory Note, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, to James Brinkerhoff
29 Apr. 1844; JS Collection, CHL; handwriting of William Clayton; signature removed; notations in handwriting of William Clayton.
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845. Not extant.
May (1)
17 May 1844
Lorenzo D. Wasson on behalf of JS, Pay Order, to Mr. Blizard, for Cornelius P. Lott, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL
17 May 1844; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Lorenzo D. Wasson; endorsement in unidentified handwriting; docket in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
June (1)
22 June 1844
Powers & Adams, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for JS
22 June 1844; Claims on the Estates of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, 1844–1845, BYU; unidentified handwriting; dockets in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
November (3)
Ca. 27 November 1844
Bachman & Skinner, Statement of Account, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS, ca. 27 Nov. 1844–A
Ca. 27 Nov. 1844; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Onias Skinner; docket in handwriting of Onias Skinner; notation in unidentified handwriting.
Ca. 27 November 1844
Bachman & Skinner, Statement of Account, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS, ca. 27 Nov. 1844–B
Ca. 27 Nov. 1844; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Onias Skinner; docket in handwriting of Onias Skinner; notation in unidentified handwriting.
Ca. 27 November 1844
Bachman & Skinner, Statement of Account, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS, ca. 27 Nov. 1844–C
Ca. 27 Nov. 1844; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Onias Skinner; docket and notation in handwriting of Onias Skinner; notation in unidentified handwriting.
1845 (21)
March (3)
4 March 1845
Charles Ivins, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
4 Mar. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Charles Ivins; docket and notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
15 March 1845
Jonathan Dunham, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
15 Mar. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Jonathan Dunham; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf; endorsement in unidentified handwriting.
Ca. 25 March 1845
George Bachman, Statement of Account, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 25 Mar. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of George Bachman; docket in handwriting of George Bachman; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf; endorsement in unidentified handwriting.
April (13)
11 April 1845
Hugh T. Reid, Statement of Account, Keokuk, Lee Co., IA, for the Estate of JS
11 Apr. 1845; BYU; handwriting presumably of Hugh T. Reid; docket presumably in handwriting of Hugh T. Reid; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
13 April 1845
John Wilson Williams, Statement of Account, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
13 Apr. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of John Wilson Williams; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf; endorsement in unidentified handwriting.
Ca. 13 April 1845
James Huntsman, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845. Not extant.
Ca. 13 April 1845
Newel K. Whitney, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of William Clayton; docket in handwriting of William Clayton; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 13 April 1845
John Mackemer, Statement of Account, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845. Not extant.
Ca. 13 April 1845
Artois Hamilton, Statement of Account, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS and the Estate of Hyrum Smith
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Onias Skinner and probably Artois Hamilton; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 13 April 1845
David Bryant, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting presumably of David Bryant; docket presumably in handwriting of David Bryant; docket in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf; endorsement in unidentified handwriting.
Ca. 13 April 1845
Russell & Donaghue, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; private possession; unidentified handwriting; docket in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf; endorsement in unidentified handwriting.
Ca. 13 April 1845
Windsor P. Lyon, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845. Not extant.
Ca. 13 April 1845
John Walker, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting presumably of John Walker; dockets in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 13 April 1845
Lorin Walker, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of Lorin Walker; dockets in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 13 April 1845
John Lytle, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of John Lytle; docket in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 13 April 1845
William Manhard and David Manhard, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 13 Apr. 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; unidentified handwriting, presumably William Manhard or David Manhard; docket in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
May (4)
Ca. 5 May 1845
Reuben McBride, Statement of Account, Kirtland Township, Lake Co., OH, for JS
Ca. 5 May 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; docket in handwriting of Joseph W. Coolidge; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 18 May 1845
Jacob B. Backenstos, Statement of Account, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 18 May 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Jacob B. Backenstos; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Ca. 23 May 1845
Wilson Law, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 23 May 1845; private possession; photocopy in Historical Department, Nineteenth-Century Legal Documents Collection, 1829–1973, CHL; handwriting of William Law; signature of Wilson Law.
Ca. 27 May 1845
Lorenzo D. Wasson, Statement of Account, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
Ca. 27 May 1845; microfilm in Circuit Court Case Files, 1830–1900, CHL; handwriting of Lorenzo D. Wasson; docket in handwriting of Lorenzo D. Wasson; docket and notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
November (1)
9 November 1845
William A. Richardson, Statement of Account, Adams Co., IL, for the Estate of JS
9 Nov. 1845; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting of William A. Richardson; notation probably in handwriting of William A. Richardson; notation in unidentified handwriting; docket and notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
1847 (1)
September (1)
19 September 1847
John Kelly, Receipt, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, to the Estate of JS
19 Sept. 1847; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; handwriting presumably of John Kelly; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS v. Heirs of JS, Hancock Co., Illinois, Circuit Court, in Chancery
1845 (4)
May (3)
22 May 1845
Docket Entry, Petition, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
22 May 1845; Hancock County Circuit Court, Chancery Record, vol. C, p. 227, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David E. Head.
30 May 1845
Almon Babbitt, Affidavit, before David E. Head, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
30 May 1845; private possession; handwriting of Almon Babbitt; certification in handwriting of David E. Head; docket in handwriting of Almon Babbitt; notation in handwriting of David E. Head.
31 May 1845
Docket Entry, Order, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
31 May 1845; Hancock County Circuit Court, Chancery Record, vol. C, p. 254, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David E. Head.
October (1)
24 October 1845
Docket Entry, Continuance, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
24 Oct. 1845; Hancock County Circuit Court, Chancery Record, vol. C, p. 286, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David E. Head.
1846 (4)
May (1)
22 May 1846
Docket Entry, Continuance, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
22 May 1846; Hancock County Circuit Court, Chancery Record, vol. C, p. 316, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David E. Head.
October (3)
20 October 1846
Docket Entry, Report of Sale, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
20 Oct. 1846; Hancock County Circuit Court, Chancery Record, vol. C, p. 335, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David E. Head.
Ca. 20 October 1846
Docket Entry, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
Ca. 20 Oct. 1846; Hancock County Circuit Court, Judgment Docket, vol. C, p. 40, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; image in Hancock County Papers, 1830–1872, CHL; handwriting probably of David E. Head.
22 October 1846
Docket Entry, Report of Sale Confirmed, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
22 Oct. 1846; Hancock County Circuit Court, Chancery Record, vol. C, p. 342, Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; microfilm at FHL; handwriting of David E. Head.
1849 (1)
April (1)
3 April 1849
J. A. Winston on behalf of David E. Head, Fee Bill, Carthage, Hancock Co., IL
3 Apr. 1849; Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage, IL; printed form with manuscript additions in handwriting of David E. Head; certification printed with manuscript additions presumably in handwriting of J. A. Winston; docket in unidentified handwriting; notation in handwriting of David Greenleaf.
See Introduction to E. Smith Administratrix of the Estate of JS and W. & W. Law v. E. Smith Administratrix of the Estate of JS; and An Act relative to Wills and Testaments, Executors and Administrators, and the Settlement of Estates [1 July 1829], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois, p. 698, sec. 51. Emma Smith experienced a falling-out with Brigham Young and other church leaders in summer 1844 that created tensions with Coolidge as the subsequent administrator. Joseph Smith III, who was thirteen years old at the time, recalled that Coolidge’s appointment “was made through the influence of the Twelve” and decisions were “approved by the powers in control and directed by that spirit of hostility” against his mother. (“The Memoirs of President Joseph Smith: Oppression,” Saints’ Herald, 29 Jan. 1935, 144; see also Introduction to Brigham Young, Discourses, 9 Mar. 1845 [Excerpts], in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 168–170; and Avery and Newell, “The Lion and the Lady,” 90–95.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.
Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.
Avery, Valeen Tippetts, and Linda King Newell. “The Lion and the Lady: Brigham Young and Emma Smith.” Utah Historical Quarterly 48, no. 1 (Winter 1980): 81–97.
Oath, 19 Sept. 1844 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]; Bond, 19 Sept. 1844 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]. If widows were unable to be executors of estates, Illinois law allowed probate courts to “grant administration to any creditor or creditors.” Although Coolidge did not submit any of his own claims before his appointment as administrator, he became a creditor due to the expenses associated with completing his letters of administration. (An Act relative to Wills and Testaments, Executors and Administrators, and the Settlement of Estates [1 July 1829], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois, pp. 698, 714, secs. 51, 110.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Notice, 23 Sept. 1844 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]. The notice, which was initially published in the 25 September 1844 issue of the Nauvoo Neighbor, appeared in five successive issues of the paper in fulfillment of the statutory requirement that administrator’s notices for personal property be published for three weeks prior to the sale in “at least four advertisements.” The personal assets and proceeds from the public sale would have been listed in a bill of sale that Coolidge filed on 15 January 1845; any such bill of sale is apparently not extant. (“Administrators Sale,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 2 Oct. 1844, [3]; 9 Oct. 1844, [4]; 16 Oct. 1844, [4]; 23 Oct. 1844, [4]; 30 Oct. 1844, [4]; Docket Entry, Bill of Sale, Inventory, and List of Bonds and Accounts, 15 Jan. 1845 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]; An Act relative to Wills and Testaments, Executors and Administrators, and the Settlement of Estates [1 July 1829], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois, pp. 709–710, secs. 91, 94.)
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Illinois statute required the filing of an inventory and appraisal of personal properties before they were sold, followed by the filing of a bill of sale identifying buyers and the monetary amount obtained from each sale. The inventory, appraisal, and bill of sale for the 25 and 26 October sale are apparently not extant. (An Act relative to Wills and Testaments, Executors and Administrators, and the Settlement of Estates [1 July 1829], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois, pp. 706–707, 710, secs. 77, 80, 94; Docket Entry, Bill of Sale, Inventory, and List of Bonds and Accounts, 15 Jan. 1845 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS].)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Account, 1 Sept. 1844–Sept. 1846 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]. Widows could take a portion of dower’s rights from the personal property prior to it being sold at public auction. (An Act relative to Wills and Testaments, Executors and Administrators, and the Settlement of Estates [1 July 1829], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois, pp. 708–709, secs. 87, 91.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Notice, 9 Oct. 1844–A [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]. People with claims against estates were to submit them within nine months of the published notice, enabling the administrator to exactly identify the number of claims against the estate and specify whether the estate was insolvent or not. Coolidge published an additional notice requesting claims be submitted for adjustment on or before 2 December 1844. (An Act relative to Wills and Testaments, Executors and Administrators, and the Settlement of Estates [1 July 1829], Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois, p. 710, sec. 95; Notice, 9 Oct. 1844–B [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS].)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Claims had to be submitted within two years of the court granting letters of administration to an administrator; thereafter, the court would not examine any claims unless creditors found additional property of the decedent that was overlooked by the administrator. (Wills, Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, p. 561, secs. 115–116, 118–119.)
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Each allowed claim was to be filed with the court and entered into a claim record book. The probate court apparently filed both the allowed and rejected claims. (An Act relative to Wills and Testaments, Executors and Administrators, and the Settlement of Estates, Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois, pp. 714–715, secs. 112, 115–116; Wills, Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, pp. 561, 562, secs. 118, 122.)
The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois: Containing All the Laws . . . Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835; and at Their Second Session, Commencing December 7, 1835, and Ending January 18, 1836; and Those Passed by the Tenth General Assembly, at Their Session Commencing December 5, 1836, and Ending March 6, 1837; and at Their Special Session, Commencing July 10, and Ending July 22, 1837. . . . Compiled by Jonathan Young Scammon. Chicago: Stephen F. Gale, 1839.
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
First-class claims encompassed all funeral and “last sickness” expenses, while second-class claims included estate administrator expenses and “the physician’s bill in the last illness of the deceased.” Third-class demands involved administrator or guardianship monies to be paid from the estate; fourth-class claims were all other debts “without regard to quality or dignity.” Assigned classes for debts against the JS estate during Coolidge’s administration included two first-class debts, one second-class debt, one third-class debt, and twenty-one fourth-class debts. (Wills, Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, pp. 561, 562, secs. 115, 122; Docket Entry, Allowed Claims, 14 Apr. 1845–19 Apr. 1849 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS].)
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Probate Court, Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, p. 427, sec. 6.
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
An American Dictionary of the English Language: Intended to Exhibit, I. the Origin, Affinities and Primary Signification of English Words, as far as They Have Been Ascertained. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. New York: S. Converse, 1828.
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Estate administrators were supposed to litigate the sale of real estate against the heirs. (Wills, Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, pp. 558–559, secs. 103–105.)
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Notice, 4 June 1845 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS v. Heirs of JS]. Administrators were required to give notice of the sale of real estate for six consecutive weeks “in at least four of the most public places in the county” and publish the notice in a local newspaper. Additionally, executors were required to file an inventory, bill of appraisal, and bill of sale before selling the real estate. (Wills, Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, p. 559, sec. 106.)
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
Within days of purchasing five of the six properties, Clayton sold approximately 121 acres to church trustees Newel K. Whitney and George Miller and conveyed 170 acres to three of Brigham Young’s minor sons—Joseph Angell Young (11), Brigham Young Jr. (8), and John Willard Young (9 months). However, Illinois law prohibited conveyances where parties were not of “full age.” (Deed, 1 July 1845–A [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]; Deed, 1 July 1845–B [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]; William and Ruth Clayton to Newel K. Whitney and George Miller, Deed, Hancock Co., IL, 5 July 1845 Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. N, pp. 530–531, microfilm 954,600, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; William and Ruth Clayton to Joseph Angel Young, Brigham Young, and John Willard Young, Deed, 5 July 1845, Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. N, pp. 531–532, microfilm 954,600, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Conveyances, Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, pp. 102–103, secs. 1–2.)
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.
On 2 August 1842, JS submitted a land patent application to the federal government’s General Land Office in Quincy, Illinois, that was approved on 10 July 1844, weeks after his murder. Coolidge as estate administrator was legally authorized to assume control of this property, which he sold to Almon Babbitt on 1 July. (Land Patent, 10 July 1844; Deed, 21 June 1847 [Coolidge Administrator of the Estate of JS]; Wills, Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, p. 560, sec. 111.)
Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, Adopted by the General Assembly of Said State, at Its Regular Session, Held in the Years, A. D., 1844–’5. Springfield, IL: William Walters, 1845.