A 180-Year-Old Estate File Leads to Many Answers But Even More Research Questions

When writing my last post, I noted that I was anxiously awaiting the digitized records for Montgomery County, Alabama to be made viewable by familysearch.org. I once again trolled through the records only to see film reel icon after film reel icon with DGS numbers listed. This was so frustrating. These records had been digitized over a year ago and still weren't viewable!

familysearch.org catalog for Montgomery, Alabama - Probate Records: Miscellaneous probate records, 1817-1932. Format still shows the film reel icon even though the Image Group Number (DGS) is also noted.

I decided that my patience was at an end and I put in ten requests for lookups with the Family History Library. Most of them were records within Montgomery County, Alabama. I picked record sets that matched the timeline of when my family lived in Montgomery County and asked for lookups of their names.

This is the landing page for the Family History Library’s Lookup Service. The link is above in the text.

Most of the items I requested lookups for came back as "no records available" or "This book is still under copyright," but for one of my requests, I hit pay dirt! One of my 5th great-grandmothers on my maternal side was Silence Wilson. I knew that she had married Jesse Davenport in 1829. I haven't been able to view the original marriage license, but here is a copy of the indexed version of their marriage information:

Ancestry.com. Alabama, U.S., Marriage Indexes, 1814-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data:WPA Indices to Marriage Records, by County, 1814-1935. Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama.

Frustratingly, the original license is digitized and is one of those film reel records that I was complaining about earlier.

familysearch.org catalog for Montgomery, Alabama - Vital Records: Marriage licenses (white and colored), 1827-1936, Montgomery County, Alabama

I knew that my 5th great grandfather, Jesse Davenport, showed up on the 1830 Montgomery, Alabama census as a white male between the ages of 20 – 29. He is listed with a white female under the age of 20 and a white male under the age of 5.

Year: 1830; Census Place: Montgomery, Alabama; Series: M19; Roll: 2; Page: 205; Family History Library Film: 0002329

This is a close-up of the same census page showing Jesse Davenport and his household in the 1830 Federal Census for Montgomery County, Alabama.

I have yet to find Jesse Davenport or Silence Davenport on the 1840 Montgomery, Alabama census, but I do know that she married one of my 4th great-grandfathers on my paternal side, Benjamin Stephens, by 1842.

Ancestry.com. Alabama, U.S., Marriage Indexes, 1814-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data:WPA Indices to Marriage Records, by County, 1814-1935. Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama.

So, most likely, Jesse Davenport died between 1830 and 1842. And if you looked Jesse Davenport up in the Family Search Tree or in any of the ancestry.com trees, you would see his date of death listed as "Bef. 1842" or as blank.

Plus, I didn't know who this male child under the age of 5 was that was listed on the 1830 census. The next snapshot I had of Silence's family was on the 1850 Federal Census for Montgomery, Alabama where she was living as Silence Stephens in the household of Benjamin Stephens with 3 young girls: Martha, Nancy, and Elizabeth Davenport, presumably all daughters of Jesse Davenport. But no son with the last name Davenport!

Year: 1850; Census Place: District 2, Montgomery, Alabama; Roll: 12; Page: 189b

This is a close-up of the same 1850 Federal Census shown above showing the family of Benjamin and Silence Stephens in 1850 in Montgomery, Alabama with the three Davenport daughters.

Well, imagine my excitement after submitting a request to look for Jesse Davenport in the probate records between the years of 1830 and 1842 and being sent back quite a few pages where Silence Davenport is listed as his administratrix!

The research from the Family History Library didn’t send back an exact source citation but this is what she did send and that should get you there if you want to view the original 64 page Probate File: DGS Film 7652343, Image 2350. (But remember, this is not yet viewable online. You’d have to actually go to Salt Lake City to access it.)

And his exact date of death is noted as September 18, 1840. And people are listed as having bought some of his items – a couple of them with the last name of "Wilson" which was Silence's maiden name. This gives me a whole bunch of clues for F.A.N. Club research.

Jesse E Davenport Deceased September the 18th 1840: DGS Film 7652343, Image 2343.

And there was even a letter where Jesse's four minor children were listed: Joel T, Martha E, Mary Ann, and Dorcas.

Jesse Davenport’s minor children listed: DGS Film 7652343, Image 2371.

Now I had a name and middle initial for Jesse's son! Joel T Davenport! As he was old enough to be living on his own by 1850, I can start looking for him in his own household. Perhaps he lived long enough to serve in the Civil War. All great possibilities for further research.

Also, I knew quite a bit about Martha E(liza Jane) Davenport because she married Benjamin Stephen's twin brother Joseph, thus becoming my double-aunt because she was my biological 6th great aunt on my maternal side and my 5th great aunt by marriage on my paternal side! Clearly, I knew a lot about Nancy Mary Ann Davenport (including that her name really was "Nancy Mary Ann") since she became one of my 4th great grandmothers on my maternal side.

But I have always had a brick wall when it came to the Elizabeth Davenport shown on the 1850 census. But now I know that her first name was "Dorcas." This could open up so many possibilities for my research. Maybe I'll find a marriage record for her yet…

This was so rich and fulfilling and truly quite the everyday adventure in genealogy research! I’ve only shared 3 pages of the estate case file of the 64 pages that it contains. Without doubt, so many little clues and amazing discoveries are sprinkled on every page.