The following is the settling of the estate of Samuel Judson (~1880–1826) as recorded on pages 189 through 196 of the Probate Court Records of Portage County, Ohio: Estates, volume 4; microfilm number 14. The available copy is, of course, handwritten and occasionally difficult to interpret. The entire process of settling the estate covers a period of over six years, from February 19, 1827, to March 28, 1833. The first step is an inventory and appraisal of the estate and the setting aside of parts of it for his widow, Lucy, who is required by law to receive at least a bed and bedding. She does fare better than this but Samuel's creditors do not.

Samuel Judson's Estate

[February 19, 1827]
Be it remembered that heretofore, to wit, at a term of the court of common Pleas of the county of Portage in the State of Ohio, begun holden at the Court House in the town of Ravenna within and for said county by and before the Honorable George Todd, President Judge of the third circuit of the court of common Please in said State and Augustus Baldwin, Elias Harmon, and Alva Day Esquires assiciate Judges of said court, on the nineteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundren and twenty seven, on motion it was ordered by the court that administration of all and singular the goods, chattels, chattels, rights, credits; moneys, and effects which were of Samuel Judson late of the township of Hiram in said county deceased at the time of his death who died intestate be committed unto Symonun Rider whose duty it shall be under oath or affirmation to have all and singular the goods and chattels of the said decedent inventoried and appraised by John Johnson George W. Pitkin and Miles T Norton householders of the county of Portage aforesaid (after setting off for the widow if any such provisions or other property as the appraisers aforesaid shall consider reasonable for the support of herself and her children for one year from the death of said intestate which shall be appraised and contained in a separate schedule and this schedule together with the general inventory shall both be signed by said appraisers) and make return thereof together with a true and accurate statement of the debts due and owing to the estate of the said decedent to the office of the clerk of the court of common Please of the county of Portage aforesaid within three months from the date of these letters of administration with a bill of sales of the goods and chattels of the said decedent with three months after such sales and moreover to adjust and settle up the account of his administration within eighteen months from the date of these letters as the law directs.

And it was further ordered by said court that the said Symonus Rider enter in bond with surities in the sum of four hundred dollars conditioned for the faithful discharge of his said trust etc. and Paletiah Allen and Jason Rider were approved as such sureties and the said Symonus Rider having accepted the said trust and having taken an oath well and truely to administer upon said estate according to law did thereupon enter into Bond with the said surities and filed the same in the office of the clerk of our said court which said Bond followed in these words, to wit,

Know all men by these presents, ... [basically duplicating the above wording]. [Signed]

Whereupon on letters of administration in due form of law were issued and delivered to the said Symonus Rider and also our order of appraisment was issued to the said appraisers in the words following, to wit,

[Copy of the order to the appraisers omitted; contains basically statements included above.] Signed, S Day, Clerk

[May 21, 1827]
Afterwards, to wit, on the twenty first day of May in the same year last aforesaid the said adm^r returned to the Office of the Clerk of our said court the aforesaid order of appraisment with an inventory of the goods belonging to the estate of said intestate, a certificate of the oath administered to said appraisers, a statement of the debts due and owing to said estate, and schedules of the property by said appraisers set off to the widow of said intestate; which said inventory, certificate, statement and schedules follow in these words, to wit:

An inventory of the goods and chattels of Samuel Judson deceased late of the township of Hiram and county of Portage taken by us John Johnson Miles T Norton and George W. Pitkin appraisers appointed by the court of common Pleas of Portage County as appears by their order bearing date Feby 19th A 1827

[Note: The writer has combined the inventory and appraised value with the prices received when sold. Inventoried and appraised February 27, 1827; sold March 15, 1827.]

The following are the several debts due and owing the estate of Samuel Judson deceased as far as has come within my knowledge

Given under my hand this 19th day of May 1827 Simonus Rider administrator of Samuel Judson deceased

A schedule of the goods and chattels of Samuel Judson deceased late of the township of Hiram and County of Portage taked by us John Johnson Miles T. Norton and George W. Pitkin which we set off to Lucy Judson widow of the deceased as property exempt from execution including one bed and bedding for the widow provided by law.

* Note the reference to October 29, 1826. This is probably the date that Samuel actually died since the court was to set aside items to sustain Lucy and the children at home for one year after his death.

[September 8, 1828]
Afterward at a Term of said court begun and holden at the court House aforesaid within and for the county of Portage aforesaid by and before the Honorable George Todd President Judge as aforesaid and Elias Harmon Alva Day and Elkanah Richardson Esquires assiciate Judges of the same court on the eighth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight came the said administrator and on motion a further day was given him to make settlement of his administration on said estate until the next term of said Court.

[Similar extensions were granted by the court to the administrator at successive terms of the court on February 16, 1829; 3rd Monday in May, 1829; September 14, 1829; and May 3, 1830. Finally, on September 6, 1830] ... came said administrator and presented the court his account current with the estate of the said intestate which being examined was approved by the court and thereupon the court declared to the creditors of the said intestate a dividend of sixteen cents six mills on the dollar, and it was ordered by the court that the said account be filed in the office of the clerk of said court for the inspection of all persons interested until the next Term of said Court.

[February 16, 1831]
Afterward at a Term of said court begun and holden at the court House aforesaid within and for the county aforesaid by and before the Hon. judges last aforesaid on the sixteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and thirty one came the said administrator and it appearing to the court that no exception had been filed to said account since the filing of the same. Therefore it was ordered by the court that said account be accepted approved and admitted to record.

[October 15, 1832]
Afterward at a Term of said court begun and holden at the court House aforesaid within and for the county aforesaid by and before the Hon. judges last aforesaid on the fifteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand and thirty two came the said administrator and again presented to the court the same account current with said estate by him so as aforesaid presented and thereupon the court declared a dividend to the creditors of the said intestate of thirty five cents on the dollar in stead of the aforesaid dividend of sixteen cents and six mills and it was ordered by the court that said account be filed in the office of the clerk of said Court for the inspection of all persons interested until the next Term of said Court.

[March 28, 1833]
And now at this Term of said court, to wit, at the Term thereof begun and holden at the court House aforesaid within and for the county aforesaid by and before the Honorable Matthew Birchard President Judge of the third circuit of the court of common Please in said State and Elkanah Richardson Elias Harmon and Geo. B. De Pryster associate Judges of the same court on the twenty eighth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and thirty three comes the said administrator and it appearing to the court that no exceptions have been filed to said account since the fileing of the same. Therefore it is ordered by the court that said account be accepted approved and admitted to record which said account follows in these words, to wit,

By Symonus Rider adm^r of Samuel Judson deceased
 

[Note: The stated credits of $191.35 less the paid and uncollected amounts of $142.18 leaves only $49.17 to be distributed among the 20 claims filed against the estate totaling $295.84 (actually $293.84 when correctly added). This does, indeed, yield the initial dividend percentage of 16.6. However, ultimately a dividend rate of 35% was declared. At this rate, the available $49.17 would pay dividends to $140.49 in claims. This leaves $104.49 in claims unpaid; the reason for this is not explained.]

Some of the items in the inventory that are not as commonly seen in suburbia in the late 1900s are:

trammel

a device with links or hooks at different levels for hanging a pothook in a fireplace

spider and cover

a frying pan with legs for use in a fireplace

shovel and tongs

fireplace tools

steelyard

a weighing scale consisting of a steel bar suspended near one end, a hook on that end to suspend the item being weighed, and a sliding weight on the extended part of the bar which is moved to achieve a balance, the weight of the item is then read from a scale on the bar at the position of the slider

barrow hog or blue barrow

a castrated pig

fanning mill

a device (fan) used to blow the chaff away from grain dropped in its wind

cleavis and pin

a U-shaped piece of iron with holes the ends through which is passed the pin, typically used to couple a handle with a hole near the end to a chain or hook attached to the center of the U

whiffletree

a wooden bar to which the harnesses of a team of horses are attached at the ends and the load is attached to the middle

weavers reeds

cane probably used in this case for basket making

hogshead staves

staves used in making hogshead (63- to 140-gallon) barrels