Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Deaths Listed in County Court Claims

In my blog of 7 Jan 2008, I mentioned that deaths are sometimes found in the list of claims presented at least once a year to the county court. Included are claims for coffins or burials for paupers or for holding inquests over the body of decedents and were presented to the county court for payment. Although the names of the decedents are not always given, it is one more place to search for the account of a death and should not be overlooked.

In Hopkins County, Kentucky, the claims were presented to the county court in May. The following claims are from Hopkins County Court Order Book 14, 30 May 1865: G.L. & H.C. Bourland, holding inquest &c over slave of Green, $5; C.J. Franklin, making Coffin &c for pauper, $6; Benj. Gilmor, holding inquest over & coffin for unknown person, $10; R. Gooch, coffin for pauper, $6; D.M., Randolph and Geo. B. Hawkins, for digging grave for unknown persons killed by Guerrillas, $10; Joshua Rice for coffin for R. Cheek’s child, a pauper, $6; same for J.W. Moore’s Coffin, $6; T.S. Roberts for coffin for John Franklin, killed by Guerrillas, $7; same for Louis Franklin for same, $7.

Livingston County, Kentucky claims were presented to the county court in October or November. The following are from County Court Order Book G, 3 Oct 1825, page 163: John Davis for Boarding, Burying &c Jacob Bates, $17.50; N.S. Mills for same for Jos. Coe, $42; To Aron Corn for same for H. Byers, $62.

On page 341 of Livingston County Order Book G, 6 Oct 1828, are the following claims: Benjamin Stephens for Nursing & Burying James Wallis a poor old infirm man, $31.75; Samuel Driskill for Burying and Nursing Wm. Cooper who died at the house of said Driskill, $18.

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