Ohio County Guardianships

 Ohio County Guardianships

          Guardianship proceedings occurred when minor children were orphaned or when the father or "bread winner" died. The mother was allowed to retain guardianship if officials considered her circumstances sufficient to provide for the children. Another person appointed as guardian may have been a relative, a friend of the family, or one who could teach the minor(s) a trade. In some cases guardians or administrators were appointed to handle the affairs of adults who were deemed incompetent.

          County officials (County Court/County Judge) appointed guardians to provide minor children with education or training, making it more likely that the minors would become contributing members of the community rather than wards of the county or state.

          The guardian must file periodic reports with the Court detailing all actions taken by the Guardian, especially when the Guardian is handling money belonging to the child or the incompetent adult (sometimes referred to as the Ward).

          Guardianship records usually give the name of the deceased parent(s) and the names and ages of the minor children. The records have been kept by the clerks of either the county courts or the circuit courts in Kentucky. They are most often intermingled with probate or court records.

          I am unable to search the Ohio County courthouse records for guardianship data but I have searched the online records for the Hartford Herald (1875-1926) and the Hartford Republican (1891-1926) and found ninety-five mentions of guardianships, which (I assume) would be substantially less than the actual total.  It would be a good project for someone to search those records and write a book on this subject. 

          I will post all ninety-five items that I found.  I will highlight the surname of the Ward to help you search.  These are not in chronological order, but as I found them when searching the online site for the newspapers.  It will take several weeks to post all ninety-five items.

Here’s what I found in the Hartford Herald:

1. Jan 9, 1889, pg 4, under County Court Notes, Jan Term. BARNETT, HUFF, LACEY, DOUGLAS, and WRIGHT.

2. Mar 5, 1890, pg 3, under County Court Notes. POOL, HAMILTON, HOLBROOK, WHITELY, AUSTIN.

3. May 25, 1921, pg 8. MADDOX, MILLER

4. May 11, 1921, pg 1. KERKOF, FAUGHT, SMITH

5. Sept 7, 1904, pg 3. WRIGHT, HODGES, RHOADS

SYLVESTER FOREST WHITELY

DEACON SYLVESTER FOREST WHITELY: This brother beloved was born at Deanefield, Ohio County, Kentucky, on April 18, 1866, and is the son of Henry and Lucy Hobbs Whitely. He attended the grade schools at Aetnaville, Kentucky, and has followed the occupation of farming all of his life. Our brother was converted in the year 1878 and was baptized into the fellowship of the Zion Baptist Church by Elder Gabbert. He was ordained as a deacon of the Zion Baptist Church in the year 1898 and has served that church and the Whitesville Baptist Church in this office for the past forty-five years. He has also served his Church as Sunday School Superintendent, Assistant Sunday School Superintendent, as Moderator, and for the past fourteen years has served as the representative of the Whitesville Church on the Executive Mission Board of the Association. In all the above offices he has given faithful and devoted service and has gained the acclaim of the brethren as a Christian gentleman of the first order. Mr. Whitely is the brother of D. B. Whitely, lately deceased. On November 21, 1891, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Whiteler. She died in 1937. They had no children.

"A HISTORY OF THE DAVIESS-McLEAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION IN KENTUCKY, 1844-1943" by Wendell H. Rone. Probably published in 1944 by Messenger Job Printing Co., Inc., Owensboro, Kentucky, pp. 481-482.