Ohio County Guardianships - Part III

 16. Mar 23, 1887, pg 3, under Ohio County Court Notes. HOCKER and MONTAGUE

17. Jan 11, 1888, pg 3, under Court Notes. MADDOX and LILES

18. Mar 4, 1887, Part 2,pg 2, under County Court Notes. BARNETT

19. Apr 25, 1888, pg 2, under County Court Notes. CAMPFIELD

20. May 30, 1888, pg 3,  under County Court Notes. RAINS

21. Nov 6, 1889, pg 3, under Ohio County Court. NEIGHBORS

22. May 23, 1888, pg 3. Public Guardian appointed

23. June 15, 1887, pg 3, under county Court Notes. ROWE

24. Feb 23, 1876, pg 3. KINSOLVING

25. July 10, 1889, pg 1, under County Court Notes. RIAL

Ohio County Guardianships - Part II

 6. Sept 20, 1905, pg 2.   MADDOX

7. Dec 24, 1919, pg 5.   SMITH

8.  Dec 8, 1886, pg 3, under County Court.   GENTRY

9. Dec 15, 1886, pg 3, under Court Notes.  WALKER

10. Nov 16, 1892, pg 3.  KELLY

11. Aug 7, 1912.  SMITH

12.  Sept 28, 1921, pg 5.  HORSEMAN

13.  April 18, 1917, pg 8.  BERRY

14.  Feb 23, 1887, pg 3, under Court Notes.  HOLBROOK, MONTAGUE

15. May 11, 1887, pg 3, under County Court Notes.  TAYLOR

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

Abbieville (Abbeville?) 1889

   

Hartford Herald, 11 Sept 1889

 I am not sure but this community might be near Buford.

Robert Chapman Family

 Hannah Chapman and her descendants 

          Hannah Chapman, daughter of Robert Chapman, was born in Warren County or Ohio County, Kentucky on 24 May 1802; she died 31 Aug 1873 in Gibson County, Indiana.  Hannah Chapman married James Devin (1791-1844) and they had eight children:  George Alexander; Rebecca Chapman; John Quincy Adams; Nancy Mahala; Mary Jane; Hannah Lucy; James Harrison; and Cordelia.  Her second child, Rebecca Chapman, was born 24 Oct 1822 in Gibson County, IN and married James Madison Depriest (1819-1890); they had a daughter named Hannah Jane who was the third wife of Columbus Emerson. 

          The connection to Ohio County was found in a book titled History of Gibson County, Indiana, which was published by Gil R. Stormont in 1914.  In that book there is a biographical article about Columbus Emerson, whose third wife was Hannah Jane Depriest.  Hannah Jane’s mother was Rebecca C. Devin and her grandmother was Hannah Chapman, who grew up near Hartford.  So, for genealogical searchers, this post is about the Robert Chapman family. You can read the complete Emerson biography below.  Note that the location of Princeton referred to in the article is a town in Gibson County, IN, so the Chapman family (or perhaps just Hannah) left Ohio County and moved to Indiana before 1820.  Also note that the reference in the following article about Hannah Jane's grandmother, Hannah Chapman, mentions the Barren River, which is (probably) an error - we can assume the author meant the Green River.

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Adelia Bell (Belle) Sullinger

           Adelia Bell (Belle) Sullenger, born 11 March 1854, Hartford, KY, daughter of Francis B. “Frank” Sullenger (1810-1873) and Susan Pigman Duke (1822-19111), was one of eight children.  Belle married Doctor John T. Bethel in 1883 and they lived in Henderson County, Kentucky.  Dr. Bethel had five children by his previous wife, Fannie N. Thurman, who died in 1882.  Dr. Bethel and Belle Sullenger Bethel also had five children: Effie (1884-1938), Lila (1891-1925), Edward C. (1893-1895), Edwin E. (1896-1896), and William G. (1899-1899).  Dr. Bethel died in 1909 and Belle died 17 Aug 1915 in Henderson County.  She is buried in Fernwood Cemetery, Henderson, Henderson County, KY.

Fernwood Cemetery, Henderson

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, 17 Aug 1915.

Her husband, Dr. Bethel:

            JOHN T. BETHEL, M.D., a well known physician and surgeon of Henderson, Ky., was born near Ranger's Landing, in Henderson county, his parents being Peter and Ann (Wilson) Bethel, both natives of Virginia. His paternal grandparents came from Virginia in 1802 and settled in Henderson county. The grandfather bought three hundred acres of land on Green river, for two dollars an acre, cleared a farm and lived the life of a typical pioneer. He built a two story log house, the lumber in which was sawed with a whip saw, and his wife spun the yarn, wove the cloth, and made all the clothes worn by the family. It was on this farm that Peter Bethel grew to manhood and lived all his life. When his father died he inherited the place and died on the old homestead in 1892 at the age of ninety years. In his early years he was an active Whig, but after the dissolution of that party he affiliated with the Democrats. He was looked upon as one of the progressive farmers of his neighborhood and was an influential citizen. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Doctor Bethel was born on this old homestead, the third child in a family of twelve, and he, one sister and a half brother are now living in this county. He was educated in the public schools and the Corydon high schoo1. In 1862 he commenced the study of medicine, and after reading two years under Doctors Powell and Dorsey, of Corydon, began practice in March, 1864, at Pooltown, Webster county, Ky. He remained there until 1893, when he removed to Henderson, where he has built up a lucrative business. His practice is of a general character and few physicians enjoy to a greater extent the confidence of their patients. He owns a nice residence and office in the city and until recently owned farm property in the county. Doctor Bethel is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, is a Democrat in his political opinions, and with his family belongs to the Methodist Church South. He has been twice married. In 1865 he was married to Miss Fannie Thurman of Ohio, and by this marriage has two children: Laura Adel is now Mrs. W. E. Royster, and John T., Jr., lives in Pudacah, Ky. The mother of these "children died in 1882, and the following year Doctor Bethel was united in marriage to Belle Sullenger, a native of Hartford, Ky. Two children have been born to this union: Effie and Lila, both at home with the parents. All the children are well educated and Mrs. Royster is proficient in music. 

Source: MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY, published 1905.