Below are transcriptions of probate documents concerning the estate of Reuben CARPENTER. They are on file in Worcester County Probate Court, where I viewed them on 29 September 2000. I don't know yet whether Reuben is related, but it's a Carpenter family name, and the inventory is worth looking at to get a sense of the dollar's value and the relative worth of things - for example, his horse alone is worth nearly as much as the entire contents of his house. He died intestate; some of the money owed him was uncollectable; and it took nearly five years to wind up the affair completely. Docket #11886 comprises the following documents:
CARPENTER, WAKEFIELD
The original form is printed, with blanks to fill in and unused choices to cross out. This is a partial, verbatim copy of the "finished" words. Dated 23 March 1891.
Respectfully represents Peter V. Wakefield of Brookfield in the said County of Worcester that Reuben Carpenter who last dwelt in Brookfield in said County of Worcester, died on the sixth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one, possessed of goods and estate remaining to be administered, leaving a widow whose name is Adeline Carpenter as his only next of kin, the persons whose names and residence, and relationship to the deceased are as follows, viz.:
Mary Jane Wakefield of Brookfield Mass. daughter of said Reuben Carpenter deceased.
That your petitioner
is the husband of said daughter.
This is a verbatim abstract of the schedule attached to the appraisal by Justin E. Ward, H. Warren Hamilton, and Frank E. Prouty, sworn 21 March 1891.
| Schedule of Personal Estate. | |
|---|---|
| Contents of front room | 20.00 |
| Contents of sitting-room | 15.00 |
| Contents of dish-cupboard | 4.00 |
| Contents of bed-room | 20.00 |
| Contents of front bed-room | 30.00 |
| Contents of front hall | 5.00 |
| Contents of garret | 3.00 |
| Contents of front garret | 6.00 |
| Contents of pantry | 2.00 |
| 2 pr. steel yards | 1.00 |
| 1 table | .50 |
| Contents of back-room | 4.00 |
| 1 Horse | 100.00 |
| 1 speckled cow | 16.00 |
| 1 red cow | 25.00 |
| 1 black cow | 15.00 |
| 1 swivel plow | 1.50 |
| yokes | 2.00 |
| 1 1/2 tons hay | 12.00 |
| 2 3/4 tons hay | 28.88 |
| 1 horse rake | 5.00 |
| 375 lbs. linseed meal | 5.62 |
| 4 harnesses | 5.00 |
| 1 mowing-machine | 8.00 |
| carpenters tools &c. | 3.50 |
| 1 buck board | 3.00 |
| 1 express wagon | 5.00 |
| 1 sleigh | 2.00 |
| 4 draft-chains | 2.00 |
| 2 stake-chains | .50 |
| 1 grind-stone | 1.00 |
| 1 horse-hoe & ox-shovel | 1.00 |
| 1 ox-cart | 8.00 |
| 1 one-horse farm wagon | 8.00 |
| ox-wagon | 10.00 |
| ox-yoke | .75 |
| ox-sled | 1.00 |
| 1 carriage | 20.00 |
| Bank book - People's Savings Bank Worcester worth Feb. 1st, 1891 | 113.06 |
| Bank book - Worc. Co. Institution for Savings - worth Jan. 1/91 | 901.53 |
| Bank book - Leicester Savings Bank - worth Feb. 1, 1891 | 612.00 |
| Bank book - Mechanics Savings Bank - worth Jan 1, 1891 | 1003.82 |
| Bank book - Worc. Five cent Savings Bank - worth Jan 1, 1891 | 156.00 |
| Bank book - Worcester Savings Bank - worth Dec. 1, 1890 | 408.00 |
| Note against Albert R. Rich, dated at Matamora, Ill., Nov. 12, 1890 | 460.00 |
| Note against Albert R. Rich, dated at Matamora, Ill., Dec. 20, 1890 | 108.00 |
| Note against Albert R. Rich, dated at Matamora, Ill., Nov. 13, 1889 | 167.00 |
| Note against Lewis J. Johnson, dated at Matamora, Ill., Sept. 21, 1885 | 1500.00 |
| Note against Linly, Wright & Co., Brookfield, dated Jan. 1, 1889 | 1000.00 |
| Note against Linly, Wright & Co., Brookfield, dated Oct. 21, 1890 | 2400.00 |
| Note against E. R. Carpenter, Charlton, dated Mar. 26, 1883 worth Mar. 26, 1891 | 461.66 |
| Check | 7.20 |
| 9698.52 | |
| Schedule of Real Estate in detail. | |
| Sturbridge pasture, 57 acres | 275.00 |
| Sturbridge sprout lot, 8 acres | 100.00 |
| Sturbridge wood-lot, 16 acres | 100.00 |
| 4 shares of Charlton wood-lot | 600.00 |
| 1075.00 | |
These are verbatim extracts from the schedules attached to Peter V. Wakefield's account for the period 20 March 1891 through 20 March 1893. It is signed by Peter V. Wakefield (as administrator) and Mary Jane Wakefield (as heir, requesting the account be allowed); sworn in Brookfield on 17 February 1896.
| Schedule A. | |
|---|---|
| Amount of personal property, according to inventory | 9698.52 |
| Schedule B. | |
| Showing payments, charges, losses and distributions | |
| 1891 Paid funeral expenses | 150.00 |
| 1891 Paid other bills against estate | 550.00 |
| 1892 Paid heirs of Est of Lucius Carpenter a/c[?] wood lot | 800.00 |
| Assigned and paid over to Adaline Carpenter Widow | 4257.99 |
| Assigned and paid over to Mary J. Wakefield heir | 3640.53 |
| Note and book account not collectable | 300.00 |
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