Reuben E. CARPENTER: Probate Records

Below are transcriptions of probate documents concerning the estate of Reuben E. CARPENTER. They are on file in Worcester County Probate Court, where I viewed them on 8 September 2000. This doesn't seem to be a particularly happy death. He was only in his forties, and he died indebted to his brother and administrator, John, for far more than his property was worth. There are no surviving children mentioned and the widow apparently has gone, perhaps returning home, to Connecticut. Docket #33394 comprises the following documents:

Surnames Appearing in the Documents

History of this Document

Administrator's Petition

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 February 1904.

To the Honorable the Judge of the Probate Court in and for the County of Worcester:

Respectfully represents John M. Carpenter, of Marlboro, in the County of Middlesex that Reuben E. Carpenter who last dwelt in Milford in the County of Worcester, died on the nineteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and three intestate, possessed of goods and estate remaining to be administered, leaving as widow and his only heirs at law and next of kin, the persons whose names, residences, and relationship to the deceased are as follows, viz.:

Mary E. Carpenter Norwich, Connecticut widow Jane A. Carpenter Milford, Massachusetts mother

That your petitioner

is requested to administer said estate by the widow.

Administrator's List of Debts

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.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
WORCESTER, SS.
PROBATE COURT

Estate of Reuben E. Carpenter deceased.

A list of debts which appear to be due from the estate of Reuben E. Carpenter late of Milford, in said County, deceased.

John M. Carpenter Marlboro, Mass. mortgage note R.E.Mtg. $1000.00 Emery & Wood Milford, Mass. undertaking none 25.00 Chas. H. Cole " " medical services " 22.00 -------- $1047.00

Administrator's Inventory

This is a verbatim abstract of the schedule attached to the appraisal by Leander Holbrook, Lloyd H. Cook, and Charles F. Claflin, sworn 11 March 1904. The appraisal itself gives personal property as "none."

Schedule of Real Estate in detail.
One undivided eighth interest in the dwelling-house and land on the northerly side of Spring street (No. 28) in Milford, Mass.	250.00
His undivided interest in the land on the southwesterly corner of Main and Spring streets, in Milford, known as the "Seth P. Carpenter lot"	100.00

Petition for Permission to Sell Real Estate

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. It is signed by John M. Carpenter, administrator, and by Mary E. Carpenter and Jane A. Carpenter, as persons interested, in assent to the sale.

To the Honorable the Judge of the Probate Court in and for the County of Worcester: Respectfully represents John M. Carpenter adminstrator of the estate of Reuben E. Carpenter late Milford in said County of Worcester, deceased:
That the debts due from the deceased as nearly as they can now be be ascertained, as shown by the list herewith filed, amount to	$1047.00
And the charges of administration, to	$50.00
Amounting in all to	$1097.00
That the value of the personal estate, in the hands of the petitioner (exclusive of the widow's allowance), is	$000.00
That the personal estate is therefore insufficient to pay the debts of the deceased and the charges of administration, and it is necessary for that purpose to sell some part of the real estate to raise the sum of	$1097.00
That an advantageous offer for the purchase of the parcel hereinafter described has been made to your petitioner, to wit, the sum of four hundred dollars; That the real estate which the petitioner proposes to sell consists of the following parcels, to wit: all the right, title and interest of the said Reuben E. Carpenter in and to a certain parcel of land, having a block thereon, on the southerly side of Main street, in said Milford, bounded northerly by said Main street, easterly by Spring street, southerly by land of one Cooney and westerly by land of one Barker and land of one Stacy. Also, all his right, title and interest in and to a certain parcel of land, having a dwelling house thereon, on the northerly side of Spring street, in said Milford, bounded northerly by land of one Wilcox, easterly by Court street, southerly by said Spring street and westerly by land of one Cronan.