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From: "Howard Swain" <>
Subject: Re: [D-Col] inheritance customs and guardians -- Kings Co.
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 17:09:59 -0700


Hi Marleen,

From: "Marleen Van Horne" <>
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 9:51 PM

> Peter,
>
> Did the English have something similar to the orphan master.

As I mentioned recently, the English seem to have handled such
matters through their regular courts (eg. Mayor's Court) instead
of having a dedicated institution.

I don't know if any relevant court records for early Kings Co. have
survived. I'm pretty sure none have been printed.

> I have a
> family in Brooklyn about 1692, in which the father died leaving a family
> including small children. The mother remarried, should there be some
> record of the first husbands estate, and what was due his children?

You've probably already checked the will abstracts published as a
Collection of the New York Historical Society. Even if he died
without a will, you may find information on the appointment of
an administrator. Or you could find an oral will shown.

Some early Kings Co. wills were recorded in the Deed Libers,
not will libers.
These from the Deed Libers are not in the NYHS abstracts.
But they have been abstracted and printed in early NYGBR (vol 47)
as "Index to Wills, Administrations and Guardianships of Kings County,
New York 1650 to 1850". The easiest place to find this is probably as a
reprint in Long Island Source Records pp 96-112.

Kenneth Scott has compiled two lists of Early NY Inventories in
NGSQ vols 53 and 54.
He also has a book titled, Genealogical Data from Inventories of
New York estates, 1666-1825.

for this and more information, see:
http://www.nygbs.org/info/articles/NY_Probate_1787.html


Regards,
Howard






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