Jefferson County AlArchives Court.....Click, Susan Thompson McElroy February 1881 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: L. Hanke lhbham@yahoo.com March 17, 2006, 3:34 pm Source: Loose Records Probate Court - Jefferson County Alabama Written: February 1881 Susan (Thompson, wid. McElroy) CLICK, died August 29, 1880, leaving no will. S. R. Ware, husband of Kitty O. Click, co-signed Bond to make Wm. McElroy administrator of her estate. The heirs mentioned were son William F. McElroy (from Susan’s first marriage); Eliza (Click), wife of Robert B. Patton, (Shelby Co); Mary (Click), wife of Horace B. Rockett (Jefferson Co); Margaret (Click), wife of Thomas B. Ayers (Jefferson Co); Kitty O. (Click), wife of Samuel R. Ware (Jefferson Co); Ida Anderson (later md. J. W. Rarden) and Frank Anderson, over 14, under 21, children of deceased daughter Susan Click who married Jasper M. Anderson; ‘Mossy’ Fields and Ira W. Fields, children of deceased daughter Sallie Click Fields, both under 14, living with their father Moses Fields. Later, Samuel Richard Ware (husband of Kitty Click), and Margaret Click Ayers, petitioned the court to release them from the responsibility of being co- signers with McElroy. (Their petitions are included below) *********** Robert Owen, Daniel Hickman, and F. M. Lacey were authorized to appraise Susan Click’s estate. It consisted of: 3 horses (named Bet, Morgan, & Kate) 1 colt 4 cows 6 steers 2 ‘heffers’ 4 sows 10 killing hogs 18 stock hogs 26 sheep 10 geese 1 horse wagon 1 ‘broke down’ wagon 5 plows 1 cradle 10 bushels, more or less, of wheat 1 loom 1 stove 1 wash pot 8 ‘kans’ tin 1 lot of jars 2 spinning wheels 40 pounds, more or less, of wool 1 safe 1 lot of kitchen ware 4 chairs 1 set of benches 1 table 1 wardrobe 1 set of mill rock 500 bundles, more or less, of fodder 300 bushels of corn 10 bushels of oats 1 pair ‘britching’ (later, at the sale of items, 40 pounds of feathers were sold) Some of the names of people who purchased items at the estate sale: Moses Fields, Jr. (husband of deceased daughter Sallie) J. M. Anderson (husband of deceased daughter Sarah) W. F. McElroy (her son by first marriage) ?. B. Owen Wm. Dupuy J. B. Tarrant Tal Nabors Margaret Ayers (her daughter) Mrs. H. B. Rockett (another daughter, Mary) Betsy Ware Ida Anderson (granddaughter, daughter of deceased daughter Sarah) ************************** Land owned by Susan Click at the time of her death, and those who purchased it: Township 18 South Range 4 West: SE ¼ of NE ¼ Section 14 - bought by Jasper M. Anderson for $72.00 (5 acres) SE ¼ of SW ¼ Section 13 SW ¼ of NE ¼ Section 24) ) – both bought by Wm. F. McElroy for $935.00 In Section 31, Township 18 South, Range 3 West: SE ¼ of NE ¼ ) NE ¼ of SE ¼ ) both bought by Robert B. Patton for $205.00 ************************* Debts owed the estate of Susan Click, and whether deemed ‘good,’ ‘doubtful,’ or ‘desperate’: W. F. Mims $60.00 promissory note ‘doubtful’ W. N. Lacey 8.00 “ “ ‘desperate’ Benjamin Brown 12.00 “ “ ‘desperate’ A. L. Hamilton 5.00 ‘desperate’ Moses Fields Jr. 64.18 ‘good’ David Downey 5.25 ‘doubtful’ Wm. C. Smith 11.25 ‘doubtful’ Thomas Graham 1.50 ‘doubtful’ **************************** On November 28, 1881, Marietta Rockett (Mary Click, wife of H. B. Rockett) petitioned the court to be released from the bond she co-signed making her stepbrother W. F. McElroy administrator of Susan Click’s’ estate. Her reasons: “… Wm. F. McElroy has become addicted to too great indulgence in intoxication to manage said estate prudently, & with safety to those interested in said estate [unclear] of which Petitioner believes she probably will sustain loss thereby.” She asked the judge to set a day for hearing, and to call Wm. F. McElroy to court. Then on March 4, 1882, Samuel Richard Ware, husband of Kitty O. Click, petitioned Judge John Ware to be released from the bond he signed making William F. McElroy administrator of his mother Susan’s estate. The reason given: “… That said William F. McElroy is drinking to such an extent as render him incapable of transacting the business of adminisrator as aforesaid, that he is collecting the money of said estate and appropriating the same to the payment of his own debts. For these reasons he wishes to be released from said Bond and he asks that such motion may be given as will bring the [said] McElroy before your Honor that the facts may be inquired into.” (signed by) S. R. Ware W. P. Hickman John Rarden W. B. Ellis * William McElroy died soon thereafter. See 'additional comments.' ----------------------------------------------------------------- Articles bought by the Susan Click in 1860s for daughters Kitty and Sallie Merchants: Thompson & Vann, and Wright & Earle Kitty: 1862 – about age 12 3 ½ yds gingham 1.32 3 ½ yds pink brilliants 1.31 1 [yds?] pink muslin .88 3 yds x 1.20 5 yds muslin @ .30 yd 1.50 1868 – about age 18 1 hat 1.50 1 green vail [spelled that way] 1.00 1 calico dress of peddler 5.00 1 worsted dress at Jonesoro 5.00 1 calico dress at Elyton 2.50 1 muslin dress (all next at Elyton) 5.00 1 pr shoes 3.25 1 pr gloves 1.50 1 corset 2.50 2 pocket handkerchiefs .70 1 bonnet 1.50 1 hoop skirt 1.50 1 pr shoes 3.50 shoes were always being bought Sarah: 1866 – about age 11 1 worsted dress at Jonesboro 2.00 1 pr shoes at Elyton 2.25 2nd pr shoes (all next at Elyton) 2.25 1 muslin dress 2.00 1 calico dress 1.50 1 bonnet & trimmings 1.50 1 handkerchief .35 ----------------------------------------- School Supplies Kitty: 1861 – about age 11 1 quire paper .30 1 ink & stand .10 ½ doz steel pens .15 1 pen holder .15 1 Arithmetic .50 4 slate pencils .10 Sarah: - about age 12 1867 1 Brown’s Grammer (and more steel pens - writing tips) Tuition for school was .10/ day to M. R. Ware to W. L. Kennedy -------------------------------------------------- (Letterhead in 1883. I think Earle was in Elyton) J. B. Earle < Dealer in > Dry Goods, Groceries, Boots, Shoes, Hats, Caps, and Queensware No. 1921, Second Avenue In 1881, aside from the usual purchases, various items were bought on Susan’s account for or by people I can’t place: 1 pr shoes for or by Henry 2.00 June 1 lb. tobacco for/ by Ed McMath (?) July 1 lb tobacco for/ by McMath 1 umbrella for/ by McMath jeans for/ by Andy 3.23 1 pr brogans for/ by Andy 2.00 nails for/ by Andy shoes for/ by Andy written on bill “sum of 23.57 of account bought by Andy Click & paid by him, not by administrator. Due from administrator 13.25” The only Andy I can find is a black family headed by Andrew Click who lived next to Susan Click, but this Andy (and Henry) may have been grandchildren of Susan’s, I don’t know. In 1883, the following items were credited to Mrs. Susan Click & Andy March 1 pr half hose .40 July 2 pr shoes 4.00 14 ½ yds dames(?) 1.60 4 ½ yds plaids .65 26 yds calico 2.60 2 twists tobacco .40 12 x at 1.00 9 ½ yds drills 1.40 1 box matches .10 6(?) spools cotton .50 3 pr (can’t read) .45 2 boxes snuff .30 1 pkg needles .10 1 paper pins .10 2 pkgs tobacco .25 2 doz buttons .251 pr shoes 2.00 2nd pr shoes 2.50 1 doz fish hooks .15 ½ lb powder .25 1 box caps .15 1 lb. shot .15 August 13 yds dames (damask?) 1.40 12 yds calico 1.20 1 doz buttons .15 2 boxes snuff .25 1 spool cotton .10 Sept 1 bar soap .10 Oct 1 pr work shoes 1.50 Dec 2 boxes snuff .20 1 paper pins .10 Additional Comments: On the 1850 Alabama census, Matthew M Click, his wife Susan, his children, and his father John Click are living together in Jefferson County. Matthew Moss Click died between 1855, when last child was born, and 1859. That’s when C. C. Click was paid $7.20 for his services as guardian ad litem for the minor children (of M. M. Click). Sarah, his wife, is listed as head of household on the 1860 census. (John Click, the father of M. M., is no longer in the household either, having died in 1857.) Probate records in Jefferson County don’t go back into the 1850s, so the only indication I have at present of M. M. Click’s death date is as stated above. However, there are guardianship records for his two daughters, Catherine O. ‘Kitty’ Click and Sarah ‘Sallie’ Click - the earliest voucher in the files is for Kitty in 1861. Bayliss E. Grace became guardian of the two youngest girls, Kitty O. Click and Sallie Click, possibly because they were under 14. When Kitty came of age in 1872, he turned her money over to her, adding enough of his own money to make $400. He said it was to ‘make up for loss on confederate money during the war.’ In 1874, guardianship of Sallie, age 19, was turned over to mother Susan Click. At this time, Bayliss Grace again added his own money to hers to make $400 in her final settlement. ----------------------------------- In February 1881, Wm. F. McElroy petitioned for Guardianship of his niece, Ida Anderson, Susan Click’s granddaughter who had been living with her. Ida was 18 years old on the 17th of November, 1880, and she chose Wm. F. McElroy to be her guardian. Her brother Frank’s guardian was their father, J. M. Anderson. The following people co-signed on the $1,000 bond in this hearing: William F. McElroy J. M. Anderson (father of Ida and Frank) Byrd Hill (two of his small children are buried in the Click Cemetery Midfield AL) William M. Burgess William B. Brown ------------------------------ William F. McElroy died 20 Dec 1883 according to his grave marker. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/jefferson/court/click142gwl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 10.3 Kb