Succession of John N. Mills, Lafourche Parish, La. Submitted by: Nancy Wright Source: Lafourche Parish Civil Records 9 Aug 2004 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Probate of John N. MILLS, filed Lafourche Parish, Louisiana Successions Year 1840 Know all men by these presents that on Thursday morning the ninth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty at eleven o'clock in the morning---- Pursuant to a petition of Eunice LILEY, widow of John MILLS, of the Interior parish of Lafourche, praying for an inventory of the property of which the said MILLS died possessed. And pursuant also to a decree of the court of probates, sitting in and for the said parish rendered upon the said petition and ordaining among other things, that the said inventory by me the subscribing parish judge- I, Henry F. KNOBLOCK parish judge of the Interior parish of Lafourche aforesaid assisted and accompanied by Andrew COLLINS and David DORTCH, both planters of the parish aforesaid and competent witnesses went to the abode of the said John MILLS, deceased, on his plantation, left bank of bayou Lafourche partly opposite the town of Thibodaux and there we found--- 1. The said Eunice LILEY, acting not only in her own behalf, as being entitled to her individual property [by] her matrimonial rights, and to one half of the acquits and gains of the community lately existing between her and the said John MILLS, her husband, deceased, but also for and in behalf and as natural tutrix, duly sworn of her minor children John Sterling MILLS, born on the tenth of December eighteen hundred and twenty three, Mary MILLS, born on the second of September eighteen hundred and twenty five, Eliza MILLS, born on the twenty second of February eighteen hundred and twenty eight, Sarah MILLS, born on the second of February eighteen hundred and thirty, Anne MILLS born on the ninth of February eighteen hundred and thirty two, Thomas Liley MILLS, born on the sixth of May eighteen hundred and thirty five and Gilbert Collins MILLS, born on the seventh of July eighteen hundred and thirty seven which minors are entitled each of them to one seventh of the estate of the said John MILLS, their father, deceased, and to one fourteenth of the said acquits and gains --- 2. Thomas B. MORRISON, a planter of the said parish maternal cousin of the said minors, and duly appointed and sworn as their under-tutor--- And for the _etter ascertaining insuring and safe keeping of the rights of the above named parties, and all other whom it does or may concern, and without intending that the declarations and expressions herein contained should be to the prejudice or loss of any body, I the said parish judge do now proceed to take a true and faithful inventory and to make an exact description of all the property real and personal rights and credits, sums and papers, of which the said John MILLS died possessed, and which do or may belong to the said estate or community--- The said inventory is taken at the divers places hereinafter described being parts of the said plantation and on which the said John MILLS departed this life on the twenty first of November last past (1839) and the said inventory is made upon the declaration of the said Eunice LILEY, who has provided under oath, administered to her by me the said judge, that she would produce or indicate all and whatever to the best of her knowledge and belief does or may belong to the said estate and community of either of them, reserving however her individual and other rights, which ___ does by no means intend to lessen or otherwise affect--- The property subject to valuation is appraised by George M. SQUIRES, a merchant & Van P. WINDER, a planter, both domiciled in the said parish, and experts appointed by the said decree to whom I the said judge have first administered the oath prescribed by law---- The said inventory is as follows, to wit: On the plantation at large, we found--- 1 John Pleasant, a field hand, aged about twenty three years, appraised at eleven hundred dollars 2 Prince, a field hand, aged about twenty two years, appraised at eleven hundred dollars 3 Anthony, a field hand aged about nineteen years appraised at eleven hundred dollars 4 Jack a field hand aged about nineteen years, appraised at eleven hundred dollars 5 Doctor, a field hand, aged about twenty three years, appraised at eleven hundred dollars 6 Jerry, a field hand aged about fifteen years appraised at one thousand dollars 7 Ned, a field hand, aged about twenty two years, appraised at eleven hundred dollars 8 Madison, field hand aged thirteen years appraised at six hundred and fifty dollars 9 A Negro woman Caroline, aged about twenty two years, with her child Susan, aged about 3 years, appraised at one thousand dollars 10 Charlotte aged twenty four years an her child Robert, aged about 3 years appraised at nine hundred and fifty dollars 11 A Negro girl named Jenny, aged about eighteen years, appraised at seven hundred dollars 12 A Negro woman named Celeste, aged about forty seven years, appraised at six hundred dollars 13 A Negro woman, named Milly, aged about twenty two years, appraised at eight hundred dollars 14 Anne, a Negro girl twenty years old, appraised at five hundred dollars 15 A Negro woman named Eliza aged about seventeen years, with her 16 child Margaret aged about three years, appraised at nine hundred dollars 17 Eliza Dula, aged about eighteen years, appraised at eight hundred dollars 18 Hannah, aged about twenty three years, with her children Louis aged about 4 and Miles about two years old appraised at eleven hundred fifty dollars 19 A Negro man named Harry, aged about sixty years, appraised at sic hundred dollars 20 A Negro woman named Sarah, aged about twenty three years and her children, Louisa aged about 4 years and Henry aged about 2 years, appraised at eleven hundred and fifty dollars 21 A Negro man named Andrew, aged about forty three years, appraised at five hundred dollars 22 A Negro woman named Kitty, aged about thirty two years, with her children Ready, aged about 10 years, Jefferson, aged about 8 years, Washington, about 6, Munroe, about 4 years and Nancy, about 5 months, appraised at seventeen hundred dollars 23 Nott, a Negro man aged about twenty two years, appraised at one thousand dollars 24 A Negro man named Scott, aged about forty seven years, appraised at one thousand dollars 25 A Negro man named William, aged twenty four years, appraised at eleven hundred dollars 26 A Negro man named Fifi, aged about thirty eight years appraised at four hundred dollars 27 A Negro woman named Mathilda aged about thirty two years, with her son Wesley, aged about ten years appraised at thirteen hundred dollars 28 An old woman named Hannah, appraised at fifty dollars 29 A quarteroon, named Margaret, aged about thirty years, appraised at one thousand dollars 30 A woman named Rose aged about thirty two years, with her children Charles aged about 4 years, Fanny about 3 years and Marianne aged about one year, appraised at fourteen hundred dollars 31 A Negro man named George, about twenty two years old, now run away, appraised at nine hundred dollars 32 A Negro man named John Baptiste, aged about twenty five years, appraised at eleven hundred dollars Horses, oxen & cattle 33 Six work horses, purchased last fall, appraised at one hundred and fifteen dollars a head 34 A roane horse, appraised at sixty five dollars 35 A sorel horse, appraised at one hundred and fifty dollars 36 A grey horse, appraised at one hundred dollars 37 A dunn horse, appraised at one hundred dollars 38 Two creole horses, appraised together at one hundred and thirty dollars 39 A sorrel mare, appraised at sixty dollars 40 A sorrel horse, appraised at thirty five dollars 41 Three creole horses appraised seventy dollars each 42 A mare & colt, appraised at eighty five dollars 43 A sadd le horse, appraised at one hundred and seventy five dollars 44 Sixty five sheep at two dollars & a half a head 45 Fifteen hogs, at four dollars a head 46 Five yoke of oxen, at fifty dollars the yoke 47 Twenty five head of horned cattle, big and small, appraised at ten dollars a head Farming utensils & crops 48 Four ploughs, appraised at ten dollars piece 49 Two ox carts, appraised at fifty dollars each 50 A horse cart, appraised at thirty dollars 51 One hundred and fifty hogsheads of sugar, appraised at forty dollars each 52 Six thousand gallons of molasses, appraised at a bit a gallon 53 Twelve pair trace chains, appraised at twelve dollars 54 Twenty four hoes, appraised at ten dollars 55 Six spades, appraised at three dollars 56 Twelve axes, appraised at twelve dollars In the House we found In the front room 57 A sideboard, appraised at fifty dollars 58 A secretary appraised at twenty dollars 59 Two small tables, appraised six dollars each 60 A pair of candle shades appraised at two dollars 61 Two pitchers appraised at five dollars 62 Twelve wine glasses, appraised at five dollars 63 A pair of candlesticks appraised at five dollars 64 A large waiter, appraised twelve bits 65 A pair of decanters appraised six dollars 66 A dozen tumblers appraised at six dollars and a half 67 A set of china appraised at fifteen dollars 68 Six rush bottomed chairs appraised at nine dollars In the dining room 69 A bookcase appraise five dollars 70 A side table appraised two dollars 71 Two dining tables, appraise at four dollars 72 Nine chairs appraised at four dollars and a half In the Bedroom we found 73 A double shot gun, appraised at fifteen dollars 74 A rifle, appraised at twenty dollars 75 A single gun appraised at fifteen dollars 76 A double shot gun in case, appraised at twenty five dollars Plantation A sugar plantation situate in the Interior parish of Lafourche aforesaid on the left bank of bayou Lafourche, partly opposite the town of Thibodaux, measuring eight arpents in front by eighty arpents in depth, but the lateral lines converging thus that the superficial is only about five hundred and sixty arpents; with a dwelling, a new stable, a corn house, sugar house and machinery and the other buildings and improvements thereon, appraised at sixteen thousand dollars Amount of appraisement $54,560.00 Fifty four thousand five hundred and sixty dollars errors excepted. And nothing remaining to be compressed on this inventory we have provisionally closed the same the property above described remaining for the present the possession of the said Mistress MILLS. In testimony whereof the parties, witnesses and experts have signed with me judge the day and year above written at five o'clock P. M. /S/ V. P. WINDER /S/ Eunice L. MILLS /S/ G. W. SQUIRES /S/ Thos B. MORRISON /S/ Dd DORTC /S/ Henry F. KNOBLOCK /S/ A. COLLINS Judge #197 in 1840 Petition for Inventory, Tutorship etc., etc. Judge appointing Tutor, Under Tutor and order for Inventory dated January 9 the 1840 Oaths Tutor, Under Tutor, appraisers etc., same day. #200 in 1840 Petition for family meeting and adjudication of property Judgt. Ordering family meeting 20th January 1840 Family meeting February first 1840 April 26th April 1841, Suit Instituted by Thomas B. MORRISON, Under Tutor, said Tutrix having married without consent of family meeting Abstracted by Nancy L. Wright, P O Box 1041, Gray, LA 70359 (c) 1998