J K Cook--Road Work Book Entry 1874-1875 -- Bedford Co. TN

Below are my transcriptions from the Bedford County Tennessee Road Work Book that concern J K Cook.  I believe he was overseer for the period from Oct 1874-1875 at which time N B King was appointed to take his place. These entries are part of the Cook Family timeline which will be an upcoming blog post.   It is nice to see the properties mentioned.  

Oct 6 1874

This day the court is pleased to appoint J.K Cook over

seer of the Road leading from Dogwood Grove Church Road
in W C Taylors West boundary line to Versials  & Nicholas
Mill Road at Joseph Hayne Southwest corner and
that he have the following hands J K Cooks Widow

Lambs dowry T W Davis N F Neal Joseph Haynes
Rebecca King that lies in 10th Dist and that he
work the same as a second class Road.

Oct 6 1875
This day J K Cook overseer of the road leading from Dogwood

Grove Church Road in Taylor's W Line to Versailes & Nicolus Mill Road 

at Joseph Haynes SW Corner returned into court his order which 

was by the court accepted and it is ordered by the court that 

N B King be appointed in his ____ and stead and that he have 

the following bounds and hands. All the hand on the widow 

Lambs dower, J K Cooks hands T W Davis N F Niel Joseph Haynes, 

Rebecca Kings that live in the 10th Dist & W H Lambs and that he w

ork the same as a second class road.

Sources:  

Bedford County, Tennessee, County Court Clerk's Office, Road Minutes and Overseers Books," 1873-1886, 1889-1891, 1910, image, IGN 8659616, image 47 of 490, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-D3C6-HZ4M?i=46&cat=247682 : accessed 16 April 2024), citing Road Books, Vol. 1A, 1873-1883 pg 36, Tuesday, 6 October 1874, J K Cook appointed Overseer.

Bedford County, Tennessee, County Court Clerk's Office, Road Minutes and Overseers Books," 1873-1886, 1889-1891, 1910, image, IGN 8659616, image 72 of 490, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-63C6-HHXT?i=71&cat=247682 : accessed 16 April 2024), citing Road Books, Vol. 1A, 1873-1883 pg 86, Tuesday, 6 October 1875, J K Cook Overseer to N B King.

Record Narrows Down Death Date of Anna Putman

Reviewing source citations for an upcoming blog post and found an index to court records.  Of course I had to give them a quick glance.  When I did I found a court record for a continuation in the case of Wm G Hight & others vs. Anna Putman & others.  I've blogged about that case before see that post at

Anna Putman & others vs. Wm G Hight & others

This newly found record in the court minutes narrows down the death date for Anna which I did not previously have.  I knew she had died some time during the court proceedings which spanned a number of years.  Now it appears that she died prior to the 6th of April 1865 as that is the date of the continuation that was granted because of her death.

Bedford County, Tennessee, Circuit Court minute book, April 1864 - August 1867: page 232, Wm G Hight & others vs Anna Putman & others, Continuation of case due to death of one Anna Putman; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-D3C6-49ZC-V : accessed 9 April 2024), citing FHL microfilm 8659576.

A Few Bedford Co. Tennessee Deeds involving Cass B Cook

A few Bedford County Tennessee deeds involving Cass B Cook, youngest son of 

Wm C Cook & Elizabeth Putman. 

Cass B Cook & Wife(Clemenzy) to Lizzie Jackson--18 Nov 1889

Bedford Co TN Deed Book YYY 1889-1890 pp 197-8FamilySearch
IGN 008567905 Img 127 of 641
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QY-89M6-M

E Smotherman & Wife to C B Cook-- 29 Nov 1895

Bedford Co TN Deed Book 5 1897-1898  pg 419

FamilySearch

IGN 008567908  Img 241 of 679 

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QY-NCS1

H P Smotherman & Wife to Cass B Cook--9 May 1898

Bedford Co TN Deed Book 5 1897-1898  pg 495

FamilySearch

IGN 008567908  Img 279 of 679

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QY-N72B

Return of Adkins Upshaw Estate--Elbert Co. GA(April 1801)

Adkins Upshaw is my 4th great grandfather. I found his estate return recorded in the Elbert Co. Georgia Will books on FamilySearch using the Full Text Search.   The transcription offered along with it was a mess but good enough that it could tell my search was for Adkins Upshaw.  So as an Index for search I love that.  I do not have the paid versions of any AI tools and used the free one thru my MS Edge browser and that likely affects the quality of the output along with my lack of knowledge in prompts. My prompt contained a copy and paste of the transcription text from FamilySearch.  If you are interested in seeing the copy of the FS transcription txt it can be viewed when you are using the Full Text Search on Adkins Upshaw narrowing the place to Elbert County Georgia.

I get more out of transcribing the text because as I do so it's thought provoking. Below is my own transcription of the return.

Page 60
James Patton Administrator on the Estate of
Adkins Upshaw Deceased -------------------
October the 1st 1800 to Goods & Chattels sold to the
Amount of --------------------------------$99.60 1/4
(writing in between line looks like cr oH )
October 5 By cash paid on aproved Acct.
----------By R Lindsy---------------------$50-54
------- -------------------

1801 By Cash paid on aproved Acct

By Jnt? Bradley----------------------------$8-75

1801 By Cash Paid on aproved Acct
By E King----------------------------------$ 3.75
--------------------------------- ---------
1800- the Estate of Adkins Upshaw
Decd fe to James Patton
to Waggoning of a hogshead                 $8.85

of toba to agustia
to funeral Expenses------------------------$12 - -
to following T Loveletty to Carrolina   $6 - -
to two bushels of Wheat -----------------$2
to two bushels of Corn -------------------$1
to the Coopering Hogshed tobc---------$0 50
to the letters admin ----------------------$05 -50
to services done by Jas Patton ---------$2
to 4 days attendance at Court -----------$2
the business of the Estates -----------------------

Recorded this Return of the Estate of Adkin
Upshaw Dec'd the 30th day of April 1801

(signed) W Higginbotham C.C.O

Source:

Georgia. Probate Court (Elbert County). Will Books A, B, & C, digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR6N-VTW : accessed 6 April 2024), image 310 of 384, citing FHL microfilm 004968238, Elbert Co GA Will Book C, p 60, Return of Adkins Upshaw Dec’d Estate Admin'd by James Patton.


If you are curious about the Copilot output see below:

James Patten, as the administrator of the Estate of Adkins Upshaw (who passed away on October 1, 1800), accounted for the following transactions:

1. Goods and chattels were sold, amounting to $99.60 on October 18, 1800.

2. Cash payment of $500 was made on an approved account by R. Lindsy in 1801.

3. Another cash payment of $8.75 was made on an approved account by Int Bradley in 1801.

4. An additional cash payment of $3.75 was made on an approved account by E. King in 1800.

5. The estate of Adkins Upshaw, deceased, paid James Patten $3.85 for the transportation of a hogshead of tobacco to be assessed.

6. Funeral expenses totaled $12.

7. T. Loveletty received payment.

8. Carolina C received payment.

9. Two bushels of wheat and two bushels of corn were accounted for.

10. The coopering business was conducted.

11. Letters of administration were issued.

12. Services were performed by J. Callen.

13. James Patten attended court for four days to handle estate matters.

This return of the Estate of Admin Upshaw, deceased, was recorded on the 30th day of April 1801 by Maginor Tham, Clerk of the Court.

Directly below it's try on interpreting the AI transcription from FS it listed some sources for learning more about Adkins Upshaw, and the Upshaw and Patton Pages at Wikitree.

https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L7KS-YCD/adkin-upshaw-1801-1885

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Upshaw-236

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Patton-4854

Pope Family Documents Name Granville Co. NC and Williamson Co. TN Enslaved

Osborn Pope, born before 1755 if we believe his age from the 1800 US Federal Census of Granville, wrote his will on 3 April 1811.  His will was recorded in Granville Co North Carolina in the February term of 1812. In the Index for Granville Records under Jane Nicholson's entry, it is listed as being recorded Feb 1818 however, the record itself shows that it was recorded in February Term of 1812--another reason to seek out earlier and original sources. Within the will are the names of some enslaved with details on what should happen  after his death. See will at the site listed in the citation below.

"Granville, North Carolina, United States records," Osborne Pope Will, Feb. Court 1812, Will book Vol 7, p 229;  images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9GW-Y9C5-R : accessed Mar 29, 2024), image 245 of 710; IGN 007639740.

In addition to the will recorded in Granville County, North Carolina there was also a case filed in  Williamson Co Tennessee which focused on that probate file in the years 1825 & 1826.  If you have worked in Williamson Co TN Probate you know there was an attempt to index and contain files in folders with a listing on index cards which was meant to be somewhat of a summary of the folders contents.  While this was done with the best of intentions, it is still necessary to examine each document.  There are at least 2 cases I know of in my own research where persons of the same name have been combined into one folder without any notation which makes it appear that the documents were all for ONE person. I would caution researchers when they use this set to exam each document with this in mind.  I have contacted the archives clerk and asked them to include a notation when I found this had occurred once I sorted out which documents belonged to each of the same named persons.  That said, this Osborne Pope file is a full of information for anyone researching persons enslaved by the Granville Co NC Pope Family.  It mentions the names and ages of the children of the enslaved that have been born between the time period of 1812 and 1825.

"Tennessee Probate Court Files, 1795-1955," Probate Folder Osborne Pope(of Granville Co., NC), images, FamilySearch

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-2F3C-G2 : accessed 29 March 2024), Williamson > County Court, Probate, divorce & family records > 1800-1899 > Pewitt, Joel - Potts, Mary Ann > image 2340 of 2960; IGN # 004727159.

Union Ridge Baptist Church--Bedford Co TN Deeds

Image created using DALL-E3

I discovered a deed on which W C Cook(my 2nd Gr Grpa) was a witness.  It had to do with lands for the Union Ridge Church.  Record loss for the period of 1850ish to the early 1860s makes that era difficult to research, so anytime I find something covering that time period it really helps.  There was an attempt made to record lost deeds in a notebook by the county clerk.  Another great help is a book published on that effort by Helen and Tim Marsh. 

Marsh, Helen C., and Tim R. Marsh. "The Burned Deed Index of Bedford County, Tennessee 1852-1861". Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1999. 

The deed book entry(Deed Book NNN pg 69) on which I found W C Cook as witness is written in very faint ink but it appears that it is an attempt to make sure that the original bargain of 1854 is on record.  I've listed notes below on the dates and persons mentioned.

Thomason & John Jordan  

To 

Deacons of Union Ridge:

Wm Elmore and R A Gantt 

Original Bargained on 7 Oct 1854

Witnessed on 6 Nov 1854 by
William C Cook

D A Elmore 

William Floyd

Signed:

W T Thomason

John Jordan

Noted on 7 Nov 1854 in Notebook #2 pg 32
Recorded the same day in Book VV pg 404-405
Act of 1865 Ch 28
Registered 28 April 1877
Recorded 30 April 1877

Source:  

"Bedford, Tennessee, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QY-K92B-L : accessed Mar 24, 2024), image 61 of 638; IGN 008567899; citing, Bedford Co. TN Deed Book NNN, p 69, Deed from W T Thomason & John Jordan to Wm Elmore  &  R. A Gantt-- Deacons of Union Ridge Baptist Church part of the Duck River Association