Refford Harrison...probate packet

Refford Harrison holds an interesting place in the intertwined lives of the "Big 8" and our Dunn ancestors. He is the son of John Harrison of the "Big 8 early Groveland settlers." His wife is Ann Keyser. Ann is the daughter of Isaac Keyser of the "Big 8" and Elizabeth Adams. Elizabeth Adams is the daughter of James Adams from Sussex, New Jersey. Two of Ann Keyser's sisters (Sarah and Catharine) marry two sons of Albert Acker of the "Big 8" (Nathan and Samuel). These sisters and families move to Ohio. But Refford and Ann stay in Groveland. Ann dies in 1855. Refford dies in 1865. At the time of his death, he has three living children. His son, William, has moved to Michigan. His daughter, Adaline, who appears to have never married, is living at Groveland at the time of his death but later moves to Michigan as well. His other daughter, Frances, is living in Livonia. However, in the 1860 census, Frances is still single and living with her father. There are two other people living in the household, an Elizabeth Holbrook, same age as Frances (26) and a ten-year old boy, Frank Prior. Who are these people?

Elizabeth Holbrook's name comes up in the probate papers (see above). So, who is she?

Albert Acker...probate inventory

Above is the probate inventory for Albert Acker. It is simplier than the one for Levi Dunn, and fun to read. It includes: two horses and harnesses, steers & yoke, plough & harrow, wheat and rye on the ground, eleven sheep and four lambs, one old wagon, one light wagon, one cow, fanning and mill, bed and bedding, old wooden clock, one cupbard, table, furniture, a lot of hollow ware [was this the precurser to Tupperware?], copper kettle, brass kettle, tin oven, lots of tin ware, washtub, cedar barrells, loom & tackling, two little wheels and one big wheel, buffalo robe, kitchen table and stand, and one crane.

It makes you wonder (and a little nervous) what they would say about your own house if it were inventoried at that level... one old swingset, one old carpet, one (no several) old beds, lots of genealogy papers, one old computer, lots of old tools, two little saws, one big saw, etc.

Probate Inventory for Levi Dunn

When you visit the Surrogate Court in Livingston County, you can ask to see the probate packets. These have been digitized. So you look up the file or packet # in a book book, find the # on the CD's provided, and send them to the printer. The pictures above are from that printout. They are of the inventory for the estate of Levi Dunn b. 1773, died Groveland.

Several of the "Big 8" show up in this document. Benjamin Parker is one of the executors. Daniel Kelly is another executor, if I had made it the Big 9, he is the one I would have included. Isaac Keyser is shown as owing the estate $3.75. And the estate owes Patrick Nixon $1. This is another instance of how the lives of these men were intertwined.

I am a bit surprised by one thing. I took the list of names who either owed the estate money or who the estate owed money, and tried to compare it to the list of heads of families shown in the 1830 Groveland census. Many are definitely there, but I was surprised by how many were not. Sometimes there is a family with the same surname, but not the same given name. I suppose this may be one more evidence that there were many more adult males incorporated into other households which may not show up on any of the early census records. I suppose this could give us hope that Simeon Dunn b. 1774 did really exist.

The handwriting and quality of copy is not easy to read. Many of the items listed in the inventory I believe are farming implements that I do not recognize. Nevertheless, here are a few of the interesting items on the inventory:

white faced heiffer

brindle bull

red and white faced calf

bull calf

small calves

yearling colt

grind stone

barrells of cider

hives of bees

cribs of corn

bunches of shingles

sled

sleigh

plows

bushels of potatoes

washtub

baskets

saddles

bags

spinning wheel

bushels of buckwheat

rifle

chains

table

clock and case

looking glass

washstand

yards of fabric

hay in stacks

hay in barn

oats

rye

wheat

grain on the ground

and other items I can't read

Parker Cemetery Lot at Lakeview Cemetery

Charles Parker headstone

Benjamin Parker headstone

Headstone, Lakeview Cemetery