Junior Is Not Always the Son and Probably Why There is No Probate

In the absence of other information, genealogists are usually advised to conclude that "junior" and "senior" does not immediately indicate a son/father relationship. Usually what is safe to conclude from a junior and senior notation is that senior was in the area first or is older than junior.

Of course, one may find proof of the relationship in virtually any record.

This 1802 assignment of an interest in a piece of real estate confirms that John Demoss Junr. of Harford County, Maryland, was the son of John Demoss. Unfortunately John Demoss the father is not referenced as "senior" in this document, but it would be reasonable to conclude that he is the senior, unless records indicate to the contrary.

John Demoss' assignment of this property in 1802 indicates that he was alive on the date of the assignment. In fact, it is the last document on which his name appears. His transfer of his property rights may also indicate why no probate or estate settlement can be found for him. It may be that after this interest was transferred there was no real property in which he still had an interest.

Tax records for Harford County, Maryland, would confirm or deny this. I'll have to add those records to my research list.


Source:

Probate genealogy articles on our site

We have updated a few of my probate articles on our site:

• Introduction to probate records
• An overview of probate records
• When there is no Probate
• Analyzing a 1761 will
• Trientje's Testate Tidbits--analyzing items from a 1920s era probate.

Hopefully I've caught all the errors, but let me know if there are bad links by sending me an email at mjnrootdig@gmail.com We are working on modifying additional articles as well.

Probate records are an excellent genealogical source and researchers need to remember that most of them are not available on the Internet.

The book:

Elijah M. Haines, The Probate Manual, Being a Complete Guide for Executors, Administrators and Guardians, Under the Laws of Illinois, with Practical Forms, Chicago, Keen and Lee, 1856, can be purchased for $12 through our website.

1856 Illinois Guide to Probate

We still have a few copies of the 1856 Illinois probate manual that was discussed in an article on this site some time ago. It is excellent reading for those with mid-nineteenth century Illinois ancestors. We will reformat the articles and repost them to this site.

The book:

Elijah M. Haines, The Probate Manual, Being a Complete Guide for Executors, Administrators and Guardians, Under the Laws of Illinois, with Practical Forms, Chicago, Keen and Lee, 1856.

Payment can be made via Pay Pal to michaeln2@winco.net---please make certain you mention the 1856 probate manual and include your mailing address. Email Michael at michaeln2@winco.net for other payment arrangements. Paypal is preferred.