I started looking at this document because of the side comment about the children of Joel Mathews. Without checking the dates, I thought that might be my Joel, since several of the children had the same names. I had not realized that Joel's brother had also named a son Joel. The original document was at the Georgia Archives in the Crawford County miscellaneous probate records, in the box Lacy, William - Mays, Willie, File James Mathews. There seems to be some confusion among Crawford County descendants with many people listing James sr as having died in 1889, whereas this probate makes it obvious it was 1875. There is also massive confusion about his son Joel F (possibly Forest) with his death date often being listed as 1887, the date that Joel Franklin, my ancestor, died. Again, it is obvious here that Joel F. the son of James was dead by 1875. Considering that his youngest known child, Bettie, was born in 1859, it seems likely that he was killed in the war, which would account for the lack of a tombstone or obituary. More work is needed there. There is no reason given for Martha Mathews Miller and her husband Thomas having backed out of the agreement. David did post notification of his petition in the Macon Messenger but nothing further was noted and James N. continued as executor of the estate.
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Added at top by the Archives - Mathews, James
Document:
Georgia, }
Crawford County}. August term Court of Ordinary
To the Honorable the Ordinary of said County:
The Petition of David M. Mathews, Martha J. Miller, Elizabeth Britt, Matilda A. Felts, Thos J. Miller, husband of Martha Miller, K.L. Britt, husband of Elizabeth Britt, + F.A. Felts husband of Matilda A. Felts, [written in above] and Martha Mathews wife of Joel Mathews deceased and Thomas Mathews, William Mathews, Wesley Mathews and Betty Hall [Bottom line on side comment illegible] respectfully showeth that the said David M. Mathews, Martha J. Miller, Elizabeth Britt, and Matilda A. Felts are children of [added in on top] and said Martha Mathews & Thomas Mathews, Wm Mathews, Wesley Mathews, & Martha Jones as distributees of the estate of Joel Mathews decd son of James Mathews James Mathews late of said County deceased and as such are a majority of the lawful distributees of the estate, that in answer to the citation published they caveat the granting of letters of administration by this court to James N. Mathews on the estate of James Mathews deceased.
And petitioners further show that in lieu of the said James N. Mathews they have selected and chosen David M. Mathews, one of the distributees abovementioned as their preference for administration upon the said estate.
And your petitioners pray that the said David M. Mathews be made and appointed by your said court the permanent administrator upon the estate of the said James Mathews deceased as the law in such cases provides &c
And your petitioners will ever ?pray?
this Aug 2nd 1875
//signed// David M. Mathews
//signed// Elizabeth Britt
//signed// K.L. Britt
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Test:
//signed// Alliena Adams Martha (her x mark) Mathews
William (his x mark) Mathews
Wesley (his x mark) Mathews
Thomas (his x mark) Mathews
Betty (her x mark) Hall
//signed// Matilda A. Felts
//signed// F.M. Felts
