READ FAMILY CONNECTIONS

The probate records of David Read are housed in the office of the Surrogate Court of Warren County, New Jersey, which is located in the county court house in Belvidere New Jersey. These records consist of David's inventory, bonds for administration of the estate, and orphan's court minutes detailing the settlement of the estate. I have included transcripts of the Orphan's Courts Minutes in this section. The transcripts use the original spelling and punctuation found in the documents. The copies of the Orphan's Court Minutes I consulted are not the original documents, but are copies made by the clerk of the Surrogate Court in the 1830s and placed in the County's will and inventory books. You will notice a lack of commas and periods throughout the documents. This is not unusual for the nineteenth century. Americans in the early nineteenth century were still in the process of standardizing the forms of grammar, punctuation and spelling which we use today. The probate records are indexed under R-E-A-D.

The records transcribed in this section, as well as those not included, are publically available. Copies of the documents may be ordered for a modest fee. For more information contact:

Links to Documents and Family Pages

Warren County, New Jersey Surrogate Court Records, Orphans Court Minutes Book 1, page 221

February Term 1832
Estate of David Read

Upon the application of Ann Read administratrix etc. of Daivd Reed deceased, To limit and appoint a time, within which the Creditors of the Said estate of the Said decedent, Shall bring their debts, claims and demands, against the estate of the said decedent, or else be Barred from any action respecting the Same against the Said administratrix.

It is ordered by the Court, That the Said administratrix give public notic to the Creditors of the estate of the Said David Reed, deceased, to bring in their debts, demands and claims, againist the Said estate, within one year from this time, by Setting up a Copy of this order in five of the most public places in the Said County, for the Space of two months, and also by advertising the Same in one or more of the newspapers in this State, for the like Space of time. And if any Creditor Shall neglect to exhibit his or her debt, demand or claim, within the time so limited, after public notice given as aforesaid, Such Creditor shall be forever, Barred of his or her action therefor, against Such administrtrix -

17 Feby 1832
by the Court

Warren County, New Jersey Surrogate Court Records, Orphans Court Minutes Book 1, folio 236

June Term 1832
Estate of David Reed on final to limit creditors etc.

The Court being satisfied that publication has been made according to law, of the rule of this Court entered at the last Term thereof, that the Creditors of the estate of David Reed dec^d bring their debts, demands and claims, against the estate within one year from that time (17 Feby 1832) To Ann Reed administratrix etc. of David Reed dec^d or be forever barred of his or her action therefor against said administratrix - Do thereupon order and direct that all persons having claims, debts or demands, against the estate as aforesaid and neglecting to bring in the Same to the Said administratrix within the time so limited as aforesaid, be forever barred of his or her action therefor against Said administratrix.

by the Court

Warren County, New Jersey Surrogate Court Records, Orphans Court Minutes Book 1, folio 236

June Term 1832
Estate of David Read dec^d

The petition of John Cummins on behalf of his wife Lavina Cummins one of the heirs at law of David Reed late of the Township of Knowlton County of Warren and State of New Jersey dec^d respectfully shweth, that the Said David Reed departed this life on or about the twenty fifth day of April in the year of our Lord one Thousand eight hundred and thirty one, intestate without having made and executed any last will and testement in writing, leaving Ifaac Reed, Joseph Reed, Sally Ann Reed, Ellen Reed, Jackson Reed and Lavina Cummins wife of your petitioner; his only heirs at law - That by reason of the minority of Joseph, Sally Ann, Ellen and Jackson Reed, a partition by deed of the real estate of Said deceased cannot be made between them, We therefor pray to the Court to appoint three un{illegible} and uninterested men as Commissioners to make partition of the real estate of the Said David Reed dec^d consisting of a certain farm containing one hundred and sixty acres of land be the same more or Less Situate in Knowlton aforesaid, adjoinning land of Samuel Reed, John Pearson, Jacob {illegible} and others, into six equal parts or shares, to the Said heirs at law of the Said dec^d by metes and bounds so each may hold their own in Severalty - And whereas the Said several matters so stated appear to the Court to be true - Therefore on the Said application it is ordered & decreed by the Court that Aaron Davis, Garret Howell and Henry Mingle Esquires, being three disinterested persons be appointed Commissioners to make partition of the real estate as aforesaid by metes and bounds into Six equal parts of shares between the Said heirs at law of the Said dec^d according to the {illegible} directed by an act of the Legislature entitled an act directing the decent of real estate - And it is further ordered that the report of the said Aaron Davis, Garrett Howell and Henry Mingle or any two of them made in writing to the next or any Subsequent Term of the Orphans Court of Said County after Division made and approved by the Said Court be made known Shall be Conclusive to all persons concerned -

by the Court

Warren County, New Jersey Surrogate Court Records, Orphans Court Minutes Book 1, folio 273

February Term 1833
Estate of David Read dec^d

The Commifsioners, appointed by a decree of this Court at the Term of June now last part, to make a partition of the real estate of David Reed dec^d between between [sic] the heirs at law, of the said deceased, having reported to this Court at the Term thereof, that they have made partition of the Same - The Court hereupon approve of the said report, together with the map accompanying the Same, order and decree that the Same be Recorded in the record of Division of real estate in the County of Warren, by the Court -