#Friday Find

Instead of posting about some record I have buried in my files, this post is about a recent find. While trying to locate court records for the estate of Elizabeth Bland Burke in the Platte County, Missouri records, I was also following leads to BLAND records since some of her siblings migrated from Tennessee to Missouri at the same time Elizabeth and her husband Henry Burke did.

In volume G of those court records is a testimony by Alfred Kirkpatrick, whom I believe to be the husband of Mahala Bland [K87B-G3M] and thus the brother-in-law to Elizabeth Burke. In this testimony, Alfred Kirkpatrick discusses the death of Elkanah Bland, son of William Bland and his wife Polly M. Bland. Not only does this testimony identify the parents of Elkanah but also the mother and grandfather of Polly M. Bland!

At this time, I can’t find this particular family on the FamilySearch tree. It is possible the Cynthia Anderson mentioned in the record is Cynthia Sims Anderson [KNBR-RY3] and daughter of William Sims [LDYT-2FY]. Hopefully, other researchers of Cynthia Sims Anderson can use this find to place Elkanah Bland in the tree.

Platte County, Missouri
Court record, 1839-1887; probate docket 1894-1901

Court record, v. G 1859-1861
film 988952 DGS 631735

image 7
Bland Elkanoh 17
Image 41 – page 17
Tuesday March 8, 1859

In the matter of the death of
Elkanah Bland Infant of
William B & Polly M Bland

Now at this day comes into open court
Alfred Kirkpatrick who being duly sworn
deposes and says he knew Elkanah Bland
who was the son of Polly M. Bland who died
in Jackson County, Tennessee and that he knew said Polly M. Bland in the
said state of Tennessee and he knows she was the daughter of Cynthia
Anderson and Grand daughter of William Simms of Monroe County
Kentucky. That he knew the said parties in the state of Kentucky &
Tennessee and that Polly Martin Bland died in Tennessee & that after
wards that William B P Bland the father of Elkanah Bland & the husband
of Polly M Bland (formerly Anderson) removed to the state of Missouri
about the year 8141, bringing with him Elkanah Bland his infant
son. and that he resided near the said Bland in the state of Miss-
ouri until August 1852 at which time he saw the said infant child
Elkanah Bland then aged about thirteen years and that when he
last saw him that he was quit [low] & not expected to live but a few
days. That his disease was the [scrofula] of which he died in a few days
afterwards as witness was informed and believes that he heard of the
death of said Elkanah Bland frequently at that time and was at the
house of William B P Bland a few days after the reported death of said
child in August 1852 and that he was then informed by all the family
of the death of said Elkanah from and of the sickness aforesaid and
was shown his grave was at the house of W B P Bland frequently after
such time and never say said child or heard of his being alive at
any time and is positive of his death at the time aforesaid and
that he is the identical boy that was the child & heir and the only
living child that survived Polly M. Bland formerly Polly M.
Anderson and further he says he is not interested in the estate of
said infant. Which said proof is ordered to be recorded