Do you work with Ancestry hints? If so, do you save the photos to your Ancestry tree? I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about many of these photos. I like seeing family photos and will at times save them to my tree, especially if it is of a direct ancestor or close cousin. However, my 728 screens of photo suggestions is mostly cemetery photos or images of records. Since my Ancestry tree is not my primary tree, I tend to ignore these images of tombstones and records. Instead, I try to locate the record and make sure it is attached in my RootsMagic file, attaching an image to the source in RootsMagic.

Thus, while working thru new hints on my tree, I was tempted to just ignore a photo hint for Orilda Reed Rickets.

However, when I opened the image, I could tell that this particular photo was worth learning more about.

Received of John Buckels Administrater of the Estate of Henry Cunard be seized forty three dollars and 28 cents it being my share of the above mentioned me being one of the heirs of Mary Reed March the 30 1873
John Rickets
Orriilda Rickets

Since Orilda Reed is my third great grandmother, I wanted to know more about this particular image. Fortunately, the image provided some clues to help me find the record:

• Heir of Mary Reed — Mary Buckles Rogers Reed was the mother of Orilda Reed Ricketts
• John Buckels, administrator — suggests a relationship on the Buckles side of Orilda’s tree
• Henry Cunard – Mary Buckles Rogers Reed’s sister Priscilla was married to a Henry Cunard

While I haven’t done a lot of research of my BUCKLES ancestors, I did have Priscilla in my tree with Henry Cunard as her husband. However, I did not have a death date or place for Henry Cunard. Once I connected Henry Cunard in my file to the FamilySearch tree [L4b3-W6K], I had a death date (1858) and place (Berrien County, Michigan) to work with.

Knowing that Ancestry’s records included Indiana Wills and Probate records, I decided to search the catalog to see if Ancestry also had will and probate records for Michigan.

Thus, I searched the Michigan Wills and Probate records for Henry Cunard and found a record in Berrien County.

Henry Cunard’s probate file is extensive!

Reading the first few pages of this record, I was able to confirm that this record was for a Henry Cunard who had a wife named Priscilla.

Not only does the will identify Priscilla as the widow but it also provides a link to the BUKCLES family since money is left to Henry and George BUCKLES.

Later in the file, John BUCKLES is appointed administrator of the estate.

Thus, I’m fairly certain that his file is the source of the suggested photo hint for Orilda Reed Rickets. Digging thru this file, I was able to locate the receipt signed by John Rickets and Orrilda Rickets for Orrilda’s share of the estate of Henry Cunard.

It took a little digging, but I can now cite the image in my RootsMagic software for Orilda Reed. I can also add a citation for the probate record for Henry Cunard. With a little more digging thru the receipts, I can likely identify the siblings of Orilda and Priscilla. Thus, this one photo hint is going to help me document family relationships for the descendants of James Buckles.