Do you have filing cabinets full of paper? Have you ever thought about discarding any of it? Several years ago, I scanned a lot of my paper files. While I discarded most of it, I still have three filing cabinet drawers full. As I’ve been working thru my 3rd great grandparents, I’ve also been working thru some of these paper files.
In my Ostrander file, I found a photocopy of a will for Edward Ostrander from Pickaway county, Ohio. Not only do I have the photocopy but I also have the receipt for my order from the Probate Division of Common Pleas Court in Pickaway county.
I recently learned about a new feature on the FamilySearch site called ‘United States Will and Deeds Experimental Search‘ (See my Experimental Search post) While I was playing around on this site, I tried to find this same will. I entered the surname OSTRANDER in the search box and then limited the results to Ohio and Pickaway county. That search found 21 items including wills, deeds and a reference to genealogies of pioneer families.
The very first ‘find’, the Pickaway Wills v. 3 1838-1851, provided a link to an image of the same will and a transcription of that will.
The fourth item on the list of results, Pickaway Wills v. 3 1838-1851, goes to pages 210 and 211 — those same pages mentioned in the margin on the copy of the will I obtained from the county.
While the experimental search feature does not provide film numbers or the image number, there was enough information for me to locate the same images and create my citations. Fortunately, those records were not ‘locked’ allowing me to find them from my home.
Using the ‘View Full Text Transcript’ link on the Experimental Search site, I was able to copy/paste the transcript into my notes and make any needed corrections. This was a lot faster than my transcribing the will myself.
Ross County Ohio
Willpage 200
Pickaway County, OHio
Probate Records,s 1810-1936Wills v. 3 1838-1851
Film 288397 item 4
DGS 5865656page 200 (image 427 of 608)
Old Book
Vol. 2 page 210-211Will of Edward Ostrander
The last will and testament of Edward Ostrander of the County of Pickaway & State of Ohio in the name of God Amen, I Edward Ostrander of the County of Pickaway & State of Ohio being in perfect sound mind & memory & understanding, thanks be unto God, calling into mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will & testament, that is to say, I give and bequeath to Margery Ostrander, my beloved wife, all that lot or parcel of land lying and being in the town of Waverly, in the County of Pike, and State of Ohio, known and designated as in lot No. 125 & 124 together with all the improvements & appurtenances
page 211
thereunto belonging, or in any wise appurtaining to the only use and
behoof of the said Margery Ostrander, my wife her heirs and assigns forever, and I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disanul all and every other former testament & will heretofore by me made. Given under my hand and seal this twenty third day of May eighteen hundred & thirty five
Edward Ostrander (seal)
Signed Sealed & delivered in presence of us
John S Prettyman (seal)
Henry May (seal)The State of Ohio Pickaway County SS
Ohio, Pickaway County. Probate Records, 1810-1936. Film #288397 item 4 DGS 5865656. Edward Ostrander, 1835; Old Book Vol. 2: page 200 (image 427 of 608); digitized images, FamilySearch http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 19 July 2023.
We Henry May and John S. Prettyman, do swear that the paper this day presented to court for Probate as the will of Edward Ostrander was reduced to writing by Fletcher Lewis and the contents thereof were made known to the said Edward Ostrander, who in our presence acknowledged the same to be his last will and subscribed his name thereto, and that we in his presence subscribed our names as witnesses. We do further swear that the said Edward Ostrander at the time of the execution of the said will was of full age, of sound mind and understanding and not under any restraint and further saith not.
John S. Prettyman
Henry May
Sworn to and subscribed in open court this fifteenth day of June 1835
S J Denny clk