Guardianship Records in Preble County, Ohio
Do you have documents in your files that likely connect to your research—but you’re not quite sure how?
That’s exactly the situation I found myself in with a set of photocopied pages from Preble County, Ohio Common Pleas Court Records, compiled by Audrey Gilbert. For years, they sat quietly in my files. Then a recent FamilySearch Full-Text Search brought them back to life.
A Closer Look at the Records
The original notes from my photocopy read:
June 26, 1823
Hetty McGuire, age 15, minor heir of Edward McGuire, chose James Crawford as her guardian. Bond: David Shankland.
Mahala McGuire, age 13, also chose James Crawford. (p. 287)
That was intriguing—but the full-text search uncovered the original court entries.
From the Guardian Docket (p. 108):
James Crawford, Guardian
Bond $75
Mahala McGuire, age 13
David Shankland, Surety
Letters granted June 27, 1823
James Crawford, Guardian
Bond $75
Hettie McGuire, age 15
David Shankland, Surety
Letters granted June 27, 1823
Further records reveal:
- Page 115:
Nathan McGuire, age 18, also appointed James Crawford as guardian on June 9, 1824, with David Shankland again serving as surety. - September Term, 1829 – Probate Court:Account current between David Shankland, former guardian, and James Crawford, present guardian of the heirs of Edmund McGuire, deceased, and Joseph McGuire, now deceased.
Nathan, Hetty, and Mahala McGuire—all heirs at law of Edmund McGuire, deceased.
Expanding the Family
A search of additional Preble County records uncovered a will for Edward McGuire, which helps clarify the family:
“…I also give and bequeath unto my four children Joseph, Nathan, Hetty and Mahalah sixty acres of land to be divided…”
The will also appears to name a पत्नी—likely Flora (possibly “Floraugh”), though the handwriting is difficult to interpret.
Reconstructing the Family Unit
Based on these records, we can tentatively identify:
- Father: Edward (or Edmund) McGuire
- Mother: Possibly Flora/Floraugh
- Children:
- Joseph McGuire
- Nathan McGuire
- Hetty (Hettie) McGuire
- Mahala (Mahalah) McGuire
The Crawford–Shankland Connection
Here’s where things get interesting.
The repeated involvement of James Crawford as guardian—and David Shankland as surety—suggests a close relationship. In my files, I have a record showing that in 1817, David Shankland married Sarah Crawford in Preble County, Ohio. Sarah was the daughter of James and Martha (Knight) Crawford.
That connection raises an important possibility:
👉 Could this James Crawford—the husband of Martha Knight—be the same man appointed guardian of the McGuire children?
If so, it suggests a network of relationships between the Crawford, Shankland, and McGuire families.
A Friday Find… and a Mystery
Despite these clues, this McGuire family does not appear (yet!) on the FamilySearch Tree. That leaves several unanswered questions:
- Who exactly was Edward/Edmund McGuire?
- What happened to Joseph McGuire, noted as deceased by 1829?
- How were the McGuires connected to James Crawford and David Shankland?
This is one of those finds that opens more doors than it closes—and that’s what makes it fun.
🔍 It’s a mystery worth chasing.
______________________
Sources:
- Gilbert, Audrey. Preble County, Ohio Common Pleas Court Records 1808-1840: Volume 1.
- “Preble, Ohio, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89QP-G87B?view=explore : Apr 25, 2026), image 50 of 412; Wright State University. Image Group Number: 005880598
- “Preble, Ohio, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99Q5-4XYC?view=explore : Apr 25, 2026), image 45 of 801; Wright State University. Image Group Number: 005880605
- “Preble, Ohio, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99QG-LW7Y?view=explore : Apr 25, 2026), image 17 of 193; Ohio. County Court (Preble County). Image Group Number: 005868427