Have you ever come across a deed or probate record that named dozens of heirs? If so, were you able to determine how they were all related?
In a recent post, I discussed an Ancestry hint that led me to a published Hutchinson family history. That history referenced the settlement of the estate of Lewis N. Hutchinson and stated that my ancestor, Albert Hutchinson, was identified as one of Lewis’s heirs.
Naturally, I wanted to see the original documents.
So far, I have not located the document that specifically names Albert Hutchinson. However, I did find an 1885 deed involving the estate of Lewis N. Hutchinson of Wheatland, Monroe County, New York, who died intestate. Since Lewis left no will, the deed contains a lengthy list of his heirs-at-law and next of kin.
At first glance, the list was overwhelming. Some individuals were listed under their maiden names, others under married names, and several appeared only with a surname that was unfamiliar to me. The deed included names such as Miranda Treat, Octavia Harmon, Mary Rupert, Hannah Jackson Coleman, Delia Mercer, Sarah Townsend, and many others. Determining how these people fit into the Hutchinson family was far from obvious.
To help untangle the relationships, I turned to ChatGPT. Using a copy of the deed along with a RootsMagic descendancy report for Aaron Hutchinson—the father of Lewis N. Hutchinson—I asked ChatGPT to compare the names in the deed with the descendants in my database.
The results provided a roadmap. Armed with those suggested connections, I began comparing the names with individuals in the FamilySearch Family Tree. Many of the heirs could be identified as children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or grandnieces and grandnephews of Lewis Hutchinson.
What emerged was a fascinating picture of the Hutchinson family spread across several generations.
Descendants of Hollom Hutchinson
(Brother of Lewis N. Hutchinson)
- Lewis Hutchinson — LL48-Y6S
- Jane Hutchinson — 98NJ-JD8
- Myron Hutchinson — LL48-R5N
- Joslyn Hutchinson
- Wells Hutchinson
- Elizabeth Hutchinson
Descendants of Cynthia Hutchinson Finch
(Sister of Lewis N. Hutchinson)
- Miranda Treat — GSFX-94D
- Octavia Harmon — 93D7-P95
- Frank Finch — G45V-JC7
Grandchildren through Cynthia’s daughter Eliza Finch Rupert
- Mary Rupert
- Wells Rupert — L659-7VB
Samantha Hutchinson Keyes
(Sister of Lewis N. Hutchinson)
- Samantha Keyes — LKT5-95C
Descendants of Hannah Hutchinson Jackson
(Sister of Lewis N. Hutchinson)
- Harlow Jackson — PDRW-P5Y
- Dwight Jackson
- Hannah Jackson Coleman — PDR4-VB3
- Andrew Jackson
- Lewis Jackson — PDRW-RBN
Descendants of Laura Hutchinson Lamphier
(Sister of Lewis N. Hutchinson)
- Delia Mercer — LL4M-SRM
- Mary Richardson
- John A. Lamphier — 9Z75-CYC
- Sarah Townsend — LV5W-V7T
Grandchildren through George W. Lamphier
- Edward A. Lamphier — 9XJD-JYL
- Le Dran B. Lamphier
- Lydia C. Wood
- Edward Lamphier
- Mary Delia Lamphier — L83V-KZV
- Delia Lamphier
- George Lamphier — 9DC2-543
Additional descendants include:
- Milton Townsend
- Julius S. Barber
Descendants of Polly Hutchinson Sutliff
(Sister of Lewis N. Hutchinson)
Children of Milo Sutliff and Adaline Pratt
- Morris Sutliff — LZRK-RG1
- Dora M. Sutliff (wife of Morris; Isadore M. Sackett — G9KM-7R2)
- William E. Sutliff — LZRK-RRW
- Maud Sutliff — LZRK-RTN
- Bessie D. Sutliff — G9G8-1SS
- Charles Sutliff — KN7K-CKP
Children of Milo Sutliff and Elmina Dickinson
- Milo H. Sutliff — GV2S-54T
- Elmina D. Sutliff — LYZK-NPN
- Viola E. Sutliff — LYZK-VDK
Descendants of Hope Sutliff Harmon
- H. Charles Harmon — LZR1-C7W
- Julius Harmon — LZR1-C4C
As I worked through the list, I was able to identify most of the heirs on the FamilySearch tree. The deed essentially became a roadmap to additional descendants of Aaron Hutchinson and Hannah Nettleton.
The process also raised new questions. Several heirs named in the deed were not immediately identifiable in either my database or the FamilySearch tree. Are they descendants who have been overlooked? Were some listed under married names that I have not yet connected to the family? Or are there branches of the family that have simply not been researched?
For now, I have attached the deed as a source to the descendants I could identify. My next step is to investigate the remaining heirs and determine exactly how they fit into the Hutchinson family.
What began as a confusing list of names is gradually turning into a valuable clue for expanding and documenting the descendants of Aaron Hutchinson and Hannah Nettleton. Sometimes the most confusing documents are the ones that provide the greatest genealogical rewards.