A Probate Notice Reveals a Family Network
One of the most valuable genealogical records is often not a census, a will, or a deed. Sometimes it is a simple legal notice buried in a newspaper.
While researching the Hutchinson family, I came across an 1883 notice published in a Rochester, New York newspaper regarding the estate of Lewis N. Hutchinson of Wheatland, Monroe County, New York. At first glance, it appeared to be a routine probate announcement. However, a closer examination revealed a detailed list of heirs and next of kin scattered across the United States—and even South America.
As I worked through the names, I was able to identify many of these individuals in the FamilySearch Family Tree, transforming the notice into a roadmap of the extended Hutchinson family.
The Probate Notice
The notice was issued in connection with the judicial settlement of the accounts of Jerome Keyes, administrator of the estate of Lewis N. Hutchinson. To ensure that all interested parties were informed, the court published a list of heirs, next of kin, and other interested persons.
The list includes individuals living in:
- California
- Illinois
- Montana
- Michigan
- New York
- Washington, D.C.
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
Such a geographic distribution reflects the migration patterns of many nineteenth-century American families.
Identifying the Heirs
Using FamilySearch, I was able to identify many of the individuals named in the notice:
| Name | FamilySearch ID |
|---|---|
| Lewis Hutchinson | LL48-Y65 |
| Jane Hutchinson | 98NJ-JP8 |
| Myron Hutchinson | LL48-R5N |
| Miranda Treat | GSFX-94D |
| Octavia Vernon | 93D7-P9S |
| Harlow Jackson | PDRW-P5Y |
| Hannah Jackson | PDR4-VB3 |
| Lewis N. Jackson | PDRW-RBN |
| Joslyn Hutchinson | KC9M-YGC |
| Samantha Keyes | LKT5-95C |
| Miranda Lamphier (deceased) | LKTK-C4C |
| Esther A. Lusk (deceased) | K845-9YQ |
| John Lamphier | 9Z75-CYC |
Several individuals remain to be fully identified, including Wells Hutchinson, Elizabeth Hutchinson, Andrew Jackson, Julian S. Baker, Henry D. Tucker, and Jerome Keyes.
The Mary Rupert Connection
For me, one of the most intriguing names in the notice is Mary Rupert of Rochester, New York.
Recently, I have been researching Mary Rupert, Frank Rupert, William Rupert, and their possible connections to the Hutchinson family. Earlier records suggest that Mary Rupert may have been the second wife of William Augustus Rupert and may have been born a Finch.
The probate notice also names Frank Finch of Chicago, Illinois. Their appearance in the same heir list raises an interesting possibility: that Mary Rupert and Frank Finch were closely related and inherited through a shared Hutchinson ancestor.
At present, this remains a working hypothesis, but the probate notice provides another piece of evidence connecting Mary Rupert to the broader Hutchinson family network.
Connections to Earlier Research
This notice also reinforces earlier discoveries regarding Esther A. Lusk, whose obituary identified Lewis N. Hutchinson as her uncle. Since Esther had died before 1883, the notice names her executor, Henry D. Tucker, among the interested parties.
Likewise, the inclusion of John Lamphier, administrator of the estate of Miranda Lamphier, suggests that another branch of the family had already passed away before the settlement of Lewis N. Hutchinson’s estate.
These references help reconstruct multiple generations of the Hutchinson family and demonstrate how probate proceedings can preserve relationships that are difficult to document elsewhere.
Why This Notice Matters
Researchers often think of probate records as sources for wills and estate inventories. However, published probate notices can be equally valuable.
In a single document, this notice:
- Identifies heirs and next of kin.
- Provides residences for family members.
- Reveals migration patterns.
- Connects married daughters to their birth families.
- Names administrators and executors of deceased heirs.
- Provides clues for reconstructing an extended family tree.
More than 140 years after it was published, this legal notice continues to help untangle the relationships among descendants of Lewis N. Hutchinson.
Transcription
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, by the Grace of God Free and Independent:
To Lewis Hutchinson, Jane Hutchinson and Myron Hutchinson, residing at Stockton, California; Wells Hutchinson, residing at Buenos Ayres, South America; Elizabeth Hutchinson, residing at Washington, District of Columbia; Miranda Treat residing at Tuna, New York; Octavia Vernon residing at Champaign, Illinois; Frank Finch residing at Chicago, Illinois; Mary Rupert residing at Rochester, New York; Harlow Jackson, wife Jackson and Hannah Jackson residents of Jenningsville, Montana; Andrew Jackson residing at Chenoa, Illinois; Lewis N. Jackson residing at Sewardson, Illinois; Joslyn Hutchinson residing at New York City, New York; Julian S. Baker residing at Smyrna, New York; Samantha Keyes residing at Oneida, Michigan; John Lamphier, administrator of the estate of Miranda Lamphier, deceased, residing at Wheatland, New York; and Henry D. Tucker, executor of the last will and testament of Esther A. Lusk, deceased, residing at Rochester, New York; next of kin and heirs at law of Lewis N. Hutchinson, deceased, and to all creditors and persons interested in the estate of said Lewis N. Hutchinson, late of the Town of Wheatland in the County of Monroe, deceased, greeting:
You are hereby cited and required to appear before our Surrogate of our County of Monroe, in Surrogate Court, on the 31st day of July, 1883, at ten o’clock in the forenoon of that day, at the Surrogate’s office, in the City of Rochester, then and there to attend the judicial settlement of the accounts of Jerome Keyes as administrator of the estate of said deceased.
In testimony whereof, we have caused the seal of office of our said Surrogate to be hereunto affixed.
Witness, W. D. Shuart, Surrogate of said county, at the City of Rochester, the 14th day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
E. McP. NIVEN, Clerk Surrogate’s Court.
Sources
- Probate notice for the estate of Lewis N. Hutchinson, The Times-Union (Rochester, New York), 25 July 1883.
- FamilySearch Family Tree entries cited in text.