Mary Ellen (Dame) Shackford (1810-1902) possibly learned the importance of having a will after seeing how long it took to settle the estate of her father, James Chadborne Dame.
James Chadborne Dame, the son of Joseph and Patience (Chadbourne) Dame was born August 25, 1770 in Barnstead or Newington New Hampshire and married Phebe Agnes Ayers on January 11, 1795. We find James in the 1810, 1830, 1840 census records and know from various books that he was a well known teacher who had three sons and three daughters. We also know that he moved to Concord, NH in 1846. James’ wife Phebe died there on October 30, 1854 and he died on October 10, 1859.
On Jan 24, 1860, James’ son George and his daughter Harriet P Dame asked the court to appoint George as the estate’s administrator and their request was approved. It appears that George did not complete his responsibilities before his death on August 24, 1863 so his sister Mary Shackford petitioned the court for an Administration De Bonis Non (a second administrator to replace the first who has died or been removed from his/her responsibilities).
ADMINISTRATION DE BONIS NON. page 38
State of New-Hampshire
Merrimack, ss
At a Court of Probate holden at Concord in and for said County on the Fourth Tuesday of April Anno Domini 1864, before the Hon. Judge of Probate for said County:
Upon the petition of Mary Shackford of Concord in said County; respectfully representing that James C Dame late of said Concord and last an inhabitant in said County, has lately deceased, intestate, having at the time of his death, estate in said County of Merrimack, that George Dame of said Concord who was duly appointed Administrator of the estate of said James C Dame has lately deceased not having fully completed his administration of said estate; praying that administration de bonis non may be granted to John Abbott of Concord.
Upon examination of said petition it appears that the facts therein alleged are true. It is therefore decreed that administration de bonis non on the estate of said deceased be granted to said John Abbott
Attest, Isaac A Hill Register.
STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
Merrimack, ss.
THE JUDGE OF PROBATE FOR SAID COUNTY,
To John Abbott of Concord
WHEREAS, James C Dame late of Concord
in said County, has lately deceased, intestate, and whereas George Dame who was duly appointed Administrator of the estate of said James C Dame has lately deceased not having fully completed his administration of said estate;
Therefore, trusting in your care and fidelity, I do, by these Presents, hereby constitute and appoint you Administrator de bonis non of the estate of the said James C Dame deceased, not heretofore administered upon, with full power to administer the same; to ask, gather, levy, and receive all and whatsoever credits of the said James C Dame while he lived, and at the time of his death, did appertain’ to pay all debts in which said deceased stood bound, so far as said estate can extend; and well and faithfully to administer and dispose of said estate according to law. You are to make, or cause to be made a true and perfect inventory of said estate; and the same to return, upon oath, to the Judge of Probate for said County, within three months next existing; and to render, upon oath, a plain and true account of your said administration, within one year next following.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have herein set my hand and the seal of the said Court of Probate
Dated at Concord, in said County, the 26th day of April A. D. 1864
Hamilton E Jenkins, Judge of Probate
A true Record, Attest Grace A Hill Register
The court approved her request and appointed John Abbott to administer the estate.
We’re still hunting for the rest of the details of the administration of James’ estate so we can see if it lists the names of his living children. (They are listed in many books but we’re hoping to help out someone looking for other documentation regarding the relationships in this family).
All posts on this website are a work in progress. We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared. Also we’d love it if you’d like the post here or at http://www.facebook.com/shackfordgenealogy) as that helps share the post with others. Thanks!
SOURCES:
1810 United States Federal Census, Strafford County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Barnstead, James Dame; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2017).
1830 United States Federal Census, Strafford County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Barnstad, James C Dame; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2017).
1840 United States Federal Census, Strafford County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Barnstead, James C Dame; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2017).
New England Historic Genealogical Society, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register for the Year 1860, Volume XIV (Boston: Samuel G. Drake, 1860), Jan, page 84, Marriages and Deaths; digital image, HathiTrust (https://babel.hathitrust.org : accessed 19 January 2017.
“New Hampshire Marriage Records Index, 1637-1947,” Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2017), John Dam m Phebe Ayers
New Hampshire, Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982,” digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 January 2017), John C Dame; Merrimack>Probate Records, Vol 035-036, 1858-1864, page 100
Poole Murray Edward, The history of the Treman, Tremaine, Truman family in America (Ithaca, N. Y.: Press of the Ithaca Democrat, 1901), page 1296; digital images, Hathi Trust (http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009569902 : accessed 25 February 2015
States James Noyes, Genealogy of the Ayers Family of Fairfield County, Connecticut (New Haven, Connecticut: 1916), page 78; digital image, HathiTrust (http://babel.hathitrust.org/ : accessed 19 January 2017.
Copyright 2017 Joanne Shackford Parkes (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not copy this material and paste it elsewhere)
Be it known, That I,
SHACKFORD Family History 