Calvin Caston Last Will & Testament

A will and testament is a legal document that names a person or persons to manage an estate or personal property after the death of another person the testator. Calvin Caston had a will.

 It was through a search of the website Ancestry.com  that I found the Last Will & Testament of Calvin Caston.  I have searched for several years concerning the date Calvin Caston died. The state of Mississippi did not register deaths until November, 1912. Calvin Caston died July 19,1912. At the time of his death, he was still a resident of Pike County, Mississippi.  His will and testament were recorded on March 29, 1912. Calvin was a member of the Masonic Benefit Association.  As a member of this association, he purchase a policy with a graduated payout with a maximum face value of $700.00 he bequeathed 1/3 to his wife Lydia Caston and 2/3 to his son Silas Caston. Seven hundred dollars in 1912 would have an approximate value of $16,874.00  in 2015. It is clear from this act that he wants to ensure that Lydia would have the financial means to care for herself and the family homestead would be maintained through his son Silas. 

Will of Calvin Caston

Will of Calvin Caston

More information to come.

----- The Tree Gardener

FAN

FAN is a mnemonic in genealogy circles for Friends, Associates and Neighbors.  In my genealogical research,  I try to accumulate information from my ancestor's FAN (Friends, Associates & Neighbors) club. The FAN of ancestors is comparable to the modern social network.   I have many surnames which include my ancestors names, their neighbors, their in laws and my in-laws. I have also found that in  genealogical  research that having the same surname in the same geographic area does necessarily equal a blood relationship.  Some surnames of individuals have no  obvious relationship I have seen repeatedly in my research.  I can not resist saving information of a family that lived in same geographic area and may or may not be  related to an ancestor.       


I have been able to people in connect FAN connections from geographic location using homestead information from the Bureau of land Management. The chart has information posted in a previous blog except for Calvin Caston.

Walkers Bridge Pike County, Mississippi

All of these men possibly knew each other prior to establishing a homestead. Calvin Caston was probably the stepfather of Irvin and Tom Brumfield. Henry Conerly knew Calvin Caston, Robert and Irvin Brumfield.  Possibly Henry Conerly and Joseph Conerly are related. I found Henry and Joseph enumerated in the 1880 census.

Henry Conerly 55 years old and Joseph Conerly 23 years old enumerated  in the  Pike County, Mississippi 1880 Federal Census

Maybe they homestead near each other because they had were friends or previously lived together.  

------The Tree Gardener

UPDATED October 11, 2022

What Do You Do When The Courthouse Has Burned Down?

 Courthouse fires, natural disasters or just neglect can be causes for lost records. In genealogy research, what can be done when documentation of events has been destroyed? Don't hit the panic button. First take an inventory of the information that was housed in the courthouse. Documents or copies may have been stored in a different location.   I have some suggestions that might with the exploration.

• Are all the records destroyed? The new courthouse may have some of the old records.
• Boundaries of counties have changed over the years. The  dated information being sought could be housed in a different county .  Pike County, Mississippi was derived from Marion County in 1815.  Marion County was derived from Amite, Wayne and Franklin Counties in 1811. Amite, Wayne and Franklin Counties were formed in 1809. Walthall County was derived from Pike and Marion Counties in 1912. I might have to investigate all these counties.
•  Many times a small portion of the information is  available in another location.   According to the United States Census Bureau, there is portion of the 1890 Federal Census that was not destroyed in the 1921 fire.  Cincinnati, Hamilton County 1890 census is available.  I plan on looking at this census record in the future.
• Some states have a state census.  Louisiana has a state census for 1853 and 1858.  Georgia has a state census for these years 1798, 1800, 1810, 1827, 1834, 1838, 1845, 1852, 1853, 1859, 1865, 1879.
• Family history genealogical information is  available at local libraries. The McComb, Mississippi Public library at 1022 Virginia Avenue  has a genealogy collection with books and family genealogy information from the area. Located there is information that you probably won't find anywhere else.
• Land records can establish that an ancestor lived in an geographic area.  In the case of the homestead records the Bureau of Land Management has homestead information including land title.
• Family members may have attended the same church and were buried in the same cemetery. Baptismal, marriage,  cemetery and funeral records maybe available.  
• Newspapers from the area may have information that preceded  the fire.
• Military records of ancestors. There is a 1890 Veterans Census which enumerated many Union veterans.
• Native Americans were enumerated in the general census as well as on reservations in 1900. There are separate  census of different tribes such as Pueblo Indians 1850 to 1879 and the 1857 Shawnee census. 
• Look in all the places your ancestor lived. An ancestors maybe an expatriate or was born in another country.  
• Make sure the information you are looking for was  stored at the courthouse.

If anyone has other ideas please make a comment.

------The  Tree Gardener

 

Calvin Caston & The Courthouse

Calvin Caston homestead took many years to establish a title to the land. It was not totally clear to me what  impediments  prevented him obtaining his land.  When I searched his homestead documents, one of reasons became clear why there was a delay.  The  Pike County courthouse burned down in 1882. The following is documentation:

Transcription:

The State of Mississippi

Pike County

I A. P. Sparkman Clerk of the Circuit Court in and for said County and State hereby that the cause for not forwarding the Final Proof of Calvin Caston was my inability to secure blanks #369 and that said proof was forwarded as soon as I received said blanks. I further certify that Calvin Caston Homestead Prcht #4260 was destroyed by fire in the Courthouse in 1882 and that he has never obtained a duplicate.

Gurr under my hand and official

 seal this 24th day of May A.D. 1889

The documents that were destroyed in the 1882 fire where important over a hundred years ago as they are in genealogical research today.

----- The Tree Gardener

Calvin Caston Homestead Part 2

Homestead Witnesses

Calvin Caston had to have two witnesses for final proof  to complete his homestead application.  His two witnesses Tom Brumfield  35 years old and Joe McEwin 40 years old  gave testimony in Magnolia March 16, 1889. They both lived at Walkers Bridge, Mississippi . 

Calvin Caston documentation of homestead witnesses Tom Brumfield & Joe McEwen

Tom Brumfield testimony solidified his connection to Calvin Caston. He gives brief information about himself in question 2 stating  his present occupation is farmer not employed by anyone since January, 1872.  Question 4  asks how far from the residence of claimant on same tract do you reside and how long have you lived there?  "1/2 mile have lived there 3 years. before that lived have lived in the same neighborhood."  Question 6 he states he has known Calvin Caston "all his life .(Calvin Caston) has lived on his claim 17 years ...."  
 Question 19 asks the claimant's actual residence and how often he was seen him upon the land. Tom states " I live in sight of claimants house, see his family on the land nearly every day know he has lived there .... "

First page of Tom Brumfield testimony for Calvin Caston's homestead 

Joe McEwin and Andrew Johnson lived near the claimant was testimony also given by Tom Brumfield.

Joe McEwin in his testimony states he is a farmer. Question 4 How far from the said claimant on said tract do you reside, do you reside and how long have you lived there? " 1/4 mile have lived there 9 years." In question 6 he says that he has know Calvin Caston  for 17 years.

First page of testimony of Joe McEwen for Calvin Caston's homestead

Joe describes that Calvin has cultivated 50 acres of land planting cotton, peas and potatoes with unknown value. Question 22 asked Give the size, construction, and material of claimant's house on said tract, and state the same is habitable during all seasons of the year. Ans. "18 x 22 ft big house with kitchen. is habitable all seasons of the year." 
Question 28  Does claimant , with his family, reside an said land as the present time? You will explain how you know he has resided there, as you heretofore stated. "They do. I live in sight of claimant house see him his  family on the land nearly every day, know he has lived on the land ...."

Calvin Caston witnesses testimony verified his residence from 1872 to 1889. There are additional rules that must be satisfied prior to the homesteader receiving title to the land  which include a thirty day published notice of  intention of  final proof  and an officer authorized to take final proof.

The published notice of final proof was made in the Magnolia Gazette newspaper.  In the notice, the name of the homesteader Calvin Caston, a description of the land (Sec. 22 T 2. N R. 9 E) and the name of the witnesses Henry S. Brummels, David Walker, Joe McEwin and Tom Brumfield all of Walkers Bridge, P. O. Pike Co. Miss. are given.  I do not have the witness testimony of  Henry S. Brummels and David Walker.

Calvin Caston finally received his homestead June 11, 1889.

 ----The Tree Gardener