Cherokee Families of Rusk County, Texas

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Biographical Sketch of the Family of John Adair Bell (1805-1860)

By Phil Norfleet

 

Third marriage of John Adair Bell:

On 14 December 1847, at Beattie's Prairie, the Reverend Cephas Washburn married John Adair Bell to Mrs. Sabra Buffington.  She was the widow of Joshua Buffington. [See the Fort Smith Herald (Arkansas), dated 23 December 1847.]  Mrs. Buffington was Bell's third wife.  She apparently died before her husband, who died in Rusk County TX. in 1860.

 

Petition re the Estate of John Adair Bell, Deceased - Filed 07 January 1861:

The following is a transcript of the petition of James W. Ivey & wife Charlotte and Harvey Shelton & wife Anne, to the Court of Rusk County TX,  filed on 07 January 1861.  Charlotte and Anne were both daughters of John Adair Bell, deceased The petition concerns the personal property of the Estate of John Adair Bell, who had died intestate in 1860.  George Harlan Starr and Lucian B. Bell had previously been appointed as administrators of the Bell Estate in October 1860.

THE STATE OF TEXAS COUNTY OF RUSK

In the County Court, January Term 1861, Estate of John A. Bell Dec'd,

To the Hon. Chief Justice of said Count your petitioners James W. Ivey & his wife Charlotte resident citizens of the county of Rusk & State of Texas & Harvey Shelton and his wife Anne Resident citizens of the county of Lamar in said State respectfully show unto your honor, that John A. Bell late a resident citizen of said county of Rusk departed this life intestate on the ___ day of 1860 and that at the October Term of 1860, of his Honorable Court, George H. Starr a resident citizen of said county of Rusk & Lucian B. Bell, a resident citizen of the Cherokee Nation were by said court appointed administrators upon his estate, and that said Starr & Lucian B. Bell duly qualified as such administrators & took upon themselves the burthen of administering said estate your petitioners further show unto your Honor that said Starr & Lucian B. Bell as such administrators returned into this court and inventory and appraisement of said estate on the 3rd day of November 1860 declaring that the property therein described was a true list of all the property of said estate which had come into their hands your petitioners further show unto your Honor that the inventory so returned by said administrators is not a complete inventory & appraisement of the property belonging to said estate, and that in addition to the property included in said inventory & appraisement the said John A. Bell died possessed in his own separate right of the following property to-wit:

[List of personal property]

Your petitioners further state that said property still belongs to the estate of the said John A. Bell Dec'd that the same is in the possession or under the control of said administrators & ought to be administered in the same manner as the other property, belonging to said estate, your petitioners further show that they are interested in said estate, because they say that the said Ann Shelton who is the wife of the said Harvey Shelton & the said Charlotte Ivey who is the wife of the said James W. Ivey are children of & next of kin to the said John A. Bell Dec'd & as such entitled to share in the distribution of his estate. Your petitioners therefore prays your Honor to cause the said George H. Starr & Lucian B. Bell to be cited to appear and answer this petition according to law and upon the final hearing of this complaint that your Honor will appoint appraisers to appraise the property above described & order that said George H. Starr & Lucian B. Bell as administrators as aforesaid return and additional inventory and appraisement of said estate embracing the property & effects above specified & described, and your petitioners pray for such other & further relief as their case may seem to require etc.

/S/ W. Stedman

Attorney for Petitioners

 

 

 

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