South West

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 9815

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Chauncie Edgar West was born in 1888.

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 4557

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 5826
• Residence: 1830, Columbia, Boone, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 1840, Missouri City, Boone, Missouri, USA

Notes:

The following two letters were written by Eliza West Hill to her sister and brother in law, Frances West Mitchell and James Mitchell, in the early part of 1846. I have transcribed them as exactly as possible, even maintaining spelling, grammar and number of words on each line. They were both written at a difficult time in the lives of most of those mentioned, mostly children of William and Lydia George West. I obtained copies of the letters from another descendant, Earl "Gene" Owen of New Franklin, Missouri, in the mid 1980's. Digitized copies are located in the photo scrapbook section for Eliza West, the author. Gene is now deceased but was a great family historian who spent considerable time researching his ancestors..

Eric McGuire.

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Boon County Mo January the 6 1846.

Dear Sister and Brother.
I once more have the pleasure of takeing my penn in hand.
and should bee very thankful for it hoping when.
these lines comes to hand they may find you.
all enjoying the same blessing you wrote you wanted.
to know how Bransford was doing I trust he is.
doing well he is gone from this troublesome world.
he was taken sick with a pane inn his jaw or.
neck and shoulder and down into his side and.
he sufored a great deal for severeal days he then.
semed to get better for a week or such a matter.
allthow was low spirited one morning he semed.
to talk about his concerns to the children and.
seemed to be as well as he had ben for severael.
days and drank a cup of coffee then dosed of.
to sleep and some time before noon he seemed.
to stir like he was two warm they went to the.
bed and talked to him but he did not know anything.
nor could not talk nor from the apearence see.
he lay all that day and knight and the next.
day and knight till 8 O clock he then struggled very.
hard and died on the tenth of January 1846.
he left his family in a helpless situation they have a.
plenty to eat and to ware but Sarah is to be pited.

(Page 2).
she will now in a short time bee and is confined onn a.
very sickly place but if there is any place to bee had.
she will not stay there Roly is living inn sight.
of us with William Freman and will make a crop this year.
he works as hard as any other fellow we must live on.
farthers old place this year as it is not sold yet.
there is now debts against the estate except the doctor.
bill which is about forty dollars and Farthers and.
Mother buriael expences about 26 dollars.
the sale bill was near two hundred and fifty dollars.
Lindy and the buoy is not sold yet they.
both went together Peoples hired them.
I wish we were living closter together sow we could.
see each other some times so nothing more at preasant.
but remains yours affectionate sister until death.

James MitchaelM L H.
Francis MitchaelE G H.

Is there any place we can get up thare near.
you that would bee cheap.
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The first page brings news of the death of their brother, Bransford West. It is the only firm documentation found to date of the death date of Bransford (January 10, 1846). Note that the date of the letter is January 6, 1846. I have no answer for this discrepancy, except that it likely should be the 16th. Eliza details the pre-death symptoms of Bransford with a description that leans strongly in the direction of heart failure..

Eliza mentions another brother, who was living nearby - Rolla "Rolly" West. The letter documents him living nearby with William Freeman. William was the brother of Caroline Freeman, wife of Rolla West..

Eliza also notes that she is living on her parents estate. This occupation will continue until the estate is settled, and the property sold and divided among the heirs. Eliza is also careful to note new expenses against the estate, probably so there are no surprises to the heirs..

"Lindy and the buoy" is a reference to the two slaves that were owned by William and Lydia West. Lindy was the slave Malinda, and the boy was Rufus. Lydia had inherited two slaves from her fathers estate, "Malinda and Sidly", and it is assumed that they represent a later issue from these two. "Peoples" refers to a presently undocumented individual who hired Malinda and Rufus during the period of estate settlement and before being offered for sale as part of the estate liquidation process. They were finally sold on February 7, 1848, to James H. Bennett, a Boone County Doctor. Malinda sold for $336.00, and Rufus sold for $175.00..

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Boon County Mo March 15 1846.

Dear Brother & Sister I now take my.
pen in hand to let you know that we are all well at.
preasant hoping these fiew lines may find you all.
enjoying the same blessing we have nothing of.
mutch importance to wright to you any.
more than we have a great deal of sickness down.
here four Deaths in less than a week and won of them.
was Buried onn the top of the earth by a grave.
being fixed of timbers and dirt you wrote you.
wanted the estate business settled up as soon as.
possible it cant possible bee before next new year.
it can then bee if all the heirs will come and tenn.
to their business or give some person the power.
of eturny to act inn their place for it is more.
than the Administrator dear do to sell a Negro.
or land either without the heairs concent.
Sarah West has got a very fine Sunn and is about.
to move to a place where she can stay as long as.
she wants to Mr Hill and Roly will come up to see.
you all this fall if nothing happens to look.
for a home in them upper regions some where.
as I want to bee where I can see you all some.
time we wer a bout to do the last and all that.
we can doo for our poor old Farther and.
mother that is to have their Funerals Preached and.
to set under the sound of it inn the town of.

Columbia..

(Page 2).

so nothing more at preasant but remains.

yours until DeathE G H.
).
)James Mitchell.
)Frances Mitchell.

________________________.

M L H.

E G H.
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Eliza mentions the birth of Sarah Campbell West's child, Bransford West ( "Sarah has got a very fine Sunn. . . ". Note that Bransford was the last child of Bransford and Sarah West as he was born approximately a month after his father died. There is little doubt that Sarah named her last child after her husband, yet another West whose name memorialized the matrimonial union of Francis West and Elizabeth Bransford, three generations before..

The last thought notes that Eliza and family were about to visit Frances and James Mitchell until their parents were stricken by death. The letter implies, rather solemnly, that the funerals of both were held in the town of Columbia..

Bransford West died intestate in Boone County. Probate filed 20 Mar 1846, John Davenport administrator. Probate Packet in Boone County is packet #669. Packet itself not online with familysearch,.org, nor do I have a copy of it.

Bransford married Sarah 'Sallie' Campbell. Sarah was born in 1798 in Kentucky, USA; died in Oct 1861 in Boone, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 6059

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 5801

Notes:

William West died intestate in Boone County. Probate was filed 30 Sept 1845. Levi Parks appointed administrator. Packet #629. The packet itself is not online with familysearch.org nor do I have a copy of it.

William married Lydia George on 15 Oct 1796 in Winchester, Clark, Kentucky, USA. Lydia (daughter of Nicholas George and Frances Connelly) was born in 1776 in Two Mile Creek, Clark, Kentucky, USA; died on 24 Sep 1845 in Columbia, Boone, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 5803