Court Records

May term of the Jefferson Circuit Court, 1853. Stephen G. HICKS, Administrator of the Estate of Samuel ATCHISON, deceased;

vs.

Elizabeth ATCHISON, David ESQUE and Mary Ann, his wife; John WILLIAMS and Prudence Jane, his wife; Cenie Louisa ATCHISON, Sarah ATCHISON, Malitna ATCHISON, George W. ATCHISON, Elijah Lafayette ATCHISON, and Stephen G. ATCHISON, heirs at law of Samuel ATCHISON, deceased.

NOTICE is hereby given to the above named Widow and Heirs-at-law of the said Samuel ATCHISON, deceased, that I will apply at the May Term of the Jefferson Circuit Court, A.D. 1853, on the first day thereof, to be holden at the Court-house in the town of Mt. Vernon, on the second Monday in the month of May next _______ a decree to sell the W 1/2 of the south____ 1/4 of Section 5, in T3S, R4E, and the E 1/2 of the SE 1/4, and the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4 of Section 6, T3S, R4E, and the N 1/2 of the NE 1/4 of Section 16, T3S, R4E, the same lying and being in the county of Jefferson and State of Illinois, to raise means to pay the debts of Samuel ATCHISON, deceased ____________________________all persons interested are notified to appear and show cause, if any they have, why a decree should not be granted for the sale of said land, for the purpose aforesaid.

S. G. HICKS, Administrator, February 24, 1853

Note from Sandy Bauer:

My 4th great grandfather, mentioned above, Samuel Isaiah Atchison (1807-1852) (son of Barton Atchison (1775-1847)), was married to Elizabeth Bradford 12 Jan 1832 in Jefferson County, IL. Their daughter Prudence Jane Atchison (1835-1913) is my 3rd great grandmother and she married Jonathan "John" Calvin Williams (1831-1905) on 12 Aug 1852 in Jefferson County. Here is a photo of them with their son, Samauel Barton Williams (1853-1945) and his children after his divorce from wife Sarah Jane Rich. Samuel never remarried and raised the children on his own with help from his parents.

My maternal grandmother remembered her grandmother, Prudence, singing a song named "Beulah Land" around this log home and asked that we have that song sung at my grandmother's funeral (which we did).