The other day, I wrote about the Civil War pension of Samuel Henry Perkins of Cedar County, Missouri. Samuel’s father was said to be John Perkins who married Rhoda Walters Woosley on 10 October 1808. Rhoda, the daughter of Revolutionary War soldier Moses Woosley, predeceased her father and a family lawsuit named all of the children and grandchildren of Moses.

However, I had no proof of the death of John Perkins, as that branch of the family shared lots of family lore with little or no documentation so I decided to go hunting and look what was discovered among the court records of Dade County, Missouri, a place where Samuel said he had lived in his pension affidavit.

John Perkins Probate, 1 Jan 1845, Dade County, MO
Probates, Vol. 1, page 48

Whereas Samuel H. Perkins having filed his bond in the office of the Clark of the Dade County Court as administrator of the Estate of John Perkins deceased these are ther for to authorize him the said Samuel H. Perkins to administer all and singular the goods and Chattles land and tennements rights and Credits of the said Decd. and collect all money on bonds notes bills and accounts which were of the affects of said decd. at the time of his death and do all other things required of him by law on the Order of any Court having
Com_______ jurisdiction touching said administration

In testimony whereof I Joseph Allen Clerk of the Dade County Court have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my private seal there being no Official seal yet provided ———January the 1st 1845.

Joseph Allen Clerk
By _______With D.C.

State of missouri
County of Dade

I Joseph Allen Clerk of the Dade County Court do Certify that the foregoing Letters of Administration was this day duly Recorded in my office. Joseph Allen, January 1st 1844 (sic) By _____ With D.C.

This definitely doesn’t sound like a typical format for letters of administration. Cousin Eugene Perkins said that John Perkins was a trader of furs and other items. The wording of this document would tend to support someone who had done business in multiple places and over more than one county line.

I wish I knew where Eugene got his information from. (: