Christopher Cranston, Charles Edward Cranston’s father, died on November 8, 1858 at age 55.  This is the record of the probate of his estate.  The estate, after expenses, contained the amount of $7,044 for distribution.  In today’s dollars, that would be approximately $201,000.  His wife (Irene) received a distribution of $2414.66 or $68,990 in today’s dollars.

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Christopher Cranston’s Estate

Probate Final Record — Probate Court, Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio

Final Record of Estates, Book No. 1, p. 560 · Estate events 1858–1862 · Hand-copied by Josephine P. Cranston, December 22, 1898

Archival note: This is Josephine P. Cranston’s manuscript copy of the official court record, certified in her hand (“Office Probate Judge. Dec. 22nd, 1898. J. P. Cranston”) as part of her genealogical work — not the original court instrument. Superscript figures reproduce the fractional cents / mills of the original ledger. Bracketed readings are uncertain. Document V in the Cranston Family Papers.

Appointment of Administrator

Be it remembered that on the 15th day of Nov. A.D. 1858, in the Probate Court of Champaign County, Ohio, on motion the Court duly appointed Charles E. Cranston Administrator on the Estate of Christopher Cranston, late of Champaign County, deceased; and Charles Lincoln, John McDonald and Eliphaz Burnham appraisers of the personal property of said Estate.

Ordered that said Administrator give bond in the sum of Ten thousand Dollars, conditioned according to law, with John B. Cranston and Edwards Cranston as his sureties; and thereupon the said Charles E. Cranston in open Court accepted said appointment, gave bond accordingly and received from the Court Letters of Administration on said Estate.

And afterwards, to wit, on the 28th day of Feby. A.D. 1861, said Administrator filed in said Court for settlement his account and vouchers, as follows:

Administrator’s Account (Summary)

The Estate of Christopher Cranston, dec’d, in account with Charles E. Cranston, Administrator, Dr.	Amount
To Costs and Expenses of administration (Schedule A)	$346.99
Cash paid sundry creditors of the deceased (Schedule B)	1,082.86⁵
Loss on debts charged in the inventory as due the estate (Schedule C)	174.59
Balance due the Estate for distribution	6,866.01
Total	$8,470.45⁶

 

Schedule (A) — Costs and Expenses of Administration

Item	Receipt	Amount
Clerk of Court for letters, &c.	1	$3.06
Publication of appointment	2	1.25
Appraisers’ fees	3	6.00
Notice of Sale & Bills	4	6.50
Auctioneer’s	5	20.00
Clerk of Sale	6	2.50
Filing Inventory & Sale Bill	7	3.97
Admission per centage allowed	—	300.31
Judge’s fee on this settlement	8	3.40
Total		$346.99

 

Schedule (B) — Amounts Paid Sundry Creditors

Date	Creditor	Receipt	Amount
1858 Nov 13	W. F. M. Morris	1	5.00
22	C. F. Waite	2	5.00
1859 Jan 1	Charles E. Cranston’s note	3	21.00
24	Mosgrove Faffe & Mosgrove	4	10.00
28	Jesse M. Brock	5	10.00
”	John M. Butcher	6	10.00
Feb 12	Charles E. Cranston’s note	7	173.33
May 25	Tax	8	41.33
Aug 12	Hamilton & Lincoln’s account	9	5.00
”	Stephen Cranston	10	8.32
17	S. E. Donehoe	11	7.15
20	John B. Cranston	12	8.32
23	Edwards Cranston	13	8.32
Sept 15	Mary L. Cranston’s note	14	35.50
Oct 1	Charles E. Cranston’s note	15	42.00
Oct 22	Benjamin Overfield’s account	16	175.32
Nov 19	Tax	17	84.07½
1860 Jan 8	Charles Lincoln	18	8.10
24	O. E. Spain’s account	19	78.05
Feb 3	Mary L. Cranston’s account	20	124.85
May 22	Tax	21	73.18
Dec 5	”	22	66.46⅜
1861 Feb 20	Guardian of Janette Spain[e]	23	82.55
Total		$1,082.86⁵

 

Schedule (C) — Amounts Received from Debts Due the Estate

Debtor	When Received	Amount
William Glendening	Nov 20, 1858	54.05
Jacob Elsworth	Dec 1	10.80
W. A. Walk	Feb 2, 1859	7.63
Joel Burroughs	Feb 10	103.00
Samuel Overfield	Mar 7	54.50
Isaac Childe	Mar 17	36.20
Rhoda Gunn	Mar 27	63.00
John B. Cranston	Apr 16	8.00
C. Meacham	Apr 16	8.00
Samuel Tyler & S. K. Reed	May 28	780.68
George Davis	June 27	27.37
Ozial Lapham	July 15	214.15
Daniel Griffin	Aug 1	41.60
B. D. Hackley	Aug 16	5.75
S. E. Donehoe	Aug 27	17.45
Joel Nation	Oct 24	5.00

 

Schedule (C) continued — debts charged in the inventory as due but not collected (fourteen items): Amount of Debt $203.51; balance of Appraisement $182.59; Collected $8.00; Lost $174.59.

Distribution to Heirs (Feb. 20, 1861)

This is to certify that we the undersigned heirs of Christopher Cranston, deceased, have received from Charles E. Cranston, administrator of the estate of said Christopher Cranston, Seven Thousand and Forty-four Dollars, as follows:

Share	Heir
$2,414.66⁶	Rene W. Cranston
462.93³⁴	Josephine P. Cranston
462.93³⁴	Charles E. Cranston
462.93³⁴	Mary L. Cranston
462.93³⁴	Henrietta L. C. Harris
462.93³⁴	Wm. W. Cranston
462.93³⁴	Helen M. Cranston
462.93³⁴	Ann E. Cranston
462.93³⁴ × 3	Rene W. Cranston, Guardian for the Minor heirs { Christopher C. Cranston, Louis N. Cranston, Otto G. Cranston }
$7,044.00	Total distributed

 

Court Settlement (March 26, 1862)

And on the 26th day of March, A.D. 1862, after due legal publication of the pendency and appointed time of settlement, the Court settled said Administrator’s account, from which it appears — and the Court finds upon careful examination of the same and the vouchers therewith filed — that after paying debts and expenses of said estate there remained for distribution the sum of Six Thousand Eight hundred and Sixty-six Dollars and one cent ($6,866.01), and that said Administrator has distributed to the distributees of said estate the sum of Seven Thousand Forty-four dollars ($7,044.00), being One Hundred and Seventy-seven dollars and ninety-nine cents ($177.99) too much, which amount is due from said distributees to said Administrator.

Office Probate Judge. Dec. 22nd, 1898. J. P. Cranston.