Estate Administration Record for Eleanor Gilleland
1774-1776, Amherst County, Virginia
Transcription 2008 by Kate Maynard 
from a microfilm at The Library of Virginia

Kate’s notes:
I’ve transcribed the text of this document as accurately as possible, though there were a number of obstacles. The microfilm on interlibrary loan from The Library of Virginia is very badly scratched from age and use, plus the microfilm readers at my small town library are in desperate need of replacement. Nevertheless, I believe this to be a failry accurate transcription of the original handwritten script. To the best I could decipher, the composer of the document wrote the surname as Gilleland.

There are a couple of interesting observations to be made fom this document. It is apparent that Eleanor Gilliland died in 1774 though the final  disposition of her estate is dated 1776 (see the last entry at the end of the document). Further, such administration records are usually followed by the required inventory of the estate but there was no such document on this reel nor listed in the LoV index of estate administration records. This was quite a disappointment as inventories and records of sale can be quite revealing about the way a person lived, what station they may have held in life, what interests they had and which neighbors, friends and family were part of the person’s life.

On the plus side we do find the names of John and Hugh Gilleland in the document, though in a 1783 census of “heads of households” for old Amherst County only Hugh’s name is listed. So for each nugget of dicovery we also have another layer of mystery.

Text of the original document, transcribed:

Know all men by these presents that we John Gilleland, Hugh Gilleland & James Meneer are held and firmly bound unto William Cabell, James Nevil, David Crawford and Alexander Reid Junr  Gentlemen Justices of the Court of Amherst County now sitting in the sum of two hundred pounds to the payment whereof well and truly to be made to the said Justices and their successors we bind ourselves and each of us, [our] and each of our heirs, Executors and Administartors, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents, Sealed with our Seals this third day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy four and in the 14th year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third.

The Condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bound John Gilleland administrator of all the goods, Chattels and Credits of Eleanor Gilleland deceas’d to make or cause to be made a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the goods, Chattels and Credits of the now decease’d which shall come to the hands, possession or knowledge of him the said John Gilleland or into the hands and possession of any other person or persons for him, and the same is made as exhibit or cause to be exhibited into the County Court of Amherst at such time as he shall be thereunto required by the said Court, and the same goods, chattels and Credits of the now deceas’d at the time of her death which at any time after shall come to the hands or possession of the said John Gilleland or into the hands or possession of any other person or persons for him as well and truly administer according to Law, and farther, do make a just and true account of his actings and doings therein, when thereto required by the said Court, and all the rest and residue of said goods, Chattels and Credits, which shall be found remaining upon the said Administrators account (the same being first examined and allowed by the Justices of the Court for the time being) shall deliver and pay unto such persons or persons respectively as the said Justices by their order, or Judgment, shall direct, pursuant to the Laws in that case made and provided and if it shall hereafter appear that any last will and Testament was made by the deceas’d and the Executor or Executors therein named do exhibit the same into the said Court making request to have it allowed and approved accordingly, if the said John Gilleland being [thereunto] required to render and deliver up his letters of Administration, approbation of such Testament being had and made in the said Court, then this Obligation to be void and of none effect or else to remain in full force and Virtue.

Sealed & delivered   }                                                                                      John Gilleland
in the presence of                                                                                            Hugh Gilleland

                                                                                                                      James Meneer Jr

At a Court held for Amherst County the 3d day of October 1776 This Bond was acknowledged by John Gilleland, Hugh Gilleland and James Meneer Junr to be their [amt of] Due and Ordered to be Recorded

                                                                                                                            Test
                                                                                                                       [Ben] Pollard, D.C.