Representation for our boys Tom and Clarence(1913)

Several weeks ago I found a trust deed signed by my Great-Grandparents, William Green Cook and wife Jane B King Cook. The trust deed was made to secure representation for their two sons, Tom and Clarence. It was also noted that the hearing was on the 10th of January 1913 in Christiana, TN. So what was this all about?

I searched all the Rutherford County court records for the period available on FamilySearch but found nothing about it or from the Christiana court. I contacted the Rutherford Co TN archives and told them what I had searched. They searched for that time frame in the additional records but came up empty-handed. There was a gap in the local newspapers for that time, so unless it was something big, it likely would not have made the surrounding area papers.

We have reached the conclusion that it was something minor. My Grandfather was their son, Tom. This would have been 10 months into his marriage to my grandmother and a little over a week after their daughter Magnus was born. W. H. Crowley was the attorney they secured. I'm not sure if any of his papers survive. That may be my only hope to find out what this was all about.

Tom & Clarence Cook

Source:

Rutherford Co TN Trust Deeds, Vol O p 126, Trust Deed W G Cook & Wife to W. H. Crowell; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTC-TNHW : accessed 18 January 2025), IGN 8332413, Image 69 of 648.

Hugh Clawson's guardian documents in Franklin Co. Arkansas(1881)

I found another document mentioning James P. Cook(son of Wm C & Elizabeth Putman Cook). The file that contains the document is labeled Hugh Clawson.  Hugh was the 1st husband of James P Cook's stepdaughter, Tennessee "Tennie" Ferguson.  I've written about Tennie many times in the last few years.  These documents exist because Hugh needed a guardian to give permission to marry since he was not yet 21 and had no living parents.  Since he was over 14, he was allowed to choose his guardian and he chose C.M. Duncan. James P. Cook signed the bond with C. M Duncan. Hugh and Tennie married the next day.  In January of 1886, Tennie filed for and was granted a divorce from Hugh on the grounds of desertion.

Franklin Co Arkansas Probate Court Records 1835-1958

Clawson, Hugh minor 1881 3 papers

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99W3-GZ19
IGN 7117451 Image 744-49 of 2050

Image 744:  Folder Clawson, Hugh minor 1881 3 papers

Image 745:  Application: In the Franklin Probate Court
To Hon A E Cope Probate Judge of Franklin Co
Your Petitioner Hugh Clawson
would respectfully represent unto your honor
that he is a minor under the age of
twenty-one years being at this time twenty
years old,. that he has no father or mother
now living that he has any knowledge of and
had no property either real or personal.
He further states that he has no guardian
and desires that your honor may op-
point one for him and being over the age
of fourteen years and entitled under the law
to select his own guardian, he has therefore
chosen C.M. Duncan of Franklin County
Arkansas and prays that your honor
will appoint him his guardian until
he arrives at his majority or until he
may marry and he will ever pray etc.
Hugh Clawson

Sworn and subscribed to before me this
14th day of Nov 1881
J. O Alston clk

Image 746:  Application of Hugh Clawson to have C M Duncan appointed Guardian Filed Nov 14th 1881 J O Alston clk Granted Feby term 1882

Image 747:  Guardian Bond: State of Arkansas County of Franklin C. M. Duncan appointed Guardian Approved Nov 14th 1881 J. O. Alston Jas. P Cook listed/

Image 748: Back of Guardian Bond-- C.M. Duncan Guardian for Hugh Clawson
Bond
Filed Nov 14th, 1881 J. O. Alston Clk
for marriage license
recorded
Approved Feb Term 1882 A E Cope Judge

Image 749:  C. M. Duncan appointed Guardian of Hugh Clawson after entering bond of $100 by James O Alston Clk of Circuit Court Franklin Co Arkansas

Notice of Estate of Jos. S. Cook--The Weekly Review(June 1839)

In Wm C Cook's role as administrator of the estate of Jos. S. Cook(relationship unknown), he placed a notice in the Weekly Review--a Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee Newspaper.  I'd looked for a publication that carried a notice for Joseph's estate but had not found one until this morning when I ran a search using the FamilySearch full-text search.  I am so thankful they are now adding newspapers from their digital collection.

Estate of Jos. S. Cook, Dec.

The undersigned, as administrator of
the estate of Joseph S. Cook, deceased,
having suggested to the clerk of the Will-
iamson county court, the insolvency of said
estate under the Act of 1833, chapter 36
hereby notifies all persons having claims a-
gainst said estate, to file them with said,
clerk, legally authenticated, on or before
the 10th day of December 1839, or this
notice will be pleaded in bar against them.
This 10th day of June 1839
Wm C Cook
Administrator of Jos. S. Cook, dec'd
Printers fee $4

So added to my To-Do list is a Joseph S Cook Estate Timeline which I will post once I have completed.

Source
"Estate of Jos. S. Cook, Dec.", The Weekly Review (Franklin, Tenn), June 214 1839, Vol 8 No 51 p 3(unnumbered) c 6; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKW-5H9L-V : accessed 6 January 2025), IGN 8141796, Image 49 of 640.

Funeral costs in Trust Deed records(Rutherford Co. TN, 1922)

Nora Preston Cook, wife of Wm. Clarence Cook died of pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 28. Not only was Clarence facing raising their 3 sons who were under 6 years of age on his own, but he also had to come up with money for his wife's burial. So he, his father, and his father-in-law did what they had to do to come up with the money to bury Nora. To secure the burial which was handled by Woodfin & Moore, Clarence, his father, and his father-in-law put up property to secure the services and guarantee that the burial costs would be paid. We find out the details in Rutherford Co TN Trust Deed Book TT page 420, which gives the listing.

• 1 white-faced cow 5 years old property of Clarence Cook valued at $ 50.00 said cow is at Christiana Tenn
• I white-faced cow 6 years old property of J. B Preston valued at $ 80.00 Said cow on Frank Manken farm in the 24th District
• 1 bay horse 6 years old property of W. G. Cook valued 75.00 Said horse is at Christiana Tenn.

Sources:
Trust Deed Book Vol TT p 420, Clarence Cook et al Mortgage to Woodfin & Moore pg 420; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTC-GP1G : accessed 2 Jan 2025), IGN 8332417, Image 539 of 651.

"Tennessee, Deaths, 1914-1966", Rutherford Co. TN, Death Certificate File # 134 --Nora May Cook, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DY49-NTJ? : accessed 2 January 2025), IGN 4184089, image 603 of 2306.