As previously posted I had hit a wall in regards to my research into the parents of Catherine Maria Randell. You can read more about her here and about her children here. This is my latest post about the goldmines that are probate files and how I used mind maps to help in determining family relationships.
In trying to prove Kate's parents it soon became apparent that researching the family of John and Eliza was going to be necessary. The mind map below does not include all documents obtained but does give enough to show the family connections.
The first mention of any relationship between Kate and her siblings was the probate file of Morris Randell. His will only indicates a widow, Fannie, and an adopted daughter, Lillian Meineke but the probate file lists much more. Without directly stating that they were siblings the probate includes interested parties to his estate including the children of Jonathan and Catherine. The connection has to occur through Catherine for several reasons:
- The parties mentioned do not include the three children that Jonathan Randell had with his first wife, Jane Ellen Van Wickle. The fact that only the children of Catherine were mentioned in the will shows that the relationship must have came from Catherine.
- Jonathan did have a brother named Morris but he is proven to have married first Hannah Eliza Van Wickel and second Sophia Way. Morris died 28 February 1897 and had a probate filed shortly after which mentioned his widow and all children.
Lydia's husband, James Randell, also left a will in Rockland County, N.Y. but did not give anything to nieces or nephews. Most of his estate went to Lydia with one very important bequest. He made his brother, Lewis, and two sisters, Susan and Anne, tenants in common of property that he obtained from John Randell and Eliza, his wife, situate in Harrington, Bergen County, New Jersey. This was the residence of John and Eliza and their family by the 1860 census and beyond.
The table below helps show the relationships in the probates.
People mentioned in
Probate files
Name of Testator
|
Name
of Heir
|
Relationship
to Testator (if stated)
|
Parents of Heir (from research)
|
James Randell
|
Lewis
Randell
|
Brother
|
John
Randell/Eliza Child(s)
|
James Randell
|
Susan
E Randell
|
Sister
|
John
Randell/Eliza Child(s)
|
James Randell
|
Anna
Randell
|
Sister
|
John
Randell/Eliza Child(s)
|
James Randell
|
Lydia
W. Randell
|
Wife
|
N/A
|
Lydia Randell
|
Benjamin
Blackledge
|
N/A
|
|
Lydia
Randell
|
Harry
R. Blackledge
|
Benjamin Blackledge/Amelia Randell
|
|
Lydia
Randell
|
Adelle Bennett
|
Benjamin Blackledge/Amelia Randell
|
|
Lydia
Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Brother-in-Law
|
John Randell/Eliza Child(s)
|
Morris
Randell
|
Sarah Randell
|
Niece
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
John
S. Randell
|
Nephew
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Charles M. Randell
|
Nephew
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Francis
M. Randell
|
Nephew
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
James W. Randell
|
Nephew
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Edmund
L. Randell
|
Nephew
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Minnie Syme
|
Niece
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Walter
W. Randell
|
Nephew
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Frederick L. Randell
|
Nephew
|
Jonathan Randell/Catherine Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Harry
R. Blackledge
|
Nephew
|
Benjamin Blackledge/Amelia Randell
|
Morris
Randell
|
Adelle (or Adele) Bennett
|
Niece
|
Benjamin Blackledge/Amelia Randell
|
A search of Harlem church records is currently being conducted. Due to the fact that John and Eliza were residing in the area during the time they were having children and the mention in the 1860 census where children older and younger were born there it is probable that is where Catherine was born. However, no baptisms of their children were discovered in the Dutch Reformed Church records which was the preferred religion within the Randell family. Since Eliza was born in England locating an Anglican church may be necessary.
While there is no birth, marriage or death directly saying that Catherine Maria Randell was the daughter of John and Eliza (Childs) Randell there is a lot of indirect evidence to prove the link. The fact that there are probate documents with familial relationships between people of this family and Catherine's, the vital records available to connect some but not all of the family, and a Catherine of the right age living in the household in 1850 all help in her placement within this family.