SHASTEEN GENEALOGY
Houston, TX  — Updated Jan 2008
 Ray@Shasteen.com
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1811 GUARDIANSHIP AMHERST COUNTY
 

Information on the Guardianship

One of my earliest findings of puzzlement in Amherst Co Virginia (other than all the James Shasteens there) was this guardianship. The initial finding October 30, 1994 was in the Amherst County Will Book Guardianship19Aug1811goodcopy.jpg and I have my early analysis of that in the file below. The second finding May 20, 2014 (courtesy of Midge Elliott, Genealogy Researcher, Amherst County Museum and Historical Society) was in the Amherst County Court Order Book dated 19 August 1811.

 
Sources Transcriptions - Emphasis Added Notes
Amherst Co Will Book 5, page 66, Guardianship19Aug1811goodcopy.jpg and initial analysis 1811 Guardianship Amherst Co.doc Know all men by these presents that we James Chaskan & Robert Chas
kan Abner Padget are held and firmly bound unto Wm Armistead
John Rose Pete Coleman & Wm Topling Gentlemen Justices of the
County Court of Amherst now sitting in the sum of one thousand
Dollars to be paid to the said Justices or their Successors in office
for the use of the Commonwealth to which payment will and
truly to be made we bind ourselves our Heirs be jointly and several
ly firmly by these presents sealed with our seals and dated this
19th day of August 1811. The Condition of the above Obligation
is such that whereas the abov bound Jas Chaskey is this day
by {blank space in original} Guardian to Patsey Chasky. Now if
the above bound James Chaskin shall save harmless and
indemnify the above Justices in the aforesaid appointment
and shall in every respect discharge his duty as a Guardi
an aforesaid then the abov obligation to be void else to re
main in full force unto(?) Virtue      §         James Shasteen ‹seal›
Signd Sealed & ack'd                     §         Patsey Shasteen ‹seal›
In presence of                               §         Abner Padgett    ‹seal›
At a Court held for Amherst County the 19th day of August
1811. This Bond was ack'd in open Court and ordered to be
recorded                                            Test WL Crawford

 



















Crawford, last name based on prior entry, probably the recorder
Amherst Co Court Order Book dated 19 August 1811 -
(Date of filing from first entry at top of document)		 At Court of Quarterly sessions held for Amherst County
xxx xxxxxx xx the 19th day of August 1811 Present in at Rose
Wm Armistead, Edmund T Coleman and Wm Tofeling
Court Justices
On the Motion of Aaron Franklin to enjoin a Judge
present and Executions recoverd against him be A Brydce
and on hearing Bill received and Injunctions granted on
giving Bond Sicly in the penalty of Lb 50
------------
On Motion of Nelson Crawford Jno Garlard was xxx
formatte land sworn Depy Shff for the said Crawford in
this county
---------------------
On the Motion of Patsy Chasky an orphan of Archy
Chasky and over the age of 14 years Jas Chasky is ap
pointed Guardian for the said Patsy. On giving Bond
and Security $1000. Whereupon the said Jas Chasky here
personally come into Court and entered into Bond with Ro(b)
Shasted and Abner Padgett his Sectys in the penalty as
foresaid and with the condition reqd by Law.
 		 Top of page not pertinent, see third entry













(b) added for clarity after Ro in fifth line, assume in book fold.

Sectys is possibly an abbreviation for Securities. Present day is an abbreviation for Secretarys.
 

Further Analysis & Conclusions

General:
Interestingly, the filing date was the same for each document
Apparent from the Court Order Book that Patsy was and orphan of Archy and over 14

Guardian Definition: A guardian was responsible for managing the estate of a minor (or an adult judged not capable of managing their own estate), as well as for their education, debts, and representation in legal actions. The guardian was not necessarily the person with whom an orphan lived. Orphans might live with their mother, for instance, but have a guardian to manage their inherited estates. Orphans under the age of 14 had court-appointed guardians, but at 14 a child could choose their own guardian.

Present day a guardianship bond is required by an assigned person who handles the property and monies of a minor or otherwise incompetent person. Subject to its specific terms, this bond guarantees an honest accounting and faithful performance of duties. These bonds are customarily filed in a probate court

Patsy/Patsey is a nickname for Martha
 

Name Spellings:  Remember at the time, generally the writer was English literate and spelled in many cases based upon phonetics. The speaker was frequently illiterate and spoke with atypical and uneducated accents. As a result misspellings were common in court filings, even within the same filing. That being said, these two records are loaded with variations and assumptions have to be made.

The issue which complicates this guardianship interpretation is the use of Chaskan in the Will Book for James, Robert and Patsy and then closing with James and Patsey Shasteen. This is followed, presumably on the same day in the Court Order Book with Patsy orphan of Archy Chasky (which clarifies who the orphan is) and Jas Chasky and Ro Shasted. With the 1789 property tax roll listing for Jams Casky and the 1810 census entry for James Caskey,  an inclination is to lean towards the guardian being James Chasky, not Shasted/Shasteen.
 

Relationships:
Patsy Chaskey - Patsy Casky daughter of Archy / Archibald Casky deceased by 7 Feb 1804 when sister Nancy married Robert Shasteen
James Chaskan - James Casky, a relation to Patsy, possibly her brother but probably uncle (brother to Archibald Casky her father)
Robert Chaskan and Shasted - Robert Shasteen, husband of Nancy Casky and son of Phoebe Pagett
Abner Padgett - presumed brother of Phoebe Pagett (b est 1760/65 and wife of James Shasteen b est 1755/60)
 

 

 

See also:
     Caskey Family Early Notes
     Padgett Family Early Notes
     Virginia Property Tax Notes - General notes for other counties looked at
 



 
Conclusions:

Patsy (pre 1797 - ) is the daughter of Archibald Casky (1750 - bef 1804) and sister of Nancy Casky (1787-1871) who married Robert Shasteen (1775/1784 - 1825/1827) in 1804

James Chaskin / Chaskin / Casky / Casky is the guardian of Patsy and probably an elder brother or uncle (brother to Archibald Caskey)

Robert Shasted is Robert Shasteen husband of Nancy Casky

Abner Padgett is brother to Phoebe Padgett who was married to James Shasteen, father of Robert Shasteen

This means for Patsy's guardianship, these relatives were involved: sister's husband (Robert Shasteen), his mother's brother (Abner Padgett) and an uncle (James Casky b pre 1765, most likely brother to Archibald Casky b circa 1750).

The somewhat open questions linger

          Exactly what are the relationships between the families?

          Is there any possibility that these conclusions are incorrect and the "scripting" of the names leaves other viable explanations?

          Is further research likely to yield different conclusions?
 

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