To John Tillson1Jump to section
Dear Sir: Feb: 15. 1850
A Mrs. Stout, formerly a Miss Huldah Briggs, of Vandalia, and who says she knows you, has become a near and favorite neighbor of ours. She thinks that some relatives of hers in Bond county have not done exactly right with her in relation to the estates of her grand-father & grand-mother, and that you have some knowledge on the subject.
The out-line of her narative is, that her father, Charles Briggs died in Mass. in 1822 or thereabouts; that her grand-father, Richard Briggs, died at Boston about 1833, leaving some property; that her grand-mother removed to Bond county, Ills, bringing her husbands means with her, and acquiring some herself by means of a pension, & divided some $5000 out to her five living children, giving nothing to Mrs. Stout, or to the children of another deceased child. In 1842 her grand-mother also died, leaving some property, as Mrs. Stout thinks, but of which she still got nothing.
If you can, please answer me these questions---
Did her grand-father make a Will? & if so what was the substance of it?
Did her grand-mother bring means of her grand-father to this country? & if so what went with it? Did her grand-mother make a Will? & if so, what was the substance of it?
Has there been an administration on either estate.
Any thing further which you may know. I shall be much obliged if you will do this. Yours truly A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] ALS, IHi. John Tillson, whose name Lincoln misspells, was a wealthy and prominent citizen of Hillsboro, Illinois, until 1843, when he removed to Quincy in the interest of his business investments.