Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-28


the house OF VIM. Rhodes. ON the second Tues
day, being the 14th day, of April. The COM
missions OF the officials named, signed by Presi-
dent Jefferson. are spread upon the minuter
The book also shows that James Sewell Nor
sell. afterward judge Of the old Circuit Court
and A. Is. Woodward were admitted as attOr-
neys. The first regular probate business was
in the form Of an order granting letters Of ad-
minstration in the estates of Wm. Young and
Ruth Ann Young to Alexander Young at the
expiration OF seven days in filing bond APP
proved by the court.
APPRENTICESHIP IN THE oLDEN TIME.
Under the date Of April Is appears the ap-
premiership of Henry Joyce, boy of fifteen
years, to Vim. Giberson to learn the bricklaying
business, at which trade he was to serve until
he reached his ma jority, the said boy agreeing
to serve his employer faithfully and the master
to feed and clothe him and teach him to read
1t is interesting to note that fully if not more
than one-haH the volume is required for SINH
lar entries
On the same date april 15) is an entry of the
filing OF copy of the will of the late Gustayus
Scott OF Montgomery county, Md. by Elias B.
Caldwell and an order directing that letters of
administration with the will annexed be issued
to Major Caldwell on his fling bond in the
sum OF $50, 900.
On the same date is an order recitinp that
the court had been informed that one Of the
executors of the will of John Emery was out of
the county and directing publication for
three weeks in the Georgetown Museum and in
newspaper published in Baltimore.
1t would appear that in those old times the
rule was to petition the court for probate of
wills, the issuance of letters. &c. orally. for
the proceedings show numbers of orders for
probate, but no reference is made as to the pc
titions or other papers on file.
WHEN COURT ADJOURNED.
Tradition has it that prior to the location of
the court and the register of wills Office in the
west wing Of the court house the court
was movable; that business was as often trans
acted at the residences OF the judge and regis
ter as at their Office. /: is stated also that
when located in the court house the Judge and
register would sometimes pass the business
hours without business caller. As one of
our residents used to say: .'The judge came in
at 10, took seat in front of the fire in the
CRATE, and read his paper The register took a
good-sIzed chew of tobacco and spit at the fire.
and when about o'clock he had put the fire
out, the judge would say. Courts adjourned
and leave the register to lock up"
LISTS OF THE JUDGES AND REGISTERS.
As stated above ". Hammond Dorsey was
appointed judge In 1901 by President jefferson.
He served till 1906. when Mr.. Jefferson APP
| pointed Robert Brent, and he served till 1919.
when PRESIDENT Monroe appointed Richard
Bland Lee. and in 1877 President John Quincy
Adams appointed Samuel Chase who served
| till 1888. DR.. n. p. Causeen was then an
| pointed by President Van Buren,, and served
ten years, being succeeded by Judge Purcell
| appointed by President Polk in lS4S Judge
Purcell was the last of the old line, serving till
! 1870 when, by act of Congress, the Orphans
| Court was made branch of the Supreme
Court OF the District of Columbia. and has since
! been presided over by one of the Justices
The registers OF wills have been John Hewett
| from 1901 to 1885, james II. Blake till 1919, Ill
/ G. Neale till 1886, E. N. Roach till 1861. anf
these all died in Office. Then Moses Kelly
served till 1862, z. c. Robbins till 1866, Col
| James X. o Burne till 1869, Col. Amos Webste,
till 1881, II. J. Ramsdell till 1886, when tn,
present register took charge.
/ THE PRESENT ofrICE-oRowrH OF THE wopu
The court was held in the basement of tn,
| west wing of the coSrt house for MANY wears
but about the beginning of the civil war the
registers Office was located on the third f,oo
| OF the City Hall. adjoining what was then tn,
| aldermen's chamber, and liz the registers ofic,
| the court was held. In 1883 the court wa
| moved to the room in the northwest corner o.
the building now occupied by the recorder Of
| deeds. and three years afterward to the presen
| location, the court room proper being occupied
by the register and his deputy and the clerk
occupying room adjoining on the west. Will,
| tins Is also a convenient file room Thes,
| quarters are conveniently arranged and tho
| once Is today in better working order thar
ever before 1t Is needless to say that tn,
| Office could not be conducted now on the OLE
system, as the growth Of the work has made i
| necessary not only for enlarged accommoda
tons, but for more systematic methods. Som,
idea OF the growth Of the work may be obtaine,
| from the following figures:
The papers, all of which are in file cases. will
the records. show that from 1901 to 1878 ther,
were about $500 administrations and 500
guardianships-an average of ITO OF the forme
and nearly 10 OF the latter per year. The nel