joanna whiting french probate

I wrote a blog post for Joanna Whiting French here, before I had access to her probate record.  The following blog entry will just be about her probate from Plymouth County. 

Joanna died in South Scituate, June 27, 1887.  The docket for Joanna French (Plymouth County Probate 3624) is listed below, from familysearch.org's database, Massachusetts, Plymouth County Probate Records, 1633-1967.

Plymouth County Probate for Joanna French 1888

Plymouth County Probate vol. 174, p. 487:

• petition for administration of Joanna French's estate by Benjamin W. French
• appointment granted
• Alpheus Thomas, Elisha C Sprague sureties - Benjamin W. French to make inventory of Joanna's estate
• signed in presence of Lucy A Thomas, Josie M French
• June 25, 1888

Plymouth County Probate vol. 169, p. 463:

• affidavit of motion of appointment filed for Benjamin W. French, administrator of Joanna French's estate
• Oct 28, 1889

Plymouth County Probate vol. 163, p. 595:

• Edwin Beal, Edward A French, Charles N Gardner - to appraise the estate of Joanna French, deceased, intestate - deliver the order of doings to Benjamin W French, administrator
• $326.00 personal estate, as per schedule exhibited. (but i do not see a schedule of inventory)
• Oct 29, 1889

The main person in these documents, other than Joanna, is the administrator, Benjamin W. French.  Benjamin is the second oldest son of Joanna and Freeman French.  I did not find a familial connection between Joanna Whiting French to either Alpheus Thomas or Elisha C. Sprague, listed as sureties in her estate.  None of her daughters or sisters were married to anyone with these surnames.  I also did not find a connection to two of the people appointed to appraise her estate, Edwin Beal and Charles N. Gardner.  The third appraiser is Joanna's youngest son, Edward A. French. 

I have not had much experience looking at probate documents, but I do find it a little strange that Joanna's husband, Freeman, is not listed in any of the documents.  Maybe it is because he was about 86 years old at the time of his wife's death and was not able to handle legal matters.  I do also find it strange that Freeman does not have any probate records of his own when he died almost two years later.  Maybe his possessions were dealt with before he died.  It would have also been nice to see the inventory of Joanna's possessions that amounted to $326.00. 

to do:
1. find Plymouth County deed records for Freeman French to see where their land ended up.