Research notes › somerset-estates-cramer-king-2026-11-07.md

Somerset County estate records — Cramer / King links (2026-11-07/08)

Source: FamilySearch "Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994", Somerset County, Clerk of the Orphans' Court (catalog koha:122932). Browse-only images, read in Chrome.

What was checked

Index to estate records 1795–1921 (DGS 5535023, 657 images; indexed by surname initial, then given-name initial): - C / A (image 104) — row: "1820 | No. 1 | Cramer, Adam | late of Somerset Co | letters 3 Feb 1820 | administrators Samuel & Christian Cramer"; Bonds/Personal estate vol 2 p 232; Accounts recorded vol 2 p 350–351; an Orphans' Court docket reference "6 284" (column uncertain — probably Appointment of Guardian or Sales of Real Estate). Images saved: - familysearch_1820_estate-index_Somerset_Adam-Cramer-letters-1820-02-03-admrs-Samuel-and-Christian-Cramer_full-spread.png - familysearch_1820_estate-index_Somerset_Adam-Cramer-letters-1820-02-03-admrs-Samuel-and-Christian-Cramer_row-zoom.png - Adam died intestate (administration, not a will). Administrators Samuel and Christian Cramer are probably his sons; Benjamin is not named in the index row. - C / B (image 106) — no Benjamin Cramer estate 1843–44 (only Benjamin H. Cramer/Craw… 1918 and 1921, a later man). Also none under K / B (image 277: Kramer/Kreamer). So Benjamin H. Cramer (d. 1843-12-18) either left no Somerset estate file or it was filed under another spelling not found. - C / A also lists "1843 | No. 27 | Cramer?, Andrew" (no letters date) and "1829 | Cramer?, Andrew" — surnames hard to read; not followed.

Orphans' Court Docket v. 1–2, 1793–1827 (DGS 5535029, 261 images): images 140–141 = OC Docket 2 pp. 229–232, August 1816 (Stahl, Ramsberger, Shaff estates) — so the index's "2 232" is NOT the OC docket page (that page is 1816, not Adam's 1820 estate); "2 232" is the Bonds book, which is not in this filmed set. The 1820 OC entries for Adam Cramer's estate are later in Docket 2 (roughly images 180–240) — not reached: the FamilySearch session signed out at image 200 (sign-in page; I cannot sign in).

Not filmed in koha:122932: administration Accounts books for the 1820s (index "Accounts 2 350–351") — the catalog item only has Dockets 1–18, Executors 1850–1913, Auditor 1839–1907.

Second pass (2026-11-08, after Andrew signed back in)

Orphans' Court Docket 2 (DGS 5535029), images 185–191 read: May 1819 (p. 316) → June/Aug 1819 (pp. 323–326) → Nov 1819 (pp. 327–329) → then directly February 1821 (p. 330). The clerk's note at the foot of p. 329: "See page 53 for 1820." So the 1820 terms — where Adam Cramer's estate (letters 3 Feb 1820) would appear — are not in this volume's sequence. Page 53 of Docket 2 (image ~52) is 1801–02 business, and OC Docket 3 (DGS 5535030) begins c. 1827 (p. 69 = June 1829, image 33), so "page 53 for 1820" points to a volume that is not in this filmed set (probably a separate 1820 minute book). Adam Cramer's Orphans' Court entries were not found. Nov 1819 p. 327 lists administration accounts confirmed — none for Cramer.

OC Docket 6 p. 284 (index reference): the filmed "Docket" series in koha:122932 are the Register's/OC dockets v. 1–18 (1793–1904); v. 6 is labelled 1853–1883, far later than Adam's estate, so the index's "6 284" is probably a different series (e.g. Orphans' Court sales or partition book). Not located in the online catalog.

Athens Co, Ohio — Samuel King Sr (d. 1857-03-30): Athens Co "Wills, 1814–1879", General Index to Will Records (DGS 5428854), K surnames, images 52–54: no entry for Samuel King (Kings listed: Jesse, Thomas, Fanny E., Mary A., Daniel/Samuel P.? — none for 1857, vols 6–7). Image of the K index page saved as familysearch_1814-1879_will-index_Athens-OH_K-surnames_no-Samuel-King-Sr-1857.png. FamilySearch record index: Samuel King Sr only as Find a Grave (b. 1770-02-16, d. 1857-03-30, Carthage Twp) and 1850 census (Ames Twp, b. 1770 PA) — no probate. So he likely left no probated will.

DAR ancestor search: services.dar.org still returns Cloudflare 522 (2026-11-08) — unchecked.

Verdicts

Link Verdict
Benjamin H. Cramer is the son of Adam Cramer + Hannah Rambo Still SUPPORTED, not proven. New: Adam's estate was administered from 3 Feb 1820 by Samuel & Christian Cramer (index, image saved) — consistent with a family of sons in Milford Twp, but no heir list seen yet.
Polly King is the daughter of Samuel King Sr + Hannah Messimer Still SUPPORTED, not proven. Samuel King Sr died 1857 in Athens Co, Ohio — his will would be in Athens Co probate, not Somerset. Not reached.

To finish (needs Andrew signed in to FamilySearch)

  1. OC Docket 2 (DGS 5535029), images ~180–240: Feb–Aug 1820 terms — Adam Cramer's estate entries (petitions for partition/inquest, guardians for minor children) usually name all heirs. Look for "Adam Cramer deceased" / "Cramer".
  2. Orphans' Court Docket vol 6 p 284 (index ref) — find which film holds OC Docket 6 (search the catalog for Somerset "Orphans' Court" dockets).
  3. Athens Co, Ohio: Samuel King Sr will/estate 1857 (FamilySearch "Ohio, Wills and Probate Records").
  4. DAR ancestor search for Adam Cramer (site was down 2026-11-07).