Books by Jr Dockter

When a chancery bill involved an estate, the Execution Docket Books provided a wealth of information naming the deceased landowner with a list of heirs and the amount they received, sometimes stating where the recipients were living at the time of the estate settlement. Each settlement commenced with a lawsuit heard before the chancellor. If the chancellor determined that the land in a bill should be sold by decree of partition, the clerk and master held a sale, usually on the courthouse steps, the land going to the highest bidder, generally on time and with interest. "It would appear that the workbook was devised by James A. Greer, clerk and master of the Chancery Court, to aid him in receiving funds from the sale of lands necessitated by the order of the court. Equally important to Mr. Greer, and the court, was the dispersement of the funds in the correct proportion to the legal heirs. These procedures sometimes required several months to conclusion and thus "open cases" were recorded in his workbook." A full-name index is included to aid in locating ancestors.

The records contained in this volume cover not only the recently discovered Book 0 (dated 1852-1859 and the very beginning of record-keeping for chancery court in Blount County, Tennessee), but Book 1, 1859-1865, as well. The circuit court of Blount County heard most cases which were filed, and if someone still felt he was wronged he could then appeal to chancery court. In the case of settlement of estates, where an equitable settlement could not be arrived at (for example, division of a slave among several children or inability to divide a piece of land equally) the chancellor of chancery court was empowered to hear testimony and then determine if the property was to be sold for an equitable settlement. Minors' interests required the appointment of guardians, thus, these settlements named the heirs of the deceased person, often gave the names of the deceased person's parents and many times gave land grant numbers. Lawsuits filed and listed in these records are primarily of a personal nature; however, some cases involve creditors collecting unpaid debts from businesses or individuals. The entries describe what transpired in court, how the case was handled by the chancellor, the duties of the clerk and master of the court, and the responsibilities of the parties involved in carrying out the decision of the court. In some cases, along with the names of the individuals and businesses filing suit, the following names are included: spouses, children, slaves, solicitors, sureties, attorneys, agents, and administrators and executors of estates. A full-name index completes this work.