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Research object · BT-CLM-00165

Hilliard was sold in 1856 for $1,200.

Documented· 3 sourcesLast reviewed August 9, 2026
Research & Interpretation byAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

The Claim

The final administrator's settlement filed 15 February 1860 records the 1856 sale of Hilliard for $1,200, above his $1,000 appraisal, with interest recorded on the notes.

Public Summary

A settlement record documents the transaction, its year, and its amount.

Evidence Reviewed

  • SupportsStrong

    Hilliard was sold in 1856. The settlement does not name the buyer.

    Source: William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard) · FamilySearch (digital images of county court records)

  • SupportsStrong

    The recorded sale amount for Hilliard was $1,200.

    Source: William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard) · FamilySearch (digital images of county court records)

  • SupportsModerate

    Hilliard's earlier appraised value in the estate was $1,000, below the recorded 1856 sale amount. Interest on notes for the sale was also recorded.

    Source: William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard) · FamilySearch (digital images of county court records)

The Evidence Trail

Step 1 · Claim

Hilliard was sold in 1856 for $1,200.

Documented· 3 sources

BT-CLM-00165

The final administrator's settlement filed 15 February 1860 records the 1856 sale of Hilliard for $1,200, above his $1,000 appraisal, with interest recorded on the notes.

Step 2 · Evidence & Source

  1. Supports · Strong weight

    Hilliard was sold in 1856. The settlement does not name the buyer.

    William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard) · FamilySearch (digital images of county court records) · Digital Image

    BT-EVD-00138 ← BT-SRC-00118

  2. Supports · Strong weight

    The recorded sale amount for Hilliard was $1,200.

    William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard) · FamilySearch (digital images of county court records) · Digital Image

    BT-EVD-00137 ← BT-SRC-00118

  3. Supports · Moderate weight

    Hilliard's earlier appraised value in the estate was $1,000, below the recorded 1856 sale amount. Interest on notes for the sale was also recorded.

    William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard) · FamilySearch (digital images of county court records) · Digital Image

    BT-EVD-00136 ← BT-SRC-00118

Step 3 · Conclusion

DocumentedVersion 1 · Current · High confidence

Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

The estate settlement records a sale of Hilliard in 1856 for $1,200. The surviving settlement documents establish the transaction but do not, by themselves, establish the buyer's motive or Hilliard's personal experience of the sale.

What is not known: The settlement does not name the purchaser, state where Hilliard went, or record anything of his own account of the sale.

What could change this: Locate a bill of sale, note, deed, or voucher naming the 1856 purchaser.

How the Evidence Sits Together

What supports the claim

Observations that carry the claim forward.

  • Hilliard was sold in 1856. The settlement does not name the buyer.

    Supports · Strong weight

    William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard)

  • The recorded sale amount for Hilliard was $1,200.

    Supports · Strong weight

    William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard)

  • Hilliard's earlier appraised value in the estate was $1,000, below the recorded 1856 sale amount. Interest on notes for the sale was also recorded.

    Supports · Moderate weight

    William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard)

What complicates or contradicts it

Kept in view rather than discarded.

  • Nothing in this column for this claim.

What only provides context

Consistent, but not identifying or probative on its own.

  • Nothing in this column for this claim.

Research Conclusion

DocumentedVersion 1 · Current

The estate settlement records a sale of Hilliard in 1856 for $1,200. The surviving settlement documents establish the transaction but do not, by themselves, establish the buyer's motive or Hilliard's personal experience of the sale.

What is known: Hilliard was sold in 1856 for $1,200, above his $1,000 estate appraisal, with interest recorded on the notes.

What is not known: The settlement does not name the purchaser, state where Hilliard went, or record anything of his own account of the sale.

Future research: Locate a bill of sale, note, deed, or voucher naming the 1856 purchaser.

Amberly's Research Notes

From the research notebook ofAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

What We Still Need to Find

No outstanding research question has been recorded.

Provenance, Access and Use

Source creator
Varies by record — see each source
Who made the original record.
Researcher of record
Amberly R. Carter-Mills — Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist
Located, transcribed, weighed and interpreted the evidence.
Publishing archive
BEFORE TILL: The Living Evidence Archive
Holds the object, its identifiers and its revision history.

William Q. Taliaferro Estate Final Administrator's Settlement (records the 1856 sale of Hilliard)

BT-SRC-00118
Evidentiary weight 3 of 4. Digital image of original recordOriginal image: Citation entered — image review pendingA photographic image of a contemporary record held by the repository named below.
Creator
Not recorded
Date created
Not recorded
Repository
FamilySearch (digital images of county court records)
Collection
Copiah County, Mississippi, County Court probate records
Record form
Digital Image
Source type
Probate
Accessed
Not recorded

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