“…in February last, Mrs. Mary Chogum, aged 100.”

When we dive into old court archives, we often expect to find a grand last will and testament detailing exactly who got the family heirlooms. But sometimes, what a person doesn’t leave behind tells an even more compelling story.

The Context: A Legend of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse

For local history and genealogy buffs, the name Mary Chogum (other spellings as Choggum, Chagum, Chaugham or Chaugum) is legendary.

Mary—famously known as Molly Barber—was the matriarch of the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Village.

Around 1740, tradition holds that Molly, a white woman from Wethersfield, defied social boundaries to marry James Chagum, a Narragansett Indian from Block Island. To escape her family’s disapproval, they fled into the rugged hills of northwestern Connecticut, establishing a pioneering, multiracial settlement that endured for generations.

Molly outlived her husband by decades, surviving to 100 year’s. When she passed away in 1818, she left behind a profound cultural legacy—but almost no physical wealth.

While this historical probate packet from the Simsbury Probate District in Connecticut is filed under estate records, it actually reveals that Mary Chogum died intestate—meaning she left no will at all. Thanks to the digitized collection Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999, these surviving documents give us a rare, bittersweet glimpse into the humble life and financial struggles of an early New England icon.

The Details at a Glance
* Who: Mary Chogum (Molly Barber)
* What: Intestate Probate Packet (Administration Bond, Inventory, and Final Financial Settlement)
* When: January 1821 – January 1822
* Where: Town of Barkhamsted, Litchfield County, Connecticut (Simsbury Probate District)
* Case Number: 715
* Key Individuals: Drayton Jones (Administrator), Zophar Case (Surety Bondholder), Solomon Everest (Probate Judge), Judah Roberts & Jesse Ives (Appraisers)

Why Records Like This Matter
Mary Chogum didn’t leave behind gold or silver, but her court packet is a treasure trove for social historians and genealogists alike. It paints a vivid picture of early American life, showing how communities managed debt, valued everyday household items, and took care of their aging residents.

Mary was a survivor who lived to see a century of change on this earth, anchoring her family through sheer strength of will. Her 14 acres may have been sold to the town to settle a debt, but the bloodline she created could never be bought or sold. I carry her story in my veins, and by bringing these documents to light, we make sure that the world never forgets the name of the woman who started it all at the Barkhamsted Lighthouse.

Molly Barber and James Chagum/Chogum/Chaugham didn’t leave behind a grand mansion, silver spoons, or gold coins. What they left behind was far more enduring: a legacy of fierce independence, boundary-breaking love, and a resilient, beautiful lineage that survived against all odds.

They built a sanctuary in the hills of Barkhamsted when the rest of the world told them they didn’t belong.

Document Transcriptions
Below are the transcriptions of the key documents found within Mary’s 9-page probate packet, preserving the unique legal terminology and spelling of the era.

1. The Administration Bond (January 2, 1821)
   Know all Men by these Presents, That we Drayton Jones & Zophar Case both of Barkhamsted in Litchfield County are holden and stand firmly bound and obliged unto Solomon Everest Esq. Judge of the Court of Probate for the district of Simsbury in the penal sum of Five hundred dollars…

   THE condition of this obligation is such, That if the above bounden Drayton Jones administrator of all, and singular the goods, chattels, credits and estate of Mary Chaugum late of Barkhamsted deceased, do make or cause to be made, a true and perfect inventory, of all and singular the goods, chattels, credits, and estate of the said deceased… at or before the 2 day of March next ensuing…

Dated at Canton the 2nd day of January Anno Domini 1821.
Drayton Jones
Zophar Case

2. The Estate Inventory (January 29, 1821)
This short list represents the entirety of Molly Barber’s physical world at the time of her death—a stark reflection of the poverty experienced by the Lighthouse community in its later years.

An Inventory of the Estate of Mary Chogum late of Barkhamsted in the District of Simsbury Deceased appraised by the Subscribers on the 29th day of January 1821

One Iron Kettle ————————- $1.25
One Small do. —————————   0.50
One Old Chest of drawers —————-   0.50
Fourteen acres of land a $10 ———— 140.00
                                         ——-
                                         142.25

We Certify the above to be a true appraisal of all the Estate Exhibited to us
Judah Roberts } Appraisers
Jesse Ives    } on oath

(Note: Court clerk William Stone officially accepted and filed this inventory on February 10, 1821.)

3. The Final Settlement & Land Payout (January 1822)
Because Mary died with significant debts, her estate was declared insolvent. The Town of Barkhamsted itself held a massive claim against her for financial assistance provided during her old age.

The Financial Accounting:

Dr. Adm. of Mary Chogum Estate
To personal Estate ———————-   2.25
   Sales of real Estate —————– 140.00
                                         ——-
                                         142.25

Cr. By your Administration account ——  14.72
    paying Barkhamsted on their
    debt of 272.50 against the Estate
    an average of 46 cents 8 mills —— 127.53
                                         ——-
                                         142.25

The Land Order Return:
   Barkhamsted 1821
   Then by Virtue of an order from the Court of Probate for Simsbury District me Directing to Sell the real Estate of Mary Chaughum Decasd I sold to the Town of Barkhamsted 14 Acres of Land it being all the real Estate she owned at her Decease for the sum of 140.00.

Drayton Jones Administration on sd Estate
Approved Jan. 16 1822 —  E. Phelps Judge

Timeline Gap: The documents reveal a clear three-year delay between Mary Chogum’s death in 1818 and the official resolution of her land and estate records, which did not formally commence until 1821.

Based on the records provided, here is the historical summary concerning Mary Chogum:

Probate and Land Proceedings (1821): Despite her passing in early 1818, her estate was not officially entered into probate until 1921. Her file (Case No. 715) was processed through the Simsbury Probate District, spanning 9 distinct document images that detail the administration, inventory, and accounting of her estate.

In genealogical research, a multi-year gap between a person’s death and the probate of their estate—especially regarding land—is actually quite common. Given that Mary Chogum passed away in 1818 at the age of 100 and her estate wasn’t probated until 1821, a few classic historical factors are likely at play:

• ​No Immediate Need to Sell or Transfer: If family members or occupants were already living on the land and using it, there was often no urgent pressure to clear the title. Legal action was frequently delayed until the family decided to sell the property to an outsider, divide it among heirs, or until the occupant also passed away.
• ​Settling Debts First: Sometimes, family members spent a few years informally settling outstanding debts, tracking down heirs who had moved away, or gathering the funds required to pay for court and administrative fees before bringing it to the Simsbury Probate District.
• Lack of a Will (Intestacy): Because the jacket shows “Administration Papers” rather than an active executor named by a will, she would of  died intestate. Without a clear will, it often took much longer for the family to agree on who would step up as the administrator to handle the estate assets.
• The “Age 100” Factor: Reaching 100 years old in 1818 was extraordinary. It’s highly possible she had outlived some of her own children, meaning the land rights had to be traced down to grandchildren or more distant relatives, adding a layer of logistical delay to getting everyone’s paperwork together.

💐 A Note from me as her 10th Great-Granddaughter:
Holding these digitized pages in my hands today feels less like a routine genealogy search and more like stepping onto sacred ground. As Mary’s 10th great-granddaughter, looking at the transcription of two simple iron kettles and an old chest of drawers breaks my heart—but it also fills me with immense pride.

Are you also a descendant of the Chaugham/Barber line, or are you currently researching the Barkhamsted Lighthouse community?

PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME AND LET’S CONNECT.

Ancestry shows that several of us are actively pieceing this tree together right now! If you are tracing our family lines or have stories passed down through your branch, please leave a comment below. Let’s connect, collaborate, and keep our grandmothers’ and grandfathers’ legacies alive for the next ten generations.

❤️ Coni Dubois

Documents:

Death Notice – context from the surrounding entry:
The record appears under the DIED section and is nestled between an entry for a death in Barkhamsted on the 16th inst. and a death in Washington on the 14th instant. Because it lists “in February last,” it indicates she passed away in the February preceding the publication of this notice at the remarkable age of 100

Record 1: FamilySearch Catalog Entry (3198.jpg)
* Title: Land records, 1732-1913; general index, 1732-1907
* Authors: Barkhamsted (Connecticut). Town Clerk (Author)
* Format: Microfilm 35mm
* Language: English
* Publication Date: 1948, 1986
* Publisher: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah
* Place of Publication: Salt Lake City, Utah
* Physical Description: 14 microfilm reels ; 35 mm.
* Notes:
   * Microfilm of original records in the Town Hall, Barkhamsted, Connecticut.
   * Additional indexes within most volumes.

Record 2: Ancestry Probate Record – Mary Chogum (3196.jpg & 3194.jpg)

Source Collection: Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999
* Name: Mary Chogum
* Probate Date: 1821
* Probate Place: Simsbury, Connecticut, USA
* Inferred Death Date: 1821
* Inferred Death Place: Connecticut, USA
* Case Number: 715
* Item Description: Probate Packets, Case, Wealthy-Cossit, Roger, 1769-1880

Individuals Listed: Mary Chogum
* Document Packet Breakdown (9 Images Total):
   * Cover Page: Image 1
   * Administration Papers: Images 2–4
   * Inventory Papers: Images 5–6
   * Account Papers: Images 7–9

Document Image Preview Details (from the file jacket visible in 3196.jpg):
* Heading: Estate of Chogum, Mary
* Town of: Barkhamsted
* Date: 1821
* No.: 715
* District: Simsbury Probate District
* Document Checklist Marked on Jacket:
 * Inventories (1)
   * Accounts of Administration (1)
   * Total Documents: 4
 Note on jacket: “DEPOSITED IN CONNECTICUT STATE LIBRARY UNDER PROVISIONS PUBLIC ACTS 1909 CHAP. 175 December 5, 1913”

Death Record (1818): A contemporary death index confirms that Mrs. Mary Chogum died in February 1818 in Barkhamsted at the advanced age of 100 years.