04 November 2014

What Do Those Crosses Mean?

Unexplained notations on records can create frustration for the genealogist.

This 1852 estate inventory for James Kile in Mercer County, Illinois, lists typical farm property for the era.

Several of the items have a cross after them. The icon apparently means something on this record, but there is no notation on the record (either the front of the back) as to what the significance of the mark it.


The list of the items sold at the resulting sale and the amount received is shown here. The inventoried items with the cross do not appear on the list of sold items.


I think I know what the crosses mean and we'll have a followup post in a day or two with the probable answer.

Readers are invited to respond with thoughts or suggestions as to what the crosses mean.

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