The petition of Shepard B. Draughon of St Helena Parish represents that Penelope Allen wife of Nathaniel Allen deceased sometime about January last, that there existed a legal partnership or community of acquests and gains between her and her said husband in the whole of the property now in his possession which consists of two tracts of land, sixteen negroes, three horses together with notes & accounts & other stock---Petitioner further represents that the said property has not been inventoried, and that there has been no curator appointed to administer the same---Petitioner further sheweth that there are five legal and forced heirs all in said parish, save Mary Rollins who resides in Texas---they being the children of said deceased, to wit. Delila, William, Mary (wife of William Rollins), John who is a minor and Nancy who is the legal wife of your petitioner; petitioner further states that the said Nathaniel Allen is about to remove the said property from the state---wherefore he prays that an inventory be made of the said effects of the said deceased, that an attorney be appointed to represent the absentee Mary Rollins, etc.
14 Aug 1834, inventory taken on the estate of Nathaniel Allen and his deceased wife Penelope by Samuel Leonard, Parish Judge; also present W. E. McChord, attorney to represent Mrs. Mary Rollins an absent heir; Appraised by Richard Williams and Wm. Collinsworth; attending witnesses Meredith Reneau and Stephen Williams. Estate included: Negro man Jordin age 31; Negro Isom age 24; Lewis age about 22; Bay Bob age 21; Robin age 17; negro woman Chaney age 26 and her three children Lucy, Reubin and Mariah; negro Ann age 19 and her child Eliza age 1; negro woman Temperance age 17 and her child Caroline age 18 months; negro woman Maritta age 18 and her child Wilford; negro girl Sally age 3; 30 head cattle, 2 yoke oxen, 1 old steer, 70 head hogs, 1 set Blacksmith tools, 3 horses, 1 set farming utensils, 1 grind stone, 2 notes on Hezekiah Thompson, 1 note of $500 on the estate of David Williams decd., 1 note on Wm. Collinsworth, 1 note on J. W. Stegall, cash in hand $651; total $9882.75
1 chest of drawers, 1 table, clock, rifle gun, 1 crop of corn, 1 ox waggon and 2 log chains; total $10476.25
The petition of Shepard B. Draughon of St Helena Parish represents that Penelope Allen, late of sd parish, decd. died in December 1833, that an inventory has been taken of her succession which chiefly consists of negroes, stock cotton and promissory notes; that he married Nancy Allen one of the forced heirs of said deceased; that succession remains unadministered and no guardian has been appointed for the safe keeping of the same.
William Allen, residing in St Helena Parish, came into court by his counsel James M. Bradford and opposed the application of S.B. Draughon for letters of administration on the succession of Penelope Allen decd., saying that said S.B. Draughon is not entitled to letters of administration on said succession for the opposer says that said S.B. Draughon is not an heir of said Penelope Allen but this opposer is---being a legitimate son of said deceased---wherefore he prays that the application of said S.B. Draughon may be rejected, and that this opposer may be appointed administrator to said succession.
