The One and Only Christiana Elizabeth Graham

In my last blog, I shared my thoughts and the circumstantial evidence suggesting that Robert Graham’s and Ruth Smith’s daughters Christiana and Elizabeth were, in fact, one and the same person. Last week, I received the 37 page Succession packet from the Rapides Parish, Louisiana courthouse in Alexandria, LA for Mrs. Christian E. Merchant. I was really excited to receive this, as I already had the marriage records showing that Elizabeth Graham married Joel B. Merchant on 24 Jan 1867 at the home of R. Graham (probably her father as several of her sisters were also married at R. Graham’s home), establishing that Elizabeth Graham was also Elizabeth Merchant.

The Succession packet details all the events after Elizabeth’s death (1888), wherein, her husband Joel B. Merchant (aka J. B. Merchant) served as administrator to settle her estate. The front cover of the packet clearly states that the file is the court records pertaining to Mrs. Christiana E. Merchant,

and on the 1st page it says “Succession of C. Elizabeth Merchant” 

The text on the 1st page not only establishes the husband/wife relationship between Joel B. Merchant and Christian Elizabeth Merchant, but it also clearly establishes her full name as Christian Elizabeth Merchant, and their residence in Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

This next image is the upper half of the 1st page, which includes the last 2 short images.

[transcription of above image]

“To the Honorable the Judge of the Twelfth Judicial District Court in and for Rapides Parish, La. The petition of Joel B. Merchant a resident of our Parish of Rapides, Louisiana, with respect shows:

That his wife, Christiana Elizabeth Merchant departed this life recently leaving property in community with your petitioner, and leaving also community debts to pay situated in your Parish of Rapides Louisiana — Petitioner shows that it becomes necessary to have an administrator appointed to administer the Succession of the said deceased, and that is entitled to the appointment.”

The file date of Joel B. Merchant’s petition administration was 20 Aug 1888, which establishes that Christiana Elizabeth Merchant’s death as before that date, and the statement of “departed this life recently” suggests that she probably died during the summer of 1888, in Louisiana.

Throughout the document she is referred to by the following variations of her name,which lends credence to the fact that Christiana and Elizabeth were one woman, and demonstrates that she was known by both her first and middle names:

• Christiana E. Merchant
• C. Elizabeth Merchant
• Christiana Elizabeth Merchant
• Mrs. C. E. Merchant

With this new information along with the information in my last blog entry I feel comfortable in saying that Christiana and Elizabeth were the same woman, and that she died in 1888, while living in Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

The rest of the Succession packet deals with the assets, auction of assets, and payment of debts.

Source: Christiana E. Merchant Succession, Rapides Parish succ. File 535(reporting death and full name of Christiana Elizabeth Merchant wife of Joel B. Merchant) Clerk of Court’s Office, Alexandria.