ABSTRACT
A case study of one decedent illustrated both the necessity of using the entire probate record (not just the inventory) and the intricacy of tapping a single probate record as a source. A model comparative analysis of the value and contents of the estates of associated decedents revealed similarities and differences in the holdings and life styles of community members of like standing. An exploratory examination of ostensible versus real wealth pointed up the tenuousness of affluence in the black community. An examination of the complete probate packet ensures against misunderstanding the true value of a decedent’s estate, brings more characters on the stage, clarifies the conundrum of omissions, provides multiple clues about literacy, and reveals personal ties that undergird the black community’s social fabric. The probate records also touch upon the issue of the matrifocal Afro-American family, if only glancingly, by addressing its material dimension. The probate records tangentially address black cultural values as expressed in consumption patterns.
