This document (excerpt below), a record of an Orphans Court held at West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania, stands as perhaps the most convincing proof of the family connections of Rebecca (Ross) Barefoot, and gives some clue to the date of death/disappearance of Benjamin Barefoot, Rebecca's husband. An Orphans Court was peculiar to Pennsylvania and was the court that handled probate matters. William Ross had died intestate (without a will) in February 1818, leaving a widow, Mary, and no children. His three surviving siblings, Margaret Wells, Mary Brinley and Rebecca Barefoot, petitioned the court to give them shares of his estate. William Barefoot, Rebecca's son, served as attorney in fact for Rebecca in this matter (women had limited legal authority in this period), which would strongly suggest that her husband Benjamin was not available to represent her interests. The last evidence of Benjamin's existence is the 1800 Federal Census for Fayette County, Pennsylvania.