Preserve the Order

When names are listed in an estate settlement or any similar record, don't change the order in which the names are listed as there may be some method to the ordering of the names. I used one estate record where the heirs were listed by family group, even though that was not stated in the record. Of course, the ordering of names is not even close to solid proof, but it can be a clue.

And sometimes the order of the names can be fairly random. That's why the order of names isn't solid proof!