From the Probate Files: Richard Pace - Bertie County, North Carolina, 1738

When I wrote about Richard Pace's daughter Tabitha on Monday I included a published extract of his will which was presented to the Bertie County Court in February, 1738. Here's the original document with my own transcription.

In The Name of God Amen; The Thirteenth 
day of March; I Richard Pace of Bertie Prect in 
the Province of North Carolina being of sound & perfect
mind & memory Thanks be Given to God, Do make & ordain
this my Last Will & Testament. Principally & first of all I
recommend my Soule into the hands of God that gave it,
hoping through the merits death & passion of my Saviour,
Jesus Christ to have free pardon & forgiveness of all my
sins, and my body I commit to the earth to be decently interred;
and as touching my Worldly Estate I dispose of the same
in the following manner & form; That is to Say.

First   I Will that all those Debts & duties that I do owe in rights
or conscience to any person or persons shall be truly _______
& paid by my Executors hereinafter named.

Item   I Give & Bequeath unto my Son William Pace that
Plantation with one hundred & Ninety Acres of Land thereto
belonging, where he now Lives, to him & his heirs for ever.

Item   I Give & Bequeath unto my Son Thomas Pace & his heirs
for ever my Plantation where I now Live with three hundred
& twenty Acres thereto belonging, reserving unto my
Dearly Beloved wife Rebecka Pace the sole use & benefit thereof
during her naturale life.

Item   I give unto my Son Richard Pace five shillings silver money

Item   I give unto my Daughters, Ann Howard, Rebecka Bradford,
Amy Green, Francis Green, Tabitha Moore, Mary Johnson &
Sarah House, each of them, five shillings Silver money.

Item   I give & bequeath unto my Son Thomas Pace my Plantation
on Roanoak river with Two hundred & ninety acres of Land
thereto belonging, also Ten head of Cattle, one feather bed &
furniture, four pewter dishes, six pewter plates, two pewter
basons, two iron pots, one skellet. one frying pan, to him & his
heirs for ever.

Item   I give & bequeath unto my Loving wife Rebecka Pace all the remain-der
of my Estate of whatsoever kind to be by her quietly possessed
during Life, and after her decease to be equally Divided between
my two Sons William Pace and Thomas Pace for the
use and advantage of them & their heirs for ever;

[Wills, 1663-1789; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History; Probate Place: North Carolina.

Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Original data: North Carolina County, District and Probate Courts.]

Item   I do hereby Nominate & appoint my Loving Sons, William
Pace & Thomas Pace my only Executors of this my Will
Ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my Last
Will & Testament. In Testimony whereof I have
hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this
day & year above written.

Signed, sealed, published, pronounced  }
& Declared by the said Richard Pace,    }
to be his Last Will and Testament:         }
In the presence of us the Subscribers     }                    Richard Pace {Seal}

     J. Edwards           }
     William Boon      }  Jurats
     Benjamin Dukes  }

Bertie     }
Precinct  }  the Febry Court 1738 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The aforewritten Will of Richard Pace was duly produced
in open Court by the Oaths of John Edwards Esq William
Boone and Benjamin Dukes Only Subscribing Witnesses
thereto And William Pace and Thomas Pace Exectrs
therein Named took the Exctrs. Oath by Law
Required

                                       Test. Jno Wynne Clerk[??]

I wasn't able to locate any other probate documents for Richard Pace. An inventory of his estate would have helped us paint a picture of the kind of household Tabitha grew up in, but we can tell that her father owned hundreds of acres of land in Bertie County. Also from his mention of pewter tableware in his bequest to his son Thomas we can infer that the Paces could afford expensive (and probably imported) items.* (There's no mention of any slaves--does that mean he didn't own any?)

Once again we see the pattern of the bulk of Richard's property going to (in this case) two of his sons while the other boy and his daughters were left five silver shillings. When judging the value of their bequest** one thing to keep in mind is that hard money was never plentiful in the American colonies--and most currency in circulation was paper money, printed by each colony (and often  counterfeited). It's impossible to know exactly what each recipient got (was it really silver?) and so we don't know what they might have been able to buy with their inheritance.***

*Here's a piece on early pewter in the colonies.
**For a longer discussion of colonial money, this piece from North Carolina Digital History is helpful.
***His daughters were already married and it's likely each (or her husband) received some portable property at the time of their wedding.



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Tabitha Pace (About 1714 - After 1753)

With this particular maternal sixth great grandmother, we're still way up in the North Carolina branch of  the Matthews' family tree and once again we have to rely on the probate records of the men in her life: her father Richard Pace (about 1665-1738) and husband John Moore (?-1753).

Here's an abstract of Richard Pace's will, dated 1736:

[Abstract of North Carolina Wills, 1663-1760 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com]

And from the same source, John Moore's 1753 will:

[Abstract of North Carolina Wills, 1663-1760 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com]

Digital scans of both of their wills are available from Ancestry.com so I'll be sharing them in later posts

Here's my connection to Tabitha..

[Ancestry.com]

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Feriby/Pheraby Sowell - Bertie County, North Carolina, 1814

Last week we looked at the administrator's bond and inventory of Feraby's estate but I postponed examination of the final settlement because the document is large and isn't available online as a single image.*

Affixed to the top of the page is this order from the court:

State of North Carolina}

Bertie County Court   } May Term 1814

                                   Ordered that Hardy

Freeman, Timothy Walton, William Jones and

Mills Jornagan or any three of them

audit & Settle the Accounts of James Ward

admn of Fereby Ward dec'd and that

they make return to next Court

           Test. Jas[?] Blunt[?]

[Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: North Carolina County, District and Probate Courts.]

The Estate of Pheriby Ward dec'd in account with James Ward administrator
======================================================================
1814                                                                                    1814
Feb.          To cash paid Clerk fees           £     18     0         Mar       By account Sale   £181 19   2½

                 To cash paid for keeping old}                                         By bal. due adm.      62 [damage]
                      Negro                               }     4    0    0         _________________________________
                 To my account against said  }
                 dec'd estate rendered            }   135   4    7
                 Comm allowed admn                 4                                                                                         
                                                                  £144  9    7                                                          £144  9    7


                 To bal. due admin.                £ 62   10   4½
                
State of North Carolina}
       Bertie County     } In Pursuant to the annexed order from the Worshipful the County Court of Bertie to us directed We the undersigned have audited and Stated the accounts of James Ward admn. of Pheraby Ward dec'd and find a balance due the administrator of Sixty two pounds ten shillings and four pence half penny as above stated which is respectfully Submitted to your Worships approbation Given under our honor
                                                                                  Hardy Freeman
                                                                                  Timo. Walton
                                                                                  Wm. Jones
                                                                                   Mills Jernigan

You may be wondering why the amounts are mentioned denoted in pounds/shillings/pence but apparently the reference isn't to the British pound sterling but a carryover of the North Carolina pound. Here's the best explanation I've found.



*Here's a scan of the reverse of the entire document.

From the Probate Files: Feriby/Pheraby Sowell - Bertie County, North Carolina, 1814

Feriby survived her husband Thomas Ward by 17 years.* Although Thomas left his "beloved wife" several bequests outright thereby empowering her "to dispose of as she shall or may think proper" it doesn't appear that she made her own will because the following administration bond for "five hundred Pounds"** executed on February 14, 1814, named her son James Ward the administrator of her estate.

As administrator James was charged with the task of making an inventory of his mother's estate which he had apparently done the previous month, although no values were assigned to the items on the list.

An inventory of the personal proper

ty of Pheraby Ward decd. January 10, 1814

1 Negro woman Sophia,          20 Gals Honey -----

1 Feather bed & furniture,       3 Hives of bees

1 Chest of Cloathes, ----         A quantity of bees wax

6 Shotes, 2 Sows & pigs,

2 Cows and yearlings,            A quantity of Cloth & Thread

3 Heifers, 1 Ewe & lamb,        1 Pair of fire dogs

1 Lot crocre ware,                  1 Bofait [Buffet?] 2 old chests

1 Ax, 2 Tables                       1 Pot and scillet

1/2 dozen chairs ----              Stove [?] ---------    

Cash $7 --------

                                         Jas Ward

This comprehensive list of the items of Feriby's possessions sold on March 4th gives us a better idea of what she owned. (Note that the prices are still given in British currency.)

An Account of the Sale of the Estate of Feriby Ward Decd

Sold March the 4th 1814                                                             

                                                                                £       S      D

5 chears_________________To | James Ward_____|  " |  12 |    6

1 Pewter dish with Bacon___"  |   do       do______|  "   |  15 |   ~

7 Earthen plates___________"  |   do       do_____|      |  12 |   3 

3 Bowl__________________"  |   do       do_____|      |  11 |   ~

1 Pitcher_________________"  |   do       do_____|      |   4 |   6

1 Tureen & Dish___________ | Benjamin Hardy_____|     |    6 |   ~ ***

1 Sugar Dish______________  |   do       do_____|     |   2 |   6

13 Yds Striped Cloth @ 6/3___ | James Ward______|   3 |    1 |  3

4¾ lbs @ 12/lb_____________ |    do     do_____|  2   | 10 |  4½

1 book____________________ |    do     do_____|      |   10|  0

1 bed & furniture___________ | Benjamin Hardy____| 21  |   ~ |   ~

1 glass tumbler____________  | James Ward_____|     |   2 |  0

2 Stocks bees______________ |    do     do_____|     |  15 |  6

3   do     do________________ |    do     do_____|  1 |   12 |  6

5 Gall. Honey _____________ |    do     do_____|  2  |   10 |  0

5 gall. do _________________ |    do     do_____|  2  |   10 |  

5  do  do _________________ |    do     do_____|  2  |  10 |  

5  do balance______________ |    do     do_____|  2  |  10 | 

1 Black cow & yearling______ |   do     do_____|  5  |   15 | 

1 Heifer___________________ |  do      do_____|  5  |   0 |  0

1 do_______________________ |  do      do_____|  4   |   0 |  0

1 cow & calf________________ |  do      do_____|  4   | 12 |  6

1 Bull_____________________ |  do      do_____ |  1  |  10 |  0

1 Ewe & Lamb______________ |  do      do_____|  1  |  10 |  0

2 Sows & 8 pigs_____________ |  do      do_____|  5  |   0 |  0

6 Hogs_____________________ |  do      do_____| 3  |   0 |  0

18 lb Beeswax_______________ | William Jones_____|  1  |  10 |  0

1 Pr. fire Irons_______________ | James Ward_____|  1  |  5 |  0

1 Chest_____________________ | James Ward_____|  "   |    1 |  3

1  do_______________________ |    do     do_____|    |   10 |  0

1 table______________________ |   do     do_____| ~   |  ~ |  6

1½ bushel Wheat_____________ |   do     do_____|     |  15 |  

1 pine Beaufat_______________ |   do     do_____| 2  |   0 |  6

1 Linnen Wheel______________ |   do     do_____|     |  7 |  0

1 Woolen  do________________ |   do     do_____|     |    |  6

1 pot Trammel & hook________ |    do     do_____|     |    |  6

1 Stove_____________________ |  do     do_____|     |     |  6

1 Chest with clothes__________ | Benj. Hardy_____|  1  |  0 |  0

1 Iron pot__________________ | James Ward_____|    |   7 |  6

3 pewter & 1 Silver tea spoons__ |   do      do_____| ~ |  5 |  1

You may recall from last week's post about Thomas Ward's will that his bequest to his wife included an enslaved woman named Sophia. The next page refers to her and since it states that James Ward is paying £4 to "the lowest undertaker" for her maintenance until January 1, 1815, it's clear that Sophia not considered able to be hired out as a worker.

[All documents are from Wills and Estate Papers (Bertie County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History (Raleigh, North Carolina); Probate Place: Bertie, North Carolina. Ancestry.com]

Next week I'll take a look at the final accounting James Ward filed with the probate court.

*And her father John Sowell by 58 years.
**The amount of the bond usually was matched to the estimated value of the deceased estate.
***Benjamin Hardy (who is a 5th great uncle of mine) was the husband of Eleanor (Elendar) Ward, the Feriby's youngest child. By the terms of Thomas Ward's will, Eleanor was to eventually inherit the house he had "loaned" to her mother during her widowhood.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Thomas Ward - Bertie County, North Carolina, 1796

At the end of my Monday post about his second wife, Pheraby Sowell, I promised to look into her husband Thomas Ward's will which he made in March of 1795.* Although he described himself as "being sick and weake in body" at the time it wasn't presented in Bertie County probate court until the November court term of 1796. It's clear from its provisions that Thomas was a wealthy man who was able to bequeath land, slaves, livestock and beds and furniture to his surviving family members.

I have transcribed the parts of the will that mention Pheraby in red.

In the name of God amen (March fourteenth year of
our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five)
I Thomas Ward of Bertie County and state of North
Carolina being sick and weake but of sound of body
but of sound and disposing mind and memory thanks
be unto God for the same and calling to mind the
uncertainty of this mortal life and knowing it is
appointed once for all men to die, do make and or-
dain this my last will and Testament in manner and
form ^as^ followith ----
Item First  I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife
Pheraby Ward one negro woman named Sufia half
of my hogs three cows and calves four ewes and lambs
one horse called Springer one bridle & saddle one bed and
furniture to dispose of as she shall or may think proper
I also lend my beloved wife two negroes one negro man
named Black Dave one Girl named Hester all my
plantation utensils and Kitchen furniture that I have

not given away to the several Legatees in their legacies
during her natural life with the uses of my houses &
plantation I now live
Item  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Winiford
Holley one negro woman Pegg and her increase one bed
and furniture one large Iron pott two cows and calves which
said property is now in her possession. I say to her and her heirs
forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my son Michael Ward
one negro boy named Simon one Stear one bed and furni-
ture all which is now in his possession Except the negro boy
I say to him and his heirs forever I likewise lind my son
Michael Ward the plantation whereon he now lives his na-
tural life and after his death I give and desire the said
land and plantation unto my Grandson William Ward
son of the said Michael Ward I say to him and his heirs
forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my son James Ward four
hundred acres of land whereon he now lives one negro boy
Go one bed and furniture one Gun one cow & calf which
is now in his possession I say to him and his heirs forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my son Isaac Hill Ward
one Negroe boy named Charles one bed and furniture
two cows and calves to him and his heirs forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my son Joshua Ward the
Land plantation whereon I now live with all my 
Land adjoining thereto two negroes (to wit) Yellow

David and one boy named James one bed & furniture
one paid of Grist Mill Stones one paid of hand mill stones
one whipsaw one croscut saw one yoke of oxen cart
and wheels & one brandy Still I say to him and his heirs
forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary
Garrett one negro girl named Jumima to her and
her heirs forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Martha
Luten one negro girl named Rose one bed ^and^ furniture
one Linnen wheel two cows and calves four head of 
Sheep all which she hath now possession of and one
walnut desk I say to her and her heirs forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Pheraby
Sparkman one negroe boy named Daniel one bed
and furniture on linnen wheel two cows & calves and
one looking Glass all of which she hath heretofore received
I say to her and her heirs forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth
Ward one negro woman named Lidia and her child
named Rachel one bed and furniture one Linnen 
wheel two cows and calves two ewes and Lambs
I say to her and her heirs forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann Outlaw a
Negroe woman named Dinah one bed and furniture 
one Linnen wheel two cows and calves which she hath
heretofore received and two ewes and Lambs I say to her & to her

heirs forever ----
Item  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elendar
Ward one Negroe man Black David one Negroe Girl
named Hester after the death of my beloved wife
Pheraby Ward likewise on bed and furniture one Linnen
wheel two cows & calves two ewes and Lambs - I say
to her and her heirs forever I also will and desire that
the house before mentioned in my beloved wife's Legacy
shall be given & I do hereby give and bequeath them
to my said Daughter Elendar Ward (after the decease of
my beloved wife to her and her heirs forever ----
Item  I hereby inpower and direct my Executors to make
a good and lawfull Rite and Title To Jeremiah Freeman
for a certain messuage or tenement track or parcel
of Land which I now hold under entry which land Jno.
Freeman dec'd bought of Michael Brittain the said Jere
miah Freeman paying to them the cost and Expense
of saving the same ----
Item  I will and desire that all my just debts and
funeral charges be paid and discharged and that
the remainding part of my Estate that hath not
before been mentioned be sold and my Just
debts funeral charges & be paid & discharged out
of the money arising therefrom and that the 
remainding part be equally divided amongst
my six children Joshua Ward  Martha Luten  Pheraby
Sparkman  Elizabeth Ward  Ann Outlaw  Elendar

Ward ----
Item  Lastly I constitute and appoint my friend
Solomon Cherry and my three sons Isaac H. Ward  James
Ward and Joshua Ward Executors to this my last will
and Testament and I do hereby Revoke disallow and
make void all my former wills and Testaments heretofore
by me made and ratifying this and no other to be my
last will and Testament
Signed Sealed & Delivered }          Thos. Ward
in the presence of . . . .        }
Gen Wm. Watford
Jona. Spivey
Jno. Campbell

State of No. Carolina     }    Nover. Term 1796 ----
     Bertie County           }   The last will and Testament
of Thomas Ward dec'd. was proved in open Court
by the Oaths of Wm. Watford & Jonathan Spivey
two of the subscribing witnesses and ordered to be
recorded ----                                     George Grayble



Next week I'll look at Pheraby's probate records from 1813.

Thomas and Pheraby/Feriby are the great grandparents of my great great grandmother Martha Heath Hardy, the wife of J.T.S. Warren.



*Actually I got it wrong, confusing him with another ancestor, who died five years after making the will presented in probate. (I've corrected the original post.)


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Feriby/Pheraby Sowell (About 1749 - 1813)

With this fifth great grandmother we have another female ancestor about whom very little is known except for what can be inferred from her father's and husband's wills and other probate records found in Bertie County, North Carolina, including from an inventory taken after her own death in 1813.

If we have her lineage correct Feriby was very young when her father John Sowell died in 1755. In his will, written in 1750, John directed that she and her four sisters were to be given their "Potions" when they were fifteen.

[Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: North Carolina County, District and Probate Courts.]

Item My will and Pleasure is that the Rest of my
Esttate after all Charges is Paid to be equally
Divided Between my Beloved wife Anne Sowell
and my four Daughters my beloved wife have
ing her first choys and firther I desire that
my four Daughters may have their Potion Deli
vered to them when they com to the age of
fifteen years old and all and Every of the ar
ticles above written to Mary Elisbeth Feriby
Ann and their heirs forever

I haven't found any record of her marriage to Thomas Ward, a widower with four small children, but her first child was born in 1768 when Feriby would have been about 18. My direct ancestor Elizabeth Ward was the fifth of her seven children.

By the time of the first federal census in 1790, only three daughters seem to have been living in the household with Thomas and Feriby, along with 16 enslaved persons.

[Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: First Census of the United States, 1790 (NARA microfilm publication M637, 12 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

Thomas Ward died in 1796 leaving a will drawn up a year earlier. It's getting late here in France* so I'll be covering that later this week along with records from Feriby's probate in 1813.

*Nine hours ahead of San Diego.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Sarah Sowell Hardy - Bertie County, North Carolina - 1809 - Inventory & Sale Proceeds

Sarah Sowell Hardy had already disposed of her enslaved people and as we saw last week the first part of her will was intended to maintain that division. That taken care of, what remained for her to leave her children makes a very short list, composed mostly of personal items. 

[FamilySearch.Org]

A true Inventory of all and Singular the goods and

Chattels, rights & credits of Mrs. Sarah Hardy Deceased,

Oct 30: 1809-----                                                                        

Her wearing apparel 3 phials, 1 nutmeg grater, 1 old pen knife,

1 pr. old scissors, 1 pr. shoe brushes, 1 trunk, 1 chest, 1 bed & bed

=stead & furniture, 4 sheets, 1 pillow case, about 2 yds. home

=spun cloth, 5 pr new stockings, 4 sets knitting pins, 2 Books,

1 turpentine dipper, 1 pr. spectacles, 1 pr. old scales, 1 old reel,

half of an old crosscut saw ______ Benjamin Hardy's note

for seventy-four pounds sixteen shillings & 4d. on interest from

the 26th march, 1805. Edward Hardy's note for fifty-five pounds

and 6d. dated the 31st. Dec'r. 1807, payable one day after date,

Charles Sowell's note for four pounds thirteen shillings & 6d. with

interest from the 26th. March 1809___ William Worley & Humphry

Gates note for two pounds nineteen shillings & 7d. dated 26th.

Sept'r 1804. payable six months after date Henry Boswells and

John Bird's note for a ballance of two pounds three shillings &

six pence on interest from the 26th. March 1805 a balance of

three shillings & 6d. due on John Morgan's notes, ____

verbal accounts to ^the amount of sixty-five dollars.____

                                                                W.P. Hardy

[FamilySearch.Org]

An Inventory of Sales of the Perishable estate of

Mrs. Sarah Hardy deceased, Octr. 20th 1809 _____
3 Phials........................................To Winifred Hardy........|-0|-1|-6
1 Grater, knife & old scissors...... " Benj'n. Hardy............|-"|-"|-6
1 pr. shoe Brushes........................ " Ditto.....Do............... |-"|-1|-6
1 trunk.......................................... " Moses Williams....... |-1|-"|-"
1 Chest.......................................... " Ditto.....Do...............|-1|-"|-"
1 Bed, Bedstead & furniture........." Benj'n. Hardy............|17|10|-"
1 piece homespun (about 2 yds.).. " Winifred Hardy....... |-"|-8|-"
2 sheets & 1 pillow case............... " Benj'n. Hardy............|-"|11|-"
1 pr. stockings............................... " Wm. P. Hardy...........|-"|13|-6
1 Pr.....ditto................................... "   Do.........Do.............|-"|13|-"
1 Pr.....ditto................................... "   Do.........Do.............|-"|-8|-"
1 Pr.....ditto................................... " Benj'n. Hardy...........|-"|10|-6
1 Pr.....ditto................................... "   Do.........Do.............|-"|-8|-"
4 sets knitting pins........................" Winifred Hardy....... |-"|-1|-8
2 Books........................................ " James Phelps............|-"|-5|-"
2 sheets......................................... " Winifred Hardy....... |-1|-"|-"
1 turpentine dipper....................... " Benj'n. Hardy............|-"|-1|-6
1 pr. specks.................................. " Moses Williams....... |-"|-"|-6
1 pr. old scales & reel.................. " Benj'n. Hardy............|-"|-"|-6
half of an old + saw..................... " Moses Williams....... |-"|-2|-"
                                                                                       L 24|16|-8  
                                                           
                                                                                W.P. Hardy Exe'r

The items that initially puzzled me were the turpentine dipper and the half of a cross-cut saw. However, a quick internet search reminded me of the fact that turpentine is a natural product distilled from the sap of pine trees.*

Her will directed that her daughters were to share her wearing apparel which is why none of it appears in the sales. Her bed, bedstead and furniture were the most valuable of her effects. I wonder what the titles of her two books were.

*Here's an explanation of the process of tapping a tree. Of course Sarah wasn't personally doing this task.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Sarah Sowell Hardy - Bertie County, North Carolina - 1809

It is rare for a widow in this time period to make a will because most often what property they had was only "lent" to them for their lifetime or widowhood under the terms of their husbands' wills and they didn't own enough to make drawing up a will necessary.

We know that Sarah Sowell Hardy inherited three enslaved persons from her husband William's estate in 1794, Dave, Pen and Rose. Since she had nine children and all but her son Charles apparently had received a slave in a division of her human property the previous November, she must have acquired five more* in the meantime. Her will is primarily concerned that the results of that division "shall stand good."

In the name of God, Amen, I Sarah Hardy of the State
of North Carolina & County of Bertie being sick & weak in
Body but of sound & disposing mind & memory, do con
=stitute & ordain this my Last Will & Testament, First,
I give my soul to Almighty God, beseeching his most
Gracious acceptance of it, and my Body ^to the Earth to be
buried in a decent Christian Burial at the direction of
my Executors herein after named, And my worldly Estate
I dispose of in the following manner. _____
First, It is my will and desire that the Division that
was made of my negroes in November last among
my children shall stand    good & that each one of my
children have the  negro that was then drawn for them,
and also the orphans of my son Lamb Hardy dec'd. have the
negro then drawn for them and that each one of my child
=ren and said orphans have a good & absolute right & title
in & to the said negroes severally drawn for them at said
division on their paying to my Executors herein after nam
=ed the several sums of money that the said negroes were
valued to, over an equal Division of the whole amount of
the valuation of all said negroes among all my children
and it is my will and desire that my Executors pay to my
son Charles Hardy out of the money received from
my other children in consequence of the division of said
negroes, the sum of money laid off, to him at said Division
in consequence of him having no negro, and also that
they my Executors pay to my son Benjamin Hardy 
out of said money as above, the Balance 
due him on account ^of his drawing a low price
negro. ______
Secondly, I will & desire that my wearing apparel
be divided among my surviving daughters.
Thirdly, I will and desire that the residue of my
Estate be divided equally among all my children &
the orphans of my son Lamb Hardy dec'd.; said orphans to
receive one share between among them. _____

[Wills and Estate Papers (Bertie County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History; Probate Place: Bertie, North Carolina. Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: North Carolina County, District and Probate Courts.]

Item & Lastly, I nominate & appoint my living Sons
Willian P. Hardy & Benjamin Hardy Executors
of this my last Will & Testament, revoking all
former wills, ratifying & confirming this to be my
last Will & Testament, In Witness whereof I
have hereunto set my hand & seal this 20th
day July Anno. Dom. 1808_____
Signed, Seal'd, Declared     }            her
& pronounced in presence  }    Sarah X Hardy  {Seal}
of                                         }         mark
     Cornelious Williams X
     Sarah Williams

     State of North Carolina  }
     Bertie County Court      }  August term 1809
                                               this last will & Testament
of Sarah Hardy dec'd was exhibited in
open Court by William P. Hardy one
of the Executors therein named and
the Execution thereof proved in due
form of Law by the oath of Cornelius
Williams on of the subscribing Witnesses
thereto -----  ordered that the said will
be recorded ----- and the said Exe-
cutor having qualified agreable to 
Law it is ordered that Letters Tes-
tamentary issue. _____
          Test.
          Lot Cherny  Jun.Ck.

Next time we'll look at the inventory of her meager estate and the amount realized in the sale of her perishable property.

*Sadly we don't know the names of these five people since she no longer owned them, they do not appear in the inventory of her estate.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Sarah Sowell (1733 - 1809)

Sarah Sowell married William Hardy on November 26, 1751, in Bertie County, North Carolina; both were born in that county and never moved from it. During their life together Sarah and William had nine children--my fourth great grandfather John H. Hardy (1773-1854) was their second to last child.

[ A Map of the most Inhabited part of Virginia containing the whole province of Maryland with Part of Pensilvania, New Jersey and North Carolina. Drawn by Joshua Fry & Peter Jefferson in 1775. Printed for Robt. Sayer ... London.

Source: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.]

[Detail of above map]

William died (apparently intestate) around 1793 and Sarah received her widow's share of his estate which included three enslaved persons, Dave, Pen and Rose early in 1794

[Source: familysearch.org]

We find her in the 1800 U.S. Census six years later as head of a household that included 12 enslaved persons.

[Year: 1800; Census Place: Bertie, North Carolina; Series: M32; Roll: 30; Page: 48; Image: 55; Family History Library Film: 337906. Ancestry.com. 1800 United States Federal Census [database on-line] Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Second Census of the United States, 1800. NARA microfilm publication M32 (52 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29.

National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

Sarah Sowell Hardy died in Bertie County in 1809, leaving a will which we'll look at on Friday.



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.