Happy Wedding Anniversary (15 November 1798) to My 5th Great Grandparents, Elizabeth Ward and John H. Hardy

I got a little carried away tonight and goofed around with Social Explorer (which is free if you just use the Federal Census Data, 1790-abt 1940).  The map shows the move that my 5th great grandparents made after their marriage in Bertie County, North Carolina to (then) frontier Lincoln County, Georgia (this map was used with 1800 Census state and county information)

I finally buckled down and used the Social Explorer site to make custom historical maps for my ancestors - 5th Great Grandparents Elizabeth Ward and John H. Hardy.  There is a learning curve but it is pretty intuitive overall, and they give you a lot of control on making custom maps.

The following is the pricing for this service.  I think if you belong to an institution of higher learning, government, or business you may already have the ability to access this.  In San Diego, for instance, it looks like UCSD has it available at any time by a limited number of students.

I use the free service.  If you pay more of course you get more functionality but even the limited functions are powerful.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Mary Cutts? (1765? - 1826)

We know almost nothing about this paternal fourth great grandmother* who married Henry Avera/Avery in Cumberland County, North Carolina, in about 1786. If we have the right early census records the family was living in the Cheraws District of South Carolina (later Chesterfield County) by the mid-1790s and seem to have left there for Alabama in 1819, first in Madison County and then ended up in Bibb County where Mary died in 1826 and was buried in the Avery Cemetery.

[Avery Cemetery, Findagrave Memorial #170175530; Photo by Bertha Avery-Hood.]

[Ancestry.com]

*Even her name is suspect--the gravestone of her daughter Catherine's grave indicates that she is the daughter of "d/o Henry Avery & Christian Durham." Whoever she was, there are quite a few of us who are descended from her.

[Ancestry.com]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Frances Johnson (1681 - 1747)

Frances Johnson, one of my paternal seventh great grandmothers,* lived in the same part of North Carolina her whole life.** She survived two husbands*** and so, unusually for the time, was able to make her own will in 1747.

[State Archives of North Carolina MARS, Records of Probate]

In the name of god amen, I Frances Rasorr of Bertie County and Province of North Carolina Widdow Being Sick and
Weak in Body but of Sound and perfect Memory thanks to God almighty for the Same, and Calling to mind the
frailty of human nature and that it is appointed for all men to die I doe therefore make Constitute appoint and ordain
this to Be my Last will and testament in manner and form following first my South, I Recommend my Soul into the hand
of Almighty God that gave it hopeing throughthe Merrits of my Blessed redemer to Receive a Joyfull Resurrection at the
Last Day my Body to be buried in Such Christian like manner, As to my Executors hereafter named Shal Seme meet and
touching Such worldly Estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to Bestow on me in the Transitory world I dispose of thSame in Manner and form following~~
Imprimis  I give and bequeath to ^my Dear & Loving Daughter Elizabeth Hardy the Land & plantation lying on the west Side of the easternmost Swamp of Salmon Creek and on the South Side of the Cross Branch which I give with all the appertenances thereunto belonging to her & to her Disposal forever,
Item  I Likewise give and Bequeath to my Gandaughter frances hardy my great Spining wheel which I give ^to her And to her Disposal
Item  I give to my Son Edward Rasor my Sypress Chest with Lock & key which I give to him & to his Disposal.
Item  I give & Bequeath to my Daughter in Law Elisabeth Rasor one sute of head Cloths hankercheif and Apron which I give to her proper use & Benifit
Item  I ^give to my Son Edward Rasor one Shilling Sterling because he has had his portion already.
Item  I give & Bequeath unto my Daughter Christina Bert[?] my Gold ring If She comes here to fetch it to her own use.
Item  I give & Bequeath the Remaind part of My Estate to my Dear Daughter Elizabeth hardy Which I give her to own proper use
   Lastly I Constitute and Appoint my ^(Son in Law) lamb hardy to be my Executor of this My Last will and testament uterly revoking And Makeing Void all former will or wills by me formerly made Ratifiing and Confirming this & no Other to be my Last will & testament in Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand & fixed my Seal this 20th of April one thousand
Seven hundred & forty Seven  1747

Signed Sealed published
Pronounced and Declared
by the Said Frances Rasor
to be her last will and
testament in the presents 
William W Hardy****
Thomas Todd
Charity Todd

Reading through the bequests, it's clear that my ancestor Elizabeth Hardy was definitely her favorite.

I wonder what was behind the bequest of a "sute of Cloths" to her step daughter-in-law Elisabeth? Perhaps this was a hint that Frances didn't approve of Elisabeth's attire? Also, making the bequest to her daughter Christina (Rasor) Bert[?] of a gold ring conditional on her coming in person to collect it leads me to think there might have been some estrangement.

The exact date of Frances' death is unknown as is her place of burial.


*Here's my descent from her through the Hardys
:

[Ancestry.com]

**Originally Chowan County which Bertie County, North Carolina was divided from in 1722.
***Her first was my ancestor Francis Parrott and secondly Martin Frederick Rasor, whose son Edward isn't hers.
****Because the ink is so badly faded I have had to depend on Ancestry.com's North Carolina Will Abstracts database for the names of the witnesses and the paragraph to the right of the signatures which gives the probate date of December 18, 1748.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: William Freeman - Surry County, North Carolina - 1802

I haven't found any information about my paternal 4X great grandfather William Freeman before 1753 when someone of that name appears in colonial records as a resident of Chowan County, North Carolina. There is some reason to believe that he may have been of Scots-Irish descent and could have been an immigrant. Although there have been claims that he was a veteran of the Revolutionary War I don't find any convincing evidence to support them.

However, by 1784 he had become a resident of Surry County where his name appears in the 1790 and 1800 U.S. Censuses. And that's where he was living when he made his will on March 25, 1802.

[North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-D191-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-K6X%3A170003101%2C170786401]

In the name of God Amen. I William Freeman of the County of
Surry and State of North Carolina being weak in body but
of perfect mind and memory Thanks be to God for the same but
calling to mind the mortallity for all men once to die do make and
ordain this my last will and testament that is to say
  First of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of
god who gave it and my body to the earth to be buried in a decent
Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing
doubting that at the General Resurection I shall receive the same
again by the Power of God; and as touching such worldly Estate 
wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life I give demise
and dispose of the ame in the following manner and form.
   Item the 1st, And first and first I give to be beloved son
Josiah Freeman my negro boy named Hardy.
And 2ndly I give to my daughter Kiddy Mitchel a negro girl
named Chloe
   3rd I also give unto my son William Freeman one negro girl names Crease
   4th I give to my well beloved wife Sarah one mare saddle and bridle
and two cows and calves two basons and one dish and six plates and
likewise her peacible liveing on the plantation during her life time or
widowhood: Also I give her one negro man name Primas and one

                                                                                             wench

[North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-D191-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-K6X%3A170003101%2C170786401]

wench named Ruth during the same (and after that the said
mare and negroes to go to my son Tyre I also give her one
feather bed and furniture
   5th I also leave to my daughter Polly one mare named Pol
and twenty dollars in cash.
   6th I also give to my daughter Penelope Hains one negro girl
named Milly.
   7th I also give to my son Tyre all my lands and plantation
where I now live: A also give and bequeath him my still and
all the necessary utentials to her belonging, I also give him
one negro boy name Will and one horse called Sumpter also I give
him all my stock of hogs and Sheep and one feather bed and 
              & all necessary household furniture
furniture ^ and plantation tools and one cow and calfe 
   Then all the property or remaining part of my Estate I leave
to be equally divided between Noah, John, Richard and David
   And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannul all and 
every other formes Testament wills legacies bequests and Executors
by me in any wise ^before^ named, willed, or bequeathed ratifying and
confirming this and no other to be my Last will and testament
   I do constitute and appoint my worthy friends James Howard
and Nathan Haynes Executors to this my last will and testament.
   In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal 
this twenty-fifth day of March in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and two.
Signed sealed and delivered in presents of us}  William Freeman {seal}
Edward Smith
Lydia Smith
Jonathan Allen

                                                                                    State of 

[North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-D191-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-K6X%3A170003101%2C170786401]

State of North Carolina Surry County, May Session AD 1802

Edward Smith and Lydia Smith two of the subscribing witnesses

to the foregoing last will and testament of William Freeman, made

oath that they saw the said Freeman sign publish and declare 

the same to be his last will and testament that he was of sound

and disposing mind and memory and at the same time they

saw Jonathan Allen sign the same as a witness thereto which

was ordered to be recorded.    Recorded according by Jo Willliams CC

There are more probate records for William Freeman's estate which I'll post about next week.

Here's how I'm related to him:

[Ancestry.com]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Book Shelf: "North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History" by Helen F. Leary

One of my mom's AncestryDNA Migrations is "Eastern North Carolina Settlers".  I have a ton to learn about this state and the history of its early settlers.  I hope that will help me get through some brick walls on both sides of Mom's ancestry.

A few weeks ago I linked to Mary Hill's very informative webinar on overcoming record loss in genealogical research.  She highly recommended "North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History" by Helen F. Leary as a great source.  I immediately ordered a copy (not cheap: $55 at Amazon) and am waiting for it to arrive.  It was supposed to arrive by yesterday but Amazon did notify me that it was indeed late.

I'm a bit peeved since I am excited to start using it and wanted to do a legitimate book shelf post on it.  Hopefully it comes tomorrow!

By the time this map was done in 1755 I already had a huge portion of my ancestors running around in these areas, particularly Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. "A Map of Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland with part of New Jersey etc.," paper, Printed for R. Baldwin in pater Noster Row, 1755; digital image, North Carolina Maps (http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ncmaps/id/123 : 20 Mar 2018).

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Clyburn Mathis - Chatham County, North Carolina, 1806

Once again we're far up the Matthews line with this maternal fifth great grandfather who appears to have lived his whole life in North Carolina. His will was probated in 1806.

[Title of the document from the reverse side of the will below]

[Wills and Estate Papers (Chatham County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History; Probate Place: Chatham, 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.]

In the name of God Amen
I Clyborn Mathis of Chatham County and state of
North Carolina being weak in body but of perfect
mind and memory Thanks be to God and cawling
to mind that it is appointed for all men once to
and first of all I Recommend my sole in
to my Makers hand and my body I Recommend
to the Ground at the descresion of my Executors
hearaftere named and what it hath pleased
God to bestowe on me as to temperol Goods I bestowe
in the following Manner
first of all = I Leave to my well beloved wife
Mary Mathis the use of all my personal Estate
as Long as she Continues my widow on death that
is to say my Land Stock of Every Kind all working
Tools of Every Kind and at her death or Marriadge
my desire is that my too sons by the names of 
Wiley Mathis and Lewis Mathis shall have my
Land to be devied Equly between Each of Them
and the rest of my Estate my desire is that
it shall be Equally Devied amongst all my
Children that is now single
I Leave to my son Kinchin Mathis the sum
of five Shillings to be Raised out of my Estate
==
I Leave to my Daughter Lucreasy horn
the sum of five Shillings to be Raised out of my
Estate
---
I do anominate Leave and appoint my wife 
Mary Mathis and my son[?] Britain Mathis to be Exectrs
to this my Last will and Testament Revoking all other
wills by me maid in witness whereof I have hearunto
set my hand and affixed my seal this 6 day octebr 1797
in the presants of                                     his
Jo[?] Brantley                             Clyburn X Mathis{seal}
Anthony Thomas {???] X                      mark

Although Clyburn didn't name all of his children in his will--only sons Wiley, Kinchin and Britain and daughter Lucresy Horn, we can deduce the names of the two others from a note on the back of the will dated 1801. "Clibon Mathes Jnr" is my direct ancestor.

[Wills and Estate Papers (Chatham County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History; Probate Place: Chatham, 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.]

October 19 1801 This May Certify that Clibon Mathis Jnr and
     Mary Scidmore have Recvd their full share of all my
     Estate as witness my hand this day and year above written
     Test                                          His
     Jo[?] Brantley              Clibon C Mathis
     Wm Brown                           mark

Here's how I'm related to this man, however he spelled his name:

[Ancestry.com]

By 1830 his son Claiburn was spelling his surname Matthews in census records.



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: John Moore - North Hampton, Province of North Carolina, 1753

As promised, here's the 1753 will of my 5X great grandmother Tabitha Pace's husband John Moore (beginning at the bottom of the first page):

In the Name of God Amen
I John Moore of the Province of North Carolina
And County of N Hampton Being Weake and in
a Declining Condition do Make and Ordain this
to be my Last Will and Testament

in Mannor and Form Following (Vis) first I
Recommend my Soul to Almighty God who Gives and
my Body to be Decently Buried at the Discretion
of my Exe'rs. hereafter Named and as Touching my
Worldly Estate I Give and Bequeath as Followeth
Item I give and Bequeath unto my Son Mark Moore fifty
Pounds Current money of Virginia and Likewise one
Negro man named Jack - Item I give and Bequeath unto
my Son John Moore Fifty Pounds Current money
of Virginia, and Likewise one Negro man named Cofar
Item I give and Bequeath unto my Son Isham Moore
fifty Pounds Current Money of Virginia and Likewise
One Negro Man Named James. Item I give and
Bequeath unto my Son William Moore two Hundred
And Seventy Five Acres of Land lying near Pohill Creek
Commonly Called and Known by the name of the Spring
Lands and One Negro Boy named Cobb and ten Pounds
Current money of Virginia to him and his heirs and assigns
for Ever. Item I give and Bequeath unto my Son
Nathaniel Moore Three hundred Acres of Land joyning
my Son Williams it being the Land Whereon Abraham
Johnson now Lives with all the Stock Belonging to it and
Likewise Two Negro Boys ^named^ Matt and David to him his
heirs and assigns for Ever. Item I give and Bequeath 
unto my Son Richard Moore Ap 8[?] acre[s] of Land Whearon
George Harper and Samuel Carlile formerly Lived on
After my Wifes Decease and One Negro Boy named Daniel
And one negro Girl named Lotte to him his heirs and Assigns
for Ever. Item I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter 
Sarah Moore one Girl named Lucy and all her Increase
And One fether Bed And Furniture.

[North Carolina Wills and Court Records, 1679-1775; Author: North Carolina Secretary of State; 

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 give and Bequeath unto my Loving Wife
Tabitha Moor One Negro Man named Peter and two
Negro Women named Moll and Hanner With all the
Remainder of my Estate not before Mentioned and
her Living on the Plantation That I Gave to my
Son Richard During her Natural Life and
I do hereby Appoint my Loving Wife & Richard Moore
and Thomas Pace my Exers. to This my Last Will
And Testament and I Do Heareby Revoke all others
made Heartofore Either by Word or Wrighting in
Witness Whereof I have heareunto Set my hand and
Seal This first Day of September, in the Year of
Our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and fifty
Three
     Tests.                                      John Moore {Seal}
George Harper   }
John Melldesley } Jurat

No. Hampton }
     County      } ses     November Court 1753
The Within Written Will of Capt'n. John Moore
Deceased was Exhibited Into Court & Proved by
the Oath of Both the Subscribing Witnesses thereto
at the Same Time Tabitha Moore Richard Moore 
And Thomas Pace were Qualify'd Executors thereof
Which on Motion Was Ordered to be Certified.
                    Test  J Edwards tter?ur

It's clear from his will that John Moore owned a considerable amount of land which he divided between three of his six sons, including my direct ancestor William. The other sons had to be content with 50 Pounds of Virginia money and a slave. In all, John mentions twelve enslaved persons which he distributed among his children while reserving three to his "Loving Wife."* His daughter Sarah, apparently unmarried at the time, was to receive a feather bed and "one Negro Girl named Lucy".

Since it's the "Plantation" that Tabitha was given a life tenancy I wish I could decipher the clerk's handwriting describing the land left to Richard Moore. Maybe you can do better?

[Detail of above]

The Thomas Pace named as one of the executors along with Tabitha and son Richard is almost certainly her brother who can be found in later North Carolina census records.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any further probate documents online--I was hoping for an inventory which would enable us to have a better idea of the material circumstances of John and Tabitha.



*There were five men--Jack, Cofar, James, Cobb and Peter; two women--Mall and Hanner; three boys--Matt, David and Daniel; and two girls--Lotte and Lucy.





© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

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: Susanah* Mrs. Johnson - Chowan County, North Carolina, 1718

We know almost nothing about this paternal eighth great grandmother** but when she made her will on August 13, 1717, she was living in Chowan Precinct in Albermarle County, North Carolina, and had survived her husband William by five years.

[A new & accurate map of the provinces of North & South Carolina, Georgia &c. Drawn from the late surveys and regulated by astronl. observatns. By Eman. Bowen. (London: Printed for William Innys, Richard Ware, Aaron Ward, J. and P. Knapton, John Clarke, T. Longman and T. Shewell, Thomas Osborne, Henry Whitridge ... M.DCC.XLVII). David Rumsey Historical Map Collection]

[Detail of above map showing the location of Chowan]

The first information we found about Susanah's will was through an abstract, but fortunately the North Carolina State Archives has an image of her will which I have transcribed below.

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

[Johnson, Susanah, 1718. Office of Secretary of State: Call Number: SS 839 - SS 861

MARS Id: 12.96.13.48 (Folder). North Carolina State Archives]

In the name of God Amen

I Susanah Johnson of the precinct of Chowan In the Collony

of North Carolina Semtress: Being Infirm in body: Butt of

a perfect health of Mind and memory: Prayse be therefore given

to Almighty God - - - -

I do make and ordaine This my last Will and Testament, In

manor and form as followeth - - - -

First I commend my soule Into the hands of Almighty God -

hoping through the merritts and death and passion of my Saviour

Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my

Sins: And to Inherit Everlasting life - - - -

And my body I committ to the Earth to be decently Interred

At the Descretion of my Executrix hereafter named - - - -

And as touching the Dispossall of all Such Temperiall Estates as

itt hath pleased Almightly God to bestow upon me I give and dispose

As followeth - - - -

First I will all my Just debts And funeral Charges be paid and disch-

arged -

Item   I give unto my son William Johnson one Shilling

Item   I give and bequeath unto my grandson Jacob parrott one two year

          heifer - - - -

Item   I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter Susanah parrott*** one two year

          old heifer and one small deale box

Item   I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter Elizabeth Parrott one two year

          old heifer and one popalar box

Item   I give and bequeath unto my beloved friend Mr John Hardy one gold

          ring of Twenty Shillings Value

Item   I give unto my godson Edward Frederick Rasor one two year old heifer

Item   I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Frances Rasor all this my

          my plantation where I now dwell containing Six hundred and forty acers

          unto her the said Frances Rasor And her disposall for Ever

Item   I give and bequeath unto my said daughter frances Rasor all my other

          Potales[?] both personall and reall

Item   I give and bequeath unto my son William Johnson one hundred acers of land

          upon the upper line of my said tract and plantation And two cows & calves

          and two sows and piggs and one deale chest This last Legacy to my son William

          is wholly depending In consideration of the said William coming with his

          wife and children and settling upon the said one hundred acers of land within one

          year after the proving this will, otherwise this Legacy is no ways Intended or given

Lastly  I appoint my beloved daughter Frances Rasor sole Executrix of this my last

             will and testament Utterly Revoking and disanolling all wills heretofore

             by me made. In witness hereof I have hereunto my hand and fixed ring

             seale this 13 of August Anno:Dom 1717

                                         Susanah Johnson

Signed and Sealed

In presence of -

Laurence Sarson

E_____ Z_____ Can?

Patrick Canadas

William Waters

It's clear than daughter Frances is Susanah's favorite; I wonder if William moved his family so he could claim his legacy?

Note: Deal is another name for pine wood; poplar is another kind of wood.

*Although some sources claim that her maiden name is Monteigne, I don't know where that comes from.
**The content of this post is "recycled" from one I wrote on October 15, 2015.

***Granddaughter Elizabeth Parrott, who was about 15 when Susanah died, married Lemuel "Lamb" Hardy, the grandson of "my beloved friend John Hardy" and their great great granddaughter Martha Heath Hardy married my great great grandfather Jesse Thomas Simeon Warren in Macon County, Alabama in 1849.

[Ancestry.com]

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: James Harrod (About 1738 - About 1781) Early Settler in Tennessee

James Harrod* was born in the Colony of Virginia, possibly in Stafford County, around 1738 and married a young woman named Elizabeth "Betsey"** in neighboring Orange County in about 1759. By 1760 the couple had moved to North Carolina where their five known children were born, including their oldest son Barnabeth (or Barnett), one of my paternal fourth great grandfathers, in 1762.

[Carolina And Georgia. (to accompany) Atlas Minimus or a New Set of Pocket Maps of the Several Empires, Kingdoms and States of the Known World, with Historical Extracts relative to each. Drawn and Engraved by J. Gibson from the Best Authorities, Revis'd, Corrected and Improv'd by Eman: Bowen Geographer to His Majesty. 1758. Source: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection]

It appears that James and his family traveled west in the early 1770s to settle on land first leased then purchased from the Cherokee Indians along the Watauga River in what is now Tennessee*** and in 1779 he joined a group of 250 (mostly men and boys****) led by James Robertson moving farther west to French Lick on the Cumberland River.

On May 1, 1780, the new settlers signed a document known as the Cumberland Compact which set up "a simple constitutional government." James Harrod's name is found on the 20th line of the first column of the second page.

[Source: CumberlandPioneers.com]

[Jas Harrod signature]

Their settlement, first called Bluff Station and later known as Fort Nashborough (now Nashville), covered about two acres enclosed by a stockade and protected the newcomers from attacks by the Cherokee who rightly viewed their arrival as threatening their traditional hunting grounds.

[Postcard showing first reconstruction (on a smaller scale) of the original fort funded by the Daughters of the American Revolution in the 1930s. Source: Boston Public Library-Tichnor Brothers Postcard Collection]

I haven't been able to discover the date of James Hariod's death--but it's believed that he was killed by Indians during one of their attacks. By 1783 his widow Betsey had married Daniel Hogan, another signer of the Cumberland Compact.



*This is the spelling of his surname used in the Cumberland Compact; later variants include Herod and Herrod. My paternal grandmother Letta Estella Porter Warren Williams Turnbull is his great great great granddaughter.
**Her maiden name is unknown.
***The original English coastal colonies in North America claimed all the lands to the west as far as the Mississippi River.
****Most of their families traveled 1,000 miles by river to join their menfolks, arriving four months later. Presumably Betsey and the children were among them.



© 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.