From the Probate Files: Ann Sill - Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - 1851

Ann Sill, one of the daughters of William Sill (and therefore my fifth great aunt), signed her will on November 28, 1850, and it was presented in court on February 4th of the following year.

In the name of God Amen, I Ann Sill of
the Borough of McKeesport, County of Allegheny
State of Pennsylvania, being weak in body
and of sound mind memory and understanding
but considering the uncertainty of this transitory life do make and publish this
my last will & Testament in manner and form following, to wit; First,
It is my will, I do order, that all my just debts and funeral Expenses be duly
paid and satisfied as soon as conveniently can be after my decease Second,
I give devise and bequeath to my sister Jane Penny and my niece Margaret
Miller my farm of land situate in Versailles Township, containing one hundred
acres, or thereabouts, which is now in the occupancy of John Gray to them
the said Jane Penny and Margaret Miller  their heirs and assigns forever
share and share alike, Subject however to the payment of the sum of Fifty
dollars each as set forth in the following bequests Third - If the congregation
worshiping in the Presbyterian Meeting house in this Borough should within
the period of four years from the time of my decease, erect a new meeting house
I give and bequeath unto the Trustees of the same the sum of One Hundred Dollars
for the purpose of assisting in paying the expense of erecting the same
which sum is to be paid by my sister Jane Penny and my niece Margaret
Miller viz Fifty Dollars each when the said building is finished, which
sum I have left as a lien upon the farm above bequeathed to them. Fourth, I
give and bequeath unto my brother Jesse Sill the sum of Tow hundred Dollars
and my watch Fifth I give and bequeath unto my nephew John Penny son of 
William the sum of Two hundred Dollars - Sixth - I give and bequeath to the
American Bible Society the sum of One hundred Dollars, to be applied to
the uses and purposes of said society. Seventh - My nephew John Penny
has in his hands the sum of Five hundred Dollars of my money, out of which
is to be paid the foregoing legacies to my brother Jesse Sill, and The 
American Bible Society: which it is my will that he may retain 
      
              

the same, in his hands for the term of one year after my decease without paying
interest therefor; and if at the expiration of that period, he is unable to pay
the said legacies, it is my desire, and I order that he be not distressed therefor
but that he have further time, not exceeding Three years, to pay the same
he giving the Legatees security, and paying them lawful interest annually
for the time he retains the same in his hands after the first year above
mentioned. His own Legacy he may retain in his hands; and what shall
remain of the other one hundred Dollars after defraying my funeral expenses
etc he shall pay out to my residuary Legatees hereinafter named, in the
same manner as the above mentioned legatees are to be paid. Eighth - 
I give and bequeath to Rachel Miller, daughter of Margaret Miller one of
my beds and bedding. Ninth. I give and bequeath to her sister Caroline
Miller my Bureau.            
                                            Tenth - I give and bequeath to her sister Martha
Miller one set of chairs. Eleventh. I give and bequeath to Mrs. Jane Webb, one
of my Beds and Bedding - Twelfth. I give and bequeath to Martha Houghton all
the articles contained in my cupboard, consisting of Plates, Dishes etc
Thirteenth - I give and bequeath to Mrs Jacobs (wife of my Pastor) my saddle
bridle and whip Fifteenth I give and bequeath unto Ruth Penny and Marga-
ret Penny, all that shall remain of my personal estate, after paying my just 
debts, funeral expenses and the foregoing Legacies to be divided between
them, share and share alike. Lastly, I nominate constitute and appoint
Hezekiah Gamble to be the Executor of this my last will, hereby revoking
all others, by me heretofore made, and declare this and no other, my
last will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty eighth day of November A.D. one thousand eight
hundred and fifty                                                     Ann Sill {seal}
Signed sealed and delivered by the said Testator as her last will and
Testament in the presence of us, who have subscribed in the presence of each other
The words son of William being first interlined between the 20th and 21st lines
from the top of the first page                                John Patterson
                                                                              Alex Miller

[All the above are from "Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G991-MTMH?cc=1999196&wc=9PMX-ZNL%3A268499101%2C281889701 : 3 July 2014), Allegheny > Wills 1845-1854 and 1888 vol 6-7 > image 436 of 724; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.]

                               Be it Known that on the 4th day of Feby. A.D. 1851 person-
ally came before me John Scott Register etc in and for the County aforesaid John Patterson&
Alex Miller Ergo the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing instrument of writing who being
by me duly sworn did declare and say that they saw & heard the Testatrix Ann Sill
sign publish and declare it as being her last will and Testament. That at the time of so
doing she was of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of their observation &
belief and that at her request and in her presence they subscribed their names as witnesses thereto
     Given under my hand the above           John Scott  Register
Allegheny County    }
                                 } Be it Known that on the 4th day of Feby 1851 Letters testamen-
tary with the will annexed on the estate of Ann Sill were granted to Hezekiah Gamble
Executor in said will name who was duly sworn to administer the goods and chattels rights
& credits which were if said decd. to make a true Inventory & appraisment of the personal
property & file the same in the Registers office in one month to settle an account of his
administration in one year or when thereto legally required and to comply with the provisions of an
act of assembly of this commonwealth entitled an act relating to collateral Inheritances
        Given under my hand etc                       John Scott  Register
Recorded Feby 5th 1851

It's clear from these clippings from the Pittsburgh Daily Post dated April 28, 1853, that Mr. Gamble complied with his instructions to comply with the provisions of the law pertaining to "collateral inheritances":*

[Newspapers.com]

Looking back at her father's 1841 will, we see that Ann retained the property he left to her (and that John Gray was still residing there).

I haven't been able to determine whether McKeeesport's Presbyterian congregation built a new meeting place in time to receive Ann's bequest but I learned that The American Bible Society is still in existence.


 *Here's a description of Pennsylvania's inheritance taxes: "Traditionally, the Pennsylvania inheritance tax had two tax rates. A rate of six percent applied to assets that passed to so-called lineal descendants, such as children, grandchildren and stepchildren. A rate of 15% applied to so-called collateral beneficiaries. This included brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and all others."




© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate files: Jeremiah Warren Part 13, Account Current - August 26, 1834

As required, Great Uncle Jeremiah Warren's executors John Graybill and Jesse G. Butts filed an accounting with the Probate Court for 1833 and part of 1834.

["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93G-8FC5?cc=1999178&wc=9SYB-7M3%3A267654601%2C267802801 : 20 May 2014), Hancock > image 208 of 376;

county probate courthouses, Georgia.]

Dr. John Graybill & Jesse G. Butts
     1833     In acct. current with the Estate of J. Warren dec'd.
May 29 To bal[an]ce. due Est for acct. rendered                                  5582.44
       1834
Feb 12   "  amt. collected on a note due by A. Slaughter & C       }
                  Labuzan* in part -- bal[an]ce.not considered desperate}       573.75
Jan 31   "  cash rec'd. Fred'k. Scotts note $27 In't. $3 due dec'd.             30.00
              "    do      "    John I Berrys note 76.50 do 6.81 due dec'd           83.31
Aug't 12 "   do      "   John Ropers note 20,00    do 3.86 due to dec'd.      23.86
               "  Gross sale  3 Bales Cotton in Augusta                                 142.44
                                                                                                            $6435.80
                                            Cr

              By Cash paid Henry Rogers C.C. O.                                   #1      4.56-1/4

               "      do    "  Prince & Ragland 2/Bills $6.75 & &               2&3   13.75

                                                                Forwarded                             $    18.31-1/4

["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93G-8FC5?cc=1999178&wc=9SYB-7M3%3A267654601%2C267802801 : 20 May 2014), Hancock > image 209 of 376;

county probate courthouses, Georgia.]

404                                                          

                                                               Am't. bro't. over                    $       18.31-1/4

            By Cash paid John H. Breedlove making Coffin                    #4     10.--

               "      do    "  Wm Warren services as overseer                        5     27.--   

               "      do    "   A.G. Breedlove                do                              6     75.29

               "      do    "  Jas. H. Burnet acc't proved                                 7     10.79

               "      do    "  Taxes 1832 & 1833  $14.34 & 4.41                 8&9   18.75          

               "      do    "  Chas. J. Jenkins prof'n services                          10    28.65

               "      do    "  Wyatt Harper proved acc't.                                 11    17.86

               "      do    "  Francis H. Cone prof'n services                          12  100.--

               "      do    "  A.C. Layre               do 2 receipts                       13  100.--

               "      do    "  postage, travelling expenses to sell Land etc.    14    10.92

               "      am't paid to Jho. Graybill for ginning 3 Bales Cotton            10.00

               "      am't retained by J. Graybill & Jesse G. Butts under the}

                        will of Jeremiah Warren**                                             }  4000.00

               "      am't paid H. Rogers C.C.O.                                           #15     2.12-1/2

               "      Com p. on $823.36 rec?                                 (21.33) 21.33 }

               "   do " 429.70-1/4 am't. paid out exclusive of the $4000(10.74) 10.74}  32.07

1834

26 Aug's " Balance on hand carried down                                                1974.02-3/4

                                                                                                                 $6435.80                                     Georgia Hancock County

      John Graybill & Jesse G. Butts Exer's of etc. of Jeremiah

Warren dec'd. being duly sworn says that the within acc't. current

is just & true.

Sworn to & subscribed before}                         John Graybill

me this 26th August 1834      }                          Jesse G. Butts

     Henry Rogers C.C.O.

["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93G-8FC5?cc=1999178&wc=9SYB-7M3%3A267654601%2C267802801 : 20 May 2014), Hancock > image 210 of 376;

county probate courthouses, Georgia.]

Georgia Hancock County
     Know all men by these presents that we the undersigned
legatees of Jeremiah Warren later of said County dec'd. in conseque-
ence of the recent failure of Messrs. A Slaughter & C Labuzan who
were indebted to said dec'd. at the time of his death to the amount
of seventeen hundred dollars and upwards, the claim upon them
due the estate of said Warren being in jeopardy we authorise
and consent that the Executors shall adapt such measures as
they may deem expedient to secure said debt or any part of it
by compromise or otherwise other than a suit at Law for the
recovery of the money and we do hereby acquit & forever bare harmless
the said Exrs. from any liability on account of the above nam-
ed debt this 5th March 1834                          Lott Harton
                                                                       William Warren
                                                                       Robert Warren


*Augustine Slaughter and Charles Labuzan were businessmen active in Augusta for many years. Here's a listing for them in an 1823 Commercial Directory:

**In Item 10th in Jeremiah's will.

© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: Jeremiah Warren Part 7, A List of Money, Notes & Accounts

As I explained in last week's look at the probate records of Great Uncle Jeremiah Warren, the inventory of his belongings was followed by a list of money owed him and cash he had at the time of his death.

["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-30371-15608-63?cc=1999178 : 20 May 2014), Hancock > Wills and administration records 1831-1840 vol N > image 108 of 376;

county probate courthouses, Georgia.]

Because this is a continuation of the inventory at the top of the page we find two paragraphs attesting that the appraisers had been duly sworn:

I do hereby certify that the above appraisers were

sworn to perform their duty as appraisers according to

law this twenty fifth day of September 1832

Wilkins Smith J.P.

And because Wilkins Smith was also one of the appraisers:

I do hereby certify that Wilkins Smith on of the a-

bove appraisers was sworn to before me perform his

duty as appraiser according to law this first day

of October 1832

Henry Rogers, J.P.

A list of money Notes & accounts belonging to the

estate of Jeremiah Warren dec'd.

Notes Presley Harper's made the 20. May 1830 due the          }

          first of January 1832 for                                                 }  1103.02

          credited with $76.40 c on the                                         }

          April 1832                                                                      }

Wm Warrens Note   made 2 February 1829 due the 25th Decem- }

                                ber 1829                                                          } 216.00

Federck Scots note   made 10 July 1831 due 4th February 1832       27.84

Federick Scots do     do 4 February 1829 due 12 mos after date       348.00

Reason Willcoxens do    made 20th so 1832 due 1st Sept 1832       271.81

Andrew Edward's do    made 7 January 1832 due 1 after date         231.59

Tully Choice's  do      made 2nd    do         do    do     do     do          24.00

Mary Edwards do      made 4th     do         do    do     do     do          14.00

Wm Choice's   do      made 17th   do         do    do     do     do          8.76

A. Slaughter & C Labuzan do made 14th May 1831  do   do   do   do  722.03

   Do                     Do           "  made 31. July 1832    do     do        }

                                                with interest from 19.th Ap;ril last  } 1022.28

Michael Graybills do    made 29th of August 1831 due 25. Dec. 1831    52.66

  Do              Do     do    made 2 June 1831       do     "     Do        25.00

  Do              Do     do    made 2   do      do        "       "      "          25.00

  Do              Do     do    made 2   do      do        "       "      "          15.60

John Roser's note    made 12 March     do due 2 days after date     20.00

John J. Berry's do    made 12 April do due 1 January 1832           76.50

Epps W Warren  do  made 31 Dec 1830 due one day after date     75.00

Amt carried forward

["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-30371-15608-63?cc=1999178 : 20 May 2014), Hancock > Wills and administration records 1831-1840

vol N > image 108 of 376; county probate courthouses, Georgia.]

amt brot forward

James Bass' note   made 25 January 1832 due 25 Dec 1832         25.45

Thos C Butts do   made 13 March 1830  due 25 of do 1830        20.40

   Do       Do             "     13   do       do    "      25     do  1830       20.00

Edmund Butts' do   made 11 September 1830  " 25  do 1830       40.44

Money found in the possession of the Dec'd

Twenty two hundred and forty six dollars 25/100 Two         1986 25

hundred and Sixty of which was on the Macon* bank              260.25

Bad notes

John R. Ball's note   made 7th June 1826 due 2 day after date     20.00

John P Thwaitt's  "   made 18 Oct 1823   due  1   do   do    do    100.00

George V Brodman's  made 21  do  1826  due 3     do     do         18.00

Peter Arnold        made 25 march 1830   due 25 dec 1830        32.97

James Warren      made 20 March 1819.  due 25. dec  1819     400.00

                           Credit 15 January 1820  70.

                                do   13. April 1822.    177.78
an acpt on Wyatt Harper for Goods__2 1/2 bushels of, at    1.25

Georgia Hancock County
Jesse G. Butts one of the executors of the last will and testa-
ment of Jeremiah Warren dec'd being duly sworn says that
the above & foregoing return of money, notes &c belonging
to the estate of the said dec'd, is true & correct 
Sworn to & Subscribed before                    }      Jesse G. Butts
me this 1st Dec. 1832                                  }
James H Jones C.C.O                                  }


While it's obvious that Great Uncle Jeremiah was a wealthy man, it's not clear whether he was acting as a banker for his neighbors. There's no mention of that kind of role in his obituary which I transcribed here.

We're not done with Jeremiah Warren's estate--the executors were required to file annual accounts with the Probate Court so we can find out more about what happened the years before the final settlement.

*Presumably this refers to Macon County, Georgia, and not Macon County, Alabama, which was much farther away.


© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Family Friday: Tomlinsons

From our notes for this snapshot we know that we have here Aunt May (Mabel May Tomlinson Scott, 1873-1940), Aunt Matt (Martha E. Tomlinson Burke, 1867-1939), and my great grandmother Rufina Ellen Tomlinson Slater (1863-1943).

[Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

We've seen Aunts Matt and May before, in an earlier Family Friday.


© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Joyce Mrs Boyse (About 1618 - ?)

Joyce is another early female ancestor whose maiden name isn't known. This paternal ninth great grandmother was almost certainly born in England, although we don't know where, and emigrated to Virginia at some point before about 1637 when she married Cheney Boyce,* most likely in Charles City. As far as we know the couple had one child "Tho: Boyce the onely sonne of Chainey Boyce" who was born about 1638.

[Captain John Smith’s map, first published in England in 1612, was the primary map of the Chesapeake region used by colonists for nearly a century. Source: National Park Service, Captain John Smith Chesapeake National  Historic Trail]

After Cheney's death around 1643, Joyce was Executrix of his estate and ordered by the Virginia court to provide Thomas Boyce an "Annual Maintenance and to deliv'r him a very considerable estate at the age of 21 yeares"

In about 1644 the widow married Captain Richard Tye and in 1655 Thomas chose his stepfather as his Guardian.

[Charles City County Court Orders, 1655-1658, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. III 

Ancestry.com (database on-line]]

In 1658 Joyce was again left a widow.

[Charles City County Court Orders, 1658-1661, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. III 

Ancestry.com (database on-line]]

There's a final mention of Joyce in court records in 1662 regarding a dispute over land, although it's not clear to me that she was still alive because she's referred to as "his late wife" in the abstract.**

[Charles City County Court Orders, 1661-1664, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. III 

Ancestry.com (database on-line]]

.
I'm still trying to figure out when Joyce (?) Boyce Tye died. Her great granddaughter Elizabeth Scott married Samuel Chappell and their great great granddaughter Martha Heath Hardy married Jesse T.S. Warren in 1849 in Macon County, Alabama.

*History gives us choice of ways to spell his surname: Boyse, Boyce, Boys, Bois.
**Also note that the court record is confused about dates too. So far I haven't discovered what the court's decision in the case was, although from other records I think it's probable that Captain Tye's "Orphands" prevailed.

© 2015 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: John Scott (1659 - 1724), Tobacco Planter and Mill Owner

My paternal seventh great grandfather John Scott was born in Charles City County, Virginia, in about 1659. He later became a resident of Prince George County without having to leave the area when that county was created out of Charles City in 1702.

[Virginia and Maryland. By H. Moll, Geographer. (Printed and sold by Tho: Bowles next ye Chapter House in St. Pauls Church Yard, & Ino: Bowles at ye Black Horse in Cornhill, 1736?). David Rumsey Historical Map Collection]

By his marriage in 1685 to Betheyer Boyce*, John was connected to one of the earliest families to settle in the colony and we know that he acted as a witness in several legal documents over the years.

Although many early Virginia documents have been lost, from surviving records of Prince George County** it's clear that he owned a lot of land, including 748 acres on the south side of Warwick Swamp which he acquired on June 16, 1714,  and where he appears to have settled for the rest of his life.

In his will, signed June 1, 1724 and proved eight day later, John named each of his surviving children (all married daughters) and made provision for his grandsons, the minor children of his recently deceased son John. Thomas was to have "my mill and ten acres of land whereon it stands" (although his grandmother Betheyer was to retain half the profits during her widowhood). The bequest to his other grandson, another John, was the remaining 348 acres of the home plantation. Apparently his daughter Elizabeth, who had married Samuel Chappell*** in 1720, had already been given property because his bequest to her was "all that she is possessed with already and 630 pounds of tobacco." Everything else was to go to his widow for her life or widowhood.

John only names three enslaved persons in his will, "negro man Will," given to his daughter Bridget and "Ceasar & Nan" who are to remain with Betheyer until her death or marriage and then become the property of grandson John. But it's clear that he owned other human property from the wording of the will; we don't know how many slaves there were in his estate because he ends the document by directing that it wasn't to be inventoried.

Unfortunately these records are available only as transcriptions.

[Ancestry.com. The Edward Pleasants Valentine papers : abstracts of records in the local and general archives of Virginia relating to the fami [database on-line]. Original data: Valentine, Edward Pleasants,. The Edward Pleasants Valentine papers : abstracts of records in the local and general archives of Virginia relating to the families of Allen, Bacon, Ballard, Batchelder, Blouet, Brassieur (Brashear), Cary, Crenshaw, Dabney, Exum, Ferris, Fontaine, Gray, Hardy, Isham (Henrico County), Jordan, Langston, Lyddall, Mann, Mosby, Palmer, Pasteur, Pleasants, Povall, Randolph, Satterwhite, Scott, Smith (the family of Francis Smith of Hanover County), Valentine, Waddy, Watts, Winston, Womack, Woodson.. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1979.]

Betheyer (spelled Berthia this time, no one seems to know how to spell her given name) died the following year and her estate was inventoried and appraised on November 9, 1725.

* Her grandfather Cheney Boyce arrived in Jamestown in 1617.
**In 1720 he deeded 221 acres of this patent to his only son, another John Scott, "for natural affection."
***Their great granddaughter was Sarah Heath Chappell,

© 2015 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.