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.

Cousin Hunting: Verne Carol Grooms Gilchrist (1935 - 1960)

Today I've been looking at the other children of my maternal third great grandfather William T. Slater (abt 1790-1847) which is what lead me to this fourth cousin* who was only 24 when she died on the 31st of January, 1960--and the cause of her death attracted my attention.

[South Carolina Department of Archives and History; Columbia, South Carolina; Year Range: 1950-1961;

Death County or Certificate Range: Charleston. Ancestry.com]

Next I looked for a newspaper description of the accident:

[The Charleston News and Courier, Tuesday, February 02, 1960 Charleston,

South Carolina Page 8. Newspapers.com]

From these two items we can deduce that Verne Carol was divorced and while her daughter seems to have remained with her, her two sons were described as "of Detroit, Mich."

It's too late in the day for me to go into the matter, but in 1965 her parents brought a wrongful death suit against the estate of the driver Charles Henry Zander, Jr. and there are several newspaper articles regarding that suit. Maybe I'll return to the topic in a later post.


*Here's how we're related:

[Ancestry.com]

© 2018 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.

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.

Memento Mori: Memorial Day

James Chappell Warren, Jr., my paternal grandfather, served in the U.S. Navy during World War I.
We don't have his portrait so this Draft Registration card has our only physical description of hiim.

[Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.]

We found out the ships he served on through the headstone application filed by his sister Mary Ann in 1936, two years after their mother's death.

[Ancestry.com. U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941. Microfilm publication M1916, 134 rolls. ARC ID: 596118. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group 92. National Archives at Washington, D.C.]

[U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.]

[New Hampshire in the Hudson River in December 1918]

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: Epps W. Warren (1807-1871), Farmer, Overseer & MInister - Part 2, Civil War Letters

Two letters Epps W. Warren wrote during the Civil War to Joseph E. Brown, the Governor of the Confederate State of Georgia survive.

[Joseph E. Brown (1821-1894.

 Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries]

In the earliest one he described himself as a "humble minister"* and called on Brown to proclaim a day of prayer to thank God for the "great and glorious victory" at Chickamauga (September 18-20) which turned out to be the last major victory for the Confederate Army.

Macon Sept 26th 1863
     His Excellency
          Joseph E Brown
               Dear Brother**
                    You will
pardon a private individual & an humble
Minister of Jesus Christ for a making a
suggestion to the Governor of Georgia.
"Through riches of grace in Christ
Jesus" from God the Father who is the
bestower of every good & perfect gift
we have received a great & glorious
victory on the North West border
of our State, which saves us from
untold sufferings, & our people from
unwanted discouragement.
      I feel anxious for all our people
to give all honor & praise to Him
whose "right arm has gotten us the
victory." You I know share in this
desire. If the Chief Magistrate of  our
Common Wealth would put his
proclamation, calling on our Christian
people to assemble at some early day
in their houses of worship for this purpose 

I am persuaded it would meet with
the most cordial approbations of the
people generally, & the effect would
be well pleasing to our Divine Redeemer.
     I mearly make the suggestion, hoping
you will excuse the apparent presum-
ption, & if it should meet your views,
that at a proper time you will call
on us to render thanksgiving and
praise to the Lord God Omnippotent
who reigneth.
          In christian affection
                E. W Warren

As for what was written on the bottom, I'm having problems with a couple of words. Since the letter was addressed to the Governor, perhaps it's his handwriting.

E.W. Warren

     Macon

          Ga

Say that his letter[?]  has

been forwarded to

this filair[?] & I am

gone to Canton[?]

Four months later Epps was writing again to his "Dear Brother, " this time to recommend someone for a government post as surgeon.

Macon Jan 5th 1864

     His Excellency
          Jos. E Brown
               Dear Brother
                    Having
understood that you are
appointing surgeons for each
senatorial district in Ga.
I take pleasure in suggesting
Dr. J.W. Janes of Cuthbert as
a suitable man in every
respect for the a position
somewhere in S. W. Ga. if
they are not all filled, if they
are he would gratefully
accept one any where in the 
State. He is a very competent

man, & would do his work

faithfully. He is the son in 

law of S.G Hillyer

     He served in the war

as aid of Genl Patton Anderson

until his health failed, & he

was forced to retire. He is

now doing service here in

a subaltern position in the

hospital as a surgeon.

     If necessary, he will

make a personal application

accompanied by such

recommendations as may

be required.

          Most Truly

               Your obt Servt.

                    E.W. Warren

E.W. Warren

     Macon

          Ga

5 Jan 64

Recommend Dr 

J W Janes for

surgeon for 11th Sen Distr.

     answrd 20 Jany 

          64

From the above transcribed note on the back of the last page, it appears that Epps Warren's letter got the results he (and Dr. Janes) were hoping for.

And a third letter addressed to Major General Smith*** to learn if one of his sons could substitute for one of his daughters' teacher was in the same file. 

[Gustavus Woodson Smith, photo taken during the Civil War 1861–65

Source: Library of Congress]

Macon June 4th 1864
Maj Genl Smith
          Dear Sir
               I write to ascertain
if my son who will not be seventeen
till the last of Octo, but who is well-
grown, strong & healthy, who desires
to enter the army, can be used
as a substitute, in the event
he comes, for Prof. R. D. Mallory,****
whose health is too feeble to do
field service, & who cannot
be spared from our city without
serious hinderance to the
education of our daughters.
I refer you to Col  F.L. Holt
of your command, who is from
this city, & can give you particu

[Ancestry.com. Georgia, Civil War Correspondence, 1847-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Governor's Incoming Correspondence, Civil War— Governor Joseph E. Brown of Georgia. Morrow, Georgia:

Georgia State Archives.]

lars. My son is able to do
good duty, his teacher is 
now in your command,
(Lieut Poehill), & he is anxious
to join the army, while Prof
Mallory would not I think
be able to serve his country
there, but is of indispensable
service at home.
          Very Respecty
               E.W. Warren

P.S. I have also written
to Gov. Brown on this
Su topic

From this last letter we're led to believe that Epps was so dedicated to his daughters' education that he was willing to send an underage son off to war in place of the girls' teacher? There's a problem with his story--a son who would have turned 17 in October 1864 would have been born in 1848. Now as you can see from my first post about Epps, neither the 1850 nor the 1860 enumerations of his household list a male child born in that year.*****

So who was being offered in exchange here?

NOTE: I've added "Overseer" to Epps W. Warren's occupations in the title.

*Since he's buried in a United Methodist cemetery, I assume he belonged to that denomination.
**I know of no family connection that would allow Epps to address Governor Brown as "Dear Brother." Perhaps he believed being "an humble minister" gave him the right to do so?
***Almost certainly Gustavus Woodson (G.W.) Smith (1821-1896) who by this time was serving as a Major General in the Georgia Militia. He was appointed to his post by Governor Brown.
****This is the man Epps is offering a substitute for (from Ancestry.com - 1864 Census for Re-Organizing the Georgia Militia).

***** There's a daughter [Sarah] Olivia Warren who would have been born that year but no boy.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: What We Learned from Jeremiah Warren's Probate Records

I was initially surprised to see that the "heirs of Jesse Warren" (e.g. my great great grandfather J.T.S. Warren, who was 11 in 1837) got an equal share with the other legatees but rereading Item 10th of Jeremiah's will it's clear that was his uncle's wish (as expressed in the second part of it).

["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-893G-8N1K?cc=1999178&wc=9SYB-7M3%3A267654601%2C267802801 : 20 May 2014), Hancock > image 78 of 376;

county probate courthouses, Georgia.]

All the residue of my property I will to be managed
by my executors for five years in a profitable manner having
regard to humanity in there treatment not hiring them to
any person who will abuse them if they cannot have
them freed by the Laws of our Country in that time are
to be equally divided by my brothers and sisters or
their heirs except Epps Warren and James Warren and Eliza-
beth Smith and Susan Johnson as I do not wish them
to have any part in said division.

Also from the above paragraph it seems that Jeremiah hoped that "the residue" of his slaves (those not specifically included in bequests to his relatives) could be freed but he set a five year time limit for the possibility. So that's why the appraisal and division of them took so long.

But regarding Coleman, Mary and her three children, Pat and John, there was no such limit.

["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-893G-8N1K?cc=1999178&wc=9SYB-7M3%3A267654601%2C267802801 : 20 May 2014), Hancock > image 78 of 376;

county probate courthouses, Georgia.]

Item 10th    I give to Jesse G Butts and John Graybill jointly negroes
Coleman Mary and her three children and Pat and John
one choice Horse four Cows and Calves two beds and furna-
ture and all my household furnature except my clock two
Spinning Wheels two pare of Cards and four thousand dollars
in money if the money is in hand if not the amount in
notes the above also the Track of land I purchased of Parker
which land is not to be subject to be sold for the debts of
they or either of them nor shall the negroes be sold by them
or subject to pay any debt of there contracting the money
to be loaned out at Interest for the support of the negroes
and if they can at any time be freed by the laws of the
Country it is my will it shall be done

The only time I have found mention of Coleman, Mary and the other five people outside of Jeremiah's will is in the inventory of his estate. Thereafter they disappear from probate records (at least those available online).

As Jeremiah thought possible, immediately after his death there wasn't enough cash in the estate to cover the $4000 he directed be set aside "for the support of the negroes" but we can see in the Account Current of August 1834, Graybill and Butts had "retained" the money by then.

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

                        will of Jeremiah Warren**                                             }  4000.00

I think there must be more probate records that are either lost or not online because there should be documents relating to court approval of the proposed division, receipts from the six legatees and court orders winding up Jeremiah's probate and giving Graybill and Butts dismission from their responsibilities as executors.

However in the Georgia Property Tax Digest for Hancock County in 1840 I was able to find out a bit more.

[Militia District Number: 101; Year : 1840. Ancestry.com. Georgia, Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Georgia Tax Digests [1890]. 140 volumes. Morrow, Georgia: Georgia Archives.]

[Detail of above]

So in tax records John Graybill was still acting as Executor for Jeremiah's estate which at this point was comprised of 1 slave* and 40 acres, presumably the Parker property referred to in Jeremiah's will. John Graybill himself was listed as the owner of 34 enslaved persons. (Jesse Butts is in the same Tax Digest but wasn't recorded as acting as executor for anyone.)

Since we know that Mary (who adopted the Warren surname after emancipation) appeared in the 1870 U.S. Census living very near John Graybill, in Smith County, Texas, next week I plan to look at his life.


*Who?


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