Friend of Friends: The Probate/Will of Jesse Watkins, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, about 1816

Copyright 2017, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Thanks to a genie angel of mine, I have the following information, I did not do the transcription.  I would suggest looking at Ancestry dot com and/or contacting the Isle of Wight Courthouse if you desire a image/copy.  I may have a copy buried in the mega masses of images that have not been processed and buried in my computer files.  Slave names in red.

Jesse Watkins
Probate Date: 14 Aug 1816
Probate Place: Isle of Wight, Virginia, USA
Inferred Death Year: Abt 1816
Inferred Death Place: Virginia, USA
Item Description: Mixed Records, Vol 16-18, 1821-1831
Vol 16-18 pp 361-362

[page 362]

In the name of God Amen I Jesse Watkins of the county of Isle of Wight being in usual health and at present enjoying a sound mind and disposing memory for which I thank God and calling to mind the uncertainty of human life and being desired to dispose of all such worldly estate as it has pleased God to bless me with, I give and bequeath the same in manner following that is to say

Item the 1st I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Polly Watkins two negroes (namely) Ned and Pat, to her and her heirs forever. It is further my will and desire that a sufficiency of my personal estate should be sold to pay all my just debts and the residue of my personal estate and all other of my estate both real and personal, I lend unto my wife aforesaid until the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty six at which time my Son Meredith H Watkins will arrive to the age of twenty one years provided she should stay single during that time and if in case she should marry it is my will that immediately a division should take place as to the residue of my personal estate and the slaves which I have not heretofore given away and that my wife should have one third part of the residue of my personal estate, and the remaining two thirds to be equally divided amongst my children which I give to them and their heirs forever and when the division takes place my wife Polly Watkins is to have no part of the slaves which was not first given to her

Item 2nd I give unto my daughter Sally Watkins (namely) Mary and Lucy to her and her heirs forever before the division takes place in the residue of my slaves named in the first Item, these two negroes it is to be taken out and for my daughter Sally __ to have an equal part in the division as before mentioned in the 1st Item besides those two Slaves -

Item 3rd I give unto my

[page break p 362]

two sons Meredith H Watkins and Wiley Watkins the whole of my lands and plantation to be equally divided between them, which I give to them and their heirs forever, I wish my land so divided that my wife should have her third of all one of my sons parts and at her death or intermarriage or my son Meredith H Watkins arriving to the age of twenty one years for him who have the part that her third is in to have her third and for the other to draw no part of the said thirds. and lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my wife Polly Watkins and Exum Eley whole and sole Executrix and Executor to this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all other former wills heretofor by me make In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 14th day of August 1816

Signed sealed acknowledged Jesse Watkins

In presence of
Allen Gay
Lewis Coggin

At a Court held for Isle of Wight County the 7th day of September 1818 the forgoing Will was presented in Court by Polly Watkins the Executrix therein named who made oath thereto according to law and the same being proved by the oaths of Lewis Coggin one of the subscribing Witnesses thereto and continued for further proof. Exum Eley the Executor therein named refused to take upon himself the ____ of Executor and on the motion of the said Executrix who together with Meredith Holland and Job Holland her securities entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of six thousand dollars consideration as the law directs certificate was granted her for obtaining probate thereof in due form of Law. And at a Court held for the said County the 3d day of July 1826. Mills Powell and Exum Eley presently appeared in open Court and made oath that they have frequently seen Allen Gay who is subscribing witness to the said will and who is since dead, write that they believe the name of Allen Gay as a witness to said will, is in the proper hand writing of him the said Allen Gay and thereupon the said Will was ordered recorded.

Good luck in your research.  Any corrections concerning this transcription or document are always appreciated.

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Friend of Friends, Chancery Case, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, 1816, Morris vs Seeds

Copyright 2017, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

As found at the Library of Virginia website, Chancery Cases, Case  1816-040. Slave names highlighted in red. For copies of your own that are less pixelated, download from the Library of Virginia, they will be much better.  This file was particularly difficult for me to transcribe, please feel free to send corrections.  It has been my experience that the Chancery cases are not always presented in chronological order, some cases appear to have been filmed backwards, the first document, actually being the last.  I am presenting the documents here in order presented on the web site.

Hezekiah Morris died intestate - leaving 2 children Everitt, & Peggy (cannot read rest)

(Following all lined through)
James Case is Guardian to Everitt
William Seeds married the widow - cannot read next 4 words -
be divided into 3 parts

(No longer lined out)
To the worshipful court of Isle of Wight County in chancery sitting hereby complaining ???? ??? to yr worships you your orater Everitt Morris an infant by James Casey his next friend (lined out: humbly complaining) that sometime in the year of a certain Hezekiah Morris departed this life intestate possessed by three (lined out ??????) negro slaves to wit Dempsy, Sam & Dick, that the said intestate also left a widow Amelia & two children to wit yr complr (Lined out & Everitt) & Peggy Morris who after the assessment of one third of the ??? ??? ?? ????? widow her life (lined out ??????? way) were equally entitled to the ?ernacncey? said slaves - - and yr complt further represents that being so entitled, the said Peggy has lately departed this life an infant & intestate by consequence where of the part(y) that would have gone to the said infant, Peggy, should now pass equally between yr complt & William Seeds who has intermarried with the widow a? ????? ???? ?????? a defend To th?? Bill Yr compl further states that the estate has been fully settled and all debts ????? ????? by the ???? to be equally

Pursuant to the ammended Decree of the Honorable Court of Isle of Wight County bearing date December Court 1814 We have proceeded to make division of the Slaves of which Hezekiah Morris Died Possessed, as in the Bill mentioned after having appraised the Same and have assigned 

No. 1 to William Seeds in right of his wife Amelia as (Right of - - crossed off) her Dower therein
Negro Man Demps                              $350.00
And to receive from Lott No 2              16.66 2/3
                                                                   $366.66 2/3

To Lott No 2 we have assigned Everitt Morris
Negro Man Sam                          $450.00
and to pay Lott No 1                       16.66 2/3
And to Lott No 3                            66.66 2/3 

                                                          83.33 2/3
                                                                   $366.66 2/3

To Lott No. 3 we have assigned Peggy Morris a decd Infant of Said Hezekiah Morris as her proportion of said Slaves
Negro Man Dick                                $300.00
And to receive from Lott No. 2      66.66 2/3
                                                                366.66 2/3

Lott No. 3 we have also proceeded to Divide between the complainant Everitt Morris and the Defendants William Seeds and Wife which one half of the land Seeds and wife are entitled to by the death of the said Peggy as well as the other half in consequence of having paid One Hundred Dollars to make the division

Equal between the Parties as mentioned in the foregoing Statements which said Negro Dick the Said defendants are entitled to in fee Simple which we Submit with due Difference to the Court, given under our hands and ??? this 8th day of December 1814 - -

Exum Eley
Isaac Vellines
David Dick
Jordan Parr

Isle of Wight County, December court 1814

Everitt Morris an infant by James Casey his gdn, Complt
                    against                                      {{In Chancery
William Seeds & Amelia his wife, Defts.

By consent of parties by their attorney this day this bill and answer were filed and heard the ??? where upon this decree and ordered that Exum Eley, Isaac Vellines, David Dick & Jordan Parr or any three of them lay of and assign to the defendant William Seeds in right of his said Wife one third third of the slaves in the bill mentioned of which Hezekiah Morris died possessed and make equal division of the residue of said slaves between complainant Everitt Morris and Peggy Morris ?? ??? (looks like or decd) infants of said Hezekiah and that they make equal division of the part assigned to the said Peggy - between the complainant and defendants Seeds & wife It is further decreed & ordered that in order to effect the said division the said commissioners are authorized to make sale of ????? (of the - - which is lined out) said slave or slaves to the highest bidder for cash or credit as the said commissioners may think best. Make (?) report thereof to the court in order to a final decree - - Al???? Teste Nathl Young

Good luck in your research.

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Friend of Friends Friday:: Slaves in Bible Records::Virginia::Nathan Withers

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

A genie angel shared with me the fact that the data base Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007, is online at FamilySearch.Org.  (Note:  no promises that link will work, as you must sign in to use this data base.  So, if it does not work for you, sign in to FamilySearch.Org, browse around to United States data bases, Virginia data bases, and you will find the link to this data base.)  This is a browse only data base at this time.

When you get to the data base, there are 71 "boxes" to investigate.  Note there is also set of index cards found after Box 71.  It is alpha, but, you will still have to be creative with your search in the actual "boxes" if you find something of interest in the index cards.  I have not yet figured out if there is a "trick" to the numbers on the index cards that would send you to the correct box right away.  If you know the trick, please leave a comment.

So, the other night I was up in the middle of the night, yes and ONLINE too, something I almost never do in the middle of the night, and I was snooping around.  In my snooping, I discovered the Nathan Wither's Bible records.  See Box 70, pages 136 to 142 (hope I recorded those page numbers correctly in the middle of the night.)

The first page of the record is a collection record report.  These pages contain a lot of hints as to what follows.

There are several pages of slave records.  I saved the images to my hard drive and transcribed them to the best of my ability with Transcript.  No editing other than cropping has been done to the images.  My attempt at transcriptions of each page follow the image of that page.  The pages are presented in the same order as they were online.  I did not necessarily maintain the spacing as in the original record.  The first page gave me the most difficulty in transcribing, and I urge you to be very cautious with my "take" on the names and dates. You will note if I was not sure, I put a (?) in my transcription.  If there are errors, please leave a comment so I can correct them.  Thanks.

Age Book for Negroes

Tillen was born August 1780

John was born August the 7th (?) 1801

Peggy was born August the 4th 1803

Daniel was born July 14th 1805

Nanny (?) was born February 3rd 1809

Lewis was born September the 6th 1813

Maria (?) wa born February 1st 1817

Lucy was born December 1st 1826

Amy (?) was born February the 3rd 1827

Eliza was born February the 16th 1829

Richard was November the 14th 1829

Fred (?) was born October the 16th 1831

John (?) Albert was born Sept the 5th 1832

Binns (?) was born August 3rd 1837

Mary was born February 22 1839

Sasen (?) was born March the 9 (?) th 1839

Matilda was born June the 15th 1840

Margarette was born August the 1st 1841

Betsey was born October the 28th 1841

George Daniel was born September the 5th 1843

James Munroe Patiences child was born June the 16th 1845

Susan Hill Nanny child was born September th 6th 1845

Wm Wilson Patience's child was born Nov. the 19th 1846

Ben Nannys child was born August 28th 1848

Henderson Anne's child was born August the 7th 1848

Sam. Patience's child was born November the 14th 1848

Green Thomas Nannys child was born April the 30th 1850

Martha Jane Patience's child was born May the 22th 1850

Alace Nanny child was born June the 16th 1853

Elias Marys child was born Nov 1st 1858

Marys 2nd child was born 1860

Note, this page was cropped more because there was nothing but white space below this.

Amanda Marys child was born Feb the 24th 1861

Betsey Mary child was born August 3rd 1862

Note, I do have Withers in my research.  I suppose Nathan may be in my lineage somewhere, but, currently he is not on my data base.  Therefore, I am NOT researching this line and I can not be of further help to you at this time.  I find em, I share em, you research em!

Good luck!


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Friend of Friends Friday:: Slaves Found During Transcription

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

I do a bit of volunteer work in Lenawee County, Michigan.  I host several blogs where I put up memorial cards and Bible and Bible records.  Both projects are on going, the Bible project has been ongoing for many years, and I dream of it being finished, however, it is languishing.  Both projects are on my list of  "THE To Do List", my plan is to try to do some on this every week, maybe twice a week.

While working on some additional data I found that I wanted to add to an existing Bible record, I also found some slave information.  Time frame: 1700-1799.  Possibly, New York State.  Sadly, there are huge hunks of information missing in this record, I can only hope that the tidbits of data are helpful to someone, sometime.

You can find the entire Bible record and new information on the slaves, here.  Names I have indexed from this set of records are:

Delon, Dillon, Hodson, Morgan, Morrison, Rowe, Symons, Talyer, Taylor



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Friend of Friends, Darden, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Will Naming Slaves

I will be changing the name of my page where I post Friend of Friends articles from "Slave Names Virginia Chancery, Friend of Friends" to simply, "Friend of Friends".  I have discovered that I have more than one source for slave or free black names and want this page name to reflect that.

Today's offering comes directly from my data base, along with some notes about the transcription.  At the bottom of this post, I will have a limited amount of family information on the slave owners, in hopes it will assist researchers.  So, lets begin, please note my credits to Mabel Van Dyke Baer and James Otis Wight.  I will highlight in bold font the slave names:

John's will was transcribed by Mabel Van Dyke Baer in work done for James Otis Wright, in 1965. Mabel's compilation, "Darden-Lassiter Lineage of Isle of Wight and Nansemond Counties, Virginia" filled in much of the Darden lineage of this compiler. Her transcription of his will follows, as of May 2005, compiler does not have a copy of the original.

Will of John Darden, 20 December 1809, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Will Book 13, 1809-1815, Pages 87-88. NOTE: all words, not legible in the typed version will be represented by ?? marks. Mable also could not read all of the orignal and she has (?) marks, which I will include.

I John Darden of the count of Isle of Wight and State of Virginia do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following first, I leave to my beloved wife, Molly Darden, during her life or widowhood the one half of the plantation that I now live on which said half is to include all my houses except the new house that is not finished, also the following negro Slaves, ?? (?) , R??, Liddy, Simon and Peter, also four Cows and Calves, one joke of oxen her choice, also one mare, also my Geese and poutley, also six head of sheep her choice, also two feather beds and furniture, my ?? and fear with the warping bars and boxes, one Cedar Chest, ten flag chairs, two cotton wheels and one flax wheel, two pots and frying pans and one Iron tea-kettle, and all my pewter and knives and forks, also the use of my (?) kettle, cap and (?)

2ndly I give to my wife to dispose of as she may think proper one thousand weight of (?) fodder one ?? of top fodder and ?? her choice, twenty five barrels of Corn one thousand weight of bacon, three hundred weight of cotton, also twenty five ?? and two cows, also one negro girl Hannah, I give it to her and her heirs forever - 3rdly I give to my daughter Betsey Hall my negro girl named Esther and one dollar, which is is now in her possession also negro woman Rady. I give said negro to her and her heirs forever - 4thly I give to my son Thomas Darden one negro boy Deek and forty five pounds I give it to him and his heirs forevr - 5thly I give to my daughter Ann Darden one negro woman named Judy and one negro boy Abram and one negro girl Eady on one negro boy Munday also thirty five pounds of feathers to her and her heirs forever - - 6thly I give to my daughter Polly Darden one negro woman Bridget and her child Chaney also a negro girl Cinthy, also thirty-five pounds of feathers. I give it to her and her heirs forever. 7thly I give to my son Charles Darden the use of the other half of the plantation that I live upon, also the land that I purchased from Robert Heath, also the other half of my plantation at my wife's death, also one negro boy Seinour, one Filley, also my desk and bookcase, also one Bed and furniture, I also give him all my Coopers tools, with what timber is already got my will and desire is that if my son Charles should have an heir or heirs lawfully begotten of his body that he shall have a fee simple right in the above property and dispose of it as he may think proper, but if he should die without such heir or heirs then and in that event the said land and negroes to be equally divided amongst all my children.

8thly I give to my daughter Patsey Darden one negro woman named Lous and one negro boy named Sigh, and one negro Girl named Aley, also one feather bed and furniture, I give it to her and her heirs forever -

9thly I give to my son Charles Darden all the bricks that I have ready made to finish the new house that is unfinished -

10thly the rest and residue of my estate not heretofore given I desire may be sold to the highest bidder and out of the sales to pay to my son Thomas Darden the forty-five pounds and the overplus if any to be equally divided to all my children -

11thly After my wife's decease, the property lent to her (except the land) I desire may be equally divided among all my children; I do hereby appoint my son Thomas Darden guardian to my son Charles Darden and take care of his estate until he arrives to the age of twenty-one years, and Charles may have the liberty of working for himself.

12thly I do hereby appoint my son Thomas Darden executor of this my last will and testament.

IN WITNESS whereby I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 29th day of December 1809.

Signed Sealed & Acknowledged

In presence of

Thomas Smalley

William Bagnall

At a Court held for Isle of Wight County the 6th day of March 1810, The foregoing will was presented in court by Thomas Darden the executor therein named who ?? oath ?? according to law and the same being proved by Thomas Smally one of the witnesses thereto who also made oath that he saw William Ragnall sub? his name as a witness and ordered to be recorded - and on the motion of the said executor who together with Henry Joyner and Daniel Joyner his securities entered into and acknowledged their bond in the penalty of ten thousand dollars with condition as the law directs certificate is granted him for allowing probate thereof in due form.

Teste Nathl. Young GC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brief outline of this slave owners family group:

John Darden, birth data unknown, death by March 6, 1810, most likely Isle of Wight County, Virginia.  John's wife is known only by her given and/or called name of Mary or Molly.

John and Mary/Molly had the following children:

• Thomas, ca 1773 to 1852
• Betsey, ca 1781 to 1787, married Thomas Hall
• Ann or Anna, born 1783, died 1851, never married, was deaf
• Mary or Polly, born 1786, died 1982, married George Hall
• Patsey Darden, nothing more than her name is known at this time.
• Charles Darden, born between 1773 and 1788, died ca 1848 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, married Ms. Dews

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence.
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Friend of Friends, Born Free

While trying to figure out a little mystery discovered on an early Southampton County Virginia marriage license, I stumbled upon this record.  The name that I was researching, Wilborne (Wilborn) Stephenson appears in this record, which was indexed the Brantley Association of America web page of Southampton County Virginia records.  This comes from the Court Minute Book, 1848 to 1855, page 406. 

Note, I have edited this image a bit, hoping to make it a bit easier to read.  I suggest you click on the graphic, it will open to a larger version of the image. To return to Reflections From the Fence, click on your back button.  The original image is here on page 406. That image is quite clear.  Better than mine below.

I have attempted a transcription, I think I have it right, however, if you spot something in error, please let me know and I will correct it!

Ordered that the clerk register Mary Crocker, Temperance Nicholson, Hester Bailey, Hannah Bailey, Jno Crocker Jr., Franky Hargrave, Julie Hargrave, & Gilbert Roberts who were proved to have been born free in this County by Alfred J. Brittle. Edna Whitney & Alfred Jones who were proved to have been born free in this County by Wilborn Stephenson. Willis Hicks who was proved to have been born free in this County by James Holmes. Malinda Holloway who was proved to have been born free in this County by John Pretlow. Anthony Burrough or Ricks who was proved to have been born free in this County by Alfred Ricks, Amos Warren, Sandy Bailey, William Nicholson, Betsey Newsom, Lucinda Brown, Dick Jones, Josiah Whitney, Britton Davis, Parthena Roberts, Everett, Joyner, Silkey Diggs & Lydia Ann Diggs who were born free in this County as appears from their former registers.

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence.
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Carnival of African-American Genealogy, Restore My Name

It seems that I have hit a gold mine of slave names in Virginia Chancery Cases. As time permits I will be sharing these, giving names I find in hopes that slave descendants will benefit from my digging in the Chancery. I have set up a special page where I will list the links to these posts as they appear, “Slave Names Virginia Chancery, Friend of Friends” (See the right hand column of my blog)

Today’s offering is from the Chancery Cases of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, the Library of Virginia has them digitized.

Plaintiff(s) EVERIT MORRISS BY ETC
MARGARET MORRISS BY ETC
Defendant(s) EXR OF NANCY MORRISS
NATHANIEL YOUNG EXR
Index # 1814-013 (9 pages)

Those interested in this case should pay close attention to pages 4, 5, 7, and 9.

The slave owners in this case are the Morris family. The slaves named are Tom and Milly. The following graphic is part of page 9, the Will of Nancy Morris.  I am still working on tying Nancy into my linege/data base.  It appears that Nancy Morris is the sister of Hezekiah Morris.  See below for additional information on his family.

This is my entry to the 1st Carnival of African-American Genealogy, Restore My Name

The challenge follows:

Restore My Name – Slave Records and Genealogy Research, will kick-off this African-American themed carnival intended to be a gathering place for the community to share and learn about African-American genealogy.

This first CoAAG theme will deal with how records of slave ownership are handled by the genealogy researcher. Contributors will be asked to write a blog post (at their own blogs) on one or more of the following aspects (my answers follow each question):

What responsibilities are involved on the part of the researcher when locating names of slaves in a record? Find a way to get those names and information out in the public, blog em, find a depository, on line or otherwise and SHARE! This is about human and family history kindness.  Do the right thing, share what you find.

Does it matter if the record(s) are related to your ancestral lines or not? NO

As a descendant of slave owners, have you ever been pressured by family not to discuss or post about records containing slave names? NO

As a descendant of slaves, have you been able to work with or even meet other researchers who are descendants of slave owners? Not applicable.

Have you ever performed a Random Act of Genealogical Kindness involving slave ownership records? Or were you on the receiving end of such kindness? See my post Relatively Speaking, Slave Names & Chancery Cases

*  Hezekiah Morris married Amelia Battin.  They had two children Everitt and Margaret (Peggy).  After Hezekiah's death, Amelia, also known as Permilia, Pamilia and Melia, marries William Seeds.  Amelia and William have 5 known children, Mary Ann, Edmund ,Nancy, Permilia and William.  Slave descendant researchers should look at Chancery cases involving the Seeds clan as well.  Future posts will include additional cases I have found, and the seach has just begun.

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence.

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