Friends of Friends: Mills Eley, 1805, List of Slaves from Appraisement, Isle of Wight County Virginia

Copyright 2017, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

As I work through the documents I have collected over the years, I find facts to share.  Such as:

Part of the appraisement of Mills Eley, dated 1805, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, with a list of slaves, our focus for today.

Mills Eley, Probate, Appraisment, date submitted to Court, Isle of Wight County, Virginia was June 3, 1805.

This transcription is to record the names of the slaves.  Values all recorded in "pounds" on original, only numbers shown here in this transcription.

Negroes, towit, Peter 100 - - Jack 40 - - Scotland 90 - - Nath 90.  (Line totals 320)

Gilly  60 - - Jenny 30 - - Aggy  75 - - Voylet of Young Child (?) 90  (Line totals 255)

Tarley 30 - - Selvey  30 - - Abram  20 - - Moses  24 - - Lucy 15  (Line total 119)

Ben  36 - - Beck  15 - - Cherry 5  (Line total 56)

I have several other pages of Mills Eley's probate case.  If you are interested in same, please contact me via this blog, in comments.

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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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Chancery Cases, Name those Names, Niblett's All

Copyright 2017, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Seriously, I just LOVE documents that name children, wife/widow and such of a man.

The Commonwealth of Virginia
To the Sheriff of the County of Isle of Wight - - Greeting:

We command you to summon Exum L. Eley, Shff of Isle of Wight & as such administrator of Graves Niblett decd., and Virginia C. Niblett, widow of said Graves Niblett decd, William E. Niblett, Walter G. Niblett, Solomon Niblett and Robert Niblett (the last four being infant heirs of said Graves Niblett, decd.)

This is part of a document that was found in the Chancery files at the Library of Virginia, Isle of Wight County.  The relationships don't get much clearer than stated here.

And interesting twist to this is that Exum L. Eley is the half brother of Virginia C. Niblett, nee Eley.

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Friend of Friends Friday:: Randal, Slave of the Seeds Clan of Isle of Wight County Virginia

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

I have been fussing with this transcription all week.  It has been one thing after another, mostly personal errands that kept me away from the computer during the hours of the day that my mind is the most productive.  I started with Transcript, finally printed this page, and still had (having) trouble with it.  So, I am going to post the image of this page, give you some details and tell you where to find the entire file.

This is a Chancery Case of Isle of Wight County, Virginia. I found the images at the Library of Virginia Digital Collections Virginia Memory collection.  The main page for entry into this wealth of genealogical data is here, at the Chancery Records Index.

This 1837 case surrounds the sale of the slave Randal, whose owner had been one William Seeds, deceased.  William died unmarried, but was survived by his mother Amelia Seeds, brother Edmond Seeds and three sisters, Mary (wife of Armstrong Turner), Amelia (wife of Jordan Edwards) and Nancy Seeds (considered an infant).

This specific Chancery Case is Index  Number 1837-005 at the Library of Virginia web site.  It is 7 pages long and stored at this specific URL.

The page I have been trying to transcribe is page 2 of the 7.

This is what I have managed to transcribe, and I make no representation that it is correct.  If you see corrections, please feel free to contact me, all assistance gleefully accepted.  I have not started transcribing the additional pages, including page 3, which I believe is the rest of this first plea to the court.

To the worshipful  the justices of the court of Isle of Wight County in Chancery sitting

Humbly complaining herewith unto your worships, your orators and oratrix Amelia Seeds, Jordan Edwards and Amelia his wife late Amelia Seeds, and Armstrong Turner and Mary his wife late Mary Seeds:  That William Seeds late of this county died sometime about the     day of      without wife or child and intestate, leaving a mother Amelia Seeds, a brother Edmund Seeds, and three sisters Amelia Edwards, wife of your orator Jordan Edwards, Mary Turner, wife of your Orator Armstrong Turner and Nancy Seeds his heirs at law that the said William Seeds deceased was possessed at the time of his death, together with considerable other personal estates, of a negroe slave named Randal, that administration on the estate of the said William Seeds deceased has been duly granted by the worshipful court of this county to the said Edmond Seeds who has ???? himself of that ???  your Orators and Oratrix believes, that this said William Seeds deceased was not at all indebted, at the time of his death, and being desirous of protecting this interest in the said slave Randal to which they are by law entitled, have applied to the said Edmond Seeds, the administrator aforesaid and the said Nancy Seeds for a sale of the said slave for the purpose of a division amongst them.  But, now so if it may it please your worships that the said Edmond Seeds adminstrator as aforesaid, and the said Nancy Seeds, herein after called defendants, have under various fortunes refused:  the said administrator Alledging, that whilst he is willing to account??  your orators and oratrix in the promises in vilotions to their interests, he first ?? then ??? of the other defendant may interpose an objection at this time,and the said Nancy Seeds says that being an infant so far as she understands things she has no consent to give.  All whilst ???? and doings of the said Defendants are contrary to equity and good conscience and ?? greatly

Nancy Seeds was my 3rd great grandmother.



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Been Waiting 20 Years, Hope I Can Wait a Little Longer

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

They always say, the best research you will do or find will be during the last week, or the last day, or even more exciting and stressful, during the last couple of hours you are in a research facility.  And, it looks like what they say is gonna be true one more time.

Yesterday I was plugging along, trying to grab some of the things I had not quite finished, a deed here and there, then saw a note about getting copies of some wills. Actually, burnt wills, which I have seen, but thought I would like to have digital copies anyway.  Along side the information on 2 wills was a cryptic note I left myself to check the surname Marshall in Isle of Wight Virginia, to see if there are any wills there for two John Marshalls, father and maybe son.

So, rather tired, OK, close to dead (oh, ya, there she goes again, sick humor, play on words) tired, I looked at the catalog, found a film that said it was an index to Wills.  Retrieve the film, load it up, start spinning.  I was rather surprised and disappointed to find that there were a LOT of missing pages, per the notes filmed along with the pages they had filmed.  Great, how many pages she wonders, and did the MIA's have my names listed, probably, she sighs.

So, I spin away, skipping by some of the other surnames from Isle of Wight that I am researching, stopping here and there, never did find the Marshalls.  Then one of those serendipity spins happened, I stopped on a page, speed reading it, when I saw names that I recognized, Eley and Pierce.

I have been researching Solomon B. Eley and his wife, Sallie Darden Eley Pierce since about 1991, basically when I started my serious research addiction.  Solomon and Sallie are my great great grandparents on my father's side of the clan.  I have had photos of them for many years, well before 1991.  I have strong emotional ties to them, maybe because of the photos, actually I have stopped trying to figure out why.  I just am connected and emotional about Solomon and Sallie!

Solomon B. Eley and Sallie Darden Eley Pierce.

Solomon served during the Civil war in the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.  So did many members of his immediate and extended family.  Solomon was present at Appomattox on April 9th, 1865.  He signed surrender papers as an officer of the 16th.  I have copies of that 4 page (legal sized) document.

After the war Solomon came back to Isle of Wight, married Sallie Darden and on July 4, 1866 they celebrated the birth of their first child, a daughter, my great grandmother, Lorena.  They had several more children, the number is a bit in question, I currently show a total of 4 children born to the union, 2 boys, and another daughter. Both sons died young.  In 1871 Solomon himself passed, partially because of health issues that started during the war.  Married about 6 years, Sallie was now a widow.

Every discovery about Solomon has been difficult, just finding him in the 1870 census was a challenge, remember, this was before internet based indexes.  He was found living in a nearby county where he died.  Contacting the county clerk there resulted in some wonderful documents concerning Solomon.  That said, his burial place remains a mystery still.  I am sure Sallie was quite poor, and there just was no money for the purchase of a headstone, none for Solomon, none for her babies, and many many years later, none for Sallie either.

Two years after Solomon died Sallie remarried, her new groom's name was Francis Pierce, and a few more babies came along.  The number is in question, 2 or 3 daughters.

I made several trips to Isle of Wight, researched in the court house, they are wonderful there, very helpful, but let you work away at your own speed.  I was in research courthouse heaven!  I also researched several times in the Library of Virginia, another fine research facility.  I found a few tidbits, but, I always wanted and hoped for more. For some reason, I felt there was more, but, WHAT and WHERE was it??

I think I may have found that 'something more' in that Will Index, Eley, heirs S. A. Pierce, et al.  I think my heart may have stopped beating for a few seconds there.  I read it again, yes, Eley, S. A. Pierce, yes, it is them.  Holy COW!!

Back at the catalog I discover, much to my dismay, that Will books 27 and 28 were filmed by the FHC, but that books 29 and those following, were not.  I need book 30.  And, at that point my heart started, stopped, fluttered, catch your breath Carol.  OH RATS!!!

So close. Almost.  I'm working on getting a copy of those pages.  Some of my genie friends/angels are already helping me figure out the next steps, thank you!!  I am being cautiously optimistic, cause the last time I looked at an index that said "List of heirs" I got the name of one, who signed for all, but, did not list the others.

I can wait a bit longer, well, I am going to have to wait a bit longer.  WOW!  Oh, WOW!  Here is to hope that the pages will be what I have felt was there and that I have finally found it.  WOW!  Oh, WOW!


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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

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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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Smile For The Camera, "Give Their Face A Place", Sarah Anne Darden

This Smile For The Camera challenge is:  March is Women's History month and you are asked to picture women back into history. The unknown, known and unsung women who are often the foundation of our family history. Give their face a place.  Thank you to footnoteMaven at Shades of The Departed for hosting this carnival.

My choice to give a place to is my GG Grandmother, Sarah Anne Darden Eley Pierce.  Better call her Sallie tho, as I don't think I have ever found her in any document recorded as Sarah.  Sallie was born March 5, 1847 in Isle of Wight County Virginia, her father was Charles Henry Darden, her mother, Nancy Seeds Darden.  Left is the ONLY picture of Sallie that I have ever seen.

Her father built this house, sometime around 1850.  If she was not born in this house, she surely spent many of her formative years here.

This photo was taken sometime in the 1990's. 

At the Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana there is a great collection of early maps.  (This map was part of the collection of  maps in the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress.)  In that collection I discovered a map of Isle of Wight County, Virginia drawn during the Civil War.  This map had residences indicated, marshes, rivers, areas of heavy forests or woods, plus any military objects of interest.  Charles Darden's home is shown, as "Darden", see it close to the bottom of the map, a little to the right of center.

Here is the home, current mapping courtesy of Google.

Sallie married Solomon B. Eley, on September 13, 1865, just months after the close of the Civil War.  Her husband was a veteran, had been a Captain in the 16th Virginia Infantry, and was at Appomattox Courthouse Virginia on April 9th, 1865 for the final surrender. 

Sallie and Solomon did not wait long to start their family, on July 4, 1866 their first born child, Lorena Estelle Eley was born.  Three more children came along in rapid succession, 2 sons and another daughter.  The two sons did not survive past infancy, one of the sons we do not even have a name for. 

In April of 1871 Solomon died from consumption, very likely, the after effects of his years on the battlefield.  His compiled service record shows he was hospitalized at least once, in Richmond.  He died in Sussex County, Virginia, where we find a Chancery case which included documents where Sallie had arranged to have Solomon's body as well of that of an infant child transported back to Isle of Wight County for burial.  (Burial spot unknown.)

Sallie was left to care for her two daughters.  Her father was in deep financial trouble, times were rough, how did she survive? 

About two years later on April 1, 1873 Sallie took as her second husband Francis Columbus Pierce.  To this union were born two daughters.  The first has been lost to this researcher, the second lived to adulthood, married and had her own family.

By 1900 Sallie and Frank Pierce had moved away from their ancestral county, Isle of Wight Virginia.  But they did not move far, only to Norfolk Virginia.  Frank worked as a sawmill watchman and later as a policeman.

Sallie died May 2, 1914, her three daughters surviving her.  Sallie is buried in a paupers grave in Magnolia Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia.  After experiencing the Civil War, marrying a veteran, losing her husband and 3 children to early deaths, marrying a second time, Sallie's last place is here, under a huge magnolia tree in an unmarked grave. 

My choice to give a place to is my GG Grandmother, Sarah Anne Darden Eley Pierce. Better call her Sallie tho, as I don't think I have ever found her in any document recorded as Sarah. Sallie was born March 5, 1847 in Isle of Wight County Virginia, her father was Charles Henry Darden, her mother, Nancy Seeds Darden. Left is the ONLY picture of Sallie that I have ever seen.

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence.

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