52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 8: Where There’s a Will: the Will of James Loveless of Greenville Co, SC

I am working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past. I’m looking forward to writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

I do not have many wills for my direct lines on my mother’s side of the family. I have some cases where the estate was probated intestate. Here is one will for my 4x-great-grandfather, James Loveless of Greenville County, South Carolina, who died in 1846.[1] 

I had previously written about James' will in 2013 but I have not done more with this research. Looking at this again is a very good idea and when I visit the Family History Library next month, this would be a good subject to work on. 

James Loveless (1771-1846) died sometime in between 28 Aug 1845 when he signed the will and 13 Jul 1846 when the will was recorded. He was my fourth great-grandfather on my maternal grandmother’s side.

Here is the transcription:

[p 215]

James Loveless Will

SOUTH CAROLINA       }                              

GREENVILLE DISTRICT  }                In the name of God Amen           

     I James Loveless Senr. Being of sound and

disposing memory but weak in body and

calling to mind the uncertainty of life

and being desirous to dispose of all such

worldly estate as it hath pleased God to

bless me with do make and ordain this

[p 216]

my last will and testament in manner fol=

lowing.

        First) I desire my executors herein

named to pay all my just debts and funeral

expenses.

       I give unto my wife Linna Loveless Senr.

my home tract of land whereon I now live con=

taining two hundred acres more or less during

her life and at her death to go to my son

James T. Loveless by his paying my three

daughters that is Mary Loveless Ruth

Loveless and Linna Loveless Jr one hundred

dollars each.

     I also give my wife Linna Loveless Senr.

a negro boy named Ben and at her death

she has the liberty to dispose of him as she

may think proper. __ I also give her two

nags my black mare ?ol [Sol?] and my black

horse Dunk our cow and calf  two beds and

furniture a trunk and small chest and the

small cupboard one table the wheels and cards

the chairs and Kitchens furniture I also give

her my stock of hogs and my sheep my wag-

gon & gear and plantation tools.

     I also give unto my wife Linna Loveless

a Negro woman named Charlott during

her life and at her death for said negro

and her futer [future] increase to be equally

divided between my son James T Love=

=less and my three daughters Mary

Loveless Ruth Loveless and Linna Love=

=less Jr.  _____    I desire that my executors

hereafter named sell the whole of the re

==sidue of my property consisting of a tract

of land containing two hundred and fifty

acres more or less and six negroes

p 217

named Jim, Abby, Bob Mary Martha and

Rachel and the whole of the balance of my

personal estate that is not heretofore dis-

posed of and that the proceeds be equally

divided between my sons William Loveless

Levi Loveless Thomas Loveless Hazle Love

less Allen Loveless and Jesse Loveless and

my daughter Elizabeth Crawford and

John Loveless’s children to come in for his

equal share in the above dividend. ----

     To each of my daughters Mary Ruth

and Linna  I have given a cow and calf a

bed and furniture I have also given

them bills of sale to a negro each and

they have some household furniture

consisting of bedsteads bed clothing a

table and crockery ware which they have

bought themselves & which is not included

above as I have no clam to them.  ----

     I also wish that the crop that's

growing on the land at my decease or

if it is gathered to belong to my wife

and that it be not sold.  ---------------------

      And lastly I do constitute and ap

point James T Loveless my son and Ira

Arnold, Executor of this my last will

and testament in testimony whereof

I have set my hand and seal this twenty

eighth August 1845 -- Signed sealed and

acknowledged in the presence of

George Gambell        }

Archibald Johnson    }                 James Loveless Senr. (L.S.)

Mason N Gambell     }

p 218

James T. Loveless &           }  Greenville dist. S. Carolina

Ira Arnold Exts           }

Of James Loveless’ will      }

vs.                  }  Probate of will in

The heirs of said         }  solemn form

James Loveless dec’d         }  in the court of ordinary

   Personally appeared Archibald Johnson

and Mason N. Gambrell and after bring

duly sworn saith on said oath that the

said James Loveless late of said district

deceased sign the annexed writing an?? [in binding]

and heard him declare the same to be

his last will and testament.  The said

deponents further state, that at the time

the said testator signed and declared the

above stated he was to the best of their

knowledge and belief of said deponents

of a sound mind memory and un

=derstanding and that the said de

=ponents with George Gambrell did

at the request and in the presence of

said testator and in the presence of each other

sign the said will as witnesses. – Sworn

13th day of July 1846.

Jno Watson                      Mason N. Gambrell

O.G.D.                                 Archibald Johnson

The above is all the testimony offered in the above

case none of the parties appeared to contest the

will. – It appearing that all the parties in

this state were duly cited and notified

and that those out of the state were

notified by advertisement in the Greenville

Mountaineer paper for three months

Previous to this day none of them ap

pearing to object their consent is then for

p 219

taken as confest [I think that is the word]. Ordered and decreed

that the ??m said will stand proven in solemn

form and that the same with the above pro-

ceedings be recorded --- July 13th 1846

                                    Jno Watson

                                    O. G. D.

From this will, I extracted the following information:

--James Loveless wrote his will and it was witnessed on 28 Aug 1845

--James Loveless' will was proven in court on 13 Jul 1846

--His wife was Linna Loveless Senr.

--His sons who were living were: William, Levy, Thomas, Hazle [Hazel], Allen, Jesse, James T.

--His son who had died: John. His unnamed children were also to receive a share

--His daughters living were: Ruth, Mary, Linna Junr. & Elizabeth Crawford

--8 slaves were mentioned: Ben and Charlott, Jim, Abby, Bob, Mary, Martha, and Rachel

--Son James T. Loveless and Ira Arnold were executors.

--He gave wife: tract of land where she lived, slave named Ben, slave named Charlott, two nags, a black mare, horse named Dank, cow & calf, two beds and furniture a trunk and small chest and the small cupboard, wheels and cards, one table, chairs, kitchen furniture, stock of hogs and sheep, wagon, and plantation gear and tools.

--land from mother was to go to James T. Loveless upon her death

--$100 each to be given to daughters Ruth, Linna Junr, & Mary Loveless paid by James T. Loveless after death of mother

--He desired the rest to be sold (250 acres land, 6 slaves, personal estate) to be divided equally among sons, daughter Elizabeth Crawford, and children of John Loveless.

--Crop on land now was to be given to wife

--James Loveless and Ira Arnold brought will in to ordinary court to be filed

--The notice of the will was listed in the Greenville Mountaineer for three months

--No one contested the will so there were no further records.

Further work with I should do with this document is to follow the slaves by checking the slave schedule in 1850 and by checking land records for possible sales. His wife was given two of the slaves and the other six were probably sold to distribute the money to the children. Keeping track of these slaves might help African Americans who are researching their ancestors.

---

[1] “South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977,” digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : 22 Dec 2013), Greenville District South Carolina, Wills book 1840-1852, vol. C,  p 215-218, James Loveless.

Copyright © 2018 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, Mam-ma's Southern Family