Mam-ma's Southern Family

Saying the names of the enslaved brings them to life. As I find these people in my ancestor’s records, I shall bring them to the light and say their names. They are an important part of the history of my ancestor’s lives and their livelihood. I am currently studying the life of Jemima Porter who married Daniel Coor around 1784 in North Carolina. [1] Fast forward, she died sometime before 18 February 1839, when George Madison Barnes began settling her estate. He, with sureties Samuel T. Scott and W. K. Perkins, posted the bond of twenty thousand dollars, which indicates an estate of large value. [2]   Bond, George M. Barnes, Jemima Coor Estate On the same day, the following men were ordered to appraise her estate: Edwin R. Brown, Moses Norman, Chas. J. Hendry, Andrew J. Cassity and Samuel H Aby. Aby, Brown, and Norman swore and signed the authorization for the appraisal. [3] E. R. Brown, P. H. Aby, and MD Norman performed the appraisal and issued the following list of the perso...

I’ve been in Salt Lake City this week conducting some research at the Family History Library where I have been viewing microfilmed images of deed records for Shelby County, Kentucky, where my five times great-grandfather, Robert Lancaster died. I had previously concentrated on the estate records for Robert and wondered why there weren’t any records mentioning his wife, Mary. I have no vital information about this wife at all, so had no idea if she was still alive. However, I found in the deed records a deed recorded on 26 October 1840 between  “Mary Lancaster widow of R. Lancaster of Shelby County Kentucky of the one part and Ellis Lancaster, John Lancaster, Creath Neill & Lenis Ann his wife, Robert N Myers & Mary E his wife, William Lancaster, Josiah Lancaster & Eliza Jane Lancaster of the other part.” [1] The people listed as the “second part” were Robert’s children: Ellis, John, Lenis Ann, Mary E, William, Josiah, and Eliza Jane. It went on to stat...

In the January Term 1843 of Shelby County Court, the land of the Robert Lancaster estate was divided among the heirs of Robert Lancaster. [1] Robert’s estate was entered into probate on 12 October 1840 with Josiah Lancaster, John Lancaster, Creath Neel, Robert Myers, Wm Lancaster, and Wm Price as bondsmen. Josiah Lancaster was appointed administrator. [2] I haven’t discovered yet why they waited over two years to divide the land between the heirs. The division begins, “On motion of John S. Lancaster, Ellis W. Lancaster, Josiah R. Lancaster and Wm T. Lancaster who filed their notice herein to Creath Neill and Lewis Mary Ann his wife, Robert N Myers and Elizabeth his wife and Creth Neill as Guardian to Eliza Jane Lancaster, heirs of Robert Lancaster dec d which notice was proven in open court to have been executed on the parties. It is ordered that Wm A. Hamblin, Arthur Chambers, James Maguire & John Crawford or any three of them being first sworn do appraise the lands of ...

Robert Lancaster of Shelby County, Kentucky, died in 1840, and his estate was probated by his youngest son, Josiah Lancaster, as administrator. [1] His estate was ordered to be inventoried and this is the fourth post about that inventory. This being Kentucky, I should not be surprised to find whiskey making items in the inventory. 66 mash tubs, 2 copper stills &                 still house apparatus            80   00 45 acres of corn                                  300  00 40 bushels of wheat                             20   00 2 Bee s...

I am continuing the discussion about my 5th Great-grandfather, Robert Lancaster, of Shelby County, Kentucky and his estate. Previously I have discussed the bond and naming of Josiah Lancaster as administrator, about the farm animals and equipment, and about the household goods. Now my attention is on the twelve slaves that were listed. In the inventory conducted for the estate of Robert Lancaster, these slaves were listed with their values: The slaves listed in the Robert Lancaster estate inventory 1 negro man naimed Henry                          800      00 1 negro man naimed Edmund                    800     00 I negro man naimed Charles             ...

Recap: Robert Lancaster was my fifth great-grandfather and he died shortly before 12 October 1840, when his youngest son, Josiah Lancaster, began the probate process in Shelby County, Kentucky. In the previous two posts, I wrote about the very large bond and the farming equipment in the inventory. In the continuation on the inventory, there were a lot of household items, ranging from bedding to kitchen items. [1] Below is a listing of these items in the order listed. Notice the creative spelling on several of the items: Some of the inventory of household goods 1 set of dining tables                             20 00 1 Beauro & dining table                        13 00 1 clock & case                                       ...