I’m still trying to fully understand this document, as the legal mumbo-jumbo is like a foreign language to me.

Some of the facts I know:

Charles Moorman, Sally’s father, died October 23, 1803.

Nancy Moorman, Sally’s mother, received Land to live on after the death of her husband. (I have a document which shows her allotment dated 1804).  I’m not sure when Nancy died.  I have seen some list her death in 1847, but I have nothing to back that up.  Does this document mean that she has died and Sally is getting a portion of her mother’s allotted land?  Is that what “Dower Land” is?  I’m not clear on this.

Lemuel Moorman is Sally’s brother.

From what I understand, Francis & Sally sold their portion of this land to Sally’s brother Lemuel.  Sally wasn’t able to come to town to acknowledge that she wanted to sell the land.  They were either concerned that maybe her husband was selling it without her consent (since it was her mother’s land) or else they wanted to make sure that she was relinquishing her right to dower in the land (and couldn’t get the land back upon her husband’s death).  They sent out 2 Justices to speak with her privately and make sure that this was what she wanted to do.

I’ve transcribed this document to the best of my ability under the images.  (I’m always happy to receive corrections of my mistakes!!)

I would love to know what the full meaning of this document is if you understand it.

The CommonWealth of Virginia to David Pegram and Richard Hobson Gent. Justices of Bedford County _____ whereas Francis L. Lee + Sally his wife by their certain Indenture of bargain  + Sale bearing Date the 23rd Nov. 1813. have sold and conveyed unto Lemuel Moorman the fee simple Estate of their portion of Dower Land of Nancy Moorman widow ___ of Charles Moorman Dec’d lying and being in the County of Bedford and State of Virginia whereas the said Sally cannot conveniently travel to our Court of our said County of Bedford and State of Virginia to make acknowledgement of the same. Therefore we give you or any two or more of you power to receive such acknowledgement as the said Sally shall be willing to make before you of the conveyance aforesaid contained in the said Indenture which is hereto annexed and we do require you that you do personally go to the said Sally and examine her privately and apart from the said Francis L her husband, and whether she be willing the said Indenture together with this acknowledgement should be recorded in our said County Court and when you have received her acknowledgement + examine her as afors’d that you distinctly + openly certify us thereof in an ___ Court under your Seals sending then there the s’d Intenture and this ____ Witness James Steptoe Clerk of our said Court the 28th day of Nov’r 1813.

In the 38th Year of our Independence.

J Steptoe [signed]

Bedfort County to wit

In obedience to the within Commiss. to us directed we did go to the within named Sally Lee and examined her privily and apart from her husband whether she freely and voluntarily relinquished her right to the within mentioned Land and she saith she doth freely and willingly relinquish her right to the same in fee simple without the threats or persuasions of her husband and is willing that the same should be recorded in the County Court of Bedford.  Given under our hands and Seals this 30th day of November 1813.

Dan’l Pegram {seal}

Rich’d Hobson {seal}

At a Court held for Bedford County at the Courthouse the 27th day of December 1813.  This Commission was returned executed + Ordered to be recorded.

Teste  J Steptoe CBC

Transcription follows the images.

The thirds of Mrs. Nancy Moorman
Beginning at an Old Willow Stump on the _ bank of little Wolf Creek in the Plantation of Charles Moorman Dec’d near where the Spring branch formerly emptied into said Creek at A thence off a new line from A to B N16 W 162 poles to a W. Oak in the Edge of a small road in Hobson’s lines thence with his lines from B to C N 50 W 23 1/2 to a red Oak on same Road from C to D N 17 W 41 1/2 to a large W. Oak at Hobson’s and Derrett’s corner thence with Derretts line from D to E S 83 E 200 to pointers in said line thence off from E to F new line S 15 E 76 to a R. Oak from F to G S 20 E 50 to Pegrams corner B. Gum on Wolf Creek aforesaid and down the same as it meanders to the beginning.

In obedience to an order of the Court of Bedford to us directed we have assigned to Mrs. Nancy Moorman 197 acres of Land which we are of Opinion is one equal third part of her deceased husband Charles Moorman’s Lands and that the same is bounded as above. Given under our hands this 21st day of December 1804

David Crenshaw
Dan’l Pegram

In a Court held for Bedford County at the Courthouse the 24th day of December 1804. This allotment of the Thirds of the Lands of Charles Moorman Dec’d to Nancy Moorman the widow of the said Decedent was exhibited in Court + Ordered to be recorded.
Teste J. Steptoe CBC

Just look at this drawing of the land….

This is my transcription project for this month – and it’s probably going to take me all month.  There is a description of the division of each individual piece of land and who it goes to – 2 pages worth. I think I need to brush up on my land records terminology!!

I understand the poles and the different types of trees that are used as boundary lines.  The question I have for you readers – because I know that some of you are way more experienced than I am – is what do “pointers” mean?  Is this different than a “stake”.  What exactly are pointers?  Thanks for your help!

After Ginger’s comment, I decided to add the text of this land division also so that you can see what I mean by “pointers”.  I haven’t transcribed it yet.

The above map was right here in the document.

This happened in Montgomery County, VA in 1869.  William Angell appears to be the one pressing charges.  I don’t know what the outcome of this case was.

Do you have any lawbreakers in your family tree?

He lived in Bedford County, Virginia and died in 1772.  He didn’t own much!

I find it interesting that his estate was inventoried in 1772 and it wasn’t recorded in the Court until 1779.  Is this normal?  Or does this have something to do with the fact that the Revolutionary War was going on during this time?  Just curious.

My transcription of the document follows the images.  I know I made some mistakes.  I’m always unsure how to write the little symbols and such also.  I just do my best and move on.

Inventory of the Estate Jeremiah Wade Dec’d

One Man’s Hat at Value 0.12.6   Two Books 0.2.0L  ……………….. 0.11.6
One Bed + Furniture L 4.0.0  Twelve Barrels Corn [961?]…………..8.16.0
Old Iron 17/6  Two Bells /1/……………………………………………………..1.1.6
One Mans old Sadle………………………………………………………………..0.10.0
one Old Bag + one Case Knife………………………………………………….0.1.0
one pr Specs + Two Combs 1/…………………………………………………..0.1.0
One White Horse……………………………………………………………………3.10.0
Eight Head meat Cattle…………………………………………………………..14.0.0
one [Fro?]1/6   One old Bed Tyke 2/…………………………………………0.3.6

Inventory of the Estate Jeremiah Wade dec’d. Taken this 10th day Oct 1772. Taken by James Hilton. Er of s’d  Wades Estate + appr’d by Wm. Hudnall, Wm Adams + James Mitchell on Oath pursuant to an Order Court

Wm his X mark Adams
James Mitchell
WiHudnall

In a Court held for Bedford County 22d day of Nov 1779. This Inventory and appraisement of the Estate of Jeremiah Wade dec’d was return’d to Court and Ordered to be recorded
Teste J. Steptoe, Cl.

I love how clear this document is – nothing is faded, it’s written in large lettering, and it’s so easy to read! If only all of the wills I have could be so simple.

The only thing that disappoints me about this will is that he doesn’t list out his children – he simply wanted an equal division amongst his children.

The transcription follows the images.  I hope there is another Wade researcher out there that will find this useful!

In the Name of God Amen I Jeremiah Wade of Bedford County being verry Sick and Weak in Body but of perfect mind and memory, Thanks be to God for it – and knowing that it is appointed Once for all men to Die do make and Ordain this my Last Will and Testament, first I give and Recomend my Sole into the hands of Almighty God that gave, and my Body to the Earth to be Buried in a Desent Christian manner at the Discretion of my Exetors. and for my Worldly Estate wherewith it hath plesed God to Bless me with in this Life I give and Bequeath as followeth, But first my Will and Desire is that my Just Debts Shall all be Paid and then an Equal Division made among my Children and I doe appoint Richard Ballanger, James Hilton and Natha N. Hilton to be my Exetors. to pay my Debts + Receive what is due to me and this I ordain my Last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I hearunto I have Set my hand Seal this Eight Day of July 1772

Teste
Abraham Ervine
Jesse Hilton
Elizabeth Mitchell}              Jeremiah Wade [seal]

_________________________________________

At a Court held for Bedford County September 28th 1772 This Last Will and Testament of Jeremiah Wade Dec’d was Proved by the oaths of Abraham Ervine and Jesse Hilton and Ordered to be Recorded, and on the Motion of James Hylton one of the Executors therein Named who made Oath thereto Certificate is Granted him for obtaining Probate thereof in Due form, giving Security.  Whereupon he Together with Guy Smith his Security entered into and Acknowledged their Bond in the Penalty of Two Hundred and fifty Pounds for the Said James Hyltons due and faithfull administration of the Said Decedents Estate and Performance of his Will, Liberty being Reserved to the other Exers. named in the said Will to Join in the Probate thereof when they shall think fit.
Teste
Jas Steptoe Cl.: [?]

I love the two following records, both from 1846 in Franklin County, Virginia.

The first document is kind of like a “permission slip”.    Nancy Glass gave permission for Samuel Lee to get a marriage license for their marriage.

There is also another message written below by Nancy’s brother-in-law, Jacob Machenheimer.  He was married to Nancy’s sister Patience.  Their father, John Glass, died in 1840 and now I know that Nancy was living with her sister at the time of her marriage and that her brother-in-law was responsible for her.  He also gave his permission for the marriage license and apologized that he couldn’t ride to town at the time.  {on a side note, I wonder why he couldn’t ride to town – was he injured or sick or just busy?}

Transcription:

The Clerk of Franklin Cty Court is authorized to grant marriage license to Mr Samuel Lee for his and my marriage given under my hand this 27 July 1846

test  Jacob G Machenheimer         Nancy Glass

And here is the second document, giving surety…

Transcription:
Know all men by these presents that we Samuel E. Lee and Samuel R. Kirks are held and finally bound unto the Commonwealth of Virginia in the just and full sum of One hundred and fifty dollars the … payment of which will and only to be made … Executors and … jointly and … and dated the 29 day of July 1846.
The condition of the above obligation is such that … the above bound Samuel E. Lee hath this day obtained from the clerk of Franklin County Court a License for his intermarriage with Nancy Glass of said County. Now if there shall be no lawful cause to obstruct said marriage then the above obligation to be paid else to remain in full free and …
Samuel E. Lee (his mark) [seal]
Samuel R. Kirks [seal]

{It’s late at night and I’m squinting as I try to transcribe this. I’m hoping that I can fill in some of the above blanks during the day. }

I had considered video taping our walk, but for some reason I had visions of it becoming a Blair-Witch type movie and decided against it.  I obviously watch too many movies.

I really don’t have an irrational fear of the woods.  I grew up on an island in the Puget Sound, surrounded by nothing but trees.  It was the “No Trespassing” signs nearby and the fact that I was possibly doing just that, that had me freaked out.  Oh, and the lack of cell phone coverage.

Think happy thoughts.  Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts.

The happy thoughts worked.

As we turned a corner and looked up the hill, we saw it.

There, in the middle of the woods. almost half a mile down an unmarked path, was a well-maintained, fenced cemetery.

There was a nice wooden sign.

And a new stone with their last name on it.

And flowers on the graves.

This was obviously lovingly maintained by living relatives.  I was amazed.

But the biggest surprise to me was that there was more than the four graves I had been told about.

I was expecting to find my great-great-great grandparents, Austin and Eliza Jane (Hensley) Agee. And I did.

I knew that their son Jesse and his wife Iowa were also buried there.

But that was it. I had never heard mention of any others.

What I didn’t expect was the grave of Austin and Jesse’s father (my 4th great-grandfather) John Agee, Jr.  He had a newly engraved stone.  (Which poses the question – Who placed it there and how are they sure that it is him?)

There were also a few old rocks used as headstones and footstones to unmarked graves.

Could the one next to John be his wife, Sena Hilton?  Possibly.

I don’t know who the others might belong to.  Here is one of them.  I wonder if it once said something.

An There was one other marked grave in the cemetery.  I will have to find out who she was.  Possibly one of Jesse’s daughters.

I wanted to mention that I found the positioning of the stones kind of odd..  Don’t you think this is an awkward way to place them? They are actually facing each other.

So, as always, answers lead to more questions.  But I like it that way.

Here is the view as we left the cemetery. It is truly in the woods.

And I’m so glad that I didn’t chicken out and pass the trail up for another day. A dry and sunny day.  A day that I had my husband and a gun with me.  But I have to admit that I heaved a great sigh of relief when we rounded the corner and could see our vehicle again.

If you’re ever in the Woolwine area and are looking for the Agee Cemetery, contact me and I will give you some very specific directions!!!  It’s really there, even though there isn’t a sign.

This story actually begins almost exactly a year ago.

My entire family was squeezed into our overflowing 15-passenger van, on a 30-day trip from North Pole, Alaska to Savannah, Georgia. Besides making them stop at every National Park and battlefield on the 9,000 miles of our trip, I also made quite a few detours to do research at courthouses and cemeteries.

One of the cemeteries I wanted to find was the “Agee Cemetery”, in Woolwine, Virginia. The area is just a couple of miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway and from what I had been told, there were four gravestones down a trail off the side of the highway.

The road was windy and the forest thick.

I had a very vague idea of where the cemetery was located.

I didn’t need to do a lot of prior planning though, because I had my new wonder-toy, the iPhone in hand. It had a GPS, internet access, maps, and the email with the directions to the cemetery. What more could I need??

What I didn’t take into account was the fact that my iPhone wouldn’t have any signal or internet access in the mountains of Virginia. We were driving blind.  And I learned my lesson.

After going back and forth down “the Crooked Road” several times (it’s really called that – here’s the sign to prove it!),

stopping at some poor unsuspecting man’s house to ask for directions, and driving down a very narrow dirt road with signs saying “No Trespassing” “Private Property” and “Trespassers Will Be Shot”, we threw in the towel and headed down the Blue Ridge Parkway further to the Biltmore for some sightseeing.

Over this past year, the fact that I wasn’t able to find that cemetery had been nagging at me. I really wanted to find them.

After taking off from the NGS Conference in Charleston, I decided that I’d make a stop in Virginia. Because Virginia is on the way to Kansas, right?

This time around, I was armed with much more specific directions. I was also in a small SUV instead of a 15-passenger van. A little bit easier to maneuver around.

We still had a few things going against us though.

• It was Sunday morning and there weren’t very many people around (I did have the idea to stop by the local church to ask someone about the cemetery, but the parking lot was empty.  Hmm)
• Even though I had more specific directions, I still didn’t know exactly where I was going.
• It was POURING down rain and the graves were 3/8 of a mile off the road.  And I didn’t have an umbrella.  And there wasn’t a store in town.  See the rain, just waiting in those clouds??

But did I let any of this get me down?  Of course not!  I had gone out of my way to drive to this county and I wasn’t going to give up that easily.  I’m from Washington state anyway.  A little rain wasn’t going to discourage me.

My first stop (after passing the empty church parking lot) was the busiest place in town – the gas station/hang-out.  There, I asked the resident old-guy-on-a-bench if he knew where I could find the cemetery.  I am honestly not quite sure what he said to me.  His accent was so thick and he had so many teeth missing that I couldn’t understand.  I nodded a couple of times, thanked him, and tried to follow the directions I already had.

I found the small shoulder, where I was supposed to pull over on the side of the road.

I could see a bit of footbridge (which was mentioned in the directions).  I knew that I was on the right track.  Just at that moment, a pick-up truck pulled out of the nearby road.  I flagged it down and asked the man driving if he knew if there were some graves back there and if whoever owned the land would mind if I went back to take some pictures of them. He said that I should go down the road (which he had pulled out of) and turn into the first driveway.  The graves were near this man’s house.  Great! (or so I thought).

As I drove down the one-lane dirt road, I realized that it looked familiar.  And when I stopped at the first driveway, I found out why.  This was where all of the “No Trespassing” were!  I couldn’t decide what to do.

Just then, a nice older lady was passing by and I asked her if she knew who lived there.  She said that she thought that he was home and I should go and ask him about the graves.  I decided to gather the courage and go ring this man’s doorbell.

So, I turned the corner of the driveway (I couldn’t see the house before) and was faced with the fact that this man didn’t have a doorbell.  Or even a proper door for that matter.  What to do?  I got about 25 feet from the shack and yelled “hello” about 6 or 7 times and then hightailed it back to my truck when no one answered.  As I was pulling out of the driveway, I noticed that the outbuilding/barn that was there looked like it could have been standing when my ancestors lived in the area (over 100 years before).  I was tempted to take a picture of it, but my good manners kept me from doing it.

So, back to the side of the road where I started out.  The rain had stopped and I decided it was now or never.  Armed with my camera and my cell phone (which of course didn’t work, but for some strange reason it still made me feel better to have it), Ellie and started walking down the pathway.

We crossed the footbridge and the path quickly turned into an ATV trail.

A very muddy ATV trail.

But we weren’t giving up, right?

Except for one very un-cool moment, where I almost slipped and covered myself in this,

we made it up the path unscathed.  A little muddy, but no gunshots.

And that’s when we saw it.  It definitely wasn’t what I expected to find.

But you’ll have to wait until next Tombstone Tuesday to see what was down the long muddy path.

Would you have ventured down it?

He was resident physician at the White Sulphur Springs resort (Greenbrier) for many years and apparently wrote a memoir full of descriptions of the presidents and famous people he met while working there. He also wrote some books about the benefits of the water. I will write about all of that in more detail another time.

Today, I wanted to post his obituary, which I found while I was visiting Roanoke, Virginia last year. I wonder if he may have had another obituary written in West Virginia, where he lived for many years.  I also wonder if there may have been a more detailed obituary at a later date in this same paper, rather than a death announcement which this appears to be.  Sadly, it doesn’t give any biographical information or even list his relatives.

DEATH OF DR. MOORMAN – Dr. J.J. Moorman died at his residence in Salem last Thursday at 4 o’clock a.m.  Dr. Moorman has been for some weeks confined to his bed and his recovery scarcely hoped for, yet his death was quite a shock to the community.  He was 83 years of age and his long, useful and honored life has endeared him to all.  His funeral will take place this morning at 11 o’clock from the Presbyterian church in Salem.

He was born in 1705 in Virginia and died in 1766. He lived in Bedford County, Virginia.
Here is the will of Thomas Moorman, transcribed to the best of my ability.  If you have anything that you think needs to be corrected please let me know.  I am not perfect.

In the name of God Amen I Thomas Moreman of Bedford County Being in perfect Helth + Memory do make Constitute + Ordain This my Last Will + Testament in Manner and form following Item I send unto my Beloved Wife Rachel Moreman During her Life the plantation on where I now Live with the Stocks of all Kinds also all my House Hold of every Sort (Except Such as I Shall hear after Set apart for my Children) also Five Negroes,  ?, Sambo, Two Molls, Dinah ???  Item I give unto my Daughter Mary Johnson one Negro Girl named Sarah to her and her Heirs forever + whatever she processes that ever was mine  Item I give unto my Son Pleasent Moreman + my Son Charles Moreman four Hundred Acres of Land on Permunkey River in Louisa County to them and Their Heirs forever to be Equally Devided betwixt them by men Appointed also Each of them a Feather Bed and Furniture Item I give unto Daughter Aggothy Johnson one Negro boy Named James to her and her Heirs forever  What ever Els She percesses that ever was mine Itam, I give unto my Son Pleasent Moreman + my Son Charles Moreman four Hundred Acres of Land on Permunkey River in Louisa County to them and Their Heirs forever to be Equilly Devided betwixt them by men Appointed also Each of them a Feather Bed and Furniture  Item I give unto Daughter Aggothy Johnson one Negro boy Named James to her and her Heirs forever What ever Els she percesses that ever was mine Item I give unto my Son Clerk [?] Moorman Two Negroes Peter + Glaster to him and his Heirs for ever one Horse and Sadle one Feather Bed + Ferniture Item I give unto my son Cilley Moreman Dick + Fillis to him and his Heirs forever one Horse and Sadle one Bed + Ferniture Item I give unto my Daughter Rachel Moreman one Negro Girl Jude to her and her Heirs forever one Horse and Sadle one Feather Bed + Furniture Item I give unto my son Andrew Moreman Moreman after his mothers Deceas the plantation on where I now Live with Two Hundred Acres of Land to him and his Heirs forever one Horse and Sadle one Feather Bed and furniture and it is my Desire that if any of my Children Die without Heir that their Estate be Equally Devided aMongst the Rest have given my son Zachariah + Micajah Moreman what I Entented at present I shall Say no more of them yet and it is my further Desire that after my Wife’s Decease that my Son Micajah have Twenty pounds and my Daughter Aggothy and my Daughter Rachel Ten pounds apease Raised of my Estate before any Devision and Afterwards the Rest to be Equally Divided amongst them all male + femail and I do Appoint my Wife + Zachriah + Micajah Executors to this my Last Will and Testament given under my hand + Seal this Twenty Second of July 1765

Thomas Moreman, S.S.

Teste

Henry Tate William Anthony

Christopher Anthony

At a Court held for Bedford County November 25th 1766

The within Last Will +Testament of Thomas Moorman Deceased was Exhibited in Court + proved by the Oath of Henry Tate and Christopher Anthony Witness’s Thereto and Ordered to be Recorded and on the Motion of the within Rachal Moorman Zachariah Moorman + Micajah Moorman Executrix + Executors therein Named they having made Oath According to Law and they having first Entred into [apparently I didn't scan the last page of the will so it ends here for now]

There is a handwritten note on the side of the page that states that the word “son” was added on March 4, 1946 by a clerk, but I’m having  a hard time reading why.  I think that it was in the original, but was left out of the copy.  It appears that “son” was added in front of Cilley.

I have such a hard time reading my transcription because of the lack of punctuation and the various spelling  used!

I love that I have this document though.  It blows my mind that his will was written in 1765.  Before the Revolutionary War.  Before we were a country.  That’s a long time ago…  246 years ago. I suppose I can forgive the spelling  mistakes.

(Photo Credit: www.teachingamericanhistorymd.net)

My kids studied the War of 1812 this past week as part of our homeschool. It inspired me to do some researching on how my ancestors were affected by this war.

My 4th great-grandfather, John Glass is rumored to have served during the War of 1812. I have seen him listed as “Captain John Glass” in a county history. He fits the right age for having served -he was married in 1806 in Halifax County, VA and died in 1840.

Searching through Ancestry’s War of 1812 records though, the many men I found named John Glass were all privates. I didn’t find a single Captain.

I have absolutely nothing against enlisted men.  I am the proud wife of an Army sergeant and I would be equally proud to have an ancestor who enlisted during the War of 1812.

But I want the truth – whatever it may be.  Was he an officer?  If he was a Captain, wouldn’t he most likely have been a company commander?  There should be records of some sort to prove or disprove this, right?

At first, I was inclined to think that he must have been an officer.  I have the inventory of his estate which lists a sword and epaulette amongst this things.

I assumed that only an officer had an epaulet.

I then did some searching and found pictures of War of 1812 insignia,

I was surprised to find that some enlisted men did indeed wear epaulets.

I would love to get my hands on his military records, but I don’t currently have enough info to order them.

I think that I have a lot of further research to do before I can figure this out…

P.S. Did you know that there is a National Society United States Daughters of 1812?  They have a library in Washington, D.C., but their website says that they cannot assist with genealogy or lineage research.  Darn.

Moorman’s Inventory
Inventory of the Estate of Thomas Moorman Deceased Appraised by the Subscribers Agreeable to an Order of  Bedford Court.

Negroes Viz + 1 Wench Named Moll S.60″0″0
1 Do. Do. Dinah 70″0″0
1 Do. Do. Moll 40″0″0
one Negro Fellow his Eye Sight fail + Named Sam 10″0″0
1 Negro Wench Named Hanah 55″0″0
1 Do. Girl Do. Jean S.40″0″0
1 Do. Do. Jude 38″0″0
1 Boy Do. Dick 45″0″0
1 Girl Do. Named Philis 30″0″0
1 Boy Do. Do. Gloster 20″0″0
1 Do. Do. Puter 50″0″0
Stock  38 head of Cattle a  46″10…..46″10″0
28 head of Hogs a 8  …….8″0″0
1 Yallow Bay Horse a 9  …….9″0″0
1 Gray Mare…7…..7″0″0
1 Dark Bay Horse…8….8″0″0
1 Sorrell Horse + Bell…8…8″0″0
1 Bay Horse…3…3″0″0
Potts…3 9….3″9″0
Pewter…5  12….5″12″0
Old Iron Axe and hoes plows…7″6″6
Beds + Furniture…40…40″0″0
1 Bag New Feathers…2 5…..2″5″0
House Hole Stuff Chares Table Desk…20″12″0
Lumber…10″17″3
Do…1″18″0
2 Silver Spoons…1″10″0
To sundrys amount….6″14″6
Given under out hands this 22 Decer 1766

Robert Russell
Robert Clerk
Chas Lynch

At A Court Held for Bedford County January 27th 1767
The Within Inventory and Appraisement of Thomas Moorman Decd Estate Returned and Ordered to be Recorded Teste
Ben Howard CBC

And on a side note, I need your advice. Do you think it’s better to transcribe word for word as below, or to do an abstract, which is much easier to read? Or both? Just curious about what other people do with their records.

Slaves listed were:

Negroes Viz + 1 Wench Named Moll S.60″0″0
1 Do. Do. Dinah 70″0″0
1 Do. Do. Moll 40″0″0
one Negro Fellow his Eye Sight fail + Named Sam 10″0″0
1 Negro Wench Named Hanah 55″0″0
1 Do. Girl Do. Jean S.40″0″0
1 Do. Do. Jude 38″0″0
1 Boy Do. Dick 45″0″0
1 Girl Do. Named Philis 30″0″0
1 Boy Do. Do. Gloster 20″0″0
1 Do. Do. Puter 50″0″0

The following list of slaves was from the inventory of his estate.  I hope that this might prove to be helpful to someone in their research!  I will post the full inventory at a later date.

Here is a list of the slaves, transcribed so that it will show up in a search engine.

Negro Man Frank, aged about 45 years….300.00
Negro Man Jem, aged about 34 nearly blind…100.00
” Woman Louisa aged about 40 years…200.00
” Woman Annica aged about 45 years…175.00
Annica’s Child Milly 2 years old next May…100.00
Negro Boy Isaac about 20 years old…540.00
Negro Boy Harrison about 15 years old…450.00

Negro Woman Edy about 23 years old…400.00
” Boy Franklin about 12 years old…425.00
” Boy Kingston about 13 years old…400.00
” Boy Booker about 7 years old…200.00
” Girl Ann about 6 years old…200.00
” Girl Judith about 11 years old…425.00
” Girl Elvira about 6 years old…200.00
” Boy Wiley about 3 years old…200.00
” Girl Charlotte about 3 years old…150.00
” Boy Daniel about 21 years…550.00
” Boy Booker about 36 years…400.00

Is it just me, or does it seem like there is a very disproportionate number of small children?  I wonder why.

Since we were already meandering through Virginia, I decided to add a trip to Abram’s Delight in Winchester to our itinerary.

Here is what the Winchester-Frederick Historical Society has to say about the home:

““Abram’s Delight”, the site of five generations of the prominent Hollingsworth family covering 200 years, has a story of its own.

When Abraham Hollingsworth came to the Valley circa 1728, he was exploring, with the intention of finding a spot to build a home for his family and to establish a mill to supplement his income as a farmer. On this spot, he found the answer to his requirements – fertile land and an ample water supply.

After receiving a grant for 582 acres, his first dwelling was a log cabin located just to the west of the present house. The hand dug well included in the cabin can still be seen. It is believed that a wooden stockade surrounded the property and that several years before Abraham’s death in 1748 he began construction of the house as we know it today. Following the
death of his wife, Ann, in 1749, the property was inherited by the couple’s second son, Isaac.

Isaac was a leading member in the local Quaker meeting and planned his house so that it could be used for Quaker meetings. It was referred to as a “mansion” when compared to the log cabins in which his neighbors lived.

The builder, Simon Taylor, had completed “Springdale” in 1753. This was the home of another early settler, John Hite, and was located about five miles south of the Hollingsworth property. The stonework in both houses is very similar. Taylor’s skill as a stonemason still shows in the twenty-two inch limestone walls. While under construction, one wall in the house was made a movable one with hinges that could be raised and attached to hooks on the opposite wall. This made it possible to accommodate large crowds for meeting in this home (the largest building in the area) with men sitting in the parlor and ladies in the dining room.

When the house came into the possession of the third generation, adaptations had to be made. The new owner, Jonah Hollingsworth, and his wife Hannah, had thirteen living children and more space was needed. Therefore, around 1800, the west wing or reception room was added, using stone that closely matched that of the original house. He put dormer windows on both the north and south roofs so that his children could sleep in the “attic”, which was one large room on the top story of the home. He also added a portico (no longer standing) on the south entrance.

One of Jonah’s sons, David, acquired the house around 1830 and made many improvements. David, a prominent citizen, wealthy businessman, and community leader, was known for his love of entertaining and hospitality. We know that he moved the stairway from the northwest corner of the dining room to its present location in the hall. The west wall, which had been the moveable one, was made permanent. His most spectacular improvement was the construction of a large lake on the south side of the house, utilizing the plentiful water supply and increasing the water flow to his nearby mill. A summer house was built on an island in the lake and a fleet of boats carried visitors from the island to the shore.

David’s three children, none of whom ever married, inherited the property just two years before the beginning of the Civil War, an event which greatly affected these three members of the fifth generation of the family. As most properties of the area suffered from the many battles and changes of command, so did the “Abram’s Delight” complex. Following the deaths of Jonah Isaac and Mary (whom some considered a spy), only Annie remained in the old home. In her seventies, she soon made arrangements to leave. She promised to give her property to two cousins who lived in Winchester, if they would care
for her for the rest of her life. After an agreement was reached, she took her private possessions, closed the house, and left it unoccupied for almost 30 years.

In 1943, the city of Winchester purchased the old home and 35 acres of land for two reasons: to preserve the oldest home in Winchester and to protect the water supply provided by the Spring, which they leased for many years. A committee of the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society with Mr. Irvan O’Connell as the overall chairman and Miss Mary Boxley in charge of the interior restoration, worked for nine years to restore the house. The house was opened as a museum in 1961.

A log cabin located on the west lawn dates to 1780 and was reconstructed on the premises in 1967. The cabin, located right across the west lawn of “Abram’s Delight”, is not Abraham’s but is similar to his. It is included with the tour of the main house.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we were headed there.  For some reason, I had pictured in my head that the house was going to be in the middle of a large field on the outskirts of town.

I was wrong.

Had I thought about it more, I would have realized that since it’s the oldest house in Winchester, it is actually in the middle of town.  It’s just such a stark contrast to see such a historical building just down the street from a gas station and a strip mall.

I had originally planned on taking the whole family through the house, but when we arrived, I realized that wasn’t such a good idea.  The home is a museum, containing many very old antiques.  And most of them are out in the open.

I quickly changed my plans.

Andy waited in the car with the younger kids and I took the older 2 through the home.  There was no photography allowed inside, but I got some pictures of the outside.  Andy then took his turn and went through.

Even though the home actually belonged to Abraham’s son Isaac (and my husband is descended through Abraham’s other son George), I still thought that it was really interesting to see and well worth going a bit out of our way.