December 21, 2010 Robert and Mourning Adams

Image via Wikipedia

Mourning Adams

Record of Albemarle County, Virginia  Deed Book 4 page 126

To all to whom these presents shall come I Mourning Adams in pursuance of the Last Will and Testament of my well beloved husband Robert Adams deceased as well as to requite the dutifull and gender usage of my sons Robert and James Adams likewise for divers good causes and consideration of the sum of five shillings to me in hand paid by each of my said sons Robert and James Adams at and before the sealing and delivery hereof have given and granted and by these presents do give grant and confirm unto my said sons Robert Adams and James Adams to their heirs & c. forever all and singular any goods chattels and slaves to witt Toby, Benn, Moll, Sukey Sarah, Betty, Charles, Brister, and Edy together with their future increase including all the estate I hold in trust for my natural life and widowhood by the Last Will and Testament of my said deceased husband or otherwise stand possest of to have and hold the said goods chattels and slaves with their increase unto my said sons Robert and James Adams and to their heirs Exors administrators and assigns forever to be equally divided between them provided always and it is the intent and meaning of these presents that I the said Mourning Adams shall be at full liberty to use occupy, possess and enjoy all and singular the slaves and other estate hereby given as of my own proper use without the hindrance or interruption of said sons Robert and James Adams or either of them for and during my natural life and provided likewise that my said sons Robert and James Adams their heirs and c. do after my decease pay or cause to be paid unto each of my dauthers to witt Anna Sanders, forty shillings, Judith Clarke forty shillings, Mary Moreman twenty pounds, Elizabeth Moreman twenty pounds, Aggey Ferguson, twenty pounds to the children of Susanah Graves Twenty pounds  to be equally divided  To Lucy Graves twenty pounds, Anna Douglas forty shillings, Sally Harris forty shillings which said severall and respective sums is given in full of any demands that they or either of them might or could have against the Estate in my possession.  And I the said Mourning Adams all and singular the aforesaid Negroes goods chattels and c to the said Robert Adams and James Adams their heirs executors and administrators  and against all and every person or person whatsoever shall and will warrant and defend by these presents.  In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24 day of July Anno Domini MDCCLIV 

Mourning Adams

Witness

John Bell

William Carrel

Lewis Cradock

Charles Coy

In the Court held for Albemarle County the 8^th day of August, 1765.  This Deed was proved by the oaths of John Bell, Lewis Cradock and Charles Coy.

Witness thereto and ordered to be recorded:  Test   Henry Fry C.

I also found these notes in the Adams file in Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia

On October 11, 1762 Mourning Adams deeded to her son-in-law, Henry Harris, a Negro boy called Squire.

On November 11, 1762, Mourning Adams deed to her son-in-law, Charles Douglas, a Negro Wench name Floro.

On January 13, 1749, Charles Lynch deed two tracts of land, 645 acres, to Robert Adams in payment of 200 pounds which he had promised him on his marriage to his daughter Penelope Lynch.

So comparing the will of Robert Adams recorded in Goochland County and the Deed of Mourning Adams recorded in Albemarle County, I ascertained the following facts:

I have also taken some facts from the book Albemarle County: Giving some Account of What it Was By Nature by Edgar Woods.  That information will be in bold to differentiate between the two sources.

That Robert Adams died sometime before June 17, 1740, but probably not too long before that.  So we could easily say that Robert Adams of Goochland County died sometime during 1740.

He had two sons

Robert and James Adams

The son Robert married Penelope Lynch daughter of Charles Lynch and Sarah Clark.

Daughters

Judith Clark  married before or during the year 1738 and still alive in 1765. She married Micajah Clark. The son of Christopher Clark and Penelope Bowling.  

Mary Moreman married before or during the year 1738 and still alive in 1765. She married Achilles Moreman son of Charles Moreman and brother to Thomas Moreman. They moved to Bedford County.

Elizabeth Moreman married before or during the year 1738 and  and still alive in 1765. She married Thomas Moreman son of Charles Moreman from the Isle of Wight England. They were leading Quakers in the Albemarle/Louisa County area.

The 800 acres which Elizabeth and Mary received from their father was purchased by a Dr. George Gilmer of Penn Park.

Agnes Farguson married before or during the year 1738 and still alive in 1765.

Susannah Adams.  Her last name is not in Robert Adams will, but in Mourning's deed she is a Graves and it looks like she may have died.  Because the children are getting her share of the twenty pounds.  So let's say she married sometime after Robert Adams made his will in 1738 and died sometime before 1765.  During that time she married a Graves and had children.

Lucy Adams in Robert Adams Will and Lucy Graves in Mourning's deed.  That would make her married after the will date of 1738 and still alive in 1765.

Ann the Younger in Robert Adams Will.  That tells us that we have two Anns in his family.  She is not yet married in 1738.  In Mourning's Deed there is an Anna Douglas and an Anna Sanders.  I don't know which one of them is the younger, but the older didn't receive anything in Robert Adams Will.  Possibly he may have given the older something before the will was written.

Three brothers by the name of Douglass lived in the Northern part of Albemarle County in 1761.  They were Charles, Thomas and John.  Their farms were situated on the Barboursville Road near the Orange County line.  Charles married a daughter of Robert and Mourning Adams. He died in 1823.  He owned land in Kentucky which he gave to his sons Robert and Charles.

Sally Adams not yet married in 1738 and still alive in 1765 and married to a Harris.

That makes nine daughters and two sons.  Wow and what is amazing is that all but one are still living in 1765. 

He gave his daughters a sum total of 3,340 acres and he gave his son James the Plantation on the River which is where Robert and Mourning Adams are living in 1738 and to Robert all the land on the creek where he lives and the mill.  He has a stone house and that was the dividing line for their two properties.   No mention of acreage is given, but it would have to have been many acres.  He doesn't describe his house, but we know that he owns a stone house. We also know that he use to live on Dover Mill Creek as he gives that land to his Daughter Sally.  He also owns land at the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain which is now in Albemarle County.  The Quakers built a meeting house at Sugar Loaf Mountain.

We also know that he is a slave holder, but that he has strong ties to the Quakers.

If anyone is looking for information on a Mark Lively, there is mention that he lived on the  550 acres which was bequeathed to Lucy Graves and where the mine was dug.

I have more information from several sources which I will be addressing in the later days.  Hopefully, I will be able to post on tomorrow, but the holidays are now upon us and there is much work to be done.

Albemarle County in Virginia: Giving Some Account of What it Was By Nature, of What it Was Made By Man, and of Some of the Men Who Made it (1901)
Makers of America: Thomas Jefferson
The Architecture of Jefferson Country: Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia
Dogwood Tree in Spring, Albemarle County, VA Photographic Poster Print by MaryAnn & Bryan Hemphill, 24x32