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Kathy,
Today is my lucky day... we've got a Morgan and Cooper County
connection.
Cooper County Wills and Marriages
pg 47 A2
Will of Delitha Duncan, widow of Issac Duncan deceased. I wish a
tombstone like the one that is over my deceased husband to be placed
over my grave and it is my wish that all the reminder of my estate go to
my beloved niece, Jane Williams. Written: 21 Aug. 1849
Witness James Parson adn John Logan 29 March 1851
(I'm interested in this WILLIAMS tie... as one of the people I'm
exchanging data with is looking for data on a marriage between Sarah
Chism and a ____ Williams... can't remember his first name. However, I
noticed that several of the children of Priscilla Howard and Jacob Chism
married Williams people.)
My Boone CO... wills & admin book 1821-1870 notes the following:
pg. 59
COLLINS, JAMES G. No. 1336 -- Will. George L. Hickam and Jos. W. Hickam
Admrs. Gr. Aug. 6, 1855. F.S. June 7, 1864. Elizabeth Williams and James
Williams, d. and s. of Benjamin F. Williams, and Susanna Williams his
wife. s. Permelia Todd, s. Elizabeth Embry, m. Elizabeth Collins, bro.
John M. Collins; appoint Jonathan Todd and Benjamin G. Embry, tow
brother-in-laws as Exers., Wit. Aug. 6, 1855, Andrew J. Wood, John W.
Wood.
Page 37, 37 B
Will of Issac Duncan
To my wife Delithy...
To my sons: William Duncan, Browning Duncan and Phillemon Duncan
To my daughter Sarah Chism...late Sarah Embree..
Mariah Ross gets as much as her mother's part. To my daughter; Susan Ann
Ross who is dead who left two girls and the oldest was named Susan Jane
and Susan Jane is ded.. It is my wish for Ann Mariah to have her
mother's part... To my daughter Ruth Briscoe...My son-in-law, William
Briscoe. exec.
Written 29 August 1840
Witnesses: Hugh Baxter (also connects to family via the STEPHENS clan)
and Shadrack Morris: recorded 25 November 1842
Here is the passage from the Morgan Co Wills and Probate records:
"By an order of the court, Howard Chism is appointed guardian over the
persoon and estate of Tabitha T. Embry, Susan Ann Embry and Tarleton
Embry, infant orphans under the age of 14 years, heirs of Tarlton Embrey
decease. John Chism acts as security." Oct. 1839
Howard Chism states that he is unable to make an inventory of possession
concerning the children of Tarlton Embry dec'd having rec'd nothing as
part of the estate.
November Term 1840
"Howard Chism guardian of heirs of Tarlton Embry, will hire out the
slaves belonging to the estate.. the slaves that he expects to receive
in his possession belonging to the wards estate in Palestine, Cooper
County, MO, on the 2nd day of January next for twelve months. (We take
it he will hire out the slaves after receiving them at Palestine.)"
May term 1841 -- Upon the request of Howard Chism he is released of his
guardianship of the Tarlton Embry heirs...
No more information is included... I need to get a probate records book
from 1843-1870.
Does any one know if this book of records exist for Morgan Co., MO?
Marriages Cooper Co
Frederick Duncan to Martha E. Parks 10 October 1839
Henry G. Duncan to Elizabeth G. Koontz 2 may 1844
Henry G. Duncan to Delitha Wiley 5 May 1834
Jeptha Duncan to Mary Read 31 Dec. 1834 (The Reads connect to Pleasant
Green.. .the farm I mentioned in Otterville...with WALKER ties)
Martha C. Duncan to John H. Kelley 14 Nov. 1849
Margaret Duncan to James I. Drinkwater 3 March 1847
Mary C. Duncan to Richard M. Sparks 8 January 1850
Please let me know if anyone has data on slaves mentioned via the
marriages noted above.
Thanks
Traci Wilson Kleekamp
African Americans in Missouri
missouri-slave-data.org
Post your will, probate and other records at this site.
New URL: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/topic/afro-amer/
Old URL: http://www.usgennet.org/~ahtopaag/indexusg.html
Peter Selph/Kathy Duncan wrote:
>
> Traci:
>
> Peter Ross married Susan Ann Duncan in Cooper Co., MO.
> Susan Ann was Sarah Duncan Embry Chism's sister.
>
> Also there was a Biscoe who married William Taylor.
> The Briscoe woman was the daughter of Andrew Briscoe
> and Annie Kavanaugh. Annie was Sarah Kavanaugh Duncan's
> sister. There are Taylors married into Kavanaughs in
> an earlier generation, and I have wondered if William
> Taylor was really a cousin to the Briscoe he married.
>
> I really think you are looking at a VA-->KY-->MO
> migration. You have your work cut out for you!!!
>
> Kathy Duncan
Kathy and others...
I hope I'm not confusing you with my questions about my enslaved
ancestors. Sorry to be long winded with this email...but in case there
are new people to the list, I'd like to tell you a little bit about my
research. I initially found my ancestors as slaves at Ravenswood in
Bunceton, MO... Cooper Co; owned by Nathaniel Leonard. Actually they
built the original Ravenswood which burned down in the Civil War and it
was re-built again after the war. I have been able to account for nearly
all the slaves in that household accept for 2. (Surnames are CLAY,
LINDSEY, JOHNSON, WILSON, SHARP, MILES)
I also realized very early on.. that to find my ancestors, I would have
to find the relatives of others. Slavery is such that our families were
broken up and divided among many slave-owning and allied families.
So... I have been learning as much as I can about the slaveowning
families. A big break through came when I realized that my paternal
great grandmother's family line MILES... had changed their name from
TUTT. In 1870 they were enumerated as TUTTS... and subsequently changed
their name to MILES. (Miles appear to be from Maryland)
I then figured out that there was a Howard, Byler, Wilson, Chambers,
Webb and Smiley connection (all Cooper County folks with Morgan County
ties)...this lead me to ask lots of questions about how the slaves were
moved around... and obviously it was through family ties. But I needed a
sure starting place.
My paternal gggreat grandmother Mahala Miles.. formerly TUTT -- had a
child by Sterling Price during the Civil named Robert Price. So I
wondered if there was some sort of PRICE and TUTT connection. I then
bought a huge stack of documents from the Western Historical Manuscript
Collection, because a bit of online research showed that there was some
sort of PRICE/TUTT connection. The documents I received included four
pages from a TUTT family bible. The pages from the bible included
listings of births and deaths of slaves. Lo and behold... there was
Mahala's husband Thornton.. and his parents and several other slave
families. Interestingly enough.. in 1870...Mahala and Thornton TUTT
lived next door to Wade Howard. They were formerly owned by James TUTT
and his wife Henrietta. At this point, I also reviewed family related
to TUTTs including Lionberger, Trigg, Ashby, Chilton, Howard, Chambers
and Talbot. Each were slaveowning families... with ties to Morgan and
Virginia.
I become obsessed with finding out whatever I could about the TUTT
family. There are 2 very large TUTT family trees online... and the
folks involved with that were very helpful. They introduced me to
Barbara Tutt Harris... who is related to Gabriel Tutt... the exact line
of people who owned my family. She had additional slave records from
family bibles which took me back into Farquier Co. VA... to around
1772. By the way, turns out that Barbara lives only 20 minutes away
from me here in California... and we got together almost immediately.
Then other things started to make sense. The Chiltons (owned my Gray
ancestors) also came from Farquier Co, VA. Stephen Chilton and his wife
Susanna Turner migrated to MO from Farquier and each of those members
who came with them owned slaves. Stephen's brother Charles Chilton m.
Elizabeth Blackwell and they owned MANY slaves in VA; and all of the
CHILTON ties include slaves. It appears there is a connection to this
family in Morgan CO (with STEPHENS and GRAY).. so now I am clearly in
Virginia territory as a starting place...but the idea of finding out my
family's REAL name is now totally shattered. There is really no such
thing when you are tracing enslaved peoples. If I ever make an Africa
connection I will be elated!
On my most recent trip to Missouri, I went to the Pleasant Green
Plantation in I believe Otterville. The current property owner, Florence
Friedrichs was kind enough to let me copy pages and pages of probate
information for the Walker, Rubey and Bushey families. Ahhhhhhh! and
guess what? The TUTTS had married into this family too... and of course
there were more slaves to track...which could be ancestors of mine. Not
to mention that Capt. Charles Leonard was mentioned as a witness to a
will or two... which means if the slaveowning families interacted and
had ties... so did they slaves they owned. I met on my trip a black
woman, Ada Simms who helps care for the brilliant Helen Mitzel the 98
year old cemetery records historian for Cooper County. Ada was able to
tell me that some of my family was not buried where I thought they
were... and indeed there were some possible ties to Pleasant Green that
I had not suspected. Moreover, she told me that she knew my great
grandfather Marion Wilson's (formerly ROSS) sister... Millie Wilson. I
was trying to make sense out of their last name. She said, "Honey, they
are not WILSONs... they just picked that name. Millie was my half
auntie" (The half sibling thing is another whole story altogether) Of
course, I thought I was going to faint from shock. I was suddenly
confused... but I figured it out somewhat. She said that Millie was
really a NELSON... fathered by her grandfather William Nelson and that
he never acknowledged her as his child. All this is further compounded
and complicated by the oppressive results of slavery.
She also corrected some data that was incorrect on the census and
cemetery records. On Ravenswood she had a batch of children and then
another after slavery; all of whom died. On Ravenswood, she had children
with Achilles Johnson (a slave who came from Nathaniel Leonard's wife
Margaret Hutchinson... her deceased husband... William H. Johnston left
slaves to Margaret's brother James Hutchinson who married Martha V.
TUTT) Can it get any better.
Millie's second marriage was to Henderson "Willie" Wilson. He had son
named Bill Wilson -- Millie's step son. This is of interest because
Marion WILSON's death certificate names his father as William Wilson (my
father and grandfather are both named William Wilson)...and Marion
Wilson named his children after the family of Nathaniel Leonard. My
great grandfather is Nathaniel Powell Leonard. (Nathaniel Leonard owner
of Ravenswood and Angelo Powell designer of the post-civil war
Ravenswood in 1880... where Marion worked.) The confusion was about
Millie's 2nd batch of children and their correction burial location.
Reviewing the 1910 census I found Ada was correct on all accounts.
Millie's children were enumerated incorrectly in 1900; and trying the
compare the cemetery records did not match. Ada showed me where
Millie's children were buried. There is no marker... she remembers
burying the children... one after another from some strange
illness...all 6 children.
So now the question is did Marion and Millie have the same mother or
father.... they obviously have some ties... as Marion CHANGED his name
to WILSON. There is a WILSON tie in Morgan County that I have tried to
connect to. Then there is case of the WILSON and BYLER connection from
Morgan CO.... and properties that are adjacent to each other in Cooper
Co. I have spent time researching the BYLERS, CHAMBERS, WILSONS, SMILEY
etc., trying to make sense of where the WILSON name could have
significance.
Since I have had suspicions about the CHISMS.. because of Elizabeth
Chism and Lot Howard... as I reviewed the documents from Pleasant Green
I saw the name of Michael Chism and a variety of other names that tied
into Morgan CO. You see, my great great grandfather's death certificate
said he was born in Morgan Co. His mother was listed with a Howard last
name. I had suspected it was Lot Howard and Elizabeth for a long time.
I just never thought to look in Elizabeth's tracks. Turns out, as I
mentioned before that Jacob Chism bequeathed Mary Ann to Elizabeth and
her mother's name was Amy. I nearly cried.. this is a monumental
accomplishment, reading and sorting through all these family ties.
Moreover, as I mentioned, in 1870 Marion and his mother was enumerated
as ROSS ... living next door to Black CHISMS. Then it all started to
make sense.
Because the families sold and kept slaves within the family, I have to
review each case of slaves being bequeathed or sold in each slave-owning
marriage. My strategy is to use wills, probate records, farm ledgers,
and the slave schedules to create of path of slave ownership among the
various families. I've gotten in a bit of trouble saying this... but I
call the families I'm researching "the incestuous subculture.." the
easier translation is there are lots of "kissing cousins."
Specifically, in response to your question, in the case of Howard
Chism... there are Black Embrys buried with other kin of mine in Cooper
Co. So anytime I can make a connection with slaves for Cooper Co... I
pretty much consider them kin.. and hope that information may be
beneficial for someone else who comes along researching.
I started my website as a way to hopefully involved black and white
researchers in a new collaborative way. Asking people for wills and
probate records is tough. And today I get an email saying that are
boxes of slave related materials in the Morgan County courthouse....
which is killing me because I live in Long Beach, CA.
So... I hope this gives you an idea of what I am trying to do..sorry for
the length of message!
traci wilson kleekamp
African Americans in Missouri
Missouri-Slave-Data.org
Peter Selph/Kathy Duncan wrote:
>
> Traci:
>
> Maybe we can help each other.
>
> Henry Chism married Taleton Embry's widow, Sarah. He
> actively represents Sarah's Embry children in securing
> their inheritance from the Embry estate and the Isaac
> Duncan estate. Sarah was the daughter of Isaac and Sarah
> (Kavanaugh) Duncan. It's hard to say if those slaves
> originated from the Duncan estate or the Embry estate.
>
> I need to go back through my records but I believe that
> Henry is accidently called Howard in one of the records,
> but that he is consistently Henry in everything else.
> I would very much like to know where Henry and Sarah Chism
> went--I don't think they stayed in Cooper Co., MO.
>
> Can you explain the Morgan Co., MO link that you are
> talking about in connection to them:
>
> "Howard Chism was the guardian of heirs of Tarlton Embry... and hired
> out slaves of the estate... "The slaves that he expects to receive in
> his possession belonging to the wards estate at Palestine, Cooper
> County, MO., on the second day of January next for 12 months." So
> some EMBRY slaves came to Cooper Co from Morgan.... "
>
> Is this a record that you found in Morgan Co., MO?
>
> Am I understanding correctly that your ancestors were from a
> different Chism family? Not Henrys?
>
> Here's what you are wanting to know:
>
> Sarah Duncan married Taleton Embry in Madison Co., KY in 29 Jan 1829.
> I don't know where she married Henry Chism--maybe in KY. I have
> seen Chisms in that area and I'm guessing that he is linked to
> them.
>
> I told you that Sarah Duncan Embry Chism's mother was Sarah
> (Kavanaugh) Duncan. Sarah probably died before the Duncans
> removed to MO. Her Kavanaugh relatives--aunts, etc also went
> to Cooper Co., MO. The Kavnaugh's cousin's were the Tutts. It
> is a very early connection. Sarah's great-grandmother
> Sarah (Williams) Kavanaugh, wife of Philemon, had a sister who
> married Richard Tutt. The Kavanaughs, Tutts, Duncans are
> all from Culpeper Co., VA and its surrounding counties:
> Orange, Stafford, Essex. The Tutt/Kavanaugh marriage is from
> the early 1700s. That is a big bridge to cross, but it is
> likely that the Tutts migrated in a similar directions as
> the Kavanaughs.
>
> Just this summer I disovered that my husband is a Chism descendant.
> I think it is probably a different Chism line, but I don't know
> enough about it yet. He descends from the Chisms who were in
> Hardeman County, TN.
>
> Kathy Duncan
> descendant of Isaac and Sarah (Kavanaugh) Duncan
Well,
I continue to track my enslaved ancestors through the CHISM/HOWARD/TUTT
families in Morgan, Moniteau and Cooper Counties. I hope by posting this
portions of information that other researchers can get an idea of how
difficult tracking enslaved ancestors can be and assist with documents
and records if you are able. Understanding the ties and relationships
between the slave-owning families is critical... soooooo; the
information below is a combination of slave schedules, administrations
and probate records from Morgan Co.
After nearly a year and a half of researching... I finally found my
great great great grandmother... Mary Ann (Howard) mother of Marion
(formerly ROSS) Wilson in the will of Jacob Chism.. being bequeathed to
Elizabeth Chism.. who later married Lot Howard. I had assumed it was Lot
Howard who owned her (Mary Ann) because of the surname... but it turns
out it was not...but she took the HOWARD name. Looks like Elizabeth
inherited Mary Ann before her marriage to Lot Howard. Mary Ann's mother
was named AMY. Interestingly enough, in 1880 Marion ends up working as a
servant for Edwin Patterson who ran Ravenswood in Bunceton, MO. The
Patterson family lived with the family of Abraham Byler (who was married
to Penelope Howard) when they arrived in Cooper Co in 1870. Somehow...
Penelope has a connection to the Lot Howard clan.
Then I discovered that there were other slaves mentioned in the will of
Jacob Chism..to son Jacob Creth Chism a negro girl... her name was
illegible ("Ha---"). John Landgon inherited a good portion of land.
A confusing issue is the intermarrying of Nathan B. Chism with Mary
Chism Letchworth... .. and they both received slaves from the estate of
Thomas Letchworth; Mary's former husband?
Looks to me from the records that Letchworth's estate was being attached
by everyone... and administered by John Chism with security through
Jacob and Howard Chism. Jacob hired out slaves of the estate Hezekiah
and Samuel. I'm just wondering if there is a connection to Hezekiah
Hogue and these slaves or additional slaves in the CHISM families. The
HOWARDS and CHISMS intermarried with frequency. Lot Howard began as the
administrator of this estate in 1840 "the court allows Lot Howard, Esq.
to act and manage on behalf of Hezekiah Hogue, at the claims of
administration of said estate; Joseph Howard upon his final settlement
shows accounts in Feb. of 1841. Joseph Howard was appointed guardian
and curator over the persons and estate of Jeremiah Jackson Hogue and
Polly Jane Hogue, infant and orphan heirs of Hezekiah Hogue in May 1841.
The name of of the slave (Hezekiah) appears to match the names of
Hezekiah Hogue (his name. I am always looking for patterns...in the
families with names... including the naming of slaves...
Howard Chism was the guardian of heirs of Tarlton Embry... and hired out
slaves of the estate... "The slaves that he expects to receive in his
possession belonging to the wards estate at Palestine, Cooper County,
MO., on the second day of January next for 12 months." So some EMBRY
slaves came to Cooper Co from Morgan....
On November 4, 1840; the court finds that Martha Letchworth (widow of
Letchworth) has been overpaid; and she is to refund the court $76.90;
mind you that John Chism is the administrator of the estate. More
confusing is the motion of Nathan B. (Breed?) Chism who has intermarried
with Martha Chism Letchworth, their portion of the estate was set out..
and they received a slave woman Permelia and her child Betsy and $25 in
cash."
Can you help me on connecting who Nathan Breed Chism is related to.. are
they cousins.
John Chism...left his wife Francis Cooper Chism... "any two slaves male
and female as she may choose for and during her life only. I also give
her during her widowhood only two other slaves, a male and female, also
to be selected by her. To wife as her own and absolute property...The
slaves and real estate which each of my daughters may receive under the
provisions of this will I limit them for life only and to their sole and
separate use and on the termination of life estate my will is that said
slaves and their increase and said lands may descend to their children
of any, but should they or either of them die leaving no issue, then
said property to be equally divided among my other children and their
descendants." John Langdon Chism gave a portion of land to his brother
David Hardin Chism. Sept. 4, 1855.
This estate was witnessed by James P. Ross and John B. Thurton. Mary
Ann Howard... married a Marion Ross... seems these families had ties
too.
On the 1860 census Micheal Chism owned 11 slaves, Hardin Chism (maybe
David) 2; and Frances Chism (wife of John Chism) owned 3 slaves.
Moving along............
Traci Wilson Kleekamp
Missouri-Slave-Data.org
African Americans in Missouri
These slaves were property of David Chisholme of Chester, South Carolina
January 1816. This was taken from the book THE CHIZ, A HISTORY OF THE
CHISHOLME/CHISM FAMILY , written by John D. Chism.
Reuben $500 James $500
Ambrose $550 Gabriel $600
Philip $550 Jesse $600
Collin $300 Archibald $600
John $550 Holems $260
Joseph $425 Mose Jr.$400
Hatton and two male children $750
Bridget and children ( Hannah and Ned) $700
Old Mose's wife and two children $500
Sarah $200 Louisa $180
Dolly $425 Nancy $300
Hello Everyone...
I know this is confusing, but I am tracing enslaved ancestors in the
CHISM, HOWARD and TUTT families. Perhaps some of you have connections
to the families listed above.
I am interested in slaves owned by the families above; I am tracking the
family ties of the surnames listed via wills, probate records and the
slave schedules. If you have documentation or information that you feel
would be useful, please let me know. I have a number of documents that
may be useful for those of you researching these families as well. Since
the Walkers have ties to VA... some of you may have ties from there as
well.
I've spent 3 hours going over CHISM data... and found my great great
great grandmother and as a slave of Jacob Chism..."Mary Ann" given to
his daughter Elizabeth Chism who married Lot Howard. Mary Ann took the
last name of Howard... most likely because Elizabeth married Lot
Howard. Then Mary Ann had children with Marion Ross. There is some
connection between the ROSS family to the CHISMS and HOWARDs and I have
not been able to figure that out yet. I am particularly interested in
the CHISMS of Morgan County, Missouri... who also have ties in Cooper,
Howard and Moniteau counties.
Then, there is the case of Lucy E. Miller leaving to her sister Margaret
M. Letchworth a slave named Clary...Lucy also left possession to Ann
Taylor Tutt... wife of John A. Sanford Tutt...who was an administrator
or executor of the will.
I'm also interested in Nathan B. Chism who married Mary Letchworth;
there were slaves left to them via the estate I believe of Hezekiah
Hogue or Thomas Letchworth.
I have some questions about Hezekiah Hogue... whose estate was
administered by John Chism.... I could really use a copy of the will of
Jacob Chism? There are also some Embry children who have a John Chism as
a guardian for an estate... but I can't tell for whom. They appear to
have CHISM ties in some way...
I wondered also why Thomas Letchworth's estate was being attacked by
everyone for money.
The TUTT, WILSON, CHISM, HOWARD, LETCHWORTH families seem to have many
ties; I outlined this morning..a listing of slaves moving through these
families as they are inter-related.
At Pleasant Green... these same families ties; work into the WALKER
family because Mary Smith Martin Walker (daughter of Daniel Smith?)
married Henry Rubey Walker; his 2nd wife; he was previously married to
Sarah Foster Read. Apparently Henry and his brother Anthony married
sisters. Anthony Walker married Nancy Smith I believe. I'm confused
because it might be Samuel Walker that married Nancy Smith. Daniel D.
Smith's sons; married into the CHISM, OGLE, DUNN and MARTIN families.
Mary Smith first marriage was to Issac Martin. Micheal Chism, Unity
Chism and some other CHISM, OGLE, COLLINS and MARTIN surnames show up in
Mary Walker's will as kin.
Anyway, I also have SMITHS in my family, that connect via the TUTTs
mostly likely. Daniel Smith did not own any slaves however, so I'm
still looking for a SMITH connection in Cooper, Morgan and Moniteau
Counties.
I've got several documents recording slaves in the wills and probate
records of Anthony S. Walker...Winston Walker and Anthony S. Read and
Polly Walker (who freed her slaves upon her death) I will transcribe
those soon if you are interested. You can email me individually for
details.
Thanks
traci wilson kleekamp
Missouri-Slave-Data.org
African Americans in Missouri