| Will of Margaret Tate In the name of God, Amen. I, Margaret Tate, of the county of Baldwin and State of Alabama being sound in mind but not in body and feeling the uncertainty of life do hereby revoking all others make this my last will and testament. Imprimis. I commend my soul to God trusting in the merits of my savior for my salvation in the world to come. 2nd I commend my body to christian burial. 3rd To the heirs of my beloved daughter MARY D. SAUNDERS, I give and bequeath one negro man Sam, one negro woman Maria, one negro girl Amy, one negro boy Sam, one negro boy Daniel, one negro girl Perry, one negro boy Harry and all my swamp cattle to her heirs forever and it is hereby understood and intended that the aforesaid MARY D. SAUNDERS shall have the right and privilege of rising and enjoying all the immunities appurtenances, advantages and privileges which are and may arise from said property so long as she may live. 4th To my beloved daughter MARGARET STAPLES and her heirs, I give and bequeath one negro man named Job, one negro girl named Silva, and child, and it is hereby understood that the aforesaid Margaret Staples is to take the above named negroes at a fair value to satisfy a note that Mr. JASON STAPLES holds against me, after the note is satisfied the balance is to go as part of her share of my estate. I also give and bequeath one negro woman named Betsy and her child named Jonab, one negro boy named Sandy, one negro boy named Twine, one negro boy named Tobe, one negro girl named Malissa, and her two children, one negro man named Ned, one negro boy named Harry, one negro girl named Patience to her and her heirs forever. 5th To the children of my beloved son WILLIAM T. POWELL, I give and bequeath one negro man named William one negro man named Aaron, one negro man named Cuff, one negro boy named Stephen, one negro woman Elonisa, and her four children Siky, Daphney, Chloe and Tab, one negro woman named Pop~ My plantation situated and described as follows: The South East fraction quarter of section nineteen, in Township four of range three east containing one Hundred & fifty acres and sixty five hundredths of an acre. The west half of the north- west quarter of section nineteen, in township four range three east, containing eighty acres. The east subdivision of the west fraction of the north half, west of the Alabama River of section nineteen in Township four of range three east containing one hundred and fifty two acres one wagon, one ox cart and four oxen, all of my Hogs, all the farming utensils, five of my best mules. Eighty acres of pine land situated and described as follows: Township four range three east the north east quarter of the south west quarter of section thirty four, four large steers suitable for Oxen, all of the corn & fodder now on my Plantation, and it is hereby understood and intended that the aforesaid WILLIAM T. POWELL shall have the right and privilege of using and enjoying all the immunities appurtenances, advantages and privileges which are and may arise from said property so long as he may live but he the said WILLIAM T. POWELL shall not sell, give, grant or convey or dispose of any of said property under any pretence whatever. 6th To my beloved daughter JOSEPHINE B. DREISBACK and her heirs. I give and bequeath one negro man named Dick, one negro woman Bella, and her four children named Pheobe, Hardy, Dick and Mary, one negro girl named Rose, one negro woman named Amy and her three children named Tina, Milly, and Fanny, one negro woman named Flora, one old negro man named Jonah, it is my wish the old man named Jonah shall do no hard work. I wish my daughter Josephine to have my watch and all of my household furniture, my Carriage and old Horse to her and her heirs forever. 7th To my beloved Grand daughter MARY STAPLES, I give and bequeath, one negro woman named Clander and three of her children named Alex, Philip and Dilsy to her and her heirs forever. 8th To my beloved Grand daughter JOSEPHINE STAPLES I give and bequeath one negro boy named Or to her and her heirs forever. 9th To my beloved Grand Son ROBERT POWELL, I give and bequeath one Roan Mare to him and his heirs forever. 10th It is my request that Hardy and his wife, Pheobe shall be set at liberty. I do not wish them to be slaves after my death. I wish them moved over to the place I purchased from THOMAS SAUNDERS. I do not wish that place sold under any considera- tion whatever. I wish him to have four cows and calves, and the two steers he is breaking for oxen at this time. I wish my son or Mr. Dreisback to act as his agent during life. 11th And it hereby understood and intended that my daughter MARY D. SAUNDERS, have the right and privileges of using and cultivating one hundred acres of my plantation land which I have given to my son WILLIAM T. POWELL, the land which I wish her to have to right of using and cultivating lays above the Gin House, after the death of the said MARY D. SAUNDERS, the land shall revert to the children of my son WILLIAM T. POWELL. 12th And I also give and bequeath to the said MARY D. SAUNDERS thirty head of sheep. 13th I request that my stock of cattle one wagon and what mules may be left after my son gets his number out to be sold to the highest bidder the proceeds of which I wish applied to the payments of my debts any amount that may be left from the above sale after my debts are paid I wish it to be given to Mrs. ROSAHAH SHOMO. 14th I do hereby appoint my son in law J. D. DREISBACK my executor and administrator to settle up my estate. 15th It is my wish that my old negro woman Siky shall remain with my daughter Josephine during her life. In testimony whereof I this day set my hand and seal this the twenty eighth day of Nov in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty. Margaret Tate Witnesses J. W. SHOMO J. D. WEATHERFORD State of Alabama} Baldwin County} Personally appeared before me PATRICK BYRNE, Judge of the Probate Court of Baldwin County & State aforesaid J. D. WEATHERFORD one of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing Instrument of writing and states on oath that he was requested to sign and was present at the signing of the Instrument of writing by J. W. SHOMO a subscribing witness and that Margaret Tate acknowledged the same to be her last Will and Testament and that the said Margaret Tate was in sound mind & memory Subscribed & sworn to before me this 27th day of March A. D. 1851 Patrick Byrne Judge Probate Admitted to Probate 27th March A. D. 1851 Patrick Byrne Judge | ||
| Person ID | I5203 | Dickinson |
To the Admin,
I’m endlessly grateful for the choice you made to do the research you have done, that led to opening up a door in my own life..
I’m trying to obtain a copy of out of print book “David Tate’s Flora” I most certainly would be happy to purchase it in support of your hard works..
Sincerely,
Steven Johnson
I’ll send you a copy asap;-)
Carolyn
Great research, very happy I came stubbled on it! Margaret Powell and Jason Staples are my 3rd Great Grandparents. I can’t wait to share these posts and books with my mother.
Thank you!
Welcome, Cylinda
And thank you.
Hi Carolyn,
The Amy and her 3 daughters listed under Josephine Driesbach is my 5 great-grandmother (her daughter Melinda Webster Valrie is my 4th great grandmother). Would you happen to have information on Amy and/or Melinda?
Hello, Darius:
Welcome Cousin.
I don’t believe Amy was Melinda’s mother, rather her grandmother, as Amy was too old to have children under ten, by the time Melinda is first mentioned in the enumeration of 1870. (However, the census is remarkable for its inaccurracies regarding age.) Amy’s children were likely the fathers listed on the death records for both Melinda and Priscilla Webster. Melinda Webster married “Papa” Wallace Valrie, in Baldwin County, Alabama, in 1871. Melinda Webster Valrie was matriarch of Baldwin County. She was their “Indian Princess,” related in oral history; and noted as a strikingly beautiful woman. [See Formerly of Montpelier, a Plantation, by the Author.
Amy was the slave of Margaret Dyer Powell, prior to Powell’s marriage to David Tate. So Amy may actually have been a relative of Dyer Powell. Until we get the DNA results, we won’t know.
Commenting on the above thread in regards to Amy being related to Margaret Dyer Powell, I am a direct descendent of Margaret Dyer Powell, and have my DNA results on several different sites. I would be willing to check for matches with anyone interested. On another note, I have noticed I have a lot of DNA matches from the Hollinger line matched to me. I have seen several different sites show that Margaret Dyer Powell’s mother is Mary Cussins, but I have also seen Mary Hollinger. Any information as to how the Hollinger’s could have been related in another way?
Hello, Cylinda:
You pose very interesting questions.
Hopefully, you will receive DNA responses.
Regards,
Carolyn
Hello, Cylinda:
Sorry for the late reply to your inquiry on my blog at Treeringspublishing.com
excerpted from David Tate : Origins, page 87:
3, Wealthy William Hollinger, held a bond against land deeded for $3500, of $2000 had been paid, the balance owed from Mrs. Tate. His half sister Mary [Maria Juzan] Hollinger, another metis, was the consort or second wife of Adam Hollinger. William Hollinger lived with David Tate and Margaret Powell after his mother’s death. His mother, unnamed [likley sister to Haw Stiggins, a Natchez or Choctaw] was a Margaret Tate relative. When David Tate referred to Hollinger as his wife’s nephew, he was accurate. Therefore, Margaret Tate was likely George Stiggins’ cousin.
And, indeed, a HOLLINGER/JUZAN.
Regards,
Carolyn
Hi! I am desperately trying to find a copy of David Tate’s Flora: Enslavement of a Creek Princess. She was my Great X4 grandmother, and I would love to learn more about her. I am willing to buy a copy but I see it is no longer in print. We dont know much about my dad’s mothers family so this would be wonderful. Thanks so much
Hello, Cousin:
Stay tuned for an updated edition. Happy Holidays;-)
Regards,
Carolyn
Hi! I was just wondering if there had been any update to the publishing of this book again? I have been looking for even used versions of the book but it seems there’s just nothing available.
Thanks so much!
Hello,
Please check your local libraries. A new print is upcoming.
Regards,
Carolyn
Unfortunately, I have checked online and in person and can not find a single copy of this book anywhere.
Hopefully it will be available soon. Thank you for the response ☺️
Taylor