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•  Lizzie Beck, widow of Thomas Anthony Beck

1937 death — Polk County, Arkansas

(There was litigation over her will which led to a 1939 decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court.)

•  Nancy Berry

1908 Will — Madison County, Missouri

(Likely not James Reed's wife;
included here to illustrate the time / place)

•  James Reed

October 1851 Will — Madison County, Missouri

•  Missouri E.A. Reed

1853 Inheritance Administration
— Madison County, Missouri

 

 

Nancy Berry will — 1908
Although this will was written by "a" Nancy Berry in Madison County, it is probably not the Nancy Berry who was James Reed's wife and Missouri Reed's mother.  The dates would make her a century old when she died — possible, but unlikely.

We include it here mainly because she was a Berry relative, perhaps a "namesake niece" or "a Nancy" related by marriage — but more interestingly, because it demonstrates the poverty and lack of formal education common in rural America during those generations.  This is not to condescend:  they were as clever and intelligent as urban sophisticates, just not as polished.
A transcription of the scanned images follows.
The microfilmed copy is in a negative form (white handwriting on black background).  The image here is returned to a positive black-on-white version.

Page 1 of 2:

february the 28, 1908

madison co mo

Nancy Berry   my re
quest is for mary
whitledge to have my
big cubboard and
covered bed and stov
kittle and brass bucket
and meel grinder and
two quilts and coverlid
and blanket.

i  want sarah williams to
have one bed and stid [bedstead] and
what belong to it, two pilers [pillows?]
and bolster sheet, two quilts
and coverlid [coverlet] and blanket
and my safe and trunk and
three chers [chairs].



To view page 1 at full size, click here, and then RE-click on the image
which will appear.
Be sure to use only your  Back  button to return here.
Page 2 of 2:

i  want mariah berr[y]
to have one bed and stid
and what be longs to it,
two pilliers [pillows] and bolster
and sheet, three quilts [ — sheets ?]
and coverlid and my
big chist and clock
and rocking cher
and the rest of the
little things to [ —-gious ?]
to [ — name ?] devide a mong
your selves       my chattle
devide a mong your
selves       i  am in hopes
you will do what is
right       i  have done as
nigh right as  i  know
how.   mary whi[t]ledge has
got part of [ her'n ? ],  the
cuboard and [ — ].

Nancy Berry





To view page 2 at full size, click here, and then RE-click on the image
which will appear.
Be sure to use only your  Back  button to return here.
Both images by courtesy of Ozark Regional Library, Fredericktown, Missouri (June 2008).

 

 

James Reed — October 1851 probate of last will and testament

When he died in October 1851, he bequeathed various sums of money, real properties, and five slaves to various heirs — the State of Missouri then permitting slavery.  A slave couple, Joe and Sinda, were set free and given property.

        Click here to view a transcription of this will, together with page images.

And scroll down or click here for a map of the primary property bequests.
Background:

In 1799 French settlers founded what became Fredericktown, the seat of Madison County.  James Reed was there before 1830, within ten years of Missouri statehood — he had originally come from North Carolina.  It appears that his brothers, William and Joseph Reed, had arrived in the Madison County area by 1798.

Three of his land parcels lay along the St. François River; the two northern sections are now within Mark Twain National Forest.  Two additional parcels are not easily identifiable:  one described under the old metes and bounds system, a 150-acre parcel referred to as "the Pollard land" which James had purchased in 1845; and another 53.445 acres in Section 2, Township 31 North (Twelvemile).  Total acreage was 663+ — more than a square mile in all.  He distributed the estate as follows.  And click here for a map of the primary property bequests.
Bequests to: Acres Descriptions (all in Range 5 East) Money Other Slaves
Nancy (Berry) Reed,
wife 		180 Southeast Quarter of Section 35, Township 32 North (Liberty)

Upon Nancy's death or remarriage, the entire wife's share was to be transferred to daughter Missouri Reed. 		All household / kitchen furniture and farming utensils, 4 horses, 6 dairy cows, 20 sheep, all hogs — plus all remaining assets after other bequests were distributed. Frank
and
John

 (both
under age 21)
Missouri Reed,
daughter by Nancy 		80 East half of Southwest Quarter of Section 35, Township 32 North (Liberty)     Amanda Jane
(age 7), Willis Carrol (under 21),
and
Bill, age unknown
Bartey Hiram Reed,
son by Nancy 		53.445 East half of Lot 2, Northwest Quarter of Section 2, Township 31 North (Twelvemile)      
James M. "Buffalo" Reed,
son by Nancy 		40 Southwest Quarter of Northeast Quarter of Section 35, Township 32 North (Liberty)      
Joe and Sinda,
a slave couple set free at James' death in 1851. 		80 West Half of Southwest Quarter of Section 25, Township 32 North (Liberty)   Land, "together with their apparel," "one good horse," and "one cow and calf" Joe and Sinda
Zelah (Reed) Tucker,
daughter by first wife, and
son-in-law
James Tucker 		150 Land bought from Jesy Pollard and wife in 1845,
the so-called "Pollard parcel," described under the metes-and-bounds system, apparently in Township 32 		     
James R. Tucker,
grandson 		    $50.00    
Elizabeth Jane (Tucker) Fitzjerald,
granddaughter 		    $50.00    
1.  Daniel L. Reed,
son by first wife


801
____

802
divided
among
heirs 		1.  A half interest in the 80-acre
South Half of Northwest Quarter, Section 35, Township 31 North (Twelvemile)

This is the "Reed Bend" land near Saco.  Daniel was then a tenant there, and was in arrears. 		$100 in debt is forgiven
"out of the amount he, the said Daniel L. Reed, owes me" 		 
2.  "Heirs of
William Stamps,"
a son-in-law? 		2.  A half interest in the 80-acre
South Half of Northwest Quarter, Section 35, Township 31 North (Twelvemile);

This is the "Reed Bend" land near Saco. 		Annual rents @ $80 from 28 Apr 1846 "to the present time" due from Daniel L. Reed, then a tenant there, and in arrears.  
"Unknown heirs of"
Elizabeth Henderrecks,
granddaughter 		    $5.00    
NOTE:  Although the total of $285 referred to in the will seems paltry, its purchasing power equates to about $8,250 at 2009 values.  And remember, families during those generations were not burdened with utility bills, car or credit card payments, insurance premiums — plus, they produced most of their own food and a majority of their garments.

  Click here for an historical financial calculator, MeasuringWorth.

(Also see Missouri Pioneers, Vol. 6, p. 89, by Nadine Hodges and Mrs. Howard W. Woodruff,
Los Angeles County Library, GEN R 977.8 H 689-1;
LC Call No. F465.H67, 1975.)

 

 

Missouri E.A. Reed — 1853 administration of a minor's inheritance:
sale / lease of a slave girl, Emenda (Amanda Jane)
(year deduced from attorney's receipt below)
When Missouri's father, James Reed, died in October 1851, he bequeathed both real property (80 acres) and three slaves to her — the State of Missouri then permitting slavery.  She was about 8 years old when her father's will was read.

Due to inheritance laws then in effect, not to mention Missouri's own status as a legal "infant," these bequests had to pass through probate under the tutelage of a male guardian — and Hiram N. Long acted in that role, according to an accompanying 1853 receipt for unspecified, unenumerated services rendered (see below).

This document relates to an astonishingly heartless business transaction:  the guardian is  asking the court to approve the sale or transfer of a 7-year-old slave girl (Emanda, or Amanda Jane)  to Warren Stevens (Stephens).

The original probate file and related documents are microfilmed in a negative format (white handwriting on black background), so to improve readability, these excerpts are returned to a positive black-on-white version.

Missouri's 2nd-great-grandson, Billy Eugene Wagner II, prepared this transcription in 2008:
  Page 1:

      To the Hon. the Judge of the Probate
Court of Madison County, Missouri


 The undersigned Guardian of Missouri E.A.
Reed would respectfully represent that
James Reed, the Ancestor of his said ward,
bequeathed, amongst other property, to his
said ward, by his last will and testament, a
certain negro girl aged about seven years;
that when the said  negro girl named 
 Emanda  should attain the age of twenty-
one years, it was the will and wish of
the said testator and ancestor of said
petitioner's ward that the said
Emanda should be emancipated and
manumitted and let free, and that
her labor and services should belong
to the said Missouri E.A. Reed until then,
and all the profits arising therefrom.

Your testator would further represent
that the said Emanda is weakly and sickly
and that the keeping of her would be
did with a great deal of Expense, that
her services thus far are of little or no
value, and that until she arrives at the age
indicated by her liberator, no profits can
accrue to your petitioner's ward; that
there appears now a favorable opportunity of
disposing of her services for a term of years
to one Warren Stevens, who has interviewed
with the widow of the deceased. Your Petitioner
would in view of the premises pray for an order
permitting him to lease out or dispose of
the services of the said Emanda for the
period of time that remaining between this and


 Sadly, the microfilmed document has one or more pages missing, or perhaps subsequent pages are misplaced on the roll.

Missouri Reed — 5 Apr 1853 cover page (to the right, which is the outside or front fold):
"First Annual Settlement" — Hiram N. Long, guardian for Missouri E.A. Reed:

Est[ate] of Missouri Reed
      a minor
          to

  —     —     —
H. N. Long  Gu[ar]d[ian]
first annual settlement

Filed and approved
April 5th 1853

Attest
    Edw[ar]d  Evans
    Probate Judge

Below is the actual receipt text, here rotated to be readable:



Hiram N. Long, Guardian of Missouri
E.A. Reed, a minor, in account current
with said Ward.
DP
January 27th 1853     To this amount of cash paid me
        by Nancy Reed, Executrix of Ja[me]s Reed, dec[ease]d
        for which I receipted          $ 619.87.

 

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