Friends of Friends Friday

It is the first Friday of the month, and I have another Pitt County deed (in this case listed as a Bill of Sale) to share with Friends of Friends.  This document, transcribed to the best of my ability, is from Deed Book DD, page 179, Pitt County, North Carolina.  It reads as follows:

W. Hanrahan to Moses Tison, Bill of Sale

State of No. Carolina, Pitt County.  Know all men by these presents that I , Walter Hanrahan of the County of Pitt for and in consideration of the sum of three Hundred and seventy – five dollars current money to me in hand paid by Moses Turnage[sic] of the County aforesaid at and before the sealing and signing of these presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged have bargained slod and delivered and by these presents doth bargain sell and deliver unto the aforesaid Moses Turnage[sic] a certain negro boy named Riley about twelve years of age.  To have and to hold the said negro unto the said Moses Turnage[sic] his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns forever and the said W. Harahan for myself my heirs, executors, and administrators shall and warrant and forever defend the aforesaid negto against the claims of all persons whatsoever unto the said Moses Turnage [sic] his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns.  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 25th day of July in the year of our Lord 1823.

witness:  Thomas Hanrahan      signed:  W. Hanrahan {seal}

February Term, 1826.  The above Bill of Sale from Walter Hanrahan to Moses Turnage[sic] was then proved in open court by the oath of Thomas Hanrahan, a witness.  Thereto ordered to be registered.

Attest Jas. Sheppard, Clerk

Interesting that this deed has a clerical error in the title.  Moses Tison (as in the title) is referred to in the body as Moses Turnage (a very common Pitt County surname) over and over.

Good luck on your research!

Friends of Friends – Bill of Sale to Moses Tison is a post from: Briley Genealogy copyright 2012

Prompt:  Sometimes the challenges in life provide the best learning experiences.  Can you find an example of this in your own family tree?  Which brick wall ancestor are you most thankful for, and how did that person shape your family history experience?

While I would not say that I am “thankful” for this brickwall, I do have a very challenging direct ancestor.  James Briley born circa 1800 and died before 1845.  His land was auctioned off by the sheriff.  He has been the hardest ancestor to trace and I have been piecing together his life little by very little for at least 20 years. 

My first introduction to James was as a name on the marriage record of his son, Marcellus.  So I started to look for him, and look some more.  Marcellus listed his mother as Pennie A., and naturally, she was nowhere to be found either.  One day, while looking through the index of deeds (it was either LDS or at Pitt County Courthouse) I came across a deed that listed the local sheriff as the executor of a sale to some Briley men.  It was the sale of the property of James Briley.  No other Brileys were designated as specific relatives (like sons, or brothers).  The description of the land being sold gave me the lead to William Briley.

A few years later, and as my experience at researching grew, I came across the will of Sarah House.  She was a House by her second marriage, having been married to and delivered children first to William Brierly/Briley.  She mentiioned all of her children in the will, and then designated 4 names as grandchildren, one of them Marcellus.  Another stroke of luck.  Living children were mentioned.  James had died 20 years prior to the will’s date.  All the names matched names of siblings that I knew of. 

I have basically accepted the fact that I have to build a case with secondary evidence for James.  I am convinced that the best evidence lies in deeds and the buying, selling, and swapping of property within the family.  I actually now really enjoy researching deeds.  They have information that your would never expect.  I have set a project for myself for this year of plotting all of the Briley deeds I have from Pitt County.  (I have to wait for our house renovation to be done first so I can spread out a little).  I hope to be able to use my deed mapping program (DeedMapper) and overlay them on Google Maps and some USGS maps.  Look for some Tech Tuesday postings for this in the fall. 

Abundant Genealogy – wk 5 is a post from: Briley Genealogy copyright 2012

somewhere in here!

Here is the crux of my Briley/Brierly problem… Just how many William Brierly’s in a row am I related too?  I am thinking 3, and upon further inspection, seem to find evidence supporting it.  I only just realized that William Brierly, the father in this deed, has a different mark than his son.  In this case, they do not use an X (like so many other of my ancestors).  The older William uses a stylized W and the younger one flips it over.  I have not really started the cataloging of these deeds.  It is one of my long term projects to get started on sometime this spring when our renovation is finished.

Here is my transcription of the deed (I tried not to edit it too much):

Pitt County, NC

Deed Book F – pg 68

To all Christian people unto whom this presents and to who shall come, I , William Brierly of Pitt County in the Province of N Carolina send greeting.  Know ye that I , the [sd] William Brierly for Divers goods, causes, and valuable considerations me there unto moveing have given and granted ad by the these [presents ?-unreadable] do give grant and confirm unto my son William Brierly the whole tract or parcel of land whereon I now do live to have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land of me, William Brierly unto my son William Brierly, his executors, [adms], and assigns from hence forth to his and their own proper use and uses tereof and therewith to do order and dispose of at his or their wills and pleasures as of their own proper land freely and peaceably and quietly without any manner of let trouble or denial of me the sd. William Brierley or any other person or persons whatsoever of all which premises.  I, the sd. William Brierly have put my son in full and peaceably possesion by virtue hereof.  In Witness whereof I, the sd. William Brierly hereof in witness whereof I, the sd. Willima Brierley have hereunto set my hand and seal the 26 october Domini Anno 1744.

Signed, Seal, and Delivered in the presence of :  Henry Ellis, Benjamin Ellis, John Presson

Signed:  William Brierley {with his mark)

October court:  1774 order for Registration

Another thing I noticed just recently in this deed, besides the very common mixing of the spelling of Brierly to Brierley and back, is that William Sr. mentions ‘moveing’.  Does this literally mean moving out and onward or does it mean he was so moved to give his land to his son.  I have to consider this because around the year 1800 a Briley family shows up in Anson County, NC with the same naming patterns.  Family historians from the past have long maintained they are from the Eastern NC Briley’s.

Good luck with your deeds!  I feel they are the key to sorting out these early relationships in my family.

Mapping Monday – William Brierly to William Brierley, son is a post from: Briley Genealogy copyright 2012