FRANLIN COUNTY, NC - COURT - Petition to settle Estate of John Richards, 1786 --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- Francis Richards & others vs Williamson Richardson - 1812 - Franklin Co, NC Petition to settle Estate of John Richards, 1786 Franklin County (North Carolina) To the Justices Of the County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of said County The petition of Francis Richards widow, and relict of John Richards, Rebecca Stokes, Willis Richards, Burwell Richards, Robert Riding & Polly his wife, John Richards, Robert Perry & Frances his wife, William Richards and Burwell King in right of his wife Sally against Williamson Richards Executor of John Richards - Your petitioners humbly represent to your worships that John Richards late of this County departed this life sometime in the year 1796(*) having made and executed his last will and testament which was duly proved and recorded in this Court, therein appointed the said Williamson one of his executors who qualified and took upon himself the execution of said will, and therein davised several negroes and all his stock, household goods and plantation utensils to his widow Francis during her natural life or widowhood and in another clause of said will directed that when his youngest son comes to full age that the negroes stock & other property should be sold and divided equally amongst his children or survivors & his said wife - as will more fully appear by the said will, which these petitioners refer to and pray to be taken as part of this their petition - that William the youngest child of said Testator arrived to full age in the year 1811. That said Williamson executor as aforesaid took possession of the whole of the estate of his testator and has retained the entire management, selling negroes, crop & stock at his will & pleasure, - That the said widow, Francis has lived on the land together with said petitioners and the Executor, but has exercised no control or right over the said property without the permission of said Williamson, that each year by the labor of the petitioners and the negroes given to said Francis large crops were made, considerable quantity of pork raised and sold, and converted to the use of said Williamson under the sometimes alledging that large debts and demands were owing and due from the estate - that he had, paid large sums for the estate, that he was entitled to the profits of the estate, at others, that he had sold the negroes for the payment of a debt due from the estate to one John Hamilton or Hamilton & Company (**) and had become the all which these petitioners alledge to be untrue and done to defraud them of their just rights - They charge that the debts justly due from the Testator were inconsiderable & that the prof1ts of the estate have been more than sufficient to discharge them - that the debt due from the Testator to John Hamllton or Hamilton & Company was among the greatest and that not very great - that these petitioners have called on said Executor to account with them according to their rights under the said will, but he has they therefore pray your Worships to commanding said Williamson to appear at the Court to be held for said County the Second Monday of December next then & there true and perfect answer on oath make to all and singular the that he set forth how, and what manner the debt due John Hamilton or Hamilton & Company was liquidated - at what time the negroes were sold, to whom and under what agreement they were purchased by Ridge Jeremiah Perry or any other person? What were the proceeds of the negroes & plantation each and every year since the death of his testator? - In what manner he got possession of a Bond alledged to have been given by his Testator to William Jeffery? - That he render a true and perfect account of the debts due the estate of his testator, money on hand at the death of his testator - and the annual profits of the negroes & plantation, sales of Pork together with the amount of the different sales of negroes and other property? That your Petitioner Rebecca Intermarried with Archibald Stokes who is dead, that Polly intermarried with Robert Riding and Frances intermarried with Robert Perry & Burwell A King in right of his wife Sarah (which Sarah is dead) entitled under the will of said Testator together with the other petitioners the children of said John which said Burwell is entitled in right of his wife Sarah, who is dead but has not taken out administration, whom ye petitioners pray may be made party when Your Petitioners pray that said Williamson be to account and pay to your petitioners according to their rights and such other be made as the nature of their care may require. They ae are duty bound will we pray . W M Robards Atte D L Barringer for Francis Richards others vs Williamson Richards Petition * This figure seams to be 1796 but might possibly be 1791. ** This name could be Hamillon, Hamitton, or Hamilton as it appears each way. Typed March 10, 1983, from copy received fram North Carolina State Archives dated Fed. 15, 1983, by Miriam Dougherty. Scanned by Mary Love Berryman, September 16, 2003 ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Love Berryman marylove@tyler.net ___________________________________________________________________