Hertford County, NC - BEAL, ADM VS DARDEN ADM, 1846 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #4053 BEAL, ADM VS DARDEN ADM June 1846 – Hertford County in Equity Court Spring Term 1842 NOTE: This case is very disjointed and made little sense even after reading it several times. William Beal was Adm of Samuel Durden – In Spring of 1839 Ephrim Britt the Adm of Samuel Durden filed a complain against Richard Durden, Adm of Carr Darden dec charging that Samuel Durden departed this life with an estate of a negro woman named Venus?? and her four children and other personal property – Carr Darden petitioned for letters of Administration on Samuel Durden – Carr Darden did negligently discharge his duties then departed this life – the Court then appointed Richard Durden his Administrator and he received a large sum of money – then the complainant Ephraim Britt departed this life – the Court then appointed William Beal to Administer the estate of Samuel Durden – one Elisha Durden made a deed of settlement by which he conveyed Negros viz Tarry, Sam, Jacob, Burricks, Reubin, Abram, Sampson, Dick, Cate, Venus, Short Jude, Large Jude, a girl June, Kadr ??, Aisy, Iram??, Darcus, Isabella, Leah and Margaret and other personal property to Carr Darden bearing date 23 Aug 1821 with a provision that Carr pay off the debts of Elisha and provide him with a decent support; Carr Darden paid off the debts and a trust resulted for said Elisha – said Samuel Durden married a daughter of said Elisha Durden and they survived Elisha – Carr Darden then divided the estate of Elisha and Venus and her four children were allotted to Samuel in right of his wife – there were other distributors who received other property (not named in the case) – the deeds were burned at the CourthouseThis took place at the Spring Term of the Hertford Court Ephraim Britt was the Administrator of the estate of Samuel Durden who died intestate – Carr Darden was then appointed Administrator – Samuel Durden had property of $5,000 – Carr Darden paid off the debts and had Venus and her children in his possession then put them in the possession of the widow of Samuel – Samuel was insolvent and of infamous character NOTE: If he was worth $5000 how could he be insolvent – mmm) DEPOSITION – of Dawson Harris – he heard Col Darden say he bought the Baily tract with Samuel Darden’s money but Samuel lived there – Carr Darden owed $80 on the purchase and said he would deed over the land to Samuel’s child when he got the money ANSWER OF RICHARD DURDEN Fall Term 1837 – stated that Carr Darden was never the Administrator of Samuel – Samuel was in debt before he died and his creditors sold off his assets and the Negro Venus and her children were held in trust for Samuel’s wife by Carr Darden as they were close relatives – Samuel died 12 to 15 years ago and his widow intermarried with one Carr Dardin and the slaves were sold out of the area NOTE: It is not clear if there was more than one Carr Darden involved or of Samuel’s widow married Col Carr Darden DEED Lisha Darden of Hertford for certain purposes to be performed by Carr Darden – grant my goods and chattles viz negros Tony, Sois??, Jacob, Burrell, Rubin, Abraham, Sampson, Pink, Cate, Venus, Short Jude, Long Jude, a girl Jude, Dicy, Rose, Aire, Irwan, Darcas, Isabelle, Cart, Margaret – all my horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, household and kitchen furniture, rest of property – provided that Carr pay my debts and provide descent support for my life – dated 23 Aug 1821 Elisha signed his name WIT Benj. Booth, L. Crecy, Willis Britt DEPOSITION of Samuel D. Clark Said Venus was not 30 and her children were under 10 years – the oldest was a girl – there was 1 boy and 2 girls and he was not sure about the other one – he remembered that Samuel Carr md the widow of Sam. C. Darden and they lived 8 or 10 miles from Carr Darden and Vensus was in possession of Carr some 18 months before they were sold – Clark stated that Carr Darden was not trustworthy – he also stated that Samuel Darden had only 1 child when he died – an infant DEPOSITION OF Mary Wells Said Samuel Darden’s wife was Betsy who was the granddaughter of Elisha Darden – Venus’s children were Amy and Ruffin – Venus and her children were at Mary Wells house before Samuel Darden got them – she stated that Elisha Darden died in 1822 and Samuel Darden 3 years later It was stated in one document that Carr Darden was a collateral relation of Elisha Darden – Elisha had several children and grandchildren still living at the time of the case ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Martha Mewborn Marble ___________________________________________________________________