Jones County, NC - Vann vs Hargett, 1831 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ N. C. SUPREME COURT CASE #1869 - VANN vs HARGETT -– Jones County, NC. Found at the NC Archives, Raleigh, NC Jones County 23 May 1831 On the 2nd Wed after the 2nd Mon of Sept 1827 - John Vann and wife and Lewis Gregory against Benj. W. Harget, Wm. Armstrong and Levicy his wife, Willis Gregory, Ashton Gregory and William Gregory – defendants do not reside in State – Peter Harget was the agent for Benjamin W. Harget Charges made by John Vann for keeping Negroes from 10 Dec 1827 to 17 Oct 1830 - $200 proven reasonable – from the $200, 1/7 was Vann’s share of expenses leaving $170.43 to be paid to Vann on this acct Deposition of John Vann – 14 July 1834 - the following persons to receive residue of the purchase money – William Gregory and Ashton Gregory both of South Carolina, Louisa Armstrong daughter of Levicey Armstrong who was Levicey Gregory, heirs of Celia Smith of South Carolina who was Celia Gregory, heirs of Polly Pugh who was Polly Gregory, and William Gregory of Alabama (Note it was not clear where Polly was from but it reads as if she lived in Ala) On 27 Oct 1783, Joseph Gilbert of Jones Co made his will which was probated June Term 1784 – Among other things he left Negroes Moll and Nell to his daughter Mary Ann Gregory for her life and then to her children except her son John Mills Tippet for whom I have already provided – Mary Ann died and had three children when her father died – John Mills Tippet, Levicy Gregory, Penelope Gregory who was the wife of John Vann – after her father died, Mary Ann had additional children – Willis, Ashton, Eliza, Polly, William, Lewis, Allen and Joseph Gregory – Polly, Allen and Joseph died before their mother without issue; Levicey married William Armstrong of Wake County; Eliza married Samuel Smith of Cumberland Co – William and Levicy Armstrong, Samuel and Eliza Smith, Willis, Ashton and William Gregory all removed from the state. Mary Ann’s husband, John Gregory, disposed of the negroes left to his wife in her father’s Will – Moll and her children to a Hargett of Jones Co and Benjamin W. Harget now has said Negroes. According to the Will, the said Negroes belonged to the children of Mary Ann. Benjamin W. Harget is fixing to leave the State and he should not take the Negroes with him – 15 March 1829 The husband of Mary Ann had no right to sell Moll. There was a Bill of Sale from John Gregory to Peter Harget for Moll and one child on 9 March 1784. Isaac Kornegay delivered Moll and her child Anaka to Benjamin Williams Harget on 19 Dec 1820. (Isaac Kornegay was the exec of the Will of Peter Hargett - mmm) DEPOSITION OF Benjamin Williams Hargett – his answer Said Moll was not the same Moll in the Will – the Moll in question was in possession of Mary Ann when her father died - she then sold her to Peter Harget (sic) Dec 1831 - Report of sale of Negroes by the Sheriff - $676.50 payable in 6 months after the 17 Oct 1831 – Sheriff to pay 2/7 of the residue to John Vann and wife and Lewis Gregory – Ordered that Benjamin W. Harget would pay court cost Negroes were Moll’s four children – John Vann took them into his possession. He paid the charges of $132.50 on Dec 1827. He kept them until 17 Oct 1831 when they were sold and he is charging $200 for expenses. The Sheriff sold them to the following people Moll – sold to Hubard Stanly for $81.50 Anakey – sold to Willis J. Vann for $241.00 Peter – sold to Willis J. Vann for $151.00 Violet sold to Willis J. Vann for $102.00 Tyner – sold to Willis J. Vann for $101.00 DEPOSITIONS 1. Selathel Ezzell – 5 July 1834 - in Sampson County – said John Vann had following Negroes in his possession – Moll, Anakey, Peter, Violet and Teynar – stated that by 1833 Celia Smith of South Carolina was dec – appears Louisa Armstrong and Polly Pugh lived in Ala and Polly was dec. 2. Ezzell Sutton – 26 Nov 1834 – Sampson County – stated Vann had the Negroes and their ages were Moll 50, Anakey 7 years, Peter 5 ½ years, Violet 3 1/2 years and another one about 18 months 3. William Kirby – 26 Nov 1834 – Sampson County – stated the same information 4. Selathel Ezzell – 26 Nov 1828 – Duplin County – Mary Ann Gregory wife of John Gregory and daughter of Joseph Gilbert Sen of Jones Co – Mary Ann’s father left her and her children Negroes by Will in Jones Co – names were Moll and Nell – Mary Ann wanted Ezzell to go to Jones Co and get her Negroes for ½ of said Negroes for her lifetime – question (this is not clear) did Mary Ann Gregory and Penelope Vann wife of John Vann own each other as mother and daughter – answer – yes – Ezzell stated that Mary Ann died 28 Dec 1826 – when Ezzell first met Mary Ann she was a widow 5. Sarah Hines – 26 Nov 1828 – Sampson Co – Mary Ann had a daughter Penelope who married John Vann – Sarah knew Mary Ann for 20 years and her husband was already dec – Mary Ann lived in Sampson Co 5. Nathan Harget – 14 Sept 1829 – signed with a mark – nothing new 6. John Chestnut – 13 Nov 1829 – Duplin Co – Mary Ann married before she md Gregory and her first husband was Teppit; Polly was married to John Pugh 7. Elisha Gregory – 13 Nov 1829 – Duplin Co – mentioned Lewis Gregory was also Mary Ann’s son 8. Elisha Robertson - 12 Nov 1828 – Jones Co – was 55 years old; Ann Hargett was the widow of Peter and had in her possession the Negro Moll and her children who were Phillis, Isaac, Dennis, Clo, Hannah and others – Mr. Armstrong came and claimed some of them but he went away 9. Robert Gilbert – 12 Nov 1828 – was 60 years old – Joseph Gilbert had several Negroes who were the children of Moll and they were – Tom afterwards owned by Benjamin Harrison, dec now by his widow the wife of Abner Greene; Ann was owned by John Stanly; Lenes owned by William Hellen; other children were Nell, Violet and Phillis; stated that Mary Ann’s first husband was John Tippet; Robert stated he was a relative of Joseph but did not state how related 10. Richard Reynolds – 5 June 1828 – Jones Co – stated he was 75 years old – said Joseph Gilbert was in the Rev. War; Note: There was more than one Deposition from Richard Reynolds with no additional information and it is not clear if there was more than Richard although there was more than one Richard in Jones Co at the time 11. Barbara Stanly – Jones County - aged 57 years – nothing new 12 Edward Gilbert – 3 Feb 1829 - Jones County – aged 40 years – son of Joseph Gilbert (was he the son of Joseph Jr?) – Old Joseph gave Moll to his son Benjamin Gilbert and John Gregory to be divided equally 13. Elijah Perry – 3 Feb 1829 – Jones County – aged 51 years – said old Joseph did not like Gregory – mentioned that Jesse Gilbert worked for Joseph Gilbert There was a mention of a Deposition of Mourning Turner and Rhoda Hawkins who were between the ages of 60 and 70 years old but I didn’t see those Depositions – Sept 1827 ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Martha Mewborn Marble - mmarble@erols.com ___________________________________________________________________