Part IV--Abstracts of Steptoe Wills & Deeds recorded in Bedford County, 1824- 1825 DATE: [13?] April 1824 PARTIES: Robert C. PENN of the first part; James C. STEPTOE and George Steptoe of the second part; James Steptoe of the third part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 18, p303 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "Joe a man, Abel a man, Crissey a woman and her two children Charles & Carter" COMMENTS: "whereas the said James Steptoe hath become security for the said Robert C. Penn in two several bonds, executed to Samuel White; one for the sum of one thousand dollars due and payable on the 15th day of April 1824; the other for the sum of one thousand dollars due and payable on the 15th day of April 1825," property, including these slaves, was conveyed in trust to James Steptoe's sons James C. and George, should he "in any manner become a sufferer or sustain injury in consequence of his undertaking." See deed of 31 March 1825 for Penn's conveyance to Steptoe of clear title to "Joe his wife Crissy, and their three children, Charles, Carter, and a child." The child must have been born between April 1824 and 31 March 1825. Robert C. Penn married Lucy Steptoe, James Sr's daughter and James C. and George's sister. DATE: [May?] 1824 PARTIES: William SAUNDERS Sr. and Polly Saunders his wife, of the first part; James C. STEPTOE and Henry W. MYLER, of the second part; George WOOLFORK of the third part, all of Bedford County DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 18, p324 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "two negro men Joe and Tom, two boys Preston [or Bristow?] and Henry" COMMENTS: conveyed, with land and other property, by the Saunders to Steptoe and Myler, to secure a debt of $9000 owed to Woolfork 1 May 1823. Although this deed bears an 1824 date, it was probably made around May 1823, given where it appears in the deed books. The deed specifies that the Saunders were to remain in peaceable possession of their property until they had defaulted on the debt. DATE: 14 Aug 1824 PARTIES: Armistead MINOR of the first part; James C. STEPTOE of the second part; Ira E. DIMOCK of the third part, all of Bedford County DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 18, p411 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "George, Bill, Spencer, Daphna, Margina [?], Moses & Malinda" COMMENTS: Minor conveyed these slaves to Steptoe, "in consideration of the sum of one dollar," in order to secure a debt of $355 owed to Dimock by 14 Aug 1825. DATE: 9 Oct 1824 PARTIES: George STEPTOE and Maria his wife of Bedford County, of the first part; William RADFORD of Bedford County and James HENDRICK of Campbell County, of the second part; James STEPTOE Sr., William STEPTOE and John T. W. READ of Bedford County and William LANGHORNE of Campbell County, of the third part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 19, p28 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "London, Cuffy, Winston, Matilda, Selina, Eliza, Anna, Martha, Jane, Mary & Edy" COMMENTS: George & Maria (Thomas) Steptoe conveyed these slaves, along with land, in trust to Radford and Hendrick, as collateral for two notes co-signed by the third parties in the amounts of $4770 and $1585. William Langhorne, one of the third parties, was probably one of the Steptoes' in-laws. (James Sr.'s sister Frances married Henry Scarisbrick Langhorne.) DATE: 31 March 1825 PARTIES: Robert C. PENN of Bedford County, to James STEPTOE Sr. of Campbell County DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 19, p150 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "one negroe man Joe his wife Crissy, and their three children, Charles, Carter, and a child" COMMENTS: slaves were conveyed by Penn to Steptoe, along with a 510-acre tract of land and other personal property, for $5000. Penn was Steptoe's son- in-law. DATE: 27 June 1825 PARTIES: James STEPTOE Sr. to Hannah DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Emancipation SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 29, p54 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: COMMENTS: "I do hereby for and in consideration of the faithful service of Hannah my mulatto woman servant, emancipate and set her free immediately from and after my decease." This deed was witnessed by Edward D. Steptoe, James C. Steptoe, Gustavus Wingfield, and Benjamin Rice. A note subscribed to the original deed reads: "At a Court held for Bedford County the 26th day of April 1841, This deed of emancipation was produced in Court proved by the oath of Gustavus A. Wingfield and of the subscribing witness thereto, and James C. Steptoe and Benjamin Rice two other subscribing witness thereto being dead, their handwriting was proved by the oath of Robert C. Mitchell, and said deed ordered to be recorded." DATE: 21 Nov 1825 PARTIES: William BOOTHE to James C. STEPTOE, both of Bedford County DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 19, p316 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "John, George, Will, Moss [?], Polly & Sally and Venus" COMMENTS: conveyed by Boothe to Steptoe to secure a debt of $1000 owed by Boothe to John S. Gray of Bedford County. DATE: 26 Nov 1825 PARTIES: James STEPTOE Senior of Campbell County of the first part; James C. STEPTOE & George STEPTOE of Bedford County & Thomas STEPTOE of Campbell County of the second part; Lucinda wife of Robert C. PENN of Bedford County of the third part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 20, p247 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "Joe and Crissy his wife, & their three children, Charles, Carter, and an infant child" COMMENTS: More trouble with son-in-law Penn. Here Steptoe Sr. conveys these slaves, as well as land and personal property, in trust to his sons James C., George & Thomas, to be held for the "sole, separate and exclusive use" of their sister Lucinda Penn, "free from the intereference of her said husband, and not in any way to be subject to his control or disposition, nor in any wise to be subject to his present, or any future debts, or engagements." The deed stipulates that if Lucinda wishes at some point to sell these slaves, her brothers must comply but the money must be used to buy other slaves. Ditto with the land--if it is sold, the money realized must be used to buy other land. These stipulations were evident guards against her having the property sold in order to give the money to her husband. Joe & Crissy and their children were either originally the property of Penn or part of Lucinda's dowery. He used them as collateral against notes co-signed by James Sr in 1824 and relinquished them altogether in 1825. (See deeds [13?] April 1824 and 31 March 1825.) File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Michele Stepto stepto@pantheon.yale.edu USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation.