Part IV--Abstracts of Steptoe Wills & Deeds recorded in Bedford County, 1826- 1848 DATE: 27 Feb 1826 PARTIES: James STEPTOE & heirs (STEPTOE and PENN) DOCUMENT TYPE: Will SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Will Book F-6 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "Winney & her five children, to wit, Reuben, Winston, Osman, Wyatt and Sophia" (bequeathed to son James Calloway Steptoe); "old Winney, Alice, Killy [?], Billy, Caesar, Sam, Bob, Lucy & her child Julius, Jerry, Juddy, Milley, Tom, Anna, James, Dennis, Burwell, Tom, and Maria and her child Ellen" (bequeathed to son Thomas Steptoe); "Anna and her five children, to wit, Mary, Suckey, John, Ben and Kitty, also Stephen (a son of Hannah)" (bequeathed to grandson James S. Penn). COMMENTS: James Steptoe was the clerk of Bedford County VA for 54 years, until his death in 1826. His wife was Frances Calloway, dgtr of James Calloway of Bedford County (see his 1809 will). DATE: 4 April 1827 PARTIES: James C. STEPTOE & Catharine his wife of Bedford County, of the first part; William LANGHORNE & Charles JOHNSON of Botetourt County, Thomas STEPTOE and George STEPTOE of Bedford County, of the second part; and the creditors of the said James C. Steptoe herein after named of the third part. DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 20, p207 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "George, Linny [?], old Dennis, Lucy, Sam, Henry, young Dennis, Isaac, Adaline, Mariah, Jenny, Winney, Eliza, Albert, Edmund, Polly, Iris, Will, Collin, Winney, Reuben, Winston, Osbourne, Wyatt, Sophia, Anthony, Henry (R. O.), Anderson, Criss, Isham, Aggy & child Maria, Moses & Elizabeth his wife, Davy, Squire, Carter, Peggy, Fanny & child Lucy, Ciller [?], Paskal, Susan, Martha, Ellen, John, Joe, Sally & child Elmira & Rhoda" COMMENTS: Langhorne and Johnson were both in-laws of the Steptoe family. James C. Steptoe conveyed these slaves as well as land to Langhorne, Johnson, and his brothers Thomas & George, in order to pay numerous debts associated with his father James Steptoe's estate, of which he was administrator. In in own will, made not long after, he mentioned his "embarrassed" circumstances. Persons mentioned may have been part of the estate of James Sr. DATE: 5 July 1828 PARTIES: Joel LEFTWICH, of Bedford County, of the first part; Thomas STEPTOE, of Campbell County, of the second part; Nathan REID, of the third part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 21, p96 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "Washington and Achilles aged about twelve and four years" COMMENTS: conveyed from Leftwich to Steptoe, to secure a debt owed by Leftwich to Reid in the sum of $100. If Leftwich defaulted, Steptoe was to sell the slaves. The Steptoes and Leftwiches were in-laws. (Thomas's brother Robert C. married Elizabeth Leftwich.) DATE: 13 January 1841 PARTIES: Josiah CALVERT of the first part, John R. STEPTOE of the second part and BELL HOLT & BELL of the third part, all of Bedford County DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 28, p429 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "one negro girl named Amanda, for which there is a suit now depending in the circuit Superior Court of Bedford in the name of said Calvert against Robert Ross" COMMENTS: Amanda was transferred by Calvert to Steptoe, along with other property, to secure Calvert's debt of $20 to Bell Holt & Bell. Deed specifies that Calvert was to remain in possession of property until Steptoe was required by Bell Holt & Bell to sell it. DATE: 25 May 1842 PARTIES: Thomas KEY of the first part; John R. STEPTOE of the second part; BELL HOLT & BELL, O. P. & R. G. BELL and Doshia KEY of the third part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 29, p459 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "one negro woman Sucky about 25 years of age, one negro man David about 50 years of age" COMMENTS: Key transferred property to Steptoe to secure debts, amounting to $700, owed to the third parties. Other property he conveyed includes "all his interest in the crop of corn, oats, wheat, rye, tobacco etc. made by him as overseer for John Calloway in the year of 1841 together with all his interest whatsoever in the estate of the late Mrs. Martha Early deceased." DATE: 8 June 1844 PARTIES: Catharine STEPTOE to Edward D. STEPTOE DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Release SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 33, p75 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "whereas Edward D. Steptoe did several years ago sell by my consent the following negro slaves belonging to me Catharine Steptoe of the County of Bedford to wit: Edmund, John, Winsey and Dennis" COMMENTS: "whereas it was and has been always my intention to give the said slaves to the said Edward D. Steptoe to be held by him as his absolute property & it is now my intention to give to him the proceeds of the sale thereof . . . ." Catherine Mitchell Steptoe was the widow of James C. Steptoe and the mother of Edward D. By this deed, Catharine relinquished claim on money realized from Edward's sale of these slaves. DATE: 27 July 1847 PARTIES: Thomas A. H. ANDERSON and Martha his wife, John R. STEPTOE, Mrs. Sarah STANLEY widow of George STANLEY deceased DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 33, p227 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "a negro woman Annis [?], a negro woman Almira . . . and the money arising from the sale of a negro man named Stephen" COMMENTS: by this deed, Anderson conveyed to Steptoe his interest in "the estate of every description held by Mrs. Sarah Stanley widow of George Stanley deceased as her dower in said decedent's estate" DATE: 18 March 1848 PARTIES: William M. BURWELL of the first part; Joseph WILSON, Edward D. STEPTOE & J. R. STEPTOE of the second part; William T. CAMPBELL, Gustavus A. WINGFIELD & Reaves S. SCRUGGS of the third part, all of Bedford County DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 33, p481 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: Taph [or Taft?], Burwell, Bob, Robert son of Mat, Clara, Spenser, Armistead, Betsy, Washington, Peggy, little Burwell, Ben, Claibourne & Fanny his wife, Sam & Ben their children" COMMENTS: A mind-boggling deed. Everyone is indebted to everyone else, including folks not named among the principal parties. Basically, Burwell conveys the slaves named in the deed to Wilson and the Steptoes, to secure debts to Campbell et al. William M. Burwell was the husband of Frances Calloway Steptoe, Edward D. Steptoe's sister and J.R. Steptoe's aunt. 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. 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