Part VI--Abstracts of Steptoe Wills & Deeds recorded in Bedford County, 1848-1859 DATE: 28 March 1848 PARTIES: Thomas STEPTOE, William YANCEY, Catharine Louisa STEPTOE, all of Campbell County DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 34, pages 55-6 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "to William Yancey, his heirs and assigns forever, the following slaves, to wit: one Negro woman heretofore given the said Catharine Louisa Steptoe by her father, named Marian, and her three children, to wit: Edward, Martha and Rose, and also one old Negro man named Bill." COMMENTS: Thomas Steptoe and Catharine Louisa (Yancey) Steptoe were husband and wife. Catharine and William Yancey were brother and sister? DATE: 28 March 1848 PARTIES: Thomas STEPTOE and Catharine Louisa STEPTOE his wife of Campbell County, of the first part; William T. YANCEY and Chiswell DABNEY of Lynchburg of the second part; Nathan REID, Abel B. NICHOLS, Edwin MATTHEWS, Ambrose PAGE, Edward d. STEPTOE and other creditors, of the third part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 34, p49 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "Maria, John, Dennis, Burwell, Jerry, Tom, William, Lucy, Robert, Sarah-Ann, and child Winney, Bluford, Lavinia and Harriet" COMMENTS: Thomas and Catharine were in debt to everyone. These slaves as well as land and other property were conveyed in trust to Yancey and Dabney as collateral. DATE: 7 Dec 1848 PARTIES: William STEPTOE of Bedford County of the first part, Edward D. CHRISTIAN of the second part, and Edward J. STEPTOE of the U.S. Army of the third part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust, from William Steptoe to Edward D. Christian trustee for the benefit of Edward J. Steptoe SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 34, p181 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "Isaac, Nancy, Lucy, Leah" COMMENTS: William and Edward J. Steptoe were father and son. As collateral on a debt of $1000 owed to Edward J. Steptoe, William Steptoe transferred these slaves to Edward J. Christian, to be held in trust by him until the debt was discharged or, in the case of default, to be sold to pay the debt. DATE: 19 Dec 1848 PARTIES: Lawrence SWITZER, John R. STEPTOE, Robert C. STEPTOE, John T. M. READ DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust, from Lawrence Switzer to John R. Steptoe trustee for the benefit of Robert C. Steptoe SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 34, p182 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "One Negro woman & child" COMMENTS: John R. and Robert C. Steptoe are nephew and uncle. The slaves (not named) are listed as purchased by John T. M. read for $545. DATE: 22 Nov 1850 PARTIES: William M. BURWELL of Bedford County of the first part; Charles L. MOSBY of Lynchburg and Edward D. STEPTOE of Bedford County of the second part; Mrs. Catharine STEPTOE widow and Mrs. Frances C. BURWELL the wife of the said William M. Burwell of the third part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 35, p198 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "Taff, Spenser, Armistead & Godfrey" COMMENTS: William Burwell was the brother-in-law of Edward D. Steptoe, married to the latter's sister Frances Calloway Steptoe. Mrs. Catharine (Mitchell) Steptoe was the mother of both Edward D. and Frances Calloway, and the widow of James C. Steptoe. By this deed, Burwell conveyed in trust to Mosby and Steptoe the slaves named, to be held for the sole use and benefit of his wife Frances, and to secure a debt owed to Mrs. Catharine Steptoe. The amount of the debt was left blank, which suggests that Burwell was protecting his property from debt by conveying it to his wife in this manner. Also, the conveyance was made "in consideration that the said Mrs. Frances C. Burwell hath heretofore relinquished her right of dower in several thousand acres of land heretofore sold by the said William M. Burwell." The Taff mentioned here is probably the "Taph" mentioned along with Armistead, Spenser and others, in the 18 March 1848 deed between Burwell and Steptoes. DATE: 23 Sept 1851 PARTIES: William STEPTOE of Bedford County of the first part, and John R. STEPTOE of Bedford County of the second part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 34, p397 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "Mary a Negro woman and her children Thomas, Armistead, Carlton, Lizzy and Fayette a child." COMMENTS: William Steptoe deeded these slaves to his brother John R. Steptoe to be held in trust for the sole use and benefit of William's wife Mary B. Steptoe, in return for which Mary relinquished some 700 acres of land, part of her dowery, which William then sold. This was an "in house" transfer of property. Mary and her children probably remained where they were. DATE: 26 Feb 1858 PARTIES: John R. STEPTOE of the first part and James T. JOHNSON of the second part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 39, p464 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "one negro man named Randall, one negro man named Guy, one negro man named Daniel, one negro man named Jim" COMMENTS: "In trust to secure to G. A. Wingfield a bond this day executed by the said Steptoe to the said Wingfield for twenty seven hundred and eighteen dollars and one cent payable on demand, and in case the said debt is not paid by the first day of October next to the said James T. Johnson shall at the request of the said Wingfield sell the property hereby conveyed or such portion thereof . . . ." Also included in this deed was "a certain Tavern house and lot in the town of Liberty known as the "Bedford House" now occupied by Charles Phelps." DATE: 12 July 1858 PARTIES: Samuel H. QUARLES of the one part John R. STEPTOE of the other part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deed Book 40, p61 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "the following slaves upon the plantation where Mrs. Susan Quarles now resides, and in which the said Susan Quarles has a life estate to wit Aason, Jerry [?] a man, Moses a man, Mat a man, Fanny a girl, Lewis a boy, Jerry [?] a boy, Susan a girl, Rachel a girl, Jinny a girl and Doshia and her 3 young children names not recollected, and an old negro woman named Jinny" COMMENTS: from Quarles to Steptoe, in trust, "to secure a debt of six thousand dollars due from the said Samuel H. Quarles to Gustavus A. Burton as evidenced by a bond having date the 12th day of July 1858 that being the amount of money advanced by the said Burton to the said Quarles for the purpose of paying off an execution in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia against the said Samuel H. Quarles Sheriff of Bedford County and his securities. And upon the further trust that the said John R. Steptoe shall permit the said Samuel H. Quarles to remain in quiet and peaceable possession of the aforesaid property until he shall be required by the said Burton or his legal representative to sell the same . . . ." John R. Steptoe's first cousin Elizabeth (dgtr of his uncle Robert C.) was married to Samuel Quarles. DATE: 12 July 1858 PARTIES: Robert C. STEPTOE to daughter Elizabeth R. QUARLES, wife of Samuel H. Quarles DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "a negro girl slave named Edmonia about nine years of age and a negro girl slave named Adeline about seven years of age" COMMENTS: A deed of gift from father to daughter, stipulating that the slaves transferred were "for her own use, livelihood and support free and clear of and from all debts and contracts of every & any description whatever of her husband Samuel H. Quarles now existing or which may at any time hereafter exist." DATE: 21 April 1859 PARTIES: Robert C. STEPTOE of the County of Bedford of the one part and William C. MENNIS of the other part DOCUMENT TYPE: Deed of Trust SOURCE: Bedford County Courthouse, Bedford VA, Deeb Book 40, p385 SLAVES NAMED IN DOCUMENT: "one negro man named Jesse, one named Aaron & Green a man, a woman named Lucy & her children viz. James, Callohill, Adaline, Morton, Mary & Rose, Kizzy a woman and her child named Emela, Louisa a woman her children named Alozo, Lorenzo, Ella, Lawrence and Lariston [?] a young child and Jenny a girl & Betty a girl" COMMENTS: to secure Robert C. Steptoe's debts (amounts specified in deed) to other Steptoes (Sally M., Annie M., John L., Marian A., William C., Walter E., Richard H.S.). All were evidently heirs of William C. Leftwich, of whose will his son-in-law Robert C. Steptoe was the administrator. The persons mentioned may have been part of the LEFTWICH estate. 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