Lybrook/Lybrook Letter, 1838 - Giles Co. VA
Lybrook Family Letters
in Special Collections at Alderman Library,
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
Letter from Philip Lybrook of Giles County, Virginia,
to his brother Henley C. Lybrook in Cassapolis, Cass County, Michigan Territory.
23 March 1838.
Giles County Virginia March 23, 1838
Sir yours of the 6th of February last has come to hand in which you say asll is well which I am glad to here. we are
all well at this time no sickness in the country nowhare that I know of except old Mr. I. Fisher who was very unwell a
few days ago. This letter I write in great haste having but little time bearly to answer your inquireys. The sale I
believe I said to you was to take place on the 12th day of January which happened accordingly.the propertly was all
sold except what Betsey had removed which was not much. the sale of which amounted to about $2800, negroes land
and all, Catharines bed was sold when I was not present and sold for about $10. Evalina bid for it and no one would
bid against her which was about half its value and at the same time Betsey had furnished abed with all the best
furniture and was valued to $30 sold at that time, and in my absence, she gave $6 and it was nocked off to her, I
mentioned that Betsey had removed some of the effects. I do not know she put away any thing of much value excpet
about 30lbs of new feathers and some jeans cloath, which would amount to about $15 or 20 dollars there is yet $100
coming for the land that he sold to George Snidow to pay the debt that I said he had to sell to pay his peddlery with
Colo Snidow which you seam to want to know something about, about 6 or 7 years ago as the old man told me he
went and borrowed $50 of Colo Snidow then he went again and borrowed some $10 or 12 dollars and became so
friendly that towards the last he would go down and stay two or three days at a time drinking with the Colo, and told
me he had got some small sums of money at other times and Snidow would make him lift the old hand and give a
new one every year with the interest added together with other little charges that Snidow would bring forward and at
length about 8 or 10 months before Snidow died he gave him a deed of trust on the black boy Jim--this all being
done without my knowledge and remained so untill Snidow died. the old man then came to me for assistance, and
told me that he was owing the Estate of Colo Snidow, that he must now pay for he knew they would not weight
longer with him and told me he had give a deed of trust on Jim for to secure the payment. I did not want the boy sold,
and told him he had better sell the land he lived on, which accordingly he did sell to George Snidow for $700. 400 of
which it took to pay the Snidow debt. $200 of the ballance he laid out for one trifle or other spent considerable in
dressing Betsey. I will now say something in relation to the girls they lived a dredfull life for some time before and
after the death of the old man. Betsey said Sally would do nothing which I suppose was partly correct. Sally said that
Betsey would not let her tuch or consern with anything. I went up one day after the death of the old man and wanted
to give them some advice and Betsey got so much insulted that she has scarcly spoke to me since, however sometime
before the old man died a Joseph Atkins, a son of Moses paid his respects to Betsey she agreed to have him he asked
for her and got consent. and all was fixed for the wedding that is she got her wedding garments ready & then he
would not have her some time elapsed and nothing said about it and a few nights after the death of the old man he
went there nobody there but the 2 girls and the blacks, and sally would not let him stay. I then told some of my
family to tell Betsey not to let him come about her however after the sale was over I told Sally that hse mite make her
home at my house which she accordingly did. Betsey moved to Josiah Lumpins. Atkins still repeated his visits and
last tuesday two weeks they was married at Lumpkins. I suppose she had told Atkins that me and my family did not
like his conduct that we ware not invited there was a large company invited at Atkins which shews that the Atkins
family is well pleased I am in hopes that he may leave of his old bad habits and do better than I anticipated, you want
to know why Nancy was not mentioned in the will, I suppose that the old man thought she had got enough, when she
left him, she took with her the black boy they called Sampson, and the little gray mare, besides other things, if the
boy had a been there at the sale I believe he would sold for as much as Jim and Jim sold for upwards of $900 and I
am told that Sleeth [Sluth?] was only to pay back $140 or 50 dollars--which make her ahead of any of the children
yet, you say that you did not know much of Sleeths difficulties, then was him and others make abussiness of riding
about to draw declaration for the old soldiers--and was said that they had committed forgery in drawing the papers
and in the county of Greenbrier this was three inditments found against him, the first of which on the trial he was
acquittted, and they would not admit him to bail on the other two and put him to jail the [?] terms of court which was
months the judge failed to attend then remained tere about 5 or 6 months longer they then admitted him to bail by
giving ample security which I have understood he was able to do. and the case stands so yet, when I wrote to you
before I also wrote to him and informed him and Nancy the condition of things and have received no answer. The
sale was at a twelve months credit, and I suppose there is no actual necessity for you untill about that time, at which
time I shall expect you & Thomas in, I believe I have touched upon all the inquiries, and I shall have to close my
letter, I am on the eave of leaving home for 4 or 5 wees and am much pressed with business I hope to be excused for
writing so blacked an epistle, write again, any further requests shall be attended to--my wife wants Hugh Marrs to
write her a letter to let her know how he is doing since his misfortune John has never wrote to me, I should like you
to writ him again I am respectfully your brother
Philip Lybrook
Submitted by Melissa Smith Kennedy
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~msk5d/genealogy/Lybrook.html
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