Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Court.....Lawrence etc v. Britt, 1808 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Court Records William LAWRENCE & wife Willey (BRITT) LAWRENCE et al. vs. Ann BRITT, widow of Benjamin BRITT, Chancery Case 1808-007 Southampton Co., VA, Chancery Court Papers. [Image # refers to LVA Southampton Chancery Microfilm Reel 404] [image 0434 - folder] 1808-007 Southampton County Chancery Papers LAWRENCE & ux & al vs. .BRITT 2|1808 ¯¯ other surnames: Johns, Johnson, Bailey [Document 1 - bill & answer] [images 0435, 0436, 0437 & 0438 - docketing] Lawrence & } vs } } Bill & answer Britt } Nov 1807 Inty. decree Feby 1808 Rep & decree final [perpendicular, on other half of page] Lawrence ["Britts" struck]} vs } Bill &Answer Britt } ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trezvant ____"_____ Solomon Holmes Arthur Holliman John Harris comrs_ [page end] [images 0439 & 0440 - p. 1 of bill] To the worshipful Court of Southampton County in Chancery sitt[ing; torn] Humbly complaining shew unto your worships your orat[or; torn] and oratrixes, William Lawrence & Willey his wife late Willey Britt Moses Johns and Polly his wife late Polly Britt, Rebeccah Britt, Elizabeth Britt, and Nancy Britt P Britt and Peggy infants Britt ^ by their ["guar" struck] next friend William Bailey that Benja. Britt the father of your orators and oratrixes Departed this life sometime in the year intestate leaving a tract of land containing 200 acres [2d "acres" struck] to which your orators and oratrixes are equally entitled, but your orators and oratrixes represents to your worships [that; torn] Ann Britt the widow of said Benja. Bri[tt whom; torn] is prayed to be considered a defendant hereto with [holds?; torn] from them the respective portions to which they are entitled. tho she is entitled to but one third part for life as her dower_ In tender consideration whereof and in and oratrixes as much as your orators ^ are remidiless in the premises except by the intervention of this worshipful Court they Pray that your worships appoint com[m- ; torn] & assigns issioners to lay off ["and" struck] set apart ^ to the said [torn] Ann Britt widow as aforesaid on third par[t; torn] of the said Tract of land for her natural life [as; torn] her dower, and that they then proceed to sell said tract of land (it being worth less than One hundred dollars a share) including the reversion after [page break] [images 0441 & 0442 - pp. 2-3 of bill & answer] [torn; af]ter the expiration of the life estate assigned to the widow, on a credit of _____ months taking bond with approved security for the payment of the purchase money, and that they divide the proceeds of the sale equally between your orators and oratrixes and your orators and oratrixes pray that your worships would grant general relief _ [page end] [p. 3 of bill & answer] The Answer of Ann Britt the widow of Britt to the bill of Complaint exhibited against her in this worship -ful Court by William Lawrence and Willey his wife late Willey Britt Moses Johns and Polly his wife late Polly Britt Rebeccah Britt Elizabeth Britt and Nancy Britt P Britt and Peggy Britt infants by their next friend William Bailey _ This Respondent saving and reserving to her self all benefit of exception to any errors, mistatements or imperfections in the Complainants said b[ill; torn] Contained for answer thereto or to as much th[ereof; torn] as she is advised is material for her to make a[nswer; torn] unto, saith, That she entitled to her dower in the land mentioned in the Complainants bill, and that them So far from witholding from ^ their respective portions in the said land she has always been anxious that her dower should be laid off and assigned to her and that she is perfectly willing that this worsh[ip- ; torn] ful Court should pronounce such decree as is P[? ?-; torn] fer by the Complainants in their bill and [torn] prays to be hereto dismissed &c [doc. end] [image 0443 - folder] 1808-007 Chancery Papers : Lawrence & Ux & al Vs. Britt 1808 Southampton County [Document 2 - commissioners report] [images 0444 & 0445 - report] In conformity to the within order, to us directed We have Allotted & set apart 1/3 part of the tract of Land, that Benja. Britt dece'd died seized & Possessed, to his Widow Ann Britt, & have also sold the land with the reversion to the .highest bidder on a Credit of Nine Months [docketing (in 2d panel of 6)] Laurence &others & Moses Johnston vs } Inty. decree became the purchaser & gave Bond Britt &c : agreeable to the November 1807 Within order. Given under our hands this 15th. day Feby. 1808. Feby. 1808 Rept. & decree final Arthur Holliman John Harriss [page end] [Document 3 - interlocutory decree] [images 0446 & 0447 - interlocutory decree] Southampton, November Court 1807 William Lawrence & Willey his wife } Moses Johnson and polly his wife, Rebecca } Britt, Eliz Britt, Nancy Britt Britt } and peggy Britt infants by William } In Bailey their next friend Complts. } Against } Chancery Ann Britt widow of Benja. Britt decd. Deft. } ¯¯ This cause was this day docketed by consent; Heard on the bill and answer, on Consideration whereof. it is decreed. and ordered that. Solomon Holmes Arthur Holliman and John Harris or any two of them lay off & assign to Ann Britt 1/3 of a tract of land containing two hundred acres, being the land whereof her late husband Benja. Britt died Seized & possessed, for her natural life, & that they proceed to sell the said tract of land including the reversion after the expiration of the life estate assigned, to the widow on a Credit of nine months taking bond and Security for the payment of the purchase money, and divide the proceeds, equally between the complainants and report - Benj: Cobb, D.C. [page end] [Document 4 - brief] [images 0448 & 0449 - brief] Novr. 14th. 1807. ___ I have this day Called on Mrs. Ann Britt Widow of Benjamin Britt dece'd, who has no objection, to a friendly suit in Chancery being instituted, to lay off her thirds of her late husbands tract of Land, whereon she now lives containing 200 Acres - & the Children of age are anx_ =itious to have the land sold, or divided according to law ___ William Lawrence, & Willey his Wife Moses Johns & Polly his Wife - Rebeccah Britt; Elizabeth Britt And Nancy Britt, Pinniah Britt, Peggy Britt, infants) There is an Old Negroe Man Called Jack that it would be as well to att= =tend to ~ Solaman Holmes, Arthur Holleman, &. John Harris as Commissioners..---- W,, Bailey ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ [case end] ****************************************************************************** Additional information: Benjamin BRITT died intestate before 16 Feb 1807, when Wm. BAILEY was granted administration on Benjamin's estate (OB1804-06:247, 249). At his death, Benjamin owned a 200-acre tract. An account current of BAILEY's administration of the estate, returned Feb 1809 (WB6:629-30), is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/wills/b630b5ad.txt Moses JOHNSON purchased a tract of land (acreage not specified) from the above- named commissioners Arthur HOLLEMAN & John HARRIS; file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/deeds/11db414.txt That conveyance included the reversion of the widow's life interest in her dower third of the plantation. Moses secured his bonds to the Commissioners by executing a deed of trust on the entire 200-acre tract, as well as personal property, to William BAILEY, for the benefit of William LAWRENCE and Timothy TYNES, 18 Jan 1808. A transcription of the deed (DB12:04-05) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/deeds/12db004.txt They executed a deed of release, 14 Oct 1809, acknowledged Aug 1810 (DB12:222-23); file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/deeds/12db222.txt Moses & his wife Polly sold a 66-acres portion of this tract - likely her mother's dower - to Solomon HOLMES, 18 Nov 1809 (18 Dec 1809). The deed (DB12:84-86) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/deeds/12db084.txt There is a different Moses JOHNSON in Nottoway Parish, that m. 1786 Sally GAY, daughter of Wm. GAY. Widowed, Sally 2m. Isaac HEDGPETH. (Southampton Co. M.Reg. p. 44; DB14:91) This Moses m. 1806 Polly BRITT, daughter of Benjamin BRITT Sr. He may have died before 4 Jan 1814, when the inventory & appraisement of the estate of William HOLLEMAN was taken (returned 16 Oct 1816), including the following item: | | An Open account against the Estate of Moses Johnson deceased [$]| 3|18¾ | | (Southampton Co. WB8:61-63) Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Matt Harris, Zoobug64@aol.com [brackets mine] file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/court/1808_007.txt