In Slave Name Roll Project: RELEASING: Henry, a Slave in Nicholas County, (West) Virginia, the slaveholder of the enslaved Henry was John S. Roberts as seen in an appraisement bill from 1832. The research continued with Slave Name Roll Project: RELEASING: Violate, Evoline, and Samuel in which I found the 1835 Appraisement of the Estate of Nathaniel Landcraft, father-in-law of John S. Roberts.
About the time Nathaniel Landcraft died, his daughter Adaline, widow of John S. Roberts, married the Baptist minister Edwin W. Woodson. They made their home in Monroe County, (West) Virginia. In 1840 Woodson had two slaves in his household, a male and a female, both were 10 thru 23 years old. Could either of them be one of the slaves mentioned in the Landcraft appraisement?
In 1850 E W Woodson owned one female slave age 20. In 1860 Adaline Woodson owned one female slave age 30. Who was this female slave?
Edwin W. Woodson died on 14 May 1853 leaving a will and an appraisement which named the enslaved person, Evaline.
Last Will and Testament of Edwin W. Woodson of Monroe County, (West) Virginia
In the name of God Amen. I Edwin W. Woodson of the County of Monroe and State of Virginia being of sound mind and disposing memory do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following to wit
Item 1st. I desire that after my death my representatives may sell all of my personal property that can be spared from the support of my family my library and Tobacco excepted, the latter of which is to remain in a partnership concern with N. H. Roberts and Andrew Campbell and myself for twelve months as per partnership agreement, at the expiration of which time, my interest in the Tobacco concern the amount of sale for my personal property and amt. from any debts due me is to be appropriated to my debts.
Item 2d. Any deficit in the payment of my debts after the appropriation of the above funds as above named is to be made up out of my negro gril & her increase & my tract of Land on on (sic) which Nehemiah Bonham now lives, or either as my representatives may deem most expedient.
Item 3d. In the event that the funds already named above & set apart for the payment of my debts should not be sufficient to pay the same, in that event I desire my home tract of land to be sold on a reasonable credit & the whole of my debts to be paid out of the same, & the residue if any remaining together with that arising or remaining from any other portion of my estate to be divided as follows, one third to my wife Adaline and the ballance equaly amongst my children.
Item 4th. Any of my lands that may be left after the payment of my debts, I give to my wife Adaline until the youngest child has arrived at the age of twenty one years at which time it is to be equally divided amongst my children subject to the dower of my wife Adaline.
Item 5th. In the event that my negro girl Evaline and her increase in part or whole should not be appropriated to the payment of my debts in that case, I give the same to my wife Adaline so long as she may live and at her death to be equally divided amongst my children.
Item 6th. I desire that my Library shall not be sold, but equally apportioned between my children
the oldest to have choice of lots.
Item 7th. I do hereby appoint my dearly beloved wife Adaline to be my Executrix and Grandison C. Landcraft my Executor of this my last will & testament.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this the 12th day of May 1853.
Edwin W. Woodson *seal*
Teste
Boswell Vass
John Woodram
N.H. Roberts
At Monroe June Court 1853.
The Last Will and Testament of Edwin W. Woodson decd was presented in Court by Grandison C. Landcraft one of the Executors therein named and was proved by the oaths of John Woodram and Nathaniel H. Roberts two of the subscribing witneses thereto and the same is ordered to be recorded and thereupon the said Landcraft together with Rufus Pack, Robert L. Shanklin, Mathew Campbell and Nathaniel H. Roberts his securities entered into & acknowledged his bond in the penalty of $5000 with condition according to the law, probate of the said will in due form is granted him, reserving the liverty to Mrs. Woodson the Executrix named in said will to join in the probate hereafter if she choose.
A Copy
Teste
Geo W. Hutchinson CMC (Clerk, Monroe County)
Appraisement of the Estate of Edwin W. Woodson
In Obedience to an order made at the June term to us directed John Vass, Boswell Vass and Nathaniel H. Roberts who were appointed to appraise the personal Estate of Edwin W. Woodson decd do now proceed as follows after being duly sworn
1 Negro Girl named Evaline $ 600.00
1 White Mare 50.00
1 Brown Horse 65.00
1 Grey Yearling Colt 45.00
1 Iron Gray Mare 85.00
1 Black Cow 12.00
1 Spotted Do. 12.00
1 Mewly Heifer 10.00
1 White face Do. 10.00
1 Speckled Cow 15.00 (subtotal 904.00)
20 head of Sheep at $1 20.00
2 Calves at $4 8.00
15 Hogs at $2 30.00
5 shrats at $1 5.00
1 wheat Fan 22.00
1 Scythe & Cradle 1.50
1 mowing sythe & snaith 0.75
2 Sets Plow Gears at $1.37 1/2 2.75
1 two Horse Wagon & 3 Bodys 65.00 (subtotal 155.00)
2 Single Trees & 1 Double do 1.00
1 Sog chain 1.50
1 Big Plow 5.00
1 shovel Plow, clevis do. 1.25
1 Bull Tounge Do. 0.75
1 Coalter Plow & Clevis 1.25
1 Plow shovel 0.37
1 Choping Axe 1.25
1 mattock 2.75
1 Iron Tooth Harrow 3.00 (subtotal 18.12)
$1077.12
Amount brot. over $1,077.12
2 Hilling Hoes 1.50
1 Weeding do 0.25
1 Bee stand 1.50
1 Brass Clock 4.00
5 feather Beds & Bedding 50.00
2 New Bed steads at $5.00 Ea. 10.00
2 old do at $2.00 Ea 4.00
2 old do at $1.00 Ea 2.00
1 shot gun 2.50 (subtotal 75.75)
1 Jack Reel 0.75
1 Flax spinning wheel 3.00
1 big wheel 1.50
1 man’s saddle & 2 riding bridles 12.00
1 Cupboard & contents 16.00
1 Beauro & Book Case 8.00
1 small table with drawer 1.00
1 Cooking glass 0.50 (subtotal 42.75)
1 Dining Table 2.50
10 Chairs 5.00
1 pr. small steelyears 0.34
1 old Hand saw 0.25
1 drawing Knife 0.25
2 Iron Wedges 0.50
Kitchen furniture including Pots, Ovens, Skillets
Kettles, Buckets, Pans & & & 5.00 (subtotal 13.84)
July 29th 1853 $1,209.46
Boswell Vass
John Vass
N.H. Roberts
Boswell Vass, John Vass, N. H. Roberts appeared before me and was duly sworn by me a justice of the peace for said County. Given under my hand.
Joseph Ellis J.O.
At Monroe County Court Octo. Tm. 1853
An appraisment of the Estate of E. W. Woodson decd was returned & ordered to be recorded
A Copy Teste Geo W. Hutchinson CMC
Fiduciary Records
I do not normally go to Ancestry to check on wills etc. for West Virginia as they are on FamilySearch. In this case I discoved fiduciary records for the estate of Edwin W. Woodson which included 200 images in the West Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1724-1985 database.
I only skimmed through the images until I found this record which shows Evaline was included in the personal property which went to the widow Adaline B. Woodson.
Received from G. C. Landcraft Exr. of E. W. Woodson decd., as of the 29th day of July 1853, nine hundred and forty one dollars & 46 cents, in personal property belonging to the estate of said E. W. Woodson decd. at its appreaised value. The above includes one negro girl named Evaline, appraised at $600.00.
Given under my hand this 25 day of April 1873
A.B. Woodson Widow of
E. W. Woodson decd.
Evaline was most likely the young girl Evoline mentioned in Landcraft’s appraisement in 1835. By 1870 she would have been about 40 years old (1850 age 20 and 1860 age 30 as seen in the slave schedules). I was not able to locate her in the 1870 census but hope that by releasing her name a descendant may recognize her, make the connection, and leave a comment.
Following my three part series on the slaves of my 5th great grandfather James Sims during Black History Month in February 2015 I made a commitment to write a post on a monthly basis until I’ve RELEASED all of the names of slaves owned by my ancestors or owned by persons I’ve researched who were relatives or neighbors of my ancestors.
These posts are part of the Slave Name Roll Project (About the Project) administered by Schalene Jennings Dagutis who also blogs at Tangled Roots and Trees.
© 2017, copyright Cathy Meder-Dempsey. All rights reserved.
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I know I say this each time, but I think what you are doing in this project is terrific. And I remain horrified every time I see a human being listed as property in someone’s will. I hope Evaline survived to have a life of freedom.
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I hope she did survive to have a life of freedom and many descendants. Thank you, Amy.
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I hope Evaline lived long and prosperous and her folks find her here in this Blog Post. She lived amongst a library and makes you wonder all the things she probably snuck and read possibly. All that she was exposed to, not just books, but a Library. Thank you Cathy for letting the Records speak and saying Evaline’s name. You are going to have a lot of people thanking you one day. Beautiful post and I learned a new word. Fiduciary. Every State has their own way of naming Records. Thank You and here’s to Evaline’s family finding this one day, Cathy was thinking of you all when she did this Post.
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Thank you so much, True. I did not even think of what the library could mean to Evaline. You are so right!
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Thanks for doing this, Cathy, and for designing a model I hope to follow In the near future as I work through wills, census, and other documents of slaveholders in my North Carolina ancestry.
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You’re welcome. I look forward to seeing your posts.
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I agree with Amy, I love these posts of yours! ❤
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Thank you, Amberly.
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