From Family Findings
Vol. VIII, No. 1, January 1976, p. 16-17
Copyright, Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society, 1976
Appears on this web site by permission

PETITION TO SELL SLAVES FROM ESTATE
OF WILLIAM L. GRAVES
(Page 16)

Petition to sell slaves from estate of William L. Graves
Minute Book #7
Pages 128 end 129
Nov 1853
Madison Co., Tn. County Court November Term 1853

Of the proceeds to await the further decree of the Court.

Tariton H Graves in his own right and or administrator of William L. Graves, Sarah Graves, Hudson Graves, Peyton W. Graves, John Madison Graves, James Graves, William L. Graves (son of Wm. L. Graves), William Henry Graves (son of Andrew Graves), a minor who appears by his next friend Tarlton F. Graves, John W. Spears and his wife Maria, Hudson Spears and his wife Sally, Mary Ann H. Gordon, Cyrena Fisher Gordon, Daniel William Gordon and Sarah Frances Gordon minors who appear by their next friend Samuel Gordon all of Madison Co., Tn. except Tarlton H. Gravea who resides in Gibson Co, Tenn. end said Hudson Spears and wife who reside in Dickson County Tennessee.

Petition to sell slaves for division.

Decree

Be it remembered that on this 8th day of November A.D. 1853 came on this cause to be heard before the worshipful County Court of Madison County, Tenn and it appearing to the court that William L. Graves late a resident of this County departed this life intestate on the 1st day of September 1853; and that at the September Term 1853 of the County Court aforesaid administration was granted to Tarlton H. Graves who gave bond and is proceeding to wind up said estate. And it further appearing to the court that the intestate owned at the time of his death among other things, five Negro slaves, to wit Kety and her four children, Nancy, David, Haywood and Doctor, and it also further

 

(Page 17)

appearing to the Court, that the debts of the intestate are small and that there is no necessity, that the Administrator should resort to a sale of the Negroes for the purpose of paying the same. And it also further appearing to this Court that the said Sarah Graves, the widow of the intestate is entitled to one share, that is to one eleventh of said Negroes, that Tarlton H. Graves, Hudson Graves, Maria Spears, Peyton W. Graves, John Madison Graves, James Graves, Sally Spears and William L. Graves are the children of the intestate Wm. L. Graves and each of them is entitled to one share or one eleventh of said shares that said William H. Graves is the son of Andrew Graves dec'd, who was a son of Wm. L. Graves and is entitled to one share of one eleventh of said Negros that Mary Ann H. Gordon, Cyrena Fisher Gordon, David Willism Gordon and Sarah Frances Gordon are the children of Mary Ann Gordon deceased who was a daughter of said William L. Graves and that they are together entitled to one eleventh of said slaves and that these are the only heirs and distributes of said William L. Graves. And it appearing to the Court that these slaves cannot be divided into eleven shares and therefore that no division of them can be made amongst the said distributes.

It is therefore ordered and decreed by the Court that Tarlton H. Graves admr. as aforesaid after giving bond and security in the sum of five thousand dollars to be approved by the clerk of this Court before the day of sale expose to public sale at the residence of the late W. L. Graves the slaves above named after giving 15 days notice of the time and place by printed hand bills, posted at the court house door in Jackson, at Mason's Grove, at Duffey's Mill, at Greer and Hoppers Mills, at Denmark, Medon and at Cotton Grove, and that the proceeds arising from said sale be divided amongst the parties respectively entitled thereto according to their interest. The terms of the sale, to be on twelve months credit, with bond and two approved securities. It is further ordered that the cash of these proceedings and attorneys fees be paid out of the assets of the estate by the administrator.