In my last post,
I introduced my 6th great-grandfather, John Dyer who married Mary
Polly Youngblood. I confirmed the relationship between him and my 5th
great-grandmother, Sally Elvira Dyer by downloading a copy of his will from the
FamilySearch website. What an awesome resource! We are so lucky to have the
FamilySearch website!
John Dyer’s will listed his twelve children by name and
also listed several of his tracts of land that he owned in both Putnam County,
Tennessee (where he previously lived) and in De Kalb County, Tennessee (where
he lived when he wrote his will). His list of twelve children included my 5th
great-grandmother, Sally Elvira (Dyer) Burton. It also mentioned Mahala Carr
who is the ancestor of my grandfather’s DNA match.
The Will of John Dyer [1]
Transcribed by Ginger R. Smith, ginger.reney@gmail.com, 29 May 2014
Written 27 Sept 1844
DeKalb Co., TN
I John Dyer do make and publish
this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and making void all other
wills by me at any time made. First I desire that my funeral expenses and all
my debts be paid as soon after my death as possible out of my money that I may
die possessed of or may come to the hands of my executors. Secondly, I give and
bequeath to my son Jefferson D Dyer
my tract of land in Putnam County, Tennessee lying on the Walton road it being
the tract on which I lived and from which I moved when I settled in Dekalb
County said tract is supposed to contain about two hundred acres. Thirdly I
give and bequeath to my son John M Dyer
my tract of land in Putnam County Tennessee known as the Crider place said
tract of land joins the land of John Ripeto, Abram Buck and Montgomery Kenard
and others said tract is supposed to contain two hundred acres. Fourthly I do
leave to my beloved wife Polly Dyer
all my tract of land in Dekalb County where I now live during her natural life
and after her death I give and bequeath said land to my son Carol Dyer and my Daughters Nancy and Manerva Dyer in the following portions to wit, to my son Carrol Dyer two thirds of said tract
and to my daughters Nancy and Manerva one third divided between them.
Fifthly I desire that all my perishable property be sold as soon after my death
as convenient and credit of twelve months and out of the proceeds of said sales
I give and bequeath to my daughters Maltursoto
and Peggy as soon as they many marry
or come of adult? age as much as my other daughters had given to either of them
by me when they married. Sixthly I give and bequeath to my daughters Maria Matthews, Matilda Gormin, Mahala Carr,
Polly Robe__, and Sally Burton ten Dollars each.
Seventhly I do give and bequeath the balance after taking out the above
bequests to my beloved wife Polly Dyer
and my son Carrol Dyer and my
daughters Malhusodo, Peggy, Nancy, and Manerva equally
between them for the purpose educating and clothing them. I desire that my
executors sell my tract of land in Putnam County known as the Triffato Waller
either at private or public sale to the best advantage and the proceeds
disposed of as the proceeds of the perishable property. Lastly I do hereby
nominate and appoint my friends Wm H Richardson and Alexander Martin my
executors in witness whereof I do to this my last will set my hand and seal
this 27th day of September 1844.
John
(His Mark) Dyer
Signed sealed and published in
our presence and we have subscribed our names hereto in the presence of the
Testator this 27th day of September 1844.
Magor (his mark) Marcun
Zachariah (his mark) Kirkland
State of Tennessee
Dekalb County October Term
1844
A paper purporting to be the
last will and testament of John Dyer dec’d was presented in open court for
probate and was duly proven in open court by the oaths of Magor Marcun and
Zachariah Kirkland, subscribing witnesses to the same who being first duly
sworn depose and say that they were acquaintances with John Dyer the testator
and that he made his mark to said will and acknowledged that he executed the
same for the purpose therein specified and by his request they became
subscribing witnesses to the same and acknowledge that said will be recorded.
Given under my hand at office the 7th day of October 1844.
Wm
B Lawrence Clk
Of
Dekalb County Court
John Dyer’s 12 Children mentioned in his will:
1.
Jefferson D Dyer
2.
John M Dyer
3.
Carol Dyer
4.
Nancy Dyer
5.
Manerva Dyer
6.
Maltursoto Dyer
7.
Peggy Dyer
8.
Matilda Gowin
9.
Mahala Carr
10.
Polly Roberts
11.
Maria Mattheny
12.
Sally Burton
Land and Property:
According to this will, John Dyer previously lived in
Putnam Co., TN before moving to Dekalb Co. He owned 200A in Putnam Co., TN
located on the old Walton Road where he previously lived. This land he willed to
his son Jefferson D Dyer; He also
owned another 200A tract of land in Putnam Co., TN known as the Crider
Place which joined the land of John Ripeto, Abram Buck, and Montgomery
Kenard. This tract he willed to his son John
M Dyer. The other tract of land he owned in Putnam Co., TN was known as Buffalo
Waller and this was to be sold with the proceeds divided between his
daughters Mathursa and Peggy.
The land John lived on in DeKalb Co., TN at the time he
wrote his will was not described and it was willed to his wife Polly Dyer. I am
currently in the process of looking for the will of his wife Mary Polly Dyer. I
have not yet found it. Unfortunately, the will book posted to the FamilySearch
website is not indexed. A look at the Putnam and DeKalb Co., TN deeds would
help me determine what happened to these tracts of land.
I have not yet started researching the members of this
family, so I have a lot of work ahead of me. John and Mary Polly Dyer's daughter Sally Dyer was my 5th great-grandmother. She married Charles Burton. If you are connected to this
family, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me.
Sources:
[1] DeKalb
County, Tennessee, Wills, 1838-1854, Vol. A, p. 50, John Dyer, 1844; County
Court Clerk’s Office; digital images, “Tennessee, Probate Court Books,
1795-1927,” FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org : accessed 22 April 2014).
No comments:
Post a Comment