Thomas Moore’s Genealogy Site - Person Sheet
Thomas Moore’s Genealogy Site - Person Sheet
Documentation
On 17 March 1794, a bill was filed in the chancery court of Essex County:
To the worshipful Justices of Essex county court sitting in chancery
Humbly complaining sheweth unto your worships your Oratrix Elizabeth Dickerson Turner by John Turner her next friend, that one John Dickerson, the grand father of your Oratrix of the maternal line, being seised of a considerable landed estate & possessed of many slaves and much personal estate, departed this life some time on or about the month of July in the year 1778, having previously made his last will & testament in writing bearing date the 22d day of July 1778 & therein appointed his son John Dickerson & his friend John Crow exrs thereof, which said will & testament was produced & proved by John Dickerson, one of the exrs thereof & admitted to record in this worshipful court on the 21st day of Sept 1778 and the sd John Dickerson alone took upon himself the burthen of executing the same; to which said will & testament of record among the records of this worshipful court your Oratrix refers & prays to have taken as a part of this her bill. And your Oratrix further sheweth that the said Testator desiring to secure to your Oratrix the sum of £25 in gold or silver coin did by the said will & testament give & bequeath to your oratrix (calling her his grand daughter Elizabeth Dickerson Turner) £25 to her & her her [sic] heirs forever; to be paid to her when she should attain the age of eighteen years. And your Oratrix further sheweth that she did attain to the age of eughteen years on the 8th day of January 1793 — and that she hath since frequently requested the said John Dickerson to assent to the said Legacy & pay the same to her: but now so it is, may it please your worships, that the said John Dickerson, combining & confederating to & with divers persons to your Oratrix unknown how to injure & oppress your Oratrix in the premises, but whom when discovered your Oratrix prays may be made parties hereto with apt words to charge them, hath altogether refused to assent to your Oratrix’s said legacy pretending that the assets which came to his hands, which were of the sd testator at the time of his death, were not sufficient to discharge the same, after discharging other legacies which were by the sd testator in his said will & testament bequeathed to others & which said other legacies the sd John pretends were to be paid in preferance to the legacy to your Oratrix; whereas in truth & so your Oratrix expressly charges no legacy given by the will & testament of the said testator ought to have been paid in preferance to the legacy given thereby to your Oratrix, and also that the assets of the said testator which have come to the hands of the sd John as exr were considerably more than sufficient to discharge the debts due from the sd testator at the time of his death, if any were due from him, and all the legacies bequeathed by the sd testator in & by his said will & testament; all which actings & doings of the said John Dickerson are contrary to equity & good conscience & tend the manifest injury & oppression of your Oratrix: in tender consideration where & whereas your Oratrix is remediless in the premises except in this worshipful court sitting in chancery: to the end therefore that the sd John Dickerson exor of the testament & last will of John Dickerson decd whom your Oratrix prays may be made a Deft hereto with apt words to charge him, may on his corporal oath true & perfect answer make to all & singular the premises as fully & distinctly as if the same were herein again repeated & interrogated & more especially that he may set forth & discover if the sd John Dickerson decd did not make such last will & testament & bequeath to your Oratrix as herein stated? Was it not the intention of the testator to secure to your Oratrix the said legacy at its full value in gold & silver? Did not the sd Deft take into his possession immediately after the death of the sd testator the affects which were of the sd testator at the time of his death sufficient to discharge all the debts of the sd testator & the legacies bequeathed by his said will & testament? Did not the sd Deft alone take upon him the burthen of executing the sd will & testament? And that the said Deft may be decreed to pay to your Oratrix or to her father, by whom she now sues as her next friend, for her use the said legacy of £25 with int from the 8th day of January 1793 — when the same became payable, and that your Oratrix may have such further & other relief in the premises as may be agreeable to the usages of equity, & the nature of the case may require & to your worships may seem meet & May it please your worships to grant to your Oratrix the Commonwealth’s writ of subpœna to the sd John Dickerson exr &c of John Dickerson decd to the directed &c.
On 20 May 1796, it was ordered that the defendant pay unto the complainant £25 with interest and the costs of suit.
[Essex County, Virginia, Chancery Causes: Elizabeth Dickerson Turner v Executor of John Dickerson, 1796-017.]
In 1799, a bill was filed in Essex County chancery court:
To the worshipful justices of Essex County in Chancery siting, Humbly complaining shew unto your worships your orators and oratrixes Lewis Williamson & Catharine his wife who was Catharine Turner, & John Gibson & Polly his wife who was Polly Turner. That your oratrixes have intermarried with their present husbands and are the grandchildren of John Dickerson who sometime since departed this life, having made his last will & testament whihc has been duly proved & recorded in this workshipful court & which is refered to & prayed to be received as part of this their bill. That in the said will there is a clause contained in the following words “Item give & bequeath unto my two grand children Polly & Caty Turner one negroe wench name Chloe & her child Alice to be delivered to them when they come of age or arrive to the age of eighteen years & to be equally devided between them both That your oratrixes have arrived to full age and that their grand father John Dickerson died possessed of a considerble personal estate & of several slaves & owing very few or no debts. That the said John Dickerson having nominated & appointed his son John Dickerson & John Crow the exrs of his said will, John Dickerson qualified as the exor thereof received into his possession the whole of his testator’s slaves & personal estate. That your oratrixes have frequently since their attaining the age of eighteen years applied to the said John Dickerson for the said slaves Chloe & Alice with their encrease, but have never been able to obtain the said slaves or any equivalent for them. In tender consideration whereof and for as much as your orators & oratrixes are remediless in the premisses save by the interference of a Court of Chancery whose province it is to superintend testaments & enforce the delivery of legacies or satisfaction therefore to the end therefore that the said John Dickerson who your orators & oratrixes pray may be made defendant hereto with apt words to charge hin may upon his corporal oath, full true & perfect answer make to all & singular the premises as fully as if again repeated and interrogated & more especially that he may say whether his father did not make such a last will & testament as is refered to? Was it not recorded in the worshipful Court of Essex? Is not the annexed a faithful copy? Did not his father bequeath to your oratrixes the said two slaves & are not your oratrixes more than 21 years old? Has he not taken qualified as the exor of the said will & by virtue thereof received possession of the slaves & personal estate wch belonged to his father? Has he ever delivered the said slaves or either or given any satisfaction on account of [damaged] to your oratrixes or to any person for them? [damaged] the encrease of the said slaves and in whose possession are they? What was the value of Chloe & of Alice at the death of his testator? Did his testator owe much money at the time of his death & has he ever settled his admn account on the said estate? And that your worships would decree that the said John Dickerson deliver to your oratrixes & orators in right of their wives the said slaves Chloe & Alice with their encrease & that he pay such a sum of money as may be deemed a compensation for withholding the use & labor of the said slaves from your oratrixes from the period of their attaining the age of 18 yrs with interest thereon — or that if the said slaves & their encrease shall have been sold by he said John Dickerson, that he be decreed to pay to your orators & oratrixes in equal proportions the full value of the said slaves with interest thereon from the time that your oratrixes arrived at the ago of 18 years; and that yr oratrixes & orators may have such further & other relief in the premisses as may be agreeable to Equity may yr please &c
The 9 May 1801 answer of John Dickerson states, in part:
Notwithstanding the said testator died possessed of the said Chloe & Alice, yet very soon after the said testator’s death James Turner, the father and natural guardian of the said female complainants demanded the said Chloe & Alice of this deft & took possession of them & alledged that they were given to him by the said testator at the time of his marriage with the mother of the female complts, and then by him loaned to the testator; that the title of the said James Turner was by him & this deft refered to the arbitration of John Warden & Wm. Roane Esqrs & the said James Turner having proved such gift on his marriage & the subsequent loan, the said referees awarded that this deft should relinquish his title to the said slaves to the said James Turner, which this deft did accordingly very soon thereafter, and this deft hath never since been possessed of them. And this deft prays to be hence dismissed with his reasonable costs in this behalf most wrongfully sustained &c.
The case continued for several years, and the case jacket states 1805 July 17th abates by defendts death
[Essex County, Virginia, Chancery Causes, Lewis Williamson et al v Executor of John Dickerson, 1805-011 (old Box 16, 16-F).]
To the worshipful Justices of Essex county court sitting in chancery
Humbly complaining sheweth unto your worships your Oratrix Elizabeth Dickerson Turner by John Turner her next friend, that one John Dickerson, the grand father of your Oratrix of the maternal line, being seised of a considerable landed estate & possessed of many slaves and much personal estate, departed this life some time on or about the month of July in the year 1778, having previously made his last will & testament in writing bearing date the 22d day of July 1778 & therein appointed his son John Dickerson & his friend John Crow exrs thereof, which said will & testament was produced & proved by John Dickerson, one of the exrs thereof & admitted to record in this worshipful court on the 21st day of Sept 1778 and the sd John Dickerson alone took upon himself the burthen of executing the same; to which said will & testament of record among the records of this worshipful court your Oratrix refers & prays to have taken as a part of this her bill. And your Oratrix further sheweth that the said Testator desiring to secure to your Oratrix the sum of £25 in gold or silver coin did by the said will & testament give & bequeath to your oratrix (calling her his grand daughter Elizabeth Dickerson Turner) £25 to her & her her [sic] heirs forever; to be paid to her when she should attain the age of eighteen years. And your Oratrix further sheweth that she did attain to the age of eughteen years on the 8th day of January 1793 — and that she hath since frequently requested the said John Dickerson to assent to the said Legacy & pay the same to her: but now so it is, may it please your worships, that the said John Dickerson, combining & confederating to & with divers persons to your Oratrix unknown how to injure & oppress your Oratrix in the premises, but whom when discovered your Oratrix prays may be made parties hereto with apt words to charge them, hath altogether refused to assent to your Oratrix’s said legacy pretending that the assets which came to his hands, which were of the sd testator at the time of his death, were not sufficient to discharge the same, after discharging other legacies which were by the sd testator in his said will & testament bequeathed to others & which said other legacies the sd John pretends were to be paid in preferance to the legacy to your Oratrix; whereas in truth & so your Oratrix expressly charges no legacy given by the will & testament of the said testator ought to have been paid in preferance to the legacy given thereby to your Oratrix, and also that the assets of the said testator which have come to the hands of the sd John as exr were considerably more than sufficient to discharge the debts due from the sd testator at the time of his death, if any were due from him, and all the legacies bequeathed by the sd testator in & by his said will & testament; all which actings & doings of the said John Dickerson are contrary to equity & good conscience & tend the manifest injury & oppression of your Oratrix: in tender consideration where & whereas your Oratrix is remediless in the premises except in this worshipful court sitting in chancery: to the end therefore that the sd John Dickerson exor of the testament & last will of John Dickerson decd whom your Oratrix prays may be made a Deft hereto with apt words to charge him, may on his corporal oath true & perfect answer make to all & singular the premises as fully & distinctly as if the same were herein again repeated & interrogated & more especially that he may set forth & discover if the sd John Dickerson decd did not make such last will & testament & bequeath to your Oratrix as herein stated? Was it not the intention of the testator to secure to your Oratrix the said legacy at its full value in gold & silver? Did not the sd Deft take into his possession immediately after the death of the sd testator the affects which were of the sd testator at the time of his death sufficient to discharge all the debts of the sd testator & the legacies bequeathed by his said will & testament? Did not the sd Deft alone take upon him the burthen of executing the sd will & testament? And that the said Deft may be decreed to pay to your Oratrix or to her father, by whom she now sues as her next friend, for her use the said legacy of £25 with int from the 8th day of January 1793 — when the same became payable, and that your Oratrix may have such further & other relief in the premises as may be agreeable to the usages of equity, & the nature of the case may require & to your worships may seem meet & May it please your worships to grant to your Oratrix the Commonwealth’s writ of subpœna to the sd John Dickerson exr &c of John Dickerson decd to the directed &c.
On 20 May 1796, it was ordered that the defendant pay unto the complainant £25 with interest and the costs of suit.
[Essex County, Virginia, Chancery Causes: Elizabeth Dickerson Turner v Executor of John Dickerson, 1796-017.]
In 1799, a bill was filed in Essex County chancery court:
To the worshipful justices of Essex County in Chancery siting, Humbly complaining shew unto your worships your orators and oratrixes Lewis Williamson & Catharine his wife who was Catharine Turner, & John Gibson & Polly his wife who was Polly Turner. That your oratrixes have intermarried with their present husbands and are the grandchildren of John Dickerson who sometime since departed this life, having made his last will & testament whihc has been duly proved & recorded in this workshipful court & which is refered to & prayed to be received as part of this their bill. That in the said will there is a clause contained in the following words “Item give & bequeath unto my two grand children Polly & Caty Turner one negroe wench name Chloe & her child Alice to be delivered to them when they come of age or arrive to the age of eighteen years & to be equally devided between them both That your oratrixes have arrived to full age and that their grand father John Dickerson died possessed of a considerble personal estate & of several slaves & owing very few or no debts. That the said John Dickerson having nominated & appointed his son John Dickerson & John Crow the exrs of his said will, John Dickerson qualified as the exor thereof received into his possession the whole of his testator’s slaves & personal estate. That your oratrixes have frequently since their attaining the age of eighteen years applied to the said John Dickerson for the said slaves Chloe & Alice with their encrease, but have never been able to obtain the said slaves or any equivalent for them. In tender consideration whereof and for as much as your orators & oratrixes are remediless in the premisses save by the interference of a Court of Chancery whose province it is to superintend testaments & enforce the delivery of legacies or satisfaction therefore to the end therefore that the said John Dickerson who your orators & oratrixes pray may be made defendant hereto with apt words to charge hin may upon his corporal oath, full true & perfect answer make to all & singular the premises as fully as if again repeated and interrogated & more especially that he may say whether his father did not make such a last will & testament as is refered to? Was it not recorded in the worshipful Court of Essex? Is not the annexed a faithful copy? Did not his father bequeath to your oratrixes the said two slaves & are not your oratrixes more than 21 years old? Has he not taken qualified as the exor of the said will & by virtue thereof received possession of the slaves & personal estate wch belonged to his father? Has he ever delivered the said slaves or either or given any satisfaction on account of [damaged] to your oratrixes or to any person for them? [damaged] the encrease of the said slaves and in whose possession are they? What was the value of Chloe & of Alice at the death of his testator? Did his testator owe much money at the time of his death & has he ever settled his admn account on the said estate? And that your worships would decree that the said John Dickerson deliver to your oratrixes & orators in right of their wives the said slaves Chloe & Alice with their encrease & that he pay such a sum of money as may be deemed a compensation for withholding the use & labor of the said slaves from your oratrixes from the period of their attaining the age of 18 yrs with interest thereon — or that if the said slaves & their encrease shall have been sold by he said John Dickerson, that he be decreed to pay to your orators & oratrixes in equal proportions the full value of the said slaves with interest thereon from the time that your oratrixes arrived at the ago of 18 years; and that yr oratrixes & orators may have such further & other relief in the premisses as may be agreeable to Equity may yr please &c
The 9 May 1801 answer of John Dickerson states, in part:
Notwithstanding the said testator died possessed of the said Chloe & Alice, yet very soon after the said testator’s death James Turner, the father and natural guardian of the said female complainants demanded the said Chloe & Alice of this deft & took possession of them & alledged that they were given to him by the said testator at the time of his marriage with the mother of the female complts, and then by him loaned to the testator; that the title of the said James Turner was by him & this deft refered to the arbitration of John Warden & Wm. Roane Esqrs & the said James Turner having proved such gift on his marriage & the subsequent loan, the said referees awarded that this deft should relinquish his title to the said slaves to the said James Turner, which this deft did accordingly very soon thereafter, and this deft hath never since been possessed of them. And this deft prays to be hence dismissed with his reasonable costs in this behalf most wrongfully sustained &c.
The case continued for several years, and the case jacket states 1805 July 17th abates by defendts death
[Essex County, Virginia, Chancery Causes, Lewis Williamson et al v Executor of John Dickerson, 1805-011 (old Box 16, 16-F).]