Amanuensis[i] Monday
Darling, Swayzee, Walker, Swann Line
By Don Taylor
The disbursement of the Samuel Swan Estate confirmed names and relationships and reminded me that sometimes ledgers are sometimes wrong.
Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999 – St. Mary’s – Distributions 1782-1829, Page 320.
Transcription
Saint Mary’s County, test. the 11th day of December 1809
The account of Samuel Swann, late of Saint Mary’s County, deceased, by Thomas M. Swann Executor
| Estate accounted for | £ 914, 11, 11½ |
| Payments & Disbursements allowed | 88, 6, 10½ |
| Balance due and Distributable | 826, 11, 11½ |
| Distribution as follows to wit | £ 914, 11, 11½ |
| To the children of Samuel H Swann, namely Henry, Philip, Ann, Catharine D and Margaret C Swann negro Ben £112.10.0 & 1/8 of other property £33.13. 5-3/8. |
146.3.5-3/8 |
| To the children of Edward B Swann,
To John Samuel Swan negro Charles £56.5.0 Also one third and 1/8 part of sundry property 11.4.5-5/8 To Elkanah Swann Negro Elick 33.15.0 Also one third and 1/8 part of sundry property 11.4.5-5/8 To Elick D Swann negro Jeremiah 18.15.0 Also one third and 1/8 part of sundry property 11.4.5-5/8 |
142/8/5-3/8 |
Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999 – St. Mary’s – Distributions 1782-1829, Page 321.
| To the deceased’s son John Swann negro Rose £75 Negro Vincent £33.15.0 negro Janet £18.15.0 one horse colt £15, and one bed and furniture £5.12.6 |
148.2.6 |
| To the deceased’s daughter Anna Garner one eighth part of sundry property. | 33.13.5-3/8 |
| To the deceased’s daughter Margaret Walter one eighth part of sundry property. | 33.13.5-3/8 |
| To the deceased’s granddaughter Lydia D Swann negro Mary £93.15.0 | £93.15.0 |
| To the deceased grandchildren Anna Maddox and John D Swann one eighth part of sundry property. |
33.13.5-3/8 |
| To the deceased’s son Thomas M Swann one eighth part of sundry property | 33.13.5-3/8 |
| To the same or such of the deceased’s children as the three following negroes may chose to remain with to wit Hephaniah £9.7.6 Phillis £9.7.6 and Jane £37.10.0 |
56.5.0 |
| To the deceased’s grand daughter Catharine D Swann negro Charity 37.10.0
also one eighth of sundry property. 33.13.5-3/8 |
71.3.5-3/8 |
| £ 826.5.1 |
Test, James Forrest Reg’r wills
For St. Mary’s County —
Findings
One eighth was disbursed to seven individuals,
- Children of Samuel
- Children of Edward Burch
- Anna
- Margaret
- Children of Henry
- Child of Philip
- Thomas
The disbursement document was missing a line regarding Elizabeth who was mentioned in the will. I suspect her not being mention was an oversight, apparently by the Register of Wills. The sum of the individual amounts disbursed do not total the bottom-line total and is off by about £33, which is a one-eighth share. So, I think when he transcribed the original document into his ledger he missed a line.
I find it interesting that John, the one child that didn’t receive a share of the sundry property did receive the greatest value of materials, He received a colt, bed, furniture, and three enslaved people.
Samuel required Thomas to give consent to John’s selling or disposing of any of the property which suggests to me that John was mentally challenged,
Citation
“Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYMC-9G6: Accessed 20 May 2014), St. Mary’s > Distributions 1782-1829 > image 173 of 250; Hall of Records, Annapolis.
ENDNOTES
[i] John Newmark started the “Amanuensis Monday” category in 2009 on his Blog, Transylvanian Dutch and many bloggers have followed suit using the tag. Google provides the following meaning for amanuensis: “A literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.”
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