Climbing My Family Tree

I first posted about this very involved land division years ago here, but now I’m taking the time to transcribe it.

Charles Moorman was my 5th great-grandfather.  He died in Bedford Co., VA in 1803.

My transcription follows the images.  I have added spacing between each description so that it is easier to read.

Pursuant to an order of the Worshipful Court of Bedford the subscribers have proceeded to an equal division of the estate real + personal of Charles Moorman, dec’d among the several heirs and Legatees in the following manner, to wit,

Lot of Land No. 1. Beginning at Pegram’s corner pointers thence on his lines S 45 1/2 E 21 poles to a W.O. thence N 88 E 88 poles to a chestnut Oak thence S 5  E 61 poles to the top of Bunkers hill S 1 E 44 poles to a stake and pointers thence N 50 1/2 W 142 poles to pointers thence N 10 E poles to the beginning containing 33 acres to Thomas Watson who is to receive from Francis Lee £2 .

Lot No 2. Beginning at Meads corner locust + pointers N 86 1/2 E 130 po. to a stake and pointers corner of the Lot No 1 thence S 1 E 68 po. to Meads corner hickory thence N 65W 163 po. to the Beginning containing 50 acres to Nancy Moorman who is to receive from Francis Lee £8

Lot No. 3 Beginning at Meads corner locust + pointers afores’d N 84 p E 130 po. to the stake and pointers afores’d thence S 59 1/2 E 20 poles to a gum on a branch thence S 10 W 62 po. to the beginning containing 43 acres to Achilles Moorman who is to receive from Lemuel Moorman £1 , from Thomas Moorman, £1.

Lot No. 4 beginning at Pegram’s corner gum aforesaid on little Wolfcreek thence N 18 W 127 po. on the dower line to pointers on Durretts line thence on his line S88 1/2 E 68 poles to a dead W.O. on said creek thence down the creek as it meanders to the beginning on the dower lines containing 35 1/2 acres to Francis Lee who is to pay Thos Watson £2  and Nancy Moorman £8

Lot No. 5 beginning at the gum aforesaid on a branch, thence thence S 1 1/2 E 114 po. at Pegram’s corner pointers thence N 47 1/2 W 104 po. to a small sourwood on the said creek on the dower line, thence up sd creek as it meanders to the beginning containing 29 1/2 acres to James H. L. Moorman who is to pay William Moorman £4 – and John J. Moorman £2.

Lot No. 6 Beginning at the small sourwood aforesaid in the dower line thence S 47 1/2 E 104 poles to Pegram’s corner pointers thence S 10 E 16 po. to pointers thence S 30 1/2 W 40 po. to pointers on the line of lot No. 7 thence N 59 1/2 E 15 1/2 po. to the dower corner on the creek thence up said creek as it meanders to the beginning containing 50 acres to Charles Moorman who is to pay Samuel Moorman £7

Lot No. 7 Beginning at a W.O. by the dower corner on the creek thence S 59 1/2 E 172 po. to a gum on the branch thence S 1o W 62 po to a locust + pointered corner thence N 65 W 108 poles to a stake in the field thence N 11 E 78 po. to the beginning containing 73 acres to Edwin Moorman who is to pay Samuel Moorman £1.

Lot No 8 Beginning at a locust and pointered corner aforesaid thence S 13 1/2 E 18 Po. to pointers thence N 87 W 107 po. to pointers on Leftwich line thence N 53 W 71 po. to his corner chestnut thence N 11 E 40 po. to a stake in the field thence S 65 1/2 E 168 poles to the beginning, containing 41 1/2 acres to John J. Moorman who is to receive of James H.L. Moorman £2

Lot No. 9 Beginning at a poplar on Leftwich’s line thence N 53 W 151 po. to pointers on his line thence South 87 E 107 poles to pointers on Mead’s line thence S 13 1/2 E 93 po. to the Beginning containing 29 acres to Thomas Moorman who is to pay Achilles Moorman £1

Lot No. 10 Beginning at Hobson’s corner W.O. thence on the dower line S ? E 183 po. to the dower corner on little Wolf creek thence N 40 W 102 po. to pointers thence N 16 E 108 po. to the first station containing 33 3/4 acres to Lemuel Moorman who is to receive from James H.L. Moorman £4

Lot No. 11 Beginning at a hickory on the creek thence N 16 E 92 poles to pointers thence S 10 E 102 poles to the dower corner, on the creek thence S 80 W 98 poles to the first station, containing 29 1/2 acres to Samuel Moorman who is to receive from Charles Moorman  £7  + from Edwin Moorman £1

Lot No. 12 Beginning at Leftwich’s corner chestnut, thence N 38 W 126 po. to a corner hickory on the creek thence N 80 E 98 poles to the dower corner on the creek thence S 11 W 118 po. to the first station containing 39 3/4 acres to William Moorman who is to pay to Achilles Moorman £1

The Slaves belonging to the estate (exclusive of the dower) being by order of the court sold on a credit of twelve months, viz.
Davy to Reubin Brown for the sum of £157
Beck + child to James H.L. Moorman for the sum of £162
Isabella to Thomas Payne for the sum of £115
Sylva to William Haynes for the sum of 66£
amounting in the whole to £499 payable 23rd Feby 1808 add to which the sum of £32.50 received by Thomas Watson + the sum of £4.80 recd by James H.L. Moorman from the estate prior to the appraisement thereof makes the sum of of £535_13_0 to be equally divided among eleven of the legatees only, William Moorman not claiming any part thereof in consequence of having received in his Father’s lifetime what he considers an equivalent. The subscribers after having the legacies of Thomas Watson and Francis Lee delivered the balance to Samuel Hancock guardian of Lemuel Moorman + James H.L. Moorman guardian of the other infant legatees. Witness our hands August 1809

Thoms Lumpkin

Wm Leftwich Junr

W.F. Walker } Comissioners

{map}

At a Court held for Bedford County at the Courthouse the 28th October 1811

This allotment and division of the estate of Charles Moorman decd was returned to Court and ordered to be recorded. Teste, J. Steptoe, CBC

I have really enjoyed transcribing this document.  It is so detailed and has so many names included in it, that I have found it to be really helpful in my research.  The Francis Lee, listed in the document, was my 4th great-grandfather.  He was married to Sally Ann Moorman, Charles’ daughter.

I love how detailed the land descriptions were – naming the types of trees and the creek.  Does anyone know what W.O. stands for?  If it’s a type of tree, I’m guessing that maybe it’s a White Oak?  I could be way off here though.  Is there some legal term that this stands for?  TIA

 I’m kind of surprised at how much they split the land up.  Was this normal for that time period?  I would have thought that they would have kept the land together a bit more.  Also, a lot of the recipents of the land were actually very young.  (for example, John J. Moorman was only about 7 years old in 1809).  And Charles died in 1803 – why did it take so long for his land to be divided?

I did find it somewhat disturbing to find the sale of their slaves listed after the land.  I hate that they owned slaves in the first place, but it breaks my heart to see them sold off like that – and split up between many different people.  I hope that there weren’t friends/family amongst the group.  I hate to think that families/friendships could have been broken off because of this.