Friend of Friends Friday: James J. Sayers Sells Slave Daniel to Robert Caruthers

Williamson County Deed Book Q, page 489. Williamson County Archives, Franklin, Tennessee.

Robert Caruthers bill of sale for slave Daniel
executed by James J Sayers
registered 31st January 1842.

I James J. Sayers have this day bargained and sold and do hereby convey unto Robert Caruthers for four hundred and sixty dollars to me in hand paid a man slave named Daniel about twelve years of age I warrant the said slave to be sound, sensible, healthy and a slave for life, I also warrant the said slave to the said Robert Caruthers his heirs and assigns against the lawful claims of all persons, witness my hand and seal this 28th day of January 1842.
     Test                                                          James J Sayers      (seal)
               Jno B McEuen
               Freman W Jordan

State of Tennessee )
Williamson County  )

Personally appeared before me Samuel B McConnico Clerk of the County Court of Williamson County James J Sayers the foregoing bargainer with whom I am personally acquainted and who acknowledged that he executed the foregoing bill of sale for the purposes therein contained, witness my hand at office this 28th day of January Ad 1842.
                                                                    Samuel B McConnico

This bill of sale was received for registration 28th January 3 H. 30 M. P. M. 1842.

Thriller Thursday: Jabez Owen Kills His Brother Richard Owen

Richard Owen and Jabez Owen, Jr. were the sons of Jabez Owen, a wealthy planter and physician in Williamson County, Tennessee.

1850 United States census, District 15, Williamson County, Tennessee, population schedule, page 295B, family 981. Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

Jabez Owen, Sr. purchased Forge Seat (also known as the Samuel Crockett House) from Samuel Crockett in the 1830s. The house is located in Brentwood, Williamson County, Tennessee.

Forge Seat, Brentwood, Tennessee. Photo by Concord715 (Own work) [CC1.0 public domain]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

Richard had been jailed for murder in the 1840s. In 1849, his wife Mary (Temple) Owen sued him for divorce. She claimed that he drove her from their home and it was not safe for her to return. She also accused him of adultery. She asked for custody of their children.

On 4 August 1852, Richard and Jabez Jr. got into a fight. Jabez stabbed Richard with a knife. Richard died a few minutes later.  The Franklin, Tennessee newspaper Western Weekly Review reported that the incident took place at Owen's shop.

Western Weekly Review (Franklin, TN), 6 August 1852, page 2

Later sources report that Richard was killed in an upstairs room at Forge Seat. Perhaps the shop was located at the family's home.

References
Hill, Laura. "Historical Resting Place." The Tennesseean, 11 Apr 1997, pp. 1W, 4W.
"Horrible Occurrence." Western Weekly Review, 6 Aug 1852, p. 2.
"Owen Man Killed By Brother." In Little, T. Vance. Murder on the Wilson Pike. Brentwood, TN: JM Productions, 1996, pp. 21-22.
"Williamson Bicentennial Moment: Forge Seat, 1502 Wilson Pike, Brentwood." The Tennesseean, 11 Feb 1999, p. 2W.

Wordless Wednesday: Statue of James Robertson and John Donelson, Nashville, Tennessee

Tombstone Tuesday: George Washington Tarkington

Although I have featured George Washington Tarkington's gravestone before, this is a much better photo of it. The tombstone was erected by the Woodmen of the World, West End Camp, and is located in section 13, lot 75, Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee.

Amanuensis Monday: Deed, James Robertson to Elisha Garland, 100 Acres on Big Harpeth

Davidson County, Tennessee Deed Book G, page 156

Elisha Garland                                            June 10th 1807
This indenture made upon the Eighth day of April one Thousand Seven hundred and ninety nine Between James Robertson of the State of Tennessee and County of Davidson of the one part & Elisha Garland of the State & County Aforesaid of the Other part Witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of  Pounds Virginia Currency the Receipt thereof he doth hereby Acknowledge hath Granted Bargained Sold Alliened Enfeeof Convey and Confirm unto the said Elisha Garland his heirs and Assigns forever a Certain Tract or Parcel of Land lying and being in the State and County Aforesaid Containing one hundred Acres on the South side of Cumberland River Begining at a Birch on the North Bank of Harpeth Running Down the River North forty five Degrees to the West fifty four poles then North fifty five Degrees to the West one hundred and forty poles to a Sugartree and Red Oak under the foot of a Bluff then North fifty two poles to a Small Sugartree  and two Elms thence East one hundred and Twenty poles to a Hickory on the East boundery line of the Original Survey thence South with the same two hundred poles to the River Bank About two poles Above the Begining being part of six acres of land granted unto Ebennezer Alexander Assignee Originally of the heirs of William Mathews April 17th day 1793, To have and to hold the  Aforesaid Land and Premises to him the said Elisha Garland his heirs and Assigns forever with all and Singular the Rights Privilages or Emoluments belonging or in anywise Appertaining thereto And I the said James Robertson my heirs & do hereby Release and Relinquish all my Right in the said Tract & do Vest the Same to said Elisha Garland and for him to have hold Enjoy Possess and Occupy the Aforesaid Tract of Land And the said James Robertson do Covenant and Agree for myself my heirs Executors and Administrators with the said Garland to warrant and forever Defend the Aforesaid Land from all manner of Persons Claiming the Same through by or under me my heirs etc –– In testimony thereof the said James Robertson hath hereunto set his hand and Seal the year and Day first Above Written
Witness __ __ _ _____                           Jas Robertson         LS
State of Tennessee [ ] Best Remembered that on the 14th day of August one Thousand Seven hundred and ninety nine Personally Came James Robertson who has Subscribed the within Indenture before me Andrew Jackson one of the Judges of the Superior Courts of Law & Equity for the State Aforesaid and Acknowledged the Signing Sealing and Delivery of the written for Deed for the uses and Purposes therein Contained and mentioned and Requested that the same might be Registered
                                                                                         Andrew Jackson
Let the same be Registered upon the Legal fees being paid

Leif Ericson Day

October 9 is Leif Ericson Day, in honor of the first European to land in North America. Leif Ericson arrived there 500 years before Christopher Columbus did, so he is the one that should be honored.

Statue of Leifur Eiríksson, Reykjavík, Iceland. By Ohlen (Ovn work) [Public domain]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

After the Great Chicago Fire: LaSalle Street South from Washington Street

LaSalle Street South from Washington Street. Alternate Title: Views in Chicago & Vicinity Before and After the Fire. Chicago, IL: P. B. Greene, 1871. Photo by Greene, P. B. -- Photographer [Public domain]. Located at New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building / Photography Collection, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs. Available from New York Public Library Digital Collections and Wikimedia Commons.

Today is the 145th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, which affected my Winters and Walker ancestors, and probably also my Graham ancestors. This image shows some of the destruction that resulted from the fire.