Ron and others, I haven't had any luck finding anything on Walter Sessums, but found something else that may open the proverbial can of worms. The will of Nicholas Lloyd, dated 1781, mentions his daughter Mary Lloyd. He requests that "Solomon Sessums and his wife shall keep Mary until she is eighteen or marries." She is listed as Mary Sessums in the index. Hmmmmm! Traci the Librarian _______________________________________________ >Hi, Linda, I am sending this message to you and others who have mentioned >the Sherrod and Savage families recently on the Edgecombe list. My ancestor >was Josiah Bullock, who had married Selah Crisp by the time that her father >(William Crisp) made his will in Martin Co. in 1783. Josiah Bullock died in >Edgecombe Co. in 1799, without leaving a will. However, an administrator >of his estate was appointed in Feb. 1800, whose name was written variously >in different records as Sherrod Savage or Sherwood Savage. An estate sale >was held in March of 1800 in which buyers included a John Savage and Robert >Sessums. > >I have no idea why Sherrod/Sherwood Savage would have been named >administrator of the estate, but I have assumed that there must have >been some family connection. I have seen the information that Sherrod >Savage married Mary Sessums on 31 Jan. 1800 in Edgecombe Co, shortly >before he was appointed as administrator of the estate of Josiah Bullock, >and I do know that between 1749 and 1789 Walter Sessums witnessed >deeds for both Josiah Bullock and his father, James Bullock. Therefore, >I have wondered if the mother of Josiah Bullock was a daughter or sister >of Walter Sessums and that the wife Mary Sessums of Sherrod Savage >had something to do with him being named administrator. I think that I will >also send a copy of this message to the ever-helpful librarian Traci and to >the Edgecombe list to see if anyone might know if there was a connection >between Mary and Walter Sessums. > >Also, Linda, I notice that you have said that before he married Betsy >Savage, >the first wife of John Sherrod was Mary Ballard. Do you have any additional >information on the family of Mary Ballard, as I am wondering if there is >any >possibility that a Bullock name could have been misread as Ballard, and do >you know if Betsy Savage Sherrod had any connection to Sherrod Savage? > >Do you suppose that our ancestors intentionally tried to confuse those of >us >who would come along later trying to snoop on them? I suppose not, but they >could not have done a much better job if they had tried. For example, I >thought >for a long time that Sherrod and Sherwood Savage of 1800 Edgecombe Co. >must undoubtedly have been the same person, as I was able to find only >Sherrod listed in the 1800 census. However, it appears that there were two >different persons with these names, and I have no idea if both were >involved >in handling the estate of Josiah Bullock, or only one whose name was >written >both ways. When he made his will in 1813, which was recorded in May 1816, >Allen Savidge left land to son Sherrod Savidge. A few months earlier, in >Feb. >1816, the will of Absolum Savidge (dated Nov. 1815) had been recorded in >which he left legacies to the children of his deceased son, Sherwood >Savidge. >This caused me to wonder if the names Allen and Absolum had been confused >and if two different wills for the same person had been filed, with the >second >being made after the death of son Sherrod/Sherwood Savage between 1813 >and Nov. 1815. However, I am assuming that the wife Sarah of Allen and wife >Martha of Absolum would have told us that this was not so. >My best regards to all, Ron Bullock > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com