on 5/15/01 9:40 PM, Paul Drake at martee@citlink.net wrote: > While I know nothing of Mecklenburg Co, if it is typical, the > record books - particularly deeds, mortgages/deeds of trust, liens, > and all other land instruments - were FIRST designated > chronologically as A, B, C, ......S, T, U, etc., Paul: I am sorry. I did not explain the situation very well. My question is not really about which book I found all this in, but that it went to court and the odd terms of the will. All of the will books in Mecklenburg are numbered, starting with "1". And remain numbered (2, 3, 4, etc) well past the 1810 time frame I working in. When I found the will of Matthew Jackson in the "Index to Wills", it said "Will Book S". I thought, then, OK, that's here somewhere, but it wasn't. I asked the clerks where the book was. They said there was no such thing as a "Will Book S". Even though I showed them the typed index to wills which clearly said Book "S", they said no. They suggested I look in one of the "numbered" books for the right time frame. And I did, but I knew this was wrong, and I began rooting around a bit more. As it turned out, there IS a SEPARATE book of wills like any other book of wills that was on the bottom of a row of early will books. This was divided into three categories: CC-#1; CC-#2; and S. This is where I found the will, and apparently this book is for wills that went to Circuit Court or Superior Court (which is what the book tabs were titled--Circuit Court Wills #1, Circuit Wills #2, and Superior Court Wills, dubbed #1 on the index). I told the staff about it for future reference, in case any one else should ever ask. In Will Book "S" (Superior Court Wills) is recorded the will of Matthew Jackson, though it does not say when proved or by whom (pp. 1-2). Following this (p. 3) is an appraisement of only the slaves and a cotton machine. Follwing this (p. 4) is a list of who bought how much of the land (very unusual but a great find) and who bought the slaves and who bought the cotton machine. These are presented by Francis Jackson, EXECUTOR. The rest of the normal estate items are recorded in the regualr will books (further inventories, accounts of estate, account of sales--books 6 and 7). These are presented by Cavil Jackson, ADMINISTRATOR. I've sent transcripts and abstracts of all of these documents to Ron Jones to be forwarded to the Mecklenburg site administrator for uploading. I can send them to anyone else who has an interest in them. Paul, again sorry for not explaining this better. Who and WHAT was Lucretia Meldrum? Craig

Questions........: > .... In Will Book "S" (Superior Court Wills) is recorded the will of Matthew > Jackson, though it does not say when proved or by whom (pp. 1-2). Are the documents in that volume in chronological order??? If so, an approximation of the date and the precise "term of court" should be ascertainable. > this (p. 3) is an appraisement of only the slaves and a cotton machine. > Follwing this (p. 4) is a list of who bought how much of the land (very > unusual but a great find) and who bought the slaves and who bought the > cotton machine. These are presented by Francis Jackson, EXECUTOR. > > The rest of the normal estate items are recorded in the regualr will books > (further inventories, accounts of estate, account of sales--books 6 and 7). > These are presented by Cavil Jackson, ADMINISTRATOR. Unless the Cavil Jackson documents/pleadings, etc., dealt with property in a "foreign" jurisdiction - another county - and an ancillary administration required by that foreign property, then for reasons apparently no longer extant, there was, as you have guessed, a legal failure of the will, a resignation or death or incapacitation of the executor, another will discovered, or perhaps litigation which MIGHT have or DID then result in a setting aside of the will. Not to be overlooked is the possibility that Cavil was named to administer some particular later discovered assets of the estate while the executor continued in the tasks designated for him in the original will. Short of a total exam of all the courts' order and minutes in that time frame, I do not think any positive conclusion answer may be made. Who and WHAT was Lucretia > Meldrum? I simply can not tell from this series of facts and findings. Paul > > Craig

> I've sent transcripts and abstracts of all of these documents to Ron Jones to be forwarded to the Mecklenburg site administrator for uploading. Craig, All of the Matthew JACKSON files have been uploaded to the Mecklenburg archives as well as the Ambrose JONES, Sr. will and estate papers. The latter has also been uploaded to the Granville Co., NC archives. Thanks again for sharing these records with us. Additional JONES wills should soon be in place in the Mecklenburg archives. Ron