Dear Listers and Rick, As a descendant of Stokely Towles I would be interested in seeing what you have. Not only did I name the hero in a book, Stokely Towles, but also I stumbled into Don Towles, a descendant of ST when I was in London, England one day. Don is retired. He was a writer for the "Louisville Courier Journal" and lives in Louisville, KY, where I was born and raised. Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "sequoia" <sequoia@pacbell.net> To: <VACULPEP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2003 10:32 AM Subject: [VACULPEP] Stokeley Towles Will/ Brumfield Parish Inquiry > As a result of the last Roll Call, Lisa Baggett sent me some very interesting documentation concerning the Towles family. Included is a transcription of the Will of Stokeley Towles (c.1690-1757), which I have copied to this message for anyone else who might be interested. Although I had previously seen a general description of the will, I had not personally seen the entire transcription before. > > In the will, Stokeley describes himself as a resident of Culpeper County, in the PARISH OF BRUMFIELD. Does anyone happen to know the location of this parish? > > The documentation from Lisa originally came from William B. Newman, who did some significant research into the Towles family in the 1920's and 1930's. Also included in the documentation are the wills of Stokeley's two different sons named Henry. Also the very interesting settlement of the will of the younger of the two Henry Towles, which was contested. > > Rick Waggener > Walnut Creek, California > > ---------------------------------- > > The Will of Stokley Towles > > In the name of God Amen. I Stokley Towles of the County of Culpeper and parish of Brumfield being sick and weak if body but perfect in sense and memory thanks to God for the same, do make this my last will and testament in form and manner as followeth to wit: > > Item. I give and bequeath to my son Joseph Towles my dividend of land beginning at the north of the Little Run and running from thence the several courses up the said run to the mountain ground, from thence up the hollow to John Layton's line to him and his heirs forever. > > And the rest of the land which I had from Thomas Walker from the south side of said run and so up the run several courses to the said John Layton's line I give to Isaac Medley his heirs and assigns: > Item. I give to my youngest son Henry Towles the old negro man Charles to him and his heirs. > Item. I give to my well beloved wife Jane Towles and the two children which I had by her Mary Towles and Henry Towles three feather beds and furniture: > Item. I give to my wife and the two children I had by her fourteen head of cattle such as she thinks proper, and likewise all my sheep, horses, mares, bridles, saddles, carts and wheels; also my crop of tobacco, corn and wheat and all other grain with all the fodder, and likewise all the goods that I have sent for to Liverpool by Capt. Gayworth; all my hogs and the crop of cotton. > Item. I give to my wife my chest of drawers walnut chest one looking glass three iron pots such as she thinks to choose; also two skillets and two tables and half of my chairs to her liking and half of my pewter and all my tin pans and all my bee hives and all my woodenware and all the fowls upon the plantation and all the beef and bacon that I killed in he house and about four pistoles I have owing to me which I give to my youngest son Henry Towles which I deserve for to give him learning. And two spinning wheels one linel wheel and the other a wooden one and three glass bottles and of either of these two children Mary Towles or Henry Towles should die before they come to man and woman's estate that part of the said estate shall go to the other. And desire is that the rest of my estate except the above mentioned legacie my be equally divided amongst all my children old and young but I desire that the said estate may not come to an apprisement; And I appoint Spencer Bobo and! > my wife Jane Towles Executor and executress to this my last will and testament as witness my hand this fifteenth day of January 1757. > > Stokley Towles > > John Layton > his > Thos. Layton > X > mark > > N.B. I give to my son John Towles my best coat jacket and breeches; my great coat and fine hat to my son Joseph Towles. > > Proved Dec. 15, 1757 > Jane Towles qualified > Bobo declined. > > > ==== VACULPEP Mailing List ==== > NOTICE: The posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen Burnett kathleenburnett@earthlink.net > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

Tom- Below is the transcription of the will of Stokeley's Towles first son named Henry (1714- aft. 1748). He apparently never married and mentions some of his siblings. In the documents I received from Lisa, there is also the will of the second son of Henry. This was the will that was contested, because he left everything that had been the estate of Stokeley, to the descendants of his sister Mary Clark. It was of interest to William B. Newman, because he was a descendant of Henry's sister Mary, who married John Clark. It is of less interest to me, because I am not, but I will transcribe it and post it when I get a chance. The document that I received, that I found most interesting is the settlement of the Clark vs. Towles suit. This details what in 1844 were many of the living descendants of all of the children of Stokeley Towles. The descendants of the various children seem to be more or less bunched together in the document. Mr. Newman used this document to piece together pretty much the entire family. I am going to work on transcribing this document and I will post it in some fashion. It's pretty long (eight type-written pages), so it may take a while. There is another legal document here from the suit, but I don't know if it is of much interest either. It seems to be the legal motion that formed the basis for the suit. It was obviously written by one or more lawyers, and frankly is almost incomprehensible (at least to my non-lawyer mind). It does list a lot of names however, which may be of some value. I have previously heard that there were records of some of the depositions that were taken for the suit. These unfortunately, are not included with the documents I received from Lisa. Rick Waggener -------------- The Will of Henry Towles. In the name of God Amen. Henry Towles of the Co. of Middlesex do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following, viz: I lend to my father during his life, one negro woman named Betty, one negro boy named Ben, one negro boy named Charles. Item. I give to my brother John one negro boy named Charles after my father's death. Item. I give one negro girl named Judy to William Hill, son of my sister Ann Hill. Item. I give one negro boy named San to the eldest son of my sister Mary Sparks. Item. I give to Jas. Mastin, the son of sister Elizabeth Mastin one negro boy named Ben, after my father's death. Item. I give to my brother Joseph one negro woman named Betty and all her future increase after my father's death. Item. I give to Samuel Batchelder all my stock of cattle. Item. All the rest of my personal estate I give to be equally divided among all my Brothers and Sisters except my brother Oliver my will is that he shall have no part of same. Item. I appoint constitute and ordain my Father Stockley Towles and Samuel Batchelder to be executors of this last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this sixth day of February, 1748. Henry Towles Signed, sealed and published in the presence of Christopher Curtis Robert Daniel

Dear Rick, Thank you. I am in the Elizabeth Towles "Mastin" line that is mentioned in the will. ----- Original Message ----- From: "sequoia" <sequoia@pacbell.net> To: <VACULPEP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2003 11:14 PM Subject: [VACULPEP] The older Henry Towles Will > Tom- > Below is the transcription of the will of Stokeley's Towles first son named > Henry (1714- aft. 1748). He apparently never married and mentions some of > his siblings. > > In the documents I received from Lisa, there is also the will of the second > son of Henry. This was the will that was contested, because he left > everything that had been the estate of Stokeley, to the descendants of his > sister Mary Clark. It was of interest to William B. Newman, because he was a > descendant of Henry's sister Mary, who married John Clark. It is of less > interest to me, because I am not, but I will transcribe it and post it when > I get a chance. > > The document that I received, that I found most interesting is the > settlement of the Clark vs. Towles suit. This details what in 1844 were many > of the living descendants of all of the children of Stokeley Towles. The > descendants of the various children seem to be more or less bunched together > in the document. Mr. Newman used this document to piece together pretty much > the entire family. I am going to work on transcribing this document and I > will post it in some fashion. It's pretty long (eight type-written pages), > so it may take a while. > > There is another legal document here from the suit, but I don't know if it > is of much interest either. It seems to be the legal motion that formed the > basis for the suit. It was obviously written by one or more lawyers, and > frankly is almost incomprehensible (at least to my non-lawyer mind). It does > list a lot of names however, which may be of some value. > > I have previously heard that there were records of some of the depositions > that were taken for the suit. These unfortunately, are not included with the > documents I received from Lisa. > > Rick Waggener > > -------------- > > The Will of Henry Towles. > > In the name of God Amen. > > Henry Towles of the Co. of Middlesex do make and ordain this to be my last > will and testament in manner and form following, > viz: I lend to my father during his life, one negro woman named Betty, one > negro boy named Ben, one negro boy named Charles. > Item. I give to my brother John one negro boy named Charles after my > father's death. > Item. I give one negro girl named Judy to William Hill, son of my sister Ann > Hill. > Item. I give one negro boy named San to the eldest son of my sister Mary > Sparks. > Item. I give to Jas. Mastin, the son of sister Elizabeth Mastin one negro > boy named Ben, after my father's death. > Item. I give to my brother Joseph one negro woman named Betty and all her > future increase after my father's death. > Item. I give to Samuel Batchelder all my stock of cattle. > Item. All the rest of my personal estate I give to be equally divided among > all my Brothers and Sisters except my brother Oliver my will is that he > shall have no part of same. > Item. I appoint constitute and ordain my Father Stockley Towles and Samuel > Batchelder to be executors of this last will and testament. In witness > whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this sixth day of February, > 1748. > > Henry Towles > > Signed, sealed and published in the presence of > > Christopher Curtis > Robert Daniel > > > > ==== VACULPEP Mailing List ==== > If you wish to unsubscribe from the Culpeper Co., VA mailing list, send only the word UNSUBSCRIBE to VACULPEP-L-request@rootsweb.comor if you are on the Digest list to VACULPEP-D-request@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >