Note: "A Friend of Friends" was a password used on the Underground Railway
GROVES HOWARD was born Nov 5, 1775 in probably Virginia, and died May 21, 1831 in Noxubee Co Mississippi. He lived for at least part of his adult life in Caswell Co NC. He was the son of HENRY HOWARD who died Jan 26, 1796 Person Co NC (formed from Caswell) and PRISCILLA FARRAR who married 2nd) to Capt ADAMS SANDERS/SAUNDERS, who was a cousin of my ancestor JAMES SANDERS/SAUNDERS Sr who settled near Hillsborough in the area that would become Caswell & Person Co NC.
GROVES HOWARD married LUCY MERIWETHER Dec 27 1802; she may have been his 2nd wife.
Page 22 Will Book 1, Noxubee County. Date of will 9 May 1839; filed .
WILL OF GROVES HOWARD
Being of feeble health and knowing the uncertainty of human life and wishing to settle up my affairs, I now proceed to make this my last will and testament.
No. I - I give and bequeath unto my son THOMAS M. HOWARD the tract of land on which I reside & all the additions made to it from time to time, but with the provision that my wife shall hold her deserved (?) own right in the same umempared [sic] in any way by the above bequest.
No. 2 - I give and bequeath unto my two grandsons, N. W. (?) CHAMBERS and WILLIAM F. CHAMBERS, a Negro girt named USLEY.
No. 3 - I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife the following named Negros, being eleven in number. Viz, MARY, HENRY, SIMS, ESTER, JOHN, ADAIN, PATRICK, QUEEN, PAUL, GEORGE, and PAUL, the husband of MARY.
No. 4 - All the rest and residues of my estate I wish equally divided- between my children.
No. 5 - The equal portion of the above residue, which would go to my daughter NANCY HENRY GHOLSON who is now dead, I hereby will and bequeath unto her seven children to be equally divided among them.
No. 6 - I hereby appoint my sons FRANCIS M. HOWARD and ROBERT HOWARD my executors. In evidence that this my true and last Will I hereby set my and seal this ninth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine.
Witness: W.Q. Poindexter, W.F. Steward, James Glass.
GROVES HOWARD's son ROBERT HOWARD who married SARAH HARVIE GILMER also owned many slaves in Noxubee County Mississippi; in 1840 census ROBERT is listed with 84 slaves; in 1850 Noxubee Co MS slave census he owned 64 slaves; he died 1859 in Holmes County Mississppi, and the census record shows that his estate, SARAH HOWARD executrix, owned 64 salves in 1860. Unfortunately I have not been able to obtain the names of those 64 slaves.
Happy New Year! And have a great day!
Betty
© Betty Tartas 2013
