An 1822 Will Opens New Doors (Part 2)

A few days ago I shared the cover and first page of the 1822 will of Willoughby Randolph of Lee County, Virginia. Here are the second and third pages, along with a transcription, which include additional names and places for me to research.

[Note: In my transcription, I have put the names of people and relationships in bold print.]

Lee County, Virginia, "Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1983," "Will Book, Vol. 3,
1800-1832," will of Willoughby Randolph, signed 16 February 1822, unpaged, second page;
database,  image 74, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 March 2018). 

Lee County, Virginia, "Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1983," "Will Book, Vol. 3,
1800-1832," will of Willoughby Randolph, signed 16 February 1822, unpaged, third page;
database,  image 74, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 March 2018).

[page 2]

I leave all the Remainder of My lands from Joseph

Brooks line south of Walling Ridge to my line and

Henry Friets in the hickery Valley by the name of the long

Field to be Equely divided a mong my three sons the

Tilable land with the untilable Equally and in full

Proportion so as for my Son Willoughby Randolph to

have the East end of the tract of land whare on I now

live with the springs of water to him and his heirs forever

also two Clay banks Coalts & one saddle and bridle and

Rifle gun to him and his heirs for ever --------------------------

Itom I give and bequeath unto my son James Randolph

one spring of water at the head of the long bottom whare

James Southern Now lives with his Equeal proportion of the

above mentioned lands to him and his heirs forever-----------

also one bay filley to him and his heirs forever ------------------

Itom I give and bequeath unto my son Brooks Randolph

the [?]owing spring of water and the spring of water at

the head of the low gap of walling Ridg by the Road side

leading to Mulberry gap with his full Proportion of the above

mentioned land tillable and untillable to him and his heirs

forever ----- also the Chance of one Coalt that the blase Mare

is Now with fold with I also give and bequeath unto

my wife Franky Randolph the above mentioned blase Mare

to her and her heirs forever ----------------------------

and my will and desire is that if Either of the three boys

should depart this life before they come to lawfull age

or has a lawfull heir for thair part of the land to be

Equeally divided between the other two boys and their

Heirs forever --------------------------------------------

[page 3]

Itom I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Salley Fitts

two hundred dollars out of the price of the tract of land

whare on she now lives to her and her heirs forever ---------

I lieve all the Remainer of my Estate to be sold and all

my jest debts to be paid and all that is owen to me

carefully collected in and the money Equeally divided

Between my two daughters Lovey Muncey and Polley

Fletcher and if their should be any over two hundered

dollars a piece the balance to be Equally divided among

my three Daughters Lovey Muncey Polley Fletcher and

Salley Fitts and their heirs forever -----------------------

Constitute nominate and appoint William

Randolph and William Weaver to be my whole and sole

Executors of this my last will and testament utterly

Disanuling and Revokeing all other Wills and testaments

By one made Ratifying and Confirming this to be my last

Will and testament by me made and to the truth I

have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seal

this 16 Day of February in the year of our lord

1822                                                                       Willoughby Randolph

signed sealed and Pronounced                  [signature and seal]

to be my last Will and testament             

in the presents of ---

test

James Gilbert [signature?]

test

James Southern [signature?]

Thornton (his mark) Randolph

An 1822 Will Opens New Doors (Part 1)

When my Great Aunt Beulah first introduced me to genealogy twenty years ago, I was an eager student. While researching our Randolph family, I quickly discovered a tree which took our family back several generations. I excitedly showed her my work...and she explained that was NOT the right way to do genealogy. She taught me I couldn't just accept unsourced information from other people's trees. Instead, I needed to rely on actual documents.

Lee County, Virginia, "Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1983," "Will Book, Vol. 3,
1800-1832,"  will of Willoughby Randolph, signed 16 February 1822, unpaged, cover;
database, image 73, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 March 2018).

I quickly "trimmed" those people from my tree, and I am thankful she taught me that lesson so early in my genealogy pursuit. However, I've also pretty much avoided researching my Randolph family.

A few days ago, though, I found an image of my 5x great grandfather's 1822 Lee County, Virginia, will on Ancestry. It provided me with wonderful information including a child I did not have on my tree. The beautifully "misspelled" words, though spelling wasn't standardized at that time, and seeing his wife's name, "Franky," really touched me. And, now I have many other records I need to pursue and people I need to research.

Lee County, Virginia, "Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1983," "Will Book, Vol. 3,
1800-1832," will of Willoughby Randolph, signed 16 February 1822, unpaged, first page;
database,  image 74, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 March 2018).

I'm going to share this three-page will, one page at a time, along with my transcription. I will put the names of any people and relationships who are mentioned in bold print.

If you are related to the Randolph family or anyone listed in this document, or if you have any corrections or information which might be useful to me, please contact me so we can talk! You can leave a comment or email me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

In the name of god Aman I Willoughby Rando

-lph of the State of Virginia and County of Lee being

weak in body and sick and of disposing mind &

Memory and in perfect sences thanks be to god for

the same I do here in Make and ordain this to be

My last Will and testament --------------------------------

I tom I give and bequeath unto my wife Franky

Randolph a childs part of all my moveable

Estat to her and her heirs for ever also all the

Corn pork and bacon and fat for this Insewing year

I tom I give and bequeath unto my son William Randolph

one hundred & ten acres of land being on the south

side of Wallings Ridge it being the land and plantation where

James Muncey & Jeremiah [C or B]en? now lives to him and his heirs

forever also one hundred acres of land settled by head

write in panted [painted?] Valey state of tenesee haukens County

to him and his [heirs inserted] forever ---------------------------------

I tom I give and bequeath unto my son Thornton

Randolph the west End of the tract of land whare on

he now lives from Joseph Brooks line south of wallings

Ridge Comeing down the Road and branch lead to James

Burtons sink[?] of branch and leaveing out that spring of water

at the head of the low gap[?] going to Mulberry and when the

line comes down said branch untell it gets to a sugar Camt[?] hollow

to leave said Road to the west so as to take in the house and

lot with the little orchard and two springs by the house and

along the foot of the stoney hill in the paster to my line

and James Burtons to him and his heirs forever -------------------

Note: Hawkins County, Tennessee and Lee County, Virginia shared part of a border.

Divorce & Death (Learning about Lena, Part 2)

As I discussed in Part 1 about Lena, I found that the land being sold and partitioned between 32 members of my family originally belonged to Lena R. Tremlett. But, I've never heard of Lena. I decided to search for her on Ancestry and see what I could find.

When I searched for Lena R. Tremlett in Missouri, I came up with 4 good hits - 3 death records and an 1880 census.

1880 Census - St Louis - John Tremlett is 3rd person - Lena Randolph Tremlett is 4th
people below John & Lena are boarders

The 1880 census is for John Tremlett, who appears to be running a hotel & whose occupation is listed as rooms provider (unsure of second word), and Lena Randolph Tremlett! Randolph is the last name of the parents/grandparents (William & Matilda) of those 32 family members! This Lena was born about 1832 in Virginia. This fits with one of the children of William & Matilda - Selina "Lena" Randolph! But, I had her married to a Noah Herman Smith, though I have no documentation. Perhaps this is a second marriage? Or perhaps she was never married to Noah Herman Smith.

Next, I looked at the three death records for Lena each showing she died in May of 1887. The records show she died of nephritis and was born in DeWitt County, Illinois. I think she was actually born in Virginia, but she grew up in DeWitt County.

Next, I Googled "Lena R Tremlett" and was surprised to uncover another article about her on Newspaper Abstracts. This was published in March of 1887 and it was for the filing of a divorce! It sounds like a pretty nasty divorce, too.

The last thing I uncovered was through Mocavo. It is a judicial index from 1887 in St. Louis so it is probably the divorce case file. (The case number is 16305; microfilm reel C38388.) She died only two months after filing for divorce, so I'm really interested in that case file. I'm going to hire someone in St. Louis to look up that file for me.

Here's the article about Lena filing for divorce which was in the "St Louis Dispatch Post" on March 31, 1887. The transcript was contributed by Gigimo.

A divorce suit was filed late last evening in the Circuit Court by Mrs. Lena R TREMLETT against John TREMLETT of the Hotel Belvedere, Washington Ave. They were married in May, 1879, and lived together until last October. Mrs. TREMLETT makes serious allegations against her husband, charging him with conduct rendering her position intolerable. She accuses him of heaping shocking indignities upon her at various times, making false accusations against her and acting in the most violent manner. She alleges that her husband was unduly intimate with a female servant and that he caressed another woman in her presence. He also took the part of a young woman who had assaulted his wife. Mrs. TREMLETT further charges that her husband transferred his affections to another woman and that he tried to get rid of his wife by filing a suit for a divorce which he subsequently withdrew being unable to furnish proof of the allegations contained in the petition. When the separation took place he said that he was going to Florida. Mrs. TREMLETT asks for alimony, alleging that her husband is possessed of $30,000 worth of property.

I actually found an image of the Belvedere Hotel; it was pretty amazing looking! But, did Lena's husband keep the hotel because she died before the divorce was finalized? And, did he actually own this hotel? In the 1900 census, I found a John Tremlett who was born in England the right year and is running a hotel, but other details don't make sense. What happened to Lena's husband, John? And did the divorce actually happen? Are there records from when John filed for divorce? Did he remarry? And, was Lena married to Noah Herman Smith?

Another big question now that I see Lena was married in 1879 is: why did she get 5 pieces of land conveyed to her in 1879 from the Queen's and the Hammett's, people I've never heard of?

1883 City Directory for St. Louis found on Fold3

Update: On Fold3, I found an 1883 city directory for St. Louis showing John Tremlett was proprietor of the beautiful Hotel Belvedere at 1230 Washington Av.

Source: 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Saint Louis (independent city), Missouri, Enumeration District #12, printed page #224A, dwelling 159, John Tremlett household, online images, Ancestry.com <http://www.ancestry.com>, accessed 20 Jul 2014, citing Family History Film #1254717.

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net