In which I search for the Pettey, Welch, Jeffrey, Willis and Crane families.
Related Name List: All of the above plus Nance, Graybill, Franks, Williams, Thompson, Bernardi, Bishop, Berry Brewster, Bronaugh, Brumbalow, Coon, Crossland, Fabretto, Fleming, Gossage, Hellums, Hoooper, Horn,Meals, Monroe, Moore, Murdoch, Myers, Power, Reed, Rigs, Sardini, Sims, Stanley,Washington, Wright

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Late-Breaking Willis News




When I first looked at the Lawrence County, Alabama court record for William F Willis, I thought it was just to record the sale of a mule and wagon. I was mistaken. It was to record an agreement of a loan from Wm L Dearing to William F Willis. The mule, harness and wagon appears to be collateral on the loan.

It's much more interesting than I thought. For one thing, it shows that he was growing cotton in Alabama in 1849 and he could repay the loan with his cotton crop. Dearing apparently owned the local cotton gin.

An interesting side note is that the Trustee, Stephen Turner, could not write enough to spell out his own name. Apparently, William F Willis could.

Here's the transcription.

"Know all men by these presents that I, Wm F Willis of the county of Lawrence and the state of Alabama, in the consideration of the sum of five dollars to his in hand paid at and before me sealing and delivery of these presents have bargained and delivered to Stephen Turner Trustee the following property to wit one dark mule 8 or 10 years old, one wagon and harness to the right and title to the above property  hereby vest in me said trustee, and ___(illeg) and the right and title to the same I guarantee against the claim of all person whatsoever for me following purpose and no other to wit I owe Wm L Dearing one note of hand for sixty dollars. Given his say and due payable the twenty fifth day of December next (1 wk) with interest from this date. Now if I shall well and truly pay said note at the time it is due and payable or deliver to said Dearing my crop of cotton at his own gin on or before the 25th of December (1849) and the said crop should amount at the marketplace to the said sum of sixty dollars & interest the this obligation to the above otherwise to remain in full force and ___But in case I should fail to pay the said note and interest as afore said at the time it is due then in that case the said Stephen Turner Trustee as aforesaid shall after thirty days notice at three public places in the county proceed to sell said property at public auction to the highest bidder for cash and apply the proceeds first to the payments of the expense of the sale and secondly to the payment of the debt herein ___  and the residue, if any, to me. In witness whereof I hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals this 19th day of September (1949)


Witness Russel L L Bull                                                             William F Willis (seal)
            Joseph C Tyler                                                                           hIs
Stephen X Turner Trustee (seal)
           mark


The State of Alabama
Lawrence County ss
                                    Personally appeared before me Reuben Rucker, a Justice of the peace in & for said County the above named Russel L L Bull __ of the subscribing Witnesses to the foregoing Deed being duly sworn and Deposith and saith that he saw the above named William F. Willis whose name is subscribed  Hereto sign seal & Deliver the same to the said Stephen Turner Trustee that he this ____ subscribed his name as a witness thereto in the presence of the said William F Willis and that he saw Joseph C Tyler the other subscribing witness sign the same in the presence of said William F Willis and in the presence of each other on the day and year therein mentioned. Given under my hand & seal this 17th day of October 1849.
                                                                                                Reuben Rucker JP (seal)
                                                                                                Justice of the peace

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