1833-43 DEED & AUCTION DOCUMENTS PITTSYLVANIA VA

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1833-43 DEED & AUCTION DOCUMENTS PITTSYLVANIA VA - BEES

THREE old hand-written documents from the early history of PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VIRGINIA. Two are Indentures and one documents an inventory of personal property sold at auction to other early settlers of Pittsylvania County. Indentures were used as a form of sealed contract or agreement between more than one party, especially where land and buildings were concerned. In the case of bonds, the indenture was a legal document, which shows the pledge, promises, representations and covenants of the issuing party.

The three documents are as follows:

--One 1833 4-page INDENTURE hand-written in dark ink on old brownish paper (about 8 x 12”) in which all the land and personal property [including 5 BEE STANDS] belonging to a man are put up as collateral against a hundred dollar debt.
Partly transcribed as follows:
“This Indenture made and entered into this 2nd day of April in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Three between ARCHIBALD GILCHRIST of the first part, DAVID W. NOWLIN of the second part, and NOWLIN BERGER & CO. of the third part, all of the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia. Witneseth that wherein the said Archibald Gilchrist stands justly indebted unto the said Nowlin Berger & Co. in the sum of One Hundred and Eleven Dollars and Seventy Five Cents … the said Archibald Gilchrist hath granted … to the said David Nowlin, his heirs and assignees forever that tract or parcel of land on which the said Archibald Gilchrist now resides lying and being in the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, ON THE WATERS OF REDDY’S CREEK, containing three hundred acres be the same more or less, and adjoining the lands of John Hamm, Nelson Davis, and others, also the following personal property to wit: 1 HORSE, 7 HEAD OF CATTLE, 8 HEAD OF HOGS, 5 BEE STANDS, with all their future increase. 3 FEATHER BEDS and furniture, 6 CHURNS together with all and every other article of household furniture, 3 POTS, 2 OVENS, 1 SKILLET, 1 POT RACK, together with all and every other article of Kitchen furniture, 2 PLOWS, 2 CAULTERS(?), 7 HOES, 1 SCYTHE & CRADLE, 2 POLE AXES together with all and every other article of plantation utensils, 5 BARRELLS CORN, and all and every other article of property now in possession of said Gilchrist of every description whatsoever, to have and to hold the above named property unto the said David W. Nowlin, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assignees forever … Upon trust nevertheless that the said David W. Nowlin shall permit the said Archibald Gilchrist to remain in quiet and peaceable possession of the aforementioned property until the first day of April 1834, and then in case the said Archibald Gilchrist should fail to satisfy and pay the above named debt unto the said Nowlin Berger & Co. it may and shall be lawful for the said David W. Nowlin … he having made public notice by sticking up advertisements at various public places in the neighborhood … twenty days previous to the day of sales, of the time and place of sale, to proceed to sell, on the premises, to the highest bidder for cash, the aforementioned property, or as much thereof as shall be sufficient to effect the object and true intent of this trust … the balance, if any, shall pay unto the said Archibald Gilchrist … But should the whole of the said debt be pain and discharged fully … on or before the said first day of April 1834 then the indenture to be void or else to remain in full force and virtue.”
Signed by all parties and witnessed by William Tunstall, Clerk of the Court.
This old document appears to have been burned(?) or otherwise stained along the fold lines at the right side, and has separated for about 2” along the fold line in from that area of damage (see scan). Also, the bottom half of the spine of the document has separated, though the upper half of the spine is still well attached. The paper is made of good rag content, so the document is otherwise in good condition.

--Apparently Gilchrist kept his land and property for the year because he uses it as collateral in another 3-page Indenture dated eight years later, on 1 April 1841. This document 8 x 13”, is written to a George T. and Samuel Berger of Pittsylvania County, Virginia for debt in the amount of $214.33 (which could possibly consist of the previous debt rolled over plus interest). In this second indenture (worded similarly to the first_, Gilchrist again pledges his 300 acres of land, but his personal possessions are not listed. The document is signed by the three principals and witnessed by Thomas Hutchinson, George W. Young, and John W. Adams. Also signed by Wm. H. Tunstall, Clerk of the Court (and son of the Clerk in 1833).
This document is in better condition (see scan) and still fully attached at the spine.

--Archibald Gilchrist may have avoided having his land and personal possessions sold at public auction for debt, but others were not so fortunate. The third document in this lot is a one-page paper 7.5 x 12.5”, written in dark ink, which is an ACCOUNT OF THE SALE OF OZIAS MAXCEY’S PROPERTY MADE 12TH JULY 1843. All sorts of personal property is listed along with the name of who purchased the item and the price. Along with the names of many other Pittsylvania County residents, both Samuel Berger & George T. Berger are on the list as having purchased some of the property and they were likely conducting the sale against an unpaid debt owed to them. Some of the items listed include:
BAY MARE, BULL, MAN’S SADDLE, GRINDSTONE, OVEN, SET OF COOPER’S TOOLS, PEWTER BASIN, FOX SKIN, DRESSING TABLE, BED STED, BED & COUNTERPANE, CUPBOARD. Document is in good condition on paper of good rag content.

Together these three related old documents are a good study of early 19th century life in southside Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

Price= $145.00

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