Nancy Edwards (1806 - 1845)

Born 26 Jan 1806 in Amherst County, Virginia, USA

Ancestors

Died 4 Dec 1845 at age 39 in Amherst County, Virginia, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chris Brady [send private message]

Biography

Nancy was a person of "unsound mind". From the multiple depositions in the chancery case of her father's estate, it is clear that she was taken care of by the family her entire life. She lived with Gustavus and Sarah after the death of her mother.

Census

Chancery Court - Estate of Thomas Edwards

Thomas Edwards died intestate and his estate was the subject of two separate Chancery Court Cases in Amherst, Virginia. The first was filed by Elizabeth Edwards as the widow of Thomas Edwards against the administrator of the Thomas Edwards estate - Gustavus A. Edwards.
The second case was filed by Gustavus A. Edwards against the other heirs of Thomas Edwards.^[4] That case is:

Gustavus A. Edwards versus
William Jones and Lucy his wife
John M. Edwards
James B. Edwards
William W. Edwards, James B. Edwards, Martha Edwards and Mary Edwards (the last four children and heirs at law of Vincent Edwards deceased)
the children of Elizabeth Walker deceased formerly Elizabeth Edwards
Elizabeth Ann Fretwell an infant under the age of twenty one years by James Fretwell her guardian
Caroline J. Edwards
James Beck & Minerva his wife
Nancy Edwards a person of unsound mind

Journal of Thomas Edwards

Thomas Edwards kept a journal in which he recorded gift of property made to his children. This journal is one of the exhibits in the Chancery court case of Gustavus Edwards versus Jones et al (This is the court case in which Gustavus sued the rest of the heirs to Thomas Edwards claiming he had a deal with Thomas Edwards to inherit the land.)^[5]
Place: Amherst, Virginia

1802-To Lucy Jones - when you married W. Jones

1 Negro girl named Lealy when you married W. Jones - $400
1 Gray Mare - $100
1 Featherbed and furniture - $40
1 Cow - $15

1805 To John M. Edwards - when you left me

1 Negro girl named Fellis when you left me - $400
1 Sorril Horse - $100

1805 - To Dr. William Edwards - when you became of age

1 Negro named Stephany(?) when you became of age - $400
1 Horse - $100

1807 - To James B. Edwards - when you left me

1 Sorrel Horse when you left me - $100

1812 - To Vincent A. Edwards - when you went to S Carolina

1 Negro Named George when you went to S Carolina - $400 / one horse - $100

1812 - To Elizabeth Walker - when you married James S. Walker

1 Negro Girl Named Jude when you married James S. Walker
$400
1 featherbed and furniture - $40
1 Sorril mare - $100
1 Milk cow - $15

1816 - To Gustavus A. Edwards

1 Horse: bay- $100

1819 - To Barnett Edwards - when you left me

1 Negro Named Parkes when you left me - $400
1 Sorrel Horse - $100
1 featherbed and furniture - $40
300# Pork when you left me - $15

1829 - To Caroline J. Edwards

one horse given to you - $100

1832 - To Minerva R. Beck

One Negro Boy Stephen given to you - $400

Letters/Bible Records from Edwards Heirs

The Edwards Heirs was an organization of Edwards who all tried to prove descendancy from the Robert Edwards who held the land where Trinity Church in New York is now located. Many families sent copies of letters and bible records to support their claim. There were three separate published claims from the family of Thomas Edwards.

Published in Volume 1, #10 issue (October 1925) as sent by Nola P. Cooke^[6]

......Thomas Edwards was the son of Joseph Edwards, and Thomas Edwards settled and married three times in Amherst County, Virginia, eight miles from the city of Lynchburg, Va., and raised six sons and six daughters, of whom all are dead but two, Caroline and Minerva.
The sons of Thomas Edwards were:
Dr. William Edwards, who died without issue
John M. Edwards, married Mary S. Rucker, of whom Elizabeth Burnet is a granddaughter.
James B. Edwards went to St. Louis, from where we had no tidings.
Barnette Edwards died without issue.
Dr. Vincent A. Edwards died in South Carolina leaving four children, one of whom is James B. Edwards, of Lynchburg (now deceased).
Dr. Gustavus A. Edwards resided in Lynchburg, Va., and died in 1865, leaving four boys and four girls, all of who lived in Lynchburg, Va., except John Edwards, who lived in Tennessee, now dead, and his brother Joseph Edwards, who died in St. Louis.
The names of the daughters of Thomas Edwards are:
Lucy, who married a Jones and moved to Ohio;
Rhodea married and lived in Lynchburg, Va., and died leaving one daughter.
Caroline married and lived in Lynchburg;
Elizabeth married James Smith Walker, died and left eight living children. James B. Edwards married one of them, Elizabeth, her daughter. Vincent Barnette Walker is a son of Elizabeth and James Smith Walker, and married Louisa J. Kendall, of Paris, Tenn.

Census:

Date: 1840^[7]

Place: Amherst County, Virginia, USA

Household has 3 slaves; 3 persons employed in Agriculture

Total in household:  white and slaves 11

Death

Death:

Date: 4 Dec 1845

Place: Amherst County, Virginia, USA^[8]

Event

Probate

Administrator Bond - Estate of Nancy Edwards
15 Jun 1846
Amherst, Virginia, United States
Gustavus A Edwards appointed administrator for Nancy Edwards estate.
Bondsmen were Paulus Powell & Edmund J Hill (grandson of Elizabeth Hill Thurmond Edwards)

Sources

1. ↑ 1810 Census: "United States Census, 1810"
   Citing p. 279, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 66; FHL microfilm 181,426.
   FamilySearch (accessed 20 March 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 00297
2. ↑ 1820 Census: "United States Census, 1820"
   Citing p. , NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .
   FamilySearch (accessed 20 March 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 00037
3. ↑ 1830 Census: "United States Census, 1830"
   Citing 504, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 194; FHL microfilm 29,673.
   FamilySearch (accessed 20 March 2022)
   FamilySearch Image Image number 01015
4. ↑ Amherst County (Va.) Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery Records, Edwards v. Jones et.al., File Box 22
5. ↑ Amherst County (Va.) Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery Records, Edwards v. Jones et.al., File Box 22
6. ↑ Leonard, F. Elwood. 1982. Edwards heirs. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah.
7. ↑ Abbreviation: 1840 United States Federal Census Title: 1840 United States Federal Census Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls).
8. ↑ Edwards Family Bible Records Title: Edwards Family Bible Records. 1879. Privately held by Elizabeth Edwards Masden Martin, TN. Author: Edwards, Adolphus Read Note: The records were written in response to John William Edwards (brother of AR Edwards) asking for the bible of Thomas Edwards. The bible of Thomas Edwards was bought at Thomas Edwards estate sale by his son Gustavus Edwards and passed on to his son, AR Edwards. AR Edwards did not send the bible to his brother, but wrote a transcription of the records in the bible; a photocopy is in possession of Chris Brady