Document 64 Deed Martha William Wright Moody

Date: 6 Dec 1877 [unknown]
Location: Petersburg, Virginia
Surnames/tags: Leigh Moody Charlton

Petersburg, va. December 1877

Received of Mrs M.W. Moody one hundred dollars, in part payment for a lot or parcel of land lying and being in the City of Petersburg, va. fronting on, (or New Street) Porterville Street forty-five feet and on Harrison Street one hundred and forty-one feet, being a lot purchased by me of H. A. Lockett and numbered in the plat or survey as lot No.1. And the aforesaid Mrs. M W Moody having executed to me, John W.B. Matthews one note for the payment of the balance of purchase money, to-wit: one hundred and fifteen 50/100 Dollars at Ten months after date Now if the aforesaid Mrs M W. Moody shall pay promptly at maturity the note above described then the said Matthews hereby binds himself, his heirs or executors to make to the aforesaid Mrs. M.W. Moody a good and perfect title to the aforesaid lot or parcel of ground; and the aforesaid Mrs M. W. Moody further agrees to pay the taxes on the same for the year 1878. as witness my hand & seal this 6th day Dec. 1877.

John W.B. Matthews Seal

Witness: W. M. Jones

VLR (Virginia Leigh Refo)

A deed whereby Martha William (Wright) Moody, now widow of John Mason Moody, is purchasing the land next to the Charlton house, former home of her mother, Martha Robinson (Crump) Wright Charlton, and step-father, Rev. George W. Charlton and her sisters, Mary Charlton and Virginia Charlton. After the Civil War and Mary's death in 1871, she seems to spend more in the city. Perhaps she is afraid in the country, or just wants to be closer to family in Petersburg and prefers the comforts of in-town living.

City directories from Petersburg indicate she lived there from 1877 with her son, Dr. William Scott Moody and her son-in-law, Joseph Gray Lockhart, but I am not sure they lived there all the time with her. Joseph Lockhart was a magistrate 1877-78 in Northampton County, NC, and the letter from "Sippie" (# 65, May 1881), Virginia (Tabb) Moody, indicates Dr. Moody is with her at that time in Mississippi. The 1880 Mississippi census shows her and their children, Charlie and Lena, in Mississippi without Dr. Moody. He died in Petersburg in 1882.

At first I thought not to include this deed and to put it with other deeds in the collection (all much earlier and in Northampton and Greensville Cos.). Then I thought it more appropriate here. Martha Moody is making this her primary home although she still owns Woodland (It appears she continued to hold it until 1884, and left it to her grandchildren in her will). Note, she is buying this property on time.

Acknowledgement

• Many thanks to cousin Virginia Leigh Refo whose research and transcriptions added to this profile. The originals were donated to the Library of Virginia in 2004 by Liz Edens Vermillion with the help of Virginia Refo Moody Family Papers, 1750-1881. Accession 40535, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.