Research Notes on Petition For Probate (Robert Owen)

Date: 1850 [unknown]
Location: Chambers, Alabama, United States
Surname/tag: Owen

The following regarding Robert Owen was captured in April of 2016. Unfortunately now (Jun 2023) links to the original source are inactive, and the email of the provider of the information no longer works. The information is detailed enough and consistent with other information that it appears reliable. The mention of the brothers A. Owen, L.B. Owen, and N.G. Owen living in Macon County, Alabama in 1850 can be substantiated by this census record [[1]].

From the research of Mary Gregg:

Sunday, March 23, 2003. I found the following to send to you. The little note at the top that begins, “I sent to Chambers. . .” was typed on the copy I found, but I didn’t date it, so I don’t know when it was that I retyped the copy I got from Chambers County – And I have no idea why I was sent a typescript instead of a photocopy of the record in the will book unless it is that the book is so fragile that they wouldn’t microfilm it.

You will not see Robert’s son, Littleberry Owen, mentioned in this will, but one of his (Littleberry’s) descendants sent me a photocopy of a record having to do with the settlement of Robert’s estate, and one of the persons named as “the children and heirs at law of Robert Owen.” So, besides the children named in the will, Robert had a son, Littleberry Owen.

Mary Gregg (This was followed by the transcribed will. and it's codicil. That was followed by the information shown next.)

Subj: Robert’s children

Date: 3/29/03 12:00:55 PM US Eastern Standard Time

From: mgregg1 at austin.rr.com (Mary Gregg)

To: Rivermet at aol.com (Marcia McClure)

CC: iwjeffers at charter.net (Ilene Jeffers)

A photocopy of this document was sent to me in August, 2000, by L. D. Owen, a descendant of Robert and Mary (Kinnebrew) Owen’s son, Littleberry. It must be a copy of the original document because there are dark, illegible places exactly where a long piece of paper would have been folded, so the signatures are true autographs of those who signed, who were Philomon Owen and Allford Gandy. There is also a signature of A. Owen (Robert’s son Augustus) declining to qualify as one of the executors.

The document is a petition in Chambers County, Alabama, to be granted a probate on the will of Robert Owen “late of this county.” It says that he departed this life on or about the 27th day of July 1850. I cannot find a date on the document, but Augustus Owen signed his declination to qualify on August 6, 1850.

These dates must be correct, so why was Robert listed as head of a household in the 1850 census, taken in October 1850? I guess the census enumerator didn’t understand the instructions.

The document just won’t copy well, so I’ll abstract the paragraph which lists Robert’s children.

<< They further represent that the children and heirs at law of said Robert Owen Deceased are, Mary Owen the widow & relict of said deceased, Philomon Owen, adult, Thomas E. Owen, minor, [illegible line, but we know from other sources it must read Emaline Allen, adult, wife of Thomas] E. Allen, Elizabeth Erwin, adult, wife of Thomas B. Erwin, all of Chambers county Alabama, and Augustus Owen, adult, Littleberry Owen, adult, Nathaniel Owen, adult, and Mary Peebles, adult, wife of Howell Peebles, all of Macon county, Alabama.. . .>>

As you see, there are not two Philips or Philemons – Only one, Philomon.

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See the following for related reseach, originally documented in 2016. [HeardFamilyResearch Bailey-Owen-Lumpkin-Hicks Connections Part 3]

See Will of Robert Owen, Chambers County, Alabama