Winneford Ridge, Depositions
1785 & 1792Estate File of William Ridge
State of North Carolina
Know all men by these presence that we Winny RIDGE Godfrey RIDGE and John FIELDER have bargained sold confirmed and delivered unto Wm T. LEWIS of Surry County and State above mentioned two negroes Girls of a milattarus complexion one by the name of SAL and the other by the name NAN, SAL is about fourteen years old and NAN is about twelve years old and we and each of us do obligate and bind ourselves and each of our heirs unto Wm T. LEWIS his heirs & for the faithfull mantenance of the Rite to him to the said two negrows before mentioned and do warrant and defend the said negrows unto the said Wm T LEWIS his heirs & from any person or persons laying any just rite claim or title to them it being for the considerable sum of one hundred & twenty pounds to us paid as Witness our hand and seals this 16th of January 1781
Winny her + mark Ridge
John Fielder
Godfre Ridge
Signed sealed & Delivered in presence of
Js M LEWIS
Sam'l CRITCHFIELD
Surry County February Sessions 1784. The execution of the above Bill of Sale was duly proved in open Court by the oth of James Martin LEWIS on of the subscribing witnesses thereto, as to Winny RIDGE & John FIELDER & that FIELDER signed Godfrey RIDGES name. And on motion its ordered to be recorded.
Recorded accordingly
Jo Williams, CC
1789 July 26th. I hereby certify the above to be a true copy.
Test. Jo Williams, CC.
North Carolina )
Surry County )
This day personally appeared Winneford ALLEN formerly the wife of William RIDGE deceased before me and making oath that she some years ago sold conveyed & delivered unto William Terrel LEWIS Junr two certain negroes of a mulatterish complexion one by the name of SALL & the other by the name of NANN & that she have rec'd full sattisfaction for the said negroes so sold & further swears that she has never rec'd of Jonathan HAINES now living at the Iron Works of the County formerly the property of David ALLEN the husband of Mary MARTIN formerly, any sum or sums of money from said HAINES for negroe wench by the name of SALL. That I let the said William Terrel LEWIS have her for the child of said wench as she is informed is set forth in a power of attorney dated the 12th day of August 1784. And it is further her wish and desire that she said William Terrel LEWIS should not be sued for said negoes.
Winniford her + mark ALLEN
Sworn before me
John CHILDRESS, J.P., test.
Joel LEWIS
Surry County.
I do hereby certify the above to be a true copy of an affidavit proved in open court at May Session 1785 by the oath of Joel LEWIS.
Ordered to be recorded.
J. Williams, CC
Ridge's Orphans
vs
Wm Terrel Lewis & others
In Equity Answer of Winefred Allen
filed 2d day of October 1792
Winnifred Allen
Ans'r to a Bill in Equity
North Carolina )
Surry County )
"To the Honorable the Judges of the Court of Law & Equity for the District of Salisberry,
May it Please your Honors, I have been served with a copy of a bill in Equity by the direction of Jonathan HAINES in behalf of my children the orphans of Wm RIDGE dec'd, and I have been sum'd to appear this court to give ans'r to such things as is objected against me in bill, but my Family or part of them is very sick, and one of daughters I am afraid will die that I cannot appear at this court but what I have to say is as follows, when my husband went off to the British in the year 1780 he left the whole of the negros mentioned in the Bill except PHILLIS in my care and possession. PHILLIS my husband had let John FIELDER have to tend his child or children, and the rest remained in my care for some time after he went away, and they got sqaundered by the lighthorse, and SAL, they carried away and she was gone several months till sometime in the winter and I got John FIELDER to apply to Colo. Martin ARMSTRONG for an order to gather in my negros, which he did and gathered in all but SAL, who was in Capt. CLOUDS hands, and FIELDER did not bring her home but told me that he had sold her to Wm T. LEWIS, old HANNAH and NAN were in Wm T. LEWIS hands for some time. But upon ARMSTRONGS order he gave them up to FIELDER and he brought them home ot me, But after he sold SAL, he then sold NAN, as he told me, and that he sold them both against my will or consent, after this I obtained Letters of Administration on my husbands estate, and then I commissioned a suit by Jonathan HAINES against LEWIS for SAL and NAN, but I unfortunately married to one NATHAN ALLEN and he became a joint admin'r with me and then without my knowledge or consent, he went and dismist the suit at our court, as to Old HANNAH I acknowledge I sold her to John FIELDER and laid out the money in raising and supporting my children, sometime after I married to ALLEN he became a guardian to my children and he conducted himself so bad that he got in debt and made very little to support the family with that he sold & destroyed the chief of what estate I had in my hands of my husbands estate, and carried it away together the articles as near as I can remember as he made way with are these following, one horse four heads of grown cattle, eleven head of sheep, some hogs, in the whole to the value of thirty five or 40 � in my judgement. And then he run away and left me as bare and as poor as well could be of anything to live on and then Wm T. LEWIS in a short time got CATE and her children from me in the manner the Bill sets forth, as to the fellow JACK Wm T. LEWIS was trying to get him and had him executed once for �15 that he had got against me and myself and children were afraid that LEWIS would get him into his hands, and we being destitute of any house or home agreed to let him go for a piece of land and plantation that we might have a house and home to live on, bargained away by Wm COOK one of the guardians and myself with the consent of my children, as to any thing I have done contrary to my childrens interest of myself I deny, but what has been done by ALLEN I could not help it as I am but a woman, so I leave the matter to your Honors consideration, the above sworn to before me this 29th day of Sept 1792
Winnifred (her + mark) Allen
Wm Cook, J.P.
State of No Carolina ) Court of Equity April Term 1809
Rowan County } Ridges Orphans by their next Friend Jonathan Hains Comp't vs Allen & Lewis & others Defend't
At April Term of our Sup'r Court of equity held for the County of Rowan aforesaid. The following order was made by the court, to wit,
"It is ordered that it be referred to the Master to take an account of the Estate of William RIDGE deceased that came to the hands of Nathan Allen and Winefred his wife Administrators fo the deceased, or which might have come to their hands without their neglect or default, and their administration thereof. Also an a/c [accounting] of the Estate for the said deceased that came to the hands of the said Nathan Allen as Guardian of the Plaintiffs the Orphans, or which might have come to his hands without his neglect or default, and here he has disposed thereof and report tot he Court at the next term. And the Court reserves the consideration of all other questions in this cause and all further directions untill the further hearing.
Sent April 17 1809 to Jonathan Hains &c
References Cited
NC State Library and Archives, CR085.508.136, Estate Records, Rowan Co., NC, Folder: William Ridge (1785)
North Carolina Estate Files 1663-1979, Rowan Co., NC, Folder: William Ridge (1785); viewed 9/9/2012 at www.familysearch.org
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