The Will of Thomas Hyman: An Abstract

Craven County, North Carolina
Record of Wills (Loose), 1760-1890

Will Book B: 287 - 288.

Written 25 April 1807; proved December Term 1807

In the name of God, Amen. I THOMAS HYMAN of the County of Craven, give my wife PATSEY, during her life, one third part all my lands including the buildings where we reside, and the negroes STEPNEY, DINAH, BIG TOM, MOLLY, SAM, FIELDER, CAMBRIDGE, CHARITY, RACHAEL, and blacksmith, GODFREY; to my son, SAMUEL, all my lands situate in Craven County upon Hancocks Creek, Northward of Bounder neck gut and the south prong of said gut; to my daughter ANN, all that part of my lands situate in Craven County upon Hancocks Creek,  Southward of Bounder neck gut, and southward of the south prong of said gut; to my son SAMUEL the negroes,  NELLY, AFFRICA, BOB, BEN, BIG BILL, ABRAHAM, SUKEY, LITTLE BILL, DAVID, and my half of negro LARRY, owned by WILLIAM CONWAY and me; to my daughter ANN, the negroes, TILL, LITTLE TOM, NOAH, TOBEY, JACOB, AMERICA, ADAM and HETT; to my son SAMUEL my interest and property in the Stock, debts, tools and other property belonging to the partnership of WILLIAM CONWAY and me in the Blacksmith business excepting only my interest in the negroes WILLOUGHBY and PHOBE, which I give WILLIAM CONWAY, the residue of my estate to be equally divided among my wife and two children.

I[f] my children die under the age of twenty one, without issue living at their decease, the shares go to the surviving child; i[f] both my children should die under the age of twenty one and without issue living at the time of their decease, I give to BETSEY COART, daughter of my former wife, all the negroes I obtained by my marriage with her mother and the residue of the negroes & personal property given to my children & the profits arising from the same, not  applied  towards the maintenance and education of my children. I give upon the death of my children, as aforesaid, to my wife; my lands, upon the death of my children,  I give my nephew WILLIAM CONWAY; I appoint my wife PATSEY and WILLIAM CONWAY Executors Newbern the 25th day of April 1807.

[Signed] THOMAS HYMAN

Witnesses: WM HOLLISTER, ABNER K. WEST

State of North Carolina, Craven County, Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, December Term 1807; THOMAS HYMAN deceased was proved by the oath of WILLIAM HOLLISTER, a witness, and WILLIAM CONWAY, one of the Executors. Ordered that letters testamentary issue to said Execr and that said Will be Recorded.

Attest

J.G. STANLY, CC

Amanuensis Monday: The Will of Thomas Hyman

Welcome to the first Amanuensis Monday as we focus on the Descendants of Abraham and Rhoda (Whitehead) Hyman.

Amanuensis?

For those who may be joining us for the first time, you may wonder what is "Amanuensis Monday?" 

"Amanuensis: one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript....Latin, from (servus) a manu slave with secretarial duties. First Known Use 1619." [1]

Each Monday, we will examine a document that guides us on our quest for the origins of the African American HYMAN family in Craven and Carteret Counties, North Carolina.

For the purpose of maintaining the integrity of our research, we must approach each individual, each relationship, as new information. We must set aside any biases or prior beliefs about the family so that we can reconstruct the family group within the context of its society.

The Will of Thomas Hyman

In order to do so, we must first look to the will of Thomas Hyman [2], the white owner of those recorded in the Census as slaves, but believed to be indentured servants by family historians. 

Thomas Hyman's

Will

[       ]

Recorded in Book

of Wills (letter B)

folios 287 & 288 --

Attest J.G. Stanly

 In the name of God, Amen. I Thomas Hyman of the County of Craven, being of sound, disposing mind and memory do make this my last testament.

I give my dear wife Patsey, during her life, one third part all my lands including the buildings where we reside. I give my said wife the following negroes, viz. Stepney, Dinah, big Tom, Molly, Sam, Fielder, Cambridge, Charity, Rachael, and blacksmith, Godfrey, to her and her heirs forever. 

I give to my son, Samuel, all that part of my lands situate in Craven County upon Hancocks Creek, which lies to the Northward of Bounder neck gut and the south prong of said gut, to him, his heirs and assigns forever--

I give to my daughter Ann, all that part of my lands situate in Craven County upon Hancocks Creek, which lies to the Southward of Bounder neck gut, and southward of the south prong of said gut, to her, her heirs and assigns forever.

I give to my son Samuel the following negroes, Viz. Nelly, Affrica, Bob, Ben, big Bill, Abraham, Sukey, -- little Bill, David, and my half of negro Larry, owned by William Conway and me, to my said son & his heirs, forever.

I give to my daughter Ann, the following negroes, Viz., Till, little Tom, Noah, Tobey, Jacob, America, Adam and Hett, to her and her heirs forever.

I give to my son Samuel my interest and property in the Stock, debts, tools and other property belonging to the partnership of William Conway and me in the Blacksmith business excepting

only my interest in the negroes Willoughby and Phobe, which I give to the said William Conway. The residue of my estate I give to be equally divided among my wife and two children.

In case with of my children should die under the age of twenty one years, and without issue living at their decease, it is my will, and I do devise that the shares of such child in my estate under any clause of this will, go and vest in the surviving child. And in case both my children should die under the age of twenty one years and without issue living at the time of their decease, Then I give and devise to Betsey Coart, daughter of my former wife, all the negroes which I obtained by my marriage with her mother and the residue of the negroes & personal property given to my children & the profits arising from the same, which shall not have been applied for and towards the maintenance and education of my said children. I give upon the death of my children, as aforesaid, to my wife, & her heirs forever. My lands, upon the death of my children as aforesaid I give to my nephew William Conway, to him & his heirs forever. I nominate and appoint my wife Patsey and William Conway, Executors of this my last will and testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Newbern the 25th day of April 1807.

Signed, sealed, published and      )            Thos Hyman (seal)

declared by Thomas Hyman as   )

His last will in presence of us      )

Wm Hollister, jp

Abner K West

State of North Carolina   Court of Pleas & Quarter 

Craven County                Sessions December Term 1807

The foregoing last Will and Testament of Thomas Hyman deceased was produced and the due execution thereof by the testator was proved by the oath of William Hollister one of the subscribing Witnesses thereto at same time William Conway one of the Executors therein named appeared and qualified. Ordered that letters testamentary issue to said Execr and that said Will be Recorded.

Attest

J.G. Stanly, C.C.

Sources

[1]  Merrium-Webster Online Dictionary, (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amanuensis : accessed 27 July 2015), "amanuensis." The definition includes an audio pronunciation by clicking on the speaker symbol.

[2] "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," Images, (http:FamilySearch.org : accessed 27 July 2015,) Craven County Courthouse, North Carolina.

Reuniting Nine Branches of HYMAN Descendants

It's difficult to believe that it's already been a year since I went on hiatus . . . not from researching, but just from blogging.

I am now more focused, more organized, and digging deeper through analysis, thanks to Thomas MacEntee's Genealogy Do-Over. I chose to do the "Modified Participant Option," which is more like a "Go-Over," and am now in the midst of Cycle 3. 

Besides working on reorganization, I have also participated in several webinars for genealogy and writing memoirs.

Yes! At times it feels like it's just too much for this genealogist, who also works at a full-time job, who's working on BCG Certification and writing a family history memoir, to sort and file the myriad documents collected over years of research only to find that I didn't catch it all the first time around, and am expanding from four surname binders to six!

How do I ever keep it all straight? 

To be honest, if you saw my office, you would be asking the same question. 

I began the process of applying for my credential in May 2013, not realizing that I still had much to research and analyze in order to prove the relationships in my Kinship Determination Project, aka the KDP. This has been the most challenging section of the seven-step process. 

In May 2015 I requested "my last" one-year extension, and I anticipate my work to be submitted within five or six months, with any luck.

Back to North Harlowe for HYMAN Family Reunion 2015

Also, this past May, my husband and I attended the HYMAN Family Reunion in North Harlowe, Craven, North Carolina. What a wonderful time we had, making so many new family connections, and visiting with cousins we had met years ago at the Peter James HYMAN Family Reunion in Beaufort, Carteret,  North Carolina. 

As we looked over a manuscript that a cousin is preparing for publication, it became clear to me that there is a need to complete the whole family tree, beginning with the will of their ancestors' masters, Thomas Hyman and his son Samuel, uniting nine branches of this family. 

I suppose everyone's African American genealogical dream would be to work back even further, to locate the plantation records and find the first African to cross over to the colony. And, how I would love to be able to locate any living descendants of the white Hyman family and learn about both sides, master and servant. 

Nine Branches of  Descent

• Abraham and Kitty (Brown) HYMAN
• William and Deborah Elizabeth (Dove) HYMAN
• Peter and Caroline (Borden) HYMAN
• Stephen and Betsey J. (Fisher) HYMAN
• Adam and Phyllis (Brown) & Jeffrie Ann (Cully) & Mary (Downs) HYMAN
• Merebee (HYMAN) and Lanan COLEMAN
• Rachel (HYMAN) and Hasty CHADWICK
• Charity HYMAN
• Jane HYMAN

If you descend from one of these branches and you would like to contribute to this project, please contact me. I would love to work with you!