Household 37 - Hugh Ker by Gail M. Walczyk
A91
NOTE: This land was in Drummondtown, the present day town of Accomack.
Dr.
Hugh Ker was born in Accomack Co, VA
circa 1769. Hugh died before 30 June 1845 (Miles & Miles Wills, p. 316). Hugh was named as
heir in his father's will 17 May 1786
in Accomack Co, VA (Nottingham, Wills, p. 403, 404). An abstract of the will of Edward
Ker reads:
KER, EDWARD - 17
May 1786 - 18 Oct. 1790 - To wife plantation where I live containing 550 acres for life & then to my son George.
To son George plantation bought of Thomas H. Parker, containing 175 acres To son John Sheppard 300 acres of
the land bought of James Cox, the line dividing him & his brother Hugh to be the branch running into the
head of Pungoteague. To son Hugh all the land bought of James Broughton as con-tained in 3 deeds,
being 109 acres, & all the surplus of 300 acres of the land bought of James Cox, supposed to be
98 acres, also the land & plantation bought of Michael R. Tatham. To son Edward all
the land I now hold or may die possessed of in the County of Northampton, & the lands in Accomack bought of John &
Littleton Harmon & Edmund Polson. To 3 daughters Jean Scarbrough, Catharine Christian & Ann Revell
the lands 1 hold in Gloucestor, containing 243 1/4 An. To daughter Elizabeth Ker 500£ to be paid
in 2 negro girls & 1 negro boy & in stock & household furni-ture. To daughter Isabel 500£ to be
paid in like manner. Remainder of my land to be sold, & the proceeds, together with the residue
of my estate to be divided between my 4 sons George, John Shephard, Hugh & Edward. Wife (no name) Exec.
Sons George & John Shephard Exrs.
Codicil No. 1 - I revoke the 5th gift to my son Hugh,
& in lieu thereof give
to the said Hugh all the land & plantation near the Court House bought out of the estate of
Severn Guttridge, with the lots in the Court yard, also the lots held in joint tenancy with
Catharine Scott. In lieu of the lands bought of John &
Littleton Harmon & Edmund Polson, I give to my son Edward Ker the land & plantation bought of
Michael Rickets Tatham on the North
side of Andua. To son John Sheppard the remainder of the land purchased of John Cox, being about
98 acres and 13 acres
lying
below the main road purchased of James Broughton. Daughter Margaret to have her board with either of my sons she may
incline to live with, & should she choose to board elsewhere I bequeath her 12£ per annum while she remains single to
be paid
by my 4 sons, 3£ each. I desire that the representatives of my deceased daughter Ann Revell should
have an equal share
with my daughters Jean Scarburgh & Catherine Christian. he land purchased of John & Littleton Harmon & of Edmund
Poulson I bequest to my 4 sons. Dated 28 Sept. 1788 - Witt: Reavel Watson, George Pearson, Rosy
Harman. Will proved by John Wise,
Jabez Pitt, Edmund Bayly, Jr. Codicil proved by Revill Watson & Rosy Harman.
(Whitelaw, p. 1003).
1777 - The will of Severn Gutteriedge directed that his land west of the Courthouse branch to be sold to pay
his debts. The executors sold a 1/2 acre lot to Patience Montgomery; it was on the present highway [Business 13]
nest to the branch and probable was the site of the village shop. They sold the balance west of
the branch as 65 acres to Edward
Ker, who in 1790 left to his
son Hugh. He became mentally unbalanced and his affairs were handled by a committee.
On 8 January 1796 the
lands of Hugh Ker were processioned in Saint George Parish District 17 (Walczyk, Processions, p. 15). The text reads:
Hugh Ker &
John Bull. Lines between Hugh Ker & Edmd Bayly. Lines between Hugh Ker & Levin Gray, Willm Sharrod, James
Melson & Tully Mason present.
Hugh was named in a land cause 4 Mar 1801 in St. George Parish, Acc Co, VA
(Nottingham Land Causes, p. 50, 51). An abstract reads:John S. Ker
vs - Partition Suit.
Nancy Ker, Margaret Ker, John Ker & David Bowman & William Seymour, a committee of Hugh Ker, an insane person.
That
Edward Ker the elder was lately seized of and in a tract of land containing 250 acres in the Parish of St. George, and
being so seized
in his lifetime, to-wit: on the ____ day of ____ 17--, made his last will and testament, and devised the premises
aforesaid to his four
sons, George, John S., Hugh & Edward Ker, to be equally divided; that by virtue thereof the said
George, John S., Hugh & Edward Ker
entered into the said premises and were seized thereof; that the said George Ker on the ____ day of ____ 179-
died intestate, leaving a widow Sarah Ker and three children, to-wit: Nancy, John & Margaret, and no more,
whereby the interest of the said George Ker in the said premises descended to the said Nancy, John &
Margaret; that the said Edward Ker the younger on the ____ day of ____ 179- died intestate leaving
no children nor father nor mother, but brothers and sisters and their descendants, to-wit: the said
John S. Ker and the said Hugh his brothers of the whole blood, Elizabeth Seymour & Isabella Bowman
his sisters of the whole blood, and Edmund Scarburgh, Jr., Margaret Coward, Alice Bayly & Edward,
William & Elizabeth Scarburgh his nephews and nieces, children of Jane Scarburgh, dec., his sister
of the whole blood, Margaret, William, John & George Edward Christian his nephews & nieces, children
of Catherine Christian, dec., his sister of the whole blood, John & Margaret Revell, his nephew & niece,
children of Ann Revell,
dec., his sister of the whole blood, the said Nancy, Margaret & John Ker, his nephew & nieces,
children of the said George Ker, dec., his brother of the whole blood, and Smith Snead, his nephew, the
only child of Margaret
Snead, dec., his sister of the whole blood, whereby the interest of the said Edward the younger in the
said land descended to his brothers & sisters & nephews & nieces aforesaid, who entered in the same and
became seized thereof as of fee, and being so seized on the 29
July 1800 the said John S. Ker, Samuel Coward & the said Margaret, his wife, the said Edmund Scarburgh,
Jr., the said Hugh Ker, William Seymour and the said Elizabeth, his wife, David Bowman and the said
Isabella his wife, Thomas Bayly and Alice his wife, presented their bill in chancery against the
said Edward, William & Elizabeth Scarburgh,
Margaret, William, John & George Edward Christian, John & Margaret Revell, Nancy, Margaret & John Ker
& Smith Snead for the sale
of the said Edward Ker, Jr's. part, which sale was ordered and Edward's part purchased by John S. Ker,
so that the said John S. Ker, Nancy, Margaret & John Ker and the said David Bowman & William Seymour,
committee as aforesaid of the said Hugh Ker, in right of the said Ker, hold together and undivided the
said tract of land - George Parker appointed guardian to the defendants Nancy, Margaret & John Ker,
infant defendants, to defend this suit. 4 Mar. 1801.
Hugh Ker's estate was settled 31 Jan 1825 in Accomack Co, VA (Miles & Miles Wills, p. 316). The text
reads:31 Jan 1825 (Audit & Rec'd) - Edward S. Snead's committee to Hugh Ker. Accounts
between Hugh Ker & Edward S. Snead (his committee) were audited by William E. Wise & William D.
Seymour & showed that $5,232.06 was due from the committee to Hugh Ker. There was also mention of
rent of a kitchen in Drummond Town. (Note: Since this was the same date as the settlement of David
Bowman, wherein Hugh Ker received a share, this may have been recorded to document that it
was received by Hugh Ker's committee on his behalf.)
On 30 Jun 1845 Hugh Ker's
estate was administered to Edward S. Snead (316). The text reads: Ker, Hugh Dr.
Administered to Edward S. Snead. Nathaniel Topping & Thomas R.
Joynes securities. On 25 Jan 1848 the administration of his estate "de bonis non" was to
George Ker with Miers W. Fisher and
Leonard B. Nottingham securities (316).
Sources:
Miles, Barry W., and Miles Moody K. III. Accomack Co. Va, Wills & Administrations 1800-1860. Bowie MD:
Heritage Books Inc. 2000.
Nottingham, Stratton. Accomack Land Causes 1728-1825. Bowie, MD:
Heritage Books Inc. 1990.
Nottingham, Stratton. Wills and Administrations of Accomack County,
Virginia 1663-1800. Bowie MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 1990.
Walczyk, Gail M. Accomack County
Processioners Returns 1797-1816. Coram NY: Peter's Row, 2004.
Whitelaw, Ralph T. Virginia's
Eastern Shore A History of Northampton and Accomack Counties. Camden MA: Picton Press, 1996.
© Copyright 2010-2013 by Gail M. Walczyk