General Notes

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Fretwell's are present in the 1780's in Cumberland Co, VA.
1805-1812 : on Buckingham Co, VA land tax records
October 1836 Smith Co, TN County Court, Little B. Hughes is appointed ad
mi nistrator of Leander Hughes deceased, with William P. Hughes, William W
ate rs and Jonathan Age(e) his security.  It is believed that this is Litt
le B erry Hughes SR, Leander's brother, and not the L.B., Leander's son.
In November 1836 court, provisions for one year for the widow and fa
mi ly of Leander Hughes was ordered.
By Dec 1836, the Smith CO, TN court directed an interim guardiansh
ip by Wi lliam P. Hughes at the request of Martha N. Hughes, for the min
or hei rs of Leander Hughes, to wit John, Berry, William, Ira, Wade, Far
la B., Th omas, Sally, Jesse and Nancy, children of Leander, and for Jes
se P., Leand er, Obadiah, and Lemuel, children of Gideliah Hughes deceas
ed and grandchi ldren of Leander.
Also in Dec 1836, Little B. Hughes made inventory of the slaves of the e
st ate of Leander SR, to wit Billy, Grace, Jack & Patrick with the ord
er th at they be sold at auction for the benefit of the estate.
Even this early, in Dec 1836, suits were begun over the estate.  John Hu
gh es & et al, heirs of Leander Hughes, entered a request that all the l
an ds of Leander Hughes SR be sold at auction.  Also, Martha N. Hughes ent
er ed suit that her dower lands be set aside for her benefit.  This wa
s, in f act, done in April 1837 and she was given a portion of Leander's m
ain tra ct beginning near the 'old still house' and a second tract of 15 a
cres th at bound on Obadiah Paris' south boundary line.  It was the opini
on of t he commissioners that this represented 1/3 of the real estate of L
eander H ughes SR.  Exum Whitley, William Hall, Guilford Jones, David Tyr
ee and Wil liam B. Whitley commissioners.
Leander was dead by Feb 1839 as sons Seth W. and Ira B. Hughes are w
ar ds to James Gaulding Paris.  Little Berry Hughes was acting as executo
r, e ither for the minor children or for Powell Hughes, who was also de
ad befo re the 1830 census.  Both options are possible.  Despite numero
us entri es in the guardian books to James Paris and Little Berry Hugh
es as adminis trator, no mention is given on the identity of the esta
te in question.  Bo th Hughes sons went to Crittenden Co, KY ca 1847.
Tennessee, In the Circuit Court of Smith County in the 4th Judicial Cir
cu it of the State of Tennessee .... third Monday in April 1840 and al
so t he third Monday in August 1840, present the honorable Abraham Caruthe
rs ju dge
James Parris & his wife Julia A., Jacob Gill & his wife Carolina, Jam
es Pa rris & his wife Gilla, Berry Coleman & his wife Philadelphia, Powe
ll Hughe s, Leander Hughes, Leonard Hughes, Moses Ellison & his wife Eliza
beth, a nd John Hughes, Susan L. Hughes, Berry Hughes, William Hughes, I
ra Hughe s, Wade Hughes, Farley B. Hughes, Thomas Hughes, Sally Hughes, Je
sse Hughe s, and Nancy Hughes, heirs & distrubutees of Leander Hughes de
cd and Jes se P. Hughes, Leander Hughes, Obadiah Hughes, and Lemuel Hughe
s, minor chi ldren of Gideliah Hughes decd and also distributees of said L
eander decd.
(side notation says Petition & Exparte(?))
April Term 1840 ... the gist of the next 2 pages of writeup is that Li
tt le Berry Hughes as administrator obtained permission in the April te
rm 18 39 to divest the title to the estate lands to Nathan Ward & John Joh
nson t hrough sale.  In the paperwork of the title, the names of Moses All
ison (n ow written Allison while previously Ellison) and his wife Elizabe
th were o mitted from the official record and this directs that their nam
es be inser ted at no extra cost to Ward & Johnson for their interest.  Al
so, the na me of Susan L. Hughes was also left out and again, the tit
le is amend ed as such.  Also notes that Martha N. Hughes became the purch
aser in Dece mber 1836 of 103 acres and being the same tract ALLOTED AND S
ET