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Facts and Events
Samuel Samples Last Will and Testament
- WILL OF SAMUEL SAMPLES, listed in Nicholas Co., (W)VA SEPTEMBER 3, 1858
- A will bequeathing portions to several children in the name of God. Amen.
- I, Samuel Samples, of the first part do make this my last will and testament as follows: That is to say, my desire to be buried with as little expense as decency will permit and that all my debts and funeral expenses be paid as soon as after my decease as conveniently may be and I give all my messages, lands, tenements, buildings and household furniture lying and situate and being in Clay County on southeast side of Elk River where I now reside with their appurtenances unto my dear wife, Jane Samples, for and during her life and from and after her decease. I give and devise the same to my eldest son, William Samples and to his heirs forever all the lands and buildings to run from mouth of upper Dulls Creek with the river to a stake at the mouth of the cave above the buildings and run a straight line to a stake on Andrew Samples line and with Andrew's line and John Samples line to a spruce and beech on Dulls Creek and with the creek to the mountain.
- And I give and devise the land to my son, Salathiel Samples and to his heirs forever, beginning at William's upper corner on the river and runs with the river to the mouth of the branch near the foot of the sholes, and runs with the branch to the forks, and then a straight line a pitch pine corner to Andrew Samples and thence to said line to William's corner.
- And I give and devise to my daughter, Amanda Jane Samples and to her heirs forever the land to start at the mouth of the cave at Salathiel's upper corner and run with the river to a white walnut at the mouth of the spring hollow and a straight line to Andrew Samples line and thence with said line to Salathiel's lower corner.
- And I give to my daughter, Delilah Samples, and her heirs forever, the land beginning on a white walnut corner of Amanda Jane's and running with the river to Prisciller Paxton's line, and running up the mountain to the top with said line to Andrew's line back to Amanda Jane's corner.
- And I give/devise to my daughter, Prisciller, wife of William Paxton, a piece of land beginning at two poplars on the southwest side of the river and running with the old line to the licks, and thence crossing the river and running the old line to Andrew's chestnut corner and with said line to the second corner of William Samples and Amandas. to the river ridge above the old house and a straight line to the river, and thence crossing the river and thence to two poplars.
- And I give and devise to my three sons, John H. Samples, Andrew M. Samples, and Alexander Samples five dollars to each one to be paid with lawful money off Virginia.
- And I give and devise all that tract, piece or parcel of land lying on the southwest side of the river which I purchased from W. Ashley containing four hundred acres to be sold for two thousand dollars within five years after my decease, and if not sold within five years to sell to the highest bidder, and when sold to pay Thomas Samples, my son, two hundred dollars.
- And I give and devise to my daughter Sarah A. Samples to be paid two hundred dollars when said land is sold above named, and what money is left to be paid to my wife, Jane Samples and I give all that which shall be due and oweing to me at my death for the aforesaid messages, lands, tenements and herein before given to my said wife for life, and I give all the household furniture and cattle, sheep and hogs to my wife, Jane Samples for life.
- And I give and devise the gunsmith tools and farming tools of every class to my son, William Samples.
- And I give and devise all documents and execution to my wife, Jane Samples. Know all men by these presents, that I, Samuel Samples of the first part for diverse good cause and considerations me hereunto knowing have constituted and appointed and by these presents do constitute and appoint John H. Samples of the second part to be my true and lawful attorney, giving and granting unto him full power and authority in my name to ask demand, sue for levy, recover, receive, compound, acquisite and discharge and debt or debts, sum or sums of money now oweing or that may hereafter become oweing me, the said Samuel Samples, and upon receipt of the same or any part thereof acquittances on other proper discharges to make, and generally for me and in my name.
- And I appoint William P. Walker to sell said tract of land and to pay Thomas Samples and Sarah Samples over their money, and the rest to my wife, Jane Samples.
- And whereas, I, Samuel Samples, have made and duly executed my last will and testament in writing, leaving date the day and year above written, now do hereby declare this present writing to be a codicil to my last will and testament leaving date the day and the above written and which I direct to be added thereto and to be taken as part thereof. I have set my hand and seal this day of three September in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty eight. Signed sealed publishes said declared by the said Samuel Samples as and for codicil to his last will and testament in the presence of these witnesses.
- James M. Jones,
- William P. Walker,
- John Jones,
- Samuel Samples
About Samuel Samples
- Alexander 'Samuel' Samples, with his wife Lucinda, migrated to the Ohio River and settled on the Kentucky side, at Adair City, in Greenup County, Kentucky. This is directly across the Ohio River opposite Ironton, Ohio. Alexander 'Samuel' and his wife Lucinda both died, leaving four small sons. Their names were Robert (the oldest of the four), Samuel Samples, Hiram Samples and William Samples, the youngest of the four.
- The boys were bound out, as was the custom when the parents died, in those days, to Henry Ralston, to serve apprentice in the blacksmith trade. Henry Ralston's shop was located in Ironton, Ohio which is on the opposite side of the river from Adair City, Kentucky. On arriving at the shop one morning, a note was found on the door saying "Bob's Gone". Another account tells this a little differently! On coming to the shop one morning they found a note on the shop door. It said Bob's gone to H---, and they never heard from him again.
- Under the strict rules of apprenticeship, indentured children were required to serve their task master until they became twenty one years of age. Samuel Samples and his brother Hiram thought that they were being worked too hard and mistreated. They planned an escape, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky. Samuel told his brother Hiram that he heard there was a lot of game up on Elk River and that he was going to go up there and hunt. Hiram wanted to go, too. Sam protested saying Hiram was too young, but Hiram went. They ran away by swimming the Ohio River at night and came up on the Elk River and hunted and killed a lot of game.
- Hiram Samples courted and married Bathsheba Alderson in Adair City, Greenup County, Kentucky. He later moved into Virginia (now West Virginia) and settled on Elk River. He settled near present Clendenin, and from there he moved up in Porters Creek. He went up a hollow that is a tributary to Porters Creek and built his house there. This hollow has its confluence with Porters Creek about three quarters of a mile from Bomont. Today, his hollow is called Samples Hollow. Their Family Record from his Bible remains with his descendants.
- Samuel Samples brother of Hiram went up the Ohio River to Pomeroy and while there he courted and married Jane Samples who was living in (then) Virginia. She was the daughter of Robert Samples, and twin sister of Ralph Smith's wife, Sofa, daughters of old Peter Samples. They raised a large family. Samuel later moved to Virginia (now West Virginia) and settled on the Elk River near Ashley's Dam. He bought the land and the mill that John Ashley owned, along the north side of the Elk River, above the mouth of Upper Dulls Creek.
- John Ashley was born in North Carolina in 1774. On March 8, 1799, at Wadesboro, Anson County, NC, he married Mary Alford, who was born in Monroe County, Virginia in 1773. They brought their family to what is now Big Sandy Creek in Roane County, WV and built a log cabin in 1810. John acquired a tract of land on the Elk River in what is now Clay County, WV and built a low head dam to divert water for a grist mill about 1825. John operated this mill for about nine years before selling out to Samuel Samples and moving back to Big Sandy Creek. John's name is listed John Wiley Ashley in at least one record. Dawson's "Twistabout and Thereabout" says that a W. Ashley bought 400 acres of land across the Elk River from the land owned by John Ashley. This land was bought by Samuel Samples at about the same time he bought theJohn Ashley property.
- A Mr. Ashley owned 400 acres of land along the south side of Elk River, opposite to the land that John Ashley owned. Samuel also bought this tract of land. In the year 1850 Samuel and Jane Samples, his wife, made a deed, conveying a part of their land to John Samples. This deed was acknowledged by Alexander Good and Alexander S. Waugh, who were serving as justices of the peace at that time. The last will and testament of Samuel Samples is recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the Clay County Court of Clay County, West Virginia, in Will Book No. 1, at page two.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Find A Grave.
- Don Norman. Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants, Inc.
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