The Life Of George Holcomb – Settling Father’s Estate

Monday: I walked to Mr. Jordan Booge’s and read father’s will to Squire E. F. Booge, and he advised me to get a settlement with the heirs and then I agreed with him to write a bond to bind all of us heirs to abide by the disposal of Father’s property. I returned home and told brother Wm that he must fix for to go to the westward if wc three, Sylvester, Eleanor, and we two do agree that you and Beriah shall choose those men and we do agree thereto and of Sisters Lucretia Wylie and Myriam Cammel thereto do agree, this is what we are undertaking to do. Tonight Sylvester fetched Daniel Moulton’s pack from the widow Douglas for Wm to have to go the before-mentioned journey. Wm and myself made out eighteen dollars for him expenses by taking five dollars and 62 cents of the money that Father left.
Tuesday: This morning I walked down to Capt Andrew Hunter’s and got a letter that I went to him yesterday to have him write to my brother and two sisters to the westward, advising them to have a settlement with the rest of the heirs and to bind us all in a bond to abide by the disposal of our deceased Father’s estate. I called to Wm Bailey’s a few minutes and I called in to Mr. Booge’s and then I came home and Wm took breakfast early and then he took a horse rode round as the road goes and I took his pack on my back and went over the hill and met him near Ancil Marrows, and then I took the horse and rode home and Wm went on his journey, as is before mentioned, on to our brother and sisters.
This afternoon I received a line from E. F. Booge. His request was for me to come to his father’s house and be his bale, for his father had swore the piece against him, but I refused to be his bale, but I walked to the pool with him to Squ. J. Bull’s, according to his request, but he was not tried.
Thursday, April 5, 1824: This morning brother Beriah came from Brutus, but we could not come to a settlement concerning settling our father’s estate. He would not give Wm and me a discharge unless we paid him 200 dollars, but we offered him one hundred dollars to come to a settlement, and we could not agree. We then offered him the offer that Wm did when he went to Brutus, that is to leave it out to indifferent men to judge for us, but brother Beriah would not and bid us good by and said he must be going home. We then told him the law had directed us how to settle the estate. This evening John Wylie and myself rode over to General Hosey Moffetts to inquire of him whether Father’s will was sound, and he informed me it was. He likewise told me that brother Beriah had been to him for counsel, and he advised him to leave it out for different men to judge, and he said that he would send brother Beriah to our house tomorrow, to agree on the men, and then we came home.