His definition of Amanuensis is: Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
Today’s subject is the Last Will and Testament of John Rogers, 1856. 1
John Rogers]
Last Will ]
Page 137
State of Mississippi Desoto County I John Rodgers of the State and County above written being Sound in Mind and memory but feeble in body and my health declining Knowing man has once to die an being possesses of some property do make and divide the same between my wife and Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers in the following manner viz:
First My Soul to God who gave it and my body to the earth from it came
2nd To pay all my just debts.
Thirdly To my Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers I give a Negro Boy I call Aaron to be his own to have and said Negro Boy a Slave to be for Daniel Alexander Rodgers own personal and benefit clear of all claims from any and all persons which said Negro boy slave will nearly make him my Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers equal to my other Sons by my first wife having given each of my first more than what I now will and give to Daniel Alexander Rodgers and also only equal with my daughters by my first wife or hardly So much. Having given to each of my first children their share as they left me, and I consider each and all of them my first children have received their equal share and have no more claim on my estate which I give to Daniel Alexander Rodgers & his Mother Mary Rodgers in the following manner.
Fourthly I give to my wife Mary Rodgers and her son Daniel A. Rodgers the quarter section of land on which I live to be equally divided between them only giving the Mother Mary Rodgers choice the quarter of land to be divided South and North Known as the South East quarter of Section Eighteen Township Six of Range Six West of the Basic Meridian of the Choctaw Cession. Also, I give unto my son David A. Rodgers and Mary Rodgers his Mother one half section of land lying and being in the State of Texas County of Upshur Situated on the North Side and near the little Cypress(?) about ten or twelve miles West of the Cherokee trace, it being the quantity of land to which David Stinson was entitled to by virtue of certificate No. (51) fifty one the deed for Said land I have and give to my Son and his Mother Said half Section of land to be equally divided between Son and Mother, the Son to have choice of quarter this time. I also give my wife Mary Rodgers & my Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers all my stock Viz” Two horses Two Cows and four yearlings Twenty head of Stock hogs,twenty head of Sheep what Corn Meth & fodder is now on my place and all my farming tools and wagon wheat and potatoes every thing belonging to the place I give them and for their use and benefit and nothing to be sold off the place.
Also I give to my wife and Son Daniel A. Rodgers Two Notes or Notes in my possession for Two hundred Dollars to be equally divided between them when Collected, Daniel’s part to be put on interest until he come of age(21) years Twenty one years old. Also I have three Negro Slaves in my possession which belongs to my wife Mary Rodgers, who was Mary Purvis before I married her, who was Mary McNeal before she married Purvis and these Three negro Slaves Mary, Jane and Ellen my wife has hired which said Negros I have no right nor no claim to in any way or form they the Said Negros belong to my wife Mary Rodgers and her children and not to me nor mine. But I consider Daniel Alexander Rodgers to share equally with his half Brothers & Sisters in Said Negroes Slaves Mary, Jane& Ellen the Negroes having come by his Mothers.
I also appoint my wife Mary Rodgers my Executrix and Guardian for our Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto fixed my hand and Seal this 22nd day of February 1856 Eighteen hundred and fifty-six in the presence of us Signed
David T. White John X (his mark) Rodgers {seal}
T. J. Downs
The State of Mississippi}
Desoto County} In the Probate Court of said County at the February term 1857 thereof
In the matter of a certain instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament of John Rodgers late of said county dec’d.
Be it remembered that at a term of the Probate Court of said County begun and held at the Court House in and for said County on the first Monday in February A D 1857 personally appeared in open Court Alfred McKinney, David T. White and T. J. Downs Subscribing witnesses to a certain instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament of John Rodgers late of said County dec’d. bearing date the 22nd day of February A D 1856 who having first been duly Sworn deposed as follows the Said Alfred McKinney deposed and said that said John Rodgers Signed and Sealed the same as his last Will and Testament in the presence of this deponent, that he saw David T. White one of the subscribing Witnesses Sign the Same in the presence of Said testator, and at his request and that he this deponent Signed the same as a witness thereto in the presence of Said testator, The said T. J. Downs deposed and Said that said testator acknowledged his Signature to said instrument& that he Signed the same as his last Will and testament, and that he this deponent Signed the Same as a witness thereto in the presence and at the request of Said Testator And the Said David T. White deposed and said that Said testator acknowledged his Signature to said instrument, that he Signed the Same as his Last Will and testament and that he this deponent Signed the same as a Witness in the presence of Said testator and in the presence of Alfred McKinney one of the Subscribing witnesses thereto, and all and each of said deponents agree and Sat that said Testator was at the time of Signing Said instrument of Sound disposing mind and memory,more than twenty one years of age and a citizen of Desoto County Mississippi.
Sworn & Subscribed in } Alfred McKinney
Open Court February} Thos. J. Downs
R. R. West, Clk} David T. White
State of Mississippi Desoto County I John Rodgers of the State and County above written being Sound in Mind and memory but feeble in body and my health declining Knowing man has once to die an being possesses of some property do make and divide the same between my wife and Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers in the following manner viz:
First My Soul to God who gave it and my body to the earth from it came
2nd To pay all my just debts.
Thirdly To my Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers I give a Negro Boy I call Aaron to be his own to have and said Negro Boy a Slave to be for Daniel Alexander Rodgers own personal and benefit clear of all claims from any and all persons which said Negro boy slave will nearly make him my Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers equal to my other Sons by my first wife having given each of my first more than what I now will and give to Daniel Alexander Rodgers and also only equal with my daughters by my first wife or hardly So much. Having given to each of my first children their share as they left me, and I consider each and all of them my first children have received their equal share and have no more claim on my estate which I give to Daniel Alexander Rodgers & his Mother Mary Rodgers in the following manner.
Fourthly I give to my wife Mary Rodgers and her son Daniel A. Rodgers the quarter section of land on which I live to be equally divided between them only giving the Mother Mary Rodgers choice the quarter of land to be divided South and North Known as the South East quarter of Section Eighteen Township Six of Range Six West of the Basic Meridian of the Choctaw Cession. Also, I give unto my son David A. Rodgers and Mary Rodgers his Mother one half section of land lying and being in the State of Texas County of Upshur Situated on the North Side and near the little Cypress(?) about ten or twelve miles West of the Cherokee trace, it being the quantity of land to which David Stinson was entitled to by virtue of certificate No. (51) fifty one the deed for Said land I have and give to my Son and his Mother Said half Section of land to be equally divided between Son and Mother, the Son to have choice of quarter this time. I also give my wife Mary Rodgers & my Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers all my stock Viz” Two horses Two Cows and four yearlings Twenty head of Stock hogs,twenty head of Sheep what Corn Meth & fodder is now on my place and all my farming tools and wagon wheat and potatoes every thing belonging to the place I give them and for their use and benefit and nothing to be sold off the place.
Also I give to my wife and Son Daniel A. Rodgers Two Notes or Notes in my possession for Two hundred Dollars to be equally divided between them when Collected, Daniel’s part to be put on interest until he come of age(21) years Twenty one years old. Also I have three Negro Slaves in my possession which belongs to my wife Mary Rodgers, who was Mary Purvis before I married her, who was Mary McNeal before she married Purvis and these Three negro Slaves Mary, Jane and Ellen my wife has hired which said Negros I have no right nor no claim to in any way or form they the Said Negros belong to my wife Mary Rodgers and her children and not to me nor mine. But I consider Daniel Alexander Rodgers to share equally with his half Brothers & Sisters in Said Negroes Slaves Mary, Jane& Ellen the Negroes having come by his Mothers.
I also appoint my wife Mary Rodgers my Executrix and Guardian for our Son Daniel Alexander Rodgers.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto fixed my hand and Seal this 22nd day of February 1856 Eighteen hundred and fifty-six in the presence of us Signed
David T. White John X (his mark) Rodgers {seal}
T. J. Downs
The State of Mississippi}
Desoto County} In the Probate Court of said County at the February term 1857 thereof
In the matter of a certain instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament of John Rodgers late of said county dec’d.
Be it remembered that at a term of the Probate Court of said County begun and held at the Court House in and for said County on the first Monday in February A D 1857 personally appeared in open Court Alfred McKinney, David T. White and T. J. Downs Subscribing witnesses to a certain instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament of John Rodgers late of said County dec’d. bearing date the 22nd day of February A D 1856 who having first been duly Sworn deposed as follows the Said Alfred McKinney deposed and said that said John Rodgers Signed and Sealed the same as his last Will and Testament in the presence of this deponent, that he saw David T. White one of the subscribing Witnesses Sign the Same in the presence of Said testator, and at his request and that he this deponent Signed the same as a witness thereto in the presence of Said testator, The said T. J. Downs deposed and Said that said testator acknowledged his Signature to said instrument& that he Signed the same as his last Will and testament, and that he this deponent Signed the Same as a witness thereto in the presence and at the request of Said Testator And the Said David T. White deposed and said that Said testator acknowledged his Signature to said instrument, that he Signed the Same as his Last Will and testament and that he this deponent Signed the same as a Witness in the presence of Said testator and in the presence of Alfred McKinney one of the Subscribing witnesses thereto, and all and each of said deponents agree and Sat that said Testator was at the time of Signing Said instrument of Sound disposing mind and memory,more than twenty one years of age and a citizen of Desoto County Mississippi.
Sworn & Subscribed in } Alfred McKinney
Open Court February} Thos. J. Downs
R. R. West, Clk} David T. White
About 1835, William Purvis married Mary ‘Polly’ McNeal in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Their first born child a daughter, Margaret Frances Purvis, married Lewis L. Freeman, son of Jesse Freeman and Sarah Jane Davis.
Between February 1837 (birth of Margaret) and Jan 1842 (birth of William Augustus) William and Mary moved their family to DeSota County, Mississippi. It was in Mississippi that William Augustus, Julie S. and James Monroe Purvis was born to this union.
Sometime between the conception (Jan 1843) of James Monroe and December 1846, William Purvis died leaving Mary, a Widow, with four small children.
On 31 December 1846, Mary Purvis, widow, married John Rogers (Widower). They had one child, a son, Daniel Alexander Rodgers.
John Rogers wrote his Last Will and Testament on 22 February 1856. John Rogers Will contains a real significant genealogical gem: “my wife Mary Rodgers, who was Mary Purvis before I married her, who was Mary McNeal before she married Purvis.” 2
John Rogers died between the writing of his Will and December 1856. 3 Mary ‘Polly’ McNeal Purvis Rogers died 18 March 1895 in Lingleville, Erath, Texas.
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[1] "Mississippi, Probate Records, 1781-1930," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-30945-632-1?cc=2036959&wc=M7MF-6TP:344534201,344541701 : accessed 02 Dec 2014), DeSoto > Wills 1851-1870 vol 1 > image 84 of 264; county courthouses and public libraries, Mississippi.
[2] Ibid.
[2] "Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89Q8-F77G?cc=2036959&wc=M7MN-62S%3A344534201%2C344574901 : 21 May 2014), DeSoto > image 85 of 296; county courthouses and public libraries, Mississippi.
That is quite a gem, giving her maiden name and first married name!
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