HEARING OF ISAAC DANCY - INCLUDES SLAVE LIST
Haywood County Chancery Court records. Copies
provided by Reese Moses, Haywood County Genealogist.
Transcribed, as found, without editing, by j.d. , September,
1999.
Haywood County Tennessee
Chancery Court
Book 3 , page 290
TUESDAY, AUGUST 23rd 1859
Abner Martin & wife Rebecca
Warren Wyatt & wife Susan
Robert Lemon & wife Mildred
John H Dancey Elizabeth Lay
Sarah Pulley & Ann Dancey
vs.
Isaac Dancey, Mary Dancey
Alexander Dancey, Samuel
Martin & Mary Martin
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Be it remembered that this cause came on to be heard on the 23 d of August 1859 before the Hon Isaac B Williams Chancellor on Bill answers, after proof duly served upon them, of all the Defendants Exhibits and proofs when it appeared to the Court that Isaac Dancey has by the verdict of a jury on an inquisition of lunacy from this Court been declared of unsound mind and his property placed under the control of William A Tanner as Guardian and also that there is no probability of his being restored to soundness of mind - It also appeared that said Isaac Dancey is seized and possessed of the several tracts of land mentioned in the Bill consisting of about 712 acres and thus described (Note: the description of the tracts of land have not been listed in this transcription since they were fully listed in the March 1, 1859 transcribed document - the land description is the only text not included in this court document. ed.)
He is also the owner of the following slaves David aged about 46 years, Jim about 30, Tom 28, Anderson 21, Burrell 20, Moses 20, Andrew 19, Jordan 10, George 7, Henry 7, Polly 60, Mandy 25, Lucy 22, Harriett 18, Lucinda 40, and child about 18 months, Caroline 12 years Emelino 4 and Jane 2, also various other personal property - It also appears that Defendant Mary Dancy is the widow of said Isaac and that the Complainants John H Dancey, Rebecca Martin, Susan Wyatt Ann Dancey, Mildred Lemon Elizabeth Lay Sarah Pulley and Mildred Lay children of said Isaac and a defendant Alexander Dancy‚ a son of said Isaac and Samuel and Mary Martin (children of Mary Martin decd a daughter of said Isaac) would be the heirs and next of Kin of said Isaac Dancy were he to die intestate - And it further appeared that there is in existence no will at all of said Isaac Dancey - Also that the before mentioned property is more than sufficient for the use of said Isaac Dancey and His wife the said Mary - And it also appears that it will be manifestily for the interest of the said Isaac Dancey and his family as well as of those who will be his heirs and next of Kin that the remainder of said property after setting apart a sufficiency for the said Isaac and his wife be partitioned & distributed among those who will be the heirs and next of Kin of said Isaac Dancey
It is therefore ordered adjudged & declared by the Court that Robert S Thomas the County Surveyor or his deputy, Henry L Douglas Thomas A Adams Oliver Alexander and William B Pureto(?) (any three of whom including the County Surveyor or his deputy may act) be and they are hereby appointed commissioners that they ascertain the amount and present value of the Estate of said Isaac Dancey - and that they set apart out of said property both real and personal ample means for the support maintenance care and comfort of the said Isaac Dancey and also ample means for the support maintenance care and comfort of his wife the said Mary Dancey and for her years support dower and distribution share in case she should survive him - and that they report to the next term of this Court showing in their report specifically what land they have set apart for said Isaac and what for said Mary with a full description thereof and also what slaves and other personal property they have set apart for each - and that they also show what lands slaves and other personal property of said Estate remain after setting apart a sufficiency for said Isaac and for said Mary - And that they also state in said report whether the remaining land and slaves can be partitioned and distributed among the heirs and next of Kin of said Isaac Dancey without a sale or whether it will be necessary to sell said land and slaves or either.
This document, with the exception of one
name, has reverted back to the 1600’s spelling of Dancy (i.e. Dancey)
‚ This is the only name in the document spelling this
surname in the modern form, Dancy, without the ‘e’.
Note: Isaac Dancy had a stroke of paralysis in 1857, from which he became incapable of managing his affairs. This court document is one of several where the court appointed a guardian, inventoried his real and personal property and made distribution to his legal heirs before his death. Although the documents lists slaves, by first name and age , no records have been found to indicate where they ended living, whether sold or distributed, within the family.
Public Document, transcription Copyrighted(c) 1999 - jkd