Richard Bennett III

Another researcher has posted this information and I am sharing it with you guys.
I will write him for sources to connect William "Buck" Bennett - to James Bennett (Richard III's son). / I am inclined to agree with him that Thomas Bennett (who shows on my paperwork) is NOT part of our direct line. William's birth date and Thomas death date cause a problem. Perhaps Thomas is a cousin??)

Birth: about 1717
Isle of Wight, Virginia, United States

Will: 3 August 1764
Bute, North Carolina, United States

Death: 3 August 1764
Bute County, Franklin, North Carolina, United States


Will:
Edit jlbennett
* o WARREN CO, NC RECORDS VI p. 1 WB 1, page 3 Will of RICHARD BENNITT Dated 3 August 1764 Recd. August Court 1764 Wife ANN BENNITT, Dau. Christian Langston, wife of Absolem Langston. Dau Sarah Langston, wife of Solomon Langston. Daus: Martha, Ann and Amey Bennitt. Sons: Richard, Mark, William, Moses, and James Bennitt. Exors: Wife ANN BENNITT and sons Mark and William Bennitt (Bennet). Wit: James Thompson, Susanah Malone, Drusilla Thompson. Will of RICHARD BENNETT Bute Co. North Carolina 1764

In the name of God amen I RICHARD BENNITT of the County of Bute and Colony of North Carolina - Being through the abundant mercy of God tho Weak in Body yet of a sound an perfect understanding and Memory and knowing the Uncertainty of this Life and that all men Must Die and Return to their Mother Earth Do Constitute this my last will and Testament and Desire it may be taken as Such by al Imprimis I most Humbly Bequeath my Soul to God my Maker Beseeching his most gracious Acceptance of it through the all Sufficient merits and meditation of my most Compassionate Redeemer Jesus Christ in this hope and Confidence I Render my Soul with Comfort and Imprimus and as for my Body I give to the Earth from whence it was taken in full assurance of its Resurrection from thence at the Last Day and as for my Burial I Desire that It may be ordered in a Decent manner at the Direction of my Executors Here after named and as to my worldly goods which it hath been please God to bestow on fare above my deserving I will and positively order that all my Debts that in Right and Conscience I owe to any man be paid in Convenient Time after my Decease by my Executors Hereafter named #3 *

Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Christian Langston The wife of Absalom Langston one Bed and furniture *
Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Langston the wife of Solomon Langston five Shilling Sterling money *
Item I give and bequeath to my son Richard Bonit foure head of cattle and foure head of Sheep and my Shue maker tools and one sithe *
Item I give and bequeath to my Son Mark Bennit five shillings Sterling money *
Item I give and Bequeath to my Son William Bonnit one Negro Boy Named Robin *
Item I give and bequeath to my Son Moses Bennitt one Bed and Furniture and three head of cattle and my Riding Mare *
Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Martha Bennitt one Natural Paceing Mare Colt one Cow and Calf two Dishes *
Item I give and Bequeath to my Son James Bonnit one Negro girl named Jean and Her increase *
Item I give and Bequeath to my Daughter Ann Bonnit one Cow and Calf *
Item I give and Bequeathe to my Daughter Amey Bennit one Cow and Calf *
Item I give and Bequeath to my Loveing wife ANN BONNIT the use of my Whole Estate Dureing Life or Widdow Hood My Desire is and will is that all the Remainder of my Estate that I have not all Ready given What so Ever or Where So Ever after the Limited time to be Equally Divided Between my three Daughters to wit Martha Ann and Amey Further more my will and Desire is that my three Sons to witt Richard Mark and William Shall Divide the Same *
Item I do hereby ordain Constitute and appoint my Loveing wife ANN BENNITT Mark Bennitt and William Bennitt my whole and Sole Executors of this my Last will and Testament utterly Disannuling all former Wills here to fore by me made.


In witness whereof I have here unto Set my hand and affixed My Seal this third Day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven Hundred Sixty and foure. Signed Seald and Delivered In the Presence of us James Thompson Susannah Malone Drucilla Thompson Bute County for August Court 1764 This will was proved by the Oaths of James Thompson and Drucilla Thompson two of the Subscribing witnesses thereby and on Motion it was ordered to be Recorded and then ANN BENNET Execut and Mark Bennett and William Bennett Executors therein amed Qualified as such which on Motion was ordered to be Ceritified Ben M CCullock CC 1755 Granville Co, NC Tax List- Joseph Mangum Samuel Mangum & Jno. Tomson, 2-0-2 Wm Mangum, Sons Wm &: James, 3-0-3 Richard Bennit & Son Richard, Negroe Moll, 2-1-3 Jno. Langston, Sons James, Joseph & Solomon & Negroe Arnus(?), 4-1-5

info:

The Langston families, the Mangum families & the Bennett families appear to have migrated to North Carolina about the same time, and lived in the same area, as well as later in South Carolina.

Mabel Bulloch Harry

Grandmother Harry must have been an interesting lady. Mother says she was a gifted pianist and vocalist. She sang in churches all over the county. I really need to ask mother to write something from her perspective. My first hand memories are few. Most are from stories mother shared and from Grandmother's wedding journal.

There are copies of telegrams, notecards and other items that can be added. Everyone can enjoy them as much as I do. There is a tiny photo of Grandmother that is so small that it may not print well. Brittany could have been her twin at the same age. Other pictures show her as a confident young woman.

My favorite item tells part of their wedding story. I have bored my kids with it too often. Reading the letter tells a story better than I can retell it. There are a few love notes and poems Granddaddy wrote to Grandmama. Plus sweet notes from children written to her after she moved to New Orleans with her young groom.

The wedding album was on top of the bookcases in Granddaddy's library. When I showed it to him, he sat down in his kitchen and read the lovenotes to Grandmother he had tears in his eyes. That day he gave me the wedding album. He said if I didn't take it then I would never see it again. He was right. It is too precious to keep to myself.

The newspaper clippings about Grandmother's wedding are so interesting. She is described as "pure as the driven snow". Grandmother's bridesmaids wore brown dresses. I promised Ashley I would send her copies of the newspaper writeups. I must do that!

I keep meaning to write to Grandmother's college to get a copy of her transcript. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what classes she took in college. The college made me copy of her Senior yearbook picture.


Mama told me something about Grandmother's senior class having a reception at the Governor's mansion when she graduated from college. I pictured a trip to Atlanta; however, when I did some research I learned that Milledgeville had been the State Capitol during the early 1800's through the end of the Civil War. In 1889, the Georgia Normal & Industrial College was chartered as a two-year college emphasizing teacher training and business skills. As I dug a little more and learned that students lived in the "old Governor's Mansion" when the college was founded. Perhaps by the time Grandmother was a student, a dormitory had been built and the reception may have been on campus in the renovated "Governor's Mansion". (To me - putting little pieces of history together with family stories is interesting.)
























This the the Governor's Mansion. It is still in use at "Georgia College" as the school is known today.
Maybe Gaye or Barb will make a road trip and find some interesting information there.


I also found the thank you letter that Mrs Bloomfield wrote to Grandmother for naming Margaret, Margaret Bloomfield Harry, after her late husband. I should send it to one of the Thompson's - but I don't know who would value it the most. It will fall apart with much handling.

It is easy to know both Grandmother and Granddaddy valued education. Their brothers and sisters had college educations. So they made sure that their children did also. Mother finished Agnes Scott College in Atlanta. Aunt Margaret finished Duke in Durhan, NC. Uncle Henry finished the University of Georgia.

John Henry Poteat

A while back I sent everyone a copy of this photos of John Henry Poteat (my great grandfather) and my Grandmama Bennett (Patie Poteat Bennett) in an email. I also sent a copy to Aunt Lois. This is her reply.

"The pictures of Grandpa Poteat and Mama were not new to me, naturally. Jim had the pictures from way back, of course. Grandpa and Grandma Poteat had this big farm in the "Flatwoods" area, raised cotton, and, of course corn, apple trees, etc., Everything people used to have.

When Grandpa was way past retirement age, they sold the big farm and bought the old Cherokee Springs Hotel (at one time this was a Spa with Natural Springs that people used to visit for treatment purposes, I suppose.) The Spa eventually went out of business and they bought the Hotel, living on the bottom floor, and made two or three apartments out of the top floor which they rented out to teachers who taught at the school there.

I think I told you at one time about Grandpa entertaining me and my baby sister, Evelyn (who died before Jim), by taking us out to the back steps of the hotel where we cracked walnuts gathered from a tree in the big pasture in back of the hotel...Grandpa would tell us scary tales and we always just sat and
listened with our eyes wide open, just waiting for the time when he would yell "got'cha!"...and he never failed to do it. Remember, I told you that he always sang the song, "Jim, Jim, frisky Jim, gotta get a rope and tie him...Jim, Jim, frisky Jim"....all I can remember right now. He always had peppermint stick candy on hand..never out of it. Across the road in front of the hotel there was a small grocery store and Grandpa would go across and play checkers with some fellows in the front of the store...there was always someone ready to play.

Daddy (WG Bennett) had to work every day of the week, including Sunday, so Ruby, then Jim, then me (after I got my driving license) would drive Mama down to Grandma's house to see her. The kitchen was down a big hall on around a bend to the back (and it was always cold in there after the stove cooled off ..it was a big, tall stove with a warming oven over the top where Grandma kept fried chicken and ginger bread..I loved that ginger bread).

Grandpa developed rheumatoid arthritis...and Mama had it...I have it now in both hands. I am sure I have it in my back. I've had cortisone shots in my right shoulder..starting to need another soon, but, heck, I'm still here, as smart aleck and frisky as ever.... must be like my Grandpa Poteat and Mama!!!

Grandpa's got really bad, stayed in one place and eventually his right arm was so bent it finally stayed that way. He was in a lot of pain and the family took turns helping Grandma. I remember my cousin Alice and I staying together at the same time...we enjoyed it because we loved our Grandparents. (poor Grandpa would cry with pain when we had to help Grandma bathe him and dress him) This is just something that families did.

By the way, when Mama was quite young, Grandpa carried her to a fair (or circus..or something like that) and there was a girl who rode two horses at the same time .. horses side by side with the girl with one foot on each (standing up!!)...my Mama!!! I'm sure I have told you this story before."