SC, COLE, Thomas, 1816, Will

When Richard FONDREN left South Carolina we don't know where he went first.

By 1816 he was in Franklin County, Tennessee from which he sent a power of attorney for Jesse Fondren to claim his wife's inheritance from the estate of Thomas Cole back in Spartanburgh. Eventually Richard and his wife, Sarah COLE, got to Lawrence County, Tennessee where the Foust's also settled. There is no record of Richard's death, but Sarah was still living, at 85, at the time of the 1850 census. She was the grandmother in John Manson Foust's home, living with her daughter, Judy, and her son-in-law, Christopher.

Sarah Cole's father, Thomas, died in 1816. He had an intact will, dated 20 Feb 1816, but several of his heirs wanted the will "set aside," because they said they "were taken at a surprise." It took until 1818 to settle the estate, at which time the executors, his son Thomas and his son in law, William Dewberry, "produced from under the hand of Nancy Guiton and Polly Arendale," a document stating that they would abide by the settlement. The will abstract reads as follows:

Last will and testament of Thomas COLE of Spartanburgh Dist; rec. 19 Apr 1816;
... to son Obadiah Cole, all my land and plantation where I now live, to take care of his father and mother; ... my daughter Patsey has recd as follows which is to be reduced from her part; the rest of my heirs is as follows: Mary ARENDALE, Sarah FONDREN, Grove COLE, Susannah COOPER, Nancy GUITON, Elizabeth DEWBERRY, John Cole, Patsey KENADY, Thomas; William Dewberry and Thomas Cole,
Exrs; 20 Feb 1816; Thomas Cole (seal)
Wit: Thomas Arendale, Silas Cooper, James Cooper (X).
Proven by Silas Cooper and James Cooper 16 Apr 1816 and qualified Exrs; W. Lancaster Ord. S. D.
(Will Book A, pp. 86-88, Spartanburg Co., SC)

Richard Fondren and his wife Sarah were in Tennessee, so Richard gave his power of attorney to his brother Jesse. The abstract reads as follows:

State of Tennessee, Franklin County.
Richard Fondren of State and county aforesaid appoints Jesse Fondren his attorney to demand from the "state" (sic) of Thomas Cole deceased from executors of said estate, all my legacy, dated 18 Oct 1816.
Richard Fondren,
Wit: William Fondrin Senior, William Fondrin Junior.
Proved by the oath of William Fondrin 11 Nov 1816 before J. Camp, J.P.
(Deed Book P, page 149, Spartanburg County, SC)

The sale of a portion of Thomas COLE's property on the 7th and 8th of February, 1817, shows the amount received to be $740.80 1/4, and included: 1 close brush, 1 cotton wheel, 1 churn, a pair of fire dogs, 100 lbs of bacon, 1 hogs head, 1 old barrel, old pewter, Bible and hymn book, flat iron, old tools, 3 weeding hoes, 4 beds, 2 coffee pots, blankets, quilts and sheets, 2 table cloths, numerous other articles of furniture and household items, numerous farm animals and farm equipment, and 1 negro boy Sam, 1 negro girl Selvy. Other slaves, as well as land, were not sold, but went directly to the heirs. The will states that his "daughter Patsey has received as follows which is to be deducted out of her part one horse twenty five dollars one umbrella seven and a half one trunk seven dollars."
	This man, Thomas Cole, signed his will with his mark (X), yet he had accumulated all this property, served in the South Carolina Militia "since the fall of Charleston as private and lieutenant in Roebuck's Regiment of Anderson's Return," (for which service he received twenty pounds, two shillings and one penny half penny on August 2, 1786), and raised a large family.

Contributed by: spice3@juno.com (Susan S. Buckley)