ESTATE PAPERS Of ARCHIBALD BLACK
Died in GADSDEN COUNTY, FLORIDA Before MARCH 14, 1839

Submitted by Chris &Liz Frano



Who Was ARCHIBALD BLACK?

The answer is found in this letter written in 1908 by R.R. MacMILLAN To REV. WILLIAM BLACK.

The following typed copy of a letter from R.R. MacMillan to Rev. William Black was contributed by Mrs. Florah Black Belknap of Sun City, Arizona.

To the Rev. Wm. Black Dundarrock, N.C. Jan. 18, 1908, Angus Black, your Grandfather, was not related by consanquinity to Alex Black, Arch Black and James Black mentioned in my former sketch; but your Grandmother, Margaret Black, was related as follows: Her father was Alex Black's Brother, but we are not sure whether her father was Arch Black or Neill Black, probably Neill Black.

*We know MARGARET BLACK, wife of ANGUS BLACK, was the daughter of ARCHIBALD BLACK from his 1839, Gadsden Co., Florida Estate papers.

Mrs. Sallie McPherson who lived on Stewart's Creek on Camden Road eleven miles west of Fayetteville was twin sister of Margaret Black your grandmother and moved to the State of Mississippi then a territory now you have the connecting link. Your grandmother's father was a whole brother of my great-grandfather Alex Black who was killed by Col. Thomas Wade in revenge for the attack by Mccrainey at Piney Bottom. The Margaret Black mentioned in my first sketch who married a Monroe was a daughter of Alex Black. She did marry Malcolm Monroe and lived and owned Jackson Springs (Inn) in Moore County but left and went west. Your grandmother Margaret and our grandmother Isabel Black (McCrimmon)were first cousins. This information I have from my sister Kate MacMillan , and is correct as she got it from our grandmother Isabel Black who married Roderick McCrimmon as stated before. She(Isabel McCrimmon) lived to see the end of the War Between the States and died February 21, 1866 aged 88. Our grandmother MacMillan died two days before February 19, 1866 aged 88 and both died in the same house. <This reference is to R.R. McMILLAN's grandmother.>

Hope I have this history correct and am confident the connection is true. The widow of Alex Black (Mary Patterson) always said the man who killed her husband was a Lucas from Anson County. I have often heard our grandmother speak of Lucas and I think he was a mulatto or not white. P.S. Mrs. Sallie Macpherson was the grandmother of Alex Macpherson late of C.S.A. of cumberland county. Calvin Black, your father, often told me that Alex Black was his granduncle, There were four brothers instead of three mentioned first. I never heard of Neill Black till my sister corrected me. I would be glad for you to get this information in shape and publish it. These men and women were good people and church people. I have always wished to see it in print and now we have the opportunity. Remember me in your devotions. R.R. MacMillan

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES TO ARCHIBALD BLACK

From Eli Caruthers, "THE OLD NORTH STATE"

pg 202."I saw a man, by the name of ARCHIBALD BLACK, who had been shot down and afterwards received some blows on the head with a sword. He died a few years ago in Florida. The charge had lodged in his shoulder, and, as the ball was never extracted he generally complained of some inconvenience. At the same time a brother of his was killed, and probably others who are now forgotten."

Pg. 97. "...but just at that moment they heard the firing of guns over at ALEXANDER BLACK's, where the other party had gone."There", they exclaimed, clapping their hands together, "there they have caught ALEXANDER BLACK."

Rassie E. WICKER in his book, "MISACELLANEOUS ANCIENT RECORDS OF MOORE COUNTY, NC" page 312, blended the brothers ALEXANDER & ARCHIBALD BLACK's stories of the day they were shot in the retaliation for the massacre at Piney Bottom.

INTRODUCTION TO ESTATE PAPERS of ARCHIBALD BLACK

I found the Estate Papers of ARCHIBALD BLACK the summer of 1998 in a shoebox in a vault of the Gadsden County Court House, at Quincy, Florida. In December of 1999 I returned to the Gadsden County Court House to recopy papers that had not been copied clearly the first time. Since my first visit the original papers have been put on microfilm.

BLACK family members mentioned in ARCHIBALD BLACK's ESTATE PAPERS

- ARCHIBALD BLACK died in Gadsden County, Florida before March 14, 1839.

- ARCHIBALD BLACK and his wife MARGARET moved from Cumberland County, North Carolina about 1835 to Gadsden County, Florida. Their adult children, NEILL, JAMES, and CATHERINE moved with their families to Gadsden County, Florida with their parents.

- In ARCHIBALD BLACK's Estate papers his wife MARGARET is listed. At this point in time I have not discovered the maiden name of ARCHIBALD'S wife, MARGARET. The only hint we might have to her maiden name is her signature on a receipt of April 18th 1844. I believe it says, "MARGARET C. BLACK".

The estate is divided into 1/6ths for the children of ARCHIBALD BLACK and MARGARET. These children are numbered 1 through 6 below. They are not in birth order as this is unknown at this time.

1) MARGARET BLACK (wife of ANGUS BLACK) - One of the ARCHIBALD BLACK estate paper receipts dated Nov. 17, 1845, was signed, "JAMES CROW Atty. for HUGH BROWN Administrator of the estate of MARGARET BLACK one of the heirs of the above estate". This MARGARET BLACK is the daughter of ARCHIBALD BLACK and MARGARET and the widow of ANGUS BLACK.

The following information on the MARGARET BLACK and ANGUS BLACK family comes from the family Bible of ANGUS and MARGARET BLACK and their son, CALVIN BLACK's, family Bible.

- MARGARET BLACK's birth date is written as December the 2nd 1792 and died November 27, 1835, Robeson County, North Carolina.

- ANGUS BLACK and MARGARET BLACK were married January 11, 1811, Cumberland County, North Carolina.

- I don't know at this point who the parents of ANGUS BLACK are. In the Robeson County, North Carolina 1830 census he and his family appear as; 1 male under 5, 1male 10/15, 1 male 60/70, 2 female under 5, 1 female 10/15, 1 female15/20, 1 female 30/40, 1 female 70/80.

- MARGARET BLACK (wife of ANGUS BLACK) was the twin sister of SARAH BLACK.

- MARGARET BLACK's husband, ANGUS BLACK, d. April 23rd 1831, Robeson County, North Carolina.

- In the ARCHIBALD BLACK Estate papers money is left to the children of ANGUS and MARGARET BLACK.

Children named in the estate paper are:

- (A) CALVIN BLACK who married FLORA BUNTING McQUEEN, April 12th 1855.

- (B) CATHERINE BLACK who married HUGH BROWN, Oct. 31st 1832.

- (C) CAROLINE BLACK.

- (D) SARAH BLACK who married DANIL/DANIEL McNEILL/McNEAL.

- (E) MARY A. BLACK who married ALEXANDER McPHERSON, Jr., June 29th 1834.

- Two other sons of MARGARET BLACK and ANGUS BLACK were not named in Estate Papers. They are:

- (F) DUNCAN BLACK, b. July 14th 1814.

- (G) ANGUS BLACK, Jr., b. Sept, 21st 1821, d. Sept. 21st 1821.

2) CATHERINE BLACK who married JOHN McDOUGALD in Cumberland County, North Carolina on March 23, 1819. CATHERINE BLACK the 1840 census is living next door to her brother, NEILL BLACK in Gadsden County, Florida.)

3) NEILL BLACK married SARAH THOMAS in Cumberland County, North Carolina, September 29, 1827. On 1840 Gadsden County, Florida census NEILL'S mother, MARGARET BLACK, age between 70 and 80, is living with him.

4) JAMES BLACK married (1st) SUSAN CAMPBELL in Cumberland County, North Carolina, October 13, 1827. (2nd) ELIZABETH THOMAS Jan. 15, 1833. JAMES is living next door to his brother, NEILL BLACK, in the 1840 Gadsden County, Florida census.

5) ALEXANDER BLACK in the estate papers is listed as "deceased per JOHN McDOUGALD." ALEXANDER BLACK lived next door to his father, ARCHIBALD, in Cumberland County, North Carolina. ALEXANDER BLACK never left Cumberland County, North Carolina. ALEXANDER BLACK is shown in the North Carolina marriage records as marrying (1st) CATHERINE BAIN, in Cumberland County, North Carolina on Dec 5, 1807. The marriage was witnessed by his father ARCHIBALD BLACK. (2nd) SARAH BOATWRIGHT Cumberland County, North Carolina on Nov. 22, 1819. His father, ARCHIBALD BLACK, witnessed this marriage also.

The Cumberland County, North Carolina census shows ALEXANDER BLACK's family;
1810 census; 1 male 16-25, 1 female under10, 1 female 16-25.
1820 census; 3 male under10, 1 male 26-44, 1 female under 10, 1 female 26-44, 1 female 45 plus.
1830 census; 1 male 30-40, 1female 10-15, 1 female 60-70.
ALEXANDER BLACK and his daughter, 1 female 10-15, have both died by 1839.
The identity of the 1 female 60-70 in the 1830 census is unknown.

6) SARAH BLACK born Dec. 2nd 1792 married JOHN McPHERSON, November 9, 1812 in Cumberland County, North Carolina. SARAH is the twin of MARAGET (wife of ANGUS BLACK).

There is a HUGH BLACK who signs an estate paper dated Dec. 17, 1839 in Gadsden County, Florida with NEILL BLACK, JOHN McDOUGALD, & E.S. SHEPARD (attorney for ARCHIBALD BLACK's estate). He is not a son of ARCHIBALD BLACK's as he was not listed as an heir. I do not know his relationship to ARCHIBALD. HUGH BLACK appears only once in the estate papers. He is not shown in the Florida census records.

In transcribing the estate records I have tried to keep the spelling true to the way they wrote. Due to the poor condition of some of the papers, the style of writing, and/or the legal terms used that I do not know, sometimes I just could not figure out what was written. If you see any way to help with better understanding these papers PLEASE feel free to get in contact me so I can make the appropriate changes. Liz 2001.




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