Life History

Notes

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  [In the folloiwng transcription, speling and capitalizatin have ben retained to reflect the orignial. -OB Jenkins]
  
  In the name of God Amen I, Benjamin Terry Senr. of Pittsylvania County and Parish of Camden being in my perfect sinces and memory thanks to God for the same but considering the frailty of this Life and the uncertainty of Death, I do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament. Disannuling all other wills by one made either by word or Wrighting and this only is to be taken for my Last Will and Testment. In manner and form following
  
  Vis First being Penatent and sorry for my sins past most humbly desire forgiveness for the same. I give and commend my soul unto almighty God my savour, in hoom and by the marits of Jesus Christ to trust and hope to be saved and have full remition of sins, and that for the settling of my temporal estate and such goods, chatils and debts as it hath pleased god for above my deserts to bestow me I do order give and dispose the same In manner and form following, that is to say first, of all it is my desire that all my Debts that I owe to any person or persons be truly and honestly payed by my Executors hereafters named.
  
  Item, I lend to my beloved wife Elizabeth Irby four negros namely Abraham Melender and her Child Beler and Sener, six cows and calves with all my hoggs, one feather bead, and furniture one Frying pane, Two Iron potts and hooks with all the plantation Touls one black mair known by name of Lasard and her colt, sober John and the sorril Plow mair all During her natural life and at her Decease to be Disposed of as in this my last Will as further Directed, I give to my son Nathaniel Terry one Survey of Land being the uper Survey on Sandy Creek also one negro man named Tach and one negro man named Gregory to him and to his heirs forever.
  
  Item, I give to my son Benjamin Terry the Tract of land I now live on that is to day the old and first Tract Containing three hundred acres more or less and one negro man name Abraham after my wife's death.
  --  First transcribed by Julia Clark http://genforum.genealogy.com/terry/messages/7273.html, Edited by Orville Boyd Jenkins 20 July 2011
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  A few years ago, another researcher, Charles Owens, insisted that Champness Terry was the husband to Elizabeth Irby (some have her maiden name as Dickerson).  Others have her husband as Benjamin, which frankly doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but maybe it was another Benjamin? I believe Benjamin was their son, who also married Elizabeth Irby or Elizabeth Parker (? cousins).
  
  Anyway - I am writing you to let you know that I have DNA matched from my Elizabeth Truheart Garland to the Irby line.  This tells me that Elizabeth Garland likely had 3 husbands; Nathaniel Dickerson, James Overton (I also am DNA matched to), and unknown Irby (poss.  Edmund?).
  
  I followed the E B tree all the way down to E B (Sheryl is the manager).  He is a descendant of Irby, who owned many slaves.  I believe that Elizabeth Irby (not Dickerson) was the daughter to Elizabeth Truhart Garland Dickerson Overton Irby, and married into the Terry family (a Benjamin or Champness).  I have yet to find DNA evidence for Dickerson, but still looking.
  
  Perhaps there was a Benjamin Terry who married Elizabeth Dickerson who was a daughter to Nathaniel Dickerson and Elizabeth Truhart Garland Dickerson.  This may have led to some of the confusion.  Don't know.  Thought you might like to know about this new DNA evidence.  I will transfer some of your data to my tree.  Thanks.
  
  Sandra Lytch (daughter to Mildred Crawford Horn - descendant of Terry/Irby/Garland, etc.)
  --  Sandra Lytch, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, Jan 22, 2018
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Sources

• 1. Terry Benjamin Sr Will