John Allred of Randolph County, North Carolina
by: Dawnell Hatton Griffin
Published in AFO Newsletter # 34, Spring 1998
In 1792, John Allred signed his will. In doing so, he named his children John, Joseph, Jonathan, Elizabeth Horner, Catherine Julian, Susannah Guren, Barbara York and unmarried daughters, Lidy, Rebecca, Margaret, Mary and Sarah.
Sarah Allred, daughter of John Allred was born about 1780 in Randolph County, NO. In 1795, she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter whom she named Mahala. On the 1850 census for Randolph County, NC, Mahala gave her age as 55. Sarah did not marry until 29 March 1824. Mahala would have been between 20-25 years old when her mother finally married.
Sarah was married to Jacob Routh, son of Zachariah Routh. Jacob’s first wife, Mollie York, daughter of Henry York, was deceased by 1824. They were the parents of at least seven children. Jacob and Sarah had no children of their own, and Sarah’s step-children would have been grown by the time her marriage took place in 1824. Sarah died about 1830.
Mahala Allred did not marry. When she died, it was written in the court records that “…the said Intestate Mahala Allred was an illegitimate daughter of one Sarah Allred and died without issue leaving neither brother or sister, father or mother.” Her land as to be inherited by her maternal uncles and aunts and their representatives. Only two uncles were named, Joseph Allred, deceased, a brother of her mother and Jonathan Allred, deceased, another brother of her mother’s. The court action to divide the land was appointed to a probate judge in Randolph County in the year 1882. This record does not make mention of any of the other children listed in John Allred’s will of 1792. One might conjecture that Joseph, Jonathan and Sarah were children of a second marriage.
Randolph County CR.081.508.3: Superior Court of Randolph County Petition to Sell land for Assets is as follows:
G.S. Bradshaw as Public administrator of the estate of Mahala Allred deceased, to wit:
to the clerk of the Superior Court for County…would respectfully show that he was appointed administrator of the estate of the Intestate on the ___day of ___ 1882 and at once entered upon the administration of the estate. That from the best information and knowledge which your petitioner has been able to obtain the outstanding debts of the estate amount to about ___ dollars that there is no personal estate or if any, a small amount of Rent, of but little value. That the intestate Mahala Allred was an illegitimate daughter of one Sarah Allred and died without issue leaving neither brother or sister, father or mother. That at the time of her death the said intestate was seized in fee simple of one tract of land on Sandy Creek in Randolph County containing one hundred and twenty acres more or less and conveyed to her by deed from Jacob Routh and recorded in Book 17 pg 432. Said lands worth about $2.00 per acre and that said land ascended to her maternal uncles and aunts and their representatives.
Jacob Routh purchased 120 acres of land from William and Charity Fields in 1788. It was a portion of the land that had been granted to Seymore York in 1756. Jacob deeded his home in trust to Mahala… “to care for him and his wife the remainder of their lives.”
Mahala’s heirs, as listed in the petition were as follows:
1. The heirs of Joseph Allred, deceased a brother of her mother:
2. John Allred, a son of Richmond County, North Carolina
2. The heirs of Jonathan Allred, deceased, a son of Joseph to wit
3. James Allred
3. Joseph Allred
3. John Allred
3. Elizabeth Routh, wife of Augusta Routh
3. Martha Routh, wife of Manly Routh
3. ___ McDaniel, wife of Dennis McDaniel all of Randolph County, NC
2. James Allred, as son of Joseph Allred, of Sandy Creek, NC
2. The heirs of Polly Chism, deceased, a daughter of Joseph, to wit:
3. Martha A. Henly
3. Polly Vestal, wife of Riley Vestal, of Randolph County, NC
3. The heirs of Losada Williams, deceased, a daughter of Delilah Phillips
3. Rachel Vestal, another daughter of Delilah
3. John Phillips and Joseph Phillips, sons of Delilah Phillips
All non-residents of this state
2. The heirs of Martha Patterson, deceased, a daughter of Joseph Allred, to wit:
3. Joseph A. Patterson
3. Mary Hedrick, wife of Phillip Hedrick
3. Angeline Kirkman
2. Rachel Miller, a daughter of Joseph Allred and widow of Riley Miller, deceased.
of Randolph County, NC
1. The Heirs of Jonathan Allred, deceased, another brother of intestate’s mother, to wit:
2. Miriam Welborn, wife of Levi Welborn
2. Sarah Pugh, wife of William Pugh
2. Heirs of William Allred, deceased, as son of Jonathan, to wit:
3. Miriam Pugh, wife of Manly Pugh
3. Sarah Patterson, wife of Joseph Patterson
3. Elizabeth Allred
3. Milton Allred
3. Levi Allred
3. Heirs of Reuben Allred, deceased, to wit
4. Jack Allred
4. Snider Allred
4. William Allred
4. Nancy Allred, wife of Joseph Allred
4. Rachel Henson, wife of James Henson
4. Harriet York, wife of John York
4. Adaline Martin, wife of William Martin
2. Heirs of Samuel Allred, deceased a son of Jonathan, to wit
3. William Allred
3. The heirs of John Allred, deceased, as son of Samuel, to wit:
4. Reuben Allred
4. Samuel Allred
3. The heirs of Margaret Wilson, deceased a daughter of Samuel Allred, to wit:
4. Manley Wilson
4. Betsey Rains
4. Peggy Wilson (of whom the said Reuben Allred, Samuel Allred, Manly Wilson, Betsy Rains, Peggy Wilson are non-residents of this state. The other defendants reside in Randolph County and all of full age. Joseph Allred & wife Nancy are also non-residents.)
Your petitioner further showeth that a sale of said lands is necessary to enable him to pay the debts of his intestate and the charges of administration. To the end therefore that said land may be sold by your petitioner under a decree of this court on such terms as the court may direct and that the proceeds of the sale may constitute assets in his hands for the payment of said debts and charges your petitioner prays that a summons be issued to the said resident defendants and that publication of summons be made for the non-resident defendants, heirs at law, notifying them to appear and answer and show cause if any, they can why the prayer of your petitioner shall not be granted. J. A. Blair, attorney for petitioner.
Jeremiah, Aaron, Mary, Joshua and Jacob Routh, Jr., step-children of Sarah Allred Routh, were excluded from the probate. The value of this intestate document is obvious.
