"Long Hunter" Charles Skaggs' Will

Charles Skaggs from the "Long Hunter" Skaggs family died in ca. 1815 with a will.  Once again, I had Grok read the will and incorporate the relevant genealogical information into our description of the "Long Hunter" Skaggs family.

Based on the analysis of the provided documents—the 1769 land deeds from Augusta County, Virginia; the 1783/1784 land survey for Rachel Skaggs in Montgomery County, Virginia; the Archibald Thompson Journal (transcribed 2020); the Moses Skaggs estate papers (Green County, Kentucky, 1836); and both Henry and Charles' wills—here is a detailed summary of the known family relationships, key milestones with dates, and the names of enslaved persons associated with the family.

Transcription of Charles Skaggs' Will

9 FEBRUARY 1815
GREEN COUNTY, KENTUCKY
Will Book 1 pp. 137-139
In the Name of god amen, I CHARLES SKAGGS Citizen of Green County, Kentucky considering the Mortality of human Nature and that it was appointed for all men once to die and after committing my body to the ground and my soul to god who gave it, I make and constitute this instrument of writing whereunto my name is subscribed to be my last will and testament, revoking all others. In primis, all my debts of which there is but few, and none of Magnitude, are to be paid, and then whatever there remains I will and bequeath in the following manner that is to say first my wish and desire is that my beloved wife LUCY SKAGGS shall have the use and profit of my whole estate Real and personal during her Natural life except such parts as I shall hereafter mention, that is to say the part of the land and plantation whereon I now live, and whereon my son MOSES SKAGGS Now lives, on the South side of the branch for him to have the use and benefit of that previous to the decease of his Mother, and at her decease to have the hold of the land the reason of my doing this is because he paid a greater part of the price that we gave for the land, though the deed was made to me. And at the decease of my wife; my desire is to have the whole of the land.

Item first I will and bequeath to my beloved son ARCHIBALD SKAGGS a negro girl called SuSanna. Item I will and bequeath to my beloved daughter RACHEL BLEVENS heirs one dollar. Item to my beloved daughter NANCY MEREDITH an equal part part of my estate except such parts as I have before mentioned and shall hereafter mention. Item I will and bequeath, to my beloved son FREDERICK SKAGGS I will and bequeath to him his equal part, among the other Children except such parts as is before and hereafter shall be mentioned. Item to my beloved daughter POLLY GRAY I will and bequeath to her heirs one dollar. Item to my beloved daughter SALLY ROBERTSON, I will and bequeath an equal part with the others except the parts before and hereafter will be mentioned. Item to my beloved son THOMAS SKAGGS I will and bequeath my Negro boy called Bob and an equal part with the other Children of the property before mentioned and my said son THOMAS SKAGGS I will to be the executor to my whole estate. Item to my beloved son MOSES SKAGGS I will bequeath my Negro man called Sepio and a rifle gun called Sepios gun together with a equal part of the property not mentioned. Item to TEMPY BELCHER, wife to BERRY BELCHER I will and bequeath to her a filly called the reggie muffin to be hers immediately after my death. Item to NATHAN BLEVIN I will and bequeath two [word crossed out] colts, one called Jolly and the other Tody.

In witness of which I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of February in the year of Christ one thousand eight hundred and fifteen.

CHARLES SKAGGS
Tetes
JAMES AKIN
CHARLES BLEVINS
CHARETY HOWEL
WM. G. OWENS,Br> ZACHERIAH NANCE
At a County Court, held for Green County at the Courthouse in Greensburgh on the 22nd day of January 1816. The within will of CHARLES SKAGGS Dec'd was produced in Court and proven by the oath of WILLIAM G. OWENS, ZACHERIAH NANCE and NATHANIEL OWENS subscribing witnesses to said will, and that they believed him at the time of executing the same to be in his perfect mind and memory and the same was ordered to be recorded which is done accordingly. Given under my hand this 28th day of March 1816.
JOHN BARRET, cfc

Overview of the "Long Hunter" Skaggs Family

The Skaggs family, as documented in the analyzed sources—the 1769 land deeds from Augusta County, Virginia; the 1783/1784 land survey for Rachel Skaggs in Montgomery County, Virginia; the Archibald Thompson Journal (a diary with family birth registers, marriages, travels, and ledger entries from the 1750s to the 1790s); the Moses Skaggs estate papers (Green County, Kentucky, filed around 1836); Henry Skaggs' will dated April 5, 1809, and probated December 24, 1810; and Charles Skaggs' will dated February 9, 1815, and probated January 22, 1816—represents a settler family with origins in colonial Virginia and subsequent migration to Kentucky. The family is linked to the "Long Hunter" tradition of frontier exploration. The sources focus on land transactions, family relationships, and inheritance, with the journal providing genealogical details through birth and marriage records, and the wills and estate papers outlining asset divisions.

Patriarchal Generation

  • James Skaggs Sr. and Rachel Skaggs: James Sr. and Rachel held a 440-acre tract on the Middle River of the Shenandoah in Augusta County, Virginia. On August 17, 1769, they deeded 200 acres each to sons Henry and James Jr. James Sr. died prior to September 14, 1781, as Rachel claimed 150 acres on the New River in Montgomery County as a widow on that date (surveyed March 8, 1783, and assigned to Henry on May 1, 1784), indicating her death occurred between March 8, 1783, and May 1, 1784.

Children and Immediate Descendants

The Moses Skaggs estate papers list the siblings, supplemented by birth registers in the journal, Henry’s will, and Charles’ will:

  • Henry Skaggs: Son of James Sr. and Rachel; received 200 acres on August 17, 1769. Married Mary Skaggs, who received a life estate in his will dated April 5, 1809. His will, probated December 24, 1810, bequeathed land to grandson John Skaggs (son of James Skaggs), enslaved people to son David Skaggs (Tob), daughter Sarah Skaggs (Rachel), and grandson James Skaggs (the rest, including Jenny), with $1 to Stephen Skaggs and the residue to his children (excluding Rachel and her issue). Henry's children, per the journal, include John Thompson Skaggs (born December 4/5, 1760), Lucy Skaggs (born December 5, 1762; married John Stasey on May 9, 1782), Solomon Skaggs (born January 30, 1766), David Skaggs (born April 28, 1767), Silvanus Skaggs (born February 18, 1769), and Mary Skaggs (born December 19, 1771).
  • James Skaggs Jr.: Son of James Sr. and Rachel; received 200 acres on August 17, 1769. Father of grandsons John and James (per Henry's will). Named executor in Henry's will.
  • Charles Skaggs: Son of James Sr. and Rachel; married Lucinda "Lucy" Thompson. The journal records their children's births: Archibald Skaggs (born January 3, 1759), Rachel Skaggs (born last day of August 1761), Nancy Skaggs (born April 22, 1763), Frederick Skaggs (born December 11, 1764), Mary Skaggs (born September 16, 1767), Thomas Skaggs (born December 16, 1769), Sarah Skaggs (born December 27, 1771), and Moses Skaggs (born January 27, 1774). His will, dated February 9, 1815, and probated January 22, 1816, granted Lucy a life estate or widowhood interest in all property.
  • Moses Skaggs: Son of James Sr. and Rachel; died intestate without children or surviving spouse prior to the 1836 estate suit, which divided his property among siblings' heirs.
  • Richard Skaggs: Son of James Sr. and Rachel; heirs claimed shares in Moses' estate.
  • Jacob Skaggs: Son of James Sr. and Rachel; listed in Moses' estate papers.
  • John Skaggs: Son of James Sr. and Rachel; witnessed both 1769 deeds.
  • Sisters: Susanah (married Richard Whitt), Lydia (married Mathias Harman), Elizabeth (married John Hankins), and Nancy (married William Meredith), per Moses' estate papers.

Extended and Collateral Relatives

  • James Skaggs (married to Susannah): Likely a cousin or nephew of James Sr.; witnessed both 1769 deeds.
  • Thompson Family Ties: The journal connects the Skaggs to the Thompsons through Lucinda Thompson (married Charles Skaggs) and possibly Mary Thompson (married Henry Skaggs). Archibald Thompson’s diary notes travels (e.g., November 13, 1796, to March 27, 1797, staying at Solomon Skaggs' house on Pitman Creek) and ledger entries involving Skaggs family members (e.g., David Skaggs owing for sows and corn).

Key Milestones and Dates

  • Pre-1769: James Sr. and Rachel acquired the 440-acre Augusta County tract.
  • August 17, 1769: Deeds to Henry and James Jr. executed and witnessed.
  • September 14, 1781: Commissioners' certificate issued for Rachel's 150-acre claim in Montgomery County.
  • March 8, 1783: Survey conducted for Rachel's land.
  • May 1, 1784: Rachel's land assigned to Henry.
  • 1778–1781: Archibald Thompson resided on Henry's plantation.
  • May 9, 1782: Lucy Skaggs (daughter of Henry) married John Stasey.
  • 1796–1797: Archibald Thompson’s journey from Little River to Green River, noting stays with Solomon Skaggs.
  • Prior to 1836: Moses Skaggs died intestate; estate suit filed around 1836 in Green County.
  • April 5, 1809: Henry Skaggs executed his will.
  • December 24, 1810: Henry's will probated in Green County.
  • February 9, 1815: Charles Skaggs executed his will.
  • January 22, 1816: Charles' will probated in Green County.

Enslaved Persons

  • From Henry Skaggs' will (dated April 5, 1809): Tob (enslaved man, to son David), Lucy (enslaved woman, to Silvanus), Rachel (enslaved girl, to daughter Sarah), Jenny (enslaved person, part of remainder to grandson James).
  • From Charles Skaggs' will (dated February 9, 1815): SuSanna, Bob and Sepio bequeathed to sons Archibald, Thomas and Moses respectively. 

This overview is derived solely from the dates and relationships explicitly or directly inferred from the documents, focusing on verified evidence while omitting unsupported approximations. The Skaggs family's history illustrates patterns of land division, migration, and inheritance in the American frontier.

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