William McGhee’s Estate Sale

According to the book, Washington County Tennessee, Settlement of Estates 1796-1841, William McGhee’s estate was totaled up after a public sale in 1828. He would be my 5 X great-grandfather.

Here’s the line: Samuel Newton McGhee > William Newton McGhee (3) > Solomon McGhee  > William McGhee (2) > William McGhee (1). Quite a few trees on Ancestry.com have this line but I’m not seeing documentation linking the William > William.

It seems the McGhee name shows up in censuses and other documents with many variations in spelling. McGee, McGeehee, Ghee, Magee.

It’s interesting as many of the names that were buyers at the sale seem to be family members. It’s also interesting to see the value of items almost 200 years ago and what things he owned.

Washington County Courthouse – Jonesborough, TN Postcard by SeeMidTN

 

Wm McGhee (2) bought from the sale after the death of William Ghee (possibly his father):

one hoe .25, rifle 10.00, Cow & calf 9.00, Mans Saddle 10.00, Silver Watch 5.00, 2 Books .50, quantity of clothing 3.00, saddle blanket 1.00, Great Coat 5.00, 1 Scythe & Cradle 2.00, Sow & six pigs 3.00, ten bus corn at .25 per bushel 2.50, ten bus corn at .31 per bushel 3.10, a quantity of Corn at .31 per Bushel 18.60.

one pair upper leathers .27, one Bear skin 1.00, one fine hat 5.00, one fur hat, one wool hat 1.50, fifteen Bushels wheat 5.00, 150 bushels corn .33 1/3 per bushel 50.00

William McGhee signed with an X, his mark.

John McGhee (possibly William’s brother) bought 5 pounds iron at .03 per pound .15, one horse collar .75, five hundred Bundles fodder 5.51, Eighteen Bushels rye 6.12,Two pair Bridle Bits .50

Another person who bought at the sale was William Broyles. (The younger William McGhee’s wife is Leah Ann Broyles). There is a William Simon Broyles living in Tennessee, who was a cousin of Leah Ann. It seems likely that it is him.

Photo by Virginia Allain

A few others bought items from the estate sale. They were Matthew Clark, Willam Felken (or Fulker), William Forgeson, John Harman, and John McNeal. William McGhee’s horse sold for $75.

Although it doesn’t state in the record that William (2) is the son of William (1), it places the two of them in Washington County, Tennessee in 1828, along with the Broyles.

Some additional things we might interpret from this. It’s likely that William Ghee or McGhee was a widower since the things he owned were being sold after his death. It seems he grew crops of corn and rye and hay (the bundles of fodder). There was one horse and a saddle and a horse collar so the horse served both as a saddle horse and a plow horse. No wagon was mentioned.

His most valuable personal possessions were a rifle, a silver watch, a greatcoat and a fine hat. There were 2 books so either he or his deceased wife could read, but his son signed the sale paper with an X.

I’m glad to see no mention of slaves, though it is likely that he could not afford any.

Source for the information: “Pedigree Resource File,” database,  FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SBJS-P7M : accessed 2015-03-18), entry for William /McGhee/.