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Aaron Price was born about 1789 in Virginia and died after 1870 probably in
Pulaski County. He was about 79 when he made out his will. In the 1870 census
he was living with daughter Dulcina Price Sewell. Son Benjamin was next door.
His wife, Mary Brown, was the step-sister of
Isaac Mize. Isaac,
William Riley Mize, and Jeremiah Mize all worked at various times on Aaron's
land grant surveys.
The will below has been entered as close to the original as I can get it. In
general, the land descriptions are a mess; however, there were good surveys
available of the land so the exact boundaries were known with relative
accuracy. Aaron received land grants totalling 736 acres between 1822 and 1849.
The land (all but 50 acres on Line Creek) was located in the Sinking Valley
area of eastern Pulaski County, north and west of Line Creek.
The last paragraph of the will is interesting. It specifically excludes some of
his heirs from receiving land or money from his estate (son George and
daughter-in-law Elizabeth Renner Price). Other children are not mentioned at
all: Angeline Price Renner, Nancy Price Warren, Elizabeth Price Isaacs, and
Mona Price (who probably had already died). There could be many reasons for the
exclusions, but I see a common theme: The others were already relatively well
off.
Angeline had married Granderson Renner, son of
John Renner and
Martha Linville, and Jefferson had married Elizabeth Renner, daughter of John
and Martha. Both of these families, especially Granderson's, were not really in
need of an inheritance to achieve economic independence.
The same generally holds for the Warren, Isaacs, and Baker families (George
married Sarah Baker) as well.
Another thing the excluded/ignored children had in common was that they weren't
living near Aaron and all seem to be established elsewhere, some in Rockcastle
and Laurel Counties.
Of course, it may be that Aaron had something against the left-out heirs, but
there seems to be a closeness between at least the Renners and Prices during
and after Aaron's lifetime (Granderson and Angeline named children Aaron,
Jefferson, and Marencia; Dulcina lived with Angeline after Granderson died;
several of both families are buried in the
Price-Renner
Cemetery on John Renner's original land). The John Renner family was also
close to the Bakers and the Linville family had close ties to the Bakers,
Isaacs, and Renners.
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"May the 12, 1868. In the name of God, Amen, I Aaron Price am verry old
and of sound mind and disposing memory. Thank God for his blessing, and calling
to mind the uncertainty of human life and being desirous of disposing divide my
land 950 acres with my three sons, I make this my last will and testament as
follows, that is to say to Achillis M Price I give and bequeath as follows,
Beginning in or near a line of 175 acre survey on a rock and black gum markt
with the letter (A) thence a South crossing the valley to a white oak, thence a
strait direction to a small Branch, thence up said branch to the head and
crossing a ridge, thence to forks of the left hand fork of a branch known by
the name of pigeon roost to a swamp in the forks of said branch, thence up the
left hand fork of said branch to the little fall over, thence a strait line to
a white oak a corner of a fifty acre survey thence with a line of the above
named survey to a poplar corner, thence to a white oak, a corner of the Dowel
survey thence with the Dowell line round to a corner of 150 acre survey, thence
with that line to a corner, near a small spring on black & white oadk,
thence to a white oak thence to a white oak the corner of four surveys thence
with the line of the above named 175 acre survey to the beginning.
"2nly I give to James R Price as follows, Beginning at the said swamp
before named and on the left hand fork of the Pigeon roost, thence down said
branch to a little below a deer lick thence crossing the branch to a white oak
corner of 200 acre survey thence with line said 200 acre survey to a white oak
and chesnut thence a strait line to a ridge road, thence with said road to the
mouth of the Sugar Camp branch, thence down the valley to a conditional between
me and L Sa[unreadable], thence the South end of the said conditional line to
the beginning corner on a white oak of the said 200 acre survey thence with
that line around to Chesnut corner, Reuben Woodall's line thence with said line
to corner standing in said line thence leaving the line of the 200 acre survey
thence with that line to where joins 175 acre survey, thence with the line of
175 acre survey to a pine, thence with a line of said survey to Achillis corner
on the white oak, thence with Achillis to the beginning at said swamp.
"3rdly I give to my son Benjamin F Price and his heirs as follows,
Beginning on the same rock and black gum markt with the letter (A) thence with
Achillis line to the swamp, thence with James R Price's line to the conditional
line, North to a rock, thence West a few poles to a stake, thence North on a 50
acre survey to a stake, thence with said line to a corner standing in said line
of an other 50 acre survey thence with that line to Chillis corner on a white
oak, thence to an other white oak a corner of four surveys thence with the line
of 175 acre survey to the Beginning. and
"4ty that my daughter Dulcena is to have a home on the land as long as she
live single or see cause to stay on it.
"5thly I desire after my decease if there should be any money, goods or
chattels, I desire it to be equally divided amongst all my children including
Morencia Price, my grand daughter with the exception of George W Price's
children and and Jefferson Price's children only one dollar to the
family."
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