Samuel McGowan /McGowen b. 1 Feb 1790 in Elbert Co, GA. d. 2 Feb 1853 in Camilla, TX
Texas, Wills and Probate Records, 1833-1974, Polk Probate Minutes, Vol A-C, 1847-1862; pp. 12-14.
Will dated 26 Jan 1853
Born in Georgia and lived there until moving to Lowndes Co, MS around 1830.
Moved to Polk Co, TX around 1849.
Slaves named in his will:
(these are named below as well; bequeathed to wife Mary Ann Hill McGowan and upon her death, Dave, Harriet, Jordan, Louisa, Louis, Kit, and Ned, Peter, Phillis, and Julia "equally divided" among his children. John and Richard, Phoebe and Maria, Rose, Jim and Dick "shall choose for themselves whichever of my children they may like to live with." )
1. The boy John
2. and his wife Phoebe
3. and their 3 youngest children, Julia
4. Rose
5. Jim
6. The man Dick
7. and his wife Mariah
8. and their youngest child Richard
9. The man Dave
10. and his wife Harriet
11. and their children Jordan
12. and Louisa.
13. The men Louis
14. and Kit (?)
15. and Ned.
16. The boy Peter
17. and the girl Phillis [sic]
18. Bequeathed to son, James H. McGowan (already in his 'possession'), ?Travis or Louis,
19. Ambrose
20. and Henry
21. The man Aleck
22. and his wife ?N-fe or Nhi-sse?
23. and their 4 children, Pinkney
24. Mary
25. ?Nore or Mose?
26. and infant.
27. Bequeathed to daughter, Sarah Ann McGowan, the men Jefferson
28. and Alfred (or Alper?)
29. the girls Betty,
30. Ciller or Cillen?
31. and Eliza.
32. The man Larkin
33. and wife Judy
34. and 4 youngest children, Jack,
35. Josephine,
36. Robert,
37. and Ambrose.
38. Bequeathed to daughter, Frances Hannah McGowan: Willis? or Nillis?
39. and his wife Jane
40. and her 6 children, Calvin,
41. Caroline,
42. Evaline,
43. Mandy,
44. John,
45. and Sally.
46. The boy Mose
47. Bob,
48. Clabourne
49. and girl Lindy.
50. Bequeathed to my daughter Mary Louisa, William
51. and his wife Harriet
52. and his 7 children, Edy or Eddy
53. Charity,
54. Lucy,
55. Lacy?
56. Vie or Vic
57. Fanny
58. and Ben.
59. The boys, Lee
60. and Rice? or Paul? or Pierce?
61. The girls Martha
62. and Margaret.
63. Bequeathed to Mr. E. Hill (?) the boy Peter
64. and his wife Amy.
(Note: a good number of the names here appear with the last name McGowan in the 1870 Census in Polk Co TX)
TEXAS, Hunt and Lamar Counties: Wortham (1857)
ReplyDelete1. Enslaved: names below (unnamed people by sex, age and color); [?] = uncertain reading.
2. Slaveholders: Robert M. Wortham of Hunt Co..
3. Sources: will.
4. Dates and places: recorded Lamar Co., Texas, 1857.
1857, 12 Sept., will of Robert M. Wortham of Hunt Co., Texas, recorded Lamar Co. Record of Wills Book A: 58-60. Item 2, to his nephew Edward P. Wortham: Matelda, a girl, and Buck, a boy. Item 4, to Eliza Frances, infant daughter of Elizabeth Smith: David, a boy; and Tennessee, a woman (her future girl child also to Eliza Frances). Item 5, life estate to his mother Nancy Wortham: Joe about 52, Lucinda 44, Cynthia 25, Bill 19, Tennessee 16, Bob 14, Monroe 11, Haywood 10, Alick 10, Matilda 7, Peter 5, Riley 4, Peggy 2; and "three superannuated": Buck, Peter and Peggy. Whether names repeated in the will are the same people is not decided.
Source: Lamar County, Texas, Record of Wills, Book A: 58-60, will of Robert M. Wortham, 12 Sept. 1857, proved Nov. 1857; "Texas, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1833-1974," digital images, [Ancestry.com](http://Ancestry.com), images 007575618_00435-00436 ([https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2115/images/007575618_00435?pid=680972](https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2115/images/007575618_00435?pid=680972) : accessed 21 October 2026).
Anne Elizabeth Whitaker, Lush Green Corner Genealogy, Dallas, Texas