Owen Shannon's Will and Estate Papers

   Owin (Owen) Shannon's Will and estate papers are located in Austin County Clerk's office in a file referred to as the "Old Probate Files."  The Owen Shannon probate file is File 41(11).  Special thanks to Austin County Clerk, Carrie Gregor, for locating these documents which date from the time of Austin's Colony.  Scanned below is the Will of Owen Shannon and all the estate papers with complete transcriptions.  The reader will notice that Owen Shannon describes his real property as being one quarter league of land "in the neighborhood of Lake Creek."  It is important to note that no where in Owen Shannon's Will or his estate papers does anyone ever mention a place called the Montgomery Trading Post, Montgomery Settlement or Montgomery Prairie.  Owen Shannon died on the Owen Shannon League in the Lake Creek Settlement in 1834. 

Owen Shannon's Will

In the name of God Amen

I Owin Shannon being weak of body yet

strong of mind make and establish this my

last will and testament.  I will & bequath

all my property real and personly to my

wife Margaret to dipose of use through life

to will bequath or in any way to dispose of that

she may wish or thinck mete.

The personal property mentioned in the followi

ng Eneumeration.  Six negroes name and ages

as follows Nancy age forty five yeares, Lydia

age twenty three, Thomas age nineteen, Marin

da age sixteen, Joseph age Eight, Luis age

six years, Two horses  thirty head of comon sto

ck cattle of [unreadable] with what hogs I have togeth

er with all our house hole and kichen furna

ture  The Real and landed property as follows -

One Quarter League of Land being in the neighbor

hood of Lake Creek  a part of which tract I have

agreed to let Wm. Clarke have for somuch

as I wish for from him of the tract, on which I

now live and have improved say not more than

two hundred Acres.  Now to the Intent that this

my will may have full Effect I heare unto set

my hand and seal this 12 April 1835.

Owen Shannon  {Seal}

Witnesses

Henry his X mark Goff

Mary her X mark Corner

Matthew Hubert

James J. Foster

William C. Clark

Benjamin his X mark Rigby   George Allen

Enlargement of Signatures on Owen Shannon's Will

[Note: The date of April 12, 1835 on Owen Shannon's will above cannot be the correct year.  As will be seen below, on June 9, 1834, Owen Shannon's will was filed of record before R. M. Williamson, the Alcalde for the Department of Brasos Jurisdiction of Austin.  Robert McAlpin Williamson was the famed Texas Judge "Three-Legged Willie".  See Owen Shannon Died in 1834.]

Owen Shannon's Will Filed of Record

June 9, 1834

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Personally appeared before

me, R M Williamson only Al

calde of Austin James J

Foster who on oath says that

he signed as a witness of the

last will and testament of Owin

Shanon now before him in the presence

of the Testator who requested

him so to do and acknowled

ged his signature to the same

this deponent futher says

that he saw William C. Clark

Benjamin Rigby and George

Allen sign the same.

Sworn to and subscribed

before me this 9th of June

1834           

James J Foster

R M Williamson

 

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William C. Clark on oath

Swears to the same facts.

Sworn to and subscribed

before me this 9th of June

1834          

Wm  C  Clark

R M Williamson

Letters of Administration

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Letters of Administration

With the Will Annexed

Estate of Owen Shannon, Decd.

Bond

Jacob Shannon

Adm of the Estate of

Owen Shannon Decd.

 

Department of Brasos

Jurisdiction of Austin

        Know all men by these presents, that we

Jacob Shannon and Jesse Grimes are held and

firmly bound unto Francis W. Johnson Judge

in the first instance of the Department

aforesaid and his succesors in office in the

just and full sum of Five Thousand Dollars

good and lawful money for the payment of

which we bind ourselves, our heirs, Executors

and administrators jointly and firmly by

these presents.  Sealed with our seals and dated

the 24th Feby. 1835.

The condition of the above obligation is such

that whereas letters of Administration with

the Will annexed has this day issued unto the

above bound Jacob Shannon upon

the estate of Owen Shannon late of said

jurisdicton decd    Now if the said Jacob

Shannon shall do and perform all and every

Act and thing that is or may be required

of him by law as the administrator of the estate

of said decd in pursuance of the said [unreadble]

Then the above obligation to be void

Otherwise to remain in full force & effect

Jacob Shannon {Seal}

Jesse Grimes  {Seal}

 

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Enlargement of Signatures of Jacob Shannon and Jesse Grimes

[Note: It is clear from the document below that Owen Shannon died before June 9, 1834.]

Letters of Administration Estate of Owen Shannon

Department of Brasos

Jurisdiction of Austin

 

Whereas Owen Shannon late of said

jurisdiction decd. died leaving his last Will

and testament which Will has been admitted

to probate before the Constitutional Alcalde

of the aforesaid Jurisdiction on the 9th day of

June 1834      The said Decd. not having

nominated and appointed an Executor of his said

Will            Now therefore be it remembered and

made known unto all whom it may concern

that upon the application of Jacob Shannon

unto me George Ewing Judge of the Jurisdic

tion aforesaid      I have and do hereby grant

unto him the said Jacob Shannon the entire

Adminsitration of the Estate of said Owen

Shannon Decd.  with the Will annexed, wtih

full and ample power and authority to sue

and to be sued, plead and to be impleaded

transact do and preform all and every act

to do in persuance of the said will to the

full execution thereof.

In testimony wherof I have unto st

my hand and seal   the 24th Feby 1835

Geo. Ewing

 

Estimative  Inventory of the Estate of Owen Shannon

Estimative Inventory

of the Estate of

Owen Shannon

 

Page 1 of the Estimative Inventory of the Estate of Owen Shannon

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In Compliance with an order of the Hon.

George Ewing, Esq. judge in the first Instance

of the Jurisdiction of Austin dated 19th

day of June 1835 to me described and deliv-

ered wherin I was Commanded to proceed

to the late residence of Owen Shannon Decd.

and there with the assistance of two discreet

Citizens to make an estimative Inventory

of the property both real and personal

belongin to said succession  In Conformity

to the said order I have together with the

assistance of William W. Shepperd and

Matthew Hubert proceeded to make the

following Inventory and Appraisment of

the Estate of the said Owen Shannon Decd.

To Wit:

One Negro Woman    named   Nancy   Val.   @  250.00

One Negro Woman                Lydia      "      "    475.00

One    "      Man                    Thomas   "      "   625.00

One    "      Girl                     Marinda   "      "   475.00 

One    "      Boy                     Joseph    "      "   325.00

One    "      Ditto                    Luis       "      "   200.00

One Bay Horse                                                 40.00

  "    Grey Horse                                               20.00

30 Head Neat Cattle                        @ 5.00      150.00

Household & Kitchen Furniture                          100.00

Farming Utensils                                                15.00

                           Amt. Carried Forward        $2,675.00

Page 2 of the Estimative Inventory of the Estate of Owen Shannon

Amount Brought Forward                                $2,675.00

One Fourth of a League of Land

including the late residence and

improvement of  Decd.                                         600.00

                                                                   $3,275.00

 

Marget Shannon

     Widow of Decd.

Jacob Shannon  Admn

 

Jesse Grimes       }

Matthew Hubert   }  Appraisers

W W Shepperd     }

 

Assisting Witnesses                              Assisting Witnesses

Joseph Lindley                                      J H Shepperd

Transcription by Marisa Searle for Texas History Page