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Thomas Baskin
Will & Related Paperwork

(see below for notes and other information)

Will   

Digital Copy: Page 1 | Page 2

State of SC Sumter County

In the name of God Amen

I, Thomas Baskin, of said County and State, being of sound a disposing mind, memory and understanding, but remembering my advancing years, and the uncertainty of life, do hereby make and ordain this instrument of writing to be and cantina my last Will and Testament, herby revoking all former Wills by me at any time heretofore made.

FIRST: I give devise and bequeath unto my friends Dr. R. E. Dennis and O. C. Scarborough1, as Trustees, my entire estate owned by me at the time of my death, in trust however, to, for and upon the following uses, trusts, and limitations, that is to say: In trust to collect the rents, income issues and profits of the same annually, and after paying the taxes thereon and any necessary repairs thereto then to pay over annually unto my wife Fanny S. Baskin,2   one half of the net residue thereof , for and during the period of her natural life or widowhood and no longer; and that they do apply the other half thereof to the education, maintenance and support of my son John S. B. Baskin.3 

SECOND: Immediately upon the death or remarriage of my said wife, I give devise and bequeath my entire estate unto my said son, John S. B. Baskin for and during the term of his natural life and no longer, and upon his death leaving issue, then I give and devise the same to such issue in the proportions they would take under the Statutes of said State for the distribution of intestate's estates. But in the event that my said son should die leaving no issue alive, then I direct that my said estate be equally divided amongst the children of my friends Dr. R. E. Dennis and O. C. Scarborough per stirpes and not per capita.

THIRD: Should my said son predecease me then I direct that my said Trustees shall annually pay the entire net income rents and profits of my said estate unto my said wife Fanny S. Baskin, during her natural life or widowhood and no longer; and upon her death or remarriage then I direct that my said estate shall be equally divided amongst the children of my friends Dr. R. E. Dennis and O. C. Scarborough per stirpes and not per capita.

FOURTH: I hereby nominate and appoint Dr. R. E. Dennis and O. C. Scarborough executors of this my last Will and Testament.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I the said THOMAS BASKIN have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this the twentieth day of February, in the year of one [sic] Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety nine.

Thos Baskin [signature]

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator Thomas Baskin to be his last Will and Testament, in our presence who in his presence and in the presence of each other and at his request have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto.

[Maj] Marion Moise [Col] R. E. Lee I. C. Straus

Will Footnotes:

  1. These are friends of Thomas: Dr. Robert E Dennis and Orlando Calhoun Scarborough.
    1. Dr. Robert Ellison Dennis, Sr. (1837-1904)
    2. Orlando Calhoun Scarborough (1848-1934) was clearly a trusted friend of Thomas Baskin. Orlando was also a first cousin of Thomas' second wife (my great-grandmother), Hattie Crosswell. Namely, Orlando's mother was Elizabeth Crosswell (1808-1887)—Hattie's aunt.

      Hattie and Orlando
      Orlando and his family were very important in the life of Thomas' son, John Sewanee Baskin.   Very shortly after Thomas' death, his third wife (John's stepmother) almost certainly abandoned him.  We now know that John stayed with Orlando and family in Summerton, South Carolina, perhaps from the summer of 1900 until he joined the Army in 1907.  See John's page for more details.
  2. Thomas' third wife, Fannie S. Burns.  From the legal documents, we know she was married to Thomas (when he was 78 and she was 35) after an engagement of 3-4 days.  In her testimony at trial, Fannie said her marriage to Thomas was on July 31, 1898 (five months after Harriet's death in February of that year).  Clearly, Fannie was to receive half of the proceeds of the farm, with the other half going to his son John.  Unmentioned in the will, and clearly cut out of the will, are the wives and grandchildren married to and descending from his first two sons (who had both already died before the drafting of Thomas' will in 1899) from his prior marriage. 
    See Thomas' page for more details.
  3. This (along with the resultant legal contest of the will) is the primary evidence we have supporting the fact that John's name was initially John Stuckey Bradley Baskin, which he would later change to John Sewanee Baskin.

 

Thomas' Notes

Undated note written by Thomas as instructions to his executors.

Digital Copy: Page 1 | Page 2

Papers as Evidence for my Exrs, to sue in case any of my grand children or their mothers put in claims against me after my death.  I owe them nothing at all whatever.

                        Thos Baskin

1st, Sallie A. Baskin claims or did say that I owed her 6 or $700 dollars, that is false.  My eldest, W. P. Baskin loaned me cash $400 on March 25, 1867 and on Feby 9th I paid said son through David E. Durant $100.00 and on Oct 29 I paid him by Henry D. Crosswell1  $300.00 these credits is [sic] upon the Back of the note, the inst I paid in advance, I have always made it a rule when I pay a debt to take my name off the note but the word Thos can be seen upon the note.

2nd.  My first Maria wife, Maria owned 100 acres land in Sumter County Entailed upon or to her and her children by her father W. H. Peebles, and some time before the sivil2  [sic], she Maria Baskin, my wife, filed a Bill in Equity by Frasier and Harpsworth to sell said 100 acres land and comt [?] Harpworth by order of court did sell said land and H. E. L Peebles3  was the purchaser of said land, see comt-Harpswoth letter enclosed which will explain everything that will satisfy any court and Jury, the last enstallment was collected since the warr [sic] and to the best of my knowledge my son Joseph E. Baskin borrowed it from his mother and paid her the interest some 7 or eight Dollars, up to her death or the year that he Joseph did.4 

TB5 

 I purchased the land I now live upon from my son Joseph.6 

Notes, Explanation, & Suppositions

  1. Henry D. Crosswell (1820-1871), married Sarah Angelina Peebles, sister of Maria F. Peebles, and son of William H. Peebles and Abigail Stuckey.
  2. I assume this is meant to be "civil" as in Civil War.
  3. Henry Edward Lawrence Peebles (1821-1898).  Eldest brother of Maria F. Peebles, and son of William H. Peebles and Abigail Stuckey.
  4. Joseph Edmond Baskin (1845-1888) was the second (and last) son of Thomas and Maria F. Baskin.  Since his mother died before Joseph did (in 1883), it would appear that the payments stopped upon the death of Maria in May of 1883.
  5. Although hard to read, this appears to be Thomas' initials.
  6. Although more research into the referenced land transaction is necessary, when one looks at 1) all the land transactions and lawsuits that occurred, 2) the bankruptcy that Thomas went through, along with 3) this purchase of property from his son—presumably shortly before his son's death—we begin to see a pattern of what might be called "bad finances."
    1. The families of Thomas' first two sons apparently did quite well financially over the years.  I'm not sure to what extent help came from their wives' families; but things apparently went much better for this part of the family than it did for Thomas and his subsequent two wives in one son.  Perhaps this explains some of the "bad blood" that would place the family for decades.

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