Fourth great-grandfather William Boulware died in 1821, at the age of 61. I write this blog 192 years later, in 2013. Those 192 years have seen greater changes in the nature of our material possessions than the 10,000 years that separated William from the beginning of the Neolithic Revolution.
William’s older son John, my third great-grandfather, was the executor, in which capacity he sold his father’s personal property for a total of $ 887.62. As recorded in the Clarke County, Alabama, Probate Court on February 4, 1822, the buyers, the items they bought, and the amounts paid were as follows:
Henry Franklin, 1 Grindstone, $2.50
Nathaniel Abney, 1 lot of leather, 2.04
John Bouler,1 Lot of raw hides,1.18 ¾
William Barron, 1 plow, 1.00
William Chapman,1 Plow, 1.00
William Chapman, 3 Plows, 1.68
John Bouler, 3 Single traces & clevice, .69 ½
Joseph Mott, 1 Lock chain, 3.25
William Chapman, 1 Frow and hand axe, 1.50
Moses Roberts, 1 axe, .51
William Chapman, 2 axes, 1.12 ½
Nathaniel Abney, 2 axes, 1.25
John Bouler, 2 Grubbing hoes, 1.16 ¼
William Chapman , 3 Weeding hoes, .50
Moses Roberts, 4 Weeding hoes, .53
James Mixon , 2 Iron wedges, 1.75
William McGaw, ½ set wagon boxes, .05 ¼
William Chapman, 1 saw crose & Cooper’s adze, .31 ¼
William Robertson, 1 Broad axe, 3.79
John Barran, 2 Screw augers, .50
Thomas Franklin, 2 augers, .63
Do Do, 2 Do, .25
Andrew Cochran, Foot adze, 1.18 ¾J
John Bouler,1 Boring bit & Round stave, .12 ½
William McGaw, 1 Handsaw & 2 chisels, .13
Moses Roberts, 1 Lot of files, .51
John Barran, 1 Square & Reap hook, .75
William Barran, 1 Box Iron lumber, .50
William Barran, 1 Box shoe tools, 1.01
Green McKinney, 1 Cutting knife & box, .50
Haywood Todd, 1 drawing knife & gouge, .76
John Bouler, 1 pair Steelyards, 4.31 ¼
Andrew Cockran, 1 lot cooker ware, 1.93 ¾
Do Do, 2 Trays, .50
Elizabeth Bouler, 1 Frying pan, .81 ¼
Nathaniel Abney,1 Large pot & hooks, 2.00
Do Do, 1 Dutch oven, 1.43 ¾
Elizabeth Bouler, 1 Pot & flesh fork, 1.31 ¼
William Chapman, 1 Spinning wheel, .56 ¼
John Bouler, 2 Barrels, .37 ½
Moses Roberts, 2 Do Do, .06 ¼
Thomas Franklin, 2 Do Do, .15
William Moor, 1 Stand, .33
William Chapman, 1 Butter Stand, .20
John Bouler, a wagon, 10.12 ½
Haywood Todd, 1 Lot of hamas & chains,1.50
Do Do, 1 Lot of bridles, .38 ½
Nathaniel Abney, 2 Bells, 1.00
Joseph Mott, 1 Scythe and cradle, 1.56 ¼
William Chapman, 1 Loom, .50
Green McKinney, 1 Bible, 3.50
Henry Franklin, Fletcher’s Checks, 5.12 ½
Thomas Franklin, 1 Testament and hymn Book, .12 ½
Nathaniel Abney, 1 Lot of books, .25
John Barran, 2 Books, .31 ¼
Do Do, 2 Do, .18
Do Do, 2 Do, .26
John Bouler, 1 Dictionary, 2.00
John Summers, 1 Pocket Compass, 1.50
Green McKinney, 1 Looking Glass, .25
Moses Roberts, 3 Bottles, .06 ¼
Wesley Bouler, 1 Trunk, 6.12 ½
Moses Roberts, 1 Cott, .26
Do Do, 1 Pair hand cuffs, .06 ¼
William Chapman, 1 musket, 1.00
B. H. Loftin, 1 Shot Gun, 6.50
Wesley Bouler, 1 Bedstead and furniture, 25.25
Thomas Howl, ½ Dozen Chairs, 2.31 ¼
John Bouler, 1 Table, .62 ½
Green McKinney, 1 Do, .75
William Webb, 1 large jug, 1.16 ¼
Moses Roberts, 2 small jugs,.15
Thomas Franklin, 1 jug, .31 ¼
Moses Roberts, 1 Lot of Pewter, 1.01
Elizabeth Bouler, 1 Lot of Pewter, 1.50
William Chapman, 2 Pewter Basins, 1.12 ½
William Webb, 1 Lot of Tin Ware, 2.06 ¼
Elizabeth Bouler, 1 Lot of earthen ware, 1.00
Do Do, 4 Table Spoons, .18 ¾
Do Do, 6 Tea Spoons, .06 ¼
Do Do, 1 Box of knives & forks, 1.31 ¼
Do Do, 1 Haic, .90 ½
Green McKinney, 1 Do, .09 ½
John Bouler, 1 Cup Board, 7.25
Asa Pate, 2 ?? candlesticks, .56 ¼
Do Do. 1 Coffee Mill & Stand, .13
Elizabeth Bouler, 1 Trunk, 1.00
Nathaniel Abney, 1 Chest, 1.00
Elizabeth Bouler, 1 Pot & Skillet, 2.56 ¼
Do Do, 1 Fire Shovel, tongs & iron, 2.31 ¼
Thomas Franklin, 1 Coffee Mill, 1.18 ¾
Moses Roberts, 1 Table, 1.00
Elizabeth Bouler, 1 Bedstead & furniture, 41.50
John Bouler,3,679 lbs. seed cotton at 3 1/4 cts per lb, 119.56 ¾
Sterling Wells, 1 Lot of corn, 25 bushels, 25.00
Daniel Noble, Do Do, 25.00
William Chapman, Do Do, 25.00
William Chapman, 1 Lot of corn, 25 bushels, 24.75
Joseph Mott. 7 bushels of corn, 7.00
Do Do, 15 ½ bushels cotton, 5.00
John Hays, 3 Fat hogs, 25.96
William Chapman, 10 hogs, 12.06 ¼
John Hays, 1 Lot of hogs, 20.56 ¼
Thomas Lacy, 1 Black Cow & calf, 14.30
Aza Pate, 1 White Cow & black calf, 15.00
Thomas Lacy,1 Red headed cow and calf, 13.60
Adam White, 1 Speckled cow and calf, 18.95
Haywood Todd, 1 white cow & black calf, 18.00
Do Do, 1 cow and yearling, 30.00
Do Do, 1 Cow and yearling, 18.90
Joseph Williamson, 1 Cow, 15.62 ½
William Chapman, 2 heifers, 16.12 ½
Do Do, 1 Hill of Potatoes, 1.75
Do Do, 1 Small Stack fodder, 1.55
Do Do, 1 Large Stack of fodder, 10.00
Do Do, 1 Mare & colt, 50.00
John Hill, 1 Colt, 80.00
Elizabeth Bouler,1 Black mare, 91.00
John Barran, 16 Ducks, 4.31 ¼
Elizabeth Bouler, 1 Weaver’s Slaie, .90 ½
John Bouler, Administer Sworn to the 3nd March 1822 before Wm. A. Robinson
davisduncangivensandhare 
[…] When William moved to Clarke County, Alabama, he kept his musket but probably used his shotgun for hunting. […]
[…] When William moved to Clarke County, Alabama, in the early 1800s he took his Revolutionary War musket with him. After his death his executor sold it for a dollar. […]
[…] a veteran of the American Revolution, died in 1821, and his son and executor John Bouler has left us the mother and father of all yard sale inventories—giving an excellent idea of the kinds of things the family would have needed for their new life […]