Gibbar Wills and Probate

JOHN MANNING was our 5X Great Grandfather through the Gibbar/Belsha/Hager line. Born in 1745 in St. Mary's County, Maryland, John was the son of Cornelius Manning and Jane Brooke. 

John Manning was among the earliest settlers in what would become Perry County, Missouri, when he purchased land south of the Brazeau Creek in what would eventually become Wittenberg soon after the Louisiana Purchase. A Roman Catholic, Manning was one of several men who signed their name to a document in 1806 requesting that a Catholic priest be sent to the area.

Manning married twice. His marriage to his first wife, Susan Wimsatt in 1768, resulted in five children. After her death in 1779, he married Anastasia Ormsby, and had at least five additional children, one of whom was our fourth great grandfather, Robert Stephen Manning.

John Manning's service as a Private in the Revolutionary War was under the command of Captain H. Lowes with the 3rd Maryland Regiment. The 3rd Maryland Regiment was organized on 27 March 1776 of eight companies from Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Talbot, Harford and Somerset counties of the colony of Maryland. The regiment too part in the following battles: the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth, Battle of Camden, Battle of Guilford Court House, Battle of Eutaw Springs and the Battle of Yorktown.​

John Manning signed the Oath of Allegiance to the United States on March 1, 1778 and is the only known veteran of the Revolutionary War to be buried in Perry County, Missouri.

Although it was thought that John Manning and his wife, Anastasia Ormsby, were buried in the St. Rose of Lima Catholic cemetery in Silver Lake, Perry County, Missouri, it is possible that he was actually buried somewhere on land that he owned in Wittenburg, Missouri. Near where he is thought to be buried, a plaque, originally placed at St. Rose of Lima, has been placed in his memory. 

John Manning

Last Will and Testament - December 27, 1813

Ste. Genevieve Missouri Wills, 1807-1871

John Manning

Last Will and Testament - December 27, 1813

Ste. Genevieve Missouri Wills, 1807-1871

John Manning Will

In the name of god, Amen. I, John Manning of the County of St. Genevieve and Territory of Missouri being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament & as [touching] such wordly estate wherewith it has pleased god to bless me in this life. I give devise & dispose of the same in the following manner of form. First I give & bequeath to Anna Stacia, my beloved wife the plantation we now live on below the mouth of Brasoe during her life & one third part of the personal property, consisting of  horses cattle hogs & household furniture that is now on the place after the decease of my wife, the land is to be divided equally between my sons Robert & John with this difference. Robert is to have choice either the improved land on the River or else where he thinks proper. Should he Robert take the place on the river, he is to give John [illegible] or fifteen dollars towards improving a place in the woods. The third part of the personal property which my wife is to enjoy after her decease is to be equally divided between my son John & daughter Treasia. The other third part of my personal property I give to my daughters Polly and Elizabeth. It is also to be understood that Robert & John is to give to Polly & Elizabeth a cow and calf each at any time where it may be wanting. I also give my son Joseph Manning one Dollar. James Manning, Mark Manning, Chloe Tucker & Nancy Mattingly one Dollar each.

I constitute make & ordain my wife Anna Stacia sole executrix of this my last Will & Testament & do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannul all & everty otgher former testament Wills legacies bequests & executors by me in any way before named ratefyting & confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this twenty seventh day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight Hundred and Thirteen.

John Manning - seal

Signed Sealed & [illegible] by the John Manning to be his Last Will & Testament in presence of us

Tho Fenwick

James Fenwick

Geo A. Hamilton

__________


Territory of Missouri

County of Ste. Genevieve

Personally appeared before me the undersigned Clerk of the Circuit Court of the County of Ste. Genevieve and in vacation of said Court. Thomas Fenwick, a subscribing witness to the above annexed last Will and Testament of John Manning and who being sworn according to law deposes and says that he was personally present when the said John Manning signed and sealed and made known and acknowledged the above and annexed instrument to be his last Will and Testament and that the Signature of the said John Manning was wholly written by himself and who at the time of signing the said Will was to all appearances of a sound sound mind and appeared well to understand the matter and further this deponent says that the other subscribing witnesses to the said Will signed the same as such with their proper hands in his this deponents presence and further since the making of the said Will one of the Subscribing witnesses that [illegible] it George A. Hamilton has since that time died.

Tho Fenwick

Sworn to and subscribed before me in vacation on the 22nd day of June 1815. 

Tho Oliver  Clk CC

__________

Territory of Missouri

County of Ste. Genevieve

Personally appeared before me the undersigned clerk of the Circuit Court of the County of Ste. Genevieve and in vacation of the Said Court James J. Fenwick a subscribing witness to the last Will and Testament of John Manning and who being sworn according to law deposes and says that he was personally presnet when the said John Manning signed seaed and made known the same to be his last Will and Testament and that the signature of the said John Manning was wholly written by himself and who at the time of signing the same was to all appearance of a sound disposing mind and appeared well to understand the matter and the deponent further saith that the other subscriging witnesses to the said Will signed the same with their own proper hands in his presence and since the signing thereof George A. Hamilton one of the subscribing witnesses has died.

James  Fenwick

Sworn to and subscribed on the 20th of July 1814

Tho Oliver Clk C.C.

Recorded here on the 20th July 1815 Tho Oliver Clk C.C.