Fountain L. McDaniel and Alexander Williams sue with their wives, two daughters of the late John Belote, to compel Martha and Henry A. Belote to account for their handling of inherited property. The petitioners have filed their suit as a cross bill to an earlier suit filed by Elizabeth C. Goodall, another daughter of John Belote, and her husband, John D. Goodall. The case concerns the estates of John Belote, father of the women, who died in 1826, and their grandfather, Henry Belote, who died six months later. Both estates contained slave property. John Belote's will allowed his widow, Martha, to keep his slaves "for the purpose of schooling clothing boarding and raising her children" until the youngest turned 21 years old. Martha Belote and her son, Henry A. Belote, became guardians to the younger children and operated the plantation for more than a decade. The petitioners allege that Martha and Henry Belote took advantage of the situation, using property for their personal benefit and failing to account properly for expenses and income. In 1837, the plaintiffs bought the Goodalls' share of the estates; later, they sold their own shares of John Belote's estate. Martha Belote agreed to abide by the terms of these sales and surrender the slaves involved, including a skilled slave named Sober, when the youngest child came of age in 1839; however, she has since refused to relinquish the slaves. The petitioners ask the court to compel Martha and Henry A. Belote to correct their guardianship accounts, to deliver the daughters' inheritances, and to surrender the slaves to their rightful owners.
Result: Partially granted; appealed; partially affirmed and remanded; partially granted; appealed; affirmed.
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
