Administrator William Lockett seeks to settle the estate of his father-in-law, James Horsly. When Horsly died in 1839, he left his estate to his widow Jane for her life and to his seven children after her death. Jane Horsly and several of the children moved to Missouri, taking four estate slaves with them. Over the past eleven years, Jane and four of the children have died. Four heirs remain: James and John Horsly in Missouri, and William Horsly and William Lockett (heir to his late wife's portion) in Tennessee. They agreed to leave the slaves in their respective locations with the heirs living in those states, and the Missouri heirs paid money to Lockett's co-administrator, William Horsly, to equalize the shares. Lockett complains that William Horsly has not shared with him that money or the hire of the Tennessee slaves. Horsly has claimed that he "exhausted" the money to pay estate debts, but Lockett avers that the Missouri heirs should help pay any remaining debts. Lockett asks the court to compel the other heirs to settle the estate. He also asks that the four Tennessee slaves "be either sold or divided" between himself and William Horsly.
Result: Partially granted; settled.
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
