John William Allen Property Discoveries

Stephen and I have made a few new discoveries lately regarding the John William Allen property in Greene County, VA.  These discoveries began when I contacted the Greene County, VA Count Clerk, Marie Durrer.  Marie was kind enough to look-up the deed to John William Allen's purchase of 166 acres in Greene County in late 1900.  She mailed me a copy of the original deed.  I've transcribed it below.  There are a few words that I had trouble making out.  They are indicated with [?].  Others that I think I could tell what they said, but wasn't sure, are indicated with (?).  We'll start with the deed:

Greene County Deed Book 12 Page 181

This Deed made this Oct 15, 1900 between F.M. McMullan [?] hereinafter described of one part and John W. Allen of the other part. Whereas said F.M. McMullan and R.S. Thomas [?] in the suit of H.S. Collier vs Lawson in Greene Circuit Court in pursuant of the decree entered in the said cause at Nov term 1894 of said court made public sale on March 13, 1895 of the Martin Collier Home Place of 166 acres 2 roods 13 poles of land. Reserving and excepting from said sale the Collier family graveyard thereon and certain road ways as described by B.A. McMullan survey thereof to Mrs. F.W McDaniel at the gross price of $1,041.00 which said sale was reported to court at its June term 1895 and confirmed by its decree there entered therein and whereas F.M. McMullan was appointed special commissioner by said decree and directed to convey by a good and sufficient deed with special warranty the said tract of land to said purchaser as to such other person or persons as she might direct so soon as all said purchase money was paid and when all said purchase money has been paid by and for said purchases and she has directed said [?] McMullan to make his deed for said land to said John W. Allen, now therefore this deed witnesseth that said F.M. McMullan {?} as aforesaid in consideration of the premises and of all the purchase money to him paid as aforesaid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged in order to carry into effect said decree of court doth grant and convey with special warranty unto said John W. Allen and his heirs forever all that certain tract of 166 acres 2 roods 13 poles of land described in the bill and proceedings of said court known as the Martin Collier Home Place situated in Greene County, VA about 6 miles southwest of Stanardsville said granter reserving and excepting from this deed the old Collier family graveyard of 1/4 of an acre of land for the burial of any number of the Collier family desiring to be bury their dead there with the right of ingress to and egress from the same and also reserving & excepting from this conveyance this right of road way for the benefit of the other Martin Collier tract of land from the dividing line between said two tracts to the public roads one leading to W.T. Chapman Mountain place and the other to Powells Gap as the private road now [?] the said tract of land hereby conveyed is bundled(?) by the causes(?) and [?] by B.A. McMullan survey thereof of made for the court dated Sept 18, 1890 filed with the papers of said cause [?] beginning at a large red oak on Jack Davis line at the [?] of plat corner to Early(?) Survive (?) thence N52 E176 poles to a chestnut and a dogwood corner in J.B. Elliott line thence with said Elliott line N44 W65 poles to a white oak and [?] on the south side of a road corner to said Elliott thence with said Elliott’s line N69 E38 poles to two small persimmons a Gum and two small cherry trees and a small read oak on the south side of a large flat rock corner on said Elliott line in the Martin Collier lands [?]44 1/2 W 77 poles to a double dogwood on top of a mountain corner on Hams line thence with said Hams (or Harns) line S32 W36 poles to a chestnut and gum at corner to Harns thence N44 W28 poles to a white oak small dogwood small pine and 2 large white oaks marked as pointers thence S57 W127 poles to a stake on the north side of a branch at corner to Durrett(?)/Dussett(?) Vernon[?} thence S[?] 42 poles to a pine corner to Early Snow thence with said Snow line S30 1/2 E122 poles to the beginning containing 166 acres 2 roods 13 poles of land witness the following signature and seal.

F.M. McMullan [?]

Virginia

In the Clerks office of Green County Court 15 day of Nov, 1900 J.K. Page Clerk of the aforesaid court certify that F.M. McMullan [?] whose name is signed to this with [?] deed bearing date the 15 day of Oct 1900 has acknowledged the same before me in my [?] and affix(?) aforesaid given under my hand this the 15 day of November 1900.

J.K. Page, Clk.

Virginia

In the Clerks offices of Greene County Court 20th day of December 1900 this deed [?] F.M. McMullan [?} to John W. Allen was this day filed in the office aforesaid and is together with the certificate of acknowledgement annexed admitted to reserve being stamped with $1.50 (?) [?]