1836
South Carolina
John C. Mixson Dies

In November of 1836 John C. Mixson#706 died at the age of seventy leaving his wife Mary Joyce Mixson, and nine grown children, William John, Lavicy, Archibald Kirkland, Susan Elizabeth, James Joyce, Edward Miles, Charles Jones, Mary Hanson and Experience G. and, being a prominent well-known citizen, most everyone in the county came to pay their respects when he was laid to rest at the Joyce Branch Church Cemetery.[1]

John Mixson’s son William was appointed administrator of the estate which filed with the court a plan to be divided the assets among the children and few other parties.

William J. Mixson appointed Administrator for John Mixson

The appraisal was done of his estate which amounted to the handsome sum of $14,528.20 ($506,334.33 today).  Some of the items listed were:

Court Document

There were other things, mostly farm items, wagon, grinding stone, saddles, etc. John Mixson was clearly a successful farmer. While they would sell the cotton which would mostly be shipped to England, corn was actually more valuable for some would be ground into corn meal and grits to feed the family, but most was used to feed the farm animals which were third in value. At first it seemed they had little furniture for having raised nine children but, at the age of 71, all the children were married and living on their own farms. The most value asset of the farm were the slaves, without them the farm would not have been as successful. (see full list)

The sacks of fodder were divided between daughter’s husbands Robert Kirkland and Josiah Brown. The field of cotton went to son-in-law James Darlington. The cotton seed Charles Jones Mixson, fat hogs to the sons Charles Jones and James Joyce and Archibald Kirkland. Two looking glasses went to James Joyce, 2 decanters and tumblers to James Darlington, and so it went, crockery, plates and dishes, 1 fine cupboard, with all the children getting items. A few nonfamily members got items like some of the fine fire dogs, tongs and shovel going to Amos Smart. The slaves were distributed between family members and few other persons with the slave families being torn apart with “mother and child” going alone to one person while “negro man,” perhaps the father, going to another. All seemed equitable. Of note, in the distribution list, all the son’s last names were spelled “Mixson”.

A month after the above division of the estate was filed a petition was registered with the court on December 22nd, 1836 that “heirs” of the estate decided “That all the heirs are of full age and desirous of their proportions of the Estate, which consists in negro Cattle Horses, etc. and that a division cannot well take place without a sale thereof.”  The court accepted the petition and ordered a sale to take place on January 16, 1837.  

John C. Mixson’s estate was no more, well the assets of the estate, the very assets that it took to run and manage a plantation were gone, but there was the land, and the mother, Mary Joyce Mixson.

Everything in the house that Mary had raised nine children in was gone, either to the children or sold off. Mary likely went to live with one of her sons, most likely William as he was the oldest and most established. Evidently her health was not so good for in August of 1837 she wrote a will stating, “being in weak bodily condition but of sound & disposing mind and memory.” Then follows a shocker:

I.  In the first place, I give & bequeath to my daughter Lavoice Kirkland (wife of Mr. Robert Kirkland) the sum of Ten Dollars $10.00 and no more.

Something had transpired since the selling of the estate, or perhaps because of it for the petition for selling the estate did say “a division cannot well take place.” It appears that the daughter Lavoice was the cause of the problem and was written out of any remaining inheritance. Mary then specified her assets be divided among the remaining children,

“A. K. Mixon, James J. Mixon, Edward M. Mixon Charles J. Mixon, William J. Mixon, Susan Brown, Mary H. Darlington (wife of James Darlington) and Experience G. Fogler (wife of Jno J. Fogler) share & share alike, equally to be divided among them.”

And she was quite clear as to the reason:

And lastly I solemnly declare that the disposition of my Estate hereby made has not been caused by any ill feeling or mis-understanding; but is intended to put my children on an equal footing as to the shares coming to then out of their father's Estate - inasmuch as the said Robert Kirkland & his wife claim a greater share in the Estate of the said John Mixon than the other children have agreed to take.

Mary and her children’s name was spelled “Mixon” by the writer of the document but the signature which appears to be in Mary’s handwriting she spells it “Mixson.”

Mary Joyce Mixson died the following year and was laid to rest beside her husband in the Joyce Branch Church Cemetery.