- Deed #1. Book W, Pages #413 - 414 Belfield and Nancy Featherstun to Deed Trustees of Featherstun Chapel The State of Mississippi, Warren County This indenture made this sixth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty, between Belfield Featherston, of Warren County in the State of Mississippi, and Nancy, his wife, of the one part, and Willard Chamberlain, Samuel J Blanchard, Nicholas T Blanchard, George G Trible, and Richard Featherston, Trustees in trust, for the uses and purposes hereinafter mentioned, all of the said County of Warren and said State of Mississippi, of the other part, Witnesseth, that the said Belfield Featherstun, and his wife Nancy, for and in consideration of the sum of Five Dollars in specie, to them in hand paid, at and upon the sealing and delivery of these presents, the receipt thereof is hereby acknowledged, hath given granted, bargained, sold, released, confirmed, and conveyed, and by these presents do give grant, bargain, sell, release, confirm,, and convey unto these, the said Willard Chamberlain, Samuel J Blanchard, Nicholas T Blanchard, George G Trible, and Richard Featherstun, and their successors (Trustees) in trust for the Use and purpose hereinafter mentioned and declared, all the estate, right, tittle, interest, property claim and demand, whatsoever, either in Law or Equity, which he, the said Belfield Featherstun, and his wife, Nancy, have in, to, or upon, all and singular, a certain lot or piece of land, situate, lying and being in the said County of Warren, and State aforesaid, bounded and butted as follows, i.e.: Beginning on the Southern Boundary Line of Tarlatan Hancock, running South three hundred feet to a corner Southwest of the Church known as Featherstun Chapel, Thence East one hundred and fifty feet to a corner East of said Chapel, Thence North three hundred feet to Hancock’s said line, Thence on and along said line one hundred and fifty feet to point of beginning, containing one acre of land, more or less, together with all and singular, the houses, woods, waterways, privileges, and appurtenances, thereto belonging, or in anywise appertaining, To Have and To Hold; all and singular the above mentioned and described lot or piece of land, situate, lying and being as aforesaid together with all and singular the houses, woods, waters, ways, and privileges thereto belonging or in anywise appertaining unto them, the said Trustees, and their successors in office, forever, In Trust, that they shall erect and build, or cause to be build and erected, thereon, a house or place of Worship, for the use of the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in the United States of America, according to the rules and discipline which from time to time may be agreed upon and adopted by the Ministers and Preachers of the said Church, or shall from time to time be duly authorized by the General Conferences of the Ministers and Preachers of the said Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or by the Annual Conferences authorized by the said General Conferences , to preach and expound God’s Holy Word therein, In Further Trust, and confirms that as often as any one or more of the Trustees herein before mentioned shall die or cease to be a member or members of the said Church according to the rules and discipline, as aforesaid, then, and in each case it shall be the duty of the Stationed Minister or Preacher shall proceed to nominate one or more persons to fill the place or place of him or them whose office or offices, has or have been vacated as aforesaid provided the person or persons to nominated shall have been one year a member or members of the said Church immediately proceeding such nomination, and be at least twenty - one years of age, and the Said Trustees, so assembled, shall proceed to elect, and by majority of votes, appoint the person or persons so nominated to fill such vacancy or vacancies in order to keep up the number Nine, Seven, or Five Trustees, forever, and in case of any equal number of votes for and against the said nomination, the Stationed Minister or Preacher shall have the casting vote, provided nevertheless, that if the said Trustees or any of them, or their successors, have advanced or shall advance any sum or sums of money on account of the said premises, and the said Trustees or their successors be obliged to pay the said sum of money, they or a majority of them shall be authorized to waiver the said sum or sums of money by a Mortgage on the said premises or by Selling he said premises, after notice given to the Pastor or Preacher, who has the oversight of the Congregation allowing Devine Service on the said premises, if the money due be not paid the said Trustees or their successors, within one year after said notice given, and if such sale take place the said Trustees, or their successors after paying the costs and other expenses which were due from the money derived from such sale, shall deposit the remainder of the money produced by the said sale in the hands of the Steward or Stewards of the Society belonging to, and attending Divine Services on said premises, which supply of the produce of such sale be deposited in the hands of said treasurer or Stewards shall be at the disposal of the next Annual Conference authorized as aforesaid, which this Annual Conference shall dispose of the said money according to their best judgment for the use of said Society, and the said Belfield Featherstun doth by these presents warrant and forever defend all and singular the above mentioned and described Lot or Piece of Land with the appurtenances thereto belonging unto them the said aforementioned Trustees, or their successors chosen and appointed as aforesaid from the claim or claims of him, the said Belfield Featherstun, his heirs and assigns and from the claims or claims of all persons whatever. In Testimony whereof the said Belfield Featherstun and Nancy, his wife, have hereunto set their hands and seals, the day years aforesaid, sealed and delivered in presence of ###. (Signed and sealed) Belfield (His (X) Mark) Featherstun Nancy (Her (X) Mark) Featherstun #### Received the day of the date of the above written instrument, the consideration therein mentioned in full, witness. Belfield (His (X) Mark and Seal) Featherstun.
Be it remembered that on the sixth day of February in the year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and fifty, personally appeared before me, one of the Justices of the Peace, in and for County of Warren, State of Mississippi, the within named Belfield Featherstun, the Grantor, and Nancy, his wife, who acknowledged the within Deed of Trust to be their act and deed for the uses and purposes therein mentioned and declared, and the said Nancy, wife of the said Belfield Featherstun, being examined separate and apart from the said Husband by me examined, declared that she had made the claim acknowledged freely and with her own consent, without being induced thereto through fear of threats of her said husband. In Testimony whereof, I have hereto set my hand and seal this 6th day of February, 1850. (Signed and Sealed) D J Cowan, J.P. The State of Mississippi, Warren County I, Edward R Scarborough, Clerk of the Probate Court, in and for said County, do hereby certify that the foregoing instrument of conveyance and verification, were filed for record in my office on the 20th day of February, 1850. Whereupon, I have made this record in Deed Book W, Pages #413 - 414, Given under my hand and seal of office 20th, February, 1850. (Sealed) E B Scarborough, Clerk
By 1840, Belfield Featherstun, one of Richard’s nephews, was also living in Warren County, Mississippi with his wife, Nancy and several children. (son of Burrell and Rebecca Adams)
In 1850, Belfield and Nancy Featherstun gave an acre of land, 150 by 300 feet, for the construction of a Methodist Church. The deed indicates that a structure already existed on the site, the land was deeded to the trustees who were not named, who were to “meet and built or cause to be built and erected thereon a place of worship for the use of the members of the Methodist Church, South…” They were instructed to “at all times to permit ministers and preachers to preach and expound God’s Holy Wood therein..”
The deed specified that if a trustee died or ceased to be a member of the church, he was to be replaced by one who was at least 21 years of age, who had been a member of the church for at least a year. The number of trustees should, always, be an odd number - nine, seven, or five - to keep from having a tie when voting. Provision was also made for the church to borrow money by mortgaging the property. If it had to be sold to pay the debt, any excess funds should be placed in the care of the stewards and then given to the Methodist Conference.
The land was bordered on one side by property owned by Tarleton Hancock, and the church was known as Featherstun Chapel. The deed was recorded on February 20, 1850. No records have been found of Featherstun Chapel, and there is no mention of it in most church records. It is doubtful that it ever had many members or lasted many years.
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1811 - 1881 (69 years)
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