Benjamin Arnold Temple

Mortgage, 11 Feb 1804, Robert Temple of King William Co. to "Molly Temple as Guardian to Ann B. Temple" of the same county, securing 1,114 pounds 10s owed on three bonds (25 Feb 1803, 99 pounds 10s; "the day preceding" these presents, 950 pounds; date herewith, [6]5 pounds): he conveys the tract "whereon the said Molly now resides" (leased to her by Robert 9 Feb 1804) "also Robert Temples interest and claim in and to the negroes which the said Molly holds as the dower Slaves of her late husband Benjamin Temple deceased." Signed Robert Temple, Molly Temple; wits. John Gwathmey, [?] Gwathmey, Eliza Gwathmey; acknowledged at the court of Monday 28 Jan 1805. The facing entry (9 Jan 1804) has John Roane mortgaging back to Robert the 279 acres "conveyed by the said Robert and Elizabeth his wife and Molly Temple" - the widow joining the conveyance of the estate land. (King William Court Records 4, img 316 of film 007644926, pp. 296-297; read on the image and crop-verified 6 Aug 2026 - the OCR drops the "B.", the manuscript clearly reads "Ann B. Temple"; register K132; local images under sources/king-william-court-records-4-2026-08-06.) ⛔ What this attaches where: the deceased Benjamin's widow MOLLY = [2599] (given name only - no surname is stated, the Baylor identification rests elsewhere); the ward Ann B. = [2637] Ann Brooke; the indebted heir Robert (wife Elizabeth) = [2565], whose tree wife [2566] Elizabeth Skyrin matches. ⛔ TENSION recorded, not resolved: [2637]'s uncited birth 9 Jul 1781 would make her about 22 at this 1804 guardianship, past majority - either a guardianship estate persisting to settlement, or a wrong birth year.

Deed, 25 Apr 1803, Bernard Houchings and Elizabeth his wife to Robert Temple, all of King William Co., $385, 78 acres "be the same more or less, and bou[nded] of the estate of Benjamin Temple deceased, John Roane and the said Robert [Temple]"; recorded at the court of Monday 27 Jun 1803, Teste Robert Pollard C.C. (King William Court Records 4, img 194 of film 007644926, pp. 178-179; read on the image and crop-verified 6 Aug 2026; register K131; local images under sources/king-william-court-records-4-2026-08-06.) ⛔ Evidence of state, not of date: a Benjamin Temple was DEAD holding a landed estate in King William by 25 Apr 1803. The 27 Sep 1802 probate date itself comes from the will record (see the Ryland citation on this fact).

Contemporary newspaper notice: "Will be sold on Friday the 29th instant at the Dwelling House of Col. BENJAMIN TEMPLE, deceased, and on Tuesday the 2nd of November at the Plantation in Hanover County called GARLAND'S, stock, household and kitchen [furniture]. King William, October 7, 1802. ROBERT TEMPLE, Executor of Benjamin Temple, deceased." Ryland's note 53: "Benjamin Temple of 'Presque Isle,' was son of Joseph and Ann (Arnold) Temple. His will, dated March 23, 1800 and proved September 27, 1802 (copy on file in the manuscript department of the Virginia Historical Society) names sons, Robert and Benjamin; daughters, Elizabeth Taylor, Molly Williamson and Nancy Temple; wife, Molly Temple; sister, Molly Elliott; nephew, Benjamin Elliott, and niece, Agnes Elliott." Executors: sons Robert and Benjamin and son-in-law Richard Taylor; witnesses William Temple, Leonard Tunstall Sr., John B. Gwathmey. (Ryland 1955, read from the saved text 6 Aug 2026, register K133 area; the notice is period-contemporary, the footnote is Ryland's 20th-c. abstract.) ⛔ The ORIGINAL will is UNREAD - the VHS (now VMHC) copy is the document to read. ⛔ The will's nephew-Benjamin is Benjamin ELLIOTT (Ryland n.53) - the "same-named nephew Temple" tradition has no source; the same-named contemporary is the SON Benjamin (Burnley) Temple, co-executor from Sep 1802.