| Notes |
- Margaret was the second child and only daughter of William Stewart and his first wife, Catherine Colvin. Her date of birth is unknown. Her parents married sometime after immigrating to North Carolina in 1739. Margaret's birth is estimated to be around 1748.
Margaret married a man surnamed Spiller who was a lawyer from Ireland. According to family records (below), unbeknownst to Margaret, Spiller was a bigamist and was already married with a family of children back in Ireland whom he had abandoned there. When his first family subsequently followed him to American and located him, he then abandoned Margaret and returned to his first wife. Tragically for Margaret this may have led to a serious falling out with her father. Whether he viewed her as damaged goods or for some other unknown reason, she was virtually excluded from her father's will. He left all her siblings significant portions of his estate, but to Margaret he left only one shilling. A single shilling seems worse than if he'd left her nothing at all and appears to be a blatant snub. Interestingly, he uses the phrase "I give and bequeath" for all his children in his will except Margaret for whom he says only, "I give." Later in the will, her father indicates that if any of his other daughters should die without heirs then their portion of the estate should be divided among the rest of their sisters, except for Margaret, whom he explicitly excludes from inheriting anything other than the single shilling.
Despite being abandoned by her bigamist husband, when she died, she left her remaining possessions to him.
In 1763, Margaret's uncle, Patrick Stewart, dictated a detailed family tree, subsequently added to by Dr. James Carraway in 1789 and others, in which Margaret is described as:
"Margaret married Spiller, a lawyer of North Carolina, but who came originally from Ireland, where he had left a wife and two or three children, which circumstance was wholly unknown to her. She lived with Spiller a very unhappy life for several years, when his wife and daughters arriving from Ireland, they were separated, and she died not long afterwards without issue."
Margaret's will was probated in Oct. 1797, so she would have died shortly before that.
---------
The Last Will and Testament of Margaret Stewart Spiller (Transcribed by Jennifer Riley Stewart)
The will of Margaret Spiller of the town of Fayetteville. Made in the presence of Cornelius Wingate, Mrs. Wingate his wife Gillespie and John Dillon of this town.
The said Margaret Spiller having been for a considerable time very sick but of a sound and disposing memory and understanding called upon the said persons and declared in the following manner.
The said Margaret, having previously sent for the above named John Dillon he came to her house and called to him to come near her and inquired often for Mr. Spiller and being answered he was sick in the countryside and could not come she said he would not see her alive and said she was gone. She willed as thus two negroes boys Sterling and George to her brother’s natural son and that her just debts be paid and herself decently interned at either Sampson or her father’s and on being asked by Mrs. Wingate which of the places she chose to be interned at she answered at her father’s, her wearing apparel to her sister Betsy and then her property real and personal to go to Mr. James Spiller to do as he choose with it and desired the said John Dillon to take care of everything that none be missing until his return.
John Dillon of the town of Fayetteville maketh oath that the within writing contains the verbal will of Mrs. Margaret Spillers made in her last sickness and by him committed to writing and although Mrs. Spillers languished for some time afterwards, she did not appear to be disposed to make any other will until her death.
Sworn to as subscribed in presence of X Jn Dillon
D M Auslein (?) JP
30 July 1797
Recorded in Book A, State of N. Carolina, October 1797. The Noncertified Will of charge Spiller was presented in court by Thomas Davis proven by the oat of John Dillon and Mr. Wingate. Ordered to be recorded.
? Munsford C.C.
(Possibly Robinson Munsford) who appears in the 1800 census of Fayetteville.
Notes: Cornelius Wingate - (Abt. 1755-1810) lived in Fayetteville, N.C. and is buried in Cross Creek Cemetery #01, Fayetteville, Cumberland, North Carolina. He remarried in 1807 in Fayetteville so apparently Gillespie had died.
There were several John Dillons in the area I’m not sure which one is mentioned in the will.
I believe D.M. Auslein could be Duncan McAuslin who appears on the 1800 Census of Fayetteville.
She leaves two Negro boys to her brother’s natural son this probably refers to her brother Captain Patrick Stewart who had one son Walter Stuart.
Her sister Betsy would be Elizabeth Stewart Ventress.
It appears that her husband was:
James Spiller (b. ABT. 1745 • Ireland) (d. 1799 in Cumberland County, N.C.)
Will Date: 12 May 1798
Probate Date: 1799
Probate Place: Cumberland, North Carolina, USA
Inferred Death Year: 1799
Inferred Death Place: North Carolina, USA
Item Description: Original Wills, Reeves, William J - Waddill, Thomas
|
Abt 1748 - 1797 (~ 49 years)
