Richard H. Conly

By James A. Strain, © 2004

The fifth child and second son of George and Elizabeth Conly, Richard H. Conly, is born 6 Oct 1816 in SC, and dies 10 July 1844 in Yalobusha Co., MS where he is buried in the Conly family cemetery. Migrating through AL and TN to MS with his parents, Richard H. Conly obtains a land patent in Yalobusha Co., MS, for 40 acres near his father on 26 Nov 1836.  Note that he would have just turned 20 when he buys this land.

At Richard’s death, his brother Middleton Conly is appointed administrator of his estate on 4 Feb 1846, with he and his two brothers, George W. and William E. being bound for the sum of $500. This original document contains the legal signature of all three brothers. In 1853, Middleton Conly petitions the court to sell Richard’s land. This petition clearly states that Richard was not married at that time and left no lineal descendants. Therefore, all of his collateral relations are named as heirs at law to his estate, which includes land and a small personal estate consisting of a double barrel shotgun, one horse, and one plough. At his estate sale his brother, Middleton, purchases his gun, and Robert Williams, Jun. purchases the horse. His land is kept in the family when it is sold to his brother, John Conly.

As named in the petition, Richard H. Conly’s collateral relations, in 1853, are:

William E. Conly, living in Ark, Mary E. Clark (formerly Conly), J. J. Clark her husband living in Tenn, Ann E. Allen (Late Conly) & Geo T Allen her husband living in Texas, George W. Conly, Jno Conly & Geo W. Conly, Guardian for A. M. Hankins, S. W. Hankins & Samuella Hankins, all living in the State of Mississippi, said minors taking in right of their their (sic) deceased mother.

The locations and names given in this petition to sell the land help to verify the correct families and locations for this date.

It’s unknown what Richard H. Conly’s middle initial "H" might stand for, but it should be noted that his maternal grandmother’s name was Mary Haynsworth, who was married to Richard Wells. In addition, Mary Haynsworth had a brother named Henry Haynsworth, who would have been Elizabeth Conly’s uncle. Elizabeth also had a brother named Henry Wells, but there is no information known about him other than a birth date in the Wells family bible. In addition, Elizabeth’s oldest son, William E. Conly, appears to have a middle name of Edward, which was the name of her older brother, making Henry as perhaps the most logical guess.