Vaughan Hilburn, who was named in the 1790 Sampson County, North Carolina Census with nine children, died in Hinds County, Mississippi in 1834.  He was likely the father of John, Frederick, Henry, Woodward, Vaughan Jr., James, Luke, Benjamin, and others.  He is not to be confused with the “first” Vaughan Hilburn who was first recorded in Isle of Wight, VA (IOW, VA) in 1730.  It’s most likely that this Vaughan of IOW, VA was the father of Vaughan Hilburn who died in Mississippi in 1834.

I first became aware of this will from the book Hinds County, Mississippi, Vol. I, 1822-1859, Will Book I Abstracts by Clara Wright Forrest, in which Vaughan’s will was transcribed.  There were no familiar names listed in the will to suggest this was the same Vaughan Hilburn who was born in North Carolina and was likely the father of Hilburn men of Copiah, Misssissippi.  Since this was only a transcription of the will, I felt it was necessary to view a copy of the original will. 

In 2012, I went to the Mississippi State Archives and read a copy of the original will on microfilm. It was obvious that Mrs. Forrest’s transcription had some errors! Her transcription is as follows with my corrections in BOLD.

Abstract of Vaughan Hilborne’s Will, p. 41.

Hinds County, Mississippi, Vol. I, 1822-1859, Will Book I Abstracts by Clara Wright Forrest.

Vaughan Hilborne departed this life about the 5^th of September 1834, & about a week before his death he reported (repeated) in a conversation with Wynand Vannamen that he should shortly die and that he wished what he had to be sold except his bed and bed cloaths, and that he wished Isaiah Warner (?) (Worrell) and Levi Bankston to see to the selling of said property and pay his debts and what was left he wished Axsa Waddel (?) (Axey Worrell) to have, and also he wished her to have his bed and bed clothing. He also said that this was his will and had been for some time- that he always wished for her (meaning the said Axey) to have what he had after paying his debts, that in repeating the above conversation he expressed it fully that it was his will. Probated October 27, 1834; Witness:  Wynand Van Namen  (signature)

This will was actually recorded in October, almost two months after Vaughan’s death and was based upon the testimony of a friend or neighbor in Hinds County. Vaughan Hilburn must have been living in Hinds County, MS at the time of his death.  According to land records of persons named in the will, he was living in southern part of the couty which borders Copiah County, where his sons John & Frederick Hilburn owned land.  Although only John Hilburn owned land by this date and his land was in Township 10, Range 8E in Section 14. At the end of 1834, Frederick Hilburn and John Hilburn, Jr. also bought land in the same township and range as John Sr.

It is believed that Vaughan Hilburn’s wife was Elizabeth Worrell, daughter of John Worrell who died after 1788 in Wayne County, North Carolina. In his will dated December 22, 1788, Worrell willed five shillings to several persons in a list- Wm. Worrell, Eliza Hilburn, Priscilla Peacock, and Benjamin Worrell. He did not state the relationship to these except he did identifyRich’d Worrell as a son, his wife and a grandson. It’s believed the others listed are relatives at least and likely children.

Will of Vaughan Hilborne, Hinds County, MS. 1834

Persons named in Vaughan Hilborne’s 1834 Will:

Wynand Van Namen.  Van Namen was the witness who testified that he had spoken to Hilburn about his wishes only weeks before his death.  He appears to have been a neighbor of Isaiah and Exum Worrell (see the Hinds County plat map on the following page). He is found in the 1830 and 1840 Hinds County census as “Hynand Van Namen”, age 30-40, and in the 1850 Hinds Census with wife Ann.  He was born in Holland.

Axsa or Axey Worrell.  Axsa or Axey Worrell, was born about 1810 in North Carolina and died in 1887 in Attala, MS., (according to the Worrell Family Website). At the time of Hilburn’s death she was single. She married James Mallette (b. 1788 VA) in Hinds County in 1837. His father was William Mallotte II; in 1809 Mallotte owned a inn on the “road west” in Baldwin Co., GA. In 1816 they moved to Lawrence Co., MS & later to Hinds County.  

Biographical facts from the Bible given to Axsa by her father upon her marriage in 1837 mentions her sisters, Elizabeth (married Harrison Watson), Martha (married Wm R. Brock) and brother Exum. Her father, Isaiah is also mentioned in Vaughan’s will; he was the son of Richard Worrell, Sr. who was the brother of Vaughan Hilburn’s wife Elizabeth Worrell.  According to family records, Vaughan married Elizabeth around 1748.  

Isaiah Worrell–  Isaiah was Vaughan Hilburn’s wife, Elizabeth’s nephew. He is believed to have been her brother Richard’s son.  He was born in 1785 in Wayne County, NC and died after 1860 in Lebanon, Hinds County, Mississippi.

Lawrence County, Mississippi State & Territorial Census Collection 1792-1866. Date unknown.

• Isaiah Worrell 1-3-1-3   Total: 8
• Elijah Fisher     1-3-1-3   Total: 8

Isaiah Worrell is found in Monticello in Lawrence County, MS in the 1820 census. There were actually two Isaiah Worrells listed, along with a William Mallet.

Isaiah and Vaughan both appear to have moved from North Carolina to Mississippi Territory by 1812, as they are both found in early census records of Lawrence County.  Since Worrell was named as administrator of Hilburn’s estate, it is believed that he and Vaughan were not only related by marriage but also close friends.

Levi Bankston–  1830 Census Hinds County Census- between 50-60 years old.  In 1826, Bankston bought 80 acres in Hinds in Township 3 N, Range 3 W, Section 6 and lived fairly near Isaiah Worrell. The plat map below shows the section of Hinds County in which Bankston, Worrell and Van Namen lived.

Isaiah Worrell had land in sections 28 and 33, Exum Warrel had land in section 28, while Van Namen had 40 acres in Section 32.  At the time Vaughan Hilburn died, Isaiah Worrell owned land in Section 33. These sections are slightly shaded for the purpose of identification.

Vaughan Hilburn Estate Records

(from MS. Archives; obtained from Ancestry.com)