A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for Samuel W. Brents
"The Dickinson Family of Glasgow, Kentucky" lists his middle name as Worley, but that doesn't seem to make sense since it was his brother who married a Worley.
"The Dickinson Family of Glasgow, Kentucky" says "Samuel Brents was the U.S. Attorney in Florida under President Andrew Jackson. Family stories say that President Jackson spent the night at the Brents home in Greensburg on his way to his Presidential Inauguration." He died of cholera. This source is confusing, though, because it says he was married to Isabella Mackey and Margaret Hudson, whereas all the other sources have him married to Elizabeth Marshall.
"Brents, The Joshua Tree" includes a biographical sketch of Samuel (pp. 41-43), which is said to come from "History of Kentucky" by William B. Allen:
Samuel Brents was sworn and admitted an Attorney at The Bar at Greensburg at the November Court, 1798. He was born in North Carolina, about the year 1778, and was but a youth when his father emigrated to Kentucky and settled in Green Co. He had two brothers older than himself, Peter and Solomon, and one younger than himself, who's name was Joshua. He had several sisters, some older and others younger than himself. His father and mother both lived to a remarkable age and died at his house, aged respectively, near one hundred years. Joshua died about ten years since, aged about eighty-four years. Mr. Brents was one of the profoundest lawyers of his day. He was especially proficient as a land lawyer, and accumulated a great amount of property by his profession, especially of land situated in different parts of the State. His practice of the profession was extensive and lucrative; and besides being an adept in special pleading, prepared his cases better than any lawyer I ever knew. He was also a good surveyor, and in early life did a considerable business in that way. He was indefatigable in his professional labors, and equally so as a Statesman. He was elected to the House of Representatives of KY the first time in 1803, and frequently at Intervals afterwards. Before he came to the Bar he was a deputy clerk in the office of General Allen, who was Clerk of both Courts, and for a year or two, a Deputy Sheriff. He was a Justice of the Peace nearly all his public life, and was of great advantage to the County in that respect, as also to the other Justices who were less informed. He was good at figures, wrote a beautiful hand, and though he wrote with great rapidity, yet his writing was well punctuated and easily read.
He was for many years a trustee of the town, a trustee of the Academy of Greensburg, and generally acted as the Clerk of those Boards. He was addicted to no habits of dissipations, and of a happy and social disposition. He was possessed of great benevolence of feeling, was liberal in every public enterprise, and had a heart to feel for the woes of others. He had great equanimity of temper, not easily aroused by passion, but would resent an insult quickly. I never heard of his having but one fight in his life, and that was with one between whom and himself the most kindly relations had ever existed. It occurred with Judge Buckner, another able Jurist and Statesman. Court was in session at Greensburg, Judge Tompkins presiding. The evidence had been heard in the case, and Mr. Brents was addressing the jury, when some remark he made gave offense to Buckner. Words of crimination and recrimination were banded when the Judge remarked that such conduct would not be permitted in the presence of the Court, and that they must go outdoors to settle their difficulties. Brents, in the midst of his speech, left the Courthouse, and Buckner as quickly followed, when a real fisti-cuff fight took place in the courtyard, which continued until they were separated by mutual friends. Brents was made somewhat bloody by the bleeding of his nose; but, having washed, he returned to the Bar and resumed his speech with as much coolness and deliberation as if nothing had happened, addressing the Jury with "Gentlemen of the Jury, as I was about to remark," etc. At this point the whole house convulsed with laughter, in which even the combatants joined as heartily as others. The parties were as friendly ever afterwards as they had been before. Mr. Brents was always interesting, jovial, and witty in conversation with his intimate friends or in the social circle; besides, he was something of a soliloquist. On a certain occasion the Hon. Thomas W. Lisle and myself were traveling to the country with him, when he, being a few paces in advance of us, commenced talking audibly to himself. Mr. Lisle enquired: "Mr. Brents, why do you talk to yourself so much?" "Oh," said he, "because I like to talk to a man of sense."
Although Mr. Brents was a man of considerable property, yet he often felt the need of ready money. He was so liberal and accomodating in his disposition that he never refused when asked to go security for a friend; and consequence was, that he often had large security debts to pay, and unable frequently to meet his own pressing demands. On one occasion, when traveling to Cumberland Court, he stopped on the way at the house of an old friend, to whom he had owed one or two hundred dollars for a long time. Before he left his friend dunned him for the debt, but Brents did not have the means with him to pay, and so stated. "Well," says the old man, "Mr. Brents, you have owed me this debt a good while but if you will pay me the interest now I can afford to trust you longer for the principle. "Ah," said Brents, "Mr. Freeman, it is not my principle to pay the interest, nor is it my interest to pay the principle; but if you will take cash notes on safe men, I will pay you all." "Well," says Freeman, "I will do it." Brents accordingly paid over the cash notes to an amount even more than was due, and started on to Cumberland. Having realized some cash fees at Court, on his return he called on Mr. Freeman again, and had scarcely alighted from his horse when Mr. Freeman, addressing him said. "Mr. Brents, everyone of the notes you let me have are on men in the penitentiary." "I know that," said Brents, "you said you would take notes on safe men, and if men in the penitentiary are not safe, I don't know who are." Having amused himself sufficiently at the old man's expense, he paid him the debt and took back the notes, to the old man's great delight.
Mr. Brents, as I have before stated, was frequently elected a member of the Legislature; in fact, never was defeated in his election for that office when a candidate. Old Squire Skagg, of Bush Creek, was always his friend when a candidate and could control more votes at an election than any other man in the County. On one occasion, when Brents was a candidate, the old man entertained great fears of his success on account of some vote Brents was said to have given in the Legislature at a previous session, which was offensive to a good many of the voters of his neighborhood, and the old man was very anxious that Brents should clear up the report, or in some way dispel the prejudice which had been engendered in the neighborhood. On the Sunday before the election the Baptists had appointed a great meeting, to be held at the house of Old Man Skaggs, on which occasion the whole neighborhood turned out. Brents was also in attendance. After the sermon was over, the male portion of the congregation, and some of the women too, collected around Brents in the yard, and he commenced talking to them, at first gradually raising his voice so as to be heard by all of the crowd, speaking generally in regard to his action on those subjects most likely to be pleasing to the people whom he addressed, but never once alluding to the subject of which the old man and his neighbors complained. When about to retire, the old man remarked: "Mr. Brents, there is one report concerning you about which you have said nothing, and which we would like to have you explain. Brents, feeling his guilt, and conscious of his inability to clear it up satisfactorily, at once gave it a turn which satisfied the people, and to which the old man made no further objection: "Oh Yes," said Mr. Brents, "I had like to have forgotten it. It is reported that I am too great a friend to the poor people; that I show my partialities for them in preference to the rich and wellborn. I acknowledge my guilt, fellow citizens; if I am to be beaten in this race upon this ground, why be it so; I will not give up my predilections on this subject to be elected. It is true that I have ever been the friend of the poor man. When they have been charged with crime of which I believed them not guilty, I have ever volunteered in their behalf. I voted for the occupying claimant law, and all laws, which enabled the poor man to pay for his land in the easiest way, and I have no reflections on myself for doing so. I know I have many times committted unintentional errors, but in this I do not think I have erred; if you think otherwise, gentlemen, forgive me; for if it be an error, it is of my head, and not of the heart." So saying, he retired, and was elected by an increased majority over any former vote.
To relate all anecdotes or occurrences of this nature in regards to Mr. Brents with which I am familiar would occupy more space than the design of this work will allow or I would gladly do so. He was my preceptor in the law, my friend, and social companion. I was devoted to him as a man, and ever enjoyed myself in his society. Mr. Brents made no pretensions to religion, but he respected it highly, and was a moral man. His wife was a most devoted and exemplary Christian, and a member of the Methodist Church. His house was the home of the preacher of any denomination, and the temple for worship before the erection of churches in Greenburg. Mr. Brents died of cholera on the 14th June 1833, in nine hours from his attack.
Samuel W. Brents' will, from "Brents, The Joshua Tree", p. 43:
I, Samuel Brents of Green County, KY considering my mortality and that my days in this world are drawing to a close have thought proper to make this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking all other, either verbal or written. And primarily I wish my body to be interred near my son's on the farm now occupied by my son, Joshua Franklin Brents. My Soul I commit to my God who gave it, not doubting a happy immortality beyond the grave. As to my earthly estate I give, devise, and bequeath as follows: having provided heretofore for my son, Joshua Franklin, I give him nothing more except as may depend upon the will of his mother and further contingencies of my estate. My whole estate, real, personal and mixed, is to be sold and, after the payment of my just debts, the remainder is to go to my wife to be disposed as she may think proper and particularly my land business to receive and make deeds correspondent with my contracts on their own. Lastly, I constitute my much-esteemed friend, Thomas W. Lisle, Esq., and Dr. John Vaughn executors of this my last Will and Testament. Nothing in this appointment is to be construed unfavorable to the opinion due my son, for in his integrity I have unlimited confidence but thought it more prudent to have my estate administered by those who have no interest but in the administration and to avoid censure.
In testimony thereof I hereunto set my hand (the writing being entirely written by myself) and Seal this 18th day of August 1832.
(signed) Samuel Brents
[Green County, Kentucky, Will Book 2, page 240]
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
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