The 1787 will of Hicks Bowen [original burned] named wife Elizabeth Bowen and Godchildren Eldridge Bowen, William Ladd Hicks, and Polley Thomerson. Eldridge Bowen has been identified as Hicks Bowen's nephew, son of his brother Littleberry Bowen. William Ladd Hicks has not been found or identified. Polly Thomerson was almost certainly the daughter of John Thomason and wife Mary [Bowen] who, among other siblings, assigned their rights to Hicks' estate to widow Elizabeth and the Godchildren as Hicks' had wished.

At the death of widow Elizabeth Bowen, Hicks' land was to be sold and the proceeds divided between the Godchildren. The 50 acres belonging to Hicks Bowen's estate remained on the tax book until 1822 when the following notation was made:

P. Benjamin Pennington to Hicks Bowen estate conveyed by Benfords ex. ______? for Robert Singleton: 50 acres

Mecklenburg DB 19 p 254
13 October 1820 Richard J Benford to Benjamin P Pennington. Whereas a certain Robert Singleton and Polly Singleton his wife by a certain indenture bearing date the 27th day of October 1818 & admitted to record in Mecklenburg Co court the 18th day of October 1819 and grant transfer and [convey?] to the said Richard J Benford ... parcel of land in Mecklenburg 50 acres bounded by the lands of Wm Thomerson, Benjr P Pennington, Hudgins and Amy Thomason
Signature unreadable.
No witnesses given.

Although this deed does not refer to the land as Hicks Bowen's estate land, that is clear from the tax records. I do not yet have the previous deed from Robert Singleton and wife Polly to Richard J Benford.

Another deed by Hicks Bowen's nephew Leonard Bowen (son of Littleberry Bowen) also reflects Hicks' estate land and indicates that Benjamin P Pennington had already purchased

Mecklenburg DB 17 p 98
18 Aug 1817 Leonard Bowen & Priscilla to Benjamin P Penington $725 151a beginning at a corner black in Taylors Ferry road thence south along Hickes Bowen decd line to ??? Hudgins corner thence along said Hudings line to Abel Edmonds line thence along said Edmonds line to ?? Hunby's? line to a corner spanish oak thence south along H..ley's line to a corner great oak in the said road thence up the ?? buck horn road to a corner white oak in said Hendley's? line thence along said Himly? Line to Barnetts thence along the said Barnetts line to the said Taylors Road thence down the said road to the beginning.
Signed Leonard + Bowen, Priscilla X Bowen
 
 

I do not have all the records to determine how Hicks Bowen's land came into the possession of Robert Singleton and Polly, but it obviously did. Since we know that his estate was to be sold and the proceeds divided between the Godchildren including Polley Thomerson, it looks quite possible that Polly, wife of Robert Singleton, might have been Polley Thomerson and she had somehow acquired possession of the entire 50 acres.

The Mecklenburg Co marriage records include:
Singleton, Robert & Polley Thompson, 30 Dec. 1795, William Barritt sec.

If this Polley was about age 16 when she married, she would have been born about 1779 - certainly before 1787 when Hicks Bowen wrote his will naming Godchild Polley Thomerson.

The 1850 Mecklenburg census for the 98th district included the following:

6 493 493 THOMASON Thos. 49 M . Laborer . VA . . X . .
7 493 493 THOMASON Delia 35 F . . . VA . . X . .
8 493 493 THOMASON Wm. 8 M . . . VA . . . . .
9 493 493 THOMASON Sally 4 F . . . VA . . . . .
10 493 493 THOMASON Jno. 1 M . . . VA . . . . .
11 494 494 SINGLETON Polly 57 F . . . VA . . . . .   ****
12 494 494 SINGLETON Eliza 34 F . . . VA . . . . .
13 494 494 SINGLETON Betsey 32 F . . . VA . . . . .
14 494 494 SINGLETON Henderson 12 M . . . VA . . . . .
15 494 494 SINGLETON George 9 M . . . VA . . . . .
16 494 494 SINGLETON Amanda 3 F . . . VA . . . . .
17 494 494 SINGLETON John 2 M . . . VA . . . . .
18 494 494 SINGLETON Roan 1 F . . . VA . . . . .

This Polly Singleton's estimated date of birth based on her age on this census would have been about 1793 which would be too late for her to be named as a Godchild in Hicks Bowen's 1787 will. Based on the marriage record, we would expect her age to have been about 71 by 1850. However, the fact that this Singleton family is living next to a Thomason family and near other related Bowen families leads me to believe that Polly may have "fibbed" about her age, which was not unusual for the ladies of this period.

The 1850 Mecklenburg census 98th district reflects another Singleton family of interest.

24 363 363 SINGLETON Mary W. 40 F . . . VA . . . . .
25 363 363 SINGLETON Ann 22 F . . . VA . . . . .
26 363 363 SINGLETON James 19 M . . . VA . . . . .
27 363 363 SINGLETON Adelia 17 F . . . VA . . . . .
28 363 363 SINGLETON Amarillis 12 F . . . VA . . . . .
29 363 363 SINGLETON Roan 6 F . . . VA . . . . .

Notice that this family also has a daughter with the unusual name Roan.

The 1870 Mecklenburg census reflects the daughter Amarillis Singleton as the wife of John P Bowen.

1870 Clarksville district
464b 37 467 382 Bowen John P. 54 M W Farmer 200 VA X
464b 38 467 382 Bowen Amarylis 32 F W Keeps House VA
464b 39 467 382 Bowen Nancy E. 4 F W VA
464b 40 467 382 Bowen Ann E. W. 2 F W VA 465 1
             467 382 Bowen Puss 1 F W VA 465 2
             467 382 Singleton Pamdora W. 9 F W VA

More research needs to be done to prove without a doubt that Polly, wife of Robert Singleton, was Polly Thomason, daughter of John Thomason and Mary Bowen. Mary Bowen Thomason was the daughter of William Bowen Jr and Lucrecy/Lucretia.

John Thomason was probably the same John Thomason who was heir-at-law to the estate of James Thomason:

Mecklenburg WB 1 p 347
Will of James Tomoson   8 February 1780
Wife possess of land during her life then to son George Tomoson the upper part which is 50 acres also the house and the other part to Josior Tomoson.
Wit Saml X Kirk, Lathel X Kirk, Joseph Finn
Proved 11 December 1780
John Tomason heir at law to the testator appeared to contest the validity and the court having heard as well the said John as Frances Tomoson widow of the testator is of the opinion that the said will be admitted.