Gibson, Randall Lee

Submitted by George Lightfoot, Singleton, Col. USAF, Ret.

RICHARD SINGLETON, b. 1758, SC, Sumter Co, d. Claiborne Co MS 1811. Married Martha James, niece of Mary James, wife of Col Matthew Singleton (b. 1730 Isle of Wight ENG, d. Sumter Co SC 1787). RICHARD SINGLETON was a son of ROBERT SINGLETON, (b. 1726 Isle of Wight ENG. d. Sumter Co SC 1800). Robert Singleton disinherited both sons RICHARD SINGLETON & JOSEPH SINGLETON who sought disbursement of their inheritances from Robert Singleton while he was still living. This request for payment in advance of expected inheritance shares apparently caused Robert Singleton get angry and to only leave them each 11 pence in his will and not name them at all as "remaindermen" in his, Robert Singleton's, Will summary clause.

Children of RICHARD SINGLETON & MARTHA JAMES SINGLETON were JOSEPH JAMES SINGLETON, later referred to in GA (where he removed to Jackson Co GA) as Dr. J. J. Singleton (he became prominent in public education promotion which may be where he got his "Dr" title, or, since his son was a Methodist Minister (Rev) it is possible that Dr. stood for "Rev."; ELIZABETH SINGLETON, named after Martha James Singleton's sister ELIZABETH SINGLETON, another niece of Mary James Singleton and Col Matthew Singleton. (ELIZABETH SINGLETON married Richard's older brother Joseph Singleton, who also removed to Mississippi and joined Richard Singleton in 1808 in Claiborne Co, Miss in signing a Memorial to the President; HIRAM SINGLETON, named after the son of a parallel line of lowland SC Singletons to whom this Singleton line was kin by marriage twice through the RICHARDSON family of SC; RICHARD SINGLETON, Jr. his Dad's namesake; and JOSEPH SINGLETON.

At his death in 1811 Richard Singleton's estate, per Claiboirne County's Orphans Court Records from 1811,(Oprhans Court had probate duties when the amount of an estate was below a certain figure, ie, a small estate value)was said to be worth $157.23, and he had $67 realizable in cash from cotten seed sales proceeds due him. The balance of the estate was in debts. As of 1956 a Clara Singleton Petty of Chapel Hill NC had photostatic copies of these Claiborne Co Miss. Orpahans Court records of Richard Singleton's estate. She is the source of the info in this paragraph, and the above reference to the two sons, Joseph and Richard Singleton, asking for estate shares prematurely, which angered their Dad, Robert Singleton (1730-1800) causing him to disinherit them both.

A long line of GA Singleton grandsons, gt grandsons, etc. ensued from this RICHARD SINGLETON, many of whom became degreed engineer graduates of the old Alabama Polytechnic Institute, today's Auburn University. Today, 1999, a street in the town of Auburn, Alabama is named after one of the Singleton son descendants who took two engineering degrees at today's Auburn University concurrently, civil and mechanical engineering...no small feat in anyone's book!

The 1999 modern day firm of SINGLETON ENGINEERING on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA was founded and is still owned by the direct engineering descendants of this same Richard Singleton who caused his father, Robert Singleton (b. 1730, d. 1800) disinherit him apparently for merely asking for his estate share before his Dad had passed away. This branch of the Singleton family had valuable talents, all they needed was advance education to polish off their skills!]