Frances Fentress Watts furnished Ralph Appleby with a copy of the will in which Peter Ridley left a large plantation, $20,000 in cash, and other things.  Martha, his wife, Richard, a son, and George Tally, who married their fourth child, Julia, were made executors of the estate. George Tally was an officer in the Confederate Army and was killed in battle in 1864.  The executors had to post a $40,000 bond to clear the estate,  We do not know what happened to all of Peter Ridley's children.

Ralph Appleby recalls as a child his father said that the had cousins in Louisiana...Arthur Appleby, a double first cousin, gave Bernice Appleby Fentress a mother of pearl ring.  Also, we have some cousins in Wichita Falls, Texas.   Years later during World War II, a young lady of that particular branch of the family married a Columbus, Georgia, man.  Ralph met and talked with her.  Her husband was a member of the Air Force and was one of the first casualties  of World War II.  She moved back to Wichita Falls and Ralph lost track of her.

Julia, the fourth child of Peter Ridley married George Tally.  It appears that the Tally family came from Virginia and settled in Macon County.  We have discovered in Macon County and Society Hill (a small village at the time the Applebys came to Macon County)  that a large number of  Tallys live there now.  Among them is Miss Frances Eva Tally.  She is the grand-daughter of George and Julia Appleby Tally.  She is now 90 years old.  Ralph Appleby and Forrest Appleby Shavers visited her July 10, 1980.  She lives alone on the site of George and Julia's farm.  She is active and has a very friendly personality.   She immediately informed us that she had two old family Bibles.  This contained quite a bit of information.  She suggested we take the Bibles and examine the family records.

On this trip, we spent many hours with Mrs. Florida Segrest.  Mrs. Segrest is the appointed historian of Macon County.  Mrs. Segrest is a charter member of the Historical Society of East Alabama.  Through her effors the Society has published a journal entitled , "Tap Roots", where the records from old family Bibles are published.  Mrs. Segrest came from Broward County, Florida.  Her father is a former governor of

Florida.  The visit with Segrest was entertaining and informative.

Peter Ridley gave his children a very good education.  Although schools were available, he brought tutors for his children from South Carolina.  Records show that after his death in 1857, money was obtained from his estate to send Narcissus, a daughter, to the Alabama Female College, established about 1845 in Tuskegee.  (This name was later changed to Tuskegee Institute.)

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