The Rock House, McDuffie County, Georgia: an analysis of an historic site, 1974 June 25

THE ROCK HOUSE McDuffie County, Georgia An Analysis of an Historic Site
by Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr.
Research Report Submitted Jun~ 25, 1974 State of Georgia Department of Natural Resources Office ofPlanning and Research Historic Preservation Section

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Location and Chronology

2

II. Architectural Analysis

10

III. Thomas Ansley, Sr. (owner 1782-1798)

A. As resident

28

B. Children of Thomas and Rebecca Ansley

38

C. Will of Thomas Ansley, Sr.

41

IV. Abel Ansley (owner 1798-1822)

A. As Resident

44

B. Will of Abel Ansley

48

V. Nicholas C. Bacon (owner 1845-1873)

52

Vl. Benjamin F. Johnson (owner 1887-1938)

59

VII. Religion

61

III. The Land

70

IX. Tax Records

94

X. Miscellaneous

A. Other Ansley Lines

111

B. Persons Doing Research on the Ansley Family

112

C. Early Accounts of the Ansleys

114

XI . Appendix .

A. Inventory of the Thomas Ansley Estate (1809)

116

B. First Inventory of the Abel Ansley Estate (1822)

119

C. Second Inventory of the Abel Ansley Estate (1839)

121

D. Sale of Abel Ansley's Estate (1839)

124

E. Annual Returns of Abel Ansley

128

F. Nicholas C. Bacon

Census of Agriculture (1860)

132

Inventory of Estate (1873)

133

Annual Returns of Estate

135

1880 Census of Agriculture

137

G. Family Trees of Families Associated with the House

138

H. Letters (original) Associated with Research

154

I. The Thomas Cox Family of Monmouth County, New Jersey

164

Fo:r:ward
The research for this paper would have been much harder aad taken much longer had previous research not been done by Mrs. Pearl Baker and Mrs. Merita Rozier. They have also been helpful in conversin~ about the long-ago situations that we are still trying to understand.
Mrs. Pearl Baker of Thomson, Georgia has for many years been an officer of the Wrightsboro Quaker Community Foundation and has taken care of the Rock House in its times of need. She has been a Citizen of the Year in her community as well as Historian for the county. Mrs. Baker has published A Handbook of History: McDuffie County, Georgia: 18_70-1970, as well as many articles in genealogical publications. A native of "Up Noth" she has been able to give a concerted effort in the unraveling of the descendants of Thomas Ansley. Many times have I asked her to "meditate" over some long ago secret or missing document until she cried ''Eureka." Without her years of c0llecting data on the Ansleys, this entire project would barely be off the ground.
Mrs. Merita Rozier, Microfilm Librarian at the Georgia Department of Archives and History, has compiled a documented listing of the lands of Thomas Ansley and the myriad divisions. Her daily availability to discuss the many problems incurred has helped immensely. Mrs. Rozier is an active member of the Georgia Genealogical Society.
The author appreciates the help of many others. Any comments or additions are welcomed at any time. Documents and letters gat:1ered while completing this paper will be deposited in the GeorgiaDepartment of Archives and History.

Location and Chronology

2
Location
The Rock House stands today in McDuffie County where it \\'as originally built in the eighteenth century by Thomas Ansley (1737-1809). The house, presently only a few feet off a dirt road and in a rather rural area, is not far north of Maddock's Creek. The house originally was near the center of Thomas Ansley's 4,700 acres which he received in land grants after the Ceded Limds were opened for settlement in 1773.
The land was originally Indian territory until 1773. In that year the Creek and Cherokee Indians gave the Ceded Lands to Georgia by treaty. The area became Wilkes County, Georgia, under the new State Constitution of 1777. In 1793 the Rock House was in the portion of Wilkes County that became Warren County. The last county change to the site carne in 1870 when McDuffie County was created incorporating this area.
The Rock House site is only a short distance across the old border of Georgia in the ceded Indian territory. The older part of Georgia, where the Wrightsboro settlement was located in 1770, was originally St. Paul's Parish after 1758. Under the Georgia Constitution of 1777 this area became Richmond County. In 1790 the land including Wrightsboro became Columbia County, and after 1870 was included within McDuffie County.
The Rock House is 4 3/4 miles from the old site of Wrightsboro "as the crow flies" and 3 l/2 miles from present Thomson, the county seat of McDuffie County. The house was also close to the county seats of Washington (Georgia) and Warrehton. Augusta, which was the official capital from 1786-1795, is only 46 miles away~ Interstate Highway 20 is just a short

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distance from the Rock House making the area easily accessible from all parts of the State.
The confusion on researching the site and owners of the Rock House rests with the reality that the records of Richmond, Warren, Wilkes, Columbia and McDuffie Counties must be searched.
Due to its amazing construction, the Rock House has weathered the storn;s of two centuries. The walls are two feet thick and have failed to collapse despite recent vandalism. It has been suggested that the design resembled dwellings in New Jersey and New England and the Ansleys brought these designs with them. In comparing the structure to some Connecticut Garrison houses it appears to have many of the same features--large fireplaces, a large room for eating and meeting, similar to the Great Hall of .an English Manor house which would be the basement of the Rock House. [The next section deals with an architectural analysis of the structure.]
The Rock House, 1ist.ed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the only surviving structure from the Wrightsboro Quaker Community area, although it was not actually in the town. It is felt to be Georgia's only known surviving stone house from a period when other building materials were more commonly used. The Rock House is not the only remaining Quakerrelated dwelling. The Quaker settlement met monthly to discuss business, and it is the records of these meetings that shed light onto theirmembership. Since it has not been proven that Thomas Ansley was a Quaker and he does not appear in the surviving minutes of the Wrightsboro Monthly Meeting, the home of Marmaduke Mendenhall, a definite .Quaker, must be mentioned at this point.
"Colonsay Plantation," a house now .in Taliaferro County, was built around 1790 by Marmaduke Mendenhall. According to the Wrightsboro Monthly !1eeting minutes Marmaduke arrived in Georgia in 1775 with his parents, James and Hannah,

5
both Quakers from New Garden Monthly Meeting, North Carolina. In 1777, Marmaduke married another Quaker, Alice Benson. They went to Deep River Monthly Meeting, North Carolina, and remained there from 1779-1784, when they returned to Wrightsboro1 where they both died in 1797. "Colonsay" was sold in 1807 by his administrator to Charles R. Carter. The present owner of the house is Girdwood MacFie. The house was used for Quaker meetings2 and is being nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

6
Chronology: The Last Century at the Rock House
On March 20, 1875 the Rock House, then occupted by Mrs. N. c. Bacon,
weathered one of the worst storms ever to hit Georgia. The tornado that hit the southeast reputedly left the Rock House structurally intact, while destroying most everything else in its path. 3
After the Johnsons purchased the House from the Bacons, Mr. Benjamin F. Johnson had the house covered in cement to preserve the crumbling mortar
and placed a tin roof over the remaining oak shingles;4 A description of
the house written c.l933, shortly before Mr. Johnson's death, shows the uniqueness of the structure in the community:
It has three stories and two very large chimneys. ~art of the interior walls are sealed with wide plank and part are unsealed showing the rough rock wall. The sills of the house are morticed together with wooden pins and the few nails used are square cut and were forged by hand in a blacksmith shop. In recent years Mr. B. F. Johnson, present owner, had the outside cemented and while it still shows that it is very old, it was really quite a curiosity with its original exterior of rock,
looking like an old castle. It was the home of Mr. N. c. 'Bacon's
family for many years. It is now occupied by Negro tenants. 5 After years of being let to tenants, the last users were an Explorer Scout Troop and then the place was abandoned around 1950.6 In 1965 the Wrightsboro Quaker Community Foundation, Inc., was created to include as its vbjectives the preservation of the Rock House and the heritage of Georgia's Quaker colony. The next year the heirs of Benjamin
F. Johnson deeded the Rock House to the foundation _7
During the ensuing four years until the Centennial of McDuffie County in 1970 the foundation proceeded to repair .and restore the Rock House.

7
With the help of the Thomson Jaycees they were able to erect a: fence. The
foundation added a septic tank, an electric pump (which was stolen), a new tin roof, and ran an electric line to the yard. The house was restored under the auspices of Mr. Hammond Reid of Dearing, Georgia who replaced the stolen interior walls and stairway which vandals had heisted in the preceding years. Mr. Reid used panelling from a Columbia County farmhouse of 1805 vintage. At this time the outside walls of the house were re-cemented since the vandals had also attacked these. Inside the house the fireplaces
8 were cemented as were the window sills to prevent further decay.
The Rock House, in its new format, was ready for public viewing when the McDuffie Cotinty Centennial arrived in October 1970. Shortly thereafter on December 29, 1970 it was entered on the National Register qf Historic Places.
Due to the uniqueness of the Rock House, the Georgia Heritage Trust decided to acquire it and negotiations have been underway with the Wrightsboro Foundation for the past year. It is felt that the state would be better prepared to restore the house to a more original state as well as protect it from continual harassment from vandals.

8
FOOTNOTES
Location & Chronology
1 William W. Hinshaw (author and publisher) and Thomas W. Marshall (editor and compiler). EncycloQedia of American ~aker .Genealogy (Ann Arbor: Edwards Brothers, Inc., 1946, reprinted Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1973), p. 164.
2 Letter from Mrs. Treva W. Mathis, Curator, the Quaker CollectiGn, Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina, April 22, 1974, a copy of which is found in the appendix.
3 The local newspaper apparently carried a story of her house survival. Although not located by the author, it has been copied in part in both histories of McDuffie County. The storm is documented as follows: 44th Congress (1st Session) House of Representatives. Ex. Doc. 1, part 2. Report of the Secretary of War, IV, "Annual Report of the Chief Signal Officer," (Washington: GPO, 1875), pp. 398-399 (Map 37), 412-413. Edmund Bacon is mentioned on p. 412.
4 Mrs. W. C. McCommons and Miss Clara Stovall (compilers). Histc~
McDuffie County, Georgia (1870-1933), p. 16. (Manuscript in Typescript original at Georgia State Archives.).
5 Ibid., and conversation with Mrs. Effie (Johnson) Usry June 20, 1974.
6 "Foundation is Planned for Wrightsboro Project," The McDuffie.!'rogress, April 8, 1965.
"Only One Quaker House Left in Georgia," The McDuffie Progr~, May 6, 1965, col. 1, p. 1.
"Foundation for the Preservation of Wrightsboro," The Warrenton Clipper, July 30, 1965.
"Wrightsboro Foundation Asks Aid," The McDuffie Progress, October 21, 1965.
"Historic Commission Approves Restoration of Old Rock House, ti The HcDuffie Progress, October 28, 1965.
"Fence to Shield Old Rock House," The McDuffie Progress, April 14, 1966.
"Vandals Lead to Fencing of Old House," The Atlanta Journal, April 17, 1966.
"Old Quaker House Grourids Has Solid Rock Foundation," The McDuffie Progress, April 28, 1966.
"Ghosts Cast Spell in McDuffie," The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Sunday, May 15, 1966, p. 10, col. 1.
"Old Rock House Project Begins," The McDuffie Progress, August 18, 1966.

9
"Rock House Restored," The Atlanta Journal, May 18, 1971.
"Caretaker Sought for Rock House," The McDuffie Pro_g_ress, October 14, 1971.
Telephone conversations with Mrs. Pearl Baker, historian, Thomson, Georgia, Spring, 1974. 7 McDuffie County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds-Book 65, pp. 201-04.
Deed recorded March 4, 1966. Plat found in Plats f, p. 82. Plat recorded
February 11, 1966. 8 See Footnote 6 above.

Architectural Analysis

10
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS The following analysis was made by Ms. Penelope H. Batchelor, an architect with . the Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from the attached photographs . She has analyzed the house in respect to her knowledge of New Jersey dwellings c1785.
Pictures by Van Jones Martin

11
FLOOR PLAN OF THE ROCK HOUSE

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The numbers indicate pictures taken at the site, with arrows indicating the direction in which they were taken. Numbe rs without arrows indicate ceiling shots.
Comments by Ms. Batchelor: The overall form of the house with its chimneys contained within the mass of the house is certainly "right" for the Middle Atlanti_c Colonies. The lack of an entrance hallway indicates a New Jersey influence, since there such a central hall was not needed.
The tucking of the stairway within the leftover space of the chimney breast projection is practiced in New Jersey consistently.

12

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE ROCK HOUSE

Walls:

(exterior) -- 24 inches ihick North and South sides -- 34 feet long East and West -- 30 feet long

Room A: Fireplace opening -- 38 inches wide, 39 inches high, 25 inches deep Whole fireplace -- 49 inches long

North wall -- 18 feet 9 inches

East wall -- 9 feet 10 inches

Room B: North wall -~ 10 feet ll inches

Wall to Room A -- 9 feet 10 inches

West wall -- 9 feet 10 inches

Room C: Firep 1 ace opening -- 42 inches wide, 46 inches high, 27 inches deep Whole fireplace -- 8 feet in length

South wall -- 13 feet 10 inches

Wall to Room D -- 15 feet 10 inches

Room D: Fireplace opening

79 inches wide, 50 inches high, 3'6 inches deep

South wall -- 15 feet 10 inches

All Rooms are eight feet in height. Beams across all fireplaces are 14 inches by 14 inches. Basement Room is approximately 7 feet high, with floor as is.

(1) Porch side facing South (Porch was adde d 1a.ter; roof is modern c o vering ; ld shinqles--see picture 12).

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(2) Full view of the porch side facing South, with v iew of basement.

(3) East side view, windows to Rooms C and A on porch level, and upper windows to attic rooms (house outside was "resto red" early 20th century and .looks like cement blocks). The overall gclble form is ~ remini scent of a squ at New Jersey Jmw:-;c ~ qui te differeqt from Pennsylvania.

(4) Street side facinq North; left windows to ROom A (Birthin' Room) and right window to .Room l\; lower windows to basement.

17 (5) West side view; windows on porch level to Rooms B and D respectively.

(6) Basement fireplace, underneath Rooms D .and B on the west side. Regardless ;f which chimney stack, are you sure it is a fireplace and not .just a chimney foundation perhaps containing an ash pit in the center opening? If the cellar was at one point better excavated and paved (?), perhaps it did contain an active room?

19

(7)' Room A, traditionally. <;:alled the "Birthin,' Rt;>om''; small fireplace for that

purpose ; this ~in dow faces. out on the east side.

'

Why is the ceiling o.f this room particularly -smoked? The wood strip .ab : the

chimney above the stone lintel may also have once held a mantel sheli; -fast.

Again all the walls were apparently once smoothed out with mud. plaster .ind probably whitewashed. Perhaps you shouid examine !the "paint" layerin~ w!th

a 5x magnifying glass to see if it has alwb.ys beeq white.



20
(8) View from Room A towards street front (North). It is clear from the window at the right that the frames originally contained vertical sliding sash, with the upper sash fixed. Red arrqw points to solid stop for upper sash. You apparently still have old plaster remaining on the stone walls, but the window sills look like concrete.

21
(9) .Room C; the stairway was added to replace one destroyed recently .by vandals; supposed to be in the same style as the one lost. The window that is open leads to the pqrch side (South). There is a closed window behind the ''stairway that opens on the east side~ . The chimney construction could well be 18th Century with its m~sive timber
$lintel. Are there any signs of pintels (?) in the fireplace, 1-=ft from an.
,,early crane? Too bad the hearth has been redone~ .. The lower edge of the lintel looks cht~.rred up in a neat line. Does this reflect a possible mantle 11shelf above it now missing? Are there any nail holes left in the lintel from. such. a mantle shelf? Note tne different size upper sash in the open windpw. The fixed stop is lower than in the window of photo No. B. or was it cut down to fit a replacement s.::o<>h7 '

22
The Old Rock House
(10) Beams in ceiling next to door leading between Rooms C and D, in the center of the house. Although one beam looks like it was missing, nothing indicated such. Could be position of earlier stairway to attic. I doubt tha.t this was a location of an earlier stair. If the door openings are placed as originally they conflict with any stairway. The quarter round edging on the joists is very nice~ It speaks care in building and the 18th
Century. The mortise and tenon detai i is not usual for this area, but a'gain
maybe is a Georgia .detail or Middletown, N.J.

23
(11) Room D; this window opens on the west side. The bottom ledge of the tireplace is a modern cement replica reconstruction; wall boards shown were replacements for 18'.' pine boards, which had been stolen by vandals. The Fireplace lintel is charred as though a mantle may have beEffn applied (?) to it at the time, then the wall plastering was more extensive The nailing board in the wall above the baseboard is interesting? Does it ~tnean a once higher baseboard or dado paneling? If there are no nail holes in it, then neither suggestion would be valid. The low baseboards look very 18th Century. Try checking a nail here to prove so. I assume, since all window sills have been finished in cement, then they were originaJ ly of wood and were rotted out when the cement mixer was brought to the house.

24

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(12) Tops of doorways and some shingles of old roof above exit doors to Rooms D and C respectively; opening onto the porch side (South); note. the pegs. Shingles: The. rounded ends of upper course of shingles are interesting. Db these rounded ends continue in use over all the roof area? Or. were they only a "decorative" edge at the eave? I believe and have seen such rounded edges used on .,North Jersey shingle houses in Middletown, N.J. ' You might wr{te the Monmouth County Historical Society, Freehold, N.J. for confirmation. Slots in Crown Moulding: Do these continue across the whole length of the house? Did they have something to do with a porch structure? Or an overthe:-door hood? Door Frames: The frames look 18th Century wi':h their mortice Tenon and Pin construction, although they are simpler in detail than those which would have been used in, say, Philadelphia. However, they look appropriate to this situation and 1785.

25
(13) Southeast corner of the porch side outside of Room C; note tqe beveled moulding and shingles. I find this cornice of interest as they have used the same moulding for both the bed and crown members of the cornice. Example:

26
Ordinarily the crown moulding would have a cyma recta and cyma reversa
I suggest, when you can, that you remove a nail or two from each of these mouldings to see if they are handwrought and therefore original. It will also be interesting to be sure that the mouldings were handplaned. (Undoubtedly so if nails are handwrought) Run your hand down the back of the moulding and see if the surface undulates or cast a raking (?) light across it.

27
(14) Attic room; windows opening above Rooms A and C respectively; stairway enters from lower right of picture, with no railing above floor, facing east. There is another smaller room in the attic, not shown, from, whi.ch this picture was taken. Some of the floor boards could be original, but to the right several have circular saw m~rks which give them away as not being 18th Century. Sheathingt the attic ceilipg strikes me as curious. I would check the nails here to see if this is not a recent addition. The curve stone chimney curb at the stair is a very nice detail.

28
Thomas Ansley, Sr. (1737-1809)
Occupant 1782-1792 OWner 1782-1798
There are many questions arising concerning Thomas Ansley and his family: \'l:!re Thomas and Rebecca Ansley Quakers? Why did they migrate Southward, and was this migration Quaker-oriented? Did other members of tneir family come with them? Did they support the Colonists or the British during the Revolution? When did they first occupy the Rock House Site?
The life of Thomas Ansley is interesting not only because he owned the Rock House but also because he represents a typical citizen for the times in which he lived. Thomas Ansley, the son of William Ansley and his first wife, Rebecca, was baptized in the Old Tennant Presbyterian Church, Freehold, New Jersey, on March or May 20, 1737. 1 Although there are many volumes compiled on New Jersey records by the New Jersey State Archives, the Ansley family is mentioned only a few times. William Ansley, the father, died in 1773 in Monmouth County, New Jersey; and it is believed that he was a weaver. 2 William had married as his second wife Elizabeth Cox, who, as his widow, had to be maintained finaf\cially by her own relatives. 3
Thomas Ansley was one of a large family. His brothers and sisters were Benjamin (b.l738), William (b.l744), Rebecca (b.l744, twin), and sisters Mary, Anne and Elizabeth, whose birthdays were not recorded in the church with the rest of the children but probably span 1739-17494 . Of the siblings, only Benjamin and Mary are known to have come to Georgia. Mary married Job Morris, Elizabeth married Jacob Morris, and Anne married Moses Robbins. 5
Thomas Ansley's marriage or marriages has raised a great deal of controversy among his descendants. The controversy stems from the fact that in

29
his will he mentioned his "wife's eldest son, Benjamin Harrison." The only marriage discovered for Thomas Ansley was a marriage bond executed in Monmouth County, New Jersey, on November 1, 1760, between Thomas Ansley and Rebecca Cox (or Cocke). The bondsman was Thomas Cocke (or Cox), Junior or Joiner. 6 The "Cox" spelling will be used henceforth to avoid confusion. (Note: In this era the term "Junior" did not necessarily mean that someone was the son of a man by the same first name, but just the younger person in a family with the same first name.)
Benjamin Harrison, stepson of Thomas Ansley, Sr., according to a census analysis, was born in New Jersey before 1760. 7 It is probable that his mother was the same Rebecca Cox that married Ansley in 1760, and that for any of the following reasons she did not use the surname Harrison at her marriage:
1. She had never been married before and thus had no other legal surname. Many New England births were recorded under both the mother's maiden name (surname) and the supposed father's surname. 8
2. She could have been a very young widow. The surname could have been omitted at the time of her re-marriage, as Thomas Jefferson upon his marriage to a widow listed her first as "spinster" instead of widow in 1772. 9
3. There is the possibility of a second marriage for Thomas Ansley. Whatever the reasons for the lack of the name Harrison, the use of a bondsman named Cox indicates.that she must have been of the Cox family and that this man was either her brother or father.
There is much information to be found on the Cox families of Monmouth County, New Jersey. In the appendix will be found an analysis of Rebecca Cox's supposed lineage.

30
In the questions arising. on the connections of Thomas Ansley and the Quakers, it would be most valuable to know who Rebecca's relatives were and where they migrated. Her sisters could easily have accompanied them southward in the decade following her marriage, and this might have been a stimulus for their migration.
Thomas and Rebecca Ansley moved to Orange County, North Caroliria, some time before 1768, as they were among those listed with Joseph Maddock, founder of the Georgia Quaker Colony, who came to Georgia that year from North Carolina to settle what was to be the Wrightsboro Township. 11 Maddock had been a leader in the Cane Creek Monthly Meeting of the North Carolina Quakers, whose meeting place was in what was then Orange County, now Alamance County, North Carolina. 12 No search has been made as of yet in the existing land records of Orange County to see if there is any mention of Ansley's arrival or owning of lands there, however, he is not mentioned in published court records.
An analysis of the religious affiliations of the Ansley clan and the question of whether or not Thomas and Rebecca Ansley were indeed Quakers will be pursued in another section.
Joseph Maddock and Jonathan Sell had been leaders at the _.Cane Creek Monthly Meeting as early as 1764,and Maddock himself had come to Cane Creek from the Newark Monthly Meeting, Pennsylvania in 1754. 13 In 1767 they petitioned the Governor of Georgia and the Executive Council for a place to settle with "sundry' families" from Orange County 1 North Carolina. 14 At the time the Governor approved a supplemental petition on December 6, 1768, Maddock expected 70 families to be there and still others to join them. 15 The

31

governor ordered that they be allowed to settle on either side of Germany's

Creek to the Indian Line, then the State line and later the border of Richmond/

Wilkes Counties.

Thomas Ansley, as head of' one of the 61 families listed on the petition,

received a grant of the 200 acres promised in the petition, alcng with a one acre Lot 28 in the town of Wrightsboro on the same day in 1770. 16

Although records are not available to confirm Ansley's stance, he

expressed loyalty to the existing government in 1773-1774, when his name

appeared on a petition opposing fourteen persons who had supported the

Colonial actions at the Boston Tea Party, which had taken place December 17
16, 1773.

During the Revolutionary Era (1775-1782) several activities of the

Ansley family are known. There is a record to show that he was present

in 1778 to pay a grant fee for some land in Richmond County, Georgia, for which he apparently never got a grant. 18 Another document indicated that

he and his son, Thomas, Jr., were refugees from Georgia with Elijah Clarke and were able to obtain a bounty certificate for this. 19 If he indeed left

the State and fought in either North or South Carolina for the Rebels, it

would have been around 1779. There was a great deal of turmoil in the back

country where Ansley lived, which might have necessitated his leaving

for awhile.

Thomas Ansley served as a member of the Georgia House of the General Assembly from January 1, 1782, until he resigned on May 4, 1782. 20 His

appointment as a justice for Wilkes County, on April 30, 1782, probably

precipitated his resignation as an official of Richmond County, Georgia. He

was reappointed on February 4, 1783, and February 21, 1786, in Wilkes County

and

January

8,

1795,

.
~n

Warren

County. 21

32
In the Post-Revolutionary Era, Ansley received land grants from 17841798 in Wilkes and Richmond Counties. These are detailed in another section of this paper.
Ansley later received payment from the United States for the driving of his cattle and the use of his wagon in government service. Receipts for his services were paid in 1785 and 1786, 22 but they were for the war years.
The other occupations of Ansley can be recreated from details in his deeds and estate records. He apparently dealt in timber, as he had a section on his land known .as the "Pine Nursery" as well as a large tract set aside as "woodland." His will mentioned the road he and Abel had made to Watson's Mill, indicating that they either owned the mill or used its services for their own products. 23 In the sale of his estate in 1809, a still and its
24 effects were sold. His ventures into these areas apparently came in addition to his running a plantation.
In his later years, Thomas Ansley appeared in the records as being concerned with the welfare of his children as they married. Deeds exist in which he gave land to each of his six sons, his daughter, Rebecca, and her husband, William Duckworth. All nine members of the family received equal shares of his estate, with the division of his lands ir. 1814, according to his will. These deeds are shown on a map in the section on land.
Thomas Ansley owned 11 slaves at his death in 1809, having gradually increased his slave holdings from one in 1792 to seven in 1809. 25 One can imagine the work load of the lone slave in 1792-1794, with some 3,420 acres to maintain. It should also be realized that Ansley had raised his own work force in his six sons, one step-son, and perhaps his sons-in-laws. As these

33
men married and started working their own lands and as Ansley himself got older, he needed additional slave labor (then the easiest labor to obtain) to continue the maintenance of his plantation and the woodlands adjoining it.
Thomas Ansley, Sr. died January 14, 1809, at , the age of 72. 26 He was probably not living at the Rock House at the time of his death,
;
since that land. had been deeded to Abel and Lydia : in 1798. Moxe probably, the land further south, near the confluence of the tributariesof Maddock's Creek (formerly Upton's), was the site of his last homeplace which was willed to the widow for her to live on until her death or remarriage. At the division of the estate in 1814, Benjamin Harrison received "the Old
27
Plantation" for the use of the widow, his mother. The land later passed to his son, Benjamin, Jr., and then was sold to Felix Granade who lived on the plantation until his death in 1890. 28 The site of this home is not known.
As was the custom then and as it was stipulated in the will, the estate's remaining lands were to be divided only upon the widow's death or remarriage, or if she. desired, at an earlier date. Ansley's will was probated in the March, 1809, term of the Court of Ordinary in Warren County, Georgia, this being the earliest court se.ssion after his death. The estate was inventoried and appraised on June 12 and September 1, 1809, which are found in the appendix.
An analysis of the estate (the full inventory, appraisement, sale and returns of which appear in the appendix) indicated that Ansley owned eleven slaves at his death, as well as a great deal of farming equipment and animals, including horses, cattle and hogs. Crops enumerated were rye, oats, wheat, flax, corn and peas; and also on hand were quantities of bacon, beef, pork, cider, brandy, vinegar and leather.

. 34
The estate records indicate that Ansley was attended in his final illness by Doctor Brown, who received $60 for his services, and Doctor N. Crawford, . who received $18.75 for similar services.
'lhe executors were four sons' Abel, Joseph, Thomas and Samuel, who began dividing up the remaining lands of the est~te in early 1814, although records indicate that the widow,:Rebecca Ansley, did not die until May 9, 1814, at the age of 81 years and eight months. 29 The final settlement of the division of the monies of the estate was signed July 2, 1814, by the five children who were not executors.
The Daughters of the American Revolution pl~ced a marker near the Rock House in honor of Thomas Ansley's revolutionary service. The date of this action and the proof is not known. The ni.arker rests in lieu of a tombstone for Ansley.

35
FOOTNOTES
Thomas Ansley 1
Charles C. Gardner (comp.), "GenealogicaL Dictionary of New Jersey," The Genealogical Magazine of~ Jersey, XXVI (3), July, 1951, p. 57. Letter from Monmouth County Historical Association, Freehold, New Jersey to Joe C. Fleming, after November 26, 1969, cites Frank R. Symmes book History of the Old Tennent Church as source.
2
Gardner , S!J2.. cit.
3 Ibid, which cites Archives of the State of~ Jersey, XXXV, p. 100. Will of Thomas Cox signed May 15, 1782 and proven June 25, 1782.
4 We can approximate their ages at 16-18 and thus their birth~ in 1744, 1745 and 1749 from their marriages.
5 The marriages of these three are the only Ansley females in the Archives of the State of New Jersey series. We know Mary, wife of Job Morris was definitely a sister of Thomas Ansley, and assume the others were also sisters. Archives of the State of New Jersey, 1st Series, XXII,"Documents Relating to the Colonial History of New Jersey," Marriage Records 1665-1800, p. 13.
Marriages: Mary Ansley, 17 May, 1760, to Job Morris; Anne Ansley, 13 November 1761 to Moses Robins; and Elizabeth Ansley, February 13, 1765 to Jacob Morris, all in Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey.
6 Photocopy of the original marriage bond from Monmouth County, New Jersey, p. 87. Transcript was originally pUblished in Archives of the State of New Jersey, lst Series, p. 5 in 1900.
7 u. s. Bureau of the Census. Census_f 1880, McDuffie County, Georgia
for Benjamin Harrison, Jr., p. 21, S.D.2, E.D. 77, Mt. Auburn Dist., G.M.D. 152 9 family enumeration number 215-223. He gave his father's birthplace as New Jersey and his mother';s as Maryland. The 1830 Census for Warren County, Georgia indicated that B. H. Sr. was born before 1760.
8 Gilbert H. Doane. Searching for ~ Ancestors. (Whittlesey House, 1937; revised 1948 University of Minnesota Press; Bantam Edition, 1974 with permission of University of Minnesota Press), p. 152.
9 Fawn M. Brodie. Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate His tory. (N. 1. : w. w. Norton
and Co., Inc., 1974), p. 81.
10 There is much misinformation on the Cox family. An example would be the letter of Mrs. Neola (Ansley) Wennerlund of McComb, Mississippi, March 31, 1974. Her attempts to connect Rebecca (Cox) Ansley with the Virginia family are based on poor research, and her lineage is not a proven one.

36
11 Allen D. Candler (ed.), The Colonial RecorQSof Georgia, X, pp. 690-693.
12 William W. Hinshaw (author and publisher), American Quaker Genealogy, I, pp. 406, 422. Stephen B. Weeks. Southern Quakers and Slavery. (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1'896), p. 180.
13 Hinshaw, .912.. cit. , p. 406. 14
Candler, .912_ cit., p. 303. 15
Ibid, pp. 690-4.
16 Georgia.Surveyor General Department. Land Grants, Book! (1770-1774), St. Paul's Parish, p. 195.
17 Allen D. Candler (ed.). The Revolutionary Records of Georgia,!, pp.27-29.
18 Georgia.Surveyor General Department. Grant Fees Paid ~ Headright Grants
[for 1775- 1778]. Under April 7, 1778 Thomas Ansley paid one shilling each for 300 acres and 150 acres in Richmond County, Georgia, but there are no grants for these lands. The one shilling fee was for application only.
19 Georgia. Surveyor General Department. Wilkes County, Georgia. Loose Warrant.
20 Allen D. Candler (ed..). . The Revolut1. onary Records of. Georg1. a, III, "Journal of the House of Assembly" (1781 to 1784), pp. 31-115 in passim.
21 . Ib1d, PP...2.54.
Georgia. Department of Archives and History. Central Research Room Card File under "Thomas Ansley."
22 Georgia. Treasury Department. Auditor General's Ledger (1782-1792) , pp. 67, 73. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 188-49 at Georgia State Archives).
23 Thomas Ansley mentioned the Woodland and the road to Watson's old mill in his will. The pine Nursery appears in deeds to his sons, James and Samuel Ansley.
24 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Inventories, Appraisements, & Sales, B, 1807-1815, p. 21. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-29 at Georgia State Archives).
25 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Tax Digest for 1792. (Ci'l.pt. Neal's Dist.). (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 61-56 at Georgia State Archives). Ibid, Inventories, (1798-1811), p. 207. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 3"/-53 at Georgia State Archives).

37
26 Letter from Mrs. Hazel Clark of Pampa, Texas, March 29, 1974. She
cited papers of the late Mrs. Edrie Smith of Ft. Worth, Texas. A search is underway for the earliest record of this data.
27 "The Old Plantation" designation appeared in Warren County, Georgia.
Superior Court. Deeds~~l813-1817, PP 342-3. Manuscript on Micro-
film Reel 103-26 in Georgia State Archives). The executors provided in the deed of two lots to Benjamin Harrison that the widow, his mother, should have "the best above tract of land." Ibid., p. 122. Deed from Rebecca Duckworth to Joseph Ansley,signed November 23, 1814, referred to Benjamin Harrison land (above) as the Old Plantation. 28 McDuffie County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Wills-A-1872-1927, pp.72, 73. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 119-6). Will signed April 15, 1890 and probated September 1, 1890. 29 Reference Footnote 26 above.

38
Children of Thomas and Rebecca Ansley
Family Tree charts of all the children appear in the appendix as well as other related persons.
In the order they are namedin Thomas Ansley's will: Abel Ansley (c.l761-1822) married January 30, 1790, Richmond County; Georgia his first cousin, Lydia Morris, daughter of Job and Mary (Ansley) Morris. Lydia had been born in New Jersey and Abel probably had also. Since they were owners of the Rock House in their own right they have been detailed in the next section. Rev. Samuel Ansley (1765-1837) married July 2, 1809 in Warren County, Georgia, Mary Tillman. He was a Methodist preacher from the earliest days of the church. He started preaching in 1788 according to his tombstone. He preached on the Oconee Circuit and perhaps in other states. He moved away from Warren County and is buried in Barnesville, now Lamar County, Georgia. His estate was probated in then Pike County, Georgia. There is an interesting set of letters written during 1902-1904 between two of his grandchildren which add some light into his life. His descendants all moved away from Warren County. Thomas Ansley, Jr. (1767-1837) married Henrietta Ragland by 1795. He left a will in Warren County, Georgia. By 1850 his children and their issue had migrated to Henry, Talbot and Upson Counties, Georgia. At least one of his children's lines went to Texas. William Ansley (c.l760-1770 - probably after 1850) married twice, perhaps more. His only documentable marriage was to Ann Ray, daughter of George W. Ray, February 6, 1804 in Warren County, Georgia. He is the most obscure of

39
all the Ansley clan. There are persons known to be kin on each of the other sons' lines, but no one has claimed descent from William Ansley. His only child was Epsy who married Robert Shields in 1817 and later took up residence on William's land lottery win in Morgan County, Georgia. In the 1850 census, there is one William Ansley, age 80, living in Columbia County, Georgia, with a female, Cora Ansley, age 40. They have no land. No estate papers for him have been located. It can be assumed that he sold his lands in Warren County or lost them, since there are no deeds to indicate how he disposed of them. He apparently fought in the War of 1812.
Joseph Ansley, Jr. (1775-1838) married twice. His first wife was Mary Simpson, who died 1820. He then married Amasa " Macy " Adkins, daughter of Daniel and Penelope (Tyson) Adkins. She died only a few weeks before her husband in 1838. Joseph left a large family, with six minor orphans at the time of his death in Warren County, Georgia. Some descendants live in the area of the Rock House today. By 1850 members of this line were living in Crawford County, Georgia besides those who remained in Warren County.
James Ansley (1777-1857) married twice, first to Elizabeth Jones in 1804 in Warren County and then to Mrs. Nancy Nobles in 1822 in Warren County. He disowned the children of his first marriage and did not mention them in his will when he died in Warren County. His three youngest children still lived in Warren County in 1850 and his son, Elam F. Ansley, continued to live on some of his father's lands until his death in 1883. Some of James' descendants still live in the McDuffie County area.
Rebecca Ansley, (.c. l77S-1826) married 1792 William Duckworth, son of Jeremiah and Christian Duckworth. They had six children, whose descendants

. 40
have not been traced. Of their two sons who grew to maturity, Joseph moved to Sumter County, Georgia, where many of his Ansley cousins lived; and the other, William Gazaway Duckworth, remained in Warren County, Georgia, in 1850. William Duckworth died shortly after Thomas Ansley, Sr., for his estate was administered at the same time in court, March of 1809.
Nancy "Ann" Ansley (c.l775-c.l839) married first Joseph Duckworth (d.l827), a brother of William Duckworth above. They moved to Jones County, Georgia, by 1813 and later sold all of their lands in Warren County, Georgia. Since her husband willed everything to her and then to his nephews, we assume that she had no surviving children. After the death of her husband in Jones County, Georgia, she married on April 28, 1828, John English, who had been executor of the will. She died sometime between the 1830 census and the death of her second husband in 1839 since she is not mentioned in the settlement of his estate.
Eldest Son of Mrs. Rebecca Ansley Benjamin Harrison (c.l760-1836) married Abigail around 1800. Their children were all born after he was over forty. Descendants of his son, Benjamin, Jr. still live near Thomson, Georgia. Benjamin, Sr.'s daughters, Nancy and Rebecca, married Ansley cousins; and Rebecca and Elizabeth moved westward. There are many descendants of this line in Texas where Rebecca (Harrison) Ansley Kinsey died in 1883. At the death of Thomas, Sr., Benjamin Harrison got the "old plantation," which should have been the site of their deaths in 1809 and 1836 respectively. This land passed to Benjamin Harrison, Jr. and from him to Felix Granade, who died, perhaps at the same site, in 1809. The house could have remained standing till then, or even today.

41
Will of Thomas Ansley, Sr.
"In the name of God amen. I Thomas Ansley of Warren County and State of Georgia being in a state of indisposition but of Sound mind & memory do make Constitute and declare this to be my last will & Testament and hereby revoking and making void all others that I may have made heretofore.
First of all I Desire to Resign my Soul into the hands of almighty God who gave it me and my Body to be decently buried and after rr.y just debts is paid it is my will that my property both Real and Personal Shall be disposed of in manner and form as follows, (to wit): Item: I Give and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife Rebekah the plantation whereon I now live together with the woodland adjacent thereunto which will fall into that tract to hold and to have the sole command of it during her natural Life or widowhood and do give to her all or any part of my Negroes Stock of any Description & farming utensils which She may Deem Necessary for her Convenience together with my other property Except such as hereafter may be excluded to have & to hold during her natural life or widowhood and at the death or marriage of my wife it is my desire that the property which I give her May be disposed of at the Descretion of my Executors and my property which She may take and afterwards deem it useless to her it is my will that it may be disposed of at the Descretion of my executors so as to make an Equal division.
Item: I give and bequesth to my son Abel Ansley four hundred acres of land beginning at a corner between me and Joshua Standford and near a Little Bridge across a stream. Thence running a Direct course to a corner to be made within about forty rod of the Road we made to go to Watson's Old Mill

42
and about forty rod of the Branch below (which is the nearest branch) from thence to the middle of the Green Pond from thence to Samuel Ansley's corner upon a Rocky Knoll down Samuel Ansley's line to line, thence with Duckworth's line of hundred acres between that Hodgin's Old Line with[?] of this .. nor his .. shall not sell nor rent said without the concent of All his brothers and with . to my other pine land. I would advise and it [is my?] desire that it should not be sold for the term of twelve years except my sons wish to Brake up & ~?] and in that case at the discretion & by & with the concent of all my sons. Item: and whereas I think my son Williams Ansley is behind hand with respect to land & other things it is my will that he should have one hundred dollars more than an equal share. Item: I give and bequeath to my grand son Samuel Duckworth my Little Negro Boy Spencer (Nancy's son) and him to be under the command and clear of my daughter Rebeckah until her son Samuel arrives to the age of twenty one years and in case Samuel Duckworth should die before he arives to age then and in that case it is my will that then the Said Spencer Should be property of my Daughter Rebeckah Duckworth.
Item: It is my will and desire that at the decease or marriage of my wife that all my property should be equally divided between the following persons except?? heretofore mentioned, Able Ansley, Samuel Ansley, Thomas Ansley, William Ansley, Joseph Ansley, James Ansley, Rebeckah Duckworth, Nancy Duckworth and Benjamin Harrason, My wife's Eldest Son and lastly do nominate Constitute and Appoint my sons Abel Ansley, Samuel Ansley, Thomas Ansley, & Joseph Ansley as executors to this my last will & Testament hereby revoking all Other wills whatsoever which I may have made heretofore and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament in witness whereof the said

43

Thomas Ansley have hereunto Set my hand and affixed 1ny seal this thirteenth day of December Ano Domini one thousand eight hundred and eight.

In presence of us:
David Standford Joseph Standford Macklin Sills [X his mark] "

Thos. Ansley L.S.

[The witnesses appeared, etc. and this notation at the bottom of the page is in disrepair and will not be quoted here. Letters Tes-. .entary granted March 6, 1809]

Source:

Warren Count~ Georgi~ Court of Ordinary .Wills Book 1798-1808 (?), pp. 109-110. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-17 at Georgia State Archives).

Abel Ansley (owner 1798-1822)

44

Abel Ansley (1761-1822)

Occupant c.l792-1822

Owner

1798-1822

Abel Ansley was perhaps the favorite son of Thomas and Rebecca (Cox) Ansley. Thomas and Rebecca showed this affection by deeding Abel and Lydia the homeplace in 1798. The younger couple had already occupied this site as shown in the tax digest since 1792. The Rock House was a well built and well finished dwelling and is .the on+y house in .the area to have survived virtually intact from this period.
Abel Ansley was probably born in New Jersey before his parents moved to North Carolina. He first appears in the public record when applying for a land grant in newly created Washington County, Georgia in 1784. 1 At this time Abel apparently worked for his father on the larger plantation until his marriage in 1790 to hls first cousin, Lydia Morris, who had come South from New Jersey with her widowed mother around 1788. 2
Lydia's mother, Mary (Ansley) Morris was widowed by the death of her husband Job Morris in 1786 in Monmouth County, New Jersey 3 Mary's two elder children had married before she and the three younger daughters joined Thomas Ansley in Georgia. 4 Mary (Ansley) Morris lived on 81 l/2 acres deeded by her brother and within close proximity to the Rock House until her death by 1815. 5 At her mother's death, Lydia (Morris) Ansley inherited her mother's lands and merged them with her husband's acres.
Abel Ansley was a farmer and as his father before him, employed his sons on the farm until they married and had farms of their own. In his will he cuts his son Asa's inheritance because Asa left his father's employ before he was 21. Abel is not known to have owned any slaves until 1817 when the tax digest

45
indicated he had one. 6 When he died five years later no slaves were inventoried in the estate. At the death of the widow Lydia Ansley in 1838 again there were no slaves indicated.
Abel and Lydia Ansley had eleven children to grow to maturity. Only three were married at the time of their father's death. Their six sons were Jesse, Morris, Asa, Isaiah, Thomas and Abel, Jr. Asa and Abel became ministers. All of the sons had moved from the Warren County area by the 1850 census. Jesse was in Habersham County, Georgia; Asa, Isaiah, Thomas and Abel, Jr. were all in Sumter County, Georgia; the whereabouts of Morris Ansley are yet unknown.
The daughters were Mary, wife of Samuel B. Reddish; Ann, who married Wiley Carter; Margaret "Peggy" wife of James Rogers; Lydia, who married
William o. Tyson; and Rebecca, spouse of Kilby Moore. Mary,Ann and Lydia
died young and left orphans. Ann (Ansley) Carter was the ancestor of Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia. Rebecca is the only daughter to have moved away by 1850 and then to Upson County, Georgia. 7 Family charts of Abel and Lydia appear in the appendix of this paper.
Abel Ansley died between March and May of 1822 when his will was probated in Warren County. He made provisions as had his fathe::: for his widow's remarriage, which never occurred, and left some land to eabh of his children. Again, as did his father, he willed for the plantation not to be divided until after his widow's death or remarriage. There exist two inventories, one sale and various returns on the estate, all of which are in the appendix.

46
In the years following her husband's death, Lydia Ansley distributed the lands Abel had willed to each child, probably as they came of age. These distributions are also shown in the appendix. Since .the deeds and tax records for the entire period of her widowhood are missing, we have no other documentation on Lydia's transactions except the estate papers.
Lydia Ansley died in late 1838. Her estate was rapidly inventoried, appraised, and sold in a two-day session January 9-10, 1839. The plantation was divided into three parts and deeded to the appropriate children, unnamed, on March 2, 1839. 8
There are many unanswered questions on the life of Abel and Lydia Ansley. It has not been determined where Abel and Lydia were buried or if any of their personal possessions exist among their descenda~ts.

47

FOOTNOTES Abel Ansley

1 The Georgia Genealogist -"County Records, Washington County Land Grants,"

- - - refers
ington

taond-.1\Fn !:Aacnckoliunnt~ -oft

La he

nds La

G nd

ranted Court

-aint-Ath-ueg-uTsw-tao -Ne.-w.

Counties of after 1784.

Wash-

2 Mary Morris first appearance in Georgia is when she applied to the Land Court of Wilkes County, Georgia on June 3, 1788 for a headright and three children. This was apparently taken over by Thomas Ansley who then deeded her the 81 1/2 .acres near the Rock House. Wilkes County, Georgia.Superior Court. Minutes of the Land Court 1785-1794. (Manuscript Microfilm Reel 45-28 at Georgia State Archives).

3 Archives of the State of New Jersey, lst Series_XXXVI,"Wills (1786-1790)," p. 159. Will was signed 28 June 1786, probated 25 August 1786 at Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey.

4 John E. Stillwell. Historical and Genealogical Miscellaney New York and New Jersey (New York, 1903), I, pp. 317, 350-51. (Second Book of Shrewsbu:cy , New Jersey Friends)

5 The death of Mary Morris has not been documented since she l~ft no estate. She does not appear in the Tax Digest in 1817 There are deeds from her other two daughters and their husbands in 1805 and 1815 indicating that they gave their rights to the plantation to Mary, Lydia and Abel. Warren County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds D (1813-1817), pp. 96, 169. The first deed on March 28, 1805 is between Henry and Zilpha Williams before they went to Ohio. The second deed on March 20, 1815 is from Abram and Mary Sanders to Abel Ansley and is probably written after Mary Morris' death.
6
Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Tax Digest of 1817, Captain Rowland's District.. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 61-51 at Georgia S.tate Archives)
7 The locations of Abel and Lydia's children in 1850 is documented by the 1850 Census noted and from the papers collected by Pearl Baker from descendants, all of which has been personally verified by the author. The family chart in the appendix gives as many of the dates as are known for their marriages and life spans.
8 Citations of the sources of all the estate records located for Abel and Lydia Ansley are attached to the extracts of these papers in the appendix of this paper. The actual date given for the division of the plantation is February 30, 1839 which could not be.

48
Will of Abel Ansley
Last Will and Testamento Abel Ansley, deceased.
"In the name of God, Amen---I Abel Ansley of Warren County and State of Georgia, being in a state of indisposition, but of sound mind and memory, do make, constitute & declare this to be my last Will Testament; and hereby revoking & making void all others that I may have made heretofore.
First of all, I desire to resign my Soul into the hands of Almighty God, who gave it me, and my Body to be decently buried; & after my Just debts is paid, it is my Will that my property both real and personal,shall be disposed of in the following manner & form; (to wit)
Item 1st - I will and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Lydia Ansley, the Plantation whereon I now live, with the woodland thereunto belonging; together with the Plantation Utensils, Stock Household and Kitchen furniture, During her Natural Life.
Item 2nd- son Jesse Ansley the Tract of Land whereon he now lives, containing one hundred and nineteen acres; the aforesd. land already delivered by deed of gift, and joining Joshua Stanford and others, I deem worth four dollars and fifty cents pr. acre; one Mare and Saddle, at sixty three dollars; feathers and bedning, ten dollars; one cow and yearling ten dollars; one Ewe and two lambs, two dollars; one pot, three dollars; which is the articles already delivered to him.
3rd - son Morris Ansley, a Tract of Land joining James Carter, and myself; containing one Hundred and Thirty acres; granted to Thomas Ansley; and already delivered by deed of gift to him; which land I deem worth four dollars and fifty cents pr. acre; one gray horse & saddle, worth eighty dollars; one Sow, worth two dollars; which is already delivered.

49

4th -

daughter Mary Reddish during her natural life, forty-five

acres of land, granted to Thomas Ansley, my father, it being a part of my

four hundred acre tract, lying between the lands I gave to my two sons,

Jesse and Morris; and if not forty five in that piece, to be m<>.de up out

of a fifty three acre tract that joins the sd. land on the west side; which

I deem worth four dollars and fifty cents per acre; one gray mare that I

deem worth forty five dollars; and other articles & money loaned to the

amounts of seventy dollars; the mare and other articles is given up, except

the land: provided my sd. daughter Mary Reddish should leave lawful issue of

her Body, I will, that the sd. issue have the sd. life estate, equally divided

among them: If there should be no issue living at her death, the life estate

to become a part of my estate, and be equally divided between my lawful

heirs.

5th- daughter Ann Carter, that fifty three acre Tract mentioned in

the 4th item and if there be more than forty five acres lying east of a line

from Jesse Ansley's corner, to the corner of the fifty [three] acre tract

on the branch, and joining my sons Jesse and Morris, it will be run off next

to and joined to the fifty three acre tract for Ann; the said land I deem

worth four dollars & fifty cents pr. acre, to her and her heirs forever;

one bed & furniture: worth twenty dollars: the Bed is already delivered.

6th- daughter Peggy Ansley the Balance of my four hundred acre tract

(except the ten acre joining Joshua Stanford and my son Jesse Ansley) and

my youngest Sorrel Filley & saddle worth Sixty dollars; 1 bed & furniture,

worth thirty dollars, and the land I deem worth $4.50 pr. acre.

50

7th- son Asa Ansley, that tract of land formerly belonging to

Mary Morris, adjoining Cary Johnson and William Ansley, containing eighty

six acres more or less; worth four dollars pr. acre; whereas my son Asa

Ansley did leave my employ four years before he was twenty one years of

age, I will that he have fifty dollars deducted from his distributive share

of my estate, upon a final division, for every year that he may remain out

of the employ of my business, until the four years are out; and upon his

return to my business, calculation of the fifty dollars cease to be deducted

from his share of my estate.

8th- . son Isaiah Ansley one Tract of Land adjoining Benjamin Harrison

and Joseph Stanford, granted to Thomas Ansley; it being part of a ninety

two acre tract that lies on the south east side of Upton's Cre.::;k; also, that

ten acres excepted in the 6th item, I deem worth five dollars pr. acre. I

also have two mares in foal, I will to my son Isaiah his choice of their

foals. The ten acres of land I deem worth $4.50 per acre.

9th -

two sons Thomas & Abel Ansley Two Hundred Acres of the Survey

I now live on; to be laid off on the upper side, joining Grenade (Timothy

Granade] and Thomas Ansley [Jr.], to be equally divided betwee1 them after

their mother's death.

11th- It is my Will, that after the death of my wife, the Estate

then left, be equally divided amonst my lawful heirs, according to valuation

of sworn appraisers according to law.

51

Lastly: I do appoint Lydia Ansley and Elias Wilson executors of this my Last Will and Testament. Hereby revoking all other wills whatsoever which I may have made heretofo~~,and declare this to be my Last Will and testament.

(signed) 7 March 1822 Abel Ansley L.S."

Witnesses were James Ansley, John Ansley, William Harrison (X his mark)

Proballed in Warren County Court of Ordina;y May Term, 1822.

Jno. Torrence, Clerk of Court of Ordinary heard the witnesses on B May 1822.

Source: Warren County, Ga. Court of Ordinary. Wills
(1810-1829),pp. 74-76. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-17 at G~orgia State Archives).

Receipts for Items Named in the Will: Recorded 4 January 1836

1. September 4, :1822 Samuel B. Reddish for wife's share

2. September 4, 1822 Wiley Carter for wife's share

3. September 4, 1822 Margaret Ansley for land, bed & furniture

4. June 2, 1823

Margaret Ansley for one sorrel mare and saddle

5. September 15, 1825 Asa Ansley for his own share of land

6. December 27, 1827 Isaiah Ansley for his own share.

Note: Jesse and Morris Ansley got their land by deed and so no receipts were needed. Sworn in court March 7, 1836, passed May 2, 1836, recorded September 1, 1836.

;source: Warren County, Ga. Court of Ordinary. Annual Returns (1826-1848), p. 274. (Manuscript of Microfilm Reel 104-36 at Georgia State Archives).

Nicholas C. Bacon (owner 1845-1873)

52

Nicholas c. Bacon

_..;.......-,;;;.~-

.

(1816-1873)

OWner and Occupant c. 1845-1873

Nicholas C. Bacon apparently was deeded the plantation of Abel Ansley,

which included the ~ck House by ~el's children. Bacon is shown living

in a separate dwelling from his relatives in the 1845 census of Warren County and this would. indicate that he was on a separate piece of property. 1
Bacon was born March 10, 1816 in Columbia County, Ga. , 2 a son of John

Parkes Bacon and his wife Ma:z:y (Lamar) Bacon,3 a descendant of Edmund Bugg of Richmond County, Ga. Another son was named Edmund Bugg Bacon. 4 Bacon's father's will was probated in 1820 in Colurnb1 a County. 5 His mother remarried on March 3, 1840 to Elias Wilson as his third .wife. 6 Elias Wilson lived

southeast of the Rock House and was a large land owner in this a;:ea until his
7 death in 1879. Bacon's mother apparently died by 1844 when Elias Wilson
8 married his fourth and last wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers.
9 Bacon's sister, Mary (Bacon)Moore (1819-1845) wife of John B.Moore,

and their brother, William Bacon (1810-1854) left for Mississippi about this time

10

11

and were buried there. Another sister, Frances, married Samuel Jones Lazenby

12 and is buried near, Camak, Warren County, Ga. Nicholas' brothel , Edmund,

13 lived on adjoining property until his death in 1892.

c. Nicholas Bacon was Justice of the Peace in Columbia County from 1839-1841
14
for Georgia Militia District 134. In 1847 he served as Justice of the Peace
15
for Warren County, G. M.D. 152, as well as in the Georgia House of Repre-

sentatives from Warren County for one term. 16 He was a delegate to the

Georgia Constitutional Convention of 186517 which met at Mill@dgeville.

53
In 1857 Bacon, then 41, married Mary Ann Hillman, 18 age 33, daughter of the late Rev. Joshua Hillman . and Mary Hiilman (1795-1875).19 The widow Hillman had remarried in 1836 to Robert Ellis (1791-1870), widower of Martha (Granade) Ellis. 20 The Ellises and Mary Ann Hillman were members of the Union Baptist Church which is a mile from the Rock House. On September 27, 1851 the Ellises and Mary Ann Hillman were'excommunicated"over a feud with a neighboring family. They we're restored to membership September 25, 1853. 21
Mary Ann (Hillman). Bacon's father and other relatives had been Baptist preachers associated with the Union Baptist Church and other churches. Due to this strong relig.i!ous heritage it is not surprising that her husband also took an active part .in the administration of the church after their marriage.
N. C. Bacon was received by . experience "at the water" on November 29, 1860. He was elected church clerk on December 22, 1860, and Deacon on August 24, 1861. 22 His service as church clerk until 1871 indicated he was 1iterate since he wrote the minutes.
The Bacons had two children, a daughter, Mary Lamar Bacon, born in 1861, and a son, Nicholas William Parks Bacon, born in 1864. 23
Nicholas Bacon ran a farm while he owned the Rock House and the 622 acres surrounding it. Further information concerning the farm will be found in this faper under the headings "Land" and"Taxes."
The special census taken on April 1, 1845 showed that Nicholas Bacon was head of a household of two male whites and six slaves. He produced 100 barrels of corn, 54 bushels of wheat and 15 bales of cotton for etat year. His stepfather, Elias Wilson, residing nearby, had a household of 7 whites and 64 slaves, obviously a much 1 arger operat1. on. 24
The 1850 Warren County Census lists Bacon, aged 33, farmer and Anderson McCarthy, laborer, age 24, at one household. 25 The 1850 Agricultural Census

54
for Warren County, Ga. is lost but the slave schedule taken along with the Federal Census that year shows Bacon with 9 slaves - three males 13, 18, 30 and six females 1, 4, 24, 27, 45 and 48. 26 The 1860 Agricultural Census indicated
27 the farm valued at $7,000. This census gives further production statistics and is included in the appendix.
Nicholas c. Bacon died on March 22, 1873 at age 57. 28 His will is
recorded in McDuffie County, Ga. , where the plantation was located. 29 He asked that his lands be kept together until his daughter, Mary tamar Bacon, became 21 or his wife remarried. After either event the estate.Wa.s to be divided into thirds for his widow Mary1 daughter, Mary Lamar Bacon; and son, Nicholas Williams Parks Bacon. His wife's trustee was Reverend Josephus Hillman1 while the trustees for the son and daughter were their uncle, Edmund B. Bacon and
cousin, Richard P.H. Lazenby, son of Frances (Bacon) Lazenby. N. c. Bacon
also made a special provision for an old servant;, ,(slave) , "Anaka" for all the privileges the laws of Georgia would allow. She was to select her own house from among those on the property and her maintenance was to be provided. This provision was interesting because the will was written May 22, 1864 after the Emancipation Proclamation but before the end of the Civil War~ She is listed as Anaka Bacon, a free person, in the 1868 Union Baptist Church Minutes.
Bacon's estate, including the lands, 30 was inventoried at $7,025. The Proceedings of the Executor indicate Bacon dealt mainly in cotton. The estate records are summarized in the Appendix.
Mrs. Bacon was living in the Rock House during the great storm of March 20, 1875 which fortunately left the house structurally undamaged. 31
The provisions of the will were disrupted by the early death of Bacon's daughter, Mary Lamar Bacon, on April 30, 1876 at the age of 15. 32 The

'55

tax records indicate the widow Bacon and her surviving child, N.W.P. Bacon,

continued to own the land although they moved to Taliaferro Co\mty, Ga.,

presumably to be nearer her kin. They mortgaged the plantation on March 16, 1885 to the American Freehold Land Mortgage Company, Ltd. 33 and sold it on
September 12, 1887 to the widow, Effie (Rees) Johnson and her sons, J. w.
34
Johnson and B. F. John~on for $4,056.25.

After selling the Rock House property and moving to Taliaferro County,

nothing further is known of Mary (Hillman) Bacon. Her son was a preacher in Hernando, Mississippi when he lost his wife in 1898. 35 It is conceivable

that

Mary (Hillman) Bacon accompanied her son to Mississippi where other

Bacon kinfolk had migrated earlier. No descendants have been located for this

line.

56
FOOTNOTES
N. c. Bacon
1 Georgia. Executive Department. State census of 1845, Warren County,Georgia, (Authorized by Act of December 23, 1843), 33rd Battalion Georgia Militia, Georgia Militia District 152. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 186-26 at Georgia State Archives, original at Georgia State Archives).
2 Obituary, The Chi::istian Index, April 17, 1873, p. 59, Column 5. 'llle Christian Index is the official organ of the Georgia Baptist Convention. (Originals at Georgia Baptist Historical Society Collection, Mercer University Library, Macon, Georgia.
3 Columbia County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Wills-H-1803-1821, pp. 499-502. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 9-l-11 at Georgia state Archives). THe will of John P. Bacon was signed September 3; 1820 and probated November 20,1820 in which he names son Nicholas. Mrs. Bacon's name is from the will and their marriage on January 1, 1807. Columbia County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Marriages-~-1807-~, p. 7. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 91-10 at Georgia State Archives).
4 Similarity of names between Bacon and Bugg families from reading: Mrs. John L. Davidson (compiler). Historical Collections of the Georgia Chapters, Daughters of the J\lnerican Revolution,II,"Richmond Oounty,Georgia." (Athens: MacGregor Company ,1929).
5 See Footnote 3 above.
6 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Marriages (1833-1848) ,p. 164. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-14 at Georgia State Archives). Marriage performed March 5, 1840 by Elisha Burson, J.P.
Mrs. W. C.McOommons and Miss Clara Stovall (compilers). History of McDuffie County, Georgia 1870-1933 (Typescript by United Daughters of the Confederacy, c. 1933) ,p. 445. (Original at Georgia State Archives). This reference is to biographical sketch of Elias Wilson.
7 McDuffie County, C-orgia. Court of Ordinary. Letters of Administration-~ (1871-1913), p. 48. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 119-7 at Georgia State Archi'\IE)
8warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Marriages (1833-"-1848), p. 241. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-14 at. Georgia State Archives). Marriage
performed January 24, 1844 by Richard v. Asburry, M.G.
9~ Kinship established through will of father, John P. Bacon,above, and the marriage cited in Footnote 39 and Footnote 6. The division of slaves by Elias Wilson on February 5,1844 signified that the widow Bacon (his wife) had died previously. Warren County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds-!-(18441849), P 39. (Manuscr:ipt on Microfilm Reel 103-27 at Georgia State Archives).
Columbia County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Marriag~s-B-(1829-1852), p. 82. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 91-10 at Georgia State Archives). Marriage performed 17 July 1836 by Stephen Drane, J.I.C.

57
10 Genealogical Publications of the Mississippi Genealogical sOciety, "Cemetery and Bible Records," II, 1955, p. 162. They are buried in Camp Ground Cemetery, 14 miles from Canton, Madison County, Miss.
11 Mary Carter (editor). Georgia Pioneers, III (4), November 1966, p. 144.
12 Pearl R. Baker o(compiler). 'Neath Georgia Sod, Cemetery Inscriptions (Albany, Georgia: Georgia Pioneer Publications, 1970), p. 294.
13 McDuffie County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Letters of Administration A-1871-1913, pp . 98-99. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel .ll9-7 at Georgia State Archives).
14 Georgia. Executive Department . Justice of the Peace COiliDissions 18371848, p. 56. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 60-23 at Georgia State Archives, originals at Georgia State Archives).
15 Ibid., p. 321.
16 Georgia's Official [and Statistical) Register, 1967-68 (Atlanta: Department of Archives and History, 1968), p. 1452.
17 Journal of the Proceedings of the Convention of the People of G~rgia 1865. (Milledgeville, Georgia: R. M. orme and Son, 1865), p . 6.
18 See Footnote 1 Above.
19 u. s. Bureau of the Census. u. s. Census of 1850. Warren Co\inty,
Georgia, Subdivision 90, Family-Household Enumeration Number 819-819. (Manuscript on Microfilm at Georgia State Archives).
20 u. s. Bureau of the Census. u. s. Census of 1850: Slave Schedules.
Warren County, Georgia, (Manuscript on Microfilm at Georgia State Archives).
21 u. s. Bureau of the Census. Productions of Agriculture, 1860. Williams'
District, Warren County, Georgia, pp. 19-20. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 14-1 at Georgia state Archives. Original at Duke University Library, Durham, North carolina).
22 Taliaferro County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Marriages-A-(1826-1870), p. 211. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 119-49 at Georgia State Archives)
. Marriage performed 13 July 1857 by James M. Triplett, J.P. Ages from Census of 1870.
23 Guardianship papers exist for her as orphan of Joshua Hillman: Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Minutes of Inferior Court (18351846), p. 25. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 118~42 at Georgia State Archives). Minutes for May 2, 1836.
Dates for Mrs. Mary Hillman Ellis are from 1870 Census and Union Baptist Church Minutes announcing her death as "Polly Ellis."

58
24 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Marriages (1833-48), p. 41. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-14 at Georgia State Archives). Marriage performed 25 March 1836, by Francis Darsey, J.P. His previous marriage is mentioned because the Granade family lived close to the property in question and appeared in Warren County, Georgia. Marriages (1794-1814), p. 30. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-13 at Georgia State Archives). Dates for Robert Ellis from 1850 Census and Union Baptist Church Minutes.
25 Union Baptist Church Minutes (1833-1866) and (1866-1912), Warren County now McDuffie County, Georgia. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 30-76 at Georgia State Archives. Originals in possession of church clerk, 1960~ Mr .J. L ~ Wade, RFD 3, Thomson,. Georgia.) The earlier Minutes (1809...,1833) are at the Georgia Baptist Historical Collection, Mercer University Library, Macon, Georgia.
26 Ibid. for dates cited.
27 Ages from U. s. Census of 1870 and Obituary of Mary Lamar Bacon (below,
Footnote 32). Names from willof father (below, Footnote 29) and Obituary of widow of N. W. P. Bacon (below, Footnote 35).
28 Refer Footnote 2.
29 McDuffie County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Wills (1872-1927), pp. 6-8. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 119-6 at Georgia State Archives). Will probated 5 May 1873.
30 McDuffie County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Inventory and Appra~.sements 1871-1927, pp. 43-4. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 119..9 at Georgia State Archives).
31 The local newspaper apparently carried a story of her house survival. Although not located by the a,uthor, it has been copied in part in both histories of McDuffie County. The storm is documented as follows: 44th Congress (1st Session) House of Representatives. Ex. Doc. 1, part 2. Re:g_ort of the Secretary of War, IV, "Annual Report of the Chief Signal Officer," (Washington: GPO, 1875), pp. 398-399 (Map 37), 412-413. Edmund Bacon is mentioned on p. 412.
32 "Obituary," The Christian In~, May 11, 1876, p. 8, column 5. (Originals at Georgia Baptist Historical Collection, Mercer University Library, Macon, Georgia.).
33 McDuffie County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds-D-{,1883-1886), p. 569. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 119-23 at Georgia State Archives).
34 McDuffie County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds-F-(1888-1895), p. 276ff. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 119-25 at Georgia State Archives).
35 "Obituary," The Christian Index, April 7, 1898, p. 6, column 4. (Originals at Georgia Baptist Historical Collection, Mercer University Library, Macon, Georgia.).

Benjamin F. Johnson (owner 1887-1938)

59

Benjamin Franklin Johnson
(1863-19 38) owner 1887-1938

Benjamin Franklin Johnson was bom December 11, 1863, the last son
\
and last child of John F. Johnson and his fourth wife, Effie Fletcher

Rees. His father died June 21, 1864, and left young B.F. an orphan since

the widow Johnson never remarried. The Rees family had lived in the

area of the Rock House since revolutionary times and were related to

many other families in Warren and COlumbia Counties.

Benjamin F. Johnson s only full brother was Joel Wigfall Johnson ( 1861 ... 1942) Tqese two brothers and their mother bought the Rock

House in 1887. . Benjamin F. Johnson bought out the interest of his

mother and brother in 1892 and held the property to his death in 1938.

B. F. Johnson married November 5, 1901, Mary Lou Lewis, daughter of

Thomas and Louisa (McLean) Lewis; and they had two daughters, Mrs. Mary

Ruth McNeil, now deceased, and Mrs. Effie Usry,who lives in 'lh.omson,

Georgia. B. F. Johnson lived near the Union Baptist Church where his

mother had a house and is not thought to have ever lived in the Pock

House. He later moved to the town of Thomson, and during his lifetime

the Rock Ho,use was rented out to tenant farmers.

Johnson served as Mayor of Thomson from 1913-1917, 1929-1932 and as

president of the school board. He was president of the latter when the

Thomson Public School was .built <u.ow. the Laura Jones School). Johnson was a



ct"':..;: ~ 'C ;t

farmer, banker and fertilizer manufacturer. He was an origin::ll founder of the

60
FilS: National Bank of Thomson along with -Mr. Jule Boyd. He ran the McDuffie Oil and Fertili~er Company and a cotton warehouse on RailRoad Street in Thomson.
Although Johnson did not join any church, he annually made donations to both the Baptists and Methodists, his mother's and wife's respective faiths. His daughters were brought up as Methodists.
Around 1921 B F. Johnson decided that to preserve the Bock House he would have to cement the outside and re~do the roof. Despite his wife's protests to leave the house with its castle-like appearance, Johnson had the outsides cemented and a tin roof placed over the original lightwood roof.
Since his death in 1938, the heirs of B. F. Johnson have given the land for the elementary school on Ware Street and the McDuffie County Hospital Site in his memory.
Source: Telephone conversations with Mrs. Effie (Johnson) Usry and Mrs. Aileen (Johnson) Ellington, daughter of Joel W. Johnson, June 201 1974.

Religion

61
I{eligion
The Quaker movement began in England rmder the leadership .of George Fox around 1644 and began spreading to America in 1656. The Quakers were considered the purest of the Pudtans in the Refo:rmation 1 and their strictness set them apart from other gr()ups. The Quakers in America settled in large numbers in 'Pennsylvania with William Penn himself .being a Quaker . . '!'hey later migrated to New Jersey, and ~ryland 'and around 1743, into North Carolina. Joseph Maddock, who later led the Quakers to Georgia, arrived in 1754 at Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, North Carolina fro~ Newark Monthly Meeting, Pennsylvania.!
Some basic Quaker ,beliefs included opposition to war and any f:j.nanci.al . support for a military cause, to taldng oaths in order to hold office, and to slavery. The Southern Quakers found it difficult to avoid paying some monies to support war causes and found it almost impos$ible to free their slaves 2
The Quakers in North carolina were themselves heavily fined when they failed to support a tax. for war support. :Eventually they were exempted when they were able to s}iow they were "Bona Fide" Quak:ers. 3 This exemption even made them free of any peacetime musters.
In Georgia, Quakers were exempted if p;roperly reported under a law of 1777-8. 4 . The Georgia ' Law of 1792 asked for a certificate from the Monthly Meeting to
prove someone was a bona fide Quaker and levied a 25% tax on each Qu~er tax payer to exempt him frol1\ militia duty. 5
If the North Ca;rolina Quakers had freed their slaves as the discipline expected them to do, these freed men would have been picked u:? quickly by s,lave traders. 'I'h~ North Carolina laws prohibited freeing slaves except for meritorious

62
service and there was nothing a man freed otherwise could do if he remained in North Carolina. Thus the Quaker settlements finally resolved to keep
.
slaves until Emancipation but to treat them humanely and not toparticipate .in trading, except amongst themselves. 6 Georgia enacted its first law concerning the freeing of slaves in 1801.?a
The slavery issue was a major cause in the breakup of the Georgia Quakers at Wrightsboro?b With the advent of the cotton gin and . the resulting large plantations that required more slaves topick and process the cotton, the Quakers decided tomove to Ohio where slavery was prohibited. By 1805 many Georgia Quakers I including Ansley Is niece Zilpha {Morris) Williams and Henry Williams and their children, left Georgia for Miami County, Ohio. 8 Others who were known QUake:r;s remained. Abraham Sanders, who had married Ansley's niece, MaryMorris, s~yed and died in Warren County, Georgia, in 1817. 9
Thomas Ansley Is association with the Quaker migration to Georgia has . been a major point of interest concerning the Rock House. The following is an analysis of the information available from various Quaker sources and a comparison of Ansley with a known Quaker, Marmaduke Mendenhall, to indicate whether or not A,psley was a Quaker.
Ansley was baptized in the Presbyterian Church in New Jersey as has been shown and his son Samuel became an early Methodist Preacher. Thomas Ansley's grandchildren were Baptists and Methodists. When his . sister Ma:cy Morris came to Georgia, from New Jersey, c.l788, she had already witnessed the marriages of two of her children in New Jersey. Both of these married within the Quaker Coi!IIliU,Ility of Monmouth County, New Jersey. 10 Her three daughters who

63
accompanied her to Georgia, Zilpha, Lydia and Mary, were all married here. At the marriages of Zilpha to Henry Williams and Mary to Abraham Sanders the minutes of the Wrightsbbro Monthly Meeting indicated that each man "condemned his marriage out of unity," that is out of the Quaker community1. 1 The third daughter, Lydia, married her first cousin Abel Ansley.
There are three documents concerning the membership of the Quaker Community in Georgia found in the printed records of Colonial and Revolutionary Georgia. The Quakers of Orange County, North Carolina petitioned for land in Georgia in 1767 for "sundry families", although no mention was made of their being Quakers ~ 2 In 1768, Thomas Ansley is listed as accompanying Joseph Maddock from North Carolina to Georgia when Maddock established the Quaker settlement.. The exact wording is "On reading a petition of themselves and the friends lately come to settle in this Province from North Caro1~. na ..13 Ansley later got a two hundred acre land grant in the community as one of the original settlers. He is listed again on July 3, 1770 as obta~. n~. ng a lot ~. n the Quaker town o f Wr~. ghts.boro. 14 In the petition against support of the Boston Tea Party c.l774 Ansley is again listed as a member of the Town of Wrightsboro along with Benjamin Ansley, his brother. 15
The minutes of the Wrightsboro Monthly Meeting, the business meeting of the Quaker community,exist from 1773 to 1793, the first twenty years of this settlement. Thomas Ansley does not appear at all in any of the existing extracts of these minutes. 16 He is not the only.person whose name appears on the early settlers lists and yet does not appear in the meeting minutes. This wouldindicatehe was not the' only non-Quaker to arrive with Joseph Maddock.

The WrightSboro Monthly Meeting Minutes ipcllcate the arrivals and

departures of originai and new members of the colony, their transactions

and family member's births and c!eaths. A good excunple of some mentioned
i~ the minutes would be ' Marma<i!Wce Mendenhall. His home~ now called Co1o#say

Plal'ltation, still stands in Taliaferro county; Georgia. He and his pa:trents are listed as arr~ving in 1775 . from the New Gard~n Monthly Meeting of North .

Carolina. Hi$ n.arria.ge is recorded in 1777 and their tral'lsfer to Peep River Meeting in North carolina for t,he years 1779-1784 is also recorded.l 7 The minutes break off before his de~th in 1797.

These minutes also indicate the official entry for the transfer of

membership of the leader of the Quaker Colony. JoseJih MadQ.ock, 'Who had been

the a leader in

Cane creek Meeting of Orange County, North Carolina during

the period 1759-1768 did not officially transfer his membership uritil t)le

Wrightsboro Meeting was organized. This transfer is recorded for November 4, 17'73, when he was also appointed clerk. 18

It stands to reason that wfth all this information available, if ThQ!Tias

AnSley had been a Quaker for e~n a day, and had been thrown out of the-

meeting or condemned for any behavior, he would have appeca.red i~ these minutes.

Further evi,dence that the Ansley family was not Quaker would be the

existing letters written between 1902-1904 froxn Julia (Ansley) Clayland to her brother Eugene A. Ansley. 19 'lhey were great grandchildren of Thomas

Ansley, Sr. and Julia is informing her brother as to tl'!.eir heritage. A1thougn she has a lot of erroneous information, she is surprisingly accurate on ma.~w

J?Oirits. If she had learned of the Quaker cc>nnection, surely she would have
mentioned this heritage. The obituary of Rev. Samuel Ansley, who died in 1837,
is published in the Metho<.hst M.in,' utes. 20 It also makes no ment~. d'n of any

prior ,religious upbringing.

65
A search of Quaker records at the following locations has also been made by letter, and these sources show no record, under present research capabilities, of the Thomas Ansley line: Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina (where the original minutes for Wrightsboro are housed); Haviland Records Room, New York City; Monmouth County Historical Association, Freehold, New Jersey; Haverford College Library, Haverford, Pennsylvania; Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College, swarthmore, Pennsylvania; the volumes printed by Hinshaw which collect all the existing Quaker minutes for the whole country; and Stillwell's Miscellaney on New Jersey Quakers.
In Georgia the tax of 25% was charged against all Quakers starting in 1792. In the 1794 Tax Digest of Warren County, Ansley's nephew-in-law, Abraham Sanders, who is listed with his parents and siblings in the Wrightsboro minutes and who ''condemned his marriage out of unity", when he married Mary Morris in 1791, is listed as being taxed as a Quaker.21 Next to him is Peter Cox, Sr., also taxed as a Quaker. Cox was married to Deborah, daughter of Joseph Maddock. ,None of the Ansley family are so taxed, in this digest or any during the enforcement of this law.
The conclusion must be reached at this point that if Thomas lUlsley and his children never appear in the existing Quaker records, and we.re never. taxed as Quakers, they were not Quakers. It seems apparent that Ansley and others came with Joseph Maddock from North Carolina to the new lands. in Georgia because it was a good way to get free land in better territory. A deeper search into the records in North Carolina might yield information as to when Ansley arrived there and if he had been there very long when he left. The minutes for Cane Creek, from which Maddock came, do not record anything on Ansley.

66
In North Carolina the Methodists, whose movement got under way around 1784 were the heirs to the Quakers, and even took over many of their meeting
houses as the Quakers mig. rated westward. 22 sorne Ans1ey f am11 y members appear
to have joined the Methodist faith once it became established in Georgia. Samuel Ansley became a preacher as early as 1788 according to his tombstone. 23 Deeds indicate that the other sons aligned themselves to two churches. William Ansley, James Ansley, c:J:"andson John Ansley, grandson-in-law George W. Ray, Jr. and stepson Benjamin Harrison were original trustees for the Methodist Protestant Church at Fellowship Chape1. 24 Abel Ansley and Thomas Ansley (assume Thomas, Jr.) were trustees of the Pleasant Grove Meeting House. 25
The minutes of the Union Baptist Church, a mile northwest of the Roc:k House, indicate the membersh1p included Morris Ansley (son of Abel), Mariah (Ansley) Lazenby, daughter of Joseph Ansley; and Macy (Adkins) Ansley, widow of Joseph Ansley. The latter had come by letter in 1834 from the Briar Creek Church (Little Briar Creek Church). Mary (Morris) Sanders, and her son-in-law Timothy Granade were also members since they all lived near the church site. 26
An analysis was also made of the marriages recorded of Thomas Ansley's children and grandchildren in Warren County, Georgia. It must be pointed out that not all of the marriages were recorded. Unfortunately, of the some sixty marriages located in Warren County, Georgia the majority of them were performed by Justices of the Peace. Of the Ansley relatives who were married by preachers, ~e find five married by Winder Hillman, a preacher at the Union Baptist Church mentioned above. Included are Mariah Ansley, daughter of Joseph, to Joshua Lazenby in 1815, and the children of Mary (Morris) Sanders and her

67
late .Quaker husband Abraham Sanders: Sarah Sanders to Timothy Granade in 1816, James Sanders in 1817 to Sarah Sell, and charity Sanders in 1819 to Stephem Granade, brother to Timothy. Epsy Ansley, daughter of William Ansley, and a granddaughter of Thomas, Sr. was married by the same minister to Robert Shields in 1817.
Marlin Ansley was married to Zeruah Johnson in 1825 by the Rev. James Dunwoody, who was a Methodist preacher, church unknown. Martha A. Ansley, a daughter of Joseph, was married to Dr. Sam M. Johnson in 1842 by her uncle, Rev. Aaron Adkins, a Baptist preacher of the area. Another daughter of Joseph Ansley, Penelope, was married in 1851 to J.B.M. Lazenby by the Rev. P. N. Maddux, who also was Clerk of the Court of Ordinary.
Other members of the Ansley Clan were married by Rev. William P. Steel and Rev. Josephus Hillman, both of the Union Baptist Church. 27

68
FOOTNOTES
Religion
1 Ste:phen B. Weeks. Southern Quakers and Slavery. (Baltimore: The Johns .Hopkins Press, 1896) , pp.. 4, 70.
2 Ibid, pp. 96,132,169,171 3
Ibid, p. 177. 4 Ibid, p. 190.
5 .Horatio Marbury and William H. Crawford (compilers). Digest [of the] Laws of the State . of Georgia 1755-1800 (Savannah: Sey~nour, Woolhopter and Stebbins, 1802), "An Act to Revise and Amend the Militia Law ," p. 356. Law signed December 24, 1792.
6 Weeks, 2 cit.; pp. 198-217.
7a, . Thomas R. R. Cobb (comp.). A Digest of the Statute Laws of the State of Georgia. (Athens, Ga.: Olristy, Kelsea, & Burke, 1851) ,"Act Prescribing the Mode of Manumitting Slaves ", p. 938. /s/ December 5, 1801.
7b This assertion is made from various readings and traditions. Georgia, as a colony and as a state, has always stood for religious freedom and did not persecute the Quakers on those grounds. The slave laws did make it impossible to ~ree slaves easily, and the rise of large plantations made competition impossible for the Quakers unless they did increase their slave holdings to run their farms on a competitive basis, which they were unwilling to do.
8 William W. Hinshaw, (author & publisher), and Thomas W. Marshall, (editor & compiler). Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy (Ann Arbor: Edwiirds Brothers, Inc., 1946, reprinted Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1973), p. 164.
9 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Wills (18ll-1829), p. 38-39. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-17 at Georgia State Archives). Will signed July 17., 1817, and probated September 1, 1817.
10 John E. Stillwell. Historical and Genealogical Miscellaney New York and New Jersey. (New York: 1903), I, p. 317 for the marriage of James Morris and Ann Jackson within the Shrewsbury, New Jersey Friends and Hugh Jackson to Rebecca Morris, pp. 350-351.
11 Hinshaw, .J2.. cit. , I, pp. 1050, 1051. Their marriages are. recorded in Richmond and Columbia Counties, Georgia, prior to these condemnations.
12 Allen D. Candler (ed.). The Colonial Records of ~orgia, X, p. 303.
13 Ibid., pp. 690-694.

69
14 Ibid, XI, P 86.
1.5 Allen o. Candler (ed. >. The Revolutionary Records of Geor2ia, I, pp. 27-29.
16 Hinshaw, 2 cit., I, pp. 1042...1051. (Originals at Guilford College,
Greensboro, North Carolina).
17 Ibiq, pp. 1044, 1049. 18 Ibid, p. 1049
19 Letters from. Julia (Ansley) Clayland to Eugene .A. Ansley, datedl902-1904. (Photocopies at The Georgia State Archives. Originals are still with descendants of Eugene A. Ansley in Texas)
20 Minutes of the Annual Conference .2! the Methotist E;eiscgei!ll Church
1829-183"9;!!, pp. 574-575.
21 Wa:rren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Tax Oig;est of .!1!! (Capt. Ne.al's
District 1 No. 28). (Manuscript on Microfilm. :Reel 61-51 at Georgia State Arhhives) 22 Weeks, BE_ cit., p. 294.
23 Tombstone of Rev. Sa.muel Ansley (1765-le37) in Greenwood Cemetery, Barnes"" ville, Georgia, \Won personal.inspection by the author. Tombstone appears to have been. added years after his death.
24 Warren County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds AA-(1859-1867), p. 485. (Manuscript on Microfilm Heel 103-29 at Geo~ia State Archives.) The Methodist Protestant Church movement was started c.l827 as an offshoot of the Methodist Episoopal ctturch and these groups merged later. Deed dated .21 February 1866. Recorded 18 June 1866.
25 Ibid, !leeQI p-(~}67-1875), p. 171. , (Manuscript on Microfilm. Reel 103-29 at Georgia State Archives) Deed was dated 7 July, 1869 from trustees to Seaborn Ivey for the two acre tract where Pleasant Grove Meeting House once stood.
26 Minutes !_ Union Ba,J?tist Chu.rch, (1833-1866). (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel
30-76 at Georgia State Archives~. Originals. of this volume were with church clerk, Mr. J. L. Wade, RFD 3, Thomson, Georgia in 1960)..
27 The marriages cited are all recorded in Warren County, Georgia. Court of, Ordinary. Marriages (1811-1825) , (1824-1835 on Reel 104-13, (1833-1848) (1848:-1873) and (1856-1874) on Reel 104-14 at Georgia State Archives

The Land

70

Georgia has instituted several systems of land allocation. In-. the area

of the Rock House the headright and later bounty systems applied .

A colonialact instituted the headright system, allowing a man 100 acres

for his own self and fifty acres for each member of his family, which

included 50 acres for his wife, each child, and each slave. It was this

system that prevailed when the Ansley family entered Georgia.

Thomas Ansley arrived in Georgia with the Quakers from North Carolina,

lead by Joseph Maddock. This event occurred around December 1768, the time

of Maddock 1s petition to the governor and council for an extra tract of land.1 The (!Jovernor had originally set aside a "reserve of land" for forty

families but due to the increase in the migration the~ estimated that seventy

families were due or already there. The Friends and their allies expected

more families to join them as word spread of their new settlement.

The North Carolinians 1 petition to the governor was approved and acted

as a group warrant or authorization for the land to be surveyed and granted.

Thomas Ansley 1 s family was among the sixty one families mentioned in the

.

.

.

petition of 1768 and he was allowed two hundred acres on his headright. On

July 3, 1770, the lots in the Town of Wrightsboro were allocated and he received lot no. 28.2 This land was located in what was them St. Paul's Parish.

The area of Wrightsboro was within Ricluriond County in 1777 when the parishes

were abolished. In 1790 the site was in ColUmbia County and after 1870,

McDuffie County.

71
Thomas AnSley was granted the above mentioned two .hundred acres t as well as his town lot, qn November 13, 1770, on behalf of King George III. 3
Ansley applied for another headright grant on January 7, 1772 of 100 acres for two othe; children and obtained the grant on July 7, 1772. 4 This land was within the Wrightsboro Township and joined the "Cowpen Land" on the ''waters of sweetwater Creek."
This system of land allocation might have sufficed except for several events occurring shortly after Ansley's arrival in Georgia. The first was the addition to Georgia of the "Ceded Lands" in 1773 through the cession of some 1, 600, 000 acres north of the Ogeechee River by the Creeks and Cherokees. This land was immediately made available for settlers from the other colonies in order to increase Georgia's population. Georgians, like Ansley, who l ive.d only a few miles away from this new territory, also desired to move onto this land.
Another factor in the land system was the Revolutionary .war which began in 1775. The continual movement of the state government to avoid capture by the British caused great confusion in the Land Grant System. Laws were passed that had no effect and grants n$Ver got issued. Thus the citizenry had to wait until 1783 before the government got settled again. After the war the land system had to accommodate the addition of Bounty Grants to military men as well as citizens. This confusion permitted many persons to obtain great tracts of land above and beyond the 1,000 acre maximum.
The Rock House land was included in the cession of 1773. When Ansley moved across the Old Line Path to settle this area is unknown. Commissioners

72
had been appointe!l for the Ceded Lands, one of them being Joseph Maddock of Wrightsboro. 5 A record exists of the commissioners' endeavors during the turbulent pre-revolutionary and revolutionary years when they were trying to survey and grant the lands in this territory. Unfortunately the original ledger of these commissioners has deteriorated, but a typescript exists of all that was readable in 1910. Ansley's name does not appear in the remaining J'.nforma.t.J..o.n. 6 Very few grants were ever issued by the governor, although surveys were probablymade of the lands claimed. It is probable that Ansley got a survey of the lands he wanted, but had to reapplY for another survey after the state government stabilized following the war.
The ceded lands were sold7 based. on headright restrictions for l to 5 shillings an acre. Three hundred and twenty-five families are known to have received "liberty to settle" in these lands as shown in the deteriorating records of the commissioners. Settlers were allowed nine months to settle on the lands they c'lammed.
Georgia's first State Constitution of February 5, 1777, created Wilkes County frOJn the vast ceded Lands. A law passed June 7, 1777 (amended September 16, 1777) continued the headright procedures for land allocation. Due to the ensuing tunnoil of the war years this law and other associa'.:ed resolutions were never effective.8
The British tightened their hold on Georgia in 1779, and the (lrea aroundAugusta was considered too dangerous even to hold elections .9 In 1780, the British appoin,ted their own officers for the Ceded Lands and St. Paul's Parish,.. since they did not acknowledge the st(lte constitution. In the spring of 1781 the Ceded Lands, which under COlonial rule had never been divided into parishes, were organh;ed into the parishes of St. Peter and St. Mark. 10 The latter contained the western part of St. Paul's Parish, including

73
Wrightsboro. These new parishes were to have their own court meeting in Wrightsboro, but shortly thereafter the Augusta area fell to the colonists and the new parish governments never functioned.
Attempts in Augusta and elsewhere to continue a state government during the war were sporadic. The "assembly" in early 1780 passed two acts. The Act of January 23, 1780, reconfirmed the headright system of 200 acres for the head and fifty acres for each member. This law assumed that the land office functioned and included provisions for new settlers from other states .11
The locations of the meetings of the Georgia State Government are unknown from May 1780 to July 1781.12 During this time Augusta was again in the hands of the British. However, Wilkes County was one area that was never under British rule during the recapturings of parts of the state, although the British made raids into the area. On August 17, 1781, a new state assembly met and again on January 1, 1782. To this latter assembly went Thomas Ansley as a representative from Richmond County.l3
Although they had surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, the British did not leave ,Georgia until July 9, 1782, when they evacuated Savannah. As mentioned above, the state government had already resumed operations in 1781. Once the British had gone, the state was finally able to pass a series of land acts that could take effect without the disruptions of war.l4
On August 20, 1781, the Bounty System of Land Grants was approved by the assembly, adding to an already confused land allocation process~5 A lot of misinformation has arisen over the years concerning this system. Alex Hitz' article, "Georgia Bounty Land Grants; is the best summary of the system and all of the misinterpreta"tions made since then. 16 Bounties had been

74
promised to Georgia troops during the war but eventually more bounty grants went to ordinary citizens than combat veterans. Soon it became apparent that a person could buy another's bounty claims or certificates;that commanding officers and- citizens could gather up certificates from their troops to outwit some of their neighbors who might have gotten similar certificates as citizens .
The classes of people who were legally entitled to obtain bounty grants were those who had served in a military capacity of some sort, deserters from the British, refugees from the state who might have served in other states, and citizens. Although as a whole they had done the least "serving", citizens were made eligible under the Act of 1781. A citizen was required not to have disturbed his neighbors 'property at all 6r at least not in a very flagrant manner. This law is construed to have referred only to Citizens who did not leave the state or plUnder their neighbors during the last months
of the war, allowing them 250 acres; later increased to 287 1/2 acres .17
The basis for obtaining a bounty grant and the procedures involved are clarified by Hitz. The differences in applying for a regular headright grant are also noted.
1. An applicant would petition the governor and council or the land court of the county where the land is located, attaching a voucher from a commanding officer, to certify his or her status. If one was a mere citizen , the voucher would be from the mi liti a district where one lived and the militia officer would authorize the voucher. [On headright one petitioned by. swearing that he had not previously applied for a headright on these grounds].

75
2. If the court accepted this voucher as legitimate, the justices would issue a numbered certificate in the name of the applicant indicating his status for a bounty grant, the acres the law allowed him, and the name of the person who had signed the voucher.
3. Next the land court would issue the applicant a numbered warrant~ which directed the county surveyor to measure the land. [Same for headright] .
4. The county surveyor or a deputy surveyor would then survey' the land and make three copies of 'the plat. He recorded on~ in his office, sending the other two copies and the warrant to the surveyor general of the state. Of the remaining two, one was to be recorded and kept by the survey general, and the other was to be attached to the actual grant when issued. (The surveyor general's office still has many of these loose plats from these original surveys). [Same for headright].
5. The surveyor general would send the copy of the plat with the warrant to the secretary of state, who would issue a . grant after it had been signed by the governor and the fees paid. The surveyor general and the secretary of state would mark the grant as "bounty", but without any designation as to the type of bounty. (Note: Only the original certificate issued by the gCi>verno~r or land court had the classification written in that told the status of a person's bounty eligibility).
6. The grant would then be returned to the county surveyor who delivered it to the app 11. cant. 18.

76

Post-Revolutionary Land Grant Laws:

Act of Feb~uary 17, 178319 {amended August 1, 1783): This law opened

the land office for the third and final time since the previous acts of

1777 and 1780 had not been effective. The headright system of 200 acres

.

-

..

for the head of the family and 50 acres for each member up to 1,000 acres

was again approved. One had to .pay for these acres which you were only

eligible for according to your headright starting with one shilling for the

first 100 acres and increasing at one.:..half shilling for each extra hundred

acres. An applicant was supposed to live on and cultivate 3% of the land

for twelve months prior to obtaining the grant. Surveyors were required to

send the plats foJ:Ward to the surveyor general once a month, and the land

courts were to meet once a month also. The law then provided the procedures

for applying for a grant. The law attempted to clear up questions of title

to land claimed under war proclamations. The amendment allowed persons outside

of the state a year in which to. return and claim their warrants or . lose them.

Act of Febru<ifY . 25, 1784:2This law provided for the opening of lands

in Franklin and Washington counties which were created at this time. It

increased the bounty grantS by 15% and eliminated .their tax-free status.

If the land was 3% cultivated one was tax-exempt for three years. The law

removed .the cultivation requirement prior to receiving a land grant, probably

to speed up the process. Act of Februaey 22, 1785: 21 This repealed the purchase money requirement

from 1783, unless the land had already been surveyed. One was supposed to

settle and cultivate 3% of the granted land within 18 months or pay treble

taxes. Bounty claims were to .be filed within one year of this law or else

lose your rights. There was no limit to getting a bounty grant as long as you had

77

gotten a survey, Ji>rio:r; t;p cut-off date. .Bounties were hereafter issued by

the land court. without a governor 1 s certificate.
? Act of Fe):)ruary 13, 1786 2 This no longer required the county regis-

tration of land grants. A warrant was not considered outdated if it were

surveyed within two. years of issuance.

(As an example, maximum .land grant 1mderheadright stayed at 1,000

acres but oa. Brigadier General was allowed 1, 955 on bounty.)

There were no laws preventing the sale or swapping of warrants or

certificates ailowing new warrants to be issued to purchaers or otherwise

holders of these documents or collections of them. It can be assumed,

tJ:lerefore, that many persons got bounty grants based upon others 1 service

or Citizenship to which they themselves were not entitled. '

For this Post-Revolutionary Era the first warrant .extant was issued

on October 22, 1783 for a headright grant and the first bounty warrant on
May 15, 1784. 23

Considering all of these happenings, it is now more understandable why

the lands around the Rock House were not granted to Thomas Ansley until

after the Revolutionary War. He received seven land grants during this

period, and six of these were in Wilkes County and made up his planta-

tion.

The following are Ansley 1 s land grants:

Warrant

A.24 1784, May 6

B.25

Sept.lO

c.26

Oct. 4

Survey (Pla:t.) Grant

Acres/County

1784, July 4 1785, Jan. 19

750 acres Wilkes Co.

Sept. 18

(Same) (Bounty) 287 l/2 acres " ' ~

Oct. 15

(Same)

100 acres, Richmond co.

78

D. 27 1786, Feb. 6 E. 28 (same) F. 29 1787, May 7 G.30 1788, JW1e 2

1786, Feb. 10 Feb. 11
1787, May 7 1788, JW1e 3

1787, May 24 (same) ,(same)
17891 Jan. 13

1800 acres Wilkes co. 1050 acres Wilkes Co;
200 acres Wilkes Co. 650 acres Wilkes co.

The following is an explanation of these various grants:

The question now arises as to why Ansley did not get one large land

grant covering all the land granted on a certain day. The system did not

work that way. An individual was limited to 1,000 acres on headright, not

boW1tY accumulation, so he had to use warrants purchased from others in

order to obtain these larger grants. The following is a description of

Ansley's lands and speculation as to his method of acquisition.

A. Described as "where he now lives" in lieu of old warrant, a rather

vague phrase, this land is iri the center of all of his eventual land grants

in Wilkes County, lying on one prong of Upton's (Maddock's) Creek which rW1S

through the property. He had probably occupied this land during the Revolution

and this action just reissued his old claim.

B. This 287 1/2 acres was a standard sized bounty grant, since the

borders formed a rectangle. It is said to be "near where he lives, in lieu

of a boW1ty warrant." It is noted to have "CUrl's Folly" on it. A Folly

was ahill filled with trees that stood out from the rest of the area, and

could refer to an older claim to land that had been abandoned. This land

and Grant A were not contiguous.

c. This land in Richmond County was probably near his previous grants

in that area and was not near his Wilkes CoW1ty lands. It was considered a

headright grant.

79
D. This acreage and grant (E) consolidated Ansley's previously granted lands into a large area. "D" was issued "in lieu of old warrants including his. old surveys," which again hints to his having to reapply for any land surveyed during the war years, as well as using others' bounty' vouche.rs. This land was described as being between Mill and Briar Creeks, and was the southernmost reaches of his estate.
E. This 1050 acres was also "in lieu of old warrants" and was between Mill and Childries Creeks, connecting the 287 1/2 acres with the rest of his property. Due to size this acreage was bought from other persons:' bounty claims since he did not appear in court on the day specified.
F. This 200 acre tract was actually surveyed originally for William Coram and the plat for Ansley so indicated. Coram appeared incourt, not Ansley. Coram later lived in the same area and perhaps swapped this warrant for some other territory claimed by Ansley. This made a good connector for Ansley's other lands.
G. This last land grant mentioned 400 acres of land in lieu of an old warrant of Ansley's, .200 hundred acres on headrights of James May and 50 acres of headright of Micajah Brooks. Ansley got 400 acres from his sister, who appeared in court on June 3, 1788, and applied for a headright. This lindicatesd:tmatsince' mos;t.of the land:hadbeen cla.d:med, and Ansley had already used most of his own legal possibilities, he had to rely on his sister and friends to provide him their vouchers in order for. him to round off this last area of his estate. It is interesting that although Mary Morris gave him her claim worth 350, he in turn deeded her 81 1/2 acres.

80
From all of these warrants, plats, and grants it appears certain that Ansley claimed this land and cultivated some of it during the Revolu-
\
tionary War while the land. grant system was in abeyance. Since in any bur.eaucracy the wheels move slowly, he appeared to apply first for the lands he could claim the easiest and where he had cultivated. Ansley added the other large, probably untilled, areas as the new system was perfected and the necessary paperwork became easier to obtain. He had to rely on the headrights or bounty claims of others in order to get more than his own maximum acreage of 1,000. acres. Many times persons would apply for more land than their vouchers entitled them to. As Ansley rounded off the grants to his vast holdings he secured enough vouchers to obtain the plantation he had claimed.
Ansley accumulated 4,737 1/2 acres in Wilkes COunty, Georgia from these six land grants. He disposed of his lands in Richmond <::ounty and also his town lot in Wrightsboro. In the 1787 Tax Digest of Wilkes county he is .shown with 4,540 acres which indicated that he claimed ownership over more lands than he had been actually granted by this time, since he was willing to pay taxes on them. The Tax Digest indicated that he had cultivated 183 acres, which added to the above, totals 4,723 acres or almost exactly the total later granted. It is unclear though whether or not this 183 is included in .the 4,540 acreage.
Ansley, shortly after this, began the allocation by deed of lands to each of his eight children as they married or became self sufficient. At his death in 1809 the land was further divided into nine parts for then he included his step-son, Benjamin Harrison, as an heir. It has not been

81
possible to accoWlt for the total subdivision of Ansley's lands into these twenty-six shares.
The following map and chart indicate the location of these divisions and the extant deeds associated.with them.

82
The Thomas Ansley Plantation and the divisions through _l814
----.. ::r L

83

Before Thomas Ans1~y's Death, 1809

Key to Preceding Map of Thomas Ansle:y Plantation

~fter rhomas Ansley's Death, 1809

Location Date of Deed

Grantee's Name

Date of Deed Location

z

24 Jan. 179831

Abel Ansley

330 acres

7 Jan. 181141

H

400 acres

29 Jan. 181442

E

92 a.cres

29 Jan. 1814

K

53 acres

u

8 Dec. 180432

James Ansley

226 acres

12 Jan. 181443

Q

184 acres

p

8 Dec. 180433

200 acres

B

30 Jan. 1799 34

Joseph Ansley

466 acres

12 Jan. 1814

N

197 acres

29 Jan. 181444

I

74 1/2 acres

L

8 Dec. 1'80235

samuel Ansley

453 acres

'
X

23 August.18oo 36 Thomas Ans1ey,Jr.

370 acres

(no deed found)45 R, s
133 acres,43,gres (no deed found) 0
181 acres
(no deed found) 47 M 150 acres

v

Oct. 1805 37

327 acres

William Ansley

29 Jan. 181448

G

201 acres

(no deeds found)

Joseph & Ann Duckworth 17 Jan. 181449

F

199 acres

A

22 Aug. 179238

William & Rebecca

401 acres

Duckworth

29 Jan. 181450

c

82 acres

(no deeds found)

Benjamin Harrison

29 Jan. 181451

D

75 acres

29 Jan. 1814

J

99 acres

w

12 July 178839

81 1/2 acres

Mary Morris

(None found)

T, y

Unknown dispesi tion40

84
To pinpoint the Rock House, first on the original land grants and later as it devolved to one of the children, has been a major task. The author used a current county highway map, taking the intersectionof the branches of Maddock's Creek, which is just south of the Rock Hous~, and measured the angle from the intersection to the Rock House. This angle showed the house to be some . 22 degrees to the northwest and about a mile distant from the intersection of these creeks. This measurement was then applied to the land grants and deeds as previously itemized. The conclusion reached was that the RockHouse was on the 330 acres that Thomas and Rebecca Ansley deeded to their son, Abel, on January 24, 1798, for $200. 52.
This land had been occupied by Abel and Lydia (Morris) Ans;ley before the deed was wiittel').; since Abel is shown in the tax digests of Wilkes COunty for 1792 paying taxes on 328 acres 53 Thomas Ansley, Sr. apparently allowed each of his children to set up housekeeping .after their marriages on sections of his property, deeding the same to them after a few years.
Ansley Heirs to N. c. Bacon
If the ownership by Abel Ansley is accepted, then the transfer of the Rock House to Nicholas Bacon occurred next. The whole sit\.xation is complicated by the loss of deeds for Warren COunty, Georgia from 1818-1844 and the lack of ta:x records from 1818-1848. Abel Ansley .willed all of his lands. He specified that the plantation . on which he lived could not be divided until after the death of his widow, Lydia (Morris) Ansley. 54 She did not die until late 1838, and it is assumed remained at the Rock House until then.
Abel Ansley's plantation was divided on March 2, 1839 1. .n.to t h ree sect 1' .ons. 55 According to his will these lands should have gone first to his two daughters,
Lydia, wife of William o. Tyson, and Rebecca, wife of Kilby Moore, and

85
sons, Thomas and Abel, Jr. 56 It seems most likely that one of the two daughters inherited the house. They could have immediately sold their portions to some other person, as happened at the sale of the lands of Thomas Ansley, Sr. It seems probable that they chose not to live there for very long, if at all, but the deeds for their disposition of the property are missing. The first deed concerning Nicholas Bacon is from Timothy Granade in 1846. 57 Granade confusedthe situation even more by indicating that the three territories he deeded to Bacon had all been deeded to him by the heirs of Dinkins Ivey (d. 1838). It is obvious from the 1846 deed of Granade to Bacon that Bacon had already obtained part of the Abel Ansley estate to the southeast of the three plats. This area was one or even all of the three divisions of Abel's plantation, previously mentioned, for which the deeds are missing. The Granade deed does not mention any dwelling place.
Whatever the case, the Bacon estate, assembled from the Abel Ansley estate and other lands, eventually included 622 acres as follows:
A. 241 acres of the Abel Ansley estate deeded to Bacon betwen 1839-1845.
B. 197 acres in three plats deeded to Bacon from Timothy Granade January 17, 1846, for $500.58 Most of this land has. been part of the late Dinkins Ivey estate, who had himself died by 1838 before Lydia Ansley. This area included the original lands (81 1/2 acres)(B~2) deeded by Thomas Ansley to his sister, Mary (Ansley) Morris, in 1788, 59 the small amount

86
(4 1/2 acres) (B-1) she purchased of James Gilmore in 1794,60 ar:d(Lll acres) (B-3) which had originally been part of Abel's 1798 deed and some that had been deeded to William Ansley. 61 The latter ' tract was probably not part of the Dinkins Ivey estate, even though the deed indi.cated that.. ~ The ,author 1 s calculations indicate the house is on this acreage. C. 150 acres from Timothy Granade on 24 March, 1848, for $1200 . 62 which should have been north of the above sections (A & B) and included the lands owned by Abraham Sanders, Jr., whose guardian was Stephen Grenade. D. 34 acres from Zaccheus Ivey for $277.55. This was deeded on 22 December, 1859, but not recorded until 1885, 63 years after Bacon's death. Location un~nown.
The Nicholas c. Bacon lands, listed at 622 acres, but eventually
resurveyed to 649 acres, stretched as is shown on the map, from the core of Abel Ansley's plantation northward past the border of Thomas Ansley's land grants,includirig parts of the grants of James Gilmore and others. His land bordered those of John F. Johnson, which surrounded the Union Baptist Church. This church has existed on that site since 1809 .when the land was deeded b.y John Vance. 64 It is assumed that the remains of
Vance's lands went to John F. Johnson who later surrounded the church and
gave the church additional land.

:D. '
B-z.

c
The Nicholas C. Bacon Plantation, showing the sections as acquired.

::&-.3

(
'

t
N

A
I
I
(
I
I
I
I
I
I
-- I /

Bacon Heirs to B. F. Johnson

The 1iax recordS indicated that the Bacon estate remained intact after
\ .
his death in 18.73 unt:j.l the a ale .of his entire estate in 18.87 to the

widow and young:est sOrts of John F. Johnson. The Bacons had mortgaged the

lands with the American Freehold Land .Mortgage Company of London, Ltd.,

16 March, 1885, for $1800. The coitt.pany attorney had been James K.O.

Sherwood of Q~~ens County, Ne~ York. 65

. .

.

.

The l3a.eon h.eirs 'ret.ained the

?Ptipn' ~f paying off the loan and had moved by 1887 to Ta-liaferro Co~ty,

Georgia. The tax records indieated that the farm was al:l,\\ost abandoned.

Mrs. Effie (Rees) Johnson, widow of John F. Johnson artd sons, Joel W. and Benjamin F'., bought the 649 acre .Bacc>n estate OJ!. 12 septembe.r, 18~7,
for $4,05!.25. 6~ This included $2,415 to pay off the Itl()rtgage on December 9, 1~89. 67 Their . l.,.nds touched the Bacon lands on the north and they

merged the Bacon faim .into their own holdings.

In 1892 M;t:s. Effie Johnson apd Joel W. Johnsqn de.eded their share. in

the property splely to Benjamin F. Johnson. 68 It remained in his posses.sion

until

his

death

i~

'
19

38.

The ho~se passed to his wife, Mary Lou, and two

daughters, f1a:ry RUth McNeil and Effie Us:ry. 69

Johnson Heirs to State of - ~r2ia
Iri 1966 the.se heirs deeded the Rock House property, one acre, to the Wrightsboro Quaker Community Foundation, Inc. 70 This latter group, in its
attempts to deed the lt>ck House to the State of Georgia,found a few leg.al complications :i,ri the deeds due to a reversionary interest' to Mrs. usry' ~
71 grandchildren, Effie Teresa 6i Jo Ann Miller.
The official transfer of the land to the State of Georgia awaits the
settl~ents of the claims of these heirs and is expected to be finali~ed in the summer of 1974. 72

89

FOOTNOTES The Land

1 Allen D. Candler (Editor). 2
Ibid., XI, p. 86.

The Colonial Records of Georgia, x, pp. 690-694.

3 Georgia. Surveyor General's Department. Land Grants !. (1770-1774) , "St.
Paul's Parish," p. 195. By 1778, Ansley had sold half of this grant to James Batten and the other half to Benjamin Ansley of New Jersey, said to be his own broti+er.

4 Ibid., p. 689. In 1793 Peter Cox, later to be a neighbor of Ansley's on the Columbia-Warren County line, sold this land to Benjamin Harrison, Ansley's stepson. Cox indicated that he had' been deeded this by Ansley, although the latter deed is missing. Harrison sold this in 1801 to Josiah Durden.

5 Ibid., Commissioners of the Ceded Lands, "Commission and. Appointment," Conunission Book B(l).- 1754-1827, pp. 207... 8. (Original in deteriorated condition at Georgia State Archives, typescript c.l910 by LeConte).
6 Ibid , in passim for whole typescript.

7 Kenneth Coleman. The American Revolution in Georgia (Athens: of Georgia Press, 1958), p. 8.
8 Ibid.' p. 160.

University

Allen D. Candler (Editor). The Revolutionary Records of Georgia, g, p. 207.
9 Coleman, .12. cit. , p. 147-9.

lO Ibid., p. 150.
11 Coleman, .212.. cit. , p. 160.

Candler, The Revolutionary Records of Georgia, g, pp. 207-8.
12 Coleman, .12. cit., p. 161.
13 Candler, The Revolutionary Records of Georgia, III, p. 31. 14
Ibid., III, pp. 236, 300.
15 Alex M. Hitz, "Georgia Bounty Land Grants," The Georgia Historical Quarterly, XXXVII (1954) , 341.

16 !.b.2':d_ I PP 337-348.
17 Candler (Ed.). The Colonial Records of Georgia, XIX(2), p. 302. Law signed February 25, 1784.

90
18 Hitz, ~ cit.
Candler . (Ed.). The Revolutionary Records of Georgia, III, pp. 301-302. Resolution of February 17, 1783. 19 Candler (Ed.). The Colonial Records of Georgia, XIX(2), p. 20lff. "An Act for opening the Land Office " Amendment, Ibid., pp~ 280-84. 20 Ibid., pp. 292-304. 21 Ibid., pp. 434-441. 22 Ibid., pp. 516-17. 23 Georgia. Surveyor General Department. Pamphlet concerning land allocation of Georgia.
24 Ibid. , Loose Warrant for date of Warrant. Survey Plat Book g_, p. 40, for
date of plat. Register of Grants FFF (1784-1785), p. 474, for date of grant.
25 Ibid., survey Plat Book Q, p. 46 and
Register .!. Grants FFF (1784-1785) , p. 491.
26 Original Warrant missing, date from Grant.
Survey Plat Book ~, p. 198.
Register ~ Grants !!!, .(1784-1785) , p. 472. 27
Ibid. , loose Warrant.
Wilkes County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Land Plats G, p. 20. Surveyor General Department. Register of Grants NNN, p. 478. 28 Surveyor General's Department. Loose Warrants.
Wilkes County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Land Plats ~~ p. 21. Re2ister of Grants . NNN, p. 453. 29 Ibid. , for Warrant.
Wilkes County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Land Plats Q, p. 188.
ReSJ:ister of Grants .NNN, p. 454. 30 Ibid. , for Warrant.
Wilkes County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Land Plats ~, p. 228.
Re2ister of Grants RRR, p. 119.

91
31 Warren County, Georgi\a. Superior Court. Deeds A "" 1796-1800, pp. 392-4. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 103-25 a:t Georgia State Archives) [With plat].
32 Warren County, Georgia. SUperio:r;- 'Court. Deeds B - 1801-:-1808, pp. 338-39. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 103-25 at Georgia State ArchiveS) [No plat].
33 Ibid., p . 334. [No plat]. 34 Warren .County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds D - 1800-1813, pp. 19.-20.
(Manuscript on microfulm Reel 103-26 at Georgia State Archives) (No plat]. 35 Warren County, Georgia. Superior .Court .. Deeds . B - 1801-1808, pp. 141-2.
(Manuscript on microfilm Reel 103-25 at Georgia . State Archives) [No plat]. 36 Warren County, Georgia. Superior Cow;t. De.eds C ... 1808-1813, PP 18-19.
(Manscript on microfilm Reel . l03;_26 at iGeotgia . State Archives) [No plat]. 37
Warren County, Georgia. Superior COurt. Deeds B - 180l;;.l808i pp. 54~-6. (Mcnuscript on microfilm Reel 103-25 at Georgia State Ar<;:hives) [No plat]. 38 Wil)ces County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds I l ":"" 1792-1794, pp. 199-201. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 43-32 at Georgia State Archives) [lric1udes plat]. 39 Wilkes County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds DD- 1788.,..'1789, pp. 117-119. . (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 43-30 at Georgia State Archives). 40 These areas appear to be divisions. Could be causedby di. screpancies in drawing plats. 41 Warren County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds D - 1813..,1817, pp. 131-132. (Manuscript on mi.crofilm Reel 103-26 at (;eorgia s.t:ate Ar,SPives) [With plat]. 42 .!bid. , p. 74. [With plat]. 43 Ibid. , pp. 215-216. '[with plat]. 44 ~, p. 1. 21. [No plat]. 45 11 R" - Deeded to William Smith 17 December 1814, and 100 acres owned by him in 1818 Tax Di9est . Ibid., pp. 288-9. [No plat].
"S" - Deeded to James Ansley 4 October 1814. Ibid., PP 214-5. [No plat). ~
46 This is referred to in Deed to James Ansley cited in footnote 43 for Section N.
In 1818 ~Digest. owned by David Wilson, 181 acres .

47 From Deed to Section N (Footnote 43) and Thomas Ansley, Jr. in 1818 Tax Digest for 150 acres.
48 Warren County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds. D ( 1813-1817>; p. 342.
Ibid., pp. 341-2 for sale to Benjamin Harrison. 49
Ibid. , p. 33. Sold same day to Joshua Lazenby January 17, 1814, Ibid., p. 63.
50 Ibid., p. 122. Immediately sold to Joseph Ansley 23 November 1814, Ibid., pp. 121-2.
51 Ibid., pp. 342-43.
52 Warren County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds A (1796-1800), pp. 392-94. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 103-25 at Georgia State Archives).
53 Wilkes County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary" Tax Digest for 1792 (Capt. Neal's District, [Taxpayer] #ill). (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 61-56 at Georgia State Archives).
54 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Wills (1810-1829), pp. 74-76. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 104-17 at Georgia State Archives)
55 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Annual Returns (1826-1841}, p. 444. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 104-36 at Georgia State Archives).
56 As provided in the Will. 57 Warren County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds X (1844-1849) , pp. 129-130.
(Manuscript on microfilm Reel 103-27 at Georgia State Archives). 58 Ibid. 59 Wilkes County, Georgia . Superior Court. Deeds DD (1788-1789) , pp. 117-119.
(Manuscript on microfilm Reel 43-30 at Georgia State Archives). Deed signed 12 July 1788 and filed 17 October 1788. 60 Warren County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds A (1796-1800~ p. 382. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 103-25 at Georgia State Archives). Recorded May 2, 1798. 61 This conclusion was reached by observing the plat of this acreage and i ~s overlapping Abel Ansley's 1798 land. The disposition of William Ansley's lands is not presently known.

93
62 Warren County, Georgia. Superior court. Deeds X (1844-1849), p. 413ff. .(Manuscript .on microfilm Reel 103-27 at Georgia State Archives). Deed recorded May 17~ 1848.
63 McDuffie County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds D (1883-1886), p. 520. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 119-23 at Georgia State Archives). Deed ' recorded February 27, .1885.
64 This deed is not found in the Warren County Deeds but is mentioned in the Union Baptist Church Minutes (1809-1833) , the originals of which are found in the Georgia Baptist Historical Society Collection, Mercer University Library, Macon, Georgia.
65 McDuffie County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds- D ( 1883-18861 p. 569. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 119-33 at Georgia State Archives). Actually two deeds. The above is to the Attcrney anc;i the second, on p. 570, is from Attorney Sherwood to the mortgage company for $1880.
66 McDuffie County, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds F (1888-1895), p. 276. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 119-25 at Georgia State Archives).
67 Ibid., pp. 277-8. The mortgage of the Bacons . was a note due December 1, 1889, for $1800. This was paid by the Johnsons and the deed was signed December 9, 1889, and recorded May 10, 1890.
68 McDuffie Co\lnty, Georgia. Superior Court. Deeds F (1888-1895), p. 513. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel ll9-25 at Georgia State Archives) . Deed was signed April 29, 1892, and recorded May 6, 1892.
69 Telephone conversation with Mrs. Effie (Johnson) usry of Thomson, Georgia.
70 McDuffie County, Georgia. Superipr Court. Deeds Book 65, pp. 201-04.
Deed recorded March 4, 1966. Plat found in Plats ! p. 82. Plat
recorded February 11, 1966.
71 Letters from Mrs. Joe L. Miller to Tom Rawls, Department of Natural Resources, Land Negotiator, 29 April 1974 and from Warren D. Evans, attorney for Mrs. Joe L. Miller to Tom Rawls, 1 May 1974. Mrs. Miller is the daughter of Effie (Johnson) Usry and grandaughter of the late B. F. Johnson.
72 Conversation with Tom Rawls, June S, 1974.

Tax Records

94

Tax Records

The tax digests relating to the Rock House do not give any evaluation of the house because it has never .been town property. The tax records are included to give a better perspective into the wealth of the Ansley, Bacon and Johnson families who successively owned the Rock House and lands through the last two centuries.
The records remaining are scant until i849. Prior to that time Warren County, Georgia's deed and tax records were lost in part, especially those covering the crucial transition years .for the Rock House.
Key to Tax Digests to 1796

British Monetary System:

Symbols Used in This Paper

12d = 12 pence = 1 shilling ( / )

20/-= 20 shilling = 1 pound (~ )

1 L

Georgia converted in 1796 to dollars and cents.

1785

Wilkes County, Georgia, Capt. Newsom's Militia District

Thomas Ansley

1 poll

2,000 q.cres in Wilkes County

As trustee for James Batton

240 acres in Wilkes County (sic)

Note: This is the earliest record found for Ansley's taxes and although most
of the original book exists ,1 the last. few pages are now gone and our only

knowledge of this is from Mrs. Davidson's Early Records of Georgia. Ansley

sold 241 acres of his Richmond County, Georgia lands to James Batton in 17782 and perhaps the notation above refers to that. Ansley had not yet

95

applied for grants to the other lands of his plantation at this time. The Law of 17863 provided for Poll Tax of 4'8 pence and slaves 4 1 Land

was evaluated at first- quality, oak and hickory, 11', Q-2:

61 ,

. Q-3,

3 1 ,

and

pine 2 1 Tax was 10 shillings for each 100 pounds value.

Thomas Ansley
and for James Batten

Wilkes County, Georgia, .Capt. Newsom' s

Militia District .

Acres (Quality) Value per Acre

Total Value

1,.000 (2}

6 shillings

3,000 (P)

2 shillings

600 pounds

240 (3)

3 shillings
Poll tax
Sub-total ot tax for
eachpart of Msley's land {could be double tax]
Total Tax: (Ansley) (Batten}

36 pounds. 4'8d
2 pounds 4'8d 2 pounds
4 pounds 4 1 8d 3'7d

For 1787, another tax law was passed. 'l'he. changes wete: Poll and slave tax 5', and tax on land raised tol2'6d per 100 .pounds val~e. Cultivation was required for 3 acres out of every 100 or. el.se. s. uf.f.er a dou.bl.e .t ax... Sa

17875b

Wilkes County, Georgia, Capt. Hugh Rees Militia Oistrict

Abel Ansley

{no lands]

Poll tax

5'

Thomas Ansley, Esq.

1,000 (2) 240 (3)
3,300 (P)

6 shillings 3 shillings 2 shillings

Total value:

66 pounds 12i

Tax:

11 pounds 8'

Poll Tax:

5 I

Comments: 183 acres cultivated

[This does not compute out.]

96

to Following Tax .Records > 1792-1794

There were many conversion tables; an example would be:
1792 4' Sd = 4 shillings, 8 pence - 1 dollar.

Valuation for land and poll tax were rotinded off by digests 1792-17947

Land was evaluated at 1st quality, oak and hickory 5'6d; Q:--2, 3' (3 shillings);

Q.;.;.J, 1'6d (1 1/2 shilling or 1'6 pence}, and pine 1' . (1 shilling).

Poll tax- 1'2 pence (1792)

1'9 (17931 1794)

Slave tax - 1 12 pence (1792)

l 1 9 (1793, 1794)

Tax - 6 shilling per 100 pound value in 1792.

In 1793 and 1794, 8'2d per 100 pound value .

Name Abel Ansley

1792-1794
17928 Tax Digest, captain Neal's Militia District Wilkes County, Georgia

Poll

Slaves

Acres (Q)

A<ljoins

Total Land Value

L

d L

1

o

328 (3)

Landrum

24 12

97

Tax d

2

l/2

For

0

84 ( 3)

Gilmore

6 6

Mary Morris

3

Thomas Ansley 1 Sr.

1

100 (2)

Landrum

300 (3)

3020 (P)

188 10

.
8 ll [unclear]

17939 Tax Digest, Captain Neal's Militia District Wilkes County: Georgia

Thomas Ansley 1 sr. Value:

For

1

Abel Ansley

1

100 (2)

Landrum

300 (3)

3020 (P)

0

50 (2)

Thomas

100 (3)

Ansley

178 (P)

216 9

6
1 2 ll (for all three)
:_

-

For Mary Morris

0

0

811/2 (P) Gilmore

'
179410 Tax Digest, Captain Neal's Militia District Warren County, Georgia

Note: This was the first year the Quaker militia exemptioh tax of 25% was imposed in the digest and it is not imposed on the Ansley family. Warren County now formed., militia district remained same.

Abel Ansley

1

0

50 (2)

Hodgin &

23 18

100 (3)

Landrum

178 (P)

3 8 1/2

Mary t-Drris

J

Thomas Ansley 1 Sr.

0

86 1/2 (3) Cox

& Ansley

69 9

1

300 (3)

Duckworth 178 10

3120 {P)

& Landrum

6 1/4 18 1

98

1798 Tax Digest11 Warren County, Georgia

This digest is a str~ge one. It itemized the type and dimensions of one's house. It does not show anyone living in the Rock House but perhaps was designed orily to evaluate wooden homes. The entire Ansley family is depicted to indicate that no one had a "rock" ho~e.

.
Description of Building

Thomas Ansley,Sr.
(blank)

Thomas

Abel William

Ansley,Jr. Ansley Duckworth

Logs

"ditto" "20 -:x . 16 [for logs

Mary

Abrah.am

Morris Sanders

.
Ioggs Loggs

20 X 18 20 x l6

Georgia Militia District
Adjoins

Wilson's

Landrum

Johnston

-
Landrum Ansley cox

Hays

Waters

Mattock's Creek

Number of Dwellings

(blank)

1

1

1

1

1

Dw~llings
House Value
Lands Subject
to Valuation
Assessment

(blank)

$40

$40

$60

I

$60

$18

400, 3020 acres
$2500

387 acres
$420

I 330 acres
$248

401 acres
.
$500

86

I 216

acres acres

$175

$500

99

1801
180112 Tax Digest, Captain Wilson's Militia District Warren County, Georgia

Land was evaluated under Act of 179713 for oak. and hickory

Q-1
Q'-2 Q-3 & pine

$1.18 acre .68 acre .34 acre .21 acre

Tax:

Land

35 per $100 VC~;lue of land

Poll

.31 1/4 all free white males, age over 21.

Slave - same as poll tax

Abel Ansley

Computations 1 poll 330 acres (3) @ 34. = $112.20
Total tax

For Mary Morris 0 poll
85 1/2 acres (3)

@ 34 28.90 Total tax

Tax

$ 3125

.3927

.70~2

as computed

[.705 1/2] as shown in digest

.10115 [.103 3/4]

Thomas Ansley, Sr. 1 poll

.3124

4 slaves
250 (3) @ .34 = 85.00
2700 (P) @ .2 '1* 567.00

1. 2500

652.00 @ 35 per $100

2.2820

3.8445 [$3.844 1/2]

100

Key to 1805-1851

I .
The Act of 1804 inclv.ded new tax laws for Georgia, with the
rates being established as follows:

Poll
Slave For every $100 value of town lot and puildings Professional Carriages
Land (acres)

- For free, white males, 21 or over (i.f over age 60, exempted after 1825)

- 31 1/4

- Over 21 and under 60. (no i:nention of sex) - 31 1/4 each

- (The evaluation procedure or assessment of- 31 l/4 the town property leading to this value has not been determined.)

- Lawyers, doctors , etc.

- $4.00 each

- Four-wheel Two-wheel

- $1.00 - 50

This was evaluated in relation to the rivers of Georgia. The following rates apply to this land by analysis. This is perhaps the most confusing part of the tax laws.

"All other oak and hickory land":

Quality 1: Quality 2: Quality 3:

Per Acre 4 1/4 mills 2 1/2 mills 1 l/4 mills

($.00425) ($.0025) ($.00125) i ,

"All other pine land": 3/4 mills ($.00075) 14

The land was itemized as to the county in which it was situated, the
waters on which it was situated, whose land it bordered, and to whom it was granted. In 1825, taxes were redv.ced by 25 percent;15 and in 1832 they were reduced by 50 percent. 16 The tax was increased by 25% in 184217 and the poll tax reduced to 25 cents in 1850. 18

101

1805
19 1805 Tax Digest, Captain Wilson's Militia District
Warren County, Georgia

Poll

Slave

Land

Waters

Adjoins

Abel Ansley . For Mary Morris
Thomas Ansley ,Sr.

1

0

330 (3)

[. 3125 poll + . 4125 = 7250]

Upton &

Landrum

Bryer

Tax: .72 1/2

0

0

87(3)

Cox

[87 X .00125 = .1087]

Tax: .10 3/4

1

7

136(3)

Landrum

1400(P)

Tax: 3 .72

Computation of Thomas Ansley's taxes:

1 poll

.3125

7 slaves

2.1875

136 ( 3) = (136) X (. 00125) .17

1400 (P) (1400) X (. 00075) 1.05

3. 7200

Tax: $3.72

102

Abel Ansley Jesse Ansley

1817,-1850

Captain Williams' Militia District 152

Poll 1
l

181720

Slave

Ac:.r.es

1

470 (3)

440 (P)

0

118 (P)

water

Adjoin

Tax

.
Upton's Ck. Stanford $1.562 l/2

.398 l/4

Abel Ansley

1

1 8 1 82 1

l

460 (3)

II

340 (P)

II

Stanford 1.455 Carter

Joshua Stanford 1 For Jesse Ansley

Nicholas c.

Bacon

1

Nicholas c.

l

Bacon

For F.A.M.L. Lazei'.by (sister)

For Mary Ivy

0

119 (P)

II

- - -
184922

8

435 (3)

18So23

9

435 (3)

1

1

Stanford .401 3/4
4.19 4/10 4.44 4/10 . 390 l/2
390 1/2

The Tax Digests for 1819,-1848 inclusive are missing for Warren County, Georgia.

103
New Tax Law 185224
The tax laws were changed with the Act of 1852 that set up a system similar to the "Ad Valorem'' o,pe used today. The property. was evaluated ahd the governor selected a pe/rcentage for state-wide taxation to provide the state with enough money for the coming year. In this first year the ceiling for the amount to be collected was placed at $375,000 and the percentage for taxation was 1/12 of 1%. This percentage could be changed annually depending on the money required and the valuations.
This new system also exempted from taxation the following: all plantation and' mechanical tools, furniture under $300 value; all libraries, all poultry, $200 exemption on the value of all other property; all annual crops, all fireanns and instruments, munitions of war and all wearing apparel.
This system stayed in effect until just recently .

104

,r-
Year Poll 185425 1

Nicholas .:_ Bacon Georgia Militia District 152
Warren County, Georgia

Poll

Value of Land & Value

Tax Slaves

Slaves

Quality of Land

[. 25] 18

$8800

587 (3) $5800

Money & Accounts
$ 250

Other

Totals

Property Value

$1090 $ [15 ,940]

185526 (Same)

185627 1 185728 1

20

9500

21 10,800

587 ( 3)

5000

587

6000

200

1240

15,940

465

1375

18,640

185829 1 185930 1

[. 25] 21 10,500 21 13,300

587 (P)

5870

5.87 (2)

6000

400 1000

1385 1355

18,155 21,655

186o31 l. 1861 32 186233 1 186334 1

22 15,000 22 15,000 23 10,500 23 15,000

622 (P)

6220

622 (3)

6220

621

6210

621

6210

500

]9 80

2;3,700

750

1900

23,870

250

1500

18,460

-c::

300

1943

23,453

12 hands ,employed on place

186435 1

24 43,000

621

11 hand~, 51 sheep, 3 dogs

11,178

7460

[61,638]

105

Year 186736
1869 37

Nicholas C. Bacon Post-Civil War to Death

Poll
l [$1 tax]

Hands 9

Land

Value of Land

620 acres $ 1860

l

12

620 II

1860

Money & Debts
$ 375

Other $ 715

Total $2950

400

940

3200

187038

1

12

620 II

1860

400

940

3200

1871 39

1

11

621. 11

3105

--------

749

3854

106

Date
187340

Acres
635

187441

600

187542

600

.Land
$3810 3600 3000

Estate of N. c. Bacon

G.M.D 134, Thomson District

McDuffie County

Number Hands

'l'oo!s, (Books Household after Futn;t,shings 1887)

Watches, Silver, Jewelry

Other

Livestock

Total Value.

16

$905

$4715

15

$150

$150

815

4715

50

815

3865

600

3000

15

100

,50

330 3480

600

3000

5

100

60

70

400 3630

600

1800

3

100

.Produce

187946

600

1800

20

75

47

1880

600

1500

100

33

40

30

~5

316 2289 75 275 2275
225 1880

600 1882 49
1883~0 600
1887

2100 2100

50 2150.
noo

Note: Josephus .Hil!rnan executor .and guardian 1874-1876. J. D. Wardell, Agent 1885-1887.
(
'Hands: (1873) . charles, Sol and Wade Bacon, Jim Steed and G:ranford Wilson.

Date. 1889 52 BFJ JWJ
.
.. 189C53
J\'VJ
1891 S4 BFJ J Wu '
1892;;: BFJ JHJ lsg35c
i894--
1895=~
<;:.
190C-
1905.:-

Acres
488 600
650
460 650
460 650 1000 1137 1137 1713
'
1748

Land

Number of Hands

Johnson Family .-~ 188t~ 66
= G.M.D~ 134 - McDuffie County, Georgia
Benjaxnin F. Johnson BFJ--Sole owner after 1892 Joel >W. Johnson = JW.J

Accounts :& Money

Hsehold. Furnshi'lqs.

Tools, (Books after 1877)

Watches,

Silver,

Other

Jewelry ProPerty

Livestock

City .. Land

. Total .Value.

$2,400 3,250 3,000

30

$

7 .

105

:

$ 210

400

$110

$

45

5

"

$600 227

$ 722

$

484

1,090

$3832
.
4326
"
.
4490

3,000 5,000 4,548 4,548 6,852
8,740

3 2
Crops 2388

.

125

150

30

127

40

55

120

325

180

25 25 25 25
100

195 172 215 555
/
942

''"
1,000

3000
l
6345

1,000
1,000
. -
1,500

5925
.
5955
9107
-

3,950 16,625

-- ;..
19 i .- =- ...
.

1921

19::-.:.: :.921

192-:c:
. .- ~.

2941(?)

!Autos & Bikes

9,605

1,000

2000

500

17,625 21,120

.

. Monel & Accts .

800

500

sao

.. Stks. & Bnds.

1,000 2200

500

95
.
300
400

105

645 12,500 26,450

100

20

545

7,800 28,190

.

6 Horses,

5 Hogs= SO

100

2 Cows..WO 600 6,500 32,570

FOOTNOTES Tax Records

' 108

1
Original at Georgia State Archives with a Xerox copy annotated by Frank Hudson.
2 Mrs. Grace Davidson, Early Records of Georgia (Wilkes County), II, p. 66.
3
Horatio M.arbury and William H. Crawford. Digest [of the] Laws of the State of Georgia 1755-1800 (Savannah: Seymour, Woolhopter and Stebbins, 1802), p. 459ff. "An Act for Imposing a tax /s/ 2/13/1786.
4 Wilkes CoW1ty, Georgia. Tax Digest of 1786, p. 26. (Original at Georgia State Archives with annotations by Frank Hudson).
SaMarbury and Crawford, op. cit., pp.466-473 ' /s/ 2/10/1787.

SbWilkes CoW1ty, Georgia. Tax Digest of 1787. (Original at Georgia State Archives).
6 Thomas R. R. Cobb. ~Digest of the Statute Laws of the State of Georgia (Athens, Ga.: Christy, Kelsea, & Burke, 1851), p. 349, "An Act to Revise Fees of ,the Public Officers," conversion scale from Prince.
7 Marbury and Crawford, 5? cit., p. 490 /s/ December 22, 1791
499 /s/ December 20, 1792 501 /s/ December 19, 1793.

8 Wilkes County, Georgia. ~Digest for 1792. (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 61-56 at Georgia State Archives).

9 Ibid., 1793. (61-56).

10 Warren County, Georgia. ~ Digest for 1794. (61-:51).

11 Ibid., 1798. 12
Ibid., 1801.

(186-6). (61-51)

13

Robert and George Watkins (Editors). Georgia (through 1799) (Philadelphia:

.-ARD. iAgeitskte-on,f. -1th8-e0L-0a)-,w-ps . -o6-f4.6th-ef-fS.,ta"tAen. -of

Act to raise a tax for .. 1797," /s/ February 11, 1797.

14 Cobb, op. !==it., pp. 1041-1053, "An Act to raise a tax signed December 12, 1804.

for year 1805,"

15 Oliver H. Prince (compiler). ~ Digest of the Laws of the State of Georgia (Athens, Ga.: by the author, 1837), p. 864, "An Act to . tax for . 1831," /s/ December 23, 1830.

16 Cobb, op. cit., p. 1069,. "An Act to impose a tax . .. . for 1833 . . . , ..
signed December 24, 1832.

109

17 Ibid. , p. 107 3-4, "An Act to levy . tax . . for 184 3, " signed December 27, 1842.

18 Ibid., p. 1079, "An Act to levy . . tax for 1850 and 1851 . . . , " signed February 22, 1850.
19 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Tax Digest for 1805 (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 61-51). Capt. Wilson's G.M.D.

20 Ibid., 1817. Capt. Rowland's G.M.D.

21 Ibid., 1818. 22 Ibid., 1849.

Capt. William's G.M.D. 152.

23 Ibid., 1850.

24 "An Act to levy and collect .

tax for . . 1852 and 1853," Georgia Laws

1851-52, p. 289ff, signed January 9, 1852.

25 Warren County, Georgia. Court of Ordinary. Tax Digest for 1854. {Manuscript on microfilm Reel 119-1, originals bound "1854-1859").

26 Ibid., 1855. 27 Ibid., 1856. 28 Ibid., 1857.

29 Ibid., 1858. {Mislabeled G.M.D. 155).

30 Ibid., 1859.

31 Ibid. , 1860. 32 Ibid., 1861.
1864"). 33 Ibid., 1862. 34 Ibid., 1863.

{Manuscript on microfilm Reel 119-1, original bound alone). {Manuscript on microfilm Reel 119-2, originals bound "1861-

35 Ibid., 1864.
36 Ibid., 1867. 1872").

(Manuscript on microfilm Reel 119-2, originals bOund "1867-

37 Ibid., 1869.

38 Warren County, Georgia. Tax Digest for 1870 {Manuscript on microfilm Reel 61-75 at Georgia State Archives. Original Department of Revenue Copy at Georgia State Archives, bound as Vol. I-13, Book 12). Signed August 2, 1870, by Tax Receiver.

110

39 McDuffie County., Georgia. Tax Digest for 1871 (Manuscript on microfilm Reel 61-69 at Georgia State Archives. Original at Georgia State Archives, I-13, Book 6.). Thomson District, ().M.D. 134.
~ Georgi a. JJr:partment of Revenue. McDuffie County, Georgia. ~ Digest for 187-3.
(Original at Georgia St;;ate Archives, bound "1873-1877").

41 Ibid. , 1874. 42 Ibid. , 1875.

. (Mrs Bacon had 140 acres herself )

43 Ibid., 1876. 44 Ibid., 1877.

45 Ibid. , 1878. 46 Ibid. , 1879.

(Bound "1878-1882 11 ).

47 Ibid. , 1880.

48 Ibid., 1881. 49 Ibid., 1882.

50 Ibid., (All bound II 1883-1887 11 ) 51 Ibid., 1888. (Bound II 1888-1892 11 )

52 Ibid., 18.89.

53 Ibid., 1890.

54 Ibid., 1891. 55 Ibid., 1892.

56 Ibid., 1893. 57 Ibid., 1894.

(Bound 11 1893-189411 ).

58 Ibid., 1895. (Bound separately, as are all others below.).

59 Ibid. , 1900.

60 Ibid. , 1905. (G.M. D. 234, error).

61 Ibid., 1910.

62 Ibid. I 1915.

63 Ibid. , 1920.

Miscellaneous

111
Other Ansley Lines
Due to the. great interest by Ansley families all over the United States other lines have been discovered and researched. Much information has caused kinship to be assumed between the descendants of Thomas Ansley, Sr. of Warren County, Ga. and some of these other lines.
One apparent error is that Thomas Ansley, Sr. (17~7-1809) was born in England and was the son of William Ansley, Chief Justice of New Jersey who
... 1
arrived in .America in 1758 and died shortly thereafter. This is totally unproved except by those who seek a grander heritage than their birthright. This man is naturally easy to locate in the official records and has been more readily documentable than the weaver William Ansley, the real ancestor of the Thomas Ansley Clan.
The prominence of the name Ansley in Atlanta, with the Ansley Park area, including a residential section and shopping center, and the Ansley Hotel, has led many persons to merge the Ansleys of Atlanta and Warren County. The above mentioned Ansley landmarks were built by Edwin P. Ansley (1866-1923). He and his brothers, Cliff W. (d.l917) and Wm. S. (d.l923) were well known in the Atlanta area. 2 A new history of Decatur, Ga. gives a good account of their descent and that of the Decatur, Ga. Ansley family from William Ansley who died in Lincoln County, Ga. in 1819 and his son, Jesse Ansley (1789-1863) of Richmond County, Ga. 3 Some writers have tried to place this Jesse Ansley into the family of Abel Ansley, Sr. We know that the Jesse, son of Abel Ansley, moved to Habersham County, Ga. and was living there in 1869.

112

Relatives and Others A.lr-1 Addresses current with Publication of this Report

1. Allison, Mrs. w. clifton
Valley Head, Ala. 35989

Descended from: James Ansley

2. Ansley, Mrs~ Ivey 'C. 206 Stovall St., S.W. Thomson, Ga. 30824

James Ansley

3 . Ails ley , Dr. J. R.

?

712 Main St.

Mt. Vernon, Ill. 62864

4. Ansley, Mrs. Ray B.
1215 Hancock Dr~ Americus, Ga. 31709

Husband is descendant of Abel Ansley, Sr.

5. Ballard, Mrs. Edward D. (Evelyn Gay) 2536 Mercedes Dr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 33316

Rev. Samuel Ansley and Ma:cy (Tillman) Ansley

6. Baker, Mrs . F. F. (Pearl) Rt. 3 , Box 220 Thomson, Ga. 30824
7. Clark, Mrs. John . (Hazel D. Beckworth) 601 N. Hazel St. Pampa, Texas 79065

As mentioned in the forward, no kin to any of these folks , .just interested in the history of the area.
Thomas Ansley, Jr.

8. Edwards, Miss Rena 724 E. Erwin St. Tyle:r:, Texas 75701
9. Fleming, .Mr. Joe c., Sr. 1061 s. Robson St.
Mesa, .Arizona 85202.

Thomas Ansley, ~r. 's son, James
James. Ansley Has. addresses of 100 descendants

10. Hamrick, J~ R.

Thomas Ansley, Jr.

Box 154

Carrollton, Ga. 30117

Deceased - His family should have his papers.

11. Huffmaster, Mrs. Roy Box 294 Canton, Texas 75103

Rev. samtiel 'Ansley

113
Persons Doing Research Cont' d

12. Jelks, Mrs. E. D. 223 Wilton Dr. Decatur, Ga. 30030

James Ansley

13. Lester, Mrs. Louise

?

118 3rd St.

Tyler, Texas 75701

14. Luce, Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. 110 Allen Rd., N.E. Atlanta, Ga. 30328

Rev. Samuel Ansley

15. Mawson, Mrs. Thatcher H. (Mary Ansley) lOll Sims Ave. Birmingham, Ala. 35213

James Ansley

16. Raser, Edward J. RFD 1, Box G-37 Derwood, Md. 20752 His father lived in Trenton, N.J.

Cox Family of N. J. [Not sure of present whereabouts]

17. Rabun, John P. Jr. (Attorney) 301-.B Lakemore Dr. ,N .E. Atlanta, Ga. 30342

Joseph Ansley's daughter, Mary Ray

18. Styles, Mrs. Michael H. (Anne Gosnell) 6516 Brawner St. McLean, Va. 22101

Rev. Samuel Ansley

19. Taylor, Miss Shattie 176 Peachtree St,,N.W. Room 420 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Member Georgia Genealogical Society

Joseph Ansley

20. Wennerlund, Mrs. N.E. (Neola Ansley) P.O. Box 992 McComb, Miss. 39648

Joseph Ansley

Addresses from personal contacts of the author or supplied by other contacts.

114
Early Accounts of the Ansleys
The following are two accounts which give some light into the problems besetting the research concerning the Rock House and the Ansley family.
The first account is from the 1933 typed histo:cy of McDuffie County, Georgia, by McCommons and Stovall. The reader will notice the erroneous "Abram Ansley'' as original builder and the total misinformation about the builder's death, etc.
"McDuffie County has at least one colonial home, the old rock house (sic) near Union Church, with its traditions associated with the early Quaker settlers.
"It is said to have been built by Abram Ansley, on the Wrightsboro Quakers in 1773. (sic)
"The pioneer settlers had little material from which to construct homes, most of the early houses were built of logs, for they did not have the industries yet to convert the raw matsrial into lumber or brick. So this home was built of rock as they were found on the place.
"Tradition says Mr. Ansley hauled the rock with an ox-cart and built the house and that he really wore himself out at the task and passed away soon after it was completed, and tradition is that when first built, the house had no outside steps, but a ladder was used in stead, which was drawn into the house especially at night, as a safeguard against Indian attacks. (sic)"
The second account is from the letter of Julian (Ansley) Clayland in 1904.
"Our great grand father Thomas Ansley and two brothers William and Ben came from England. Settled in New Jersey. Thomas our great grand

115
Father moved to Warren County . Georgia. His brother Ben an old batchelor returned to England. William went to South Ca. Great grand Father bought up about one fourth of the land in Warren ,County. He was con-
sidered a rich man in those days. OWned quite a number of slaves from
all I could learn from numbers of the older grand children. Great grand Father Ansley had 8 children Joseph, Samual, William, Thomas, Abel 1 James, . Nancy and Rebecker. Great grand father settled his children around him. Gave them large farms. I could not ascertain the ag.es of
any of the children except Joseph borned in i 775 and married a miss Mary
Simpson and I am not sure that it was not the date of his marriage instead of his birth. Great grand father owned one fourth .of Warren County Georgia. (sic)"

Appendix
A. Inventory of the Thomas Ansley Estate (1809) B. First Inventory of the Abel Ansley Estate (1822)
c. Second Inventory of the Abel Ansley Estate (1839)
D. Sale of Abel Ansley's Estate (1839) E. Annual Returns of Abel Ansley F. Nicholas C. Bacon
Census of Agriculture (1860) Inventory of Estate (1873) Annual Returns of Estate 1880 Census of Agriculture G. Family Trees of Families Associated with the House H. Letters (original) Associated with Research I. The Thomas Cox Family of Monmouth County, New Jersey

116

Inventory and Appraisement of the Estate of Thomas Ansley, Sr.

An inventory of the goods and chattles of Thomas Ansley DS as delivered to Rebecah Ansley by the executors of said deceased according to the tenor of the will.

(Numbers added)

1. 1 Negro Man .Jack

$250.00

2. 1 Negro Man Bob

450.00

3. 1 Negro Nancy & he.r child Peter

450.00

4. 1 Negro Phebe & her child Milly

500.00

5. 1 Negro .Ruth

250.00

6. 1 Negro Lesy

200.00

7. 1 Negro Ben

200.00

8. 1 Negro Binor

125.00

9. 1 black horse "Toby"

50.00

10. 1 bay horse "Cube"

60.00

11. 1 black mare

30.00

12. 1 bay mare

100.00

13a. 4 bar, share plows and swingle trees 13b. 4 sets . of Geers (sic)

17.00 (Same as on Abel's lnv.) 10.00

14. 1 lot of p].ows and harrows

20.75

15. 1 waggon breach boards and geers (sic) 80.00

16. 6 axes

9.00

17. 1 lot of tools 18. 21 head of cattle

7.50
115. so

19. 1 beef stear (sic)

11.00

20. 14head of hogs

39.00

21. 2 sows and 14 pigs

10.00

22. 1 pen of flax

7.00

23. 1 lot of fodder

8.50

24. 1 lot of rye

3.75

25. Vessels .of the still

5.00

25. 1 lot of. rye

9.00

26. Thrasht (sic) rye

4.50

27. Cleaned oats

75

28. 1 lot of stands

3.00

29. 1 lot of oats in the straw

26.25

30. 1 loom .& utensils$?, stays and harness 9.00

31. Pair of hand mill stones

1.00

32. Brake flax

1. 50

33. Lot of flax not motted?

2.00

34. A quantity of corn $1.25 (a bu.)

125.00

35. 2 sythes & cradles briar? (corn)

7.00

36. Stands of peas

6.00

37. 2 raw hides

3.00

38. 1 pot $4

4.00

117 p 2. Inventory of Thomas Ansley, Sr.

39. Bacon and beef

$126.00

40. 3 sides of l:ather

6.00

41. 1 tub of pork

34.50

42. 23 bushels of wheat

23.00

43. 1 harrell part full of cyder

2.75

44. 1 harrell with brandy

9.oo

45. 1 harrell with vinegar

s.oo

46. 1 tub & fat

9.00

47. Quantity of fat

5.7S

48. Tallow

1. 25

49. 1 lot of barrels, kegs and tubs

8.31

50. Milking vessels

1.75

51. Kitchen furniture

15.59

52. 1 grind stone

l.SO

53.. 1 lot of lumber

.75

54. 1 wheel & cards

2.80

55. 1 lot of nails and old irons

6.00

56. Old copper

3.00

57. 1 old tin

1. so (?) or so

58. Bar iron and shear mold

8.00

59. Old iron $7.00 - lot of tools $5.5Q 60. 2 sick).es 2 pr. of bridles

12.SO total
1. so

61. 1 lot of bells 2. 50, pr. steel y(j. $1

3.50 [steel yards]

62. Lot of nails 1, .2 bags of meal flour ? S.50

63. Lot of :Leather 3,tub salt $6.7S

9.75

64. Tub of cotton etc.

1.00

65. Tub of peas 1, barrel of (?peas)$1.SO 2.SO

66. Lot of cotton $15. 50, wool 1. 25

16.75

67. Blue cottOn

50

68. Bed bedstead & furniture

15.00

69.

II

It

II

II

II

~

70. Sadle and bridle

lS.OO 4.00

71. Bed stead, bed & furniture

10.00

72. Bead sted.

2.00

73. 1 bed sted, bead and furniture

30.00

74. Books 13, lot of lumber 2. SO

15.50

75. Lot of different articles

.75

76. 2 chests $4, round table 1.50

S.50

77. 1 reel 1. SO, 1 table 3

4.SO

78. 1 flax wheel 3, hand saw 1. 00

4.00

79. 11 chairs 6, lot sundries 50

6.SO

80. Barrell with sugar

12.00

81. Keg with some brandy, etc.

3.75

82. Tongs, flat irons, cet.

2.00

83. Cubboard furniture

lS.OO

84. Sundrie articles

1.00

85. Debts due the estate

3.08 .1/4

Total $3674.23 1/4

118 P. 3 - Inventory of Thomas Ansley

This day received of the Executors the above articles this 1st day of Sep tember 1809.
/ s/ Rebeckah Ansley
Also this day given up to Rebecah Duckworth the Little Negro Spencer named in the will and appraised at 100 dollars and received ~y me.
Rebekah Duckworth (X - her mark)

Source: Warren County, Ga. Court of Ordiriay Inyentories (?) 1798-1811), p. 207 Manuscript of Microfilm Reels 37-53, 104-35, 104-.2 9 at Geor. gia Sta..te Archives

A Us t of Articles sold by the executors of Thomas Ansley deceased late of Warren County to discharge the debts of said deceased this 12 June 1809.

ll head of cattle 1 still Quantity of Barley A. lot of Rye 5 sides of leather 1 Saddle 1 Brown Bay Mare

Appraised
$58.50 40. 00 20.50 9.00
.. 10.00 16.00 75.00

-So-l-d
$60.12 1/2 40.00
. 26.47 1/2 13.79 12.06 1/4 10.06 1/4 65 . 00

Total

$222. 50 (sic)

$227.51 1/2

Source: Warren County Ga. Court of Ordinary ~tories, Appraisement & Sales '8:(1807-1815),
. p. 21. (Manuscript on ndcrofilm Reell04-29 at George State Archives).

119

First Inventory of Estate of Abel Ansley, Deceased

Inventory and Appraisement of the Personal Estate of Abel Ansley, Deceased

Made the 28th of May 1822 viz: (Numbers added)

1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. . 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
18. 19. 20.
21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.
29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.

14 head of cattle 9 head of sheep 10 heaj of hogs
3 head of g.oats 18 head of geese 1 Sorrel Mare 1 other Sorrel Mare & colt 1 :aay Horse 1 other Sorrel Mare 1 waggon. & 2 bodies, gear .& . cover 1 old waggon and gear 1 cotton gin, tunnh.g gear, threshing maehine fan and all the apparatus thereto belonging 1 lot of flax 1 wheat chest 2 log chains 1 lot of bridles & gear 1 lot of corn, supposed [to be] 75 bushels at l. 25 pr. bushel 1 lot fodder 15.00; 1 lot old iron 1.50 1 set Black-smith's tools 1 box & tools 10.00; flax brake .50 4 bushelspeas 5.00; 1 sled 3.00 1 grind- stone & crank 1 raw hide .75; 5 harrows 2.50 1 scythe & cradle 1 lot of weeding hoes 2 grubbing hoes .75, 2 froes .50 l lot of shovel-plough hoes 1 coulter (?) & stock, 2 bar shear plows & implements 1 plow stock, 2 single-trees and a nail crow 19 club axes, & 2 broad axes 1 lot of steel & other articles 1 (cross) cut saw, 2 old guns, & 3 jugs 239 1bs. bacon, 1 box and salt, 2 pr. steelyds 2 side saddles, and 1 man's saddle 1 lot FOts, 3 ovens, spider, & tea kettles 1 carding & spinning machine

$70.00 13.50 20.00 3.75 6.75 52.50 55.00 25.00 25.00 70.00
1o.oo
60.00 1.00 5.00 4.00 3.50
93.75 16.50 20.00 10.50
8.00 1. 50 3.25 1. 50 2.50 1.25 2.50 [see deduction at end]
3.25 75
12.00 4.50 6.75
36.71 11.00
6.37 l/2 25.00

120

P. 2 - First Inventory of Estate of Abel Ansley

37. 1 dresser & contents, 2 tables & a lot

of Cooper's ware

$ 7.00

38. 2 pot-..:acks, 18 chairs, 1 loom, harness, and

sleds

15.75

39. 2 spinning wheels, 1 lot leather & lot of

hogheads & barrels

6.50

40. 1 shoebench & tools, 1 old saddle, & 3 tables

6.62 1/2

41. 3 cupboards & their contents 20.00

5 beds, steads & furniture 113.00

l33~oo

42. 1 cot, 1 large box, 4 jugs, 1 flax wheel & reel 15.12 1/2

43. 1 lot of wool, supposed 10 lbs, 1 lock, 1 seive,

1 lot of books, 3 slates

15.75

44. 1 side board & contents, 2 chests, and 1 case of

bottles

12.50

45. 1 rifle, 1 shot gun and 1 pistol and shot-bag

and horn [powder horn]

10.00

46. 1 clock, 1 looking glass, and 1 lot of bed

cloathing

47. 1 stone and 1 earthen pitcher and

48. 3 hi~es, 1 currying knife 6. 00, 2

supposed worth 4

$955.46

Deduct 75 cents for error made on a lot of shovel Plow Hoes [Refer to #27]
True total amount of Sale [?]

75 $954.71

Georgia Warren County. We do certify upon oath, that as far as was produced to us by the executrix, the above and foregoing contains a true appraisement of the goo'ds, chattels, and credits of the Estate of Abel Ansley, deceased, to the best of our Judgement and understanding.

/s/ James Cody, Sr., Dinkins Ivy, Jeremiah Swain, appraisers

I do hereby certify, that the above appraisers were sworn to perform their duty as appraisers, according to Law; this 28 May 1822.

Joshua Draper, J.P.

[No date of recording, see Minutes 1

Source: Warren County, Georgia.Court of Ordinary. Appraisements Book C 1815-1823, p. 192-3. <Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-19 at Georg~a State Archives.)

121
Second Inventory and Appraisement of the Estate of Abel Ansley, Sr., Deceased January 2.!_ 1839

(Numbers and totals added)

Appraisal Refer to Sale No.

1. Lot of pot ware

$ .12 1/2

2. Lot of jugs

.87 1/2

3. Lot of old tubs and bucket & half bushel

25

4. Lot .of harness, swingletree, plow share & old wagon & hoe . 50

5. 3 old stands, 1 keg, 1 grind stone, handmill stone

25

6 .. 1 large pot & 1 oven

50

7. 1 jug & vinegar & funnel

.50

8. Lot of tubs & barrels & feathers; half bushel wheat 3.50

9. Lot of plows, 2 hoes & pitch fork

1. 00

10 2 axes and band (?)

. . 50

11. Lot of bee gums and tar bucket

2. 00

12 . 1 old table' bucket & rope, grindstone

1.12 1/2

13. 1 carding machine

5.00

14. 1 loom & S.J?OO!ing wheel

3.00

15. CUpboi':l.rd & Contents & c. in the kitchen

. 50

16. Lot of old irons & box

1. 50

17. Coffemill; hand bellows & iron hoops [bridle]

.25

18. Lot of baskets & keg 19. 2 spinning wheels

.. 37 l/2
1. so

20. Lot sundries

.12 1/2

21. Set of Blacksmith' s tools

5.00

22. 1 ox cart

8.00

23. 1 yoke of oxen

40~00

24. 1 cow & calf & yearling

13.00

25. 10 sheep & 1 bell

12.50

26. 2 fat hogs

30.00

27. Cabbage & turnips

.25

28. 1 weeding hoe and mattock

.25

29. 6 head stock hogs

20.00

30. Corn supposed to be 80bushels

80.00

31. 1 pen of shucks

3.00

32. Fodder by the hundred at 75

(no total given)

33. 1 granery & pitch fork

50

34. 16 geese at 25 per head

4.00

35. 13 chairs at. 31 1/4 pel;'

4.06 1/4

36. 2 pair of steelyards

.75

37. Lot of tin ware

.25

38. 1 iron wedge and old irons

.31 1/4

39. 1 pail & Churn & old pewter basin

.50

40. Lot of books

1.00

41. Lot of crockery ware 42. 1 table & clauth (sic)

1.00 . 2.25

(1)
( 3)
(2) (7) (24) (13)
(8)
(9) (14) (15) (16) (11) (11) (13)
(12) (65) (66) (16) (17) (19) (20) (21)

(22) (22) (22)

(32) (33) (7) (34) (35) (42) (43) (44) (38) (39) (40) (41)

(36) (11)

(46 --:48)

(
'

4.9.,..-

5

6

)..;

'

.

(58)

(59-62) (64) (63) (45)

(67,68)

(69,70)

(72) ( 37)

(73 '74)

( 85) (1:41J....JC43) (76)

(86)

122

p. 2 Inventory of Abel Ansley

43. Shew Hammer and pinchers

37 1/2

(152)

44. Pair of candlesticks, a brush & crockery, etc.

1. 50

(83,94)

45. 1 table and cloth

1.50

(89)

46. Slab and cover & looking glass

3.00

(95) (93)

47. 1 clock

12.50

(96)

48. 1 cupboard & contents

10.00

(145) (97.,.100)

49. 2 slates, . fire tongs, & shovel & swift

.50

(160) (153)

50. Lot of bed clothing

5.00

51. Table & reel

3.00

(103) (104)

52. 2 beds & bedsteads

35.00

(146-149)

53. 1 bed and bed stead & furniture

25.00

(146-149)

54. 2 flat irons, sheep shears, basket, cards & umbrella 2.50

(108) (107) (150) (106)

55. Lot of carpenter's tools

2.50

(109) (112- 118)

56. 1 rifle, 1 musket, & 1 pistol

5.00

(121-122) (120)

57. 1 bed, bedstead, and furniture

20.00

(146-149)

58. 1 trunk and chest ahd contents

3.50

(126) (159)

59. Case box and chest

4.00

(126) (159)

60. I foot adze and erose [craze)

.25

(lll) (116)

61. Lot of dryed fruit, stayes and harnis, goose quills,

(132 1133 1 134)

part of an old clock

2.50

(135)

62. 1 wire sieve

1.00

(105)

63. Tray, barrel & meal

1.00

(18) Ll30)

64 . Lot of scraps

.75

65. 1 cupboard & contents

10.00

(77-82) (102)

66. 1 saddle

50

(151)

67. ? gined - (cotton) at 12 1/2 per lb.

(no total)

(158)

68. 1 spinning machine

75

(154)

69. 1 flax wheel and cot and hackle [cover for
spinning frame - cover for bees l

1.00

(157)

70. Lot of leather

2.50

(156)

71. 1 chest and spools & basket

. 75

72. Coffee pot, knives & forks, dish & plates

1.57 1/2

(101)

73. 2 tin trunks

1.00

74. 1 note on Abel Ansley for ten dollars due 25 Dec. 1838 10.00

75. 1 note on Elias Wilson for seventy-five dollars due 75.00

due 26 Dec.l836

76. (ditto)

due 2 May 1837 100.00

77. (ditto)

due 2 May 1837 100.00

78. (ditto)

due 27 Aug.l835 20.00

79. 1 note due Morris Ansley

due 25 Dec.l838 14.50

80. 1 note due Abel Ansley (Jr.)

due 25 Dec.l838 28.87 l/2

81. An account . on Sherod Jones for $6.87 1/2 doubtful

considered mot in totals]

82. Cuttin9, curing knife and ho haver (???)

.37 1/2

( 31)

83. Broad ax and stay

2.50

(26)

[Total

$766.57 3/41

123

p ~ 3 of Inventory of Abel Ansley

We do certify on oath that as far as was produced to us by Thos Ansley administrator the foregoing contains a true appraisement of the estate of Abel Ansley deceased to the best of our judgment & understanding January 9, 1839.
Elias Wilson, Timothy Granade, Gideon Granade, John Ansley appraisers
rrhey were sworn in by Joseph Leonard, J.P. same day .. ]
Record-3d by P. N. Maddux, C.C.O.

Source:

Warren County, Ga. Court of Ordinary. Inventory and Af?praisements and Sales (1837-1842), pp. 184-186. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-31 at Georgia State Archives).

124 Sale of Estate of Abel Ansley, Sr., Deceased
January 10, 1839 Sold at Public Outcry ,

An account of sale of property belonging to the estate of Abel Ansley, Sr.,

deceased . . Sold at public outcry Ja,nuary 10, 1839, on a credit until 25th December

next thereafter.

Ref.to 2nd

(Numbers in original, total added)

Purchaser

Amount

1. A lot o:t; pots ~are

2. 1 lot of tubs, measures, etc.

3. 1 lot of jugs

, Note

4. 1 lot of jugs

Note

5. 1 lot of tin

Note

6. 2 baskets

Note

7. Harness & SWidries

Note

8. 3 stands

Paid Note

9. Large wash pbts & hooks
10. 1 lot ?t plo~s

Paid

ll. Hoes & Mattocks (pick axes)

Note

12. Lot of axes

Note

13. Barshare Plow

Note

14. Jug & Vinegar

Note

15. LOt of barrels & feathers

16. Gumbs, wheat & salt

Note .

17. Grindstone, etc.

Note

18. 2 trays

Paid

19. Carding machine

20. 1 loom

Note

21. Dresser, cupboard and contents

22. CoffeeJn.i.-11, :Qellows & bridle

Paid

23. 2 axes & froe

Note

24. Lot singletrees, etc.

Note

25. Iron bolt

Paid

26. 1 ax, etc.

Note

27. Sythe & iron

Note

28. Waggon Sliders

Note.

29. Lot of sundries and frow (sic) Paid

30. Salt BoJC

N9te

31. Butcher knife 32. 1 spinningwheel

;
.Note

33. (Same)



Note

34. Blacksmith tools

Note

35. OX cart

Note

36. Harrow, etc.

Note

3 7.. Flax "Brake" & Harrow (break

Note

up plowed ground)

38. 5 first choice sheep

Note

39. 5 second choice sheep

Note

40. 1 hog' first choice per lb.gross

8 1/2

Note

Elias Wilson

.06 1/4

Mary Sande:iis

.12 l/2

Wiley Carter

. 37 1/2

Wiley Carter

.50

James Hearn

.12 1/2

Bell ':L'hompson

25 .

James Hearn

.12 1/2

Elias Wilson

.06 1/4

William Ansley Esq. .62 1/2

Eady Smith

1.93 3/4

Bell Thompson

.25

Joseph Howell

. 25

William AnSley .Esq. 31 1/4

William o. Ticon

.56 1/4

Thomas Ansley
William o. Ticen

2.00 1.46 1/4

Wiley carter

. 56 1/4

Mrs. Granade

.12 1/2

Thomas Ansley

4.50

J~sse Ansley

6.00

Je~se Ansley

.37 1/2

Asberr}' Ansley,
,William o. Tyson

.06 ? .25

William 0~ Tyson

.12 1/2

Nathaniel Thompson .06 1/4

K;lby Moore

.12 1/2

Jess'e . Ansley ..

.12 1/2

James ArmStrong

.25

Jehu Edwards

.06 1/4

Jesse Ansley

.12 1/2

Thomas Ansley
William o. Tyson

.06 1/4 1.50

James Hearn .

1.00

Wiley carter

3.00

Bell Thompson

12.00

Wiley Carte.r

.37 1/2

Jaines Hearn

. 06 1/4

(1)
(3)
(2)
(4) (20) (5)
(6)
.(9) (28) (10)
<4> (9)
(7)
( 8)
(8) ( 12)
(63)
(13) (14)
(15)
(17)
(4)
(83)
(87) (19) (19) ( 21)
(22)
(28) (38)

.Abel ' Ansl~y (Jr. ) 10.00
W.i,lliam , o. Tyson 6.62 1/2

(25) (25)

Felix Ansley

18.36

215 'lbs.

. (26)

125

P~/ 2 - Sale of Estat.e of Abel Ansley

~

.

41. 1 hog; second choice lb. 9
42.1 ' yoke pf oxen
43. 1 coJ' and calf 44. White h~ifer [yea:rlingl 45;. 16 geese per head 37 1/2 46. 1 sow 47. 2 shoats per head 2.93 3/4 49. 3 sho,ats per bead 3.06 1/4.

~ote
Note Note
Note Note Note

R()Well Adatif'S 224 1bs 2o.16

(26)

Peters andFMan

62. ?S,

(23}

William d. ~Tyson Thomas F$lis~ey

10.25
. 5~ ~s .

(2:4)
.. -: .

Thomas Ansley

6.00'

(34)

Abel Ansley .

4. 25

(.29)

Wil.liam o. Tyson
I<~lby<MOore _

5. 87 1/2 " 9.:1~8 3/_4. "

49. 1st l9t 10 bushels corn 1.06 l/4 Note

50. 2nd 1ot 10 buShels corn 1. 06 l/4 Note

51. 3rd lot 10 bushels

1.00

Note

5~. 4th lbt 10 bushels

1.00

Note

53. 5th lot 10 pushe:ls

1. 00

Note .

54. 6th lot 10 busqels

1. 00

Note

5.5. 7th lot .lO bushels

1~01

Note

56~- Remnant per bushel, 100 1/2

.Note

s-7;. Short corn per busnel 52 58. Pen of shuCks

Note Note

59. . 5 cwt first lot fodder

per cwt

1.00

~ote

60. 5 cW't second lqt
61. .s cwt .3rd lot
62. Remainders fodder

l.oo .99

Note
Note

per cwt

.99 1/2 Note

93. Pitch fork and fan
64. Graine;;y (~ic)

Note

65. 2 g:umswith bees 66. Tar . Bucket{to hoo~ onto tree)

Note
PAid

67. 6 chairs

NOte

68. 7 chaj,.rs

.

Note

69. 1 pait of. steel yards

Paid

70. 1 pair steel yard~

Note

71. Lot Of sundries

Note

72. Tin w~re

Paid

73. Churn

Note

74. Pail lei bason (sic)

Note

75. Lot of dishes

!bte

76. :Lot of_ crockery ware

Note

77. Lot of cups . and saucers

Paid.

7S~ Lot . of plates 78. ('l'Wic~) Lot of cro'ckery ware

Note Paid

7.9:t l(nives & forks, etc. 80. 11 kon.Jt . Sl}ell" (sic)
I .
81. Tumblers " box

N o t e ' ' Note I>a,id

82. Tea pot, 2 pitchers

Note

83, 2 candle stick & snuffers

Note

84.' Family Bible

'

J()aeph .Howell

10. 62,..1/2 (30)

Jos$ph l!Oliff!i!U

1.0;.62 l/2: II.

.:j'Eas~e Ric~ton~ Sr. 10.00

.,;_

~~ ~~

r.o.oo

II

o:aniel. A'. ~is

10.00

II

J)e$se R:ik!l:rson (sic) 10.00.

II

James - ADIIs~()JB(J

iO.lO

II

Felix JVisle:y 3 l/4bu 3~ 2S 1/2 ' "

and Danie1 .A. J:')ennis 8 bu 4.16

P.eters

4MMn

3. so

:. __ ' .. .l_
Wrn. Ansley ..
wm.E"e1iX: .An&ilEtr. Ansley

5.()()

(32)

5.0()

: " .

4.9$ ~ .-

J~.~?~e Ri.c.)tersqn 800lb 7.96

II

Ja~nes AriJ\$t:tong

.25

Th~&$ Ansley

.06 1/4 "

John. Hardspn John . ~u:;li!Y

1.62 1/2 (ll)
25' . . ('ll)

K).lby ~OOf;l!
wm. o. .'lj'sob

2. 25 4.oo

(3.5)
(35)

r.azar\ls _Kin;.s-ey

' -~11/4 (36)

Wiley ca.rte('t-

25

J:~6)

Bell Tbd.npsbn

.50.

James ~re.

31 1/4 .(37)

Wi. 1ey.

Carte,r ;

. ...

_

Wm. 0~ '!'Yso~

' .12 _1/2: <39)

. . 45

,($9) .

Abel Ansley
FEilix Arts: ley

.31 1/4

so

(4ll

.Jehu EQ\fart\s Jbhn Harrisbn

31 1/4 (65} . 37 1/2 "

JOhn MaZe .. (Mays}

.25

II

John Hart:ison Wiley Ccirte'r

.81 1/4 "
. 43 3/4 II

Asberry Ansley
Al>ei )ms1ey

.25
.25

..

wiley carter

1 .. 0()

(44}

Thomas .Ai'lslli!Y

1.25'

126

Page 3 - Sale of Estate of Abel Ansley

85. Lot 'of books

86. Table and cloth

87. Tea pot

88. Water (pitchers) etc.

89. Table & cloth

90. Tin box

91. Tin box

92. (Number skipped)

93. Looking glass

__ 94. Brush & QUills

95. Sideboard &

,;.-

96. Clock

97 . Horn (powder horn)

98. Oil stone (used for sharpening)

99. Lot of crockery

100. Lot of glass

101. Coffee pot & measure

102. Cupboard

103. Table

104 . Clock reel

105. Wheat sieve

106. Basket & cards

107. Smoothing irons

108. Umbrella

109. Square and knife

110. Looking glass

111. Howe! and adds [adze]

112. 3 plains (sic)

113. Hand saw, etc~

114. Reap hook

115. Hammer & steel

116. C:rows [croze] & chisel

117. Needles, etc.

118. Cumperses & file (compass?)

119. Lot of iron

120. Hol pistols

12L Rifle

122. Musket

123. Broad axe

124. Case of bottles

125. 1 lot of leather

126. Chest

127. Chest

128. Trunk

129. Meal Bag

130. Barrel of sundry

131. Lot

132. Stays & shackles (shackles)

Paid Note Paid Note Note Note Paid
Note Note Note? Note Note Paid Paid Note
Note Note Paid Paid Paid Note Paid Note Note Note Note Note Paid Note Note Note Note Paid Paid Note Paid Note Note Note Paid Note Paid Note
Note Note

Asberry Ansley Felix Ansley Mary Sanders James Hearn John Harrison Wiley Carter Samuel Anchors

.18 3/4 (40) 2.12 12 (42)
.12 1/2 (Prob. .18 3/4 contents)
. 68 3/4 (45.)
.31 1/4
.50

Kilby Moore

.56 1/4

Wm. J. Mann

.25

Thomas Ansley

2.56 1/4

Wm. o. Tyson

10.25

Abel Ansley

.18 3/4

Nathaniel Thompson .25

James Ansley, Sr. .25

Kilby Moore

.18 3/4

Thos. Ansley

.06 1/4

Wiley carter

5.26 1/4

Abel Ansley

2.62 1/2

Benjamin Granad

.87 1/2

Nathaniel Thompson 1.18 3/4

Samuel Anchors

.62 1/2

.Jos. Howell

1. 00

Katy Granad

.93 :3/4

Abel Ansley

.62 1/2

John Harrison

.25

Wiley Carter
Wm. o. Tyson

.37 l/2 1. 31 1/4

Wiley Carter

50

Nathaniel ,Thompson .12 1/2

Jos. Hearn

.25

Jos. Hearrt

.12 i/2

~well Adams

.12 1/2

Able Ansley

.25

John Edwards Jesse Magrow

.18 3/4
.so

Wiley Carter

2. 06 l/4

John Hardaway

.31 1/4

Wiley Carter

1. 06 1/4

Wiley Carter

.62 1/2

James Hearn

.50

Benjamin Harrison 4.25

Kilby Moore

2.31 1/4

Win. Aiisley

1. 81 1/4

Wiley Carter

.56 l/4

Thomas Ansley

.12 1/2

Kilby MOore

.93 3/4

Wiley Carter

1. 50

{46) (44) (46)
(47) (148)
If II II
(72) (65) (51) (Si) (62) (54) (54) {54) (55)
(60} (55} {60}
II II II II II
(56} (56) (56)
(59)
II
(63) ~
(61) {61)

127

Page 4 - Sale of Estate of Abel Ansley '

133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158.

Lot of harness Dried fruit Clock, etc. Saw set Lot of books Lot of books Same Lot of books Lot, of books Same Same Bottle and jar Cupboard Bed and furniture same Same Same Sheep shears and gass? Si~ saddle Shoe hammer, etc. Shovel and tongs (for fireplace) Spinning machine Side of leather Lot of leather Flax wheel Gin cotton per lb. 13

Note Paid Note Note Paid Note
? Note
Note Note Note Note Note Note Paid Note Note Note Note Note Note Note Note

159. Box, etc. 160. 2 slates 161. 1 pair of shears

Note Note

Kilby Moore Samuel Anchors Wrn. 0. Tyson Wiley Carter
George w. Ray
Wiley Carter
Thomas Ansley Wiley Carter
Wiley Carter Wm. Watson Wm. Watson Wiley Carter
Wm. o. Tyson
Wiley Carter Jesse MaGraw John Harrison
Wrn. o. Smith
Jas. Hearn Jas. Hearn Thos. Ansley Rowell Adams Jas. Hearn Wiley Carter
(121 lbs. ) Jas. Hearn Jas. Hearn Thomas Ansley

1.56 1/4 (61)

.50

(61)

.06 1/4 (61)

.12 1/2

.18 3/4 (40)

.12 1/2 "

.31 1/4 "

1.12 1/2 "

.68 3/4 "

.12 1/2

.12 1/2 "

.12 1/2 "

4.06 1/4 (48)

21.75

) (5.2)(53)

30.06 1/4 )&(57)

25.06 1/4 ) "

25.50

) "

.25

(54)

56 1/4 (66)

.25 .

(43)

.93 3/4 (49)

.50

(68)

.81 1/2

1.00

(70)

.06 1/4 (69)

16.51

( 67)

1.00

(59)

.37 1/2 (49)

06 l/4

Total (added)

$505.56 3/4

Source:

Warren County, Ga. Court of Ordinary Inventories, APPraisements, Sales (1837-42), pp. 180-184. (Manuscript on Microfilm reel 104-31 at Georgia State Archives).

128
Annual Returns Estate of Al:;>el Ansley

Payments

January 6 10
II
II
12
"

P. N. Maddux, c.c.o. fees
Hugh Ticer for auctioneering Elias Lazenby for clerking Joseph Duqkworth 2 days clerking, 2. SO pr day James Rogers in right of his wife .Jesse Ansley in part legacy

:r'libruary ? 28
II

Clerk, c.o. for return and postage on letter
? for riding after surveyor two days George Collins for surveying dividing lands according to the will

Amount
$ 6.00 2.SO 2.SO s.oo
14.S8 14.50
2.12 1/2 2.00
8.So

March 1
"

Chain carriers two days Joseph Leonard, esq. for drawing deeds and receipts for 3 (three) divisions of land

4.00 1.00

April 1 26

Lydia Ansley, dec'd tax for 1838 Morris Ansley on account against sa;i.d estate for his attention, work, etc.

.37 1/2 14.00

August 20 For plat and grant of land drawn by the deceased

s.oo

December 10 Traveling expenses to sell a lot, fifteen days, 2 dollars per day
II paid Joseph Leonard, esq. for drawing a deed and receipt for Baker Land [Baker County] to Wiley Ca:~;ter [land drawn by Abel Ansley in 1820 land lottery and sold to Wiley Carter.
1840

30.00 .so

January 6
"
"
7 7 10 17 18

Thomas Neal by Wm. Moore for making raised lid coffin Wiley Carter in part legacy in right of his wife Anny
Wm. o. Tyson part of legacy in right of his
wife Lydia Dr. E. M. Pendleton for services (medical) Hugh Ticer for crying land [Baker Co. property] Kilby Moore in right of his wife, in part legacy Abel Ansley in part legacy Morris Ansley in part legacy

20.00
65.S7 1/2
67.2S
2l.SO 1.00
61. so 75.87 1/2 40.00

February 10 Firm of Hane and Co.
II Paid Clerk Co. o. on this Return

40.68 3/4 1.12 1/2

Total $507.09 1/4

129

Real Property

RECEIPTS

1839

Amount

February 30 December 6

Divided willed lands according to the will
of the deceased.
Sold lot of land in Baker CoWlty, by order
ot Court for one hundred dollars to Wiley
Carter, cash.

$100.00

-184-0 .

January 1st Sold lot of land ten acres more or less toJcunes

Tuesday

Kinsey for one hundred dollars

Personal Property

1839

100~00

January 10 Received cash on hand (at death of Lydia Ansley)

19.00

10 & ll At the sale of the property of Abel Ansley, deed. 41.30

11 Of Elias Wilson, on note

50.00

February l
. II
27

(Same) on notes (same) (Same)

75.00 152.00
61.46

April 29

on note . of Morris Ansley (at death of father)

14.00

December 10
II
23 27 1840

For land from Wiley Carter (duplicate of .i:move). Of Wiley Carter in notes Of William Watson on note (from the sale) John Harrison and Joseph Howell on note

100.00 65.37 1/2 25.81 l/4 28.31 l/4

January 7 10 11 17
II
18

Wm. 0. Tyson on notes Of Kilby Moore on notes
Of Peter Monaghan for Peters and M.ann Of D.A. Dennis on note (at sale) Of Abel Ansley on notes (Estate sale) Of William Ansley on notes (from sale)

/s/ Thomas Ansley, Adininistrator

Total

67.25 61.50 66.50 14.16 75.81 10.81 1/4
' $1028.29 1/4

All totals are added by author. None in originals.
Sworn February 101 1840, P. N. Maddux, c.c.o.
Approved by court March 2, 1840

130 Payments

1840 February 12 May 9

Paid to A. G. Willis for printing [of Augusta]
B. P. Reese on accotmt

Amounts $ 16.50
1. 06 1/4

1841

January 12 16 16
January 23

Paid to Wiley Carter on legacy

13.96 1/2

(having paid before to him 65.37 1/2)

Paid Morris Ansley for self and minors of

s. B. Reddish (having before paid him 40.00)
To William o. Tison (h~ving before paid

123.38 (?) 14.44

him 67. 25)

To Kilby More in right of wife (having

20.19

before paid him 61.50)

To Pailing grave yard, finding lumber, paints, etc. 25.00

For my fees as admr. or commission from estate
Clerk c. 0. for this return

53.88 1.00

Total

$269.41 3/4

Sworn to and subscribed before me January 25, 1841 P. N. Maddux, c.c.o

Approved by court, March 1, 1841

Recorded Ap;ril, 1841 by P. N. Maddux, Clerk of Court of Ordinary

1841

Jartuary 12 January 20

Thomas Ansley to estate of Abel Ansley received of Jas. Kinsley for land ReceJ,.ved of Sherwood Jones on account
Total

100.00 6.75
$106.75

Source: Warren County, Ga. Court of 0 rdinary. Annual Returns (1826-1841), pp. 444,445,478,479. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 104-36 at Georgia State Archives).

131

P. 4 - Estate of Abel Ansley Return for 1842

1841 January 27

Jesse Ansley

Payments $ 67.11

February 10 James Rodgers in right of wife

67.11

Isaiah .Ansley

81.69

February 16 Abel Ansley

5.87

Paid c. c.o. for this return

1.00

Total

$222.78

Sworn January 4, 1842 P. N. Maddux c.c.o.

So.urce: Warren County, Ga. Court of Ordinary. Annual Returns 1839-48), p. 22. (Manuscript on m:Lcrofilnt Reel 104-35 at Georgia State Archives).

132

. N. c. Bacon . - 1860
Census of Agriculture

N. c. Bacon

As of June l1 1860

,Acres - Improved ~ 250 .Unimproved _M

Total 61.5

Cash value of farm

$71000

Value of farm implements and equipment

250

Value of livestock

1,458

Itemi~ed: 6 horses 4 mules 4 milch cows 4 working oxen
18 other cattle 0. sheep
64 swine

Amount of produce

Cereals

Wheat

47 bushels

Indian Corn 800 bushels

Fibers

Ginned cotton 32 bales [Qne bale "" 400 lbs.J

Vegetables

Peas & beans 200 bushels Irish Potatoes 20 " SW'eet! " 300 "

Animal Products

Butter

4:50 lbs.

Value of homemade manufacturers

42

Value of an:Lmals slaughtered Total value

427 $9 ,'4.77

Source:

U. S. Bureau of .the Census Productions of .
Agriculture 1 1860 for Williams Di.st. 1 Warren
County 1 Ga. pp. 19-20. (Manuscript orr. Microfilm
Reel 14-1 at Georgia State Archives 1 Original at DukeUniversity Library, Durham, N.C.}

133

Inventory and Appraisement of Estate
of Nicholas c. Bacon

Note: Some items were hard to read or unreadibie on microfilm. Numbers are added.

1. Blacksmith tools,_z__implements 2. Ox yoke and plow stocks 3. Gear gin and cotton seed 4. 1 two horse wagon & gear 5. 1 ox wagon 6. 1 rockaway [carriage] & harness 7. 1 buggy harness & umbrella 8. 1 saddle and bridle 9. 2 mules, 4 head of horse, 2 colts 10. 20 head of sheep 11. 15 head of hogs 12. 2 yoke of oxen 13. 7 cows, 5 calves 14. 1,000 lbs. of fodder 15. 125 bushels of corn 16. 500 lbs. of bacon 17. ?boxes salt and ? sundries 18. 15 bushels peas, ? bales and barrels 19. Kitchen furniture and utensils 20. 1 large wash pot and tubs 21. Contents of pantry ,_1_ jars 22. Contents of dairy 23. 6 beehives at $1 per gum [bee gum-hive] 24. Set of old ? under house 25. ? couch covering and furniture 26. 1 small table 27. 1 bee furniture and bed stead 28. [Same] 29. 3 beds" beadsteads, and furniture 30. 1 box bed clothes 31. 1 lot bed clothes 32. 1 chest and contents, 1 table 33. 24 chairs 34. 1 pine table 35. 2 bureaus, 1 small table 36. 1 clock, large map of U.S. 37. 1 set of crockery ware 38. 1 secretary and lot of books

$30.00 50.00 60.00 20.00
200.00 40.00 5.00
560.00 20.00 30.00
100.00 70.00 10.00
125.00 62.50 5.00 17.00 25.00 7.00 25.00 5.00 6.00 1.00 5.00 .60 40.00 40.00
1@0.00 50.00 50.00 20.00 24.00 1.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 20.00

134

P, 2 - Inventory of Estate of Nicholas c. Bacon

~9. 1 pine chest 40. 1 gold. watch, double barrel gun 41. 625 acres of land at $8 acre 42. 1 note on Jas. J. Moor 43. 1 noteon C.A.J. Mays (?) 44. ? Doubtful note on _ .:..?__

1.00 60.00 5000.00 (includes the Rock House) 50.00 10.00 50.00

[Personal Property

$2025.10

Real Property

5000.00

Total

$7025.10]

Sworn by Josephus Hillman, executor 12 May 1873.

Appraisers: J. Printup I Felix Granade, Seabo.rn Ivey [all neighbors]

Source:

McDuf:Ue County, Ga. Court of Orcllnacy. Inventory and APpraisements & Year's Support 1871-1927, pp. 43-4. (Manuscript on Microfilm Reel 119-9 at Georgia State Archives).

135
Annual Returns ~ the Estate of Nicholas c. Bacon

Note: It .was not feasible to extract completely the thirty one pages of
estate records for N. c. Bacon. The following are interesting notations.

Medical and Funeral Expenses (p. 90)

Dr. M. W. Pitts paid for services May 13, 1873
Dr. R. c. Johnson paid for services May 5, 1873

Burial expenses $40

Obituary Notice 3. 25

Legal Notices (p. 92)

Advertised in the McDuffie Jouxnal for legal notices concerning

the estate.

Plantation Production (p. 104)

Sale of cotton: 43 bales

$2874.85

[These were itemized as to who actually bought them each year. Most were sold to cotton brokers in Augusta, Ga.]

The sale of cotton -brought in the only money accounted for except

cash on hand in the return filed July 24, 1874. The executor had

to pay at that time $2841.57, leaving a balance of $33.28.

Example of one bale (p. 106)

a. One bale at 515 lbs. sold for 16 a pound or $82.40

b. Freight charges shipped to Augusta, Ga.

1.31

c. Drayage

.15

d. Storage

.SO

e. Commission at 1/4%

1.04

Total

$79.40

136

Annual Returns on the Estate of Bacon Cont' d.

Miscellaneous Expenses of the Executor Josephus Hillman (p. 109)

Shoe Repair

$ 75

Two bushels of potatoes

3.00

Repairs to a Gin House

Paid Tillman Brown for picking cotton 2.16

Two tons of soluble Pacific Guano

118.00

Miscellaneous Purchases and Expenses of the Widow Bacon

Paid House servant Matilda Granade for year Paid Sol Bacon for farm labor, year's wages Tuition for minors

40.00
175.00 . [share cropper] 10.30

Paid Wade Bacon (colored) His share of cotton crop [sale.]

172.59 [share cropper]

Note:

These payments indicated that the bales were sold by contract and half of the proceeds went to the estate and half to the share. croppers or "hands" as they are sometimes called. (pp. 111-114)

The coffin of Ran,dall Brown, a freed. man 6.00

Taxes for 1874

66.00

Building a chimney

8. 00

The daughter received her share of her father's insurance from

the Knickerbocker Life Insurance Company for $1,464.14

Digging a well October 2, 1875

7.74

Source: McDuffie County, Ga. Court of Ordinary. Annual Returns 1871-1889 Book A, pp. 90-92, 104-:115, 167-173, 212-216,326-329. (Manuscript. on Microfilm Reel 119-10 at Georgia State Archives).

137

N. c. Bacon Estate - 1880
Census of Agriculture

Mrs. Mary Bacon Owner

As of. June 4, 1880

Acres

60 Tilled 100 Pennanent Meadow .200 Woodland

[Total 360 (sic) ]

Value of fa:nn including buildings

$3,000

Repairs for 1879

36

Value of fann. implemen.ts and machinery

100

Wages paid for 1879

40

Fertilizer for 1879

30

Value of livestock

550

Itemized: 2 milch cows 1 other cattle 6 [cattle] sold living 1 (cattle] slaughtered 8 swine
14 barnyard hens

Estimated value of all fann proquction

650

Itemized:

Cereals

. Wheat Indian Corn Oats

a acres
16 acres 6 acres

75 bushels 125 bushels
50 bushels

Fibers

Cotton (1879) 20 acres

8 bales

Vegetables Potatoes Animal Products Butter
Eggs

1 acre

50 bushels
60 lbs. 40 dozen

Source:

U. S. Bureau OI: the CensUs. Productions of Agriculture, 1880 for Thomson District, McDuffie County, Ga. p. 4 S.D.2.: E.D. 75: No. 5. (Manuscripton Microfilm Reel 192-67
at Georgia State Archives. Original at Duke University Library, Durham, N.c. )

~ ('t')
-'"I
HUSBAND

.. William Ansley

(.fa tber of Thomas)

aoRN

by 1717 PLACE ?

DEATH ca.29 Mar 1773 . PLACE UMponpmerouFtrheCe~huonltdl,, H.J.

(1)
I WIFE: Rebecca
;
~ _B~O~R~N~~----b~~~ -1~7_2_0_~P_L_.A~C~E-~~----------------~-

f DEATH

).750 t II PLACE

H .J .

! BURIED

FATHER MARRIED TO: (l). Rebecca

MOTHER ...

~ FATHER

MOTHER

i --~~----~~----------~----~------~--~--~--

.

1 MARRIED

PLACE

..

.t DATE~--~------ -6~y~_l~"(~J.6___
PLACE

I
I i FATHER____:__ _ _ _....;..._____--'-----'-....;...-------'--

Birth

_

Place

[)ATE......_______-'------,-.l-7_5""'"0-'-___ (2) Elizabeth Cocke PLACE

! Death
, I MOTHl';R
j Birth Death

Place Place

Place Place

cl-fn.nREN
Thotnaa W1111Dl Rebecca

tsa~ _P~. 1.. a.a

DIED

WHERE DIED

Mar 201737 lim 14180G . Warren County Ga

Sep 2 1744



Sep 2 1744

WHEN MARRIED 1 Hov 1_1_60

WHERE MARRIED

MARRIEDTO

Monmouth Co., NJ Rebecca Cocke
.

Benjamin . Jul 161738 came to Geprgia

Mary

? 1745 1815-17 Warren county, Ga

? 1746

Elizabeth .

? 1750

11 May 116o 13 Nov 1761
13 Feb 1765

Monmouth Co. ,NJ Job Morris cl./'7!'
Monmouth Co. 1NJ [Moses Robin Monmopth Co. ,NJ

.
..;,..;.,-..-.-- '-.----c....!-------+------"+--------------,..1

.

Ii _;___;___.....;,_;___~~. ""'"'""-4-"--,---......,_-+-..,..:. _~c,...--= +-__,.___,....-..,.--__,..----,....,.,..
.I

.

____ ---~---------..,-'-:-------..,-.--. -------~---- ---

...;.._..,..

~(j) HUSBAND

Thomas Ansley Sr.

Baptized

1737 Old Tennant Presby. Ch,

~ , .. Mar or May 20 PLACE Monmouth Couhty, N.J.

DEATH 14 Jan 1809 PLACE Warren County, Georgia

WIFE Reb ecca cock e or co.x

BORN

1733 PLACE

New Jersey

DEATH 9 May 1814 PLACE Warren County, Ga.

BURIED ? FATHER Wm. Annesley

MOTHER Rebecca

MARRIED TO:

DATE 1 Nov 1"/60 (bond)

Rebecca Cocke

PLACE Monmouth Co., N.J.

Bondsman was Thomas Cocke Jr. DATE._______________________

PLACE

BURIED ?

FATHER Thomas Co.x JrMOTHER

see sheet on Cox famtly pass 1b111 t 1es

MARRIED

PLACE

FATHER Birth
Death
MQ:IHER
Birth Death

Place Place
Place Place Place

Abel Samuel Thomas Jr.
Nancy "Ann
Joseph James

27 Jul 167

WHERE DIED

WHEN MARRIED

Warren County Ga 30 Jan 1790

Pike Co., Ga. 2 Jul 1809

Warren County,G

1797

Columbia Co.Ga. (2J6 Feb 1804

Warren CountyGa

1792

Jones County,Ga (l) cal795 (2 J28 Apr 1828

5 Feb

21 Sep 1 38 Warren Co Ga (l) 6 Dec 1798

(2)17 Jul 1823

1777 3 Jun 185 Warren County G (1 )15 Sep 1804

(2)22 Jun 1822

WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED TO

Richmond Co. ,Ga. Lydia Morris

Warren CountyGa. Mary Tillman.

?

Henrietta Ragl,.,..,d

Warren County ,Ga Ann Ray

?

William DuckwoRih

?

Josep~ DuckwoRth

Jones County ,Ga. John English

from Bible

Mary Simpson

from Bible

Amasa Adkins

Warren County Ga Elizabeth Jones

Warren County,Ga Mrs. Nancy Nobles

I
I
I

0.
;:!; HUSBAND Abel .Ansley

BORN

ca. 1761

PLACE

New Jersey (?)

DEATH March/May 1822

PLACE Warren County, Georgia

Will written March 7, probated May 1822. ~URIEp probably on his own property

FATHER Thomas Ansley Sr. MOTHER Rebecca Cox

WIFE L y dJ'.a Morr1s BORN ca. 1770-1775 DEATH Fall 1838

PLACE

New Jersey

PLACE Warren County, Georgia

BURlED Probably on her own plantation

FATHER Job Morris

MOTHER Mary Ansley

MARRIED TO:

MARRIED

PLACE

Lydia Morris

DATE 30 Jan 1790 PLACERichmond County, Georgia

FATHER
Birth -

Pl~ce_

-

DATE~-----------------------

Death
MQIHER
Birth

Place Place

Place

PLACE

Death

Place

N {from W ll}BORN

Jesse

1794

Morris

ca.l809

Mary

790-1800

Ann

800-1805

Margaret "Peggy" Asa Isaiah

1805 1805 1804

Abel Jr.. Lydia J. Rebecca

1810 1811 ca 1820

DIED after 1868
after 1848 by 1833 1848
? Oct 1883 after 1850
? ?

WHERE DIED ?

WHEN MARRIED 1.16 Jan 1816 2.24 Dec 1834

Warren Count Ga.

? 25 Mar 1820
G 1 R Feb 1821 27 Dec 1823

Sumter CoUftt Ga.

2 Mar JR2fi

Alabam

bv 1832
2R n,.r 1835
5 May 1853

pson County, Ga.

18 De-:: 1831 26 Dec 1834 24 Dec 1834

WHERE MARRIED Warren Countv.Ga. Warren Countv.Ga.

MARRIED TO Sarah Stanford Rebecca Hunt-

Warren County,Ga. Warren Countv Ga. Warren Countv.Ga. Warren County,Ga.
--
?
Warren Countv G~Sumter County,Ga. Warren Cocntv.Ga. Warren County,Ga. Warren County,Ga.

Samuel B. Reddish

Wilev r~~teJ:

-

James Roaer!'::

Rebecca Wade

Marv 'RPnnPn Caroline Sinqieton Nancv Harrisou 1-lilliam 0. Tvson lrilby Moore

I
I

HUSBAND
...-i <::!'
...-i BORN

Rev. Samuel Ansley

22 Feb 1765

PLACE

Methodist Minister

WIFE BORN

Mary Tillman 1782

PLACE

Virginia

DEATH

25 Mar 1837

PLACE Pike County 1 Georgia

Will recorded Pike County 1Ga. ~~RIEp Greenwood Cemetery,BArnesville 1Lamar County 1Ga.

DEATH 13 April 1852
;

PLACE Pike County,Ga.

! BURIEDGreenwood Cemetery,Barnesville,Lamar County,Ga.

FATHER Thomas Ansley 1Sr. MOTHER Rebecca Cox

MARRIED TO: Mary Tillman

DATE 2 Jul 1809 PLACE Warren County 1Ga.

His will does not mention all of his children.

DATE~------------------~--PLACE

l FATHER

MOTHER

She was adopted by Col. William Stith Jr. andw1fe Milly.

I MARRIED

PLACE

i FATHER
! Birth

Place

---~-

; Death
l MOTHF.R

Place

Birth
i Death

Place

- - Place
Place

from f~ily let ers BORN
:tl '"'

DIED

WHERE DIED

Catherine Josiah

1810 17 Mar 1837 Pike County 1Ga.

1810 - 1820

1845

Mary Anne

1825 alive 1904 "in Atlanta1Ga."

!

WHEN MARRIED

WHERE MARRIED

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

4 Nov 1841 9 Mar 1849

Pike Countv, Ga. Crawford County,Ga.

MARRIED TO
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nancv Trammell Wiley Futrell d.l894

.t-1artha

31 Dec 1812 l l Sep 1878 Newton County 1Ga.?

10 Mar 1831 (Bible

Dr. Jasper Bryan

Francis Asberry Thomas
Samuel ;..;res ley

18 Jul 1816 8 Jul 1884 Butler Coun t_y 1 Ala ca.l896-1904 Cobb County 1. Ga. ? died young?

15 Mar 1838 married twice

Upson County,Ga.

Elizabeth Prator

William (a Dr.)

lived Americus 1Ga. married, one son

I

I

-
-

I

~ HUSBAND Thomas Ansely Jr.
..-!

BORN 27 July 176 7

PLACE

prob. N.C.

DEATH 30 Sept 18 37

PLACE Warren County, Ga.

Will signed 31 July,probated 17 Oct 1837 Warren County,Ga.
-BU-R-IED--?- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FATHER Thomas Ansley Sr. MOTHER Rebecca Cox

WIFE Henr1..e tt a Rag 1 and

BORN 15 Dec 1777

PLACE

DEATH 10 May 1837

PLACE Warren County, Georgia

(from the family Bible) BURIED

FATHER

MOTHER

MARRIED TO: Henrietta Ragland

DATE ______________b~y~l-7~9~4~PLACE(from Bible and tradition)

DATE~~---------------------

PLACE

!~R~n~~~l &BiblE BORN

John Tillman

29 Mar 1795 3 Feb 1798

Alfred

16 Nov 1800

James A. Malinda

6 Aug 1803 8 Jun 1805

.William

26 Sep 1807

DIED

WHERE DIED

19 Feb 1877 ? 2 Oct 1869 ~ale County,Ala.

6 Dec 1843 ?

14 Feb 1854 rr Shreveport, La. 23 Aug 1863 ~paulding Co. ,Ga.

5 Oct 1852 ?

Richmond A. Elizabeth G. Samuel

20 Apr 1810 27 Aug 1815
1 Mar 1819

10 Feb 1854 :u Shreveport, La.

Josephus R.

14 Nov 1826

MARRIED

FATHER Birth

Death

I MOIHER

I Birth I Death

I

WHEN MARRIED

I

I
' !

19

Sep

1817

i 12 Jan 1822

I 18 Nov 1824

! 28 Dec 1830

i 19 J"Ul 1824

I ?

unmarried 1850

25 Dec 1838

?

21 Feb 1849

PLACE
Place Place

----
-

Place

Place Place

WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED TO

Columbia County,Ga. :>usan Shields

Warren County, Ga. Epsy Carter Columbia County,Ga. Sarah Newsome

Warren County, Ga. Rebecca .Harrison

- - - Warren County, Ga. James Lavender

Warren County, Ga. Oliver Walls

Upson County, Ga.

Gilly R. Richardson

-
I
-. I

M

William Ansley

;:; HUSBAND

(son of Thomas Sr.)

(2) WIFE

Ann Ray

BORN 1760-1770

PLACE

BORN 1775-1794

PLACE

DEATH ? after 18,50 PLACE prob. Columbia Co. Ga. l DEATH 1804-1830

-BU-RI-EDu-nk-n-ow-n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

:
:

BURIED

unknown

FA'tHER Thomas Ansley Sl'\10THER Rebecca Cox

; FATHER Geor~e Ray

PLACE prob. Warren Co.,Ga. MOTHER

MARRIED TO:
(1) unknown
(2)Ann Ray

DATE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ PLACE
DATE Feb 6 1 1804
Warren County, Ga. PLACE

I
!
! MARRIED
I
I FATHER Birth
I DeathOct-Dec 1804
' MOTHRR
Birth Death

PLACE

Place
Place 0 oiUlllora Oo. Ga.-wiii

Place

Place Place

onJ.y Known: rHTLOREN
Epsy

BORN
1803

DIED

WHERE DIED

i

WHEN MARRIED

Dec 187~ Morgan Co, Ga. 1 Dee 1817

WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED TO

Warren County,Ga Robert Shields

--
--------
... -- ~-----

I
I
--------
I
! .
I
'
I '
' I
I
'I'
l I
I i

'

.

l
'

I

'

I I

--

I

'<l'
.'<...l,'
HUSBAND

William Duckworth

II Rebecca Ansley WIFE

BORN- - - by 1774. PLACE ?

~~ BORN by 1775

PLACE

DEATH by 6 Mar 1809 PLACE Warren County, Ga.
Letters or Adin1ntstration l'iled on above date

I DEATH Fall of 1826 PLACE Warren County,Ga.

BURIED ?
------------~-------------------------------
FATHERJeremiah Duckwort~oTHER Christianna

BURIED ? ;::>r.
FATHER Thomas Ansley MOTHER Rebecca Cox

MARRIED TO: Rebecca Ansley

DATE around 1792 (aee deed)
PLACE

l\lARRIED
FATHER Birth

PLACE Place

Death

Place

DATE________________________ I ~OTHER
Birth

Place

Place

------ e-, PLACE
- r r 15iii""e-s~T~ ff ~~======~======~============~

rees: BORN

DIED

WHERE DIED

Death WHEN MARRIED

Place WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED TO

Polly

1796-1799 ?

25 May 1817

Warren County,Ga James Malone

Rebecca

1796-1799

25 Dec 1816

Warren County,Ga Joseph Culpepper



1-

Wa.rren County, Ga Kendall McTyiere

8 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx:xxxxxxxxxx

after 1820

Wm.Gazaway

i 13 Jan 1831

aarren County,Ga Winne.ford JohnsoN

Joseph

~r- by 1860
I no record .found
I
i

Sarah
--

I
I
I
I
!
I
I

'

-

HUSBA:..:.:N:..:.:D=-__J_o_s_'e_p_h_Du__c_kw_o_r_t..;_h____________~ WIFE llancy nn ns ey

-BO-RN- - - - - - - - - -PL-AC-E- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DEATH April-May 1827 PLACE Jones County ,Georgia
Will probated there Book C, pp. 156-8.
~~-R_IEp_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~----------------
FATHER Jrmiah Duckwor'b.b>THER Christianna

I BORN

PLACE

DEATH 1830-1839

PLACE Jones County, Ga.

:

' '

BURIED

,;:)1'.
'I FATHER Thomas Ansley MOTHER Rebecca Cox

MARRIED TO:

DATE ______________

R Nancy Ansley

PLACE

The widow remarried: DATE.___2_8__A_p_r_1_1_1_.8_2_8________

John English {d.l839)PLACE Jons County,Ga.

i
i

MARRIED

i FATHER

' i

Birth

!' Death

l
l

MOTHER

I Birth Death

PLACE

Place Place

Place

Place

Place

CHILDREN

BORN

DIED

WHERE DIED

WHEN MARRIED WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED TO

There were ~0 children named in he will of Josep D~kworth and h. s estate was divi ~d among hi a

. Duckworth n ~phewe. Th& following marriages found n Jones County,Gt. could be for a ~hild of theirs
who died ch ~ldless bef ore her fa her:

Orphia

(l) 2 Nov 1815 (2) 1 Apr. 1817

Jones County,Ga Gill'DI'la t Whatley Jones County ,Ga Aaron Levingston

.

I

-

I

1.0 HUSBAND Joseph Ansley

o;;!'

.-l

BORN

5 Feb 1775

PLACE

Georgia

DEATH 21 Sep 1838

PLACE Warren County,Georgia

Dates from his family Bible. _!!_l}_R_IE~-- ~?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

WIFE BORN DEATH BURIED

PLACE PLACE

FATHER Thomas Ansley,Sr. MOTHER Rebecca Cox

FATHER

MOTHER

MARRIED TO:

DATE .6 Dec 1798

Mary Simpson
h9 Jan 1778

PLACE (from family Bible) 13 Aug 1820)

DATE 17 Jul 1823

(29 Feb 1796 - 2 Sep 1838)

---------------------------

Mary "Amasa" Adkins

PLACE (from family Bible)

-MA-RR-IE-D - - - - - - - - -PL-AC-E- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FATHER Birth

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-P-la-ce-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Place

Birth ----------------~P~la~c~e----~Place

Death

Pl ace

from Family Bibli=!

f'HILDREN

BORN

Mariah

22 Oct 1799

Marlin

15 Mar 1802

Mary

30 Jul 1804

DIED

WHERE DIED

Jun 1878 McDuffie County,Ga.

4 Aug 1850 Crawford County,Ga.

28 Jan 1887

Ga.

WHEN MARRIED 27 Apr 1815
8 Sep 1825 21 Oct 1823

WHERE MARRIED Warren County, Ga. Warren County,GGa. Warren County, Ga.

MARRIED TO
Joshua Lazenby Zeruah Johnson
George w. Ray

Sarah Rebecca

22 Oct 1806 ? 28 Jun 1809

18 Dec 1851
19 Al!Sl 1830

Columbia County,Ga. William F. Nance ~arren County Ga. Adam Granade

. .
Harriett

12 Sep 1812

Sep 1820 Warren County, Ga.

23 Oct 1839

!Warren County Ga .

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

XX XX XXX

John Shields

Jane Eliza Lucinda
Martha Anne Elizabeth
Elvira Penelope W.O. Joseph Adkins
Amasa Matilda
"H~Ci' II

29 Mar 1817 1 Nov 1818
17 Jul 1826 6 Jul 1828
26 Apr 1830 1 Mar 1832 9 May 1834
15 Sep 1836

10 Sep 1862 ?

19 Apr 1836

Warren County, Ga. Thomas J. Hardaway

6 May 1873 Monroe County Ga.
?

II 21 Dec 1841
I 22 __D_e.c _lB42

!crawford Countv .Ga lwFtrren Conntv Ga

'Rev Eli ;ah M Zlm,-,c: _,..,.. Dr. Sam M. Johnson

1898 insane.
?

I xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ~XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)Q xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I

Dr. Charles JonP~ ?

I

-I Oct 1878 McDuffie CountyJGa. 15 J1C!Y.. 1851 I 7after 1880 buried:Arner1. cus, Ga. I
?

Warren Countv Ga

b"ahn _R.M T.i'l7.Pnhv
!Aurelia Tharo"" ~r. Charles Jones ?

--

HUSBAND

James Ansley

BORN

1777

PLACE

Georgia

DEATH 3 Jun 18.57

PLACE Warren County,Georgia

Will probated July 6,.1857 Warren Co. ,Ga.

-B-UR-IE-D ?

FATHER Thomas Ansley MOTHER Rebecca Cox

MARRIED TO:
DATE 15 Sept 1804 (1) Elizabeth Jones PLACE Warren County, Ga.
-
daughter of Abram P. Jones She died 1820-1822. DATE 22 Jun 1822
(2 )Mrs .Nancy Nobles PLACE Warren County, Ga.

(2)
1 WIFE Haney (

) Nobles

1: BORN

1791 PLACE

Maryland

I DEATH

after

1860

PLACE Warren County ,Ga.

I

i
I

BURIED

i '
!

FATHER

MOTHER

i

I MARRIED

PLACE

I

I
I
I
i

FATHER Birth

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-P-l

a-c-e -

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I

I

Place

I

I
I

Birth Death

-----------=P.....:lc.:::,;ac:::.::e:....__-J:place Place

rHTT DRF.N

BORN

first marri age:

DIED

WHERE DIED

WHEN MARRIED

Hendy

1804-10

Alnelia

1810-20

Patey

1810-20

Asberry 24 Junl81B 27 JanlB7.5 Dade County,Ga.

by 1 3

second marl iage:

Epsey

El01 F.

-

--- ~--

- - ~ - Elizabeth J.

-

1823 1826
1828

8 Dec 1838
188"-.l.. McDuffie Co. ,Ga. (1) 19 Nov 18.50
(2) 12 Dec 18.5.5
I 20 Sept 1849
I
I

WHERE MARRIED
?
Warren Co, Ga. Warren -Go. ,Ga. Warren Co. ,Ga. Warren Co.,Ga.

MARRIED TO
Watson A. Hern Matt Holliday Ridley Rials Ivey
Samuel McDonald Epsey Granade Rachel Rees Fletcher McDona

--

I

I
I

f I

'

CXl
~ HUSBAND

Benjamin Harrison Sr. (stepson of Ansley)

BORN

1750-1760 PLACE

NewJersey

DEATH

1836 PLACE Warren County, Ga.

Will probated 5 Sept ra36 there.

BURIED

?

--------~------------------~--~----------

FA1;HER ?

MOTHER Rebecca Cox

WIFE Abisail BORN 1780-1790 DEATH after 1836 .
BURIED FATHER

PLACE PLACE
MOTHER

Maryland Georgie.

MARRIED TO:
Abigail ?

DATE PLACE
DATE PLACE

0 y !505

MARRIED
!
FATHER
I
! B i rth
Death
i MOTHER
Birth Death

PLACE

Place P l ace
Place

Place Place

Rebecca

BORN

DIED

WHERE DIED

9 Aug 1807 9 Jan 188 Tyler, Texas

WHEN MARRIED
I

WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED TO

(l) 28 Dec 1830 'Warren County.Ge. J 8llles Ansley

(2) after 1853

Texas James M. KinsEy

Mary A. Nancy Benjamin Jr. Elizabeth
John c.
~illiam

1810 alive '50 Upaonc Oo.Ga.

20 Sep 1827

1811 alive so Su:rnter Co.Ga. ; 18 Dec 1831

1816 1817

1897 Thomson, Ga.

I

1853

nr

_Shrevport,LA.

I
!' .

!

29 Nov 1836 16 Dec 1836
6 Jan 1e39

?eldest.?

Heard Co. Ga

after 1820
i

'Warren County,Ga Alfred Smith

Warren Warren

County,Ga County,Ga

Abel An-s-ley J.l(..
Zilla Leonard

Warren County ,Ga James M. KinsEy

Columbia Co., Ga Rebecca Stant'oR.d

. i!

i

I
I

-

- - -

I

~ HUSBAND
......

Job Morris

WIFE Mary Ansley

(sister to Thomas Ansley)

HORN

1740 PLACE

New Jersey

_B_O_R_N____~-----1~7~4~5__?__P_L_A_C_E___M_o_n_m_o_u_t_h__C_o_.~1~N~~J~------

DEATHJun 28-Aug 25, 17 ~~ACEShrewsbury,Monmouth CoN.J ~ DEATH ca.l815Ql817 PLACE Warren Co, Ga.

_B_~_R_IEp ?----------------------~N~e_w~J~e~r~s~e~y~---------- BURIED

Georgia

FATHERRichard Morris MARRIED .TO: Mary Ansley

MOTHER
DATE 17 May 1760
PLACEM onmouth County, w,.J.

t FATHER William Ansle~OTHER Rebecca

I

'

! MARRIED

PLACE

' FATHER

I Birth

Place

--- ----

Death

Pla ce

DATE.________________________

I
I

MOTHER

PLACE

I Birth
i Death

Place

Place ---

Place

rt~~E~he
James Rebecca

wil BORN

DIED

1761-2
10 Octl763 8 Apr 180~

!

WHERE DIED prob. N.J.

i
i

Monmouth Co,N.J Ii

WHEN MARRIED

WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED TO

1786 Monmouth Co. ,N. J Ann Jackson

by 1781 ?

Hugh Jackson

Lydia

Fall, 183E Warren County,G 30 Jan 1790

Richmond Co Ga. Abel Anslev

Zilpha

23 Nov 1855 Belmont CoiOHI 29 May 1790

Richmond Co.,Ga. Henry William$

Mary

1770-1775

1846 Warren Count:v.G 28 Mar 1791

Columbia Co Ga. Abram Sa.nder!ll

Note: all of these chil ~ren eave I ~dia (m Abel Ans 1 'YO were associat ed with the Quakel Church in
some fashion. The two e dest remai ~ed in New Jersey and their marria ~es are recorded n the Quaker r .ec ore s there. T e latter t lhree came to Geor is with their Mo ~her. Zilph and M~ rv marrYing: Quakers who " ere disown ~d for the1 r marriages.
-

-

-

- - - - -

I

--

I

-I

Abram [Abraham] Sanders HUSBAND

Quaker

WIFE Mary Morris

BORN 13 Aug 1763

PLACE ?

BORN 1770-1780

PLACE

New Jersey

DEATHJuly -.t\,ugust 1817 PLACE Warren County, Georgia

DEATH

1846

W1ll probated 1n Warren Co.,Ga. 1 Sept 1817.
-BU-RIED--? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - '' BURIED?

FA\HER Joel Sanders MARRIED TO:

MOTHER Charity

FATHER Job Morris
. I MARRIED

Mary Morris

DATE 28 Mar 1791 PLACE Columbia County, Georgia

'
I FATHER Birth

PLACE Warren County, Georgia
MOTHER Mary Ansley PLACE Place

rmr .nRF.N (~i~lfl
Rebecca Anna Sarah Charity Mary
James Abram

DATE.______________________________

PLACE

BORN

DIED

ca. 1802 ?

WHERE DIED

Death

! MQIHER

:
I

Birth

Death
;

I
I

WHEN MARRIED

!

2 Dec 1820

ca. 1809 15 Nov u?48 ~arren County, Ga.

6 Dec 1827

ca. 1800

b Newton ~ountv,Ga.

I
21 Nov 1816

1799 after ca. 1797 ca. 1796 ?
1814 after

1870 1-rcDnffiF> rnnn t-u .r.;,. 1853 ~arren Countv Ga
1860 I>

211 Feb 1819
I 2"J OC" +- 1813

1 I
'
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; I I
I
I

Dec

1817

. I
i

Place

Place

Place Place

WHERE MARRIED Warren County,Ga. Warren Countv,Ga. lw, ..-..-~~ rnn11 tv. Ga Warren Countv.C::a Warren Countv Ga Warren County,Ga.

MARRIED TO
Ira Weaver Martin Grag.ade
-. 'T'imnt-h u~s;wa,Q.~
_ _ ~h=mhe..o. j2t:_a_~ .Tnhn Thompson Sarah Sell Ann

!
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i
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f
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- -- -

- ---- - -

...;
.n
...; HUSBAND John Parks Bacon

Baptist

Mary Laml ar WIFE

BORN

by 1787 PLACE

Georgia

BORN

by 1790 PLACE

Georgia

DEATH

1820 PLACE Columbia County ,Georgia

~11 wrltten Sept 3 and probated Nov 20,1820.

DEATH
i

-B-U-R-I-ED-~-?----------------------------------------------

I
I '

BURIED

?

FA1HER William Bacon

MOTHER

FATHER ?

I

MARRIED TO:
Mary Lamar she remarried: ~lias Wilson,esq.

DATE 1 Jan 1807 PLACE Col nmhi a County, Ga DATE.____3_M_a__r _l_8_4_o_______________ PLACE Warren County ,Ga.

f MARRIED
i
I FATHER i Birth
'
Death
I
M.QIHER
' Birth

i
I

Death

ca.l843 PLACE Warren County, Georgia

MOTHER PLACE

Place Place
Place

Place Place

\~rlf. n~htfN will :
John P. Jr. William

BORN

DIED

WHERE DIED

I
I

WHEN MARRIED

1808 (will) 1844 Columbia County,Ga. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

. 8 Sep 1810 18 Mar 1~54 Madison County,Miss ?

WHERE MARRIED
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

MARRIED TO
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Frances A.M.L.
Nicholas c.
Edmund Bugg
Mary 0.

7 Jul 1812

1 Jan 1890 McDuffie ~ounty,Ga.

I
i

l

Jan 1829

10 Mar 1816 22 Mar 1873 McDuffie County,Ga. I 13 Jul 1857

1818 late

I 1892 McDuffie County~Ga. 28 Oct 1841

.i.
23 Nov 1819 25 Sep 1845 Madison County,Miss 17 Jul 1836 I '

- Columbia County,Ga. Samuel Jones Lazenby Taliaferro County,Ga Ma-ry-A-n-n-H-i-ll-m-a-n ---
Columbia County,Ga. [Evaline M. Steed jMinerva Stanford
Columbia County,Ga. John B. Moore

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- - -~---- -



HUSBAND Nicholas c. Bacon

WIFE Mary Ann Hillman

BORN March 10,1816 PLACE Columbia County,Ga.

BORN

1824 PLACE

Georgia

DEATHMarch 22,1873 PLACE McDuffie Gounty,Ga.

DEATH alive 1887 PLACE

-BU-RI-ED? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

BURIED ttev.

MOTHER Mary Lamar

FATHER Joshua H1llmar.MOTHER

Mary

MARRIED TO:

DATE __l~J__J_u_l~y__l~_5~7________

MARRIED FATHER

mother PLACE

rmd

Robert

Ellis
----

Mary Ann Hillman

I PLACE Taliaferro County,Ga. Birth

Place

I
i Death

183li Place Warren County ,Ga.

DATE:___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ PLACE

I I
I
I
i

MOIHER

Birth Death

4 Sept

1872

Place

Place Place McDuffie Co.

I

C:HTT nRFN Mary Lamar

BORN

DIED

WHERE DIED

i
i

WHEN MARRIED

WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED TO

1861 30 Apr1876 McDuffie CountyG;.;'~ x:xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx:xx:x xxxxxxxxxxxxx

N.W.Parks

ltl64

--

prob.

M

i

s

s

i

s

s

i

p

p

I
'

?

(his wife , died 1898 in Her\ an.do,M1asiaa1pp1

'
!

I

----

I

I

I

I
I
I

.
.
.II

HUSBAND

John Franklin Johnson

BORN 4 Jan 1810

PLACE

Georgia

DEATH 21 Jun 1864

PLACE Warren Co\.lnty ,Georgia

Will signed 4 Feb, probated 4 July 1864 in Warren County. BURIED

4th WIFE

Eff1' e Fle t c h er Rees

1 I

BORN

30 Nov 1825

PLACE

Geo:rg:ia

DEATH 5 Nov 1898

PLACE McDuffie County ,Georgia

BURIED Union Baptist Church,McDuffie County,Georgia

FATHER

MOTHER

FATHER Joel Rees

MOTHER Nancy McGee

MARRIAGES:

(l) Elizabeth Lockett m May 12, 1831 Warren County,Ga.

(d. May 8, 1832)

(2) Cordelia ?

m Oct 10, 1832 [from Bible]

(d. Nov 15 1844)

( 3) Narcissa C. McTyre m Mar 17, 1845 Warren County,Ga.

(d. Nov 14 1858)

(4) Effy Fletcher Rees m Mar 1,.1859 [from Bible]

(d. Nov 5 1898)

MARRIED
FATHER Birth Death
MOIHER
Birth Death

PLACE

Place Place
Place

Place Place

from

+'--",'...c-.

Bible N

BORN

DIED

WHERE DIED

WHEN MARRIED

WHERE MARRIED

MARRIED T.O

Robert T.
CMen n.
David Booker Isabella k-nerica C."Swe Robert T. Ja":'les ?ersons
Isabella Joel ~;:..;fall Benj ~-:-,i:-. F

l Ma 1832 6 Jun 1835 l Au 1836 27 Sep 1838
1840 15 Sep 1842
7 Jul 1846
ll Jul 1848 3 Apr 1861
11 Dec 1863

5 Se 30 Au
15 Jun 1873 ? 5 Oct 1847 Warren County, Ga.

XXXXXX

X XX

3 Aug 1852 ~y 1860

.....

Warren
- --

County,

Ga. -

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

JS....I'.

~yy

Martha F. Shields

Matilda
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

McDuffie Count 17 Sep 1862 Sharpsburg ,Md. 21 Jan 1923 HcDuffie County ,Ga.

~ 1860
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

iWilliam B K<:>nr:l..-;,..t,.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sarah V. Granade

Texas

after 1864

7 Feb 1942 Rutledge, Georgia 3 Sep 1938 Thomson Georgia

23 Nov 1887
5 Nov 1901
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
: I
I
I

Warren Coun~~ ...G.a

Martha Lon_g_

McDuffie Countv Ga. LMa.J::y Lou Lewis

--

156
urs. John ClaLk,
601 N. Hazel ::t.,
pampa, ~exas 79065, Barch 29, 1974.
~r. K~nneth H. Thomas, Jr.
270 :;ashint;ton st., s. w.
Atlanta, Ga. 30334.
Dear Mr. Thomas:
rm very sorry that I'm unable to helr you with any Bible records,
and I don't know of any who ni:.;ht have 2.ny as e:-1.rly as l'l;zr;:->.1 An 31 P.y ,
sr. An Ansley deseend a nt in Dallas has the ~dw ~ rd ~ittl~ 5rry~B~ble records w!1ich are n'1?..rly 100 ye a rs old, but she wouldnt copy tnen for me, but they probably are just on that family, e.nd r.: rs. ]';ester of ~l.'ylf:r hn.s some early itnsley records, but none that early, I mean :::: ible records.
The records :::rs. Ba.ker eave you were from my files, but I cant t say
tney are correct but I believe they have been handed down, but ~11 I
have with dates seem to h~ve been Rev, James Jefferson (Jeff ~nsleyrs data, at .lc:c.;:3t that is what hi~; H.i-2:0~;::, 6a.i.U., 'uut.h l, ;;.iu;; J. :::;\.:t; ~J.;..;l.. u.
I contR.cted Rev. Jeff Ansleys daughter in 1969 about her f :::>t:herts data, and she does no"P have any records. :.:;he is ~.;rs. J.~th Ansley D ':~xbyshire, viinthorp A.pts. A. 8204 Jackson st., ~-revman, ca., her dau. :.:rr.. }::,ul Luce., lives in your city and I unde rstand i-'::.u::t. does some g~? : nealogy, they live at 6690 Sunny :Se?..ch I..ane, ~.tlqnta.e c ont :'l.ct "':hem and ~~e if they Ci-1,n giVe you ,?he address of ~~_ ev. !~UfUS Olin .\.nSley t her . uncle ~, Rev() J~ff Ansley sonJwho ts also a ll:!~th. minist e r .in ~~. la. I thought, maybe G:l. he is in tne age range of ~bout 74 and ma.yb,~ livint:, or ~.rs. ~Jerbyshire may 'oP. able to tall you whP.re to cont a ct him, he h''r; sorn.e date on his records that r.'lr. Fler.1ing sent me when he lived in Atlant?..
I h9.ve cont~'. eted many Ansley descend a nts, and lP.arn~d me.ny interesting thiYigs ~bout this family, but I know y0u are ~~inly int:er~st8cl in documented data, but I have incl1.1ded s0me r,..,~ b.Lin~ not9s etc. thP.t 7 n.u mi~ht like to pass n.lon.:~ to another int~ T ~ , ted .11.nsley. I do not ~lif:h to have any of them returned. Feel. free to contact me anytime if I can help.
sincerely.

Haverft.--rd College
THE UBRARV

155
HAVERFORD. PA. 19041 215-649 -9600
March 18, 1974

Mr. Kenneth H. Thomas Office of Plartning and Research Department of Natural Resources 270 Washington Street, S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Dear Mr. Thomas :

1 am sorry to tell you that Haverford College does not seem to have any material on the Ansley family in Georgia. We have checked our catalogs for this name and have discovered nothinp;.

It is possible that the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College would have material to assist you. The address is Swarthmore, Penna. 19081. There is also Guilford College, Guilford, North Carolina 27410 which has a small collection of Ouaker materials. Guilford, being closer to the scene in Georgia, might have collected something which would be useful to you.

Since-rely, L . ll.

,...--...

. --..,

11

Lf.v~ <:!3>. lr~

Elizab~ B. Tritle

154

Atlanta, GP.or&in Nove~her 26, 1969

Mon;l]cuth Cou!lty HistoricAl Asflocic.tion ?10 Court Str~o.t
lreehold, ~ew J~rsAy

GentlPL'len:

It is rny unc.~r!'tnndj.n.; thnt your A~soci[!~;ion is thf repo:.;itory for the eP.rly r':lcord~; of Old. 1~ennent Church of lree.t:.old.

\Hll you ;:lenr:e navise how I may obtain copies of the Am.ley Family records, en:i \'.'hP.t tha cont \.-oulu be? I wou.la. ;..:nrtiClJlnrly like to hnve a rhotostAt or cP.rtified copy of the baptismal record of one 'l'hOI!lfl.S Ansl~y. who :.;urrosedly wa5 b?..ptized in aforesni.:i church 20 Harc!1 1737.

I am thA third Gr"!~t GrAnd-sea of Th0oas, Hnd am interestcJ. in all records there pertninin~ to his family.

'-. SincP.r~ly yours,
. ..-- ......._
c~-~0? ~~c /~-\, {_.__.-'-<~ ._

J-;;; C. J!'ie;ing . .

\

,._/

124) Westridge Eoaa, s. ~.
Atlanta, Georr,in )OJll

Handwritten reply to above letter, undated: History of the Old Tennent Church (by) Frank R. Symmes '~illiam Annesley had bap. Thomas, March 20, 1737; - - - - - J u l y 16, 1738; William & Rebecca,Twins,Sept 2, 1744" in book of orig. records ofT. Church. Note spelling and date 1736/37. I am sorry that we do not have time to look through all the church record books in our vault for other records of the Ansleys. Afso we do not have a copying machine in our library. /s/ Louise Jost

Page 2 Letter from Hrs. John Clark, Pampa, Texas, 'Harch 29, 1914.

157

,

.

\

~~rs. source: 'J.'his
deceased) !)ut

u 1ta was from I b")lieve this

1.;drie datH C!lme

smith, of Ft. w from her uncle,

ort my

hg,r~r:r:.xtt

(now uncle

._J
j

James Jeff8rson Ansley, Meth. minist~"r in ;.eor,,ria, as :.:rs. ;~miths sistezl.

!.~rs. Linda Willie, :-nve :ne tilis information and s3.id it came ..~~ ~rvm uncle i{~

.'t Jc~ff Ansley.
of Rev. Jeff

::::,i.nda ~Yillie Ansley1 said,

is also dec :nsAd. ;.Irs. H.uth Derbyshire, her f a ther left his first volume of his

dau. ~1:;.

journal to her and i't. had the f P!Tiily tree of .Ansleys in it, but it eot

lost, she s~lid, her step-mother didn't tell her .it w:;.s left to her tt?ltilJ~

40 years after his death or shed tried to locate the Journal. But h~ {~

mu~t h:1ve j.us .t ~iven these d.qtes to some of his nieces etc. from the

.~ ~

Journal. Tn c~rter J.)edi 0ree Document8.ti.2n B:r ?.:ru. Julian C. T:8.ne,

~~

14 in

10 rs

:roa~ntr
,>r~n cr~

te ::;:r.,
to his

N. ~~-. jlt1 :?.-~G2.. ;s C:<.!'ter kin, but p;:::=tve

a

.ys, ref

see letter of ~rence G~orgia

J. J. nemoi

r.nG.nsVl o2yl,.'<~i'

1, :p. 105.'::5, uut I i.npdred aoour, ~~h is fr.Qrn :~-~1 .nta, but th :~y foim::i

nothine, com ,.'-l.1.e

s

whi ome

ch i
.~.ns

f .1

e

th y

ny
r~e

nhe:n11d)o' wgyoutl

dn oo

,

t

a

h s

a

d t

n" ;,e\,ns.se.~.l.,tIe'_Jy~.;(lL!<nv"Yo1k+1t?.1!l=1"-'C.".S:":-,.<~w"f:.e&-rtet

:-: rs. :::~ne di.d 1 nt ~:; rm ::. rr1. eu. .

Re-' v. -J.J. .\.nr1~~cy~ '"r ~ ~.nd.rul:-tUgl.lt f?r l J..V -,8 J..n your Cl.. t y, .. 'rn. :..'''.tL1. .:. 11 Ce, r.-:u- " .-

~ ur._;.y .r.k ~teh .~..o:J~C, ~ tl.mta, arlU ::. w;rJ -~ !:-Htand .J. h lll :-.u~; e work[.; 0;1 rene~_\lor;y,

he could tell you where ~:ev. ~\.ufu.s Olin .Ansley lives, he is son of H.ev.

J .J. and I find some of these dqtes on his data, he s prob<>:.bly if livine

in G2.. or Ala. would be a uout 7 Lf years old.



.:illiam nnesley came to N.J. in 1757, died in 1958. The;.r csme from Eng.

'Thcmas 'AnsTey, nis son, W ?.S

~.L- -.L;:-
\JV""'- U

J-t--;\;-~;"~'

- :-1.\,A,.

_..;,L -.l.,.-,. ie

'.
I

: o:-L
\.l C I

.J~ n \ '

Rebecca Cocke iarrison, had

born in ::~ ngland in 173'7, died in warren

i4. e

1~~04 :'l "EH1 'I? VO,> T'C

:' ,.....) ,

"

.

'-< t:>
,.._

m<:>Y'Y';nM
---- --

':> -

.,...

~ri~
_.A _ _ , ..

,

one child, a_son, mentioned in ~homss s rs

will. l'hos .n.nsley ;.;r. moved to larren Qounty, Ga. before the R. :; volution-

ary w~r, and ~erved in it. He owned 3,006 acres of land and is buried

on it.

Rebecca Cocke Harrison Ansley, wife of Thomas Sr. died in Warren County,

Ga. :.:ay 9th., 2 P.M. 1814, aecd 81 years and 8 T'10nths.

ThomB.s A.nsley, Jr. was born at 2 J... M. July 27, 1767 ( not sure but pro-

bably in N.J.) aied September 30, 18,7, aeed 70 years, 2 months and ~

1?, d2.ys, buried on his father's land. tHs wife Hemrietta Rngland, wRs born

a t ~un-rise De c. 1~th. ~777, . and. died r-,:::1y

1837, ~ a,sed 59 years, 4

montns nnd 5 days. he d~ed snout1nc the praJ.ses of liOd.

Tillman Ansley, wfH~~born SaturdRy, 9 ~.M. ~'~b. 3, 1798 in warren county, G'-1 died- I"i1':0GJ:e County, ;\la. oct. 2, 1864 and wn.s buried on his lt>..nd, at or ne ,,.r ozark, Ala. He Married .Epsey carter, dau6 of J2.Illes carter in Warren County Ga. Jan. 12, 1822 .;;he died october 22, 1867,is buried beside her husb md.

J :;.mes l'nomas cmsley w~. s born in Upson ~ ounty, G::: ~t;ay 19, 1823, he died Til crrJ.l'fin-,-,:; ~~tme 9, 1893. and is buried in the cemetery -there. ::e

married Charlotte ;.Jearcy, April 23, 1843, she died 1899, and is buried at Jesup, Ga.

Julia ;;,nn Ansley, born June 8, 1844, Talbot co. Ga. (if '.i'?..lbot isnt ccrrec::C-it WO~lld be Upson o~unty, Ga.) she died 3, 29, 1900 in sm ith co. Tx. buried a't L: t .:>ylvan. ~he first married Ned ::::,ittleton in T~lbot Co. (.ia. no children. married secondly to Isaac Hart 3eckworth b. in ',','arren
co. Ga. Jan. 28, 1842, Civil war veteran, they haa. 6 sons and two daus.

He died 1,9, 1923, buxied beside his wife.

158

MONMOUTH COUNTY HISTORICAL AS~OCIA T I O N

70 Court Street

Freehold, New Jersey 07728

April 1, 197h

Hr. }~enneth "'] Th0111as, Jr.

Historic ?reservation Section
Department or :ratu;:oal I~esourc~S

Office of Flannin~ Ancl. hesE-~EJ.rch

st., 270 ~ashington

s.~.

Atlanta, Geo=g1a JOJJ4

Dear Hr. 'lho!las:

In ansuer to your letter to the Directo:r- of this as soc in t1on, of i!arch 26th, ue are not able to add r~mch

to your accu:'1ulation of facts about the ':'.no.nas /.,_nsley

fa ";lily.

I flrn enclos in~~ a copy of thf~ ... /\.nsley fnr:iily from thE"~

Ger!ealo~ ic;nl Di c~t ionn~7 of ?-.TeH Jf~Tfley -vrh ich Ufl.S publl::~h(~d in serial fo:r1 in the : ;e~<T Jersey c'.fenealo::;ical Society

'nJ.!3~~z1ne.

He have r!() ann i t i on~~, ,...~"''".'0~'r'l_~ ?.1.;0!!'!: +;\;<> _~:-:-..:1-::.~~ f':. ,.:_:_,i.

. .... ._....... f'T"'-,., __

... ~~

~

~-

--'-"'

1 o.LLOHln~ address.

You might try vrltln.:..--; to them.

Haviland ~ecords ~oom
15 Eutherford Place
t!eu York, iJ. Y. 10003 The G.S. of 1-i .J. has records of tuo uo1:ten by the name of Tiebekah He.rrison, but too late for you.
Rebekah :-I. of Orange m. Abraha8 r~andall of .Albany 5/6/1813
Rebekah Harrison m. Silas B..qlclHin 5/10/1811.

I nish He conlc'l. be 'nore helpful. 'The inforr:1at ion in the ~en. Diet only seems to add to the confusion.

St~cerely yours,

'.
:....- .

.' 1..

'.:.;....-.-.-<....L....

.

.

. _-_._, ......... f j_

(Miss) Louise Jost, LibrarAn

i - / - 1 - r t J"\ S", l . ( '.( 'I

F R I E N D S H I S T 0 R I C A.~ L I B R A R Y
OF SWARTHMORE COLLEGE SWARTHMORE. PENNSYLVA~IIA 19081

159

2 April 1974

Kenneth II. Thom::s

Historic ~r::;ervu:.ion 3ecticn

Office of Fl:nninJ 2n~ ~cs~~rch

Dc~Jl'tna.?a-r. c: :-:i!-tural r:esou:rces

2--ia ':.'csr:n~~on Strco,-t, S.':.

~tl:~t~, C:orgia 203:4

De~r f.ricnci:

I :~ so~ry t~ tell you that a sccrc~ of our ~vailable rnJtcrials has uncovcrod

no le<:~ds tc ~nfornc:tion t~:..li yo 1l seek conccrn:i.n9 the Thom~s !~nsl 2'J :~::tily. Since

you f: ;:vc -~~n ~r. touch :,.iti-1 ?'cJrl Eaker, 'JG1.: Jre undoubtedly f2::;iliar v:ith her

r., b 0 0 1 .T!.;l.1_e._ ,...."'"-rry .;.~;:!.,:~;. "'-0 ;'.:';....;-;:~.;,.;:.L..:~.".,',.:;;~:._ :1;:; '"':'u". ur, - .l.f_'..u'4 ,,c C1i.0 :1o+" .~r.ln,d t'lc H'1n.">~'.'"1 r.:'-"1''~"'""'' (0...... S. J!_",,,'_' -

1 -r ., -- s \"o l J''"''" '-.' .; "a'o ns r "" 1 n"" to ~

11; r .;,.) .i . .., -

n ' " \ ..... I ;..::;i.;..;} I

.:... :,-.,

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' ...

1' "'Ci .
.1. '-.:::

I

. ~ , ...., J

J..,.)

1 ~ ~, 1 ., ,., , t - ... .._ .L C..:.l' .1 C. _

'~'11 " _ i11"c,';.'i,"~

c, ' 1 .,. ,.... ""' I ,;j

:"";' l_'- ""' K'...". '~~

10r . .k c;;cn.:;<~ .L, ,.-...',S.. l~i. .... : - - ' '--'~...::_.:- :.. . ',..'..u.. .-.L.. 01-'-2.....". """' '' ..>rl.l:.;..-.,!~.lll~- . , '..-. '- ,..rc,..~ ', I n tl 1e - .unpu,o ,.....:cS11 lrc..G~ - L~ lnS.,l~c.-\'-'

Index to '.:;:.::.:ker ~..:cne:;.logj ..'e find only a 19th century :.nnosle'j f;;r:.Ily in ?cnnsylvanic:

\oo-:D. ,.,, .... -.... ,., ;r:s -nd ,_,..t com"' Jr.::.J.'-nrl (c;;....r,;;~,,:,.'.,-r_,r -,- .

co,.., .. t.;:_,.!.'~-:- ~

- _ l,.l.!iL..-. .;... '

c;

.T: )h.. J~. l... -~-..r_.!.Y~lrt'lh.l"a- tlJ-.ll'ev .1.~~ h,,.".:,\. '~r..g

:.o;,:; f,......,..,on'

.... _g .... ,

in the 17;-J ~ s). ::e find no mention of the nJme in our m.:.nuscript c~t.:.log or in our

pamph~e~ group cf tlogr~;hical Jnd gonealogicJ1 i~form.:.tion.

I !'0.']:::-et vcrj' r:.uch t!-.at :-.rc v:crc unable to locJte .:tny info:;:-rnation for you.

---- C:i nrn,......, 1 ,, "f"'' ,,.. f.,...; l'>n.-l

.

-- -.~

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... ;

~-' (c, ((oc(-lr:::,~"'"''-

J ~nn A ~~tt"rlhnJ~n l.~ a\,."



.L...k

1::; ,_,\. ,J_.

/\ssistaot Director

GUILFORD
CHAII.Tla.lD 1113..

COLLEGE
POU...,Df. D 1837

GREENSBORO, NORTt : CAROLINA
27410

The Library 4-22-1974

160

Kenneth H. Thompson~ Jr. Historic Preservatio~ Section Department of ~atural REsources Office of Planning and Researcl1 270 ~ashington St.~ S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Dear ~tr. Thompson~
Please excuse the long delay in anS\-lering your letter of Hard1 10 concerning the Ansley fanily of Hrightsborough, G~orgia.
The name Ansley does not appear anywhere in the surv1v1ng minutes of Wrightsborough :1onthly ~lceting '"hich cover the years 1772 - 1793 (ending in January of 1793). The meeting continued until about 1805 and if Thomas Ansley belonged he must have joined after the 1793 date. The book of birth and death records, \Jhich covers a longer period, also has no entries. for the Ansley family and there is no reference to it in North Carolina Quaker records or minutes. We know of no rcsearcn on rn1s fam11y or their nome. We are, of course, familiar with Pearl Ba1~er' s work and that of Alex lUtz. The latter's findings were published in an issue of The Bulletin of the Friends Historical Society, Spring, 1957, Volume 46, no.l. in an article entitled HRIGHTSBOROUGH, QUAKER TOt-f.'{ A.'JD TOH~~SHIP I~~ GEORGIA. His findings are based on public records t.Jith which you are, no doubt, quite familiar. Brief accounts of the Hrightsborough meeting appear in Stephen B. Weeks' SOUTHERN QUAKERS AND SLAVERY and in the Wrightsborough meeting section of volume I of ~HlHam Hinshaw's E:~CYCLOPEDIA of A....U:RICA..~ QUAKER GE'mALOGY. The HinshaH \vork contains abstractsof the Wrightsborough meeting minutes and the birth and death records in their entirety.
We can do a little better with :1armaduke Mendenhall and his home in Wilkes County, Georgia and I am listing below my findings.
Wrightsborough M.M. birth and death records: Narmaduke Hendenhall, son of James and Hannah, born 11-23-1754; died 2-23-1797. (\-life and children also listed
with birth and deaths. \-life Alice died 12-6-1797 l
Wrightsborough M.~l. ~linutes (abstracts): 7-1-1775 James ~lendenhall and wife and son, Harrnaduke, received on certificate (of membership) from Xew Garden Honthly Heeting, North Carolina, dated 4-29-1775 5-3-1777 ~furrnaduke Mendenhall reported married to Alice Benson ( marriage occurred some-time during tht> month preceding this da::e; performed under the care of ~~rights borough meeting) 2-6-1779 Marmaduke M. and wife granted certificate to Deep River M.M., Guilford County, N.C. 10-2-1784 Marmaduke M. and wife Alice and children,John and Elijah, received on certificate from Deep River M.M., N.C.

page 2

161

An informal history of the Mendenhall f~~ily, compiled by Thomas A. Mendenhall, was published in 1912. According tc t:his source, ~!armaduke HendenhaJl was a farmer and settled in Wilkes County when he returned to Georgia after t.e five year stay in Nort:h Carolina. (p.209, HIST. OF THE l'!ENDENHALL FAHILY)
The best evidence we have that a house or c;abin stood on Harmaduke'~fenden hall 's land comes from t'I<.'O published journals of travelling Friends ministers, Job Scott and Thomas Scattergood. Job Scott, of Providence, Rhode Island, visited Friends in the southern states in 1789 and clearly mentions attending a meeting for worship at the home of Narmaduke Hendenhall. Job Scott left Charleston, S.C. on Aur;ust 31, 1789 and headed toHard h'rightsborough, Georgia, and arrived there on Septemher 5, 1789. His account is as follm.,s:

"After meeti4lg ( an unnamed meeting held somct.Jhere in South CArolina) we went on for Georeia, and reached Friends monthly meeting at Hrightsborough in that state, on 7th day, 5th of 9th mo. On first-day the 6th, w~ had tt.JO favoured meetings: one at Hrightsborouzh, and the other at Friends new meeting-house, four or five miles from the first; and ne:{t day t.rere again at !\'rightshorough, not being clear before: it was a precious time indeed, Truth's testimony flm.red tvith power, many were greatly reached. Third-day 8th, we had a large meeting at i'farmaduke Hendenhall's among a religious peop1.e, ;rethodists, Baptists, &c . .
Scott goes on to say that he held one more meeting "at a FriendIs house" the next day, among ":,Iethodists, Baptists and Friends" and after the meeting went on to South-Carolina, stopping for meeting at a place c<1lled Henderson's settlement on thP 11t-h_

Thomas Scattergood of Philadelphia made a similar trip in 1792-93. In January of 1793 he visited 1Jrightsborouzh tHicc, arriving first on January 4 from the Bush River settlement in South Carolina.

1-4

.crossed the Savannah river, which is 300 yards tlide, at

!'l'Koy's ferry and also Little River . Travelled most of this day along

a lonely dec:;olate path, tdth notched trees for our guide, and but fe\.J

inhabitants by tile \vay; arrived at our friend 1Villiam Farmer's about

SUnset, and think tle must have rode nearly or quite forty-five miles

This is the smallest house I think I remember to have been in.

Thooas Scattergood attended monthly meeting at Wrightsborough the following

day and held several meetings for ~vorship in the tHo days follO\ving. On

the 8th he left, returning to Bush River. By the 13th it \.ras clear to him

that he must return to Wrightsborough, that his work there was not done, and

on the 17th he set out again for Georgia. On the 18th he wrote:

Accompanied by our two Friends Harmaduke Hendenahll (\vho must have come with him from Wrightsborough, although no previous mention is made of him) and Richard Batten, with David Vestal and his companion ( two more travelling ministers whom he had encountered at Bush River) and Benjamin Farmer (brother of lHlliam), we got well over the waters, though we had to ride about 10 miles round in order tc avoid Little River ford and find a good bridge. Reached our friend Benjamin Farmer's cabin in the evening. 19th Went to a meeting at 1-iilliam Farmer"s held in his new unfinisl1ed cabin, which he had fitted up for the purpose and upon the whole it was a commodious place. 21st. To a large and mixed (i.e., attended by both Friends and non-Friends) meeting, held at the house of Harmaduke Hendenhall,

162
page 3
Thomas Scattcrzood ... cmained in the l.[rightsborough area until the 5th of Feh11ary, holding meetings and visiting with Friends. On th 5th he again set out for Smth Carolina. He does no't refer again to ~farmaduke i!cndenhall.
The Hrightsborough Honthly ~feeting allowed a special Sunday afternoon meeting for l.'orship to be held twice a month for "Friends above Hrightsborough" during
the summer and fall of 1789. The home of John Stubbs, Senior was naned as the meeting place but it may be that ~farmaduke ~!endcnhall' s home was used instead. (from the minutes, dated 6-7-1738 and 9-3-1789). The meeting was resumed on a \veekly hasis on 6-6-17R9 hut the place of meeting was not nomed. (from the minutes of 6-6-1789 and 8-1-1789).
We hope these references will be useful in establishing the existence of a house on the Mendenhall property. l.Je will be interested to hear of your progress in the two projects.

Tl.fii: ct

Sincerely yours,
~ td/?zc~
(Mrs.) Treva W. Mathis Curator, The Quaker Collection

163
Hdviland Records Room
15 Rutherford Place, New 'fork, N.Y. 10003

SOOfTY Of fRIENDS Records Committee of New Yo~ Yearly Medin& 313 673-6866

May 31 1974o

Mr. Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., Histotic Preservation Section, Department of Natura!. Resources, 270 Washington Street, Atlanta, Georgia, 30334
Dear Mr. Thomas: Because of the pressure of so many duties, I have found it impossible to

answer all of the genealogical queries which come to the Records Room. However,

Katharine E. Cook does give attention to these letters. The charge for her services is

four dollars an hour.

We cannot guarantee that the information you desire will be found, and we

cannot estimate very closely the amount of time required for the search. Perhaps you

will wish to establish a time limit.

If you wish Katharine Cook to do this work for you, pleaae write to her to

this effect, in care of the above address. Later. when her report is made to you,

your check should be made out to her.

Sincerely yours,
v n / /ld.---t:J 1,,2. ct1..:~--.1!"{'.
'-
Mary G. Cook, Keeper of records

We have only records of New York Yearly Meeting. The earliest for Shrewsbury area

is

births,

165

0/,

'

11/"j..'
deat

h

s

,

166-6

to

1742

and

marriages,

1674

to

1731.

Also,

Hicksite

marriages

1828 - 1902. Records for New Jersey in N Y Yearly Meeting start with Shrewsbury and meetings

go north of there. I do not know about Friends in Georgia unless they were a part of North Car-

~a Yearly Meeting. You might vrite to Geo. C. Parker, ~Woodland, N. Carolina, 27897

and Friends United Meeting, P. o. Box 8328, Greensboro, N. Carolina, 27410. This information

is DOt too recent but hopefully it will get to the right person. ([;!_. . 9~~~!,.-...,r tirCiu;- ,(_/ 1-.t;;,c,.

-~. i/~ J? . l:' ..c~-~--...___.__ 7-..---?7 .~--c- -c- ..-L~,~~ . ._;...._ -:k~-;;__,_,

'

t .!



-?,~ d :'C

( /

'

t'., .A LS-/'/, ; 7'1

164
THE THOMAS COX FAMILY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
"Thomas Cox, son of Thomas Cox, 2, was born June 30, 1700; married, first, Rebecca Potts; second, Hannah Morford. He died, June 5, 1783, aged 82 years, 11 months and 18 days, and was buried at Yellow Meeting House, Cream Ridge, N. J. He was mentioned as one of the three living children, and heir, in the will of his father, Thomas Cox, written 1722. He ; was also his executor.
In the will of his mother, Mary Cox, 1757, he is mentioned, and his children received legacies.
1731, Apr. 1. Thomas Cox, Jr., held one hundred and seventy-five acres of land, in Uppe r Free hold.
1758, October. Thomas Cox he ld six hundred acres of land, in Upper Freehold.
Issue
34 Mary Cox, born Oct. 2, 1725, as per Mrs. Mary Holmes Rue. 35 Richard Cox, born Nov. 14, 1727. 36 Thomas Cox, born Oct. 28, 1730. 37 Elizabeth Cox; mentioned in the will of her grandmother, Mary
Cox, in 1757. 38 Rebecca Cox; mentioned in the will of her grandmother, Mary
Cox, in 1757."
This last woman, Rebecca Cox, is believed by the author to be the wife of Thomas Ansley.
Source: John E. Stillwell, M.D. Historical and Genealogical Miscellany, III, pp. 173-4.