xt7jq23qz73d https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7jq23qz73d/data/mets.xml Jefferson County, Georgia Georgia Historical Records Survey 1940 Prepared by The Georgia Historical Records Survey, Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration; Other contributors include: United States Works Progress Administration, Division of Professional and Service Projects; ix, 231 pages: illustrated, maps, plans, 28 cm; Mimeographed; UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries; Call number FW 4.14:G 296/no.81 books English Atlanta: The Survey This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Georiga Works Progress Administration Publications Inventory of the County Archives of Georgia, Number 81 Jefferson County (Louisville) text Inventory of the County Archives of Georgia, Number 81 Jefferson County (Louisville) 1940 1940 2015 true xt7jq23qz73d section xt7jq23qz73d     L5 map/m¤.@x I
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    INVENTORY OF THE COUNTY ARCHIVES
    OF GEORGIA
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    The Georgia Historical Records Survey ·
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    ; Work Projects Administration
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  Q The Georgia Historical Records Survey
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Philip Warren, State Supervisor K m
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Blanche M. Ralston, Chief Regional Supervisor {
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WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION rg gm
 
F. C. Harrington, Commissioner LQ Di
Malcolm J. Miller, Regional Director _Q SS
R. L. MacD0ugall, State Administrator A? Sa
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Jefferson County Commissioners of X
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% The Tnyeptp£y_pf the Qppppy érphiyes pf Georgia is one of a number of
T bibliographies of historical materials prepared throughout the United States
{ by workers on the Historical Records Survey Program of the Nork Projects Ad-
j ministration. The publication herewith presented, an inventory of the ar-
i chives cf Jefferson County, is No. Sl of the Georgia series.
i The Historical Records Survey Program was undertaken in the winter of
¥ l955-36 for the purpose of providing useful employment to needy unemployed
T historians, lawyers, teachers, and research and clerical workers. In carry-
gl ing out this objective, the project was organized to compile inventories of
F historical materials, particularly the unpublished government documents and
i records which are basic in the administration of local government, and which
Q; provide invaluable data for students of political, economic, and social his-
§ tory. The archival guide herewith presented is intended to meet the require-
ry ments of day-to-day administration by the officials of the county, and also
Q the needs of lawyers, business men, and other citizens who require facts from
AQ the public records for the proper conduct of their affairs. The volume is so
li designed that it can be used by the historian in his research in unprinted
? sources in the same way he uses the library card catalog for printed sources.
gt The inventories produced by The Historical Records Survey attempt to do
Q more than give merely a list of records — they attempt further to sketch in
g the historical background of the county or other unit of government, and to
E describe precisely and in detail the organization and functions of the gov-
; ernment agencies whose records they list. The county, town, and other local
T inventories for the entire county will, when completed, constitute an ency-
rt clopedia of local government as well as a bibliography of local archives.
T
`Q The successful conclusion of the work of the Historical Records Survey
{ Program, even in a single county, would not be possible without the support
“ of public officials, historical and legal specialists, and many other groups
Q in the community. Their cooperation is gratefully acknowledged.
l r
t The Survey Program was organized by Luther H. Evans, who served as
T Director until his appointment as Director of the Legislative Reference
g° Service of the Library of Congress. He was succeeded on Warch l, lddb, by
`_ Sargent B. Child, who had served in the capacity of Field Supervisor since
2 the inauguration of the Survey. The Survey Frogram.operates as a Nation-
§ wide series of locally sponsored projects in the Division of Professional
i“ and Service Projects, of which Mrs. Florence Kerr, Assistant Commissioner,
§ is in charge.
E F. C. HARRTNGTCY
g Commissioner
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yl PREFACE
l The Historical Records Survey in Georgia was organized in October 1956,
1 as an independent state unit of the Nation-wide Federal Project No. 1 of the
¥ Works Progress Administration, under the supervision of Dr. Luther H. Evans,
ji National Director. The project at the beginning wes set up as part of the
% Federal Writers' Project, and is indebted to Mrs. Carolyn P. Dillard, State
§ Director of that project, for its initiation. Miss Annie Laurie Hill was in
yi charge of the Historical Records Survey as Assistant State Supervisor under
lg Mrs. Dillard until November 1956, when the survey was separated from the
QJ Writers' Project. Raiford J. Wood was named State Director in November 1956
se and served in such capacity until July 1939, at which time the present State
t Supervisor was appointed. On September 1, 1959, the transfer of the Survey
¥ from a Federal project to the status of a State—wide project was effected,
M
t The principal objective of the Survey in Georgia is to prepare complete
% inventories of the public archives of the State and its political subdivisions,
? and to make readily accessible to research students and historians this large
A store of source material. Such a survey should greatly aid and encourage a
é more systematic study of local governmental structure and should point the
y way to an improvement in the methods of storage and preservation of both cur-
{ rent and non—current records. The officials of Jefferson County are to be
{ commended for the thought and care which has been given to the arrangement,
2 filing, indexing and preservation of their records.
% The arrangement of agencies in Part B of the inventory classifies them
u according to governmental function: Administration; registration of property
g titles; administration of justice; law enforcement; finance; elections; educa-
g; tion; health; welfare; public works; and miscellaneous. The structural organ-
ji ization of the agency, the powers and duties (or jurisdiction of courts), and
»i the records requirements are discussed in a section preceding the inventory of
t’ the records of each agency. Records are classified, in general, according to
the agencies which make them, unless other disposition of the records is di-
°i rected by law, Under agencies, records have been classified, insofar as possi-
1 ble, according to the subjects with which they deal.
gl Records are described in entries whose style is formalized to give the
Q following information: Title of record, dates for which available, quantity,
E labeling of volumes or containers, information on missing records or discon-
ml tinuance, variant titles, description of record contents, manner of arrange-
lz ment, indexing, nature of recording, size of volumes or containers, and
f location,
l
T The Inventory of County Archives in Georgia will, when completed, consist
§ of a separate, numbered volume for each county in the State, Each county unit
y of the series is numbered according to its respective position in an alphabeti-
i cal list of Georgia's 159 counties, Thus, the Inventory of Jefferson County
$ becomes No. 8l, in accordance with such list. The Inventory of the State
{ archives, of muiicipal and other local records, will constitute separate publi-
? cations,
i The Survey was begun in Jefferson County in August 1938, and the initial
Q field work was completed in February 1939. The initial inventory was rechecked
` in November and December of 1959. For the completeness and accuracy of the
l inventory of the records, the field workers are responsible. The preliminary

 1 vi  
Q Preface U
  - al
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J drafts of the essays and entries were prepared by the State Office staff, H
,_ and were edited by Harold Warnell, State-wide Project Technician. 3
Z1  
f The Georgia staff has profited in all phases of its work by the con- Q
V structive advice and criticism of the Washington staff. This inventory g
V in manuscript form was edited by Mabel S. Brodie, assistant archivist in "
charge of public records inventories, of the staff of the Library of Congress y
" project in the District of Columbia. K
·¤ ZY
r . . . . . U
‘ The publication of this volume is made possible largely through the y
generous assistance rendered on behalf of Jefferson County by the Commission- g
»i ers of Roads and Revenue. The valuable assistance rendered by other officials %
of Jefferson County is also gratefully acknowledged. {
‘ {
T Grateful acknowledgement is also made for the aid given by the various U
i workers and officials of the State and District offices of the Work Projects J
i Administration.
· PHlLIT‘WARREN i
· State Supervisor 9
The Georgia Historical Records Survey X
I Atlanta, Georgia _` I
hay 1940 ?
 
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y TABLE OF CONTENTS
t
yi A. Jefferson County and Its Records System
» ,
t Page
_ 3
§ l. Historical Sketch ...... . ...°............. l
fi Maps of Evolution of Boundaries of Jefferson County ...... 55
WFOSS g Fopulation of Jefferson County to l95O ,.......... . 54
U { 2. Governmental Organization and Records System .......... 55
3 Chart of Governmental Organization ......,....... 65
li 5. Housing, Care, and Accessibility of the Records ......... 67
SiOn_ ly `Floor Plans .· ......................... 74
iCi&lS S 4. Abbreviations, Symbols, and Explanatory Notes .......... 77
 -
yg B. County Offices and Their Records p
;§;; y I. Board of Commissioners of Roads and Revenue ........... Sl
i Minutes. Receipts and Expenditures. Warrants. Tax.
z
§ II. Superior Court Clerk as Ex Officio County Recorder ....... 87
g Real and Fersonal Property: Filing Docket; Deeds;
5 Mortgages; Land Title Registers. Homesteads.
i Charters of Incorporation. Professional Registra~
_ i tion. Game Register,
ey V
U III. Superior Court and Clerk . . .................. 93
l Civil: Case Papers and Pleadings; Dockets;
§ Minutes and lreeeedings. Criminal: Case
I Papers; Dockets; Minutes and Proceedings.
i Bonds: Appearance; Official. Juries. Finan-
i cial Reports. Notaries Public and Ex Officio
§ Justices of the Peace. Voters and Elections.
§ Newspapers. Maps. _
Q IV. Solicitor General ........................ lO5
€
E V. Jury Commissioners ....................... lO8
g VI. Grand Jury ....... . ................... lO9
{ rresentments
3 VII. Inferior Court .................... . .... lla
é Sitting for County lurposes. Sitting as a
{ Court of Ordinary. Sitting as a Court of Law.
Q VIII. Court of Ordinary and Clerk ................... l2O
g Minutes. Wills. Estates: Case rapers; Let-
Q ters, Representatives of Estates;`DocLets;
g Bonds, Representatives of Estates; Inventories
E and Appraisements; Widows Years Support; Accounts
g and Sales; Division of Estates; Returns; Letters
i of Dismission. Lunacy Records. Marriages. Home-
§ steads and Exemptions. Voters and Elections.
I Official Bonds. Soldiers and Sailors: Confeder-
§ ate Records; World War Records. Spirituous Liquors.
Q
 

 1
_1 viii g
L Table of Contents N
g Licenses. Business and Professional 1
,f Registration. Estrays. Newspapers. Maps. 1
{ County Iurposes. Miscellaneous. L
qf   X
T IX. County Administrator ...................... 159 1
' 4%:
X. County Court .......................... 159 j XX
“ Civil. Criminal. E
X1. County Court Solicitor ...... . .......... . . . . 142 y
XII. City Court of Louisville and Clerk ...... . ..... . . . 142 i
7 Civil: Case Papers; Dockets; Minutes and lro» 2
` oeodings. Criminal: Case Fapors; Dockets; Con-
Q victions. Juries. 1
  ‘
1 XII!. City Court Solicitor ...................... 147 I
p XII. Criminal Court ......... . ..... . . . .....¤. 148 E7
I 1“ X
XV. District Court ......................... 150 ]
. 1
XVI. District Attorney ........ . .... . . . ........ 152 .`
  1 1 XXL
1 XVII. Justice of the Peace Courts ...... . ...... , ..... 155 ¥
1 1
1 76th Militia Distr ct. 77th lilitia .‘1, District. g
7Ctn Militia District. 79th Militia District. 3 .X
. . .. . . .. . .1 . . I. . x
Blst Militia District. 82d milrtia District: g
Case Papers; Dockets. €5d Militia District. Q
Cath Militia District. 85th Militia District. 1 I
1460th Militia District. 1595d Militia District. §
XVIII. Constables ........................... 159 § 3Q
XIX. County Attorney ................. . . ...... 160 E
XK. Coroner . . . . ........ . ...... . . ........ 161 "* ECD
lnquosts. y
K
XXI. Sheriff ............................. 165 `
Dxocutions and Sales. Tax Records. Criminal M
Reo—rds. »
_ . XXII. Tax Receiver ...... . ........... . . . ..... 166 1
a z
ltotu rns .  
XXIII. Toard of Tax Assessors ....... . . . . . . . ....... 168 @
. 1
· XX1V. Tax Collector .......................... 170
Tax Digests. Tax Receipts. Cash Books. I
1 Tax Execution Dock ts and Fiori Facias. —
` Voters and Tloetioas. Miscellaneous.
FLYT. Tret1nire1· ..... . ..................... . 174 ·
Receipts and Expenditures. County Bonds. Audits. p
V i

 1
1
1} ix
·» .
1 Table of Contents
li . . . ,,
1 XXVI. Registrars .... . . . . ._ ......... . . . . . .... 177
i Voters.
1 XXVII. Board of Education ....................... 178
159 T Minutes.
’1
159 ? XXVIII. Superintendent of Schools ..........,... . .... 183
. Financial Records. Teachers. Pupils.
Q Miscellaneous. Correspondence.
142 §
11 #§;IX. Board of Health ..... . ....... . .......... 187
142 1 Minutes.
1 XXX. District Commissioner of Health ................ 18%
1 Vital Statistics: Births; Deaths. Sanitation.
{ Reports. Correspondence. Medical Examinations.
147 _
1 XXXI. County Physician ....... . ............... . 195
me  
§ XXXII. Department of Public Welfare . . . . .... . ......... 19%
15Q { Cases. Applications. Investigations. Special
1 . . . -», `
* Assistance. Financial hecords.
152 1
Q XXXIII. Superintendent of Roads .................... 199
155 1 Penal Institutions.
§
' XXXIV. Road Commissioners .................. . . . . . 20l
1 Roads.
1 XXXV. County Surveyor . . ........... . ........ . . ECE
1 Plats.
1 .
159 1 XXXVI. County Agricultural Agent ................... 204
1 Federal Government Activities. 4-H Clubs.
16O 3 Miscellaneous.
:1
1
J ..,. . . ,
161 ‘_ XAXVII. County Home Demonstration Agent ................ 207
I Bibliography .......................... Z39
165 * Roster of First County Officials ................ 215
1 Roster of Present County Officials ............... 217
1 Chronological Index .................... . . 219
1 Subject Index ......................... 221
1 165 { Publications of The Georgia Historical Records Survey ..... 251
. 168 1
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yi l. HISTORICAL SIETCI
é Physical Features
E Jefferson County is situated in the eastern central part of Georgia
. and has an area of 646 square miles.(l) It is irregular in outline, its
1 greatest length being north and south. On the north it is bounded gener-
_ ally by the counties of Glascock, Warren, McDuffie, and Richmond; on the
Q east, by Burke; on the south, by Emanuel and Johnson; and on the west, by
Q Washington. The county was created by an act of the General Assembly of
l February 20, 1796, from the two older counties of Burke and Marren.(2) Since
j that time only minor changes have been made in the county's boundary lines.
§ (5) Jefferson County was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, who became
( Vice President of the United States a year after its creation and President
Q in iaoi.
Q Jefferson County lies in the upper part of the coastal plain. The
Q surface is a gently undulating plain, generally well drained by a number of
yy streams, the most important of which are the Ogeechee River and Rocky Com~
l fort, Big, and Reedy Creeks. The land slopes in a general southeasterly
ly direction, varying in elevation from 495 to 254 feet. There are a large
l number of soils which differ in texture, color, and structure, making pos~
it sible a diversified agriculture. Approximately two—thirds of the land is
§ clear and open, and the rest is covered with brush and trees, consisting
§ principally of second~growth pine and scrub oah.(4)
Q The climate of Jefferson County is mild. Farming operations can be
.Q carried on during the entire year. There is generally no killing frost
g from the latter part ef [arch until early Xovenber, giving an average grow-
Q ing period of 226 days. The annual mean rainfall is something over 45.5
§ inches and is fairly well distributed throughout the year. There is more
_§ rainfall in the summer and less in the autumn.(5)
 
§V Early History
.1
l Before the English colonization of Georgia, Indian traders had found
§ their way into the region that was to become Jefferson County. Tradition
J has it that by the time of General Oglethorpe's arrival, in 1755, there
‘ were settlers at Gnlphinton, the trading post cn the Ogeechec River estab-
{ lished by George Galphin.(6) At any rate, during the period when Georgia
 
{ ~• ·• — — ·- • — - ·- - ·· - - »- - - —· -·· -· — - — — •» — ·- »· — - - - — - - - - - -
3 1) Fifteenth Census of the United States, 195C, Population, I, 227.
é 2) Horatio Marbury and William H. Crawford,   pf the State
Q of Georgia from its settlement as a British Province, in l7§5_tp_the
   E E?    ·· I€m¤¤¤¤· NOEL
é 169.
l 3) Ga. Acts lGlO, pp. 98, 99; 1859, p. 55; 1555-54, p. 519; 1855-56, pp.
l 125-155; 1357, p. 229; l858, p. 45; l86C, pp. 15C, 159.
Q 4) Soil Survey of Jefferson County, Georgia, by H. T. Avon Durke, et al,
§ Geries l95U,~Uumber 26 (nip., n.dTl, 1, 2, 7, 51. ——-__
$5 5) is id . ,  
( 6) Mrs. Z. V. Thomas, History of Jefferson County (Macon, Ga., 1927), 17;
E George G. Smith, The Gtery EF Georgia—and the Georgia People, 1752 to
E AEQQ (Macon, Ga.,—l9OG7T_2l7tl-*`-———·—_———- —-__-__—- ___—-__
 

  * Q
i 2 [ 
, Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 85) ll HZ
Q Early History l
 2  
>i Jil 2
il was a royal province, settlers began to arrive in this backwoods region in Q l?
Q considerable numbers. M 6]
v`  fri   pi Saint George   19*
A Q A1
' The General Assembly of Georgia passed an act in March 1758, dividing Tw D
" the province into parishes, and establishing "Religious Worship therein ac- i Oi
Ԥ eording to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England...."(l) The Q
`” boundaries of the parish of Saint George were defined as the "District of j
I Halifax, extending from the North West boundaries of the Parish of Saint Q Tl
Matthew, up the River Savannah from the Mouth of Hackbeen's Swamp, to the K Y
i Head thereof; and from thence to the head of Lambol’s Creek, to the river { F
Great Ogeechee...."(2) The same act gave wide powers to the officials and 3 U
Q provided for the erection of a church, rectory, and cemetery in the parish. Q H
‘l (S) Saint George included approximately what is new Burke, Screven, and [ U
Jefferson Counties. Q &`
_ The parish had two representatives in the Commons House of the Assenmly Q ’M
2 of the Colony.(Q) On one occasion, in l76l, some of the freeholders of the i &
` parish protested against the election of two representatives as "Illegal and Q U
{ Contrary to the real Intentions of the Majority of the Inhabitants...."(5) it p
I The proceedings of the legislature of the colony show that there was con- y Q
Q siderable activity on the frontier which was to become Jefferson County. In §{ d
ll l7GO the members from Saint George reported "that they had examined the {
‘ State and Condition of the Fort within that Parish and found that in order I @
j to render the same defensible it will require Six Swivel Gunns and Ammuni- j _—
tion."(3) The Indians were a problem to the settlers of the parish. Some ih
of the settlers, for their protection, formed "an Association to assist one fi ¤*
another in attacking or even killing any Indians who should come into their Qs P]
Settlement and kill or carry away their Cattle or Horses or do any kind of lr Wi
Injury to the white People...." Governor James Wright condemned such·"il— iga Q
legal Schemes" of "these Associators" in letters to the captains of the l_ V?
militia companies and promised the people protection "on their behaving fj V‘
in a Manner becoming good Colonists...."(7) qi ‘u
 A,` 3 F:
The tide of immigration into Georgia by way of Virginia and North ig CE
Carolina, instead of Savannah, began a number of years before the Revolu— Q} Q
tion. Generally these immigrants had been engaged in raising tobacco, and, ll W
when their soil had become exhausted, they moved on to find new and richer { (-
land. These people, called Crackers, seemed strange and uncouth to the mon Q
who came direct from Europe. They had become Americanized long before Qi {
reaching Georgia, and to them may be credited the stiffest resistance to if ·
· British rule in the years that followed. These people, and those who in Q _
_ .; 7
.......................................   {
I) The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia, compiled by Allen D. Candler TQ °
K]§»Ei§{€a‘, "`c;[.,`,“;is>‘o`4i.`-1‘§),”§4 `vbis. TE W, xviii, zss,  i, *
“ 2) Ibid., 259. Fl E
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g; 4)   xiii, ¢ll7.   *
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;5) % Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 85)
pl Early History
@
in Y like manner came later, furnished by far the majority of citizens cf middle
é and upper Georgia.(l) The Governor and the English gentlemen of Savannah
Q did not seem to understand the independent and democratic nature of the
l backwoodsmen. Governor Wright thought it imperative to keep a garrison at
Q iugusta because the people there "were not only liable to the Insults of the
LEE { Indians but also those of a parcel of people commonly called Crackers, a set
ac- p of Vagabonds often as bad or worse than the Indians themselves...."(2)
I`
1e *
jp C The General Assembly of the Colony passed various bills for laying out
3 [ roads in Saint George's Parish.(5) In 1763, a bill passed the Commons House
,0 I for building a courthouse in the parish,(4) but there is no record of its
EF § passing the Upper House. When the people of Augusta petitioned the legis-
lnd V lature for a county court at which the inhabitants of Saint George were to
ish. V attend, the latter protested and prayed that they might have a county court
1 Q in their own parish or "be permitted to bring their Causes before the Courts
{ at Savannah as formerly--"(B) But whether or not the parish ever had a
°r county court, many justices were appointed and courts of conscience were es-
enmly i, tablished.(6) Before the outbreak of the American Revolution the Parish of
the l· Saint George was so "Extensive and Populous" that two Courts of Conscience
l and {i had been established there "for the ease of the Inhabitants...one at the
(5) g place called the Court House at Halifax and the other at the Township of
n- j Queensborough...." To avoid confusion as to jurisdiction, the parish was
. ln Q divided into two districts.(7)
·I
dor { Queensboropgh
ni- ?
Omg § Halifax, the older part of the Parish of Saint George, lay in what is
Omg i now Burke County, but Queensborough Township and Galphinton were within the
hgir é present boundaries of Jefferson County.(8} The founding of Queensborough
Of 3 was an important event in the settlement of upper Georgia. In 1766, the
il_ Q General Assembly passed an act to encourage settlers tc come into the pro-
§ vince, and granted over 1800 pounds sterling for the purpose.(9) This
{ venture was principally the work of John Rae and George Galphin who had
i "greatly at Heart the settling a Township in this Province with Protestant
1 Families from the north of Ireland...." The Governor approved the plan,
it calling attention to "the great Utility and Advantage the Province in gen-
u_ Y, eral would reap from strength'ning the Frontier...." The Irish did not
and, 1 come in 1766, for South Carolina offered them better inducements to settle.
her #i (10)
mon  
O l) Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Georgia and State Rights (Washington, 1902),
n QV 87—89.
,, 2) Colonial Records of Georgia, XIV, 475, d7G.
_ _ _ L 3) For exampleiwsee Colonial Records of Georgia, XIV, 32.
Candler ·i Q) Colonial Records EErGeorgia, XVIIQjEZT—`
3 5) """“Ibid.,_$fII`*"E"Pv’, v.eT""`"""
  e) TEE., 1;, sez.
7) Ibid., XIX, part 2, pp. 51-55.
.- 8) Rev[ George White, Historical Collections of Georgia...(New York, 1854],
, I 502. _—_`—`"—__"——`_——”—_""—`_-—”_—m
I 9) Colonial Records of Georgia, XIV, 5d8; XVII, 263.
, 10)  ,`ZO`2`T——"
‘j

 I  
J 4 I ?
, Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 85) I g
Z, Early History [
T2  
7) The Governor granted 50,000 acres of land "on the Branches of Ogeechee" ," D
E to be reserved for three years. The land was not taken up in the given time, Qi é,
if and in 1768 the reservation was extended for one year on condition that"the {§ C
it Quakers, for whom a Reserve is made of Twelve thousand Acres on Little River, _1 S,
. (1) choose to Settle on the said fifty thousand Acres they are to be aocomo- ;
i . dated- Nevertheless Lambtons big Creek is to be reserved intirely (sig) for A
It the Irish Settlement."(2) These Irish, or Scotch-Irish, were good bargainers. ‘j V,
{ They refused to embark for Georgia until they were assured that "they could { W
` have their Passage paid, their lands laid out free of Expence, and exempted )l C.
I from Taxes for ten Years."(5) The General Assembly was considering a bill it H,
for an additional 600 pounds toward the project,(4) when the "Royal Disal- E tz
, lowance of the former Act arrived...," placing before the Governor "impedi— 5 ti
ments to his countenancing any such Encouragement...."(5) VQ fj
l "4 THE
‘ However, the veto from the royal government came too late. The Irish { ·m
~ were on their way to Georgia. Early in December 1768, over a hundred immi— { m
grants arrived in Savannah from Northern Ireland "in the Ship Prince George, fi D<
1 Captain Beatty...." Since John Rae had acted "upon the Public faith" in l e<
j bringing them over, the Governor and Council thought the next tax bill vg ij
I should provide a sum "to be applied to the use and encouragement of the A
E persons now come in...."(6) 2
I it ty
E These Scotch—Irish settled in the Parish of Saint George in Queensbor- jg M
li ough Township on the land which the colony had provided for them, which they It ag
Z found "extremely good, and Capable of any Cultivation...." They reported ji M
I to their friends in Ireland their favorable reception in Georgia, and a ;‘ U
year later another group arrived "in the Ship Hopewell, Thomas Ashe, Master, ji C,
from Belfast...." These settlers, "chiefly Farmers," found their rents and QQ T,
taxes in Ireland extremely oppressive. Some came over "upon Redemption, yet fg -“l  al
the far greater part...paid their Passage...." They were industrious, but fa pj
_ the expense of emigration made it imperative to ask the aid of the Governor QQ g,
“ to enable them "to get up to their Lands" in Queensborough Township.(7) lr pg
The General Assembly appropriated 200 pounds to aid this second group. ’V
John Rae and Samuel Elbert were appointed to disburse the fund.(8) ` Q
M re
During the following years, more settlers from Ireland arrived. Early Q is
in 1771, another group arrived in the Hopewell. The government of the f {I
colony seems to have been reluctant to—give them money and paid John Rae U 11
only 50 pounds to aid them.in getting settled.(9) About 200 more arrived lf St
in 1772 and "more are daily Expected...." Rae reported that "all the Q
  `J
· 1) This was the settlement of‘Hrightsborough, now in McDuffie County. KT E
E. Merton Coulter, A Short History of Georgia (Chape1 HIII, 1953), 92, Q; ”
2) Colonial Records of_Georgia;—l€:dEd5T_ —-— y, 4
5) `fiifd., xvii, 4©2." "   C
4) Ibid., 406; XIV, 550, 559. jj “
‘ 5) Ibid., X, 671, 672. Q; €
I 6) Ibid., 672; XV, 71. “} {
g 7) Ibid., XV, 70-72. Ԥ "
> 8) Ibid., XV, 75, 74, 81; XIX, part l, p. 182. Q? E
Q 9) Ibid., XV, 271, 272, 288. T3 %§

 I
 T
, 5
85) t Historical Sketch {First entry, p. S5)
? Early History
f
I
h€€" ? plantable Land within Queensborough Township are already laid out and Grant-
time, { ed to the Irish Settlers who formerly Arrived....“ The Governor and Coun-
th€ § eil reseryed an additional 25,000 acres adjoining the township for the new
,iver, I settlers.\l
emo- ;
g) for ii The aid extended by Georgia to "the Irish Settlers" after their arri-
.iners. g= val was considerable. Various men had to be paid to survey the land and
>uld § audit the accounts involved in settlement.(2) The principal interest of the
>ted ig colony in the settlement of this frontier region appears to have been eco-
.ll yi nomic. Georgia wanted to foster "the speedy Settlement of the back Coun-
L1- i trey" in order to build up her commercial importance to rank with those of
edi- ¥t the other Americai Colonies. The tax act of 1770 appropriated ten pounds for
I flaxseed te be distributed by John Rae to the new settlers.(3) Although the
3 manufacture of Irish linen proved unsuccessful in the backwoods of Georgia,
Lsh Q the land was settled by a sturdy stock of people who, with their descend-
mai- é ants, played a conspicuous part in the history of the colony and the State.
grge, § De Brahm, "his £ajesty*s Surveyor- General" for the Southern colonies, visit-
q y ed Queensborough soon after its settlement and found that the town had 70
§ inhabitants with some 200 families living nearby.(d)
I
{ Many thousands of acres of land were given to settlers in the region
Q that became Jefferson County. A great many of the names can easily be
bor- I identified as prominent residents later in county and State affairs, such
they i as Thomas and Jared Irwin, and John and Amos Emanuel, who were given land
ed § in l769.(5) In l770, 28 men were graited numbered lots in Queensborough,
i (6) which were exempted from quit rents for a period of ten years.(7) 0c-
ster, Q casionally the settlers sent petitions to the General Assembly praying for
and é roads(d) or more just