Clinch County, Georgia Genealogy Records: Wills and Estates
Clinch County was created on Feb. 14, 1850, by an act of the General Assembly (Ga. Laws 1849-50, p. 126). Georgia’s 95th county was created from portions of Lowndes and Ware counties. Estate records do not begin until 1868.
Earliest settlers: Charles Cowart, Penelope Carter, Abraham Griffis, John Knight, Thomas Nettles, J. A. Osteen, Isham Pattison, David J. Sirmans, William E. Smith, John M. Williams.
Earliest settlers: Charles Cowart, Penelope Carter, Abraham Griffis, John Knight, Thomas Nettles, J. A. Osteen, Isham Pattison, David J. Sirmans, William E. Smith, John M. Williams.
Clues into Military Names and Ranks: The Clinch County Militia of 1861
Family Legends are interesting, but they rarely provide accurate information. I have a friend who insisted that he was related to ” General Robert E. Lee.” However, proper genealogical research into census and county records revealed that to be impossible. However, he did have a Lee ancestor born in North Carolina in 1787 by the name of ” Jeneral” Lee. First names such as “Majer” and “Jeneral” were commonly used to name children in some regions of the country. However, these names had nothing to do with rank. Yet, the title of ” Colonel” was frequently used, probably by residents who served in local militias and achieved some sort of rank. A senior resident, for example, who may have earned the rank of Captain or Major in the Militia, might be respectfully addressed as ” Colonel.” Although the peculiarity of names might present some issues to the researcher, it best serves as clues of generations past. State Archives catalog the names of persons who served in the militia and this source should be exhausted in order to clarify who held rank and where they served.
Find your Ancestors in the Georgia Bible Records Online Images of Wills 1868 to 1911 Miscellaneous Images of Wills
Testators:
Booth, Irwin
Crawford, C. C.
Fender, Martin
Herring, Charity
Jones, Fannie
Mattox, Franklin
Moore, William
Sirmans, Daniel
Smith, David
Smith, William
Stotesberry, Peter
Marriages
- Index 1867 to 1874
- Index to Licenses 1874 to 1889
Indexes to Probate Records
- Will Book C 1868 to 1911.
- Warrants of Appraisements, Book A, 1895 to 1916
- Warrants of Appraisements, Book B, 1896 to 1960
- Deeds, Homesteads, Apprenticeships
- Will Book D 1911-1966
Imagine the Hard Times while Researching Ancestors
Genealogy Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin
Have you ever imagined yourself as a Colonial citizen during the Revolutionary War? What if you were in occupied Savannah or Charleston? Food was rationed and the British Navy prevented you from transporting your crops to market. Merchant ships arrived with staples and supplies for the British Army. Your home was used to house British officers. They ate all of your farm animals and garden vegetables. You were observed by Loyalists who assisted the British. Your loved ones were out in the countryside fighting battles and skirmishes. They had joined for a three-month stretch in order to return home and plant/harvest the crops. But the city was occupied and they could not return. So they signed up for another three-month term and were sent to fight other battles. This is the sort of activity that the genealogist should envision in order to track ancestors during one of the worst periods in history. A little imagination leads to the discovery of certain avenues of research, and records.
The Lovely Garden
The early colonists took their ideas from old England, particularly with respect to building cottages and manor houses. And they also included lovely gardens for strolling, as well as kitchen gardens. The first settlers were eager to construct a vigorous economy and mindful of the agricultural landscape. Many of the plants and hedges which we enjoy today are leftovers from English stock.
