The Hardy Smith Timeline – Part 2 (Georgia)

Continued from Part 1

Following the clues left behind in Cumberland County, North Carolina, Hardy Smith can be found having migrated to Georgia.

Observing the migration to Georgia of Hardy’s Cumberland County neighbors and acquaintances (those living on the Black River and nearby Buie & McNeill Creek, as well as in Johnston County), it warrant’s a quick look at who those people were to show the migration of Hardy and reveal potential family relationships.

In October 1787, Richard Smith executes a deed in Cumberland County, NC (selling the last of his lands in North Carolina) with Solomon Porch for land on McNeill Creek. The deed shows, ” … between Richard Smith of the County of Wilks and State of Georgia of the one part … “. This shows that Richard has relocated to Georgia.

In Georgia, the first ‘effective’ land Act was the Act of 17 February 1783, which allowed a man to obtain 200 acres on his own headright free of any charge except office fees for a  survey and grant, plus an additional 50 acres for head of each member of his family at sale prices ranging from one to four shillings per acre (grants were limited a maximum 1000 acres). The ‘applicant’ for land would appear before the land court of the county in which he desired land and after making oath as to the size of his family, including slaves, would obtain a warrant of survey. The county surveyor would then lay out his land. After living on the land a year and cultivating at least three percent of the acreage, the man would then apply to the Governor’s office for his grant and pay all purchase price due and all office fees. The grant would then be issued and recorded.

Richard Smith was surveyed three tracts of land as part of his headright application. Tract 1 (warrant / survey) was for 100 acres, Wilkes County, in the fork of White’s Creek. Tract 2 (warrant / survey) was for 100 acres, Wilkes County, on Brier Creek.

Looking at the survey above, Richard’s 200 acres is bordered by William Wamack (Womack) and Sam’l Avara (Samuel Avera). Also noted the chain carrier was Needham Smith.

William Womack did survey a 200 acre tract in 1784 to later have Richard and Samuel Avera adjoin next to him in 1787/88. Is there a connection between Richard and William other then being new ‘neighbors’. One theory, not yet researched, is that William may be a son or kin to Benjamin Womack who lived in Cumberland County, NC on McNeill Creek and was a neighbor to Samuel Hart and Richard Smith. In fact in a Cumberland County deed on 19 December 1787 Samuel Hart & wife Febe Hart sells Benjamin Warmock {Womack} a 50 acre tract on McNeill Creek. The deed shows that Samuel Hart was of Wilkes, Georgia. The deed also shows that a Nathaniel and Ebenezer Folsom witnessed the deed. Nathaniel and Ebenezer are the grandson’s of Samuel Smith Sr (their mother was Edith Smith).

Samuel Avera’s land warrant was dated 2 June 1788 and was for 150 acres in lieu of an old warrant. The survey for this land was dated 10 June 1788 for 150 acres on Big Brier Creek. Samuel Avera is the son of William Avera who died in 1795/96 in Johnston County, North Carolina. His sister Lurana Avera married Nehemiah Smith of Johnston, who likely descends from either Samuel Smith Sr or John Smith Sr of Johnston County. I’ve come across Nehemiah in previous research and had gathered some preliminary information (post 1 / post 2). Why is this significant? With the knowledge of early pioneers settling in new lands, most would settle near family or others they knew as a means to get through the rough conditions and as protection in numbers from the Indians and unknown. Samuel Avera’s father was a close neighbor of John Smith Sr, his son John Smith Jr, Samuel Smith Sr and his son John Smith. Moving to the wilderness of Georgia and settling next to Richard Smith lends the theory that Samuel Avera and Richard Smith were neighbors as children assuming Richard descends from either John Smith Sr or Samuel Smith Sr.

The locations surveyed on White’s Creek, Brier Creek and Big Brier Creek is estimated to be within two miles of each other and today falls within McDuffie County, Georgia (nearest address for reference: 3730 Quail Farm Road, Thomson, Georgia). This location on the creeks was located in Wilkes County, Georgia and in 1792 fell into the tax district ‘PP/OO’ which was commanded by Captain Abbott and Capt Neal. These creeks are approximately located on the map below between the OO and PP right on the border.

In examining the 1786 Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Digest, the following individuals are listed among the list of taxable property (land in Wilkes) of Capt Newsom’s district: page 12 –  William Wheeler 400 acres; page 13 – Richard Smith 200 acres, William McCullers no acreage, William Smith 100 acres, Jeremiah Duckworth 400 acres; page 14 – John Grande 400 acres, William Womack 200 acres, Jacob Duckworth no acreage; page 15 – Richard Story 200 acres; page 16 – Samuel Hart 200 acres, William Averett 200 acres, John Averett 187 1/2 acres, Henry Champion no acreage, Brittian McCullers 120 acres; page 17 – Nathaniel A Smith 100 acres, Amy McCullers 400 acres

In the 1787 Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Digest, the following individuals are listed among the list of taxable property (land in Wilkes unless otherwise stated) of Capt Grubb’s district: page 77 – Samuel Avery 400 acres, William Wheeler 200 acres; John Wheeler no acreage, Nathan Britt 200 acres, William McCullers 354 acres, Emperor Wheeler 200 acres, Richard Smith 500 acres; page 78 – John Smith no acreage, William Smith 200 acres, Samuel Hart 200 acres in Wilkes and 100 acres in Washington, Joseph Cutts no acreage, John Wheeler no acreage; Henry Champion 300 acres; page 79 – Benjamin Smith listed as a defaulter.

In the 1791 Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Digest, the following individuals are listed among the list of taxable property (land in Wilkes unless otherwise stated) of Capt Grubb’s district: page 176 – Henry Champion 100 acres in Wilkes & 200 acres in Columbia, Alexander Smith 100 acres, Samuel Avera 167 acres in Wilkes & 275 acres in Washington, Hardy Smith 100 acres, Joseph Cutts no acreage, Samuel Hart 200 acres in Wilkes &100 acres in Washington; page 177 – Richard Smith 612 acres in Wilkes & 400 acres in Washington, Needham Smith 100 acres, William McCullers 100 acres, John Smith 100 acres, Benjamin Smith 100 acres, William Averit 216 acres.

As of the 1791 tax year Hardy Smith has seemed to follow Richard Smith, Samuel Hart and Henry Champion, all of them close neighbors of Hardy’s from Cumberland County, NC (a deed from both Samuel and Henry recorded in Cumberland County is found and show both of them from Wilkes County, Georgia).

An abstract from ‘A 1790 Census For Wilkes County, Georgia, Prepared from Tax Returns’ by Frank Parker Hudson, shows the following persons living in Wilkes County and within the District of Abbott / Neal: (Note, I believe the author has extracted the names of tax payers from 1792 tax returns to develop an adhoc 1790 Census for Wilkes County). Richard Smith 800 acres, Needham Smith 200 acres, Samuel Hart 200 acres,  William Smith 200 acres, Alexander Smith 100 acres, Hardey Smith 100 acres, John Smith 100 acres , Benjamin Smith 100 acres, William Wamack 100 acres.

The 1793 tax returns for Wilkes County, Georgia for Capt Newson’s district as shown in ‘Some Early Tax Digests of Georgia’, by Ruth Blair shows

• #53 Hardy Smith owns 100 acres pine land in Wilkes and adjoins Nunn land
• #10 John Nunn owns 406 acres pine land in Wilkes and adjoins Atkins land
• #83 Daniel Atkins owns 174 acres pine land in Wilkes and adjoins Smith land
• #33 Samuel Avera 167 acres pine land in Wilkes and adjoins Smith land; 287 1/2 acres oak/hickory land in Washington County and adjoins Jones land (note: it’s implied that he is living in Washington County by showing 1 free white male over 21 and 5 negroes/slaves)
• #26 Needham Smith owns 100 pine land acres in Wilkes and adjoins Smith
• #27 Alexander Smith owns 100 pine land acres in Wilkes and adjoins Franklin
• #29 William Franklin owns 100 pine land acres in Wilkes and adjoins Smith
• #11 Samuel Hart owns 200 acres pine land in Wilkes and adjoins Newsom land; 100 acres oak/hickory & 150 acres pine land in Washington County and adjoins Kelly land (note: it’s implied that he is living in Wilkes County by showing 1 free white male over 21 and 3 negroes/slaves)(Hart’s Washington County land was issued/granted 6 February 1792 adjoining Hannah & Kelly)
• #38 Henry Champion owns 300 acres pine land in Wilkes and adjoins vacant land
• #39 Henry Champion as Trustee for John Champion 100 acres pine land (county not listed) and adjoins Matthews
• #40 Henry Champion for Henry Champion Jnr owns 100 acres pine land (county not listed) and adjoins Matthews

It should be pointed out that Richard Smith is not within this list. Located in the Warren County, Georgia Deed Book A pg 249, abstract, “21 March 1792 Richard Smith of Washington Co to Needham Smith of Wilkes Co (now Warren), 100a more or less, 25pds, s Richard (R) Smith; w/ Joeday Newsom, Carter Newsome. Rec: 5 April 1797”, this is likely tract 2 listed above of Richard’s on Brier Creek.  This shows that Richard likely has moved to Washington County, Georgia. One explanation to this could be found, that a Richard Smith appears with the rank of Sergeant on a muster roll (11 July 1793 – 10 August 1793) of the 1st Regiment Calvary (Washington County) Georgia Militia, a detachment of militia dragoons commanded by Captain John Stokes. Also a member of this Regiment under Captain Hugh Irwin’s detachment (20 June 1793 – 31 October 1793) is Samuel Hart, rank of Private. These regiments were stationed at Long Bluff on the western edge of Washington County, on the Oconee River.

Back to the 1793 tax map, it should be noted that this area of Wilkes County, where the Smith’s lived, would became Warren County on 19 December 1793.

In circa 1793, Hardy’s son Stephen Smith was born. There are no details in Hardy’s pension paperwork that identify his wife/partner’s name or indicates the circumstances for their separation (i.e. divorce or death).

The 1794 tax returns still show Hardy living in Warren County in Trants District. Others of interest living in Trants are Alexander Smith, Benjamin Smith, John Smith, Henry Champion, Joseph Cutts, Samuel Hart, Abraham Hart, William Wilder.

On 5 January 1795 Hardy Smith along with Samuel Smith witnessed a deed in Warren County, Georgia (Deed Book B-074), between William Smith of Washington County to James McCormick. This deed was for 200 acres where McClain’s branch ran into Brier Creek, a grant of land that William Smith obtained on 7 January 1786.

It’s worth taking a moment to let the reader know that there is another Hardy Smith in Georgia during this time that could cloud or confuse record searches. This second Hardy Smith was born 16 September 1760 in Warren County, North Carolina. After the revolution he says that he moved to Hancock County, Georgia to Wilkes County back to Hancock then to Talbot County, then to Meriwether County and finally to Troup County, Georgia.

It is supposed, about this time that Hardy either moved to Washington County or frequented it often as Haywood Brookin, Ordinary of Washington County, Georgia certified (letter submitted as part of Hardy’s Pension Application) that Hardy married Rebecca Thompson on 16 November 1796 in Washington County. Many secondary sources show that Rebecca was born circa 1772, she would have been about 24 and Hardy 39 when they married.

In circa 1799 and 1801, Hardy’s sons Thompson Smith and Hardy Smith Jr were born, respectively. Rebecca is about 27 when Thompson is born and about 29 when Hardy is born.

A deed, selling Hardy’s land in Warren County has not be located, however, in a 20 April 1803 edition of, ‘The Louisville Gazette; and Republican Trumpet‘, a notice appears showing Hardy Smith as having a letter remaining in the Post Office at Louisville as of the first day of April 1803. This shows that Hardy may no longer be living in Warren County and relocated to Jefferson County (where Louisville located) or in eastern portion of Washington County.

In circa 1805, Hardy’s son Lofton Smith was born. Rebecca is about 33 when Lofton is born.