The Genealogy & Family History Social Network
Talbot, Taylor & Upson Counties
Hello, all interested in Talbot, Taylor and Upson Counties! My surname interests in these counties are MANSON, BIRDSONG, and BROWN. Here are the particulars:
MANSON: My ggg-grandmother, Jane Manson and her two daughters, Matilda (my gg-grandmother) and Mary C., were free women of color and listed on the 1850 census of Talbot County. Jane, born in about 1826, was said to have been the daughter of a white woman, Charlotte Manson, and "a man of the Creole race." Jane drops off the census (at least under the name Manson--more on that below) after 1850. In 1857, Jane appears in the Taylor County Superior Court records, having been convicted of running "a lewd house," for which offense she was fined $10.45. Matilda disappears from census records until 1880 when she turns up in Upson County with her son Otis (my g-grandfather) living in close proximity to a white man, George Preston BIRDSONG.
BROWN: In October 1853, a white man, Nathaniel Brown (b. 1787, North Carolina) conveyed to "Mary C. Manson, daughter of Jane Manson, with love and affection, 1/2 acre pineland where Jane Manson now lives." The Taylor County deed described the parcel as "southwest corner of land conveyed" to Brown by three others. Mary C. Manson would have been about 8 years old at the time. In 1856, Brown, a wealthy landowner, swsore in an affidavit in Taylor County Superior Court that he knew Jane Manson to be a free woman of color and that Jane Manson was "commonly called Jane Brown."
BIRDSONG: As noted above, Matilda Manson and her son in 1880 lived in close proximity to George Preston Birdsong. In fact, Matilda's household is listed next after Birdsong's in the Upson County records. Birdsong was the scion of a prominent antebellum Georgia family; his father had been sheriff of Upson County and Captain of the Upson Guards militia. "Preston" as the son was known, had served in the 5th Georgia Infantry with his brother Albert. By 1880, most of the Birdsong family wealth in Upson County was gone. Preston lived alone and apart from the rest of the family. In 1884, Preston Birdsong, his brother Albert, and Matilda Manson and her son Otis, all left Georgia for Milam County, Texas. They did not share a household, but according to family lore, Birdsong visited Matilda's children and grandchildren every Sunday at the train station in Rockdale, Texas.
Obviously, I want to know more about all these folks, as well as what life was like in western Georgia.
MANSON: My ggg-grandmother, Jane Manson and her two daughters, Matilda (my gg-grandmother) and Mary C., were free women of color and listed on the 1850 census of Talbot County. Jane, born in about 1826, was said to have been the daughter of a white woman, Charlotte Manson, and "a man of the Creole race." Jane drops off the census (at least under the name Manson--more on that below) after 1850. In 1857, Jane appears in the Taylor County Superior Court records, having been convicted of running "a lewd house," for which offense she was fined $10.45. Matilda disappears from census records until 1880 when she turns up in Upson County with her son Otis (my g-grandfather) living in close proximity to a white man, George Preston BIRDSONG.
BROWN: In October 1853, a white man, Nathaniel Brown (b. 1787, North Carolina) conveyed to "Mary C. Manson, daughter of Jane Manson, with love and affection, 1/2 acre pineland where Jane Manson now lives." The Taylor County deed described the parcel as "southwest corner of land conveyed" to Brown by three others. Mary C. Manson would have been about 8 years old at the time. In 1856, Brown, a wealthy landowner, swsore in an affidavit in Taylor County Superior Court that he knew Jane Manson to be a free woman of color and that Jane Manson was "commonly called Jane Brown."
BIRDSONG: As noted above, Matilda Manson and her son in 1880 lived in close proximity to George Preston Birdsong. In fact, Matilda's household is listed next after Birdsong's in the Upson County records. Birdsong was the scion of a prominent antebellum Georgia family; his father had been sheriff of Upson County and Captain of the Upson Guards militia. "Preston" as the son was known, had served in the 5th Georgia Infantry with his brother Albert. By 1880, most of the Birdsong family wealth in Upson County was gone. Preston lived alone and apart from the rest of the family. In 1884, Preston Birdsong, his brother Albert, and Matilda Manson and her son Otis, all left Georgia for Milam County, Texas. They did not share a household, but according to family lore, Birdsong visited Matilda's children and grandchildren every Sunday at the train station in Rockdale, Texas.
Obviously, I want to know more about all these folks, as well as what life was like in western Georgia.
Views: 78
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Ms. Gerry Hill on
-
Taylor Co Ga.
My husband-Gene Hill died in 1989-and he was very proud of his Taylor Co Roots. He hailed from RUPERT a REAL hole in the road!
His Hill's connect to his Duke, Lawhorn, Watson, Brown, Hester & Ham
(Because you have Brown's-I will add
My Gray's and Riley's migrated there from Greene. And one of my Gray cousins descends from a slave who had the good luck to be claimed, with her children-and given a house etc.
I have Brown's in the area, but do not know where Nathaniel fits in. I do have this on him:
1830- Census #345 pg 33-34
1851-Dec 31-Talbot
Nathaniel Brown to Matthew Bridger $190 12th Dist LL142 202.5 acres Wit: John T. Hines, John C. Lockhard
Recorded 15 Jul 1852
This land ended up in Taylor County.....and is very near White water creek. It runs through the NE corner of that lot....and that area was one of the earliest settled.
Nathaniel Brown apparently was born in North Carolina around 1787. He
may have married one Elizabeth Smith in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, in
about 1815, although I'm not certain that this is the same person.
Nathaniel Brown first appears in GA census records in 1830 in Talbot
County. At that time, he's enumerated with two children (a boy & a girl)
each between 10-15 years old, and a woman [presumably his wife], 40-50
years old. His age is given as 40-50 years old, which would be
consistent with a birthdate in the 1780's.
Nathaniel Brown next appears in the 1850 census for Talbot County, where
he's listed as head of a household that includes 26 year old John
Searcy, 19 year old Emilia Searcy, and William, 3, and Mary, 1. No
occupation is given for Nathaniel Brown.
According to court records in Taylor County, Nathaniel Brown at one point owned more than 2,600 acres in Appling, Baker, Dooley, Marion, and Taylor Counties.
He was in some way linked to a woman named Jane Manson. In 1853,
Nathaniel Brown deeded property to Jane's then-eight year old daughter, Mary. Then, in 1856, he filed an affidavit in court declaring that the apparently dark-skinned Jane was the free-born daughter of a white woman and a man "of the Creole or Indian race." In that affidavit, he noted
that she was "commonly called Jane Brown."
That's all I know! Thanks for replying!
Craig Manson craigmanson@cox.net McLean VA Jun 2005
Ms. Gerry Hill-Albany Ga
My Underwood's and Pridgeon's are in Taylor-with many lateral lines... -
-
-
Talbot Co Ga
W. Nathaniel Raines born 1796 probably Sparta, Hancock, Ga to Thomas Raines & Sarah Abercrombie-
married Jones Co Ga 1823 Rebecca Jackson dtr of Wilkins & Sarah Lamar.
This couple migrated to Talbot Co Ga and are buried there, with most of their children in the city cemetery.
Jack Brown, (William A Jackson) brother of my George A-sons William M. & Amanda Gray married Talbot 1850 Sarahbell Margarette Shelton dtr of M. David Shelton & Sara. He divorced her many, many years later in Sumter, for a younger woman. Jack was in Georgia in high office (Collector of Internal Revenue under President Grant) , a decorated soldier, and he died in Washington DC 1891 3 hours after his former wife died in Sumter Co. Ga. (Lawyer, Politition, and not beyong stirrinf up a little trouble) Ms Gerry (Brown) Hill -
-
-
Just noted it was from you-sorry!
-
-
-
Upson Co Ga.
(One of the worst places I have tried to research with help which is completely uncooperative and records that are not even near their office)
My Raines family migrated to Upson.
Sara Raines -widow-died there, and her estate is listed in books as BEING THERE-but not found except in the index.
Her son W. Nathaniel (1796-1855) - mine was there a short time only. His brother John Goodwin Raines 1791-1846)
and Edmund Charles (1801-1858) were there, as well as others for a short while-Judge Cadwallader W (of 1000
spellings!) (1795-1856) who migrated to Macon, Bibb, Ga as well as some of the girls , Thomas Abercrombie (1814-
1894) who migrated to Tx.
My Husband's lateral-Hankinson-are there now. Tommy is an attorney.
Ms. Gerry Hill-Albany Ga -
-
Permalink Reply by Craig Manson on
-
Thanks, Gerry! Yeah that one post was from when I lived in VA; now I'm in CA! Hey, you know, i had a good experience at the Thomaston-Upson Archives about 4 or 5 years ago. It was being run by a woman from England named Penny Cliff. Very nice lady. Took me into the Probate Judge's office and showed me files there--it was across the street from the Archives as I recall.
-
© 2024 Created by IIGSExecDirector.
Powered by
