Part 11

Lot No. 1. Mark Carr. ” ” 2. Arthur Carnaby. ” ” 3. Grey Elliott. ” ” 4. Do. ” ” 5. Francis Arthur. ” ” 6. William Graves. ” ” 7. Francis Arthur. ” ” 8. John Cubbidge. ” ” 9. James Maxwell. ” ” 10. Mary Spry. ” ” 11. Samuel Bennerworth. ” ” 12. Stephen Dickinson. ” ” 13. James Fisher. Schmidt & Mölich. ” ” 14. Do. Do. ” ” 15. Swinton & Co. ” ” 16. Darling & Munro. ” ” 17. Francis Arthur. ” ” 18. James Derwell. ” ” 19. Swinton & Co. ” ” 20. Thomas Peacock. ” ” 21. Andrew Darling. ” ” 22. Thomas Young. ” ” 23. Do. ” ” 24. Roger Kelsall. ” ” 25. John James. ” ” 26. Joseph Bacon. ” ” 27. John Stewart, Sen’r. ” ” 28. John Lupton. ” ” 29. Dunbar, Young & Co. ” ” 30. Do. ” ” 31. John Elliott. ” ” 32. James Dunham. ” ” 33. Lyman Hall. ” ” 34. Do. ” ” 35. Samuel Miller. ” ” 36. Kenneth Baillie, Sen’r. ” ” 37. Samuel Bennerworth. ” ” 38. Do. ” ” 39. William Sererson. ” ” 40. Do. ” ” 41. Mark Carr. ” ” 42. Tabitha Bacon. ” ” 43. Do. ” ” 44. John Winn. ” ” 45. David Jervey. ” ” 46. Do. ” ” 47. Francis Arthur. ” ” 48. Francis Lee. ” ” 49. John Quarterman, Jr. ” ” 50. James Dowell. ” ” 51. John Irvine. ” ” 52. Jeremiah Irvine. ” ” 53. Darling & Co. ” ” 54. Matthew Smallwood. ” ” 55. William Peacock. ” ” 56. Isaac Lines. ” ” 57. John Osgood. ” ” 58. Rebecca Way. ” ” 59. John Stewart, Sr. ” ” 60. John Lupton. ” ” 61. James Dunham. ” ” 62. John Shave. ” ” 63. Jacob Lockerman. ” ” 64. Paynter Dickinson. ” ” 65. John Lawson. ” ” 66. Do. ” ” 67. Thomas Ralph. ” ” 68. John Quarterman, Sr. ” ” 69. Thomas Gouldsmith. ” ” 70. James Houstoun. ” ” 71. John Stevens. ” ” 72. Mark Carr. ” ” 73. Hugh Clark. ” ” 74. Do. ” ” 75. Kenneth Baillie, Sr. ” ” 76. Do. ” ” 77. Paris Way. ” ” 78. Nathaniel Yates. ” ” 79. William Dunham. ” ” 80. Charles West. ” ” 81. Daniel Slade. ” ” 82. Jacob Lockerman. ” ” 83. Samuel West. ” ” 84. Thomas Carter, P. Schmidt. ” ” 85. John Elliott. ” ” 86. Do. ” ” 87. William Baker. ” ” 88. Do. ” ” 89. Audley Maxwell. ” ” 90. Elizabeth Simmons. ” ” 91. John Graves. ” ” 92. Do. ” ” 93. Robert Bolton. ” ” 94. John Baker. ” ” 95. John Humphreys. ” ” 96. James Fisher, Francis Guilland. ” ” 97. John Lupton. ” ” 98. Do. ” ” 99. Henry Saltus. ” ” 100. Donald McKay. ” ” 101. Stephen Dickinson. ” ” 102. Do. ” ” 103. William Clark. ” ” 104. Thomas Christie. ” ” 105. Samuel Jeanes. ” ” 106. Moses Way. ” ” 107. William David. ” ” 108. Paynter Dickinson. ” ” 109. Francis Lee. ” ” 110. Do. ” ” 111. James Harley. ” ” 112. Samuel Bacon. ” ” 113. Tabitha Bacon. ” ” 114. John Stewart, Snr. ” ” 115. Do. ” ” 116. Do. ” ” 117. Stephen Dickinson. ” ” 118. Do. ” ” 119. John Elliott. ” ” 120. Do. ” ” 121. Benjamin Stevens. ” ” 122. John Lynn. ” ” 123. Do. ” ” 125. John Sutherland. ” ” 126. Do. ” ” 127. Samuel Jeanes. ” ” 128. Do. ” ” 129. Joseph Tickener. ” ” 130. William Miller. ” ” 131. Richard Mills. ” ” 132. Do. ” ” 133. Peter McKay. ” ” 134. James Miller. ” ” 135. Do. ” ” 136. David Jervey. ” ” 137. William Davis. ” ” 138. Do. ” ” 139. Joseph Serjeant. ” ” 140. John Jones. ” ” 141. Strong Ashmore. ” ” 142. Francis Arthur. ” ” 143. Donald McKay. ” ” 144. Do. ” ” 145. Andrew Way. ” ” 146. James Fisher. ” ” 147. George Monis. ” ” 148. Thomas Way. ” ” 149. James Hatcher. ” ” 150. Do. ” ” 151. Francis Arthur. ” ” 152. Do. ” ” 153. Do. ” ” 154. Do. ” ” 155. John Perkins. ” ” 156. Do. ” ” 157. William Lowe. ” ” 158. Do. ” ” 159. Charles West. Schmidt & Mölich. ” ” 160. Do. Do. ” ” 161. Do. ” ” 162. Do. ” ” 163. William Peacock. ” ” 164. Do. ” ” 165. Charles West. ” ” 166. Do. ” ” 167. William Davis. ” ” 168. Do. ” ” 169. Francis Lee. ” ” 170. Do. ” ” 171. Thomas Vincent. ” ” 172. Benjamin Baker. ” ” 173. Grey Elliott. ” ” 174. Do. ” ” 175. Do. ” ” 176. Do. ” ” 177. John Lupton. ” ” 178. Do. ” ” 179. Do. ” ” 180. Do. ” ” 181. T. Quarterman. ” ” 182. Joseph Bacon. ” ” 185. Susannah Jones. ” ” 186. Do. ” ” 189. Barnard Romans. ” ” 190. Do. ” ” 191. Barnard Romans. ” ” 192. Do. ” ” 200. John K. Zubley. ” ” 205. Edward Way. ” ” 206. Do. ” ” 207. James Fisher. ” ” 208. Do. ” ” 209. Edward Maham. ” ” 210. Do. ” ” 211. Richard Spencer. ” ” 212. Do. ” ” 213. William Swinton. ” ” 214. Do. ” ” 215. Do. ” ” 216. Do. ” ” 217. Samuel Jeanes. ” ” 218. Do. ” ” 219. Do. ” ” 220. Henry Saltus. ” ” 221. James Read. ” ” 222. Do. ” ” 223. Charles West. ” ” 224. Do. ” ” 225. John Shave. ” ” 226. Do. ” ” 227. Richard Baker. ” ” 228. Do. ” ” 229. Marn’k Perry. ” ” 230. Do. ” ” 231. Thomas Dunbar. ” ” 232. Joshua Snowden. ” ” 233. Samuel Burnley. Schmidt & Mölich. ” ” 234. Do. ” ” 235. Do. ” ” 236. Do. ” ” 237. John Milchett. ” ” 238. Do. ” ” 239. James Andrew. ” ” 240. Do. ” ” 241. William Dunham. ” ” 242. Do. ” ” 243. Samuel Jeanes. ” ” 244. Winw’d McIntosh. ” ” 245. David Jervey. ” ” 246. Do. ” ” 247. Francis Lee. ” ” 248. Samuel Morecock. ” ” 249. Mark Carr. ” ” 250. Do. ” ” 251. George Bodington. ” ” 252. Mary Bateman. ” ” 253. John Goff. ” ” 257. Robert Bolton. ” ” 258. Do. ” ” 265. Mark Carr. ” ” 266. Do. ” ” 267. John Bryan. ” ” 268. Do. ” ” 269. Patrick M. Kay. ” ” 270. Do. ” ” 271. Benjamin Andrew. ” ” 272. Do. ” ” 273. Morgan Tabb. ” ” 274. Do. ” ” 275. Morgan Tabb. ” ” 276. Do. ” ” 277. James Watcher. ” ” 278. Do. ” ” 279. Francis Arthur. ” ” 280. Do. ” ” 281. John Bryan. ” ” 282. Samuel Richardson. ” ” 283. John Gaspar Stirkey. ” ” 284. Do. ” ” 285. John Jones (mulatto.) ” ” 289. Thomas Carter. ” ” 290. Do. ” ” 305. Do. ” ” 306. Do. ” ” 307. Do. ” ” 308. Do. ” ” 309. Do. ” ” 313. Samuel Tomlinson. ” ” 314. Do. ” ” 315. Do. ” ” 317. William Swinton. ” ” 318. Do. ” ” 319. Do. ” ” 320. Do. ” ” 340. Peter McKay. ” ” 341. Do. ” ” 342. Do. ” ” 343. Do. ” ” 344. Do. ” ” 345. Do. ” ” 346. Do. ” ” 347. Peter McKay. ” ” 348. Do. ” ” 349. Do. ” ” 350. Do. ” ” 351. Do. ” ” 352. Thomas Quarterman. ” ” 353. Barrack Norman. ” ” 354. Do. ” ” 355. Do. ” ” 356. Tarah, Senior. ” ” 357. Francis Arthur. ” ” 358. Do. ” ” 359. Frederick Hobrendorff. ” ” 360. Do. ” ” 361. Joseph Richardson. ” ” 362. Do. ” ” 373. John Ford. ” ” 403. Thomas Christie. ” ” 404. Do. ” ” 431. Marmaduke Gerry. ” ” 432. Do. ” ” 433. Do. ” ” 434. Robert Smallwood. ” ” 435. Do. ” ” 436. John Winn. ” ” 437. Francis Arthur. ” ” 438. Do. ” ” 473. Do. ” ” 474. Do. ” ” 475. Do. ” ” 476. Do. ” ” 477. Do. ” ” 478. Samuel Bacon. ” ” 479. Francis Lee. ” ” 480. John Tutes.

In the Spring of 1773 William Bartram, at the request of Dr. Fothergill of London, set out “to explore the vegetable kingdom,” and search the Floridas and the western portions of Carolina and Georgia “for the discovery of rare and useful productions of nature.” In his charming narrative of travels and observations, he presents us with this glimpse of our lost town: “After resting, and a little recreation for a few days in Savanna, and having in the meantime purchased a good horse, and equipped myself for a journey southward, I sat off early in the morning for Sunbury, a sea-port town beautifully situated on the main between Medway and Newport rivers, about fifteen miles south of great Ogeeche river. The town and harbour are defended from the fury of the seas by the north and south points of St. Helena and South Catharine’s islands; between which is the bar and entrance into the sound: the harbor is capacious and safe, and has water enough for ships of great burthen. I arrived here in the evening in company with a gentleman, one of the inhabitants, who politely introduced me to one of the principal families, where I supped and spent the evening in a circle of genteel and polite ladies and gentlemen.”[185]

The following day was occupied in exploring Bermuda [now Colonel’s] island, whose soil, plantations of indigo, corn, and potatoes, Indian tumuli of earth and shell, flora and fauna, greatly interested and delighted him.

“On the morrow,” continues Mr. Bartram, “obedient to the admonitions of my attendant spirit, curiosity, as well as to gratify the expectations of my worthy patron, I again sat off on my southern excursion and left Sunbury in company with several of its polite inhabitants who were going to Medway meeting, a very large and well constructed place of worship, in St. John’s parish, where I associated with them in religious exercise and heard a very excellent sermon delivered by their pious and truly venerable pastor, the Rev. —— Osgood. This respectable congregation is independent, and consists chiefly of families and proselytes to a flock which this pious man led, about forty years ago,[186] from South Carolina, and settled in this fruitful district. It is about nine miles from Sunbury to Medway meeting-house, which stands on the high road opposite the Sunbury road. As soon as the congregation broke up I reassumed my travels, proceeding down the high-road towards Fort Barrington, on the Alatamaha, passing through a level country well watered by large streams, branches of Medway and Newport rivers, coursing from extensive swamps and marshes, their sources: these swamps are daily clearing and improving into large fruitful rice plantations, aggrandizing the well inhabited and rich district of St. John’s parish.”[187]

In the absence of records it is impossible to specify, with any degree of accuracy, the ratio of increase which characterized the population of Sunbury during the first twenty years of its existence. That at an early period it became a favorite resort not only for commercial purposes but also for health, admits of no doubt. The probability is that this town culminated in prosperity, population, and importance, about the beginning of the Revolutionary war, when its inhabitants, white and black, numbered, we should say, between eight hundred and a thousand. That, until the retarding influences of the Revolutionary struggle were encountered, Sunbury had steadily, although slowly, advanced in material wealth, influence, and population, may be safely asserted. Bermuda island, too, was comfortably settled by agriculturists, on small plantations, busied chiefly with the production of indigo. Sunken spaces, indicating where the old vats were located, may be seen to this day. A rich and by no means inconsiderable back country was entirely tributary to Sunbury. Rice, cattle, lumber, shingles, staves, and other articles of commerce, brought from the furthest practicable distances, were here concentrated for sale and shipment; and quite an extensive territory drew its supplies from the store-houses and shops of the Sunbury merchants. On one or two occasions cargoes of Africans were landed and sold in this port. The houses, although of wood, were some of them large, and even imposing. The wharves were faced with palmetto and live oak logs, and filled in with oyster shells, sand, and stone-ballast. Among the residents were not a few of gentle birth, refinement, and education. As a rule, the inhabitants led easy, comfortable, simple lives, and were much given to hospitality. No one was ever in a hurry, and the mornings and afternoons, among the better class, were largely devoted to amusements, such as fishing, sailing, riding, and hunting. The evenings were spent in visiting and in social intercourse. It was a good, easy life that these planters, even at that early day, began to lead upon the Georgia coast. It became more striking, abundant, and attractive after the Revolution; but the delightful germs of the most pleasing existence this country has ever known were then present. No aid seems to have been invoked from the Colonial Council in either supporting the town or indicating the manner in which it should be governed. We find no public resolutions or acts on the subject prior to the legislation of 1791. In all likelihood a Magistrate’s Court, and the concurrent views of a few of the prominent citizens, invoked on an emergency, sufficed for the preservation of order and the maintenance of peace.

The general council, however, from time to time, appointed packers, inspectors, and “cullers of lumber” for the port.

By an act passed the 26th of March, 1767, it was made obligatory upon the inhabitants to “clear and keep clear the several squares, streets, lanes, and common” within the town. In consideration of such service they were declared exempt from road duty in the parish of St. John.[188] By the constitution, adopted in convention at Savannah on the 5th day of February, 1777, the parishes of St. John, St. Andrew, and St. James, were consolidated into one county called LIBERTY. The counties then named and defined within the limits of Georgia were eight in all:—Wilkes, Richmond, Burke, Effingham, Chatham, Liberty, Glynn, and Camden. While to each of the other counties was accorded a representation of ten members, fourteen were allowed to Liberty in consideration of its extent and importance. Sunbury was permitted two special and additional members to represent the trade of the place; and, for like purpose, Savannah was empowered to send four.

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary war the parish of St. John possessed nearly one-third the wealth of the entire province; and its inhabitants were remarkable for their upright and independent character.[189] Three hundred and seventeen of the four hundred and ninety-six lots into which the town of Sunbury was divided, had been sold, and were, many of them at least, occupied by their respective proprietors and their tenants. Among the prominent citizens was Dr. Lyman Hall, a native of Connecticut and a member of the Midway congregation. Although owning and cultivating a rice plantation situated on the Savannah and Darien road a few miles beyond Midway meeting house in the direction of Savannah, he was the proprietor of and resided upon two of the most desirable lots in Sunbury, numbered 33 and 34 on the plan of that town, and fronting upon the river. He was the leading physician not only of the place but also of the adjacent country for many miles. It was mainly through his influence that the parish of St. John acted independently and in advance of the Republican party in Georgia. In acknowledgment of the decided stand then assumed by him, he was, on the 21st of March, 1775, unanimously elected as a delegate to represent the parish in the next general Congress.[190] On the 13th of May following, upon the production of his credentials, he was unanimously admitted to a seat in Congress “_as a delegate from the parish of St. John in the Colony of Georgia_, subject to such regulations as the Congress should determine relative to his voting.” He carried with him from Sunbury, as a present to the suffering Republicans in Massachusetts, one hundred and sixty barrels of rice, and fifty pounds sterling.

It was not until the 15th of July, 1775, that the Convention of Georgia acknowledged complete allegiance to the general Confederacy, and appointed Archibald Bulloch, John Houstoun, the Rev’d Dr. Zubly, Noble W. Jones, and Lyman Hall as delegates to the Provincial Congress.

Intermediately between the time when Dr. Hall took his seat in Congress as a delegate from the parish of St. John, and this action of the Convention, as he represented only a portion of the Colony of Georgia, he declined voting upon questions which were to be decided by a vote of Colonies. He, however, participated in the debates, advocated the necessity and value of the present Congress, recorded his opinion in all cases except such as required an expression of sentiment by Colonies, and declared his earnest desire and conviction “that the example which had been shown by the parish which he represented would be speedily followed, and that the representation of Georgia would soon be complete.”

When the Declaration of Independence was signed, of the three members from Georgia whose names were affixed to that memorable document, two—Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett,—were from St. John’s parish: and we may add, from the town of Sunbury:—for, although Gwinnett then resided on St. Catharine island, his home was within sight of that flourishing seaport, all his public and much of his private business was there transacted, he was constantly seen in its streets, was known and honored of its citizens, and in very truth constituted one of them. Two Signers of the Declaration of Independence from one little town in St. John’s parish! and that town clean gone from the face of that beautiful, lonely, and bermuda-covered bluff! It is in perpetuating acts and names like these that memory stays the engulfing waves of oblivion, and administers signal rebuke to “time which antiquates antiquities and hath an art to make dust of all things.”[191] Did the limits of this sketch permit, it would be interesting to detail the efforts made by the parish of St. John to persuade positive resistance to English rule and inaugurate steps contemplating an absolute separation from the mother country when the greater part of Georgia was not persuaded of the expediency of such action and was actually opposed to the proceedings of the Continental Congress. So determined and independent was the rebel spirit in Sunbury, throughout the Midway settlement, and at Darien, that it actually brought about, for the time being, a voluntary political separation from the other parishes of the Colony. So annoyed were the citizens of St. John’s parish by the temporizing policy which characterized the Savannah Convention, that on the 9th of February, 1775, they applied to the Committee of Correspondence in Charleston “requesting permission to form an alliance with them and to conduct trade and commerce according to the act of non-importation to which they had already acceded.” It was strongly urged that having detached themselves from the other parishes in Georgia which hesitated to participate in the movement, they ought to be considered and received as a “separate body comprehended within the spirit and equitable meaning of the Continental Association.”[192]

While admiring the patriotism of the parish, and entreating its citizens to “persevere in their laudable exertions,” the Carolinians conceived it improper, and “a violation of the Continental Association to remove the prohibition in favor of any _part_ of a province.”

Disappointed, and yet not despairing, the inhabitants of the parish of St. John “resolved to prosecute their claims to an equality with the Confederated Colonies.” Having adopted certain resolutions by which they obligated themselves to hold no commerce with Savannah, or elsewhere, except under the supervision of a Committee, and then only for the absolute necessaries of life, they appointed Dr. Hall, as we have already seen, an independent delegate to represent the parish in the general congress of provinces.

The patriotic spirit of its inhabitants, and this independent action of St. John’s parish in advance of the other parishes of Georgia, were afterwards acknowledged when all the parishes were in accord in the Revolutionary movement. As a tribute of praise, and in token of general admiration, by special act of the Legislature the name of LIBERTY COUNTY was conferred upon the consolidated parishes of St. John, St. Andrew, and St. James. Sir James Wright was not far from the mark when he located the head of the rebellion in St. John’s parish, and advised the Earl of Dartmouth that the rebel measures there inaugurated were to be mainly referred to the influence of the “descendants of New England people of the Puritan Independent sect” who, retaining “a strong tincture of Republican or Oliverian principles, have entered into an agreement amongst themselves to adopt both the resolutions and association of the Continental Congress.” On the altars erected within the Midway district were the fires of resistance to the dominion of England earliest kindled; and Lyman Hall, of all the dwellers there, by his counsel, exhortations, and determined spirit, added stoutest fuel to the flames. Between the immigrants from Dorchester and the distressed Bostonians existed not only the ties of a common parentage, but also sympathies born of the same religious, moral, social, and political education. Hence we derive an explanation of the reason why the Midway settlement declared so early for the Revolutionists. The Puritan element cherishing and proclaiming intolerance of established church and the divine right of Kings, impatient of restraint, accustomed to independent thought and action, and without associations which encouraged tender memories of and love for the mother country, asserted its hatreds, its affiliations, and its hopes with no uncertain utterance, and appears to have controlled the action of the entire parish.[193]