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PIONEER NEWS : Lost Generations

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Finding Your Ancestor When Early Court House Records Burned

By Jeannette Holland Austin

I was disappointed upon visiting the Gwinnett County, Georgia Court House and discovered that the first will books were missing, dating from 1819. I was searching for someone who died about 1823. The oldest will book is Book D (1852-1886). Therefore, I turned to the old standby, Minute Books. The first minute book did survive (1819-1861). This is where the clerk records the business of the day, logging wills, administrations and estates into thebook. At least I would get a possible death date here, I thought, as I thumbed through 800 pages of unindexed entries. This is the thing...you are not going to get a finite index. I followed the dates before and after 1823. When finally, I found it, discovered that he had died intestate (without a will), but I had the names of the administrator (his wife and relatives) and subsequent entries where guardians were appointed for the minor children. What more did I want! Because of difficulties in finding names and the lack of a proper index, I filmed the entire book. It took about a month to separate the entries, unseam each name and create my own index. All of the images had to be clarified with a photo program. Adding this tedious project to www.georgiapioneers.com was a pleasure, knowing that lots of folks ended up in Gwinnett County soon after it was ceded by the Indians. The examination of minute books is frequently the only true means of discovering a county's first settlers. Everyone did not leave a testament, but their widow had to apply for an administration, and that fact creates some sort of record at the court house. This is what to look for. Besides that, some clerks copied the entire will into the minute book.

Names of Testators in Gwinnett Will Bk D

Names of Testators, etc. in Gwinnett Minute Book 1819-1861

Permission is granted to reprint this article, however, you must provide this byline: Jeannette Holland Austin, Georgia Author of over 100 family histories and genealogies. Georgia Pioneers

Keeping Informed: Internet Reading Sources


Blogs are excellent sources of free information for the genealogist especially those which are frequently updated. I have to tell you that Georgia Notebook is one of the most widely read blogs on Georgia genealogy on the internet. You can post your own comments and get different news every day. (Link below). The following blogs are replete with research tips, biographies, sketches and other goodies.

Georgia Notebook, a daily blog
South Carolina Genealogy, a daily blog
North Carolina Genealogy, a weekly blog
Virginia Genealogy, a weekly blog

There are of course other very fine genealogy blogs. When you find one that you like, you can add yourself as a subscriber which means that you will have the information before the search engines!

Other good information genealogy information are the articles found on Go Articles and Zimbio. Just put genealogy or more specific search words in the search box.

Georgia Pioneers is an Exclusive Private Membership Club. Dedicated researchers and genealogists are invited to join for a one-time membership fee. A permanent password will be emailed. Membership includes free research on your brickwalls.

Georgia Genealogy Added
South Carolina Genealogy Added
North Carolina Genealogy Added
Virginia Genealogy Added
Genealogy Books Added
New Additions to Georgia Pioneers | Georgia Pioneers website

During the months of March and April, all members of genealogical and historical societies everywhere can have 1/2 off the regular one-year membership to www.GeorgiaPioneers.com. Subscribe here



Douglas County Wills
Marion County Wills
Marion County Wills 1846-1913; index to Will Bk A 1846-1915; LWT of William Powell (1852), transcript.

Oglethorpe County Wills
Peach County Wills
Peach County Wills (Images) 1924-1934 filmed and donated by Lea Dowd. Names of Testators

Randolph County Wills

Index to Will Bk A 1835-1840; LWT of James McEwen (1844), image.

Sumter County Wills
Sumter County Will abstracts 1831-1900; index to Wills 1838-1855; Bond of Benjamin H. Brinkley (1854); LWT of John Powell (1863), image; LWT of William Powell (1863), image.

DAR Applications for Revolutionary War Lineages
Nehemiah Dunn, Francis Gideons, William Hailey, James Hunt, Aaron Johnson, Keader Keaton, John Lowe, James Malcom, Thomas Maxwell, Angus McCurry, William McMichael, John McMullan, William Mitchell (Ancestry of Margaret Mitchell of Gone with the Wind); Levi Phillips and William Throop. - Also, the biographical questionnaire of Margaret Mitchell is under "Folder Collection".
New Additions to North Carolina Pioneers | North Carolina Pioneers website

Special Low Membership to www.NorthCarolinaPioneers.com - one year - $24.00. Password will be emailed to you. Click on Subscribe button below

North Carolina Wills and Estates
LWT of Isaac Lowe, Rockingham County (1806), transcription
LWT of William Mackay, Tyrrell County (1765), transcription
LWT of Joseph Lane, Halifax County (1773), image of original
LWT of Charles Polk, 1820, Mecklenburg County, image of original
LWT of John Peterson, 1788, transcript, Cumberland County LWT of Martin Parker, 1894, Cherokee County, image of the original
LWT of Emeline Parker James, 1915, Cherokee County, image of the original
LWT of Archibald McElroy Sr., transcript, Johnston Co. (1760)

Genealogies - Clements of Gloucester Co. and Halifax Counties, Virginia and Granville County, North Carolina, proves the father of Peyton Clements.
New Additions to South Carolina Pioneers | South Carolina Pioneers website

Special Low Introductory Membership to www.SouthCarolinaPioneers.com - $24.00 per year. Click on Subscribe button below


South Carolina French Protestants who took the Oath of Allegiance in 1765
South Carolina Miscellaneous Wills & Estates (images) South Carolina DAR Applicants: Revolutionary War
South Carolina Genealogies
Cottingham of Marlboro County; Douthit of Anderson County; Glover of Edgefield County; Prothro of Cheraw.

Virginia Pioneers
Genealogies Added - Chastain; Cheathem; Wilson of Pittsylvania County; and The Stanley Genealogy traced from 1040 A. D. to ca 1853 to Virginia and Georgia. Well-referenced. Found under Genealogies.

Virginia Wills & Estates

SPECIAL LOW SUBSCRIPTION PRICE TO www.VirginiaPioneers.com - $24.00 for one-year. A password will be emailed to you. Click on Subscribe button below.

Augusta County - LWT of John Macky, 1773; Thomas Millsaps, 1769
Botetourt County - LWT of James McCoy, 1780; John McCoy, 1779
Brunswick County - LWT of Hugh Love, 1780
Fairfax County - LWT of Thomas Lucas (1791), transcript; LWT of Thomas Lucas (1791), transcript; LWT of Michael Reagan (1750), image; LWT of Michael Reagon (1773) image; LWT of Gilbert Simpson (1773), image.
Frederick County - LWT of Robert McKee, LWT of Henry H. Crumbs (1776), LWT of John Denton (1767), LWT of John Reagan (1775), all images
Goochland County - LWT of John Bostick, 1749; Peter Chastain, 1728; Stephen Clement, 1745; Matthew Hutcherson, 1749; inv. of Constantine Perkins, 1860
Hanover County - LWT of Nicholas Meriwether, 1744; John Walton
Henrico County - LWT of Abraham Michaux, 1717; LWT of Nicholas Perkins, 1711, transcript
Isle of Wight County - Estate of Edward Brantley, 1739; John Gent, 1728; LWT of Elijah Holland, 1857; LWT of Job Holland, 1789; John Rows, 1734
Lancaster County, LWT of Hannah Ball, 1694; inv. estate of Thomas Cheatwood, 1678; LWT of Thomas Haynes, 1679; LWT of James Pinckard, LWT 1751; LWT of Mary Pinckard (image) 1749
Princess Anne County, LWT of James Haynes, 1726; LWT of Enoch Haynes, 1753; LWT of William Jackie, 1795; LWT of Jonathan Mackey, 1795
Shenandoah County - LWT of George Mackie, 1797; LWT of James McKay, 1797
Southampton County - Estate of William Clegg, 1780; LWT of Joseph Mackey, 1779

Genealogies - Wade of Halifax and Pittsylvania Counties, includes plats of David and Edward Wade and Wade gedcom file
New Genealogy Books Added | Genealogy-Books Website

Cody Family of Ireland and America by L. L. Cody, of Warren County, and Covington, Georgia.

Howell, Genealogy of the Southern Line of the Family. From the Original Progenitor of the Line in America, John Howell, Virginia Colonist (1639), VA, NC, SC, GA, 21 pp.

Hull of Georgia by A. L. Hull (1904), 14 pp.

Long. Some Personal Recollections and Private Correspondence of Dr. Crawford Williamson Long, Discoverer of Anaesthesia with Sulphuric Ethel by Joseph Jacobs, Phar. D. (1919), 47 pp.

Lumpkin Family of Georgia by L. L. Cody (1928), 47 pp. Descendants of Colonel Jacob Lumpkin of King and Queen County, Virginia to the famous Gov. Lumpkin of Georgia; includes Maxwell, Barrow, Callaway, Cobb, Grieve, Smith and Gerdine.

Lumpkin-Wilson. Descendants of John Wilson (1740-1820) of Pittsylvania County, Virginia; of Nicholas Perkins of Henrico County, Virginia;; Governor William Henry Cabell of Nelson County, Virginia; Savage; Turnstall of King & Queen County, Pittsylvania County, Henry County and Halifax Counties, Virginia (includes coat of arms); Colonel Daniel Coleman of Pittsylvania County; ancestors of Colonel Nathaniel Wilson; descendants of Jacob Lumpkin, 47 pp.

McConnell Marriage Genealogy by Hugh M. Addington (1929), 35 pp., Ancestors, Descendants, Marriages of an Illustrious Family of Virginia. George McConnell, Sheriff, came from PA to Elk Garden, Virginia, then to Scott County; his descendants.