Includes research notes and annotations. This is a research document and is not for publication or attribution. Compiled by John Maynard Poythress
Family Group Sheet for Thomas Poythress (Virginia) – First 5 Generations
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Thomas POYTHRESS. Born About 1740 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia.
22 Aug 1782..John Morris and Elizabeth Edwards, dau. Thomas Edwards, deceased. Surety Meredith Poythress, who makes affidavit that Elizabeth Edwards lives at the home of his father Thomas Poythress and is 23 years of age. Wit: Griffin Stith (Knorr’s Brunswick Marriages p. 66).
30 Mar 1789. “Thomas Poythress for removing Henry Woodward”..meeting of the Overseers of the Poor at the Court House…from St. Andrews Parish Vestry Book 1732-1797 of Brunswick County, Virginia. By Wm. Linsay Hopkins (abstracted from photocopies in the Virginia State Library).
20 Aug 1795. Deed Book Brunswick County: Thomas Poythress of Brunswick County to George Hicks, for 50 pounds, 85 acres of land. Source: SAR Magazine July 1928 pg. 61.
2 i. Meredith POYTHRESS Sr.
Second Generation
2. Meredith POYTHRESS Sr. Son of Thomas POYTHRESS. Died in Screven County, Georgia.
He married Edith CLEATON, daughter of William CLEATON & Jane POOLE, 14 Jul 1781 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
Marriage info: Marriage Records 1765-1810 Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
Surety for marriage: William Cleaton (Edith’s father).
They had the following children:
3 i. Peter POYTHRESS
4 ii. Cleaton POYTHRESS
5 iii. Elizabeth POYTHRESS
6 iv. Meredith POYTHRESS Jr.
Third Generation
3. Peter POYTHRESS. Son of Meredith POYTHRESS Sr. & Edith CLEATON. Born About 1782 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
1800 Mecklenburg County Property Tax List shows Peter as a taxable son of Meredith Poythress which would indicate Peter to be between ages of 16 and 21 in year 1800.
4. Cleaton POYTHRESS. Son of Meredith POYTHRESS Sr. & Edith CLEATON. Born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Died in Screven County, Georgia.
5. Elizabeth POYTHRESS. Daughter of Meredith POYTHRESS Sr. & Edith CLEATON. Born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Died in Screven County, Georgia.
She married John Doe BRANNEN.
6. Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. Son of Meredith POYTHRESS Sr. & Edith CLEATON. Born About 1790 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Died in Screven County, Georgia. Occupation Farmer.
He first married Hester WILDER. Born 25 Feb 1793.
Hester Wilder; aka Hetty/Hettie/Ester
They had the following children:
7 i. George Washington POYTHRESS
8 ii. John White POYTHRESS
9 iii. Henriette POYTHRESS
10 iv. Sarah Edwards POYTHRESS
11 v. Isaac Edwin POYTHRESS
He second married Susan R. MANER, daughter of John S. MANER & Ruth STAFFORD. Born About 1800 in Sylvania, Screven County, Georgia.
They had the following children:
12 i. Mary POYTHRESS
13 ii. Susan POYTHRESS
14 iii. John Maner POYTHRESS
15 iv. Daniel Willie POYTHRESS
16 v. Ruthy POYTHRESS
Fourth Generation
7. George Washington POYTHRESS. Son of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Hester WILDER. Born 13 Jan 1819.
8. John White POYTHRESS. Son of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Hester WILDER. Born 13 Jan 1821.
Marriage info: Screven County Marriage Book A, 1837-1851
He married Mary Ann WILDER, 15 Feb 1844 in Screven County, Georgia.
Marriage info: Screven County Marriage Book A, 1837-1851
9. Henriette POYTHRESS. Daughter of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Hester WILDER. Born 7 Dec 1823.
10. Sarah Edwards POYTHRESS. Daughter of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Hester WILDER. Born 14 Nov 1826.
11. Isaac Edwin POYTHRESS. Son of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Hester WILDER. Born 28 May 1828 in South Carolina. Died 29 Jun 1862. Remarks Private, F Company, 25th Georgia Infantry…KIA?.
Marriage info: Screven County Marriage Book A, 1837-1851
He married Mary Ann THOMPSON, 7 Apr 1850 in Screven County, Georgia. Born in South Carolina.
Marriage info: Screven County Marriage Book A, 1837-1851
12. Mary POYTHRESS. Daughter of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Susan R. MANER. Born About 1829.
13. Susan POYTHRESS. Daughter of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Susan R. MANER. Born About 1832.
14. John Maner POYTHRESS. Son of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Susan R. MANER. Born 26 Jul 1832 in Screven County, Georgia. Died 1 Oct 1866 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in Wesleyanna M. E. Church, Screven County, Ga. Occupation Farmer. CSA Co. D, 47th Georgia Infantry. Remarks See Notes.
Married 5 Apr 1854 by Augustus S. Roberts, J. P.
Wesleyanna M. E. Church, Screven County, organized 1868, erected 1871.
Tombstone inscription: Poythress, Jno. M. Born 26 Jul 1832, died 1 Oct 1866,
” In Memory of ….Quiet Rest our Angel Father”.
Quote: “contracted yellow fever in the war, made one crop and died”.
He married Rhoda E. GROSS, daughter of William H. GROSS & Harriet BURNS, 5 Apr 1854 in Screven County, Georgia. Born 28 Mar 1828. Died 5 May 1884 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in Wesleyanna M. E. Church, Screven County, Ga. Remarks See Notes.
Tombstone inscription: Poythress, Rhoda Gross, Born 28 Mar 1828, died 5 May 1884; ” In Memory of….Quiet Rest our Angel Mother”.
They had the following children:
17 i. Alice Helen POYTHRESS
18 ii. Horace Cullen (1) POYTHRESS
15. Daniel Willie POYTHRESS. Son of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Susan R. MANER. Born 26 Feb 1838 in Screven County, Georgia. Died 15 Nov 1922 in Screven County,
Georgia. Buried in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga.
See photo tombstone D. W. Poythress and Laura J. Scott in files.
See photocopy marriage license/certificate in files.
He married Laura J. SCOTT, daughter of Dennis SCOTT & Martha GROSS, 8 Feb 1866. Born 17 Apr 1846. Died 11 Dec 1919 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga.
See photo tombstones D. W. Poythress and Laura J. Scott in files.
See photocopy marriage license/certificate in files.
They had the following children:
19 i. Minnie POYTHRESS
20 ii. Daniel Willie POYTHRESS Jr.
16. Ruthy POYTHRESS. Daughter of Meredith POYTHRESS Jr. & Susan R. MANER. Born About 1840.
Fifth Generation
17. Alice Helen POYTHRESS. Daughter of John Maner POYTHRESS & Rhoda E. GROSS. Born 11 May 1855 in Screven County, Georgia. Died 25 Sep 1904 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga.
Photo of tombstone in files.
Inscription: Alice Poythress, wife of P. A. Reddick, May 11, 1855-Sep 25,1904
She married Peter A. REDDICK, son of John Ivey REDDICK & Sara OGLESBY. Born 27 Oct 1853 in Screven County, Georgia. Died 6 Jan 1928 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in Friendship Bapt Ch Cem, Screven County, Ga.
Tombstone: Reddick, Peter A. born 27 Oct 1853, died 6 Jan 1928.
They had the following children:
21 i. Lennie Laura REDDICK
22 ii. Rhoda Edith REDDICK
23 iii. Albert Henry REDDICK
24 iv. Henry Talmadge REDDICK
25 v. Victoria Ann Lee REDDICK
18. Horace Cullen (1) POYTHRESS. Son of John Maner POYTHRESS & Rhoda E. GROSS. Born 23 Jan 1867 in Screven County, Georgia. Died 6 Jun 1918 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga. Occupation Farmer.
See photos of tombstones for Horace Cullen Poythress and Flossie O. Wells,
McBride Methodist Church Cemetery, Screven County, Georgia.
He first married Mary E. MERCER, daughter of Edna A. MERCER, 30 Jan 1890 in Screven County, Georgia. Born 10 Mar 1846. Died 16 Dec 1899 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in Gross Family Cemetery, Sylvania, Georgia.
Photostat of marriage license for Mary E. Mercer and Horace Cullen Poythress in files. Ordinary: M. M. Potter; Preacher: N. J. Flanders.
Gross Family Cemetery (Mary E. Mercer) is located 1.5 mi. N. of McBride Methodist Church, Screven County, Georgia…in old field left of Conner Landing Road. Tombstone inscription: Mary E. Poythress nee Mercer,
Born 10 Mar 1846, died 16 Dec 1899; “He giveth His Beloved Sleep”.
He second married Flossie O. WELLS, 3 Oct 1900 in Screven County, Georgia. Born 8 Oct 1878 in Screven County, Georgia. Died 7 Nov 1914 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga.
Dorothy Bayne Poythress research shows “Flossie Rosetta Wells” check this
They had the following children:
26 i. Helen POYTHRESS
27 ii. Etta POYTHRESS
28 iii. Mattie Eva POYTHRESS
29 iv. Horace Cullen (2) POYTHRESS
30 v. John Maner POYTHRESS
31 vi. Trudy Edith POYTHRESS
32 vii. Elwin Matthew POYTHRESS
33 viii. Myrtice POYTHRESS
34 ix. Juanita POYTHRESS
19. Minnie POYTHRESS. Daughter of Daniel Willie POYTHRESS & Laura J. SCOTT. Born 1 Jun 1873 in Screven County, Georgia. Died 23 Jul 1973 in Oakland, California. Buried 4 Aug 1973 in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga.
**Obituary from Sylvania Telephone (newspaper) Aug. 1973:
MRS. MINNIE POYTHRESS ROBINSON DIES AT AGE 100
Aged 100 years and two months, Mrs. Minnie Poythress
Robinson died in California and was returned here for burial August 4 at here home church, McBride United Methodist, which was only three years older than she.
Born June 1, 1873, Mrs. Robinson was two years older than Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of wireless (radio), twenty-two years older than the State of Utah and thirty six years older than Newington and Hiltonia.
She was a pioneer in women’s lib before there was such a thing, not by protest but by act, for she went to Savannah, got a job in the Cortez Cigar Company, found George Robinson of Connecticut, married him, brought him back home. He built an upright New England home for her on Poythress land in sight of Simpson United Methodist Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Robinson had one child who was born dead, and the father eight months died later in December, 1912. Both were buried at McBride. Minnie Robinson looked after her aged parents, Daniel W. Poythress, Sr. and his wife, the former Laura Scott until their death, then Mrs. Robinson returned to her job at the cigar company. There she helped rear her great niece, Marjorie, daughter of Ruby Mae Poythress Malesky and her husband. Eventually, Mrs. Robinson, her niece, her nephew Norman Poythress and the great-niece moved to California.
When Mrs. Robinson outlived all except the great niece, Marjorie, the former was returned by Marjorie and her husband, Mesle Benneche of Turlock, California,at Mrs. Robinson’s previous request to McBride for interment. Mrs. Robinson has two first cousins in Sylvania, Miss Christine Scott and Alex Mills. Pallbearers were Claude Wells, Bob Wells, Jimmy Conner, Robbie Thompson, Lline Brinson, William Brinson. Rev. C. B. Studstill was in charge of the graveside service. Thompson Funeral Home handled arrangements.
She married George ROBINSON, 24 Nov 1910 in Screven County, Georgia. Born 20 Nov 1974 in Connecticut. Died 9 Dec 1912 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga.
They had the following children:
35 i. Norman ROBINSON
20. Daniel Willie POYTHRESS Jr. Son of Daniel Willie POYTHRESS & Laura J. SCOTT. Born 17 Jun 1878 in Screven County, Georgia. Died 10 Oct 1950 in Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia. Buried 11 Oct 1950 in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga.
*See photo tombstone in files.
*Sylvania Telephone article Oct 1950:
“D. W. Poythress succumbs at 74”
Funeral services for Dan Willie Poythress, 74, were held Oct. 11 at the McBride Methodist Church with the Rev. I. L. Bisshop officiating. Burial was in the churchyard under the directions of Thompson’s Funeral Home. Mr. Poythress died in Milledgeville after a long illness. Pallbearers were John Scott,Jr.,Rufus Bazemore, Alex Mills, L. L. Sheley, Philip Reddick, and Lanville Conner. Mr. Poythress is survived by a son, Norman Poythress; a daughter, Mrs. Jack Orr; several grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Minnie Robbinson, all of Oakland, Calif.”
He married Leila H. GROSS, 17 Jan 1899 in Screven County, Georgia. Born 26 Apr 1874. Died 9 Mar 1978 in Screven County, Georgia. Buried in McBride Meth. Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Ga.
See photo tombstone in files.
They had the following children:
36 i. Norman POYTHRESS
37 ii. Mrs. Jack Orr POYTHRESS