Meredith Poythress was born about 1760 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and died in 1839 in Burke County, Georgia. He married, 7/14/1781, Edith Clayton, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, the daughter of William Cleaton and Jane Poole. They had children: Peter (1782-1815), Cleaton (1785-1827), Elizabeth (1792-) and Meredith, Jr. (1790-aft. 1860). Meredith appears to have moved his family from Virginia to Georgia in 1786. If this was the case, he took his two sons, Peter and Cleaton, to Georgia. Meredith, Jr., would not be born until about 1790.

August 22, 1782, in Brunswick County, John Morris and Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of Thomas Edwards, deceased. Surety: Meredith Poythress, who made affidavit that Elizabeth Edwards lived at the home of his father, Thomas Poythress, and was 23 years of age. The witness was Griffin Stith.

In 1782, the personal property list, of Brunswick County, listed Thomas Poythress and Meredith Poythress and six slaves, also 6 horses and 18 cattle.

In 1784, an account of the alteration of property, in Brunswick County, from May 1, 1783, to May 1, 1784, with the addition of land not before taxed:

Proprietor Qty Valuation Amt Tax

Thomas Poythress, Sr. 53 acres 51 133/40/0 6.8

Thomas Poythress, Sr. 532 acres – altered – his land conveyed to James Phips, 50 acres, and William Warwick, 482 acres, which was charged to them.

Meredith Poythress 50 acres, from John Morris – 100

(From Maynard Poythress)

Bill of Sale, Meredith Poythress to William Cleaton, dated March 1, 1786.

Poythress to Cleaton, March 1, 1786. Know all men by these presents that I Meredith Poythress of the County of Mecklenburg have Bargained and sold unto William Cleaton of the same county two feather beds and furniture one Iron Pott one Dutch Oven one Iron skillet one half Dozen house chairs one chest one Sow and six piggs one heifer yearling one Woolings wheel and Cards one flax wheel one Table two pewter dishes five plates two basins three punch Boles half Dozen knives and forks one looking glass one Mare filley one water pale one washing tub two Samll Axes Two plow hoes three weeding hoes one coffee pot two small     one Grid Iron one cheese Toster one Rost Meet Spit two flatt irons one pair of fire tongs one Shovel one hoecake one half Dozen Spoons two small casks one Churn one furkin one Candle Stand one reel two geese forteen pottery one canteen two Sugar boxes two flagons three bottles one raw cow hide one    and all the Rest of my Goods and Chattels for the sum of five hundred and fifty weight of Inspected Petersburg Tobacco and thirteen pounds Eighteen shillings and the tax of three hundreds and seventy five Acres of Land of two years paid in hand. I, the said Meredith Poythress do warrant these said articles to him the said Cleaton from persons whatsoever as witnessed my hand and seal. Meredith Poythress (LS) Signed Sealed and delivered in presence of Isham Eppes, Alexander (x) Pointer, Henry Wartman. At court for Mecklenburg County the 10th day of July 1786. This Bill sale was acknowledged by Meredith Poythress     and ordered to be recorded. John Brown       . (A firkin was a small pail for clabber, butter, etc.)

(From Maynard Poythress:

-unless Meredith had inherited someone’s household goods, it can be suggested that Meredith is selling his household goods to his father-in-law, William Cleaton, preparatory to moving to Georgia.

-had Edith Cleaton Pohythress (married 1781) died? Nothing in this document suggests yes or no even though she is not mentioned.

-it appears to be reasonable for Meredith to want to sell his household goods for liquidity and simply buy more in Georgia. Five hundred and fifty weight of tobacco would likely have been in negotiable warehouse receipts.

-is Meredith liquidating because of financial difficulties? The case cannot be made off this document.

-”friendly transaction?” Likely. Especially since Meredith would have needed these items between March 1 and July 10 (date recorded, for which Meredith was present). Probably reasonable to speculate that William did not take delivery of the goods until July 10.

-document offers a good hypothesis for date Meredith left Virginia for Georgia.

-document interesting for insight into what would have been likely contents of a rural household in Virginia in 1786.)

26 Dec 1792. Marriage Bond of Lewis Poythress and Patsey Giles. Surety: Meredith Poythress; Minister: John Loyd; Sealed and delivered in the presence of Newman Dortch. Mecklenburg Cty. (Marriage Bonds and Consent papers, 1770-1810, “P” Reel 58, p. 376).

Mecklenburg Records, Personal Property Tax List, 1800. Poythress, Lewis; Poythress, Meredith 2; son Peter.

* tithes….the numeral after the name represents the number taxable. All males sixteen or over were taxable. Estates, women and non-residents were not taxable. The sons were between the ages of sixteen and twenty one. Slaves and taxable personal property were not itemized in the above excerpt. Taxing district was Mecklenburg Lower District, John Holmes, Commissioner.

In 1803, Martha, George and Edward Poythress as well as Meredith, Francis and William Poythress registered for the 1805 (1st) Georgia land lottery. The 1805 lottery listed the names of every person who entered. Registration in 1803 for this drawing was a fairly good, although incomplete “proxy” for an 1803 census of Georgia. In the later lotteries, with a few exceptions, only the winners were listed. Land awarded in the 1805 lottery was then Baldwin and Wilkinson County.

Name Reg.# Prize or Blank Registrant’s County Poythress, Edward 47 B B Burke

Poythress, George 65 B Burke Poythress, Martha 50 B B Burke Poythress, Francis 613 B B Hancock Poythress, Meredith 968 B B Screven Poythress, William 967 B B Screven

Property (From BPN and Maynard Poythress)

Peter Poythress, of Screven County, GA., first part, conveys to Thomas Cleaton, second part, of Mecklenburg County, VA., for L43 current money of Virginia, paid to his father, Meredith Poythress, by said Cleaton, and for one cent in United States coin, paid to Peter Poythress by Thomas Cleaton, a certain tract of land in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, containing 50 acres by estimation. P eter Poythress (ls)

Usual Warranty – In presence of: Hardy Parker, James Ponder. Recorded 30th day of October 1809. Roger McKinney, Clerk (Screven County, Book A-2, p. 182, 7th day of    , 1809.

1820 Screven Co., GA.

Meredy Poythress [not Mandy Poythress] 3-0-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-1-0-0-1 0-0-0-1

3m <10, 1m 16-<26, 1m 45-45+, 1f 10-<16, 1f 26-<45, 1 in agriculture, 1m slave 14-<26 [Virtual census]

Meredith Poythress, Sr.	60
(female)	(1775-1794)
(male)	(1795-1804)
(female)	(1804-1810)
(male)	(1810-1820)
(male)	(1810-1820)
(male)	(1810-1820)

August 30, 1821. Sheriff’s sale…courthouse at Jacksonborough, Screven County..150 acres of pine land more or less lying in the county of Screven levied on the property Meredith Poythress, Sr. to satisfy sundry executions in favor of

J. S. Brown, against said Poythress and Solomon Kemp, the same adjoining land of M. Williamson, Sr. and others levied and returned to me by a constable. (Augusta Chronicle, 8/30/1821, p. 3, column 3)

May 2, 1822. Sheriff’s sale…courthouse in Jacksonborough, Screven County…106 acres of land levied on as the property of Meredith Poythress, Senior to satisfy sundry executions issued out of justice’s court in favor of H. M. Willliamson versus Cleton Poythress and Meredith Poythress, Senior, said land adjoins land of Henry Joyce and others. Levied and returned by constable James Poythress. Signed James Brown, SSC (Augusta Chronicle, 5/2/1822, p. 3, column 4)

August 5, 1822. Sheriff’s sale…courthouse in Jacksonborough, Screven County…50 acres of land in said county adjoining lands of Richard Williamson and Zachias Long taken as the property of Meredith Poythress, Senior to satisfy two small executions in favor of R. M. Williamson, Sr. versus Meredith Poythress and Cleton Poythress, levied and returned by a constable. (Augusta Chronicle, 8/5/1822, p. 3, column 6)

June 2, 1824. Sheriff’s sale…courthouse at Jacksonborough, Screven County, ….687 acres of land (more or less) lying in the county of Screven adjoining Little Ogeechee [River], lands of James Ponder and others; levied on as the property of Meredith Poythress, Senior to satisfy sundry executions in favor of Augustus B. Jones versus said Poythress and William Flake, levied and returned by J. B. Anderson, constable. (Augusta Chronicle, 6/2/1824, p. 3,

column 3)

April 2, 1825. Sheriff’s sale….courthouse in Jacksonborough, Screven County…one third of a Negro man slave named Corey levied on as the property of Meredith Poythress to satisfy sundry executions in favor of John Adams vs. said Poythress and others. (Augusta Chronicle, 4/2/1825, p. 3, column 1)

1832 Lottery

The 1832 or “Sixth” Georgia Land Lottery was an umbrella term to cover what was in reality the last “two” lotteries, the Cherokee land lottery and the Gold Lottery. While legislation for these two lotteries was passed in 1830 and 1831, both drawings were held in 1832. In the Cherokee Land Lottery, the lands available in this lottery eventually become the counties of Cass, Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Murray, Paulding, and Union. Land lot sizes were 160 acres. The grant fee for registering the land in order to sell it or move to it was $18.00. In the 1832 Gold Lottery, lands available were the remaining part of original Cherokee County but was that area deemed to have a potential to be “gold” land instead of “farm” land. The lot sizes were fixed at 40 acres. The grant fee was the same as the land lottery: $18.

Name County Military District District/Section/Lot Land Drawn Type

Poythress, Joseph (soldier) Troup Tally’s 7/4/14 Cherokee Land Poythress, Joseph (soldier) Troup Tally’s 2/3/7 Cherokee Gold Poythress, Hardimend Greene 143 2/2/752 Cherokee Gold Poythress, Sarah E. (orphan) Screven 34th 6/3/204 Cherokee Land Poythress, Meredith Sr. Screven 36th 16/2/1078 Cobb Gold Poythress, Meredith Jr. Screven 36th 3/3/76 Cobb Gold Poythress, Sarah M. (widow) Chatham 1st 16/2/471 Cobb Gold