Thomas Poythress was the son of Thomas James and Martha Poythress. The 1807 Georgia land lottery entry noted that the orphans of Thomas Poythress (1756-1800) were entered into the lottery. Thomas (1781-bef. 1850) and his wife were in Charleston County, South Carolina, in the 1830 census, with three daughters. A Mrs. Poythress appeared in the 1850 census as did her slaves in the 1850 slave schedule, possibly indicating that her husband, Thomas Poythress (1781-bef. 1850), was deceased.

In 1803, Martha, George, Meredith, William and Edward Poythress, and cousin, Francis, 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

1807 Lottery – This lottery, together with the one in 1805, completed the opening of the large valley area between the Oconee and the Ocmulgee Rivers. In 1807, the first meeting of the Georgia Legislature took place at the new capital of Milledgeville in Baldwin County, another part of the westward thrust of settlement. Land awarded in the 1807 Lottery was the remaining parts of Baldwin and Wilkinson Counties and Wayne County.

Name County Mil. Dist. Dist./Lot Drew Land

Poythress, Thomas (Orphans of) Burke Sharp’s 22/44 Wilkinson Poythress, Francis (Orphans of) Hancock Coffee’s 24/290 Wilkinson Poythress, Elizabeth Hancock Coffee’s 6/31 Wilkinson

Grant award #209 of 22nd District of Wilkinson County. All of District 22 is in present Laurens County. Grant was taken up and deed issued May 8, 1809. It is 99.9% certain we will not find the downstream transfer of this deed.

Wilkinson is one of Georgia’s most completely “burned” counties.

State of Georgia. By His Excellence Jared Irwin, Governor and Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of this state and of the Militia thereof. To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting: Know ye, that in pursuance of an act of the General Assembly, passed on the 26th day of June, 1826, for making distribution of land in counties of Wilkinson and Baldwin, I have given and granted, and by these presents, in the name and behalf of this State, do give and grant, unto Thomas Poythress’ Orphans, of Burke County, their heirs and assigns forever, all that Tract or Lot of Land, containing two hundred two and one half acres, situate, lying, and being in the Twenty second District of Wilkinson County in the said State which said tract or lot of land is not only distinguished in the plan of said district by number forty four having such shape, form, and marks as appear by a plat of the same hereunto annexed: To have and to hold the said Tract or Lot, together with all and singular, the rights, members, and appurtenances thereof, whatsoever, unto the said Thomas Poythress’ Orphans their heirs and assigns; to them and their proper use, benefit, and behoof for ever in fee simple. Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the said State, this eighth day of May in the year 1809 and of the Independence of America the thirty third. Signed by His Excellence the governor, this 8th day of May 1809). Jared Irwin, James Bozeman, S. E. D. Registered the 8th day of May 1809. [Note: the above, with minor variations, is a common format for a lottery grant].

Thomas Poythress, 1830, Charleston Co., S. C., St. Thomas/St. Dennis Parish, p. 193, 1 m 40-49, 2 f 10-14, 1 f 15-

19, 1 f 40-49, 10 m slaves under 10, 15 m slaves 10-23, 10 m slaves 24-35, 10 m slaves 36-54, 8 m slaves 55-99, 10

f slaves under 10, 10 f slaves 10-23, 12 f slaves 24-35, 9 f slaves 36-54, 11 f slaves 55-99. [105 slaves; 53 males,

52 females] [Virtual census]

Thomas Poythress b. 1781-1790 1 F 40-49 b. 1781-1790

1 F 15-19 b. 1811-1815

2 F 10-14 b. 1816-1820

1850 – Parish of St. James Santee, District of Charleston, SC, July 31, 1850 Mrs. Poythress 70 w/f $187 r. e. SC

D. Sheppard 13 w/m SC Miss McCraken 10 w/f SC

1850 – Parish of St. James Santee, District of Charleston, SC, July 31, 1850 (Slave schedule) Mrs. Poythress

1. b/f 18
2. b/f 16
3. b/f 1