Scevern County Georgia, Deed Book A-2, p. 182, 7th day of __, 1809
(NOTE: The source citation above is incomplete — needs review and update).
Peter Poythress, of Screven County, Ga. first part, conveys to Thomas Cleaton,
second part, of Macklenburg (sic) County , Va., for 43L 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 Macklenburg (sic) County, Virginia containing 50 acres
by estimation.
Usual Warranty
In presence of: Peter Poythress (ls)
Hardy Parker, James Ponder
Recorded 30th day of October 1809
Roger McKinney, Clerk
Link to War of 1812 Military Bounty Land Warrant Record
Notes/Commentary (edited) from Poythress Mailing List Posts Re: Peter Poythress, son of Meredith, Sr.
Looks like Peter just got skinned out of 43L by his father and grandfather.
At this point, Bud and I shared a skeptical observation that even if he did die
in SC in 1812 he was for sure in Georgia in 1809. Now we PERHAPS have him
appearing in VA enlisting for the War of 1812 in 1814, serving, and then dying
in Norfolk, VA in 1815. It would not logically fall into place for him to be
enlisting in Pittsylvania County . However, if he was just dying to enlist in
VA and not NC, Danville by all logic would be just right over the border.
Throwing out the SC death in 1812 as undocumented, it would not be totally
unreasonable to speculate that Peter returns to Virginia to enlist in 1814 and
dies in 1815 (KIA?). I realize you were winging it from memory when you
answered Elaine on this one and will no doubt want to get back to your papers.
Mitigating FOR “your” man to be Peter son of Meredith is that Peter himself
appears no more in Georgia after this one 1809 document so he could easily have
returned to Virginia. As we have learned, these guys were a lot more VA-GA-AL
mobile than we originally expected them to be.. Also, we have Peter’s brother
Cleton’s 1828 Screven County will in which he bequeaths something or other to
each of his brothers and sisters and brother Peter is not included, perhaps
suggesting that Peter did die in 1815 or, at least was not alive in 1828 or
maybe alive but not even in Georgia.
And if (?) wife Lilly gets land in Arkansas it might well be an award for
Peter’s service in War of 1812. Otherwise, we still have Lilly hanging out
there in thin air and no other connection.
What it strikes me that we really need is some linkage between Peter showing in
VA tax records 1800-01 as son of Meredith and again in 1809 in GA AND the Peter
who enlists in Pittsylvania County, VA in 1814. I would love to wrap this one
together as it would wrap Peter up without any loose ends and get him out of
the speculation column. Until we do make this linkage, and barring further
strong circumstantial evidence that this Peter is indeed one guy and the son of
Meredith, Sr., I’m inclined to agree with your origiinal comment that we make
this one a “possible.”
in a message dated 7/10/2002 ,
BarbPoythressNeal writes:
Elaine,
I’m travelling & don’t have full info about Meredith’s son Peter, but I do
have the below info, summarized as [see below for details]:Born about 1782 in Dinwiddie County, VA
Was residing in Mecklenburg Co, VA in 1800 & 1801
Bricklayer
Was enlisted at Danville, [in Pittsylvania County] VA 9 Aug 1814
Died 19 Feb 1815 Norfolk, VAIt seems to me that, in addition to this, we’ve also figured out that he was
married & that his widow was named perhaps Lilly (going by memory here) & that
she got land which may have been in Arkansas — The info about her getting
land, I think came from the (online) G.L.O., BLM records, Eastern States
Division (which, as I recall, stands for General Land Office, Bureau of Land
Management).I have NO marriage info for him in my database, so the above partially-
recalled additional tidbit may have just been in the category of “this info
seems to fit with this Peter.”I don’t recall ever learning of him having any descendants.
Details:
He was listed twice — in 1800 and 1801, in the “Mecklenburg County, Virginia
Personal Property Tax Lists 1782-1805″ Mecklenburg County, VA; Family History
Library film 1,854,098. [Again, going by memory here: I think both times he
was listed with Meredith, as his son, though maybe only in 1800 with Meredith
as his son, and in 1801 alone maybe?)I’ve also examined Peter’s “Compiled Military Service Record, War of 1812”
[which records were not yet filmed as of my review and photocopying of them
on 23 Mar 1996] National Archives, Washington, DC. Notes I made from this
Compiled Military Service Record for the War of 1812 show: