WILKES COUNTY, GEORGIA

RESEARCH SUMMARY ISAAC EDMONDSON

My name is David Robertson and have been an avid genealogy researcher for 45 plus years. Having solved much of my easier family tree years ago I now spend my time digging into thornier research problems. In particular, I like to redo research from scratch and question everything from a contrarian point of view. Anything that I cannot verify is suspect, especially old research without supporting sources. Real estate, taxes and estate records other than wills are major overlooked sources that benefit from new research.

He leaves us very few records before or after his death. A John Edmondson paid taxes in Wilkes Co., GA starting in 1785 and continuing into Warren Co. when it was formed in late 1793. Isaac started paying taxes in 1792, presumably when he came of age. John Edmondson drops off prior to the 1801 Warren Co. Tax Digest. John bought a tract on Rocky Cr. in Hancock Co. in 1798 and sold it in 1800 so it appears that he moved there.

Isaac drops off after the 1801 tax digest and before the 1805 Warren Co. Tax Digest. This coincidences roughly with his move to Bulloch County. Also appearing in the early Warren Co. tax digests are Ambrose, Thomas and William Edmondson, all of unknown relationship.

Some researchers have asserted that John Edmondson was his father and that he was m. to Mary Barrington. I would love to see some more in depth research on that, if anyone can send it to me. There is a grain of truth here that will be discussed further below.

This is a good time to digress and discuss some erroneous and unsupported information about him.

1.Isaac Edmondson was NOT b. in England. Just because an Isaac Edmondson was b. in England in 1760 does not mean he is one and the same as our Isaac Edmondson. There has been nothing shown to link the two.

2.He never lived in Duplin Co., NC. A number of his children married into families that migrated to Bulloch Co. and Lowndes Co. from the Duplin Co., NC area, but all of these marriages occurred in GA.

3.While his wife’s maiden name may well have been Cox, her father was not likely to have been Bartley Cox. Early Wilkes County was a massive county. Frank Parker Hudson’s magnum opus Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Records, 1785-1805, Volumes One and Two, 1996 demonstrates that John Edmondson and Isaac Edmondson lived in the very most southern tip of Wilkes Co. far away from Bartley Cox.

A Subtle Clue

Rest assured I am not taking the time to writ this just to shoot down old theories. A 1790 Wilkes Co. deed provides a few great clues.

GA Wilkes

DB TT.049

7 Jul 1790

John Edmonson (Father)

Sarah James, of Marlborough Co., SC & Mary Dudly of Newborn [Newbern], NC (Daughters)

—

—

Gift of slave in possession of Mary Dudly. Witnesses: Isaac Edmonson, Absolem Bearden. Recorded 29 Nov 1802.

This deed identifies two daughters of John Edmondson and where they lived in 1790. This is suggestive that John Edmondson may have once lived in New Bern, NC (Craven County, NC) and/or Marlborough Co., SC (ironically once Craven District, SC).

Both turn out to be true! John Edmondson appears in a number of deeds in Craven Co., NC from 1742 thru 1776. All but the last deed are unremarkable. His last deed before leaving NC makes up for it.

NC Craven

DB 22.330

7 Mar 1776

John Edmondson, of Craven Co., SC

Thomas Spight

300

ns Neuse R., ws Upper Broad Cr.

£6. Per Patent. Adj. Thomas Spight. Witnesses: John Barranton, Sary Dudley. Recorded Mar 1775. Note: This patent was made in 1768.

Mind you this was a deed recorded in Craven Co., NC made by a resident of Craven Co., SC. This is not a typo and the text in the deed is as clear as it can be. This demonstrates that John Edmondson was from Craven Co., NC. He moved to Craven District, SC just before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. It appears that he weathered the War in SC and migrated to Georgia along with the flood of settlers into the then newly opened up Indian Lands. This explains him

I hope this spurs some focus on researching John Edmondson in SC.

Barrington Family

I would love for anyone with a knowledge of the Barrington family to contact me. The Barrington family is quite prominent in Craven Co., NC records and I would like to know more about the family.

Compiled By: David H. Robertson, 159 Hickory St., Roswell, GA 30075 davidhr@hushmail.com