SETTLEMENT OF BRANTLEY COUNTY
Stephen Gibson lived near the present Satilla River Club, and I believe he was the
son-in-law of West Sheffield. The grave of West Sheffield is located at the Satilla River Club.
He was born in 1747 and died in 1820. Stephen Gibson was the father-in-law of James Fort who
settled the land owned today by N. S. McVeigh, and is known as the Mumford home
in Waynesville.
John Fort settled on land in Glynn County before 1800 and named his
plantation the "Collage." He lived there until Wayne County was formed and then moved to a location
between Browntown and the Post Road.
lssac Johns and William Cily settled
in this area also but there is no record of the locations.
Wright Ammons and John Ammons, believed to be brothers or father
and son, settled on the Satiila River, north of Atkinson.
Brothers, Edward and Henry Russell settled close to the Camden and
Wayne County line. Tom Keen
settled north of Atkinson near where the Tom Keen place is today.
James D. Stewart and
Jonathan K. Stewart settled about five miles northwest of Waynesville.
William Flowers settled about one mile south of Atkinson.
Frances Harrison had to wait one year to get his citizenship before he could
qualify to draw his land. His land draw was located northeast of Waynesville.
John Gignialliant is believed to be the original settler of
Sherwood Homes, a place owned today by the W. R. Gibson Estate.
Amos Roberts settled the place that is the J. L. McVeigh home place
today.
William Clements settled the place known as the "Burndown Tract."
David Kemp, one of his daughters married
Sherrod Sheffield, and lived close to the Post Road near Mount
Pleasant. Some of the Kemp family is buried in Union Church Cemetery.
Elijah Tucker married a daughter of Captain Thom�as O'Neil
who was one of the largest land holders in (old) Wayne County.
His land lay east of the Post Road and is today owned by Gerald
Arnet.
Stephen Clay King came into this area from Litchfield, Connecticut to
tutor the daughter of James Fort. He married his pupil and inherited the
land along the Satilla River south of Atkinson.
Duncan Bohannon is believed to have settled land near where Hortense is
today. Jesse Lewis probably settled in the same location. Thomas and
William Purdom settled on the east side or the Satilla River.
James, John, and Levie Strickland were brothers, but settled in different areas.
Levie settled north of Atkinson; James married Ellender Smith and
settled north of Waynesville. These are the Stricklands of Hortense and Jesup today.
John settled close to the Camden County line.
Samuel Clayborn Drury came into this area from Camden County.
He had two sons, Samuel Mills and George. He bought several thousand acres of
land between Waynesville and Hortense. Joseph
Wiggins and Abner Davis married into the Stafford family and both of these
men drew land in Wayne and Glynn Counties. Joseph Wiggins later bought the
Abner Davis land. The home places of Frank and Jerry Walker lays on the former
Jo�seph Wiggins tract of land. Robert Stafford lived near the Post
Road at Whittaker hill.
William Morgandollar Riley married the daugh�ter of Captain William Maner
and Elizabeth Stafford, and inherited much land from the Staffords, his former tract is
known as the "Riley Tract" today. Michael Peck owned land as the "Quarantine Tract' today.
Job Tyson had two plan�tations, one in Glynn County known as the "Bethel ," the other in
Wayne and Glynn. It was here that he built an Inn for travelers on the State Coach
Road. This section of the county is today known as "Colleridge."
James Hiram Rooks was one of the first settlers in the area, he settled
between Waynesville and Browntown. He had two sons named James and King Hiram Rooks.
He is buried at Hortense. James Ratliffe settled on land south of Waynesville.
Most of this land today is owned by Elmore Kelly.
Editors Note: Readers may find it interesting to trace ownership of their land
back to the original land grant from the Governor or King of England.
Owners of head right land may particularly find it interesting to determine the original
owner. As many readers may know, this section of the country received many
indentured servants from England who came here under the head right system
where the individual worked for a specified number of years to pay back
the debt, then the individual was given a specified number of acres of
land varying from 20 to 500.
