“New Negroes Imported” in Chatham Co., GA, 1798

I found the following while searching for slave importation records. I could not find any bound volumes of slave importation affidavits, but I did find this at the tail end of the 1798 tax digest for Chatham County. While no “Negroes” were actually named, the record itself could be important to researchers.

The microfilm of Chatham County’s 1798 tax digest is located at Drawer 43, Box 78 at the Georgia Archives. The original is presumably located at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah, GA, as part of the Telfair Collection. The tax digest, minus the following, may be viewed online through Georgia’s Virtual Vault.

The list is prefaced by the title “New Negroes imported in Chatham County to the 2d October 1798. Tax at 15 [Dollars] per head.”

Picking and Choosing

Today, I began the long process of deciding which societies I will renew memberships in, which ones I may need to join, and what periodicals I need to subscribe to for the coming year.

This is always a difficult decision for me. If I had my druthers, I’d join every society on my long list and subscribe to every periodical. Alas, finances almost never allow for that circumstance. So I must pick and choose based on whether or not I can participate in society functions, what benefits the society offers (and whether or not I can take advantage of them), and how well I like the society’s publications.

Skill Building with the BCG

When people complain about the high cost of genealogy education, I give them a puzzled look. Some of my favorite educational resources are freely available to anyone with an Internet connection, and most of the others are fairly low-cost.

One resource I use frequently is the Board for Certification of Genealogists web site. Amongst other things, it contains a section of articles reproduced online that were published in past issues of their newsletter, OnBoard, and written by certified genealogists. Some of the articles are clearly geared toward professional researchers, but most are skill builders that anyone can use. Topics covered include using and analyzing specific records, transcribing, note taking, genealogical writing, constructing proof arguments, and source citations.

There are nearly three dozen articles online at the moment. Even researchers who have no intention of becoming certified should find something of use there.

Rally at the Capitol for the Georgia Archives, 14 January 2013

There will be a rally at the state capitol in Atlanta in support of the Georgia Archives on 14 January 2013, which coincides with the first day of the this year’s session of the Georgia General Assembly. The rally will be held on the Washington Street entrance to the capitol from 1 – 3 p.m. Only hand held signs are allowed. Georgia Genealogical Society is the rally’s sponsor.

Whether you can attend or not, please take the time to contact your local representative to the state legislature in support of the Archives. As Vivian Price wrote recently at Georgia Archives Matters, public pressure can make a big difference and can help keep this important repository of the state’s history and historical documents open.

Tombstone Tuesday: T. W. and Mattie Gibson, Towns Co., GA

This marker for the burial places of T. W. and Mattie Gibson is found in Osborn Cemetery, Towns County, Georgia. The cemetery is attached to McConnell Memorial Baptist Church in Hiawassee, but physically located away from the church.

T. W.
Gibson
Sept. 5, 1860
Jan. 12, 1922

Mattie
Gibson
Aug. 20, 1860
Oct. 12, 1963

Under each name is the inscription “Resting in hope of a glorious resurrection.”

Upcoming Events with the Georgia Genealogical Society

The Georgia Genealogical Society has three upcoming events of interest to area researchers.

On Monday, 21 January at 8 p.m. EST, Monica Hopkins will present “Evernote for Genealogists” via webinar. Monica is a past editor of the Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly and an author of the GGSQ‘s regular column, Technology Talk. If you’re having a problem organizing your genealogy, Monica is sure to help you out.

On Monday, 18 February at 8 p.m. EST, Laura Carter will present “FamilySearch Wiki”, also a webinar. The FamilySearch Wikis are a useful way for researchers to share information about researching in a particular location or using various records.

The GGS March Seminar will be held on Saturday, 2 March, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Deborah A. Abbott, PhD., will be discussing “Genealogical Methods: The Basics and Beyond” in four parts: Using and Analyzing the U. S. Federal Censuses; Going Beyond the Basics: Vital Records & Related Sources; Using Libraries and Archives; and Voices from the Past: Using Manuscripts. The cost is $25 for members and $35 for non-members. There are two registration deadlines: 20 February for mail-ins, and 26 February for online registrations.

To register for Monica’s presentation or the March Seminar, see GGS Events.

A Sunday Walk Around the Blogs

This past week, straddling the old year and the new, brought some interesting posts.

Kerry Scott of Clue Wagon‘s first post of the new year exhibits her usual no-nonsense wit with In Which I Assign You A New Year’s Resolution. Hint: It’s about merging family trees.

Judith Beaman Scott (no relation?) of Puzzles of the Past is Preparing for SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy). I admit to some envy. She’s taking the Advanced Genealogical Methods track, which is on my list of education to-dos.

The writers at the Augusta Genealogy and Local History Blog just reported that planning has begun to transfer the Georgia Archives to the University of Georgia system. Good news for researchers, I hope.

The new conferences keep a-comin’, proving that genealogy is a growing industry. Your Genetic Genealogist just announced that a DNA and Genetic Genealogy conference will be held in conjunction with the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in June of this year. Looks like there will be a whole passel of good speakers, too, so those of y’all attending the Jamboree are in for a real treat.

The Board for Certification of Genealogists has a new blog, BCG SpringBoard: News and Notes. Great news for us all!

Finally, a touching story out of the Midwest. A Detroit couple found World War II love letters, photos, and discharge papers while remodeling their home. Let’s hope an interested family member who will take care of these precious documents steps forward.

William Hamby’s Estate in Rabun County’s Writs

While compiling Rabun County’s earliest writs and petitions for publication (available soon), I came across an 1843 court case between the heirs of the estate of William Hamby and the administrator of the estate, James Hamby. Naturally, the petition named all the heirs “to the second degree”: Ezekiel Hamby; Jonothan Roach and his wife, Huldah (Hamby) Roach; Benjamin Shelton and his wife, Keziah (Hamby) Shelton; Daniel Inman and his wife, Rebecca (Hamby) Inman; Martha Hamby; Sophia Hamby; Martha Hamby, the mother of William Hamby, the decedent; Amos Forrister and his wife Elizabeth (Hamby) Forester; James Hamby, the estate’s administrator; and Thomas K. Forrister and his wife, Polly (Hamby) Forrister.

The initial petition provides excellent information on the dynamics of this Hamby family, but there are many other documents attached to this suit, including an inventory of the estate, the sale of personal property from the estate, and the deceased’s account books,¹ all of which were written into the record.² The latter two items should be of particular interest to area researchers, even those uninterested in the Hamby family per se, because they can be used to reconstruct William Hamby’s neighborhood.

Feature Friday: The Life and Times of C. J. Crunkleton

I keep waiting for someone to ask me why I included all the local and regional news in my book on Rabun County’s earliest newspapers, instead of only the obituaries and death notices as many compilers do.

No one’s asked, but I think it’s an important question, and my answer is this: Newspapers are, in and of themselves, an important resource outside of the fact that they can serve as a substitute for vital and court records. To demonstrate this, let’s look at excerpts from early issues of The Clayton Tribune and The Tallulah Falls Spray pertaining to a gentleman named C. J. Crunkleton.

Free Census Resource Courtesy of Michael Hait, and a Few Other Things as Well

Michael Hait recently announced the release of a free PDF e-book, U. S. Census Pathfinder. Yes, my friends, this is a free resource for those who want to find information about U. S. censuses on the web. But don’t take my word for it. Reviews are abounding, including a thorough one by Judy G. Russell.

If you haven’t poked around Michael’s professional web site, please take the time to do so. In addition to a list of publications, with links to online articles where available, many free to the public, Michael has generously placed several case studies and other free resources on his web site as well. There are plenty of fascinating and informative tidbits available there for researchers of any stripe.

Happy hunting!