Jeannette Holland Austin performed a detailed and thorough genealogical and historical search for the origins of immigrant families who left Gravesend, England, with Oglethorpe and arrived in Savannah in February of 1733. The search included data from correspondence with the Trustees in England, data from Candler’s Colonial Records of Georgia, passenger lists, and county records! She traced biographies of the families of the immigrants to Georgia with Oglethorpe and explored all possible avenues for a successful genealogical research result.
All old wills, estates, etc., for Chatham County, Georgia, survived and were digitized for viewing (may be downloaded). The first settlers established plantations that supported the community. The early wills and estates typically run fifty-plus pages, and there is a world of information for the genealogist to discover on those pages! Listed below are the records found on georgiapioneers.com:
Passenger Lists, Wills and Estates 1781-1861, Tax digests, city directories, first colonial notations and records, orphans, Savannah Residents of 1738, Savannah Town Assistants, Savannah Bailiffs and Officers, Baptisms 1735-1738, Savannah Conservators of the Peace, Savannah Town Constables, Savannah Malcontents of 1738, storekeepers, town lots 1745-1747, 1756; Savannah Lots at Yamacraw Bluff 1760, 1759 Savannah Wharf Lots, and much more. The biographical sketches by Jeannette Holland Austin include the first settlers into the colony, their origin, and their families.
The graves from the earliest immigrants to Savannah were removed to Colonial Park Cemetery.
For more details abounty Chatham County Records – https://georgiapioneers.com/country/chatham/
Where to become a member – https://georgiapioneers.com/become-a-member/