Mann of Bryan and Chatham Counties
Dear Jeannette:
I am trying to determine the parents of Daniel J. Mann born February 1802 (In Georgia) and died March 01, 1875 in Baker County, Florida. Daniel married Louvicy Barber about 1827 in Georgia. They are both buried in Manntown Cemetery in Baker County, Florida. Daniel J. Mann and family can be found in the 1830 federal census of Bryan County, GA. I have conducted Y-DNA analysis on myself and confirmed with another male descendant that Daniel J. Mann was not the biological son of William Mann Sr. R.S. of Tattnall/Appling GA as old family lore suggests. I have also not been able to link Daniel J. Mann to the prominent John/Luke/Thomas Mann families of Bryan and Liberty Counties. I have found a Daniel Mann who died in Camden County, GA in 1815. This Daniel was in Lt. Scott's militia during the Spring of 1815. By November he was dead as a Darius Woodworth was admitted as executor of his belongings per Camden County Minutes of the Ordinary Court 1802-1822 pg. 158, 162 & 163. The "J" in Daniel J. Mann maybe for James and I have noticed a James Mann receiving an early land grant in Camden county per your Interstate Records. *Note: No land grants in this book, but the Minutes of the Inferior Court are.* Any help breaking through this very thick brick wall would be much appreciated!
Sincerely,
Shannon J. Mann
505-359-8654
Research by Jeannette Holland Austin
Luke Mann, born 1736 in Ireland (according to McCall's Roster of the Revolution), died April 7, 1802 at Great Ogeechee, Georgia (from McCall's Roster of the Revolutionary War). There is a conflict on the date of death. However, the Georgia Gazette published June 19, 1800: "DIED last Sunday in Bryan County, Captain Luke Mann." Member of the Provincial Congress from the Parish of St. Philips (formerly Liberty, now Bryan County); served as a Captain in General Greene's Army. Married Anne Butler who died 1788 on the Great Ogeechee. The Last Will and Testament was found in the unrecorded wills in Georgia Official Papers (1727-1947), Legal Records, Bryan County dated May 26, 1800. Ted O. Brooke transcribed this will in his book Georgia Stray Records. Named were sons, Luke and Thomas, both under the ages of 21 years and they were to receive the property of their grandfather, John Mann. Thomas and Luke were to have the privilege of planting on the Yamasy plantation along with his other children, while a division of my estate takes place. If said children were to marry before the division occurred, then they could not have any use of the plantation. According to the last will and testament of John Pray of Bryan County in Chatham County dated 1819, his father-in-law, Luke Pray, owned Belmont Plantation and Yamasy Plantation which must have passed to him by right of his wife Ann Mann Pray because Pray passed it on to his heirs. These plantations were located on the Little Canoochee River, a tributory of the Ogeechee River. That is why John Pray's will was headed up " of the Great Ogeechee" The portion of Luke Mann's will in which we are most interested is the torn portion. Ted Brooke translated that as follows "As long as Jones, Thomas and Luke...." I found no person by the name of Jones Mann in the records, and, as the athe 17th century script resembled an o, I believe this person to be James Mann. Issue of children from the will:
- Rebecca Mann (1769-1808) married Thomas Day. Georgia Gazette 1/1/1808. "In Bryan County on the 4th of December, Mrs. Rebecca Day, consort of the late Mr. Thomas Day, aged 39 years, daughter of Luke Mann, Esq. died."
- Martha Mann married William A. Dunham.
- Jane Mann married 1803 James P. Health, resident of Baltimore in 1808.
- Frances Mann married Arthur M. Charlton of Wilkes County. Georgia Gazette dated 1/29/1801. " Last Tuesday fortnight, Arthur M. Charlton and Miss Frances Mann, daughter of the late Luke Mann Esq. of Bryan County, married on Jan 23, 1801."
- Susannah Mann married in 1805 Samuel Lewis of Liberty County.
- Harriot Mann married Samuel Dewse.
- Ann Mann, married John Pray of Bryan County. John Pray, in his last will and testament dated Bryan County but probated in Chatham County, named a long list of heirs, some of whom were from Providence (Rhode Island).
- Mary Mann, born ca 1770, married Mr. High according to Ted Brooke's translation of the Luke Mann will, however, according to McCall's Roster of the Revolution this was Samuel Sleigh. Georgia Gazette. " Samuel Sleigh and Miss Polly Mann, daughter of Luke Mann, Esq., married Dec 2, 1790."
- Sarah Mann, married Josiah Stuart or Stewart.
- *Thomas Mann, born ca 1780 (fits with 1820 Bryan Co. Census), married first to " Mrs. Mann, born 1781, died on 16th inst., aged 26, wife of Thomas Mann of Bryan County." (Georgia Gazette 2/21/1807) and 2nd to Harriet Sleigh 7/14/1808 in Liberty County (Georgia Gazette). He must have married the first wife about 1800 and had by her two daughters (Jane and Mary) and one son aged 10 to 16 years in 1820 who could be your Daniel. Served as a Private in the 2d Regt of Pray's Militia of Liberty County during War of 1812. The will of John Pray mentioned two daughters of Thomas Mann (by the second wife), viz: Jane and Ann Mann. The 1820 census listed a son to the age of 16 years (born ca 1804), obviously a son of the first wife, who could have been your Daniel Mann. There was also a daughter to age 16 years who was probably by the first wife. In 1820, children by second wife were 3 sons under 10 years of age. The quest here is to learn the name of the son who was as old as 16 years in 1820 as this could be your Daniel who was found in Bryan County on the 1830 Census. The will of John Pray named two daughters:
1. Mary Mann
Also, 3 sons under 10 (in 1820), children of 2nd wife
2. Jane Mann.
Son 10 to 16 in (1820)
Daughter to 16 in (1820)
This is important. These two daughters (Mary and Jane) were " residents of New Providence in 1819 " when the Pray will was dated. (Also, they were not on the 1820 GA Census). According to Pray, they were the children of the first wife of Thomas Mann. Apparently, John Pray had come into the possession of the two plantations originally owned by John Mann in Liberty (now Bryan) County and he took care to see that it passed into the hands of the children of Thomas, but not to Thomas himself. There was some sort of judgment against Thomas Mann which John Pray assumed. To "Ann and Jane Mann, children of Thomas Mann by his first wife...now in New Providence...Their father, under no condition is to have anything left by me to any of his children." As best I can tell the property on Canoochee Creek bequeathed by the grandfather of Thomas and Luke (John Mann) preserved the plantations of Yamasy and Belmont plantation in Liberty (now Bryan) County.
Other bequests made by John Pray include the siblings of his wife, Ann Pray, viz: Jane Heath, wife of James P. Heath and their children and a trust for Richard Heath in Baltimore, Md; William A. Dunham; Mary Sleigh. He left his Wilkes county plantation to Frances Mann, wife of Arthur Charlton, Susan Lewis,and Harriet, the second wife of Thomas Mann (Thomas to have no rights to her inheritance). Nothing left to sister Rebecca Day because she died in 1808. These were many other bequests to friends, as well as the female orphans home in Savannah, with a lot and home in Savannah to his wife, Ann Pray. John Pray gave a general statement giving members of the family rights to plant on the land
For some reason, Jane and Mary were in New Providence (probably Nassau). A historical note here: Loyalists from Georgia moved into Florida, then to New Providence, a British colony, after the British surrendered. There may be members of the Mann family in New Providence. John Mann only named one son and daughter in his last will and testament. This struck me as odd. He may have had other children who were Loyalists. In 1819, Thomas Mann was on hard times. Perhaps these two unmarried daughters were sent to New Providence to reside with family. He had at least 6 children, three of whom were by the first wife. - *Luke Mann, born 1786 in Georgia, married (1) Margaret (2) Eliza. Served as a Private in the 2d Regiment of Pray's Georgia Militia during War of 1812. Georgia Gazette dated 2/5/1806. " In McIntosh County Jan. 23rd by Rev. William McWhir, Mr. Luke Mann to Miss Eliza O'Neal, daughter of Colonel Feredinand O;Neal." She died in 1820 as per Georgia Gazette 4/6/1820. "In Bryan County on 27th ult. Mrs. Eliza Mann, consort of Luke, age 31 years and 13 days, daughter of Colonel Ferdinand and Mary O'Neal, died. She had been a member of the Midway Church of South Carolina for a number of years." The last will and testament of John Pray mentions children by the second wife of Luke Mann, as well as children by the second wife of Thomas Mann. Luke was listed on 1850 Bryan Co. Census and could not be the father of Daniel. He was married twice, and both dates were after the birth of Daniel.
- *James Mann, appears to be another son of Luke Mann who died in 1800 as per his last will and testament. The name is not written clearly and could easily be James Mann. Served during the War of 1812 in the Georgia Volunteers and Militia under Commander Jenkins. Service was in Camden County. I could find no further evidence of James Mann in Georgia.
- Daniel J. Mann who died 1815 in Camden County. This could be the same person as James Mann (above). I exhausted the Georgia records trying to locate something further on his 1815 estate in Camden County. Daniel Mann served as a pvt in the War of 1812 and was with his regiment when they lost to the British in 1815. You gave me November of 1815 that his estate was mentioned in the Minutes of Camden County, with Darius Woodworth, executor. Darius Woodworth had served in the Revolutionary War as a Pvt in the CT Continental Line. He started receiving a pension in 1820 at the age of 75 years, and was listed on the 1835 Georgia Pensioners. Ironically, he had a son named Luke, which suggests some sort of relationship to the Mann families of Bryan County. Whatever the situation, with Daniel's estate dated November of 1815 in Camden County, the Ga Militia must have still been stationed at St. Mary's when he died, possibly from yellow fever (common illness in that neck of the woods) or of wounds from the skirmish in January? The reason that the militia was still in active service is that the men were promised land bounties, provided that they serve 5 years. Daniel Mann who died November of 1815 in Camden County of which Darius Woodworth was executor. Woodworth, a soldier from CT of the Continental Army, also died in Georgia because he received a pension there as late as 1835. Woodworth was born in 1745. Apparently this Daniel Mann (a soldier of the War of 1812) died while still in service at Point Peter.
Any one of the above were old enough to have given birth to your Daniel, except Luke (Jr.) At the beginning of this War, during the fall of 1812, a Naval expedition was sent to the Sunbury port in Liberty County to guard the waterways between Savannah and St. Marys, Georgia. The fort of Ft. Morris was renamed "Fort Defiance" It appears that the Georgia Militia was stationed at a battery at Pt. Peter on the mainland near the village of St. Mary. The battery was raised at this port against the impending threat of a Naval attack of the British. During January of 1815 the British occupied Cumberland Island and were ambushed on January 13th by a small American battery of militis stationed at St. Peter. However, the British won and their success enabled the British to occupy St. Mary's and prepare to invade Savannah. Meanwhile, General Floyd had 2,000 men stationed at Savannah, ready for the attack which never happened because the Treaty of Ghent was signed. Thus, the British evacuated St. Mary's on February 17, 1815. The agreement for service during the War of 1812 was to serve 5 years to receive a bounty grant of land.
The Pray Family Connection John Pray enlisted in the Revolutionary War from CT. His last will and testament mentioned a number of kin in Providence, Rhode Island. There was a Revolutionary War Soldier, Daniel Mann, from Rhode Island, a son of Nathaniel Mann, who died June 3, 1824 at Smithfield. Widow, Phoebe (a daughter of Anthony Sprague), applied for the pension in 1837 at the age of 90 years. Phoebe married Daniel Mann on 5/9/1772 at Smithfield, Rhode Island. Her son, Daniel Mann, aged 55 years in 1837, was a resident of Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Conclusions
I have digilently tried to identify all of the Manns in Bryan, Liberty and Camden Counties. Suffice it to say, that the old Mann plantations were owned by John Mann who named only one son who inherited, viz: Luke Mann, and his grandsons, the two sons of (Luke), viz: Thomas and Luke to inherit his land on the Great Ogeechee. I believe this land to be located about 10 miles north of Hinesville on the Canoochee River, a tributory of the Ogeechee River. This seems to be the land mentioned by John Pray as well as Luke Mann (Sr) and it looks like it remained in the family for a number of years, ultimately passing down to Ann Mann, the wife of John Pray. Your Daniel Mann is obviously kin to this family. How? The 1820 Bryan Co. Census reveals a son up to the age of 16 years, apparently a son by the first wife of Thomas.
It is my opinion that your Daniel was a son of Thomas and that Thomas, helped to work the farm which John Pray now owned due due to some kind of financial troubles and judgments. The 1819 John Pray last will and testament passed that land to Jane and Mary Mann, daughters of Thomas. Since the deeds (or other earlier records) for Bryan County did not survive, we do not have the exact situation. However, since there was nothing left for Daniel, apparently he removed to Camden County after he was married. Also, it is my opinion that Daniel J. Mann and/or James Mann of War of 1812 service were either brothers of Thomas Mann. The reason is the torn page of the will of Luke Mann (died 1800) which was stating something about "Jones or James Mann" The age ranges for service during that War would coincide with Thomas and Luke (Jr.). You might ask whether your Daniel was a son of Daniel J. or James Mann. The facts are that your Daniel was on the farm in Bryan County during 1820 and 1830 and actually could have been an orphan of one of these guys. This family was closely knit, and John Pray bequeathed those lands to the family members. You might ask, why was Daniel Mann not mentioned in the will of John Pray. He made a generalized statement that any member of the family could plant there. Without the Bryan County records, we are at an impass.
Please read the John Pray last will and testament carefully, as you might notice more familiar details. I think that it would be helpful to search the New Providence (Nassau?) records for all of the Mann children (and who they married). I figure that Jane and Mary returned to Bryan County (perhaps married) and took over what remained of the plantation and this is why your Daniel moved on.
Sources: 1820 Bryan County Census, page 3; Last Will and Testament of John Mann (Chatham County); Last Will and Testament of John Pray (Chatham County); McCall's Roster of the Revolution; Last Will and Testament of Luke Mann of Bryan County
Jeannette Austin