AUSTIN of Liberty County, Georgia

DAVIS AUSTIN d. 1788 Liberty Co., Ga. when Mary Ann Austin was made admx. Amount of Appraisement: $391.15. 1784-1793 Exrs, Admrs and Guardians Bonds, Liberty Co.

Sunbury was more of a resort town than anything else. The town, of course, has its own turbulent history, almost being destroyed by a hurricane around 1800, and before that its citizenry having malaria infestations. Non-absentee plantation owners centered their activities around Midway Church, a church which still stands today (halfway between Darien and Brunswick). Its colonial cemetery is well-maintained. All of the Colonial Cemetery records have been published, and I checked all of them, including Savannah, just to see if any family members were buried there. Midway Church was the middle of all social life in Liberty Co. Note that Mary Austin bequeated $500 to Midway Church at her death.

By 1797, Mary Ann Austin, the widow of Drury, had fallen to poor fortune, for the Sunbury lot was sold at public auction, as evidenced by a deed dated 10/5/1797, Liberty Co. Deed Book D, page 238-239, Daniel Stewart, Sheriff, to Jan Molich, by virtue of a fi.fa. to him directed and delivered as thereby commanded to expose to sale the goods and chattels, lands and tenements of Mary Ann Austin of Liberty Co., to satisfy a judgment obtained by Schmidt & Molich, merchants, against the said Mary Ann Austin, for 3 pds. 1 shilling, and 3 pds., 4 shillings and 8 pence, being Land in Sunbury, Lot No. 148 containing 70 feet on front and 130 feet in depth with the improvements thereon. /s/Daniel Stewart (seal), S. C. L. Wits: John Willson, Leopold Schmidt, John Bihlheimer. Recorded: 2/27/1798.

Apparently, Davis Austin did not settled on his Burke Co., St. George's Parish, Land Grants. Burke Co. records burned, so we will never know.

Anyhow, we know that the family lived in the historic Sunbury, as well as the historic Midway district of Liberty Co. There is a novel-type book, "Children of Pride" written about the Jones family of Liberty Co., who did indeed play a major role in this area. In it, she quotes letters and diaries, which are quite interesting and accurately depicts the "times". You can probably check it out of your local library. It makes good reading, and there is a lot of accuracy to it.

It is not known what happened to widow, Mary Ann Davis, after her husband's death. We can only suppose that she resided with Joseph, who made a rather prosperous marriage to Sarah Ann Hinson. By 1800 the Town Sunbury was pretty well deserted. This occurred after a hurricane. The life of the town was about 1757 to around 1800.

So, in tracing the family in Liberty Co., here is what I learned about the children:

1. Joseph Austin b. ca 1776 m. Sarah Ann Hinson (per marriage contract dated 10/14/1796), married in Liberty Co. 10/15/1795. An 1800 Liberty Co. Tax Digest lists - Joseph Austin, Sarah Austin. Again, they were listed in 1806.

Joseph was listed again in 1815, in Paul L. Wilkin's District. Sarah died in 1803, and Joseph died in 1830. After the death of Sarah, Joseph m. (2) Mary Soulegree on 9/18/1816 in Liberty Co., Ga. Each wife made a Will, each mentioning nephew, B. (Bartholomew) A. Busby. It appears that Joseph Austin had a plantation near the historic Midway Church (which is midway between Darien and Brunswick), as his first wife bequeathed $500.00 to that church. They certainly owned the slaves! Which meant, they were "planters" and must have owned considerable land in Liberty Co. However, I could not locate any land acquisitions. Joseph Was a Pvt. in Troop of H. Liberty Blues, Regt M, 7/1800 (Ga Military Records, Liberty Co.).

The LWT of Sarah Ann Austin, Liberty Co. Wills & Appraisements, Book A (1786-1850), page 147-148. Son: John Claborn Lewis Austin all of the negroes, with all the profits arising fro them, to be under the control of his father, Joseph Austin, and should he die before arriving to the age of 21 years , then after the death of my husband, Joseph Austin, the hereinafter negroes shall return to the heirs of my father, James Pritchard, deceased, and my husband is to have the profits arising from them at his own free will and disposed of. viz: Jensy, Dessey, Titus, by Lanchester, Jim, Wiley, en. Exrs: Joseph Austin, John urnett, Samuel Burnett. Date: 12/17/1806, probated 3/8/1807. Wits: Samuel Lewis, Sally Lewis.

The LWT of Joseph Austin, Liberty Co. Book B, page 71-72. To son, Joseph, my young horse "Liverpool", dwelling house, etc., to be shared by wife and her sister, Fanny Valley. My wife has been amply provided for by a marriage settlement between myself and herself.

Negroes, Henry and Phillis, which we purchased at the Sheriff's Sale from John Stewart, Sheriff and recorded in Book H, page 459-460, the property of Peter Farley Winn and now in possession of Said Winn, to go to the son of said Peter Farley Winn, Abiel Winn.

Negroes, Charlotte, Harriet, Abby, Lewis, David, Fench, Peggy, Elizabeth, Frank, Bristol, Bob, Toney and George, now in the possession of Peter Farley Winn, and purchased by me at the Sheriff's Sale, recorded in Book I, page 257, being the property of said Peter Farley Winn' son, Abiel Winn.

Nephew: Bartholomew A. Busby, 105 acres, being part of an original tract of the estate of John Elliott, formerly wned by Robert Iverson.

Dau: Abigail King, wife of Reuben King, negroes, viz: Sally, Arrington,Amey, Nancy, Pompey, the last three ngroes by virtue of my former wife's will being the issue of a wench named Sylvia. Wits: Joseph Jones, W. Maxwell, Joseph M. Jones, said LWT recorded in Liberty Co.

LWT of Mary Austin (2d wife of Joseph), Liberty Co. Wills (1824-1850), page 184. To: Ann Virginia, daughter of William Dottery, 21 negroes, viz: Big Cuffy, Alyra, Anthony, Sam, Emeline, Little Cuffy, Titus, Jacob, Pais, Peggy, Sylvia, Hannah, Chloe, Ann, Pompey, Sally, Hetty, Bella, Ely, Nancy, Prince, to the care and protection of my nephew, B. A. Busby, the property to be worked by him and Ann Virginia to be supported and educated therefrom, until she is age 21. In case she dies, the property is to be divided between Matilda Harden of Bryan Co. and Ann Maxwell, the wife of bel: John Maxwell. To: Elizabeth P. King, daughter of Reuben King, negro, Venna. To: Mrs. Matilda Harden of Bryan Co., negroes, viz: Chloe, Joe, Rachel, Betty, Doll, Mary and infant. To: Nephew, B. A. Busby, negroes, viz: Judy, Portens?, Toby, March, Andrew, Lucille, Jane, Philip, Dick, John, Leaty, William, Jackson and Charlotte. To: Midway Church, $500.00. Exr: Nephew, B. A. Busby. Wits: David Stetson, John Dunwoody, Justice, Inferior Court, Liberty Co. Recorded: 7/11/1833

2. Henry Austin. He was Sheriff of Bryan Co. 12/11/1795, J. P. 8/13/1805 and J. P. in the 20th District of Bryan Co. 9/16/1815. H. Austin was listed on 1798 Chatham Co. Tax Digest., and listed on the 1805 Land Lottery of Bryan Co.

His Estate recorded in Liberty Co. Will Book A, page 442-443. The appraisement of his estate included the following negro slaves: Phebe, Sarah, Nancy, Beck, Nelly, Venus, Flora, Tirsh, Rosella, Isaac, Joshua, Rose, Lily, Sally, Diana, Anna, Mary, Fannie, Emily, March and Dembo. Appraisers: Samuel S. Lay, William Ward, F. R. Whitwell. /d/3/30/1822.

3. James Austin. The only thing I could find on him was that he was listed on the 1793 Chatham Co. Tax Digest, lands on Great Ogeechee District.

4. Davis Austin. D. Austin was listed on the 1798 Chatham Co. Tax Digest, no district. You gave a birthdate of ca 1780, however, his father died in 1788. If the above D. Austin is him, he would have been born ca 1777. Listed in Bryan Co. 1805 Land Lottery. He was not found on the 1820 Ga. Census, that means that he must have been in Ala. by then. That leaves about 15 years for the time period in which you were interested in locating him in Georgia. It looks like the key to further (early) data on Henry, James and Davis would be in Bryan Co., where the records burned. I searched the colonial deeds, as well as other colonial papers. Also, Chatham Co. deeds and estates. Nothing there.

5. Daughter who m. Busby and had a son, Bartholomow A. Busby, as evidenced by above Wills. I was unsuccessful in locating her marriage in the old Ga. marriage records.