Camden County Records

The first known residents were the Mocoma Indians, a predecessor to the Creek confederacy which controlled this land until 1763. On San Pedro Island the Spanish built two missions and had a presidio, at least for a while. By 1690 the Spanish mission was gone but this county was dangerously close to St. Augustine Florida and the site of the Spanish fort which ruled the country until 1745 when General Oglethorpe of Georgia won the land war against Spain. Throughout the colonial period, the Spanish converted local Indians to Catholism (called "Spanish-Indians" and used them for raids against the Georgia colony.. Two parishes were created during Colonial days, the Parishes of St. Thomas and St. Mary in 1765, from the Creek Land Cession of 1763. This country played a vivid history during the American Revolution, with Loyalists escaping into Florida via the St. Mary's River. After the Revolutionary War, it was one of te the "Original Counties" which were created in the 1777 and was named for Charles Pratt, the Earl of Camden, who was a strong supporter of American Independence.

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During the War of 1812 with Great Britain, the Americans possessed a large force of gun-boats. Some of these were fairly sea-worthy vessels, of 90 tons burden, rigged as a sloop or schooner, and armed with one or two long, heavy guns, and sometime with several light carronades to repel boarders. Gun-boats of this kind, together with the few small cutters owned by the government, were serviceable enough. They were employed all along the shores of Georgia and the Carolinas and in Long Island Sound, in protecting the coasting trade by convoying parties of small vessels from one port to another, and preventing them from being molested by the boats of any of the British frigates. They also acted as checks upon the latter in their descents upon the towns and plantations, occasionally capturing their boats and tenders, and forcing them to be very cautious in their operations. They were very useful in keeping privateers off the coast, and capturing them when they came too far in. The exploits of those on the southern coast will be mentioned as they occurred. Those in Long Island Sound never came into collision with the foe, except for a couple of slight skirmishes at very long range; but in convoying little fleets of coasters, and keeping at bay the man-of-war boats sent to molest them, they were invaluable; and they also kept the Sound clear of hostile privateers.

Although most of the battles occurred in northern waters, during the War of 1812 the fort at St. Mary's served as a lookout for British ships. A lucrative incentive was offered to enlistees. Those who enlisted in the army at the beginning of the war had a five-year commitment, though later recruits were given the option of enlisting for the duration of the war. At first the bounty was $31 and 160 acres of land, but because enlistments lagged, Congress gradually increased the incentives to $124 and 320 acres of land. Thus, when you find 160 acres and 320 acres listed in the deed records or on the tax digest, you know that they served. This would lead one to the Discharge certificates at the National Archives

During the 19th century some of the Loyalist traitors returned to Georgia to reside in Camden County. Reseaching the census records for Camden County reveals persons born in Florida and Georgia. Researchers should consider bordering Florida counties as a source of research.