Little Harriet, Jane, Cherry, George, Jim, and Isaac named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this twenty-sixth day of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson. Administrators on the estate of Thomas Thompson. late of said County, deceased, the following negroes by name: little Harriet and two children Jane and Cherry, George a boy, Jim a boy, and Isaac a man, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

William H. Thompson

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 761, FamilySearch. 

Charles Anderson’s Crown Land Patents in Colonial Virginia

I hadn’t set out to research Charles Anderson, my seventh great‑grandfather, when I began working through my Anderson line. In fact, I didn’t even know his name until I’d spent a week researching the lives of his son, Parsons Anderson, and grandson, Brazier Cocke Anderson. But once Charles appeared in the records, his story pulled me in, and I found myself pivoting from Parsons and Brazier to him. What emerged was a portrait of a man who left an extensive document trail that included 11 Crown land patents spanning more than three decades. I’ll share more of Charles’ story later—a Virginia landholder who later ties into my Wilson/Lankford line in Greene County, Georgia—but this sketch focuses specifically on his Crown land patents.

Over more than 30 years, Charles received 11 Crown land patents, showing how steadily he built and expanded his place on the Southside Virginia frontier. His first known grant, dated September 16, 1740, put him on Stone Horse Creek in Amelia County among long‑established neighbors like Mickie, Syme, Black, and Brooks. A 1734 patent issued to Thomas Haynes—covering 3,312 acres—confirms that Charles already owned a surveyed tract by that time, because several of its boundary lines ran along his land. From there, his patents show a gradual spread west and south through the Appomattox, Buffalo, Roanoke, and Meherrin River regions as counties such as Goochland, Amelia, Lunenburg, and Prince Edward were taking shape. Goochland originally covered a large area; Amelia was formed from it in 1735, Lunenburg from Amelia in 1746, and Prince Edward from northern Lunenburg in 1754, so Charles’s land stayed in the same region even as the county names changed around him.

In 1743, Charles secured 400 acres in Goochland County on Dry Creek of the Appomattox River. In 1745, he added two more grants—one in Goochland County and one in Amelia County—totaling 530 acres near Green Creek and Dry Creek, both adjoining prominent families such as the Woodsons, Michauxs, and Davis. These mid‑1740s patents show him consolidating land in a region experiencing rapid survey activity and shifting county boundaries.

400-acre Crown land patent (1743)

His largest single grant came on June 25, 1747, when he received 3,122 acres in Amelia County on the branches of the Buffalo and Mayo Rivers—a massive tract that marked him as a substantial planter with the resources and labor to improve frontier acreage. That same year he added another 400 acres in Goochland County on Wallory’s Branch of the Appomattox River, continuing his foothold in the watershed.

By 1748, county lines had shifted, and Charles’ holdings appeared in newly formed Lunenburg County, where he received part of an 886 acre tract on Little Roanoke. Two years later, on August 16, 1750, he expanded again in Lunenburg County with 315 acres on Stanley Branch, a small creek that feeds into the Meherrin River—issued the same day as a patent to Francis Anderson, suggesting coordinated surveys and a clustered Anderson presence in the area.

In 1751, Charles secured two more tracts: 400 acres on the South Fork of Buffalo River in Amelia County, and 240 acres on both sides of a small creek in Lunenburg. These grants reinforced his long standing position in the Buffalo–Roanoke corridor and his continued engagement with familiar neighbors such as Richey, Bibb, Morton, Begger, Davis, Harvey, and Duggins.

His final and second largest patent, issued June 30, 1760, granted 1,420 acres in Amelia County between Bryery Creek and the Buffalo River, combining previously patented acreage with 400 acres of new land. This late grant demonstrates that Charles remained an active landholder into the 1760s, continuing to consolidate and expand his holdings across the same frontier zone where he had been present since at least the early 1740s.

It may seem unusual for one man to receive 11 Crown land patents, but in colonial Virginia this was normal for settlers who had the money, labor, and reliability to keep improving new tracts. Patents were not special awards—they were routine transactions. As long as a man paid the fees, met the improvement rules, and had the ability to manage more land, he could apply for as many grants as he could handle. Charles fits that pattern, which is why his patents stretch across more than 30 years.

Charles’ patents show a steady, capable man who built a long‑term presence on the Southside Virginia frontier. Starting with a surveyed tract noted in 1734 and continuing through more than 5,000 acres of Crown‑granted land, his record shows reliability, resources, and strong ties to the families who shaped Amelia, Goochland, Lunenburg, and later Prince Edward County as the boundaries changed. All of his grants were issued under King George II and required him to clear land and pay quit rents—a small yearly tax of one shilling per 50 acres—obligations he consistently met. Together, these patents create a clear picture of a man who played a meaningful role in settling and stabilizing this part of colonial Virginia.

References

• Land Patents Book 15, 1732-1735, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1732–1735, images 479–481, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 19, 1739-1741, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1739–1741, images 227–228, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 21, 1742-1743, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1742–1743, image 158, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 23, 1743-1745, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1743–1745, images 519–521 and 525–529, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 26, 1747-1748, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1747–1748, images 91–92, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 28, 1746-1749, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1746–1749, image 147, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 30, 1750-1752, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1750–1752, image 452–456 and 461–462, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 33, 1756-1761, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1756–1761, images 319–320, FamilySearch.
• Land Patents Book 34, 1656-1762, State of Virginia: Virginia. Land Patents 1756–1762, image 99, FamilySearch.

Caroline, Brag, Abram, Fanny, Madora, Charlotte, Amilla, and Milly named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this twenty-sixth day of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, deceased, the following negroes by name: Caroline and child Brag, Abram a man, and Fanny his wife, and two children Madora and Charlotte, Amilla a girl, and Milly a woman, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

Thos. Thompson.

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 763, FamilySearch. 

Living Left in a Right‑Handed World

I was reminded by another blogger today, August 13, that it’s Left‑Handers Day, and that prompted me to revisit a post I wrote 16 years ago about the adventures of being left‑handed. It’s still very much a right‑hander’s world, and lefties learn early that ordinary tasks come with their own set of challenges.

I think back to first grade, when my teacher insisted I write with my right hand. I tried, but my brain revolted—I turned every letter backwards. My hand simply rebelled, flipping each letter the second I was told to use the “wrong” hand.

School never got much easier. Spiral notebooks were torture devices, with those metal rings digging into the side of my hand. I was lucky enough to avoid the classic pencil‑smudge problem, but desks, scissors, and even simple classroom tools were designed with right‑handers in mind. And don’t get me started on the number pad on a keyboard—always on the right, as if left‑handed people don’t exist.

Life outside the classroom wasn’t much kinder. At restaurants, my left‑handed son and I try to sit beside each other so we don’t play elbow wars with right‑handed diners. At work, I’d return from vacation to find all my supplies moved to the right side of the desk. My wireless mouse baffled every right‑handed IT guy who tried to use it without switching it over. Even the measuring cup in my kitchen seems determined to make me look through the glass to read the markings.

Household tools are their own adventure. Most handheld can openers are built for right‑handers, so making a pot of chili becomes a workout. Gravy ladles often have a single pour spout—on the right, of course—so pouring gravy with my left hand is a comedy routine. And while backward checkmarks feel perfectly natural to me, they look like hieroglyphics to everyone else.

Outdoor hobbies weren’t immune either. Fishing reels were made for right‑handers, and as a child I remember thinking about flipping the pole upside down just so I could crank with my left hand. Golf was no better; I never figured out which side of the ball I was supposed to stand on, which probably explains my lifelong disinterest in miniature golf.

Even everyday interactions take a little extra thought. Handshakes are expected with the right hand, so I have to consciously switch. When someone hands me paperwork to sign, it’s always angled to the right, requiring me to rotate it back. At the dinner table, I keep my glass on the left — and keep an eye on it so the right‑hander beside me doesn’t accidentally drink my beverage.

Some moments still make me laugh. My boss spent 20 years wondering why papers in the file folders were always upside down when he opened them. And when I was a teenage cashier—back in the days before scanners, when every SKU and price had to be typed in by hand—I had to remind my floor manager to assign me to the register where I could enter numbers with my left hand and move products with my right. Otherwise, every transaction took twice as long.

There are bright spots, of course. A few relatives share my left‑handedness—a son, two nieces, my late uncle, and my late mother‑in‑law. And I’m watching my grandson closely; he often favors his left hand. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I’d love to welcome another lefty into the club.

So, to all my fellow left‑handers: Happy Left‑Handers Day. We manage just fine in a world built for right‑handers. 

Winney, Sena, Granville, and Lucius named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Received four Negros to wit Winney a woman, Sena a girl, Granville a boy, & Lucius a boy as my full shair of the Negros of the Estate of Thomas Thompson, Deceased this Decr 26th 1856.

S. H. Thompson

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 766, FamilySearch. 

Frances J. Burnett

Frances J. Burnett was born on September 24, 1859, in Georgia, the daughter of Joseph B. Burnett and Drucilla Henson. Before Frances’ birth, Drucilla had been married to William Caton, with whom she had three children: Samuel Pride, Edward George, and Mary Elizabeth. After William’s death, Drucilla married Joseph Burnett sometime after 1845, and the couple had four children together: Madison T., Frances J., Laura, and Jane Burnett. Samuel and Edward adopted the Burnett surname following their mother’s remarriage. Frances is my half 3rd great aunt, our shared ancestor being her mother, Drucilla Henson.

By June 26, 1860, the blended Burnett–Caton household was living in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia. Joseph worked as a miller and held a personal estate valued at $100. Drucilla’s older children—Samuel, Edward, and Elizabeth—were still at home. Samuel, then a young farmer, held a small estate valued at $30. Frances, an infant at the time, was the youngest in a household that included her parents, her brother Madison, and her older half‑siblings. Sometime between 1860 and 1862, the family relocated to Newton County, Georgia, where they remained throughout the 1860s.

Frances grew up during the Civil War, a conflict that deeply affected her family. Her two older brothers, Samuel and Edward Burnett, both served in the Confederate Army, and each was taken prisoner—Samuel in Virginia in 1864, and Edward twice, first in 1862 and again in 1864. Both young men endured harsh conditions in Union prison camps before eventually returning home.

On September 22, 1870, the Burnetts were living in Conyers, Newton County. Only two children remained in the home: Frances (12) and Laura (10). Joseph continued working as a miller, while Drucilla kept the household. The Burnetts lived next door to the family of John M. Overton, brother‑in‑law to Frances’ half‑brother Samuel, who had married Millicent “Virginia” Overton. Other Overton relatives—including Abijah and Elizabeth Overton and Elizabeth Wooley—lived nearby. I descend directly from Abijah and Virginia Overton, linking my family to Frances’ through both the Henson and Overton lines.

On December 25, 1875, Frances married James T. Harrison, son of Asa Harrison and Mary A. E. Taylor, in Gwinnett County. Rev. G. J. Bagwell performed the ceremony. Over the next 15 years, Frances gave birth to 12 children: Garland Winfield, Charles “Charley” S., Georgia Savannah (“Georgie” or “Vanie”), Effie P., Felix P., Joseph “Joe” B., Emily Ophelia, Maggie L., William “Willie” V., and three unnamed children who died young.

Marriage license for Frances and James

On June 18, 1880, the Harrisons lived in the Harbins District of Gwinnett County. James farmed while Frances managed the home. Their sons Garland (3) and Charles (1) were their only children at the time. Frances’ brother Samuel, his wife, and their eight children lived next door. Sometime after 1880, Frances’ mother Drucilla died. Around 1893, her father Joseph remarried a woman named Elizabeth, and in 1894, Frances’ half‑brother Edward died and was buried at Almand Cemetery in Conyers.

On June 25, 1900, Frances and James were living in the Cains District of Gwinnett County. They had been married 23 years, and Frances had given birth to 10 children, with 9 living. James continued farming, assisted by sons Garland, Charles, Felix, and Joseph. Frances, James, Charles, Georgia, and Felix were recorded as literate; Effie, Joseph, and Emily were not. James’ widowed mother Mary (72) lived with them. Next door lived Frances’ father Joseph and his second wife Elizabeth, who reported having borne five children, four living—though it is unclear whether any were Joseph’s, which would make them additional half‑siblings to Frances.

The Harrisons remained in the Cains District through at least April 1910. Frances had now borne 12 children, nine still living. She and James had been married 34 years. James and their son Garland worked the home farm, while Felix and Joseph labored alongside them. The youngest child, William, was 16. Six adult children still lived at home, ranging from ages 18 to 29. All could read except Felix, and Georgia, Felix, and William were unable to write.

Frances’ husband James died on July 7, 1916, and was buried at Hog Mountain Baptist Church Cemetery in Dacula. When their son Felix registered for the World War I draft in September 1918, he listed Frances—then living in Winder, Barrow County—as his nearest relative.

Frances died on August 26, 1919 in Winder. The physician listed the primary cause of death as acute dilatation of the heart, meaning her heart suddenly enlarged and failed. The secondary (contributory) cause was chronic endocarditis, a long‑term inflammation of the heart’s inner lining that weakened it over time. Together, these show that her long‑term heart disease eventually led to a fatal heart failure. Frances was buried at the old Hog Mountain Baptist Church Cemetery in Dacula with her husband on August 28. Her death certificate listed her parents as Joe Burnett and Drucilla Henderson—a slight error, as Drucilla’s maiden name was Henson. Frances’ son Charles served as the informant.

Photo by Toni McCall, Find A Grave
 member 46868460

References

• Asa Harrison, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Edward G. Burnett, U.S., Civil War Service Records (CMSR) - Confederate - Georgia, 1861-1865
• Felix Harrison, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918.
• Frances Burnett, J. B. Burnett, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Francis Harrison, Certificate of Death no. 10276, Commonwealth of Georgia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health, 1919.
• Fulton and Campbell Counties, Georgia, Cemetery Records, 1857–1933. 
• Knox County, Tennessee, Marriage Records 1792–1900, image 112, FamilySearch.
• Samuel P. Burnett, Georgia, Confederate Pension Applications, 1879–1960.
• Samuel P. Burnett, U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861–1865.
• U.S. Federal Census, Cains District, Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1900, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 407, Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1860.
• U.S. Federal Census, Harbins, Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Hog Mountain, Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Subdivision 163, Conyers, Newton County, Georgia, 1870. 

Catharin, Isabellar, Anderson, and Napolion named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Received four Negros to wit Catharin a girl, Isabellar a girl, Anderson a boy, Napolion a boy, my full shair of the Negros of the Estate of Thomas Thompson, Deceased This Decr 26th 1856.

Henry E Thompson.

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 769, FamilySearch.