The Wrightsborough Quaker Town and Township in Georgia

THE WRIGHTSBOROUGH QUAKER TOWN AND TOWNSHIP IN GEORGIA By Alex M. Hitz* In order to understand the Quaker migration into Georgia, some knowledge of early geography and political history is necessary. From 1733 until June 1773, the northern boundary and frontier of the English possessions was the Little River; all land north of that river was the Creek and Cherokee Nations' hunting ground. The boundary line ran from Augusta about twenty-two miles northwesterly up the Savannah River to the Little River, a tributary, then about twenty-five miles westerly up Little River to Williams Creek, a tributary, thence southerly along Williams Creek. The territory embraced within those frontiers was known as the District of Augusta in the Colony of Georgia until 1758, then as the Parish of St. Paul in the Province of Georgia until the Revolution, then as Richmond County. Thereafter, the particular section in which we are here interested, lying south of Little River and east of Williams Creek, was cut off from Richmond County into Columbia County in 1790 and later cut off from Columbia County into McDuffie County in 1870. It is today known as the Wrightsborough (274th) Georgia Militia District of McDuffie County, and includes within its lines the dead town and township of Wrightsborough. Settlement in Georgia by Quakers was contemplated by the original charter given by King George II to the Trustees, dated June 9, 1732. It was provided therein that "there shall be liberty of conscience allowed in the worship of God to all persons inhabiting, or which shall inhabit or be resident in our said Province, and all such persons, except papists, shall have a free exercise of religion, so they will be contented with the quiet and peaceable enjoyment of the same." The only religious sect specifically named in the charter were the Quakers, for whom it was provided that in matters where oaths would be necessary, the officials would "admin- * Head of the Surveyor-General Department of Georgia. 10 Wrightsborough Quaker Town and Township in Georgia 11 ister the solemn affirmation to any of the people commonly called Quakers." In all public laws and Aas passed both before and after the Revolution, whenever an oath was mandatory, Quakers were always expressly excepted and permitted to affirm. In the years 1750 and 1751, the business of surveying and allotting lands in the colony had been delegated by the Trustees to the President and Assistants in Council. Before them on March 2, 1750, appeared Edmund Grey (also spelled Gray), who presented a petition setting forth that "he and many other persons called Quakers, inhabitants of Virginia, in the number of 30 families or thereabouts, were desirous to remove themselves, servants and effects into this Colony to settle; that many of them were of considerable substance and force and none would be any charge to the government; they therefore desired a tract of 20,000 acres of land might be granted on Savannah River between McBeans Branch and Broad River, about 30 or 40 miles above Augusta, which the said Grey, in behalf of himself and others, promised to improve to the best of their abilities."1 The Board deferred action on this petition until the families should actually come into the colony. By February 1751 only Grey, John Young, David Hailey, John Ayres, George Tarr, Joshua Griffée and William Payne had arrived, and on February 27th they presented their petitions for allotments of land; however, only four allotments were made. Edmund Grey was allotted 500 acres in the fork of Savannah River and Little River on February 27,2 and John Young was allotted 200 acres adjoining Grey on December 18.3 On the latter date, George Tarr and William Payne received allotments for land in the Indian country fully twenty miles north of Grey and Young, who were at the extreme northeast frontier line. The land where Grey and Young settled so briefly is now covered by the backwaters of the Clark Hill Reservoir. It was the custom of that day to give a name to any plantation of three hundred acres or over, and it is quite possible that Edmund Grey may have called his place Brandon...