Habersham Family

A History and Genealogy OF THE HABERSHAM FAMILY In connection with the history, genealogy and mention of the families of Clay, Stiles, Cumming, King, Elliott, Milledge, Maxwell, Adams, Houstoun, Screvens, Owens, Demere, Footman, Ellis, Washington, Newell, deTreville, Davis, Barrington, Lewis, Warner, Cobb, Flournoy, Pratt, Nephew, Bolton, Bowers, Cuthbert, and many many other names either as having a connec tion to some other family or showing of the name as related or connected to some family in this work. BY JoSEPH GASTON BAILLIE BULLOCH, M. D. OF THE UNITED STATES INDIAN SERVlCE COLUMBIA, S. C. THE R. L. BRYAN COMPANY 1901 This Work is Dedicated to the late distinguished physician and surgeon, my father, Dr. William Gaston Bulloch, and to my mother, Mary Eliza Adams Lewis, his wife, an author and poet, and to her friend and cousin, Mrs. Anna Wylly Habersham, and her husband, Rev. Charles Barrington King, and to my friend and relation, William Neyle Habersham, Esq. PREFACE A raoe unabl,e to narrate a true account of its progress, or to tell from whence it came is apt to be of low intellect, or wanting in energy. The Ang1o-Saxon and other progressive people, as a rule, had their bards or 'historians, and the true historian, in order to get a satisfactory acoount of his people, must take cognizance of the exploit of the individual, and must consult the family munuments to get a view of the entire historical field. Genealogy gives an account of the deeds of each family, its kinsmen and friends, and no historian can give an accurate acoount of the deeds of his people without the study of family history, nor can form an idea of a race from an hereditary standpoint without a knowledge of its origin, So many ele ments enter into the make-up of the American, that without a study of the fountain-heads of the race one can form no con ception of its peculiarities, nor say why in intellect, in bravery, in in~ention, our race surpasses all others. The wit and vivac ity of the Irishman, and the manner of the Frenchman, mingled with the blood of ,the sturdy Scot, and the determined English man and the sprinkle of other races, form an individual unsur passed in the annals of mankind. In this history of the Habersham and other families, the author feels that he has about completed a history of most of · the families of the coast country of Georgia in connection with his other works, though ther,e are yet a good many more to write about: In regard to the Clay family, the author is much indebted to a chart by Montgomery Cumming, Esq., and to Dr. Henry Stiles, of the North, for a good deal of the descent of the Stiles in Bermuda. The Adams of South Carolina and Georgia could not be well done justice to without showing the connection of the family to the Ellis and DeTrevilles of South Carolina, and to VI PREFACE the W arners, Lewis, Cobbs and others in Virginia and Geor gia; and just so as in the one case so in others, the work, though ostensibly of the Habersham family, has included fam ilies related to it and genealogies of others related to those connected with the Habershams, though not actually related to the latter family. To Major Edward Stiles Elliott, to the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, and to other individuals and period icals, the author is muc'h indebted. Reference to family trees and records, etc., will verify ml!ch of the enclosed work. The author is also much indebted to Dunwody Jones, Esq., of Atlanta, for most of the Jones line of Liberty County, Geor gia, and to James Barnwell Heyward, to Mrs. Emily V erdery, and to R. A. Ellis, Mrs. Patrick Houstoun, Miss Johnston, of Savannah, Ga., Geo. J. Kollock, to Transactions of Huguenot Society of South Carolina, Historical and Genealogical Maga zine, and its editor, A. S. Salley, Esq. It must also be borne in mind that many of rthese individuals were known to ,the author or to his mother as far back as the time of Dr. J. C. Habersham, the elder; so that if dates are sometimes wanting, it must be remembered that these people were known to the author or his parents and grand-parents or his friends and their forbears. It is with regret that the author is not able to insert the coats of-arms of many of these families. As Mr. Dunwody Jones is positive as to the descent of James Smith, of Darien, and as the author has seen the Smith pedigree, which gives room in several places as to the descent of Ja:mes Smith from the 1st Landgrave, we put it as Mr. Jones has written. HABERSHAM Habersham seems to be but one variety of spelling the name, and Habershon, Haversham, Habergham, Habrinchsham, all appear to have been names derived from the ancient famiiy of Habergham or de Habrincham. The highly honorable, ancient and prominent family of Habersham of Georgia descends from James Habersham, of Beverley, Yorkshire, England, who with his wife Elizabeth lived in that oountry, and had the following children: I. James Habersham, baptized February 25th, 1712; died February 26th, 1712. II. James Habersham, baptized June or January, 26th, 171 S ; went to Georgia. III. Elizabeth Haibersham, marri,ed Ralph Clay. IV. Edward Habersham. V. George Hapersham, died infant. VI. Margaret Habersham, died infant. VII. Joseph Habersham, went to Georgia with his brother. VIII. Margaret Habersham. James Habersham, died aged 6r, second but eldest surviving son of James Habersham and Elizabeth his wife, who died in 1722, went to Georgia with his friend, the Rev. George Whit field, in 1740, and with him went his brother Joseph, who seems 110 have died leaving no issue, and his nephew, Joseph Clay, founder of the Clay family of the coast of Georgia, and son of his sister, Elizabeth Habersham, wife of Ralph Clay, of England. · The Habershams of Georgia were among the foremost of our eminent families, furnishing to the service of the country statesmen, soldiers and professional men, merchants, planters and officers of the church; and so high were the services of this family that the Stak of Georgia named one of its counties Habersham, after Lieut. Col. Joseph Habersham. Let us take a glance at the various positi,ons of honor, trust and patriotic offices held by this illustrious family, and then see if one can find anything to detract from its worth, or refuse it the high position it has so justly occupied for so long as one of the founders of Georgia. James Habersham assisted his friend, the celebrated Whit- 2 HISTORY AND GEN:EALOGY OF THE HABERSHAM FAMILY field, as lay reader and teacher at Bethesda Orphans' Home in 1740, near Savannah, Ga., and was President of Bethesda Orphans' Home; and so greaJt was the appreciation of Mr. Habersham by the government, that he was made Secretary of the Province, assistant to President of the Colony to advance the culture of silk in the Colony. He then became a member of the King's Council, President of the upper House of Assem bly ; and so great was the confidence in him that Sir James Wright, the Royal Governor, on his departure for the old oountry, recommended him as a fit person to assume the posi tion of Governor during his absence; so that Hon. J a.mes Hab ersham was for a stormy period the Governor of the Colony of Georgia. He with Mr. Charles Harris established the first commercial house ih Georgia, and exported the first bale of cotton. Mr. Habersham, though a Royalist, deeply sympa thized with the Colonists, but not sufficiently to break with a country that had showered so much honor upon him, though his sons became ardent patriots and aided the Colony to attain its independence. His eldest son, Hon. James Habersham, was a prominent patriot and rebel financier, and subsequently Speaker of the Legislature of Georgia, and one of the Trustees of the Univer sity of Georgia; and from this eminent Georgian, the first Bishop of Georgia, Right Rev. Stephen Elliott, descends; as do the old Milledge family, a branch of the Maxwells, Foot mans, Demeres, Bonds, Screvens, Lesesnes and others. Lieut. Col. Joseph Habersham, second son of Governor Habersham, was Lieutenant Colonel Continental Battalion of Georgia; on Committee to Co-operate with Colonists in strife for freedom and on Committee Friends of Liberty. Takes powder out of Royal magazine for defence of Colonists. Member Provincial Congr,ess, 1775; member Council of Safety. Places Sir James Wright, the Governor, under arrest. Member Executive Council; on Committee to supply arms to the colonists; Speaker of General Assembly; appointed Assistant Justice of Chatham County, Ga., and subsequently appointed Postmaster General of the United States under Washington's administra tion. Behold him then as soldier, one of the saviors of our country, a patrot among patriots, a statesman and one of the galaxy of stars of our Commonwealth, and one of the founders of the Society of Cincinnati of Georgia, one of the highest orders in America. HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF 'I'HE HABERSHAM FAMILY 3 John Habersham, third son of the Governor, James Haber sham, was one of the foremost patriots of the day. Major in Continental Army, where he aided us as a gallant Georgian to attain our independence, and where he was appreciated as a soldier by General Wayne, and rendered that aid which his blood called upon him to perform.

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