Elizabeth Thetford daughter of William Thetford of Hancock County, GA.
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Elizabeth Thetford daughter of William Thetford of Hancock County, GA.
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Posted: 24 May 2009 7:46PM GMT |
Classification: Biography
Surnames: Thetford Read Jordan
William Thetford’s October 10, 1809, will in Hancock County, GA, mentions among others, two daughters, Ann S. Read and Elizabeth Read, and a son-in-law, Benjamin Read.
Although there is no recorded marriage record, much contemporary evidence exists that Elizabeth Thetford was married to Benjamin Read.
1) Benjamin Read’s will mentions his wife Elizabeth [Hancock County, GA, Will Book H (1811-1813), pp. 247-248].
2) Benjamin Read was a son of Ajonadab Read who migrated from Campbell County, VA, to present Taliaferro County, GA, between 1784 and 1785.
3) The 1794 and 1796 Hancock County Tax Digests show that the William Thetford and Ajonadab Read families were contemporaries and lived fairly close to one another in the area between the Ogeechee River and Powell’s Creek in present Taliaferro County, GA.
4) The 1812 Hancock County, GA, Tax Digest, shows Benjamin Read owning land in Hancock County (the old Read land) and land in Jackson County, GA. This land both adjoined Thetford land and was originally granted to a Thetford. I am still looking for it, but there is apparently a deed from William Thetford to Benjamin Read.
Most importantly is a “Bible Record” published in Family Puzzlers No. 643, February 14, 1980, and in Georgia Bible Records, by Jeannette Holland Austin. Reprinted for Clearfield Company, Inc. Baltimore, MA: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1985,p. 376.
There are two different family groups listed. Organizing those with some of my other research, I arrived with the following two families:
Children of William and Margaret (?) Thetford:
• Catherine (December 23, 1775 - ____ ) who married (?) Trewet ( ____ - ____ ).
• Rebekah (March 25, 1785 - ____ ).
• Sarah (December 15, 1786 - ____ ) who married (?) Jordan ( ____ - ____ ).
• Walter (January 5, 1787 - ____ ).
• Agnes (October 4, 1794 - ____ ) who married (?) Lockhart ( ____ - ____ ).
• Elizabeth (April 3, 1798??? - ____ ) who married Benjamin Read ( ____ - 1815).
• Ann S. ( ____ - ____ ) who married (?) Read ( ____ - ____ ).
Children of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Thetford) Read:
• James (September 20, 1803 - ____ ).
• William (March 10, 1806 - November 30, 1885) who married Nancy Jarrell (March 1812 - August 13, 1906).
• Elizabeth (January 20, 1809 - October 8, 1885) who married Sidney Wilkinson (December 23, 1800 - October 10, 1853).
• Sarah Ann (June 4, 1811 - ____ ) who married Thomas W. Wilkinson ( ____ - ____ ).
The only common denominator between the two listings is Elizabeth (Thetford) Read, but there is a big problem. How could she be born in 1798 and have children beginning in 1803! That is cause for concern, but there is a simple explanation. The Family Puzzler author states, “While all the handwriting is very similar, it is apparent the entries for Read and Thetford are by different writers. ... The writing is in brown ink and some of it is very faded.” Bear with me and in a few more lines we will have a hint that she was born before 1798.
Recall that Elizabeth’s husband Benjamin Read died in 1815. The will did not mention any children, but probate records in the Hancock County and later Taliaferro County mention Elizabeth and the children (William, Elizabeth and Sarah Ann) extensively.
On July 5, 1819, the Hancock County Court of the Ordinary minutes note, “Elizabeth Jourdan late Elizabeth Read Exr’x of the Estate of Benjamin Read, returned an acc’t against said Estate ….”Likewise, Greene County marriage records confirm that a Betsy [Elizabeth] Read married Zachariah Jourdan [Jordan] on July 7, 1819, in Greene County, GA. They had a son, Seaborn Jordan. Seaborn, his wife and Elizabeth (Thetford) (Read) Jordan appear in the 1850 Census in Taliaferro County, GA. She lists her age as 75 (about 1775) and being born in North Carolina.
Based on these records, I think Elizabeth Thetford was born in the mid-1770s in North Carolina. She was married twice. First to Benjamin Read and then to Zachariah Jordan.
Although there is no recorded marriage record, much contemporary evidence exists that Elizabeth Thetford was married to Benjamin Read.
1) Benjamin Read’s will mentions his wife Elizabeth [Hancock County, GA, Will Book H (1811-1813), pp. 247-248].
2) Benjamin Read was a son of Ajonadab Read who migrated from Campbell County, VA, to present Taliaferro County, GA, between 1784 and 1785.
3) The 1794 and 1796 Hancock County Tax Digests show that the William Thetford and Ajonadab Read families were contemporaries and lived fairly close to one another in the area between the Ogeechee River and Powell’s Creek in present Taliaferro County, GA.
4) The 1812 Hancock County, GA, Tax Digest, shows Benjamin Read owning land in Hancock County (the old Read land) and land in Jackson County, GA. This land both adjoined Thetford land and was originally granted to a Thetford. I am still looking for it, but there is apparently a deed from William Thetford to Benjamin Read.
Most importantly is a “Bible Record” published in Family Puzzlers No. 643, February 14, 1980, and in Georgia Bible Records, by Jeannette Holland Austin. Reprinted for Clearfield Company, Inc. Baltimore, MA: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1985,p. 376.
There are two different family groups listed. Organizing those with some of my other research, I arrived with the following two families:
Children of William and Margaret (?) Thetford:
• Catherine (December 23, 1775 - ____ ) who married (?) Trewet ( ____ - ____ ).
• Rebekah (March 25, 1785 - ____ ).
• Sarah (December 15, 1786 - ____ ) who married (?) Jordan ( ____ - ____ ).
• Walter (January 5, 1787 - ____ ).
• Agnes (October 4, 1794 - ____ ) who married (?) Lockhart ( ____ - ____ ).
• Elizabeth (April 3, 1798??? - ____ ) who married Benjamin Read ( ____ - 1815).
• Ann S. ( ____ - ____ ) who married (?) Read ( ____ - ____ ).
Children of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Thetford) Read:
• James (September 20, 1803 - ____ ).
• William (March 10, 1806 - November 30, 1885) who married Nancy Jarrell (March 1812 - August 13, 1906).
• Elizabeth (January 20, 1809 - October 8, 1885) who married Sidney Wilkinson (December 23, 1800 - October 10, 1853).
• Sarah Ann (June 4, 1811 - ____ ) who married Thomas W. Wilkinson ( ____ - ____ ).
The only common denominator between the two listings is Elizabeth (Thetford) Read, but there is a big problem. How could she be born in 1798 and have children beginning in 1803! That is cause for concern, but there is a simple explanation. The Family Puzzler author states, “While all the handwriting is very similar, it is apparent the entries for Read and Thetford are by different writers. ... The writing is in brown ink and some of it is very faded.” Bear with me and in a few more lines we will have a hint that she was born before 1798.
Recall that Elizabeth’s husband Benjamin Read died in 1815. The will did not mention any children, but probate records in the Hancock County and later Taliaferro County mention Elizabeth and the children (William, Elizabeth and Sarah Ann) extensively.
On July 5, 1819, the Hancock County Court of the Ordinary minutes note, “Elizabeth Jourdan late Elizabeth Read Exr’x of the Estate of Benjamin Read, returned an acc’t against said Estate ….”Likewise, Greene County marriage records confirm that a Betsy [Elizabeth] Read married Zachariah Jourdan [Jordan] on July 7, 1819, in Greene County, GA. They had a son, Seaborn Jordan. Seaborn, his wife and Elizabeth (Thetford) (Read) Jordan appear in the 1850 Census in Taliaferro County, GA. She lists her age as 75 (about 1775) and being born in North Carolina.
Based on these records, I think Elizabeth Thetford was born in the mid-1770s in North Carolina. She was married twice. First to Benjamin Read and then to Zachariah Jordan.