John was appointed Commissioner of the Poor by the Irwin County Inferior Court in January 1826, and held this office for 12 years. He also served in various other capacities in local government, including the Grand Jury. History of Irwin County provides the following interesting tidbit: "The next court was held December 6, 1823. The Grand Jury returned no general presentments and found one True Bill, being The State vs. Thompson N. Statum (sic), Jeptha Durham and Seaborn Castleberry for assualt and battery." John's daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, would marry Thompson "Nat" Statham some five years later; wonder if it took poor Nat that long to sell Sarah's father on the idea. This earlier item from History, recording events of 3 Jun 1823 while Nat Statham was serving on the Grand Jury, just has to make you wonder what these folks were about: "We, the Grand Jury, present Ashley ------ for striking Mark Wilcox with a stick and calling him for a duel on first Monday in March, 1823, at the Courthouse in Irwin County..."

Census: Most early census records for Georgia were lost to fire.

1820 Burke County, Georgia: John and Rebecca; children John, James, Irwin, David, Sarah, along with unknown children [1M<10, 1F<10, 2F 10-15]. Three members of the family were engaged in Agriculture, and one in "Manufactures."

1830 Irwin County, Georgia: John and Rebecca; Perry, James, Irwin, John, Rebecca and unknown children [1M 10-15, 1F 5-10]. Near neighbors included daughter Sarah Elizabeth, with her husband Thompson Nathaniel Statham; brother Miles Adams; and son David Fitzgerald.

1840 Irwin County, Georgia: John and Rebecca; Perry, James, John, Irwin (?), Rebecca.

According to the 1850 Mortality Schedule for Georgia, which shows all persons who died within the one year period ending 1 Jun 1850, John died in Irwin County in April 1850 at the age of 80. Rebecca remained in a part of Irwin County that eventually became Wilcox County, appearing in the 1850 and 1860 censuses; she died about 1863.

1. Miles Fitzgerald, b. ca 1801; m. Eliza Barrentine, Caroline McDuffie
2. David Fitzgerald, b. ca 1806; m. Mary Adams, Gatsy Spivey
3. Sarah Elizabeth Fitzgerald, b. 30 Jun 1808; m. Thompson Nathaniel Statham
4. Unknown daughter , b. 1805-1810
5. Unknown daughter, b. 1805-1810
6. Irwin Fitzgerald, b. 1815-1820; m. unknown
7. Unknown son, b. 1815-1820
8. Unknown daughter, b. 1810-1820
9. John Fitzgerald, b. ca 1816; m. Mathilda Leaptrot
10. James Fitzgerald, b. ca 1820; m. Averilla Doster
11. Perry Fitzgerald, b. ca 1827; m. Elizabeth Brown, Lucy Ann Ashley
12. Unknown daughter, b. 1825-1830
13. Rebecca M. Fitzgerald, b. 21 Mar 1829; d. 10 Feb 1880

John, Jr. became estranged from his family at an early age and went to live in Stewart County. He died there 23 Sep 1849 and on 3 May 1852, his brother, James, was appointed guardian to his children: William A., b. 3 Jul 1842; Catherine Elizabeth, b. 30 Oct 1843; Celeste Frances, b. 1 Jun 1845; Eliza Ann, b. 7 Apr 1847; Sarah Ann, b. 24 Jun 1848. These children are shown with their widowed mother, Matilda, in the 1850 census for Stewart County, and include a twin to William named John who apparently did not survive.

* * * * *

Rebecca Fitzgerald

In 1860 Wilcox County, John and Rebecca's daughter Rebecca Fitzgerald , 31, is living in the household of William H. Brown, 35, Merchant. Also in the home: Young Brown, 15; Handy Brown, 10; James Brown, 11; John Brown, 8; Elizabeth Brown, 6; Sarah Fitzgerald, 5; William Fitzgerald, 3; Mitchel Fitzgerald, 1.

I was contacted recently by John E. Brown, who has done extensive research on the William Harper Brown family, including interviewing a family member in the 1980's who was then in her 90's. Per Mr. Brown, this lady recalled older family members talking about William H. having children with his "babysitter." Mr. Brown found some of these children, carrying the Brown surname, in census records; William (Jr.)'s death certificate also gives his mother's maiden name as Fitzgerald. Mr. Brown identifies the following children of William H. Brown and Rebecca Fitzgerald: Elizabeth (presumably this is the same person as the Sarah found in the 1860 census); William Harper, Jr.; Thomas, Mitchell, and Perry.

Mr. Brown graciously provided me with a copy of his research as contained in Volume 3 of Passing of the Pines, which includes the following information: "[Folks] Huxford says W.H. was m. to Mary Ann Barrentine, d/o Jacob and Elizabeth (Miller) Barrentine, which I believe is correct even though Mary Ann is listed with her mother and sisters in the 1860 Wilcox Co. census. She probably returned to her mother's home as William had a relationship started with Rebecca Fitzgerald as early as 1855. There is also the unanswered question of who Lunia Wilcox is, who is listed on the death certificate of Handy, as his mother? 2nd: from 1855 to 1868 W.H. lived and had as many as 5 children with Rebecca Fitzgerald. 3rd: from 1869 to 1900 W.H. was married to Laura Roberts and they had 1 child, although they were living separately for several years. I found no legal divorce."

By the 1870 census, William H. Brown was living with his new wife, Laura, and their son, Charles (2) in Hamilton County, Florida; also with them were Handy, John and William. In one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" discoveries, I found John E. Scaff, Jr., and his wife Elizabeth (Fitzgerald) Scaff living right next door. John is the oldest son of my ancestor Ezekial Scaff, and Elizabeth is the daughter of Rebecca's eldest brother, Miles. Another little quirk I just noticed is that Miles Fitzgerald's first wife was Eliza Barrentine; I have no idea how she might have been related to the Mary Ann Barrentine who married William H. Brown.

I was unable to find Rebecca Fitzgerald in the 1870 census, and she died in 1880. In 1870 Wilcox I did find the following children in the home of Rebecca's brother, David Fitzgerald (and p. 2): Thomas, 13; Elizabeth, 11; Mitchell, 9. Whether these are Rebecca's kids or David's, I don't know; the names and ages don't completely match up with the children's information in the 1860 census, but that's not unusual for census records. In 1880 Wilcox County I found Thomas, 22; Mitchel, 21; and Perry, 15; they're doing (probably farm) labor and living in what looks to be a boardinghouse.

PWG erroneously reports that Rebecca Fitzgerald married William Harrison. I did find a marriage record for William Harrison and an R. Fitzgerald, but clearly this isn't the same woman. There is a marriage record in Irwin County for a Rebecca Fitzgerald and a Wm. P. Davis, 11 Sep 1856, but the only Rebecca Davis I could find in 1860 Georgia (with husband William Davis in Telfair County) was too young to be John and Rebecca's daughter.

Rebecca Fitzgerald is buried in Stubbs Cemetery in Abbeville, Georgia, on the other side of Nat Statham from his wife (and Rebecca's sister), Sarah. Since Sarah predeceased Rebecca, Nat presumably saw to these burial arrangements in accordance with Sarah's wishes. Rebecca's gravemarker was apparently placed by her children. I know little more about Rebecca's kids, though I did find death certificates for Perry and Mitchell, who died in Turner County in 1922 and 1923, respectively.