Person Page - 350

     Albert "Al" Johnson Millender was born on 26 Oct 1893 at Harpersville, Shelby Co, Alabama. He was the son of SGT William "Bill" Elisha Millender I and Nancy Ellen Wheat. Albert "Al" Johnson Millender died on 26 Jan 1919 at Shelby, Shelby Co, Alabama, at age 25. He was buried at Garden of Memories Cemetery, Harpersville, Shelby Co, Alabama.

     Mary Ann Perdue was born a 1820. She married Preston A. Horn on 30 Sep 1835 at Greene Co, Georgia. Mary Ann Perdue married Jonathon "John" Wheat, son of John Wheat and Elisabeth (Unknown), on 29 Nov 1838 at Greene Co, Georgia.

     Hiram Rowland was born on 27 Nov 1772 at Franklin Co, North Carolina. He was the son of Cpl. Frederick Rowland and Sealey Huckaby. Hiram Rowland and an unknown person obtained a marriage license on 27 Sep 1794 at Oglethorpe Co, George. He married Rhoda Atkinson, daughter of Nathan Atkinson and Martha "Patsey" Whitehead, in 1794 at Oglethorpe Co, Georgia. Hiram Rowland died on 11 Apr 1845 at Greene Co, Georgia, at age 72. His estate was probated on 5 May 1845 at Greene Co, Georgia.

      Hiram Rowland, Lissey Rowland, Jordan Rowland and Cressey Rowland, all of Franklin Co, NC, were deeded land by their grandfather James Huckaby on 1 Mar 1783.

Hiram was on the 1792 Wilkes Co, GA tax list. Hiram Rowland, age 45 or above, was enumerated in Thorntons District, Wilkes Co on the 1793 and 1794 tax lists. In 1794 he was listed as Hiram Rolin (sic) in his marriage to Rody Atkins (sic.)

In the 1828-1978 Marriage Records from Select Counties, Georgia, there was a portion beginning in 1794 noted as "Marriage License Granted Taken from a Small Book in the Ordinary Office dating from 3 Mar 1794 up to the 20 Jan 1800" which has a number of our ancestors in it from the Rowland and Huckaby families. This portion was inserted after the section on 1831 and has 27 Sep 1794 ____ Roland & Rhoda Adkins.

Hiram was on the 1796, 1797, 1798 and 1799 Greene Co, GA tax list.

On 31 Dec 1800 John Luck of Greene Co sold 190 acres to Thomas McGuire which were bordered by the lands of Hiram Rowland, Isaac McGuire and Joseph Jackson.

On 23 Apr 1802 Ann Hodges of Greene Co sold 100 acres on the Beaver Dam of Richland Creek in Greene Co to Harris (sic) Rowland of Greene Co for $250. This land was conveyed by Gideon Harrison to Ann Hodges on 27 Nov 1784 and from Gilbert Cribbs to Ann Hodges on 24 Sep 1796. The witness was Nathan Winfield, likely Hiram's brother-in-law. This land later appears among Hiram Rowland's deeds, so this was Hiram instead of a Harris Rowland.

The 1805-1806 Greene Co, GA Tax Digest listed Hyram Rowland. One likely reason he remained in Greene Co was he drew a blank in the 1805 Greene Co land lottery.

On 3 Sep 1806 Samuel Harrell of Greene Co sold Hiram Rowland of Greene Co for $250 land in Greene Co.

Hiram served as a juror five times in 1807, 1808, 1809 and 1810 in the Greene Co Superior Court.

Hiram was in Capt. Talley's District, Greene Co, GA on 7 Aug 1820 with a family of 10 plus 4 slaves.

Hiram also deeded land back and forth with his brother William with more than 25 such deeds recorded, perhaps in an effort to avoid taxes. For example on 2 May 1822 Hiram deeded William land in Greene Co on the waters of Stewart Creek which was part of the Beaver Dam bounty adjoining the land of William Hammond, Hiram Rowland, and Hiram's son-in-law Thomas Merritt.

Hiram was on the 1827 tax list in Captain Elijah Anderson's Militia District, Greene Co, GA and on Captain Elkanah Talley's Militia District tax list there in 1828.

In 1830 he was enumerated as Hiram Roseland (sic), age 50 - 59, in Greene Co with a total of five in his household and 11 slaves. Hiram made several gifts or sales of land and slaves to each of his children.

In 1840 he was listed as H. Rowland, age 60 - 69, and was living alone with 14 slaves. He resided next door and close to several of his children.

In his 28 Nov 1844 will Hiram bequeathed each of his children an equal part of his estate. Our ancestor his daughter Martha Merritt and her children was to receive a ninth of his estate, after deducting $276.07 based on what ever he had already given to Martha. Hiram assigned his oldest son William as his executor, and his witnesses were Benjamin T. Clark, Martha A. Lawrence and Mary E. Lawrence.

The 117-page probate documents of Hiram's extensive estate included monetary accounts showing equal division of his residual $15,545 estate to his sons-in-law Thomas Merritt, James Bridges, John Brunt, H. H. Lawrence, James M. Trippe, E. W. Ward; his sons William and James Rowland; and a trust for his daughter Celia Wright, for which her brother William was trustee. Despite the deductions Hiram made in his will for each child's expenses, as the executor his son William apparently decided to ignore those deductions because each family received $1727 after the extensive accounts were received.

The 9 May 1845 estate appraisal included four bed steads and mattresses and five beds with bolsters, pillars and mattresses indicating the home was still fully furnished despite Hiram's wife's earlier death. Livestock included 8 cows and calves, 10 cows, 22 sheep, 70 hogs, 6 horses and 3 colts. There was about 900 acres land included and there were 16 negroes enumerated by given name and age. Household furnishings, crops, livestock, and numerous plantation tools were sold on 12 Nov 1845 for $1677. Many of the buyers were related to Hiram, with some items going to Hiram's children and their spouses. The estate sold 840 acres land and 14 negroes, including 3 mulattos, listed by given names on 2 Dec 1845 for $9,446; most of the negroes were women and children and went to known family members.

The estate probate process included resolution of three falsely packed cotton bales from the Rowland estate, causing the executor to owe money to the Clark and Roberts firm after inspections in Savannah, SC on 25 Apr 1845 right after Hiram's death. The profits from the cotton crop sales were divided with Gordian/Jourdan Rowland (appears to be junior), per his contract with Hiram Rowland. Although William Rowland was the executor, his brother James Rowland did a significant amount of the estate accounting during the years the estate was probated. Among the many accounts settled were those from the intermarried Merritt, Atkinson and Wheat families.

     Rhoda Atkinson was born on 20 Oct 1777 at North Carolina. She was the daughter of Nathan Atkinson and Martha "Patsey" Whitehead. Rhoda Atkinson married Hiram Rowland, son of Cpl. Frederick Rowland and Sealey Huckaby, in 1794 at Oglethorpe Co, Georgia. Rhoda Atkinson died on 26 Mar 1840 at Greene Co, Georgia, at age 62.

      The ancestry of Rhoda Rowland was initially based on the research of Arthur Ray Rowland, the third great grandson of Hiram Rowland and Rhoda Atkinson. Rhoda's many direct-line ancestors were verified one by one using their deeds, wills and probates, however there were no censuses or bible records to support dates of birth so the ancestors' births were estimated based on when children likely reached the age of majority, known ages from depositions and further adjustments will need to be made for most of Rhoda Rowland's ancestors as more records are found.

     Nancy Merritt was born on 17 Nov 1817 at Greene Co, Georgia. She was the daughter of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland. Nancy Merritt married William Askew on 3 Dec 1835 at Greene Co, Georgia.

     William Askew was born a 1812 at Greene Co, Georgia. He married Nancy Merritt, daughter of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland, on 3 Dec 1835 at Greene Co, Georgia. William Askew died in Dec 1849 at Greene Co, Georgia.

     Georgia Lily Askew was born in 1848. She was the daughter of William Askew and Nancy Merritt. Georgia Lily Askew married Judge William "Bill" Hendrix Wheat, son of Jonathon "John" Wheat and Elizabeth "Beth" Merritt, c 1881. Georgia Lily Askew died in 1910.

     Columbus Joshua Wheat was born on 10 May 1882. He was the son of Judge William "Bill" Hendrix Wheat and Georgia Lily Askew. Columbus Joshua Wheat married Ona Eulola Underwood on 26 Dec 1909 at Greene Co, Georgia. Columbus Joshua Wheat died on 6 Feb 1928 at Fitzgerald, Ben Hill Co, Georgia, at age 45.

     Nancy Wheat was born in 1884. He was the son of Judge William "Bill" Hendrix Wheat and Georgia Lily Askew. Nancy Wheat died on 7 Nov 1910 at Greensboro, Greene Co, Georgia.

     Thomas "Tom" H. Wheat was born in 1885. He was the son of Judge William "Bill" Hendrix Wheat and Georgia Lily Askew. Thomas "Tom" H. Wheat died in 1956.

     Eugenia Willie Wheat was born a 1887. She was the daughter of Judge William "Bill" Hendrix Wheat and Georgia Lily Askew.

     John Renfroe Millender was born on 9 Sep 1881 at Talladega Co, Alabama. He was the son of SGT William "Bill" Elisha Millender I and Nancy Ellen Wheat. John Renfroe Millender married Amy Gwin in 1900. John Renfroe Millender died c 1960 at Monroe Co, Mississippi.

     Lula Elizabeth Millender was born on 4 Feb 1886 at Alabama. She was the daughter of SGT William "Bill" Elisha Millender I and Nancy Ellen Wheat. Lula Elizabeth Millender married Nathan Castleberry Nalls on 15 Jan 1905 at Shelby Co, Alabama. Lula Elizabeth Millender died on 1 Feb 1973 at Kaufman Co, Texas, at age 86.

     Kate Millender was born in Apr 1890 at Alabama. She was the daughter of SGT William "Bill" Elisha Millender I and Nancy Ellen Wheat.

     John Merritt was born c 1765 at North Carolina. He was the son of William Merritt I and Elizabeth "Eliza" (Unknown). John Merritt married Elizabeth (Unknown) a 1783. John Merritt died b 6 May 1822 at Greene Co, Georgia. His estate was probated on 7 Oct 1822 at Greene Co, Georgia.

      On 22 Feb 1780 John Merritt of Halifax Co purchased from Martha Jones of Edgecomb Co for 100 pounds, 45 acres in Halifax Co adjoining Merritt's Mill Swamp and the land of Merrritt. Witnesses were John Gaskins and Thomas Ingram. (Bradley, DB 14, p. 849/389) John's grandfather Thomas owned a mill and had bequeathed 200 acres to John's father William.

John, enumerated as John Merit over age 45, and his wife, age 26 to 44, were in the 1800 Halifax Co, NC census with 1 male age 26 to 44 (possibly John's brother William not separately enumerated); 3 males 16 to 25 (possibly including John's brother Thomas not enumerated separately and 2 unknown males); 2 females 16 to 25 (daughter Nancy and possibly John's half-sister Peggy); and 3 males under 10 (likely John's sons: Lovett, Thomas and an unknown son.) Halifax Co was formed from a portion of Edgecombe Co in 1758, and Nash Co which is incorrectly associated with John and his sons, because they do not appear in the records there, was created in 1777 from the western side of Edgecombe Co.

After 1810 John and his sons were residing in Greene Co, GA, having followed John's first cousins William Merritt and Benjamin Merritt II, sons of Benjamin Merritt I (ca 1731-1779) there but the 1810 Greene Co census did not survive.

John was shown on 7 Aug 1820 as John Merrett, over age 45 with his presumed wife the same age, and 1 unknown male age 16 to 25 in Capt. Asten's District on the Greene Co, GA census. The transcription of this record is incorrect.

In his 6 May 1821 will John bequeathed his wife Elizabeth his home, furniture, household items, two ploughs, a hoe and ax, a bay mare with side saddle and bridle, a cow and calf, a sow and pigs, corn, pork, lumber and all of his cleared land. At Elizabeth's death this land was to be sold and the money divided among his children. Meanwhile money from the rent of some of his land was left to his sons Lovitt and Thomas Merrit and his daughter S. Nancy Brunt or Bryant The executors were his wife Elizabeth Merritt and his friend Clayton Maddose. Witnesses were John Coleby and William W. D. Weaver.

John Merritt was such a common name that numerous families have erroneously intertwined data about various John Merritts together with that of our John Merritt. Various other John Merritts in North Carolina who were not our ancestor, included other men with wives named Elizabeth. Unsourced online family trees stated John was the John Merritt junior born about 1736 in Edgecombe Co, NC and died Jan 1805 in Franklin Co, NC; John's father was James Merritt (1745-1797); or his parents were John Merritt (1730-1810) and Mary Drew Embrey (1724-1789) whose childbearing years were completed before our John Merritt was born. Researcher Donna Parker proved our John and his wife were not the John Merritt and Elizabeth Arudel/Runnels/Reynolds of Tennessee whose children Ezekiel/Zeb, John Harrison/Hal, Eli, Mary/Polly, Cynthia and Malinda were well defined within that state, nor were his parents the parents of that John -- James Merrit and Nancy Ann Coggins of Virginia and North Carolina.

It is unknown if our Merritt line of Greene Co, GA which married into our direct line of Wheats may also connect to the John T. Merrit family of Jones Co, GA which married into our indirect Winslett line.

These sources were used by Gerry Hill, a researcher from Albany, GA, on the Merritt family of North Carolina and Georgia for several generations. A number of these secondary sources, such as the Dr. King Merritt and Lynn Turner books and any publications based on those books, have now been proved incorrect regarding our line by the research of Charles Rathbun.
--Gerry Hill, Greene County, GA Folks: Merritt, prepublished book, Greene County, GA Archives: Merritts, http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/greene/bios/merritt.txt
--Historical Perspectives of Charles Merritt by Dr. King Merritt
--Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution: William Merritt 272,461,581
--Colonial Soldiers of the South NC, Militia Muster Roll of Edgecombe Co, NC 1732-1774
--The Merritt Families of Virginia and Allied/Associated Families, Vol 1, 1635-1800, Lynn Slater Turner, 1871 Condie Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
--The Merritt Families of North Carolina and also South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, Vol II, 1700-1850, Lynn Slater Turner, 1871 Condie Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
--Wade Hemphill Bible Title Page, stereotyped by E. WHite, NY Pub and sold by Daniel D. Smith, 190 Greenwich St, NY
--Earliy Georgia Marriages, Book 1 - 4, Joseph T. Maddox
--Greene County History, Rice & Williams
--Greene County Cemeteries, E. H. Armor
--Genealogical Abstracts from the Georgia Journal, (Milledgeville, GA) newspapter, 1809-1840, by Hartz
--Morgan County, GA Inferior Court for Ordinary Purposes, 1808-1834, Will Books A&B, 1808-1830
--1880 District 163, Greene Co, GA Federal Census; NA Film # T9-0149; pg 262C.

     Lovett Merritt was born c 1790 at Halifax Co, North Carolina. He was the son of John Merritt and Elizabeth (Unknown). Lovett Merritt married Sarah Gatlin on 8 Feb 1820 at Greene Co, Georgia. Lovett Merritt married Mary "Polly" O'Rear on 26 Sep 1837 at Greene Co, Georgia. Lovett Merritt died c 1854 at Greene Co, Georgia. His estate was probated on 6 Nov 1854 at Greene Co, Georgia.

      Lovett Merrit was in the 1810 Halifax Co, NC census before moving to Greene Co, GA by 1820.

Lovett was one of the purchasers at the estate sale of his brother Thomas Merritt's father-in-law Hiram Rowland on 12 Nov 1845 in Greene Co, GA.

Lovett had 22 slaves in 1850. He was age 60 living in Greene Co, GA with his family that year. Also in the household was an Elizabeth Merritt, age 72, who was too young to be his mother, so was perhaps Elizabeth was the mother of his young wife Mary and was mis-listed as a Merritt or her age was incorrectly listed if she was Lovett's mother.

     Sarah Gatlin was born a 1795. She married Lovett Merritt, son of John Merritt and Elizabeth (Unknown), on 8 Feb 1820 at Greene Co, Georgia. Sarah Gatlin died in 1835.

     Benjamin Merritt was born c 1820 at Greene Co, Georgia. He was the son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland. Benjamin Merritt married Susan H. Heath on 19 Dec 1850 at Greene Co, Georgia. Benjamin Merritt died in Jul 1871.

     Susan H. Heath was born a 1830. She married Benjamin Merritt, son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland, on 19 Dec 1850 at Greene Co, Georgia. Susan H. Heath died in Jun 1876.

     John Merritt was born in Dec 1825 at Greene Co, Georgia. He was the son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland. John Merritt married Lucretia Clements on 12 May 1844 at Greene Co, Georgia.

      The Talladega Co, AL Thomas Merritt estate settlement interrogatories list the minor children of John as Susan, Mary Ann, Martha and Sarah Merritt all residing in Talladega Co, AL in 1860. Subsequently his additional children are noted as Alice, Annette and Thomas.

     Cornelia C. O'Neal was born a 1838. She married Franklin "Frank" Merritt, son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland, on 31 Aug 1865 at Greene Co, Georgia.

     Pvt James Merritt was born on 1 Oct 1823 at Greene Co, Georgia. He was the son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland. Pvt James Merritt married Harriet Ann Mariah Fleetwood on 13 Aug 1843 at Greene Co, Georgia. Pvt James Merritt married Sarah "Sally" Sidwell on 12 Dec 1861 at Greene Co, Georgia. Pvt James Merritt died on 20 May 1904 at Greene Co, Georgia, at age 80.

      In 1880 James Merritt had a grandson, age 12 thus born about 1868 who was born in Georgia and whose parents were born there as well, living in his household whose name was transcribed as James Thurman but looks more like James Learman.

In 1880 Louis Merritt, a black man age 26, resided next door to James' family.

There was more than one James Merritt serving in the Georgia military. Our James is believed to be the man who joined Company K, 44th Regiment, GA in Mar 1862. James was wounded in the hand, face, lip and nose and was in Chimborazo Hospital No. 5, Richmond, VA on 8 Jul 1862. He was discharged with a disability on 24 Feb 1863.

The 3 Aug 1896 will and 27 Jan 1898 codicil for James Merritt helped differentiate between him and his first cousin of the same name because he mentions his sons Gordon and James T. Merritt. According to Find a Grave James had six children by his first wife and eight by the second which is supported by his will. James bequeathed his three youngest children his house with the land it sat on, farm tools, and furniture. His eight by his second wife were to equally divide his 400 acres with his son Gordon getting the portion on which Gordon's home was positioned. He explicitly stated that he has already given his first wife's children their shares of his estate and thus they were to inherit nothing under this will. His executors were to be his sons-in-law Dr. Willliam Rogers and George A. Smith, but he eliminated Smith and added his son James T. Merritt in 1898. Witnesses were H. F. Evans, William Weaver, J. B. William, George Morn(?), W. G. Durham and James L. Crossby.

Ray Rowland erroneously noted James Merrit also married a woman named Lucy by whom he had children Susan E. in 1844, Mary in 1851, Martha in 1853 and Sarah in 1855, and possibly the Marshall Grady Merritt included on Find-A-Grave born on 24 Sep 1856 before he later married Sarah Sidwell. This must be a different James Merritt, of whom there were many, because his will explictly discusses his children by only his first and second wives.

     Lucretia Clements was born in 1827 at Georgia. She married John Merritt, son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland, on 12 May 1844 at Greene Co, Georgia.

      Crease Merritt is shown as a female named Craesa Merritt on several online trees, however apportioning Thomas and Martha's children in the 1830 and 1840 censuses showed that Crease was possibly enumerated as a male. No one named Crease was included in Thomas Merritt's 1854 will which included all the living children. A Lucretia, also born in 1827, who married a Merritt in Forsyth Co, GA, may have led to the belief Crease Merritt was a female.

     Caroline A. Heath married Thomas J. Merritt, son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland, on 26 Apr 1855 at Greene Co, Georgia.

     Mary Beatrice Shirley was born c 1855 at Georgia. She married Albert Merritt, son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland, on 5 Mar 1873 at Greene Co, Georgia. Mary Beatrice Shirley died on 5 Apr 1929 at East Point, Fulton Co, Georgia.

     Jerusha Caroline "Carrie" Williamson was born in 1842 at Greene Co, Georgia. She married PVT Henry Clay Merritt, son of Thomas Merritt and Martha "Patsy" Rowland, c 1863. Jerusha Caroline "Carrie" Williamson died b 1910.