Todds of Georgia

Feb 2012

 

          Todds of Wilkes County

 

There were four Todd families in early Wilkes Co GA.  (1) John Todd d 1815, (2) James Todd d 1797, (3) Caleb Todd, and (4) William Todd.

 

John and James were brothers from Mecklenburg Co NC; Caleb was from the Todd family of Rowan Co NC; William’s origins are unknown though we note that a William Todd was a witness on a deed of John Todd and may be his son.

 

 

  1. John Todd d 1815 (TF 19)

 

John Todd came from Mecklenburg Co. NC.  He was the son of James Todd who was baptized at the Abingdon Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia County, PA in 1726. John was the grandson of John Todd who was named in a Supreme Court Case in Hunterdon Co NJ in the 1750s.

 

John got 4 grants in Wilkes Co between 1787 and 1792 – on Rockey Creek, Upton Creek and Fishing Creek.   Some of his neighbors on one of the grants were also neighbors to James Todd, suggesting that some of their land was close together.  One of his grants might also have been in the portion of Wilkes Co that became Lincoln Co in 1796.

 

John moved to Putnam County with his wife Mary and his children between 1806 and 1808 and died there in 1815.   His children by his first wife were:  William McCulloch Todd and James Elizah Todd.  His children with Mary were:  Joseph, Elizabeth, Adam, John, Sarah, Maria, Matilda, Polly, Felix and Augustus.

 

  1. James Todd d 1797 (TF 19)

 

James Todd d 1797 was the brother of John Todd d 1815.   James got a grant on Fishing Creek in 1785 and then in 1789 bought land a few miles to the NW between Huttons Fork and Clark’s Fork of Long Creek.

 

Due to a clerical mistake, his wife Elizabeth was erroneously identified on a deed as the widow of a John Todd, but close reading of that deed reveals an internal contradiction that taken with other data show that she was the widow of James Todd and that their seven children: Joseph, John, James, Elizabeth, Nancy, William, Margaret.

 

  1. Caleb Todd (TF 17)

 

Caleb Todd born 1751-1758 in Pennsylvania came with his parents to Rowan Co NC about 1770, married there, had a son Benjamin b 1778 and then came to Georgia some time before 1786, probably 1778-1781.  He settled initially on Fishing Creek, but soon had located on land and got a 200 acre grant in 1788 on a small branch of Clark’s Fork of Long Creek, about ¾ mile to the west of the headwaters of Heard’s Mill Creek of Fishing Creek.   He had children under 21 in the land lottery drawing in 1803.  We suspect he had married Sarah Bentley and was the father of Editha Todd b 1793, Abel Todd b 1795, Sarah Todd b 1798 and Samuel Bentley Todd b 1802 – all born in Georgia.  

 

He was involved in a court case in 1795-96 with Jeremiah Bentley who lived on Heard’s Mill Creek of Fishing Creek.  Perhaps this suggests a family connection with Jeremiah Bentley or his cousin William Bentley.

 

About 1799, he transferred 60 acres of his land to Benjamin Todd b1778 NC-d1855 GA and between 1802 and 1804, he transferred the remainder of his land to Benjamin.   This, together with DNA evidence, suggests that Benjamin was his  eldest son.

 

He appears to be the Caleb Todd who appeared on the Madison Co KY tax lists 1804-1806.   After his death, his sons William b 1781 GA and Reuben b 1785 GA went to TN with their uncle Benjamin and his children Editha, Abel, Sarah and Samuel B. went north with their mother to Scott County KY where Sarah Bentley Todd appears in the 1810 tax list.

 

  1. William Todd

 

William Todd got a grant of land in 1784 on Brier’s Creek, a branch of Soap Creek and then a grant on Soap Creek.  These lands appear to be in the portion of Wilkes Co that became Lincoln Co in 1796.  He may the William who witnessed a deed by John Todd in 1796, but further research is needed to identify this William.

 

 

      Todds of Jones and Putnam County

 

By 1812, there were four Todd families in Jones and Putnam County, Georgia.

  • John Todd d 1815 in northern Putnam County near the Morgan County boundary
  • John Todd d 1819-1825 in the town of Clinton, Jones County, 10-15 miles south of the Jones-Putnam county boundary
  • Benjamin Todd 1778-1855 who owned parcels in Jones Co and parcels which straddled the Jones-Putnam Co line
  • John Todd b 1770-1780 d 1830s or 1840s, living in Putnam County on a parcel that straddled the border, adjacent to lands of Benjamin Todd.

 

  1. John Todd d 1815

John Todd d 1815 came from Mecklenburg Co NC to Wilkes Co Georgia about 1785 and secured 4 grants between 1787 and 1792.   Two of these grants were on the upper headwaters of Rocky Creek and Upton Creek and two were on Fishing Creek, that may have staddled the border of what became in 1796 the Wilkes Co-Lincoln County border.

 

Between 1806 and 1808, he moved to Putnam County where he died in 1815.

 

His children by his first wife were:  William McCulloch Todd and James Elizah Todd.  His children with Mary were:  Joseph, Elizabeth, Adam, John, Sarah, Maria, Matilda, Polly, Felix and Augustus.

 

  1. John Todd d 1819-1825

 

John Todd d 1819-1825 came from South Carolina to Jones County, Georgia between 1802 when his son John was born and 1807 when he bought a lot in the town of Clinton.   He sold this lot in 1819 to Benjamin Trapp (not Benjamin Todd as reported by earlier family historians) and died between 1819 and 1825 when his wife Margaret released her dower in the sale of the lot.

 

His children are thought to be:   Martha married Thomas Huff 1817, Eliza b 1801 SC married George \Kidd 1819. John b 1802 SC, and James who was divorced by Sydney Todd about 1832.

 

  1. Benjamin Todd 1778-1855

 

Benjamin Todd was born in Rowan County NC about 1778.  He first showed up in Georgia on a tax list in 1799 as being taxed for 60 acres of the 200 acres his father Caleb Todd had obtained by grant in 1788.  By 1804, Caleb had died or left the area and gone to Kentucky and Benjamin was now in possession of all of Caleb’s lands.  This suggests that he was either Caleb’s eldest son.

 

Benjamin moved to Jones County by 1812 and settled near the Jones-Putnam County border.  He acquired lands adjacent to his first purchase between 1817 and 1823, all of which abutted the parcel in Putnam County acquired in 1816 by John Todd b 1770-80, probably his brother.

 

His first wife died in 1839 and he married Charity Kilby in 1841 in Jones County.

 

His children were:  John B. Todd b 1799, William Lewis Todd b 1796-1800, Mary b abt 1800,  Susannah b1806, Elizabeth b1811, Rebecca b 1811, Benjamin Allen b 1817.

 

  1. John Todd b 1770-80

 

John Todd b 1770-1780 settled in Putnam County about 1812.  He bought a parcel on the Jones-Putnam County border in 1816 which lay next to the parcel that Benjamin Todd acquired in Jones County in 1812.   He may have lived in Wilkes County where he was on the 1805 and 1806 tax list, but was not on the 1809 tax list.

 

He moved to Henry County between 1824 and 1830, then sold his Henry County land in 1835 and went to Meriwether County where he appeared on a 1836 court record.

 

His children were Benjamin G. Todd b 1800, Levi Todd b 1810-12, John Todd b 1810-20, William Todd b 1817.

 

 

      Todds of Warren County

 

There were two Todd families in early Warren County:  (1) Hardy Todd d 1801 and (2) James Todd b 1778.

 

  1. Hardy Todd d 1801  (TF 158)

 

Hardy Todd died in 1801 and his wil mentioned his children:  Job, Silas, Mourning, Anna, Hardy, William, Winny.  DNA shows him to be related to the Hardy Todd of Edgecombe Co NC.

 

  1. James Todd b 1778  (TF 31?)

 

James Todd was born in 1778 in either Virginia or Georgia.   His father has been cited as the Henry Todd who came from Virginia to Burke County.  This Henry Todd married Apphia Bushrod Fauntleroy 1770 in or near King and Queen County Virginia and is thought to be part of that family of Thomas Todd who settled in Virginia in the 1600s..   Henry and Apphia had a son Henry Todd b 1779 in Virginia and some say that James was a brother to this Henry.  The Todds settled in Burke Co where Henry was a representative to the Georgia convention that approved the federal constitution.  He died in 1789.

 

There was a James Todd in the 1805 land lottery (having children under 21) in Warren County.   The 1850 census has James Todd b 1778 and his son James born 1806 GA.  James Jr married Narcissa Johnson in 1841.

 

Todds of Wilkinson County

 

The first Todds mentioned in Wilkinson County are James E. Todd of Columbia County who won an 1805  land lottery prize in Wilkinson County in 1806 and John Todd Senior who won an 1805 land lottery prize there in 1805.   John Todd Senior is probably the John Todd who died in Putnam County in 1815; James E. Todd is said to be John’s son by his first wife.

 

However, the Todds who settled in Wilkinson County are thought to be the family John’s brother, James Todd, who died in 1797 in Wilkes County.   An 1813 deed indentifies Elizabeth Todd, James’ widow as living in Wilkinson County.   James’ son James died in Wilkinson County in 1849 and James’ son William died there in 1866.  James’ son John appears to be the John Todd who died in Laurens Co in 1842.  Laurens County had been taken from Wilkinson County in 1807.

 

James’ other children dispersed to other places:  Joseph, Elizabeth and Nancy all went to Upson County by the 1830s.  

 

      Todds of Henry and Meriwether County (TF 17)

 

John Todd b 1770-1780 went from Putnam County to Henry County between 1824 and 1830.  He sold his land there in 1835 and appears in Meriwether County by 1836.  His children who all appear on the same page of the Meriwether Co census in 1840 were:  Benjamin G. Todd b 1800 GA, Levi b 1810-12, John b 1810-20 and William b 1810-20.

 

      Todds of Richmond County TF 163

 

There was a David Todd who died in Richmond Co GA in 1802 who had sons Joshua and David.   David Sr bought land on Little Spirit Creek in 1795 from the McCullough family.  There is a Henry Todd on an 1800 tax list in Richmond County and a Thomas B. Todd who appears in a slave transaction in 1795.  The relationship of these latter two Todds to the David Todd family is unknown.

 

David, Joshua and the widow Mary Todd were all drawers in the 1805 land lottery.

 

Joshua married Mary Burch on 23 May 1797 and David married Asarebecca McCullough on 18 Jul 1799 with Samuel McCullough as security..

 

Their fate is uncertain, but they may have been part of the migration to Alabama.

 

McCullough, Joseph and wife Elizabeth p 415 Nov 14, 1795 to David Todd, 100 acres on Little Spirit Creek, conveyed to Joseph by Samuel McCulough 1794: Test Joshua Todd, David Todd Jr.

 

So there should be deeds in Richmond Co for the sale of this land.

 

I note there is a Thomas B. Todd on a slave transaction in 1795.

 

I note that David Todd is referred to as David Todd Sr in the 3 May 1802 intestate appointment of Joshua Todd as admininstrator.and there is a reference to an order of the Court of Ordinary  of Richmond Co 3 May 1802.  I wonder where David Todd Jr went to???

 

Presumably this is the Samuel McCullough who sold the Little Spirit Creek land to Joseph McCullough who in turn sold that land to David Todd Sr.

 

There are Todds in Baldwin Co AL and Choctaw Co AL (including a Joshua Todd) who claim possible descent from this family.

     

      Todds of Coweta County

 

Andrew Todd b 1804 Mecklenburg Co NC was in Coweta Co by 1830 and then moved on to Russell Co AL by 1840.

 

     Todds of Jackson County  TF 164

 

James and John Todd of the 1820 census were born prior to 1775 and were reportedly related to the family of Archibald Todd of Old 96, SC.  James b prior 1775 (One internet source says that James Todd (md 1810 Jackson Co) and William Todd of Jackson County are from Archibald of SC via John and Lucinda.)

 

John b prior to 1775, Died 1823 Jackson Co William & Lucinda admin..  Note there is a John Todd in Jackson Co in 1810 per tax list. Reported to be son of Archibald Todd of Old 96 and Anderson Co SC. Seem to have come to GA bewteen 1802/3 and 1810. Son James md Charlotte Bennett in 1810.  William b 1775-1794 , born abt 1794, in Pickens Co AL by 1830.

 

      Todds of McIntosh/Liberty/Tattnall County TF 155

 

John Todd d 1758 (TF 155).  John came from Philadelphia & NC to the Wateree River in Craven District of SC by 1749.  He sold his SC land in 1751 and moved to GA where he settled by 1754 on the South Newport River in what was then St Andrew’s Parish, later (1777) in Liberty County, later (1793) in McIntosh County.  Some descendants moved north to Tattnall County.