The following is the text of the petition to the state convention asking that Bulloch County be created from Scriven (now spel

Submitted by Roy Gill

BULLOCH COUNTY, GEORGIA

The royal governor of Georgia and the Council advertised in the newspaper of New Bern, North Carolina, that free land in Georgia would be given to settlers. The notice began a wave of settlers from the North Carolina counties of Onlsow, New Hanover, Duplin, Sampson, Bertie, Johnston and Edgecombe that would last for over 60 years. There are very few of the early families of Bulloch and Screven Counties that do not trace to the settlers from this area of North Carolina.The very earliest of these families came from Duplin County as early as 1761.

The following is the text of the petition to the state convention asking that Bulloch County be created from Scriven (now spelled Screven) and Bryan counties. Part of Effingham Co. also became Bulloch.

His Honor the Chairman And gentlemen members of the convention of the State of Georgia, 1795:

The Petition of the Citizens of Scriven and Bryan Counties humbly sheweth – that your Petitioners are desirous of representing to your Honors. The inconveniency the Citizens of Scriven County labour under, when of necessity they are obliged to attend on public requisitions, having Ogeechee river to cross, Generally full of water and badly accommodated with flats canoes_________

As well your Petionioners pray your Honors will reflect a moment – on that Act Passed the last Session of the General Assembly "Ordering the County of Bryan to extend from the Georgia coast to the lower line of Scriven County the full extent from the Georgia coast to the lower line of Scriven County the full extent of Chatham and Effingham counties, rendering it extremely inconvenient for the inhabitants of the upper part to attend on public requisitions at Hardwick a distance of at least sixty Miles.

Therefore under these circumstances (unless a General mode for the Divison of Counties should be adopted)

We petition your Honors that the county of Bryan extend no farther up Ogeechee river than Bryan’s Cowpen (so called) fence with a SoW direction ‘till it intersect with Liberty county line. And that the upper_____(having the aforesaid boundary) and that part of Scriven County lying on the south side of Great Ogeechee river as high up said river as Skulls Creek be a separate and distant county – And to avoid a discontent, which would otherwise consequently arise – let our public buildings be established as near as convenient to the centre Thereof.

And your Petionioners will ever pray:

Jesse Hillard........ John Futch, Senr

John Clifton........ Jacob Futch

David Johnston........ Apslom Vindon (?)

William Johnston........ Thomas Futch

Frances Daniel........ Rowan Row

William Malyard ........ Solamon Futch

Jesse Mixon ........ Alexander Finey, Senr

John Hilliard ........ William Mixson

Vinson Mixson........ Alexander Finey

William Woodcock, Senr........ Jehu Everitt

William Downs........ James Parimore

Tho Woodcock........ Thomas Parimore

David Davis........ Peter Parten

John Davies ........ John Wigins

William Woodcock, Junr........ John Cook

John Futch ........ Zachariah Gherkin

Samuel Peacock ........ James Simmons

Absalam Hagin....... John Barden

Thomas Hagin........ James Barden

Solomon Hagin........

John Hagin, Junr........ John Hill

William Wylder........ Barnet Mikell

Josiah Everitt........ James Lewis

Hennery Everitt ........ William Lewis

John Wilson........

David Wilson........ Jordan Lewis

Robert Gill........ Joseph Knight

James Gill ........ Robert Knight

Thomas Gill ........ John Martin

Lewis Cook........ John Martin

William Almonds, Senr........ John Geiger

William Almonds, Junr........ Abraham Geiger

John Almonds ........ Phelix Geiger

Chrisr Salter........ Cornelius Geiger

William Wise ........ John Lastinger

Henry Wise ........ David Lastinger

Hennery Chamless........ George Lastinger

James Thomas........ David Grover

Joseph Gobert........ John Grover

Hardy Deloatch, Senr ........ Solomon Grover

Hardy Deloatch, Junr........ Abraham Stafford

John Deloatch ........ John Huffman

Ephram Deloatch ....... John Shuffield

Austin Shuffield

Adam Smith....... John Wright

Joel Lauracy ........ William Wright

James Mikell........ James Bennet

William Mikell........ Robt Parten

George Mikell........ Thomas Thompson

Thomas Mikell ....... John Thompson

Jno Mikell ....... Richard Harvey

____Mikell ........ Charles Blanton

John Everitt ....... George McCall

William Cone ....... ___Stewart

Isreal Harris....... Edward Mikell

Thos Knight ........ Joshua Everitt

Abraham Bird ....... Arthur Kerby

John Hagin ....... Robert Scott

John Deloatch ...... David Goodman

William Kerby ....... John Lane

Aaron Cone ....... Alexander Lane, Junr

John Rawls ........ Alexander Lane, Senr

NOTE: The foregoing copy of the Petition to form a new county was obtained from the Hargrett Library of the University of Georgia by Smith C. Banks. The Petition was transcribed by Evelyn Mabry. Several words are illegible. A few names may have been lost. Pages of the original Petition, now tattered, were sewn together in a scroll like manner. The Spirit of a People compiled by the Statesboro Herald Publishing Company.

Effingham County, Georgia and Liberty County, Georgia, Early Record, complied by Mary Carter, 1978 (GA) F292.E3.03, LA State Archives. Wit: John London, J.P. In another book, Information on Some Georgia Pioneers – Maddox, GA (GAF281.L3.M3) Family Heads 1805 Georgia:

Baptist was the dominant religion in Bulloch County, Georgia. It is evident by the lives of Charles and Susan Knight and their family, that Charles brought his deeply rooted Baptist beliefs of Bulloch County with him to Washington Parish, LA. The first Baptist church in the state of Louisiana was established near Franklinton, LA in 1812 on the Bogue Chitto River.