John, son of Thomas and Margaret, born in Pitt County, North Carolina in 1750. He lived there most of his life, marrying in 1774 Averilla “Abby” Atherton (2) from Martha’s Vineyard (3). John was a member of the North Carolina Militia before, during and after the war (4).
In 1776, John and uncles George and Richard with their families, moved west to Rockingham, North Carolina and then to Charleston, South Carolina(5). The Uncles and their families spent several years there, but eventually moved to Georgia. John’s earliest recorded residence in Georgia is in Effingham County, where he had 126 acres surveyed for him 6 September 1784(6). He lived in that portion of Effingham County, which was made Screven County in 1793 and into Bulloch County in 1796. In 1791, he received a grant of 200 acres in Effingham County, and 250 acres in Burke County (7). John moved from Bulloch County to Bryan County, Georgia, around 1794 and was appointed Justice of the Peace for the first District of Bryan County, Georgia on 6 January 1795. He was also a Judge of the Peace on 1 April 1799. John’s name also appeared on the jury list for Bryan County in 1797.
During the Revolutionary War, John served first with the North Carolina Militia, and later with the Patriots in Georgia. He was private in the Georgia line during the latter stages of the war 1780-1782 (5).
John later moved with his family and others of the connection to Wilkinson County, now Laurens County, Georgia in 1806 (1). Laurens County was created in 1807 and he was a charter member of the Popular Springs Baptist Church. John served as a moderator of its first conference held on 22 August 1807 (2). The homestead in Laurens County was in Lot 244 of the 2nddistrict (4), where John died. Henry and Richard Albritton (his 2nd and 9th children) were appointed administrators of his estate (5). Averilla died in 1817 and on 7 April 1817, willed the following items to her son William: one bay horse, one two-year old filly, one cow and yearling, stock of sheep and hogs, one feather bed, furniture, and the rest of the estate.
The line descends through Thomas1. Thomas b. 1776 N.C. d. 18 Mar 1867 GA. m.1. Mary “Polly”Strickland 1801 b. 1792 d.c. 1825 m.2. Rhoda Strickland Parker 1826 b.c. 1800 d. 2. Henry b. 1778 d. 1849 m. Sarah Ann Ellison b. d. 3. Ann b. 1782 d. 1849 m. Jethro J. Weaver b. d. 4. Sarah b. 1786 d. m. Capt. David Mizell b. d. 5. Matthew b. 1788 d. Nov 1849 m. Nancy Ann Bulloch b. d. 6. Susannah b. 1793 d. m. William Ennels Dean b. d. 7. Jane b. 1795 d. m. John Dean b. d. 8. William b. 1797 d. m. Mariah Blackshear b. d. 9. Richard b. 1798 d. m. Elizabeth Perkins b. d.
