Elbert County, Georgia, Inferior Court Minutes, February 4, 1791-July 14, 1801

Description

On December 10, 1790, the Georgia General Assembly created Elbert County from a portion of Wilkes County, making Elberton the seat of its new government. The new county’s Inferior Court, made up of five justices of the peace, tried any civil case except those involving title to land. The Inferior Court had jurisdiction over county business matters, such as care for the poor, building and maintaining the courthouse and jail, building and maintaining roads and bridges, establishing ferries, issuing licenses to sell liquor, appointing guardians, nominating justices of the peace and constables, authorizing indentures, and maintaining a register of wills. The Clerk of the Inferior Court kept minutes of its various proceedings.

This book is a transcription of the first manuscript volume of Elbert County Inferior Court Minutes, February 4, 1791, through July 14, 1801. Mr. Ports based his transcription on microfilm of the original record book made in 1960 by the Genealogical Society of Salt Lake City, Utah. Typical of what researchers may expect to find in this transcription are the following entries:

From the session of May 29, 1791
Jury Sworn, to wit. John Hubberd, A. Colison, Thomas Cook, Wamack Blankinship, Thomas Colbert, Absolam Kilgore, John Oliver, Martin, Ferrell, Garrad Walthall, John Royall, William Howington, Richd Newbank.

Session of February 28, 1794
Ordered, that William Cunningham be appointed overseer of the Road leading through Capt Pattens Militia Copmpany, from high shoals on the Broad River, to Hillhouses Furnace, and Capt Hodge overseer on said Road leading through his own Company, and Captain Heard in his own Company.

In all, about 3,500 persons who lived in Elbert County during its first decade of existence are mentioned, each of whom is identified in the full name index at the back.