Isaac Edmondson was born around 1763, reportedly in England, however, recent research suggests an American heritage dated back to the 1600s. He emigrated to Virginia with his parents. A patriot of the American Revolution, he contributed supplies to the cause.

While the exact movements of the Edmondson family remain uncertain, records suggest they lived in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina before settling in Georgia around 1800. They established themselves in Bulloch County, where Isaac resided until his passing in 1810.

Seeking medical treatment, he traveled to Savannah, where he ultimately died. His will, dated 13 May 1809, was probated in 1810, leaving a portion of his estate to his son James, and the remainder to his wife Nancy and their other, unnamed children.

Children of Isaac and Nancy Edmondson

1. Susannah Edmondson, born 1798, married John Mathis (second wife). Lived north of Valdosta. Died in 1863 and is buried in Owen Smith Cemetery, Hahira, Georgia.
2. James Edmondson, born 1799, married Sabra James. Settled east of present Hahira.
3. Elizabeth Edmondson, born 1801, married on 17 Jan 1825 to William Holloway, Jr., son of William Holloway of Bulloch County. Lived near Tallokas.
4. Sarah Edmondson, born 1802, married William Alderman. Lived near Tallokas.
5. John T. Edmondson, born 22 Mar 1806, married on 27 Nov 1828 in Lowndes County, to Martha Strickland, daughter of Archibald Strickland of Tattnall and Brooks County, Georgia. She was born 13 Nov 1814, and died in May 1882. John died in 1864, and both are buried at Bethel Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, Brooks County. John developed a plantation along the Tallokas Road.
6. David Edmondson, born 1809, married Tabitha “Dicy” Tillman, daughter of Jeremiah Tillman of Lowndes County. She was born in 1815 and died in 1891. David died in 1864. He built a plantation just west of Morrison Church in Barney, Georgia, which later became part of Brooks County when it was formed in 1858.

Tax Records and Landholdings

In 1801, Isaac was listed on the tax rolls of Warren County, residing in Captain John Breed’s district. He was assessed for one poll tax, owned no slaves, and held 104.5 acres of land. The land was rated as quality grade 3, valued at $35.47, with an acreage valuation of 34 cents per acre.

The property was located on Harts Creek and bordered the land of Sampson Wilder. The original grantee of the parcel was Sol. Barfield. Isaac’s total tax amounted to $0.43 at a rate of 6 ¾ mills—approximately $0.239 from the land and $0.20 from the poll tax.

Nancy Cox Edmondson

Following Isaac’s death, Nancy sold her property in Bulloch County and, during the winter of 1827–1828, relocated to Lowndes County, settling on a farm in what later became Brooks County. This area, known as the Tallokas district, was incorporated into Brooks County in 1858.

Before marriage, Mrs. Edmondson was Nancy Cox, born in 1765. She passed away on 17 Aug 1842, at her home in what is now Brooks County, Georgia. Nancy Edmondson was a devoted member of the Bethel Primitive Baptist Church, joining by letter in May 1828. Church records list her as “Mrs. Ann Edmondson” and confirm she remained a member until her death. She was laid to rest at Bethel Church, though her grave remains unmarked.

Conflict Resolution

Edmondson Ancestry

Early genealogists such as Huxford claimed that Isaac Edmondson was born in England and settled first in Virginia with his father before moving South. Modern genealogists state that the English ancestry of Isaac is generationally further back, as the following inscription on a family marker in Brooks County states:

“Thomas Edmundson lived on the Rappahannock River in Virginia in the mid-1600’s. He prospered as a planter, built the first Essex County courthouse, served as sheriff and in the House of Burgesses. He died in 1715. His son Joseph moved to North Carolina and died in 1743. To Joseph and his second wife Priscilla, John was born in 1717 in Craven County. John married Mary Barrington and moved to Wilkes County, Georgia, by 1784. He and his son Isaac were living there in the 1790’s, near Bryant and Joseph. Isaac married Anne Cox. They moved in 1806 from Warren County to Bulloch County.”

There remains, however, a Naturalization Record on file in Maryland for an Isaac Edmondson who came from England and resided in Baltimore, MD, and was naturalized on 20 Jun 1798. The identity of the Isaac to whom this belongs needs further investigation to completely rule out the English origin of his birth.

Nancy Edmondson

Huxford asserts that two daughters of Isaac Edmondson married John Mathis, leading him to introduce a daughter named Nancy as the eldest child of Isaac and Susannah. However, McCall, in her Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers, lists only six children of Isaac and Nancy, omitting the supposed daughter Nancy, whom Huxford identifies as John Mathis’s first wife.

Huxford’s biographical sketch on David Alderman states that Alderman’s daughter, Phoebe Alderman, born in 1783, married John Mathis. Genealogists now believe that the reference to “two sisters” marrying John Mathis actually referred to two sisters-in-law—Phoebe Alderman and Susannah Edmondson—who, in that era, were often informally referred to as “sisters.”

FindAGrave lists three wives for John Mathis:

1. Phoebe Alderman, who bore 11 children
2. Nancy Edmondson, who had no children
3. Susannah Edmondson, who bore 12 children

Meanwhile, Harden, in his Treatise on South Georgia, acknowledges only six children of Isaac and Nancy.

I have taken the side of the modern-day genealogists as I can find no records which name or reference a Nancy Edmondson, either as wife to John Mathis, or child of Isaac. I have, therefore, removed Nancy from the list of children of Isaac and Nancy Edmondson.

Revolutionary War Proofs

For Revolutionary War proofs, see:

• Mrs. H. L. Abbott, N.S., D.A.R. No. 244889
• Mrs. L. G. Cox, N.S., D.A.R. No. 209922, et. al.

Sources

• Huxford, Folks, Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, vol. 1, p. 77-78, Jacksonville, Florida : Cooper Press, 1951-1967.
• Huxford, Folks, History of Brooks County, Georgia, 1858-1948, p. 416-417, Quitman, Georgia : Hannah Clarke Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1948.
• Harden, William, A history of Savannah and south Georgia, p. 884. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913.
• McCall, Mrs. Howard H., Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia. Vol. III, p. 73-74, Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.
• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Indexes to Naturalization petitions to the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for Maryland, 1797-1951; Microfilm Serial: M1168; Microfilm Roll: 4, card for Isaac Edmondson.
• Ancestry.com. Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892 [database on-line]. (https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=ELpvTKxweEk&mid=50138&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.com/search/collections/1729/) Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Georgia Tax Digests [1890]. 140 volumes. Morrow, Georgia: Georgia Archives. 1801 Warren County Tax Digest book, images and 68 (left side) and 73 (right side)