Photo of Militia Soldiers. Land in Franklin and Washington Counties begun to be distributed in 1784. The importance of locating a Headright Grant in Georgia is that (1) the grantee had fought in the Revolutionary War and (2) provides a beginning location of where to search county records. The discovery of a deed record denoting 287-1/2 acres is important, and a thorough search should be enacted throughout the deeds and tax digests. The earliest deed records in Franklin County were not indexed. And not only that, they were quite difficult to read. However, three volumes were written abstracting the Franklin County Deeds, viz. <u> Index to deeds of Franklin County, Georgia, 1784-1860 </u> by Martha Walters Acker, which has long since been out-of-print, however, may be found at the Georgia State Archives. The very least that the researcher can do is to examine the book <u>Georgia, Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783-1909</u> at the Georgia State Archives or find it on familysearch.org.
It is interesting to note that while searching deed records and tax digests, the notation of 287-1/2 acres is an indication that the land was granted by the Governor of Georgia as a Headright Grant and that person had produced a certificate from his commanding officer that he had served in the Revolutionary War. This acreage may be cited in the deeds of later relatives.
Please note that the early Washington County records were destroyed by General Sherman.
If you are searching for proving your ancestor to the DAR, the next step is to follow the soldier’s steps after the issuance of a Headright Grant. For Franklin County, many of its earliest settlers were later found in Jackson County. Deeds, Tax Digests, Wills, Estates (inventories, vouchers, sales, guardianships, etc.) could solve the problem.
Here is what Georgia Pioneers.com has on its website for Franklin County and for Jackson County
Details: The Headright Grants were issued in Georgia as a bounty to the Revolutionary War Veteran. From 1783 to 1785, the veteran would submit a petition to the Executive Council listing the county in which he desired land. For those soldiers who fought in the Georgia Line, Minute Battalion, Militia or Refugee Militia, a certificate from his commanding officer would be presented. Then the county survyor would survey the chosen land, making three plats to be recorded in a book in his office, and two copies were to go with the executed warrant to the surveyor-general where it was recorded and attached to the grant, followed by one copy of the plat of survey and the executed warrant by the surveyor-general to the secretary of state. A grant would be issued in the name of the Governor after the payment of nominal office fees. Both the surveyorgeneral and the secretary of state would enter on the survey book and on the grant book the notation Bounty, but in no case was the actual classification of the grantee shown. Where to Subscribe to Georgia Pioneers