Riley Truitt and Catherine Thetford of Georgia ca. 1790-1809

Registration of births, deaths and marriages were not compulsory during Riley Truitt's lifetime. No known church or Bible record names Riley's parents, his spouse or descendants. Because he left a trail of court records and deeds across four American states, Riley Truitt, son of Riley and grandson of James Truitt died between 1770-1775 Worcester, Maryland is differentiated from men of the same name, born around the same time. There are sufficient, surviving deeds and court records of Worcester, Maryland, Sussex, Delaware, the State of Georgia and Warren county, Kentucky, available freely on FamilySearch, which provide personal information to link him to his family members. While no direct source confirming his marriage to Catherine Thetford appears to exist, an assemblage of direct and indirect evidence establishes the identity of Catherine, her marriage to Riley and her parents.

Conclusion – Catherine, wife of Riley Truitt, was the daughter of William Thetford and his wife Margaret of Hancock county, Georgia. This parent-child relationship and Catherine’s marriage to Riley Truitt is supported by the following: William Thetford’s will made 10 October 1809 names his wife, son and four daughters by their married names. This is the most reliable of the records because the testator, had first hand knowledge of his children’s marital status. This record is supported by a power of attorney created in Warren county, Kentucky, 1808, when Riley Truitt, gave his “trusty friend” William Thetford of Hancock county, Georgia, legal authority to settle his affairs in Georgia. Although Bible records can be notoriously inaccurate, the entries in the William Read Bible and the close match of names with William Thetford’s will suggests extended family members were recorded in the Bible. Catherine’s birth-year of 1775 aligns with marriage ca. 1800 or before.

While newspaper articles are secondary sources, they contain useful historical information not available elsewhere. In 1812 and 1820 notices were published in Georgia, indicating the intention to sell Thetford lands, at the Courthouse, to satisfy debts due Riley Truitt.

The close proximity of Riley Truitt and William Thetford’s lands, and the fact, courtship and socialising was constrained by political tensions and violence associated with frontier life, Riley and Catherine married before the birth of their son, Franklin in 1803. Franklin Trewitt son of Riley and Catherine Thetford was of legal age by 1 September 1824, when the Justices of Warren Circuit Court, Kentucky appointed him guardian ad litem to his brothers and sister, in the room of David Reed. [1]

All evidence found in deeds, court records and other records corroborates the claim that Riley Truitt married Catherine Thetford, the daughter of William and his wife Margaret.

About the citations. All deeds and court records are available on FamilySearch. They are not indexed. The citation is for where the deed or court record may be found at the relevant courthouse. Go to FamilySearch Catalog Select > United States > State > County. A Catalog of online records can be chosen for investigation, eg. land records, probate records, court records, tax records etc.

Copyright. This is an original and creative work of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. This paper forms part of a series of papers identifying kinship relationships among the early families of Delaware and Maryland and their subsequent migrations. If you wish to include any of the material contained in, or derived from this paper, place quotation marks around the extracted portion and credit it as follows: Sarah Baird, “Riley Truitt and Catherine Thetford of Georgia ca. 1790-1809”.

 

Source	Information	Evidence
State of Georgia Hancock County Court of Ordinary Wills & Estates Records Book F 1808-1812, 155	Will of William Thetford made 10 October 1809 names: wife Margaret son Walter daus. Catherine Trewet Elizabeth Read Sarah Jorden Ann S Read Executors. Walter Thetford son Benjamin Read son-in-law.	The record states the married surnames of William’s four daughters. The record does not mention Catherine’s husband Riley so does not directly address the research question.
State of Georgia Hancock County Superior Court Deeds & Mortgages Book I 1809 1812, 102	12  November 1808 Riley Truett of Warren county, Kentucky appoints his trusty friend William Thetford of Hancock, Georgia, his Attorney, to recover sums of money and make over title to two tracts of land in Greene and Jackson counties, Georgia. Wit. Walter Thetford. Recorded 8 August 1809.	The record establishes a relationship between Riley and William Thetford and witness Walter Thetford. The record does not mention Catherine Thetford so does not directly address the research question. The record confirms Riley’s migration to Warren county, Kentucky.
Ancestry.com. Georgia Bible Records [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Austin, Jeannette Holland. Georgia Bible Records. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002. See image below.	The names below the entry “Elizabeth Thetford dau. of …” infer Walter and Catherine are also the children of William Thetford and his wife Margaret. The record indicates Catherine Thetford was born 23 December 1775.	The source is derivative, and the information is secondary. The record establishes a relationship between the Read and Thetford families. The close match of names with William Thetford’s will suggests extended family members were recorded in the Bible. Catherine’s birth-year aligns with marriage ca. 1800 or before. The record does not mention Catherine’s marriage to Riley Truitt so does not directly address the research question.
The Georgia journal. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1809-1847, April 29, 1812, Image 4	Will be Sold. At the market house in the town of Sparta, on the first Tuesday in May next between the usual hours ... one-half of a tract of land containing 100a., whereon is an excellent Grist and Saw mill on big Ogechee, adjoining Peake, levied on as the property of William Thetford to satisfy an execution in favour of Riley Truit.	The original source of this information has not been located.
The Georgia journal. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1809-1847, June 27, 1820, Image 3	On the 1st Tuesday in August next, in Madison Morgan county, between the usual hours of sale, will be sold ... 115a. of land situate in the 5th district of originally Baldwin county, whereon Walter Thetford now lives, adjoining Smith and others; levied upon as the property of Walter Thetford, executor of William Thetford, to satisfy an execution in favour of Riley Truitt.	The original source of this information has not been located. The record does not state Riley Truitt is deceased.
FamilySearch folder name Georgia, Franklin County, Headright and loose lottery plats > Headright and loose lottery plats, Thompson, William, 1772-1909] Film 4725698 image 131 Trewitt, Riley (1) Surveyed 24 October 1791 Warrant 21 October 1791. [2]	Survey 24 October 1791 shows Riley Truitt’s 1000a., rectangular block, adjoining the lands of William Thetford and M Williamson Junr. Other sides vacant.	This record and subsequent tax lists place Riley Truitt within the neighbourhood of William Thetford. Problem – Riley Truitt did not serve in the revolutionary war. See notes below about issues with Headright and Bounty Land Grants. [3]
Hancock County. Ordinary Tax Digest 1796 Whitfields District 1796. [4]	William Thedford 500a. 3rd quality land Franklin county adjoins Truet on the waters of Appalachee [Appalatchee].	The record establishes William Thedford’s land adjoins Truet’s lands.

 

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[1] Warren County State of Kentucky Circuit Court Clerk's Office Record Book 1823 to 1825, p212.

[2] "Georgia, Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783-1909." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 26 December 2023. Georgia State Archives, Morrow.

[3] “Issues with Headright and Bounty Land Grants. Those who received Bounty grants were also entitled to Headright grants. Limitation to acreage (1000 acres) applies only to the warrant of survey, not to the grant. Citizens could apply for multiple warrants of survey for up to 1000 acres and accumulate thousands of acres of land. Warrants could be sold or transferred to another party before the grant was taken out (both Headright and Bounty) (1777 Headright Act). Land Courts issued warrants of survey “in lieu of an old warrant,” new warrant seldom names the person on the old warrant. Transferees could consolidate several old warrants into one new warrant of survey. The resulting grant incorporates all old original warrants. Grants resulting from old transferred warrants do not name the original warrant owner. This includes bounty warrants held by Revolutionary War veterans. Grants name only the grantee to whom the warrant was transferred or sold. The old warrants were destroyed. Problems for researchers - Assumptions about bounty grants by later scholars and genealogists: Lists of Georgia Revolutionary War soldiers were compiled and published including every grantee of 287 ½ grant. A government official went through and marked On Bounty all 287 ½ acre grants in several grant books.” https://www.georgiaarchives.org/research/issues_headright_bounty_land_grants .

[4] "Georgia, Tax Digests, 1787-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68C7-14C2 : Tue Oct 10 07:18:26 UTC 2023), Entry for Wm Thedford, 1796.