Willis Craft (1809 - 1874)

Born Jul 1809 in Craftsville, Elbert, GA [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Martha Terrell (Franklin) Craft — married 26 Nov 1832 in Morgan County, Georgia, USA

Descendants

Died 21 Mar 1874 at age 64 in Elbert, GA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Valerie Craft [send private message]

Biography

Family

Willis was the son of John Craft and Mary Moss of North Carolina. He married Martha Franklin on 26 Nov 1832 in Morgan County, Georgia.^[1]

Politics

Willis served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1857-1858 as a Democrat^[2][3] Upon his death, a note in the Atlanta Constitution read: "Hon. Willis Craft who was much respected by his people and who frequently represented his county and district in the general assembly of the state." ^[4]

Burial

Willis is buried on his land, which is now in the woods in the Northern corner of Elbert County. This area is now a neighborhood and the grave is located off the cul-de-sac on Farmhouse Pointe.^[5] There is a map in the Elbert County Library that shows the location of the cemetery.

Census

1840 - Craft Dist 199, Elbert, Georgia

1850 - The Elbert District, Elbert, Georgia

1860 - Page No. 84, Elberton, Elbert, Georgia

1870 - Page 38, Moss, Elbert, Georgia

Enslaved Persons

The following records provide information about the people that Willis Craft enslaved.

1840 Census, Dist 199, Elbert, Georgia

Enslaved Male Under 10: 1

Enslaved Male 10 to 23:1

Enslaved Male 24 to 35: 1

Enslaved Female 10 to 23: 1

1850 Slave Census, Elbert, Elbert, Georgia

Male, 47

Female, 47

Male, 22

Male, 19

Female, 18

Female, 17

Female, 12

Female, 3

Male, 1

1860 Slave Census, Elbert District, Elbert, Georgia

Female, 60

Male, 60

Male, 35

Male, 27

Female, 15

Female, 15

Male, 12

Male, 12

Female, 9

Male, 9

Sources

1. ↑ 59. Dodd, Jordan. Georgia Marriages to 1850 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1997 (Ancestry.com). Original data: Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Georgia.
2. ↑ McIntosh, J.H. (1939). The Official History of Elbert County 1790 - 1935 [With a Supplement for 1935 - 1939 by the Stephen Heard Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution]. Elberton, GA: Daughters of the American Revolution, Stephen Heard Chapter. From the Quintin Publications Collection.
3. ↑ "Members of the Legislature." The Southern Banner, Athens, Georgia. 22 Oct 1857. Pg 3
4. ↑ The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia. 29 Aug 1885
5. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #120388960