Help with pre-1850 Georgia/South Carolina records?

Question

I'm trying to find out more about James Savage and his family in Newton County, Georgia in the early 1800s. I'm especially hoping to find names of wife and kids to verify or refute a possible connection to my ancestor Elizabeth (Savage) Lavender.  He's in the 1830 U.S. census with (presumed) wife and 6 kids, then the 1840 census with 8 kids, no wife. Can't find him in 1850 or later censuses so he may have died before then. I haven't been able to find a will or death record in the searchable databases at FamilySearch or Ancestry. If I'm right about his connection to Elizabeth, it's possible he came to Georgia from South Carolina before 1830, so I need to search there as well.  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!

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James Savage

 in the 1870 United States Federal Census

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Name:	James Savage
Age in 1870:	75
Birth Year:	abt 1795
Birthplace:	Maine
Dwelling Number:	417
Home in 1870:	Lowell Ward 4, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Lowell
Occupation:	No Occupation
Male Citizen over 21:	Y

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Looks like he lived until 1860 at least

Jes Saraga

 in the U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880

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Name:	Jes Saraga [Jas Savage]
Enumeration Date:	28 Aug 1860
Place:	Newton, Georgia, USA
Schedule Type:	Agriculture
OS Page:	27
Line Number:	36

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James Savage

 in the U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865

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Name:	James Savage
Residence:
Enlistment Date:	1 May 1862
Rank at enlistment:	Private
State Served:	Georgia
Survived the War?:	No
Service Record:	Enlisted in Company B, Georgia 53rd Infantry Regiment on 12 May 1862.Mustered out on 10 Aug 1862 at Richmond, VA.
Sources:	Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865

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Thanks!  That third listing is for the younger James Savage who's probably Elizabeth's brother and possibly the son of the older James.  I suspect the second listing is as well but I'll take a closer look.  I definitely have an 1860 census record for younger James and family.

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The younger James was born 1842 I think. Would he have his own land in 1860?

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Younger James (Savage-6589) was born in about 1828- he's 22 in the 1850 census, 33 in the 1860 census.  So I think it's possible he'd own land then.  (He then enlisted in the Confederate Army and died in/near Richmond, VA in 1862.)

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Ah. I see. Sorry about that confusion

James Savage

 in the 1860 United States Federal Census

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Name:	James Savage
Age:	33
Birth Year:	abt 1827
Gender:	Male
Birth Place:	Georgia
Home in 1860:	Newton, Georgia
Post Office:	Newton Factory
Dwelling Number:	628
Family Number:	603
Personal Estate Value:	205
Household Members:	Name Age James Savage 33 Mary Savage 32 Eliz F Savage 3 Geo A Savage 1

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No worries!  I'm still trying to untangle all the James Savages.  That other record gave me a really important clue, though.  It looks like James didn't own land himself (no land value listed), but the person right above him, D. Conaway, did.  Would that mean that James was farming Conaway's land?  If so that's an important connection.  I've hypothesized that Elizabeth/James/Martha are siblings of Braxton Savage.  Braxton married Louise Conaway.  This record may connect James to the Conaways, giving me a bit more evidence that James and Braxton could be brothers.

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It looks like James may have been farming someone else's land. He seems to have owned 8 horses. It's very difficult to read.

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This record shows James Savage the younger. He is listed with the Estate of B. Savage and a Robert Savage.

J Savage

 in the Georgia, Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892

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Name:	J Savage
Year:	1882-1887
Post Office:	Rockey Plains
District:	Rockey Plains
District Number:	567
Place:	Newton, Georgia, USA

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I found a better listing of the column headings here: https://www.archives.gov/files/research/genealogy/charts-forms/1860-agricultural.pdf and muddled through it... he owned farming implements worth $8, one milk cow, two other cattle, and two pigs.  He farmed Indian corn and tobacco, plus (on the next page) peas/beans, etc.  

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Transcribed incorrectly. J Savage is written as J. S. Savage on the document.

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Younger James was already dead by 1882-87... I think these are the sons of his presumed brother Braxton Savage (d. 1863), Robert and John S. Savage.  I found Braxton in the 1860 agriculture census and he had a bit of property that he could have passed on to his kids.  (I wonder if it originally belonged to the older James... that would pretty much clinch that he's connected to them.)

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This census with Mary Moss (wife of the younger) has a Braxton Savage listed on the next page.

Mary Moss

 in the 1850 United States Federal Census

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Name:	Mary Moss
Age:	21
Birth Year:	abt 1829
Birthplace:	Georgia
Home in 1850:	Subdivision 65, Newton, Georgia, USA
Gender:	Female
Family Number:	439
Household Members:	Name Age William Moss 49 Dosier Moss 47 Mary Moss 21 Daniel Moss 20 William Moss 17 Sunson Moss 15 Jane Moss 13 Nancy Moss 11 Anna Moss 9 Sarah Moss 4 No Name Moss 0 Lemael Underwood 79 William Ware 36

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Oh, that's useful.  I'm throughly convinced that Braxton and James (and therefor also Elizabeth and Martha) are siblings.  Now if I could just verify that older James is their father...

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I can look for Elizabeth and Martha with more information. Maybe sideways like run into their parents. Sometimes you gotta sneak up on 'em.

Like the rabbit.

How do you catch a unique rabbit?

You neek up on them.

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LOL.  Elizabeth is Savage-5572; I have plenty of records from her 1847 marriage onwards.  Martha (Savage-6608) is a mystery... 1850 census and that's it.  Don't know whether she died or married and changed her name.

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John son of Braxton? Or brother of Braxton?

John Savage

 in the Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current

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Name:	John Savage
Gender:	Male
Death Age:	79
Birth Date:	abt 1821
Death Date:	Abt 1900
Death Place:	177 Fourteenth avenue, Frank M -
Obituary Date:	11 Feb 1900
Obituary Place:	Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
Parents:	Rowland Savago; Elizabeth Savago

These facts were pulled from a record by a computer and may not be accurate.

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Super research, Betty!

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Thanks Pip.

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I have this from North Carolina

Martha A Melton

 in the North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1976

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Name:	Martha A Melton [Martha A Savage]
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Age:	83
Birth Date:	19 Jun 1835
Birth Place:	, North Carolina, United States
Death Date:	6 Aug 1918
Death Place:	Wilmington, New Hanover, North Carolina, USA
Father:	Willian Savage
Mother:	Tobitha Savage
	Search for Martha A Melton in North Carolina Wills & Probates collection

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Martha Ann Savage Melton

Birth	18 Jun 1832 North Carolina, USA
Death	6 Aug 1918 (aged 86) Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, USA
Burial	Oakdale Cemetery Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, USA
Memorial ID	26965433 · View Source

• Memorial
• Photos 1
• Flowers 0

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Daughter of Tabitha and William Savage

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Family Members

Parents

• Tabitha Savage

  1809–1882

Spouse

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  Francis Marion Melton

  1835–1890

Siblings

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  John Hinton Savage

  1840–1887

Children

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  Martha Elizabeth Melton Farmer

  1856–1883

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  Ida Kate Melton Padrick

  1864–1951

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  Walter F Melton

  1868–1914

• 

  Amy Bradley Melton Foreman

  1872–1954

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Thanks!  I'll check those out in more detail later.

Also, I just managed to find a land lottery record for James Savage at Ancestry:

Name:	James Savage
County:	Carroll
Captain's District:	Pullens
Number:	62
District:	3
Lottery Date:	1827
Source:	REPRINT of OFFICIAL REGISTER of LAND LOTTERY OF GEORGIA 1827; 13th DAY'S DRAWING-March 21; NEWTON. page 38

 

So that's consistent with him having kids elsewhere (SC?) in the early 1820s, then moving to GA before 1830 and having a couple more.  

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And it just keeps getting better!  I found a War of 1812 muster roll listing for James Savage in Randolph Co. NC.  That's important because I have definite DNA ties to the Savage family in Randolph/Stokes Counties but haven't been able to come up with a connection yet.  If James is the son of one of the Randolph Savages, then moved first to SC and then to GA, it all fits.  Next up:  looking for 1812 service record/pension application.

Name:	James Savage
State:	NC
County:	Randolph County Regiment
Township:	Fourth Company
Year:	1812
Database:	NC 1812-1814 Muster Rolls

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I think I just found Martha hiding in the tree of one of my Ancestry DNA matches.  The match links two otherwise unconnected clusters of matches, including my NC Savage cluster.  There's a "Martha Ann" (no last name) in the tree, b. 1832 in SC, with parents born in NC/GA.  She's married to James S. Goodwin.  Looks like they lived in Florida, then Alabama.  Now to see if I can find her last name listed somewhere to confirm that it's her.  Maybe in the marriage or death record for one of her kids?  And maybe if I find her own death record it'll list her parents.

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Do you have any connections you can add to your profile? Locations would also be helpful. If you aren’t certain, you can mark uncertain status.

Most of the Savage lines I have worked are in the western part of NC and the upstate of SC down to GA. What would be considered the back country along the Great Wagon Road in the Appalachian Valley. Since families migrated together, it would also be helpful to know any other family names or collateral lines.

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Lisa,

I'm glad you're finding connections. Sometimes I find a family by following a neighbor or something like that. I'm willing to hit the weeds and cut 'em down to get to an ancestor. They like to hide.

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I've updated with some tentative locations.  I don't have any people I'm confident enough about to connect yet on the profile page, but here's what I suspect based on a growing pile of circumstantial evidence.  

1.  James is the father of Elizabeth, Braxton, James, and Martha and would need to be merged with the Unknown Savage I created to connect those four to each other.

2.  James is the son of Jeremiah Savage, Thomas Savage, or an unknown brother of theirs.  DNA matches connect me to that family in Randolph/Stokes Counties, NC.  (Note that Jeremiah and Thomas aren't connected to each other right now; there's a merge pending for their parents since I inadvertently duplicated them.)

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OK, I've decided to just go for it and merge James with Unknown Savage.  Cleaned up all the associated profiles a bit as well.  Next up:  Connecting James to his family in North Carolina.  I think my DNA clusters may be of use there if I can find a connection to either Jeremiah or Thomas's wife's family.

Answer 1

Something to try...

Newton  Co. was formed in 1821 from parts of Henry/Jasper/Walton Counties.  If you are looking for records for 1820 or before,  try each of those countries.   Also, if you haven't tried them yet try Georgia Virtual Vault website (Georgia Archives ) and Georgia Historic Newspapers GALILEO  (University System of Georgia )

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Thank you!  I just discovered the Georgia Archives last night and haven't found anything relevant yet but I'm still looking.  (I did stumble across the pension file for one of Elizabeth's sons, so that's useful and I'll add it to his profile.)  I'll look at the newspaper archive as well.