Richard Albritton Sr. (abt. 1750 - 1817)

Richard Albritton's Children

Despite claims to the contrary, there is no known documentation to prove the given or maiden names of Richard Albritton's wife. Circumstantial evidence from a deed lists her as "Polly," which may verify claims that his wife was named "Mary." Claims that he remarried after moving to Louisiana and then fathered a child out of wedlock are also undocumented.

Known children of Richard Albritton, as documented in his will:

1. Mary Albritton [Polly] (c1776-before 1816) married Reddick Sibley.
2. Nancy Albritton (c1778-c1830) married John Richardson
3. James Albritton (c1780-Jan 1833) married Delania Kent on 11 November 1801 in Bulloch County, Georgia.
4. Elizabeth Albritton [Betsy] (15 Oct 1784-14 Jan 1837) married Laban Kent
5. Sarah Albritton [Sallie] (c1786-30 Nov 1815) married David Mizell.
6. John Albritton (c1789-1819) supposedly married Mary Glover.
7. Richard Albritton Jr. (17 May 1793-13 Aug 1876) married Mary Richardson and served in the Louisiana Militia during the War of 1812.
8. Averillah Albritton (c1794-1859) married Robert Flint Sibley.

Biography of Richard Albritton Sr.

Richard Albritton Sr. served with North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

Although clearly documented as a son of James Albritton, ^[1] Richard Albritton’s birth between about 1747 and 1755 leaves the identity of his mother in doubt. ^[2] Albritton researchers typically attribute Richard to James Albritton’s second wife, Amy, and assign him a birth year of 1745, but there is no documentation to support either of these claims. James’ first wife, Elizabeth, could have given birth to Richard between 1747 and early 1750, possibly even dying in childbirth or soon after Richard’s birth. ^[3] It appears Richard married about 1773–1775, and in 1775, his household consisted of just three people: himself, an adult female (presumably, his wife), and an underage male slave. ^[4]

During June and July 1775, Col. John Simpson, Pitt County Colonial Representative, Court Justice, and Safety Committee Chairman, received intelligence revealing British plans to instigate a slave insurrection in Pitt, Beaufort, and Craven Counties. British agents supplied certain slaves with arms and ammunition. On a designated date, the plan required the slaves to murder their owners and then burn everything they could on a path towards the “backcountry,” the western counties where the English held sway. ^[5] To contain the potentially deadly situation, Col. John Simpson convened an emergency meeting of the Pitt County Safety Committee in July 1775. They appointed Richard Albritton and his older brothers, Thomas and George, as “Patrolers,” assigned to apprehend any slaves with arms or ammunition involved in the plot. Since Simpson’s plantation lay near their father’s old plantation on Cow Swamp, the Albritton brothers all served in the company commanded by Col. Simpson himself. ^[6]

During the Revolution, Richard Albritton’s younger brother, Henry, served in the Continental Army, and Richard served in the North Carolina Militia. In December 1783, the district auditors for New Bern District issued “Richard Albriton” a pay voucher for “the Sum of Two pounds two shillings for Militia Duty.” ^[7] No known records detail Albritton’s precise military service in the North Carolina Militia. One record that purports that he served in “Capt. William Burney’s Company” actually refers to a local militia district for tax purposes and not a military unit. ^[8]

On 25 May 1774, Richard Albritton witnessed his four eldest brothers conveying a 200-acre tract of land their father left them in his will to their brother, George Albritton. Besides Richard, the other witnesses to the transaction included Col. John Simpson and Capt. Robert Salter, a veteran of the 1771 Battle of Alamance and active member of Pitt’s Safety Committee. ^[9] Richard may have worked with Col. Simpson at one of his stores, for a 1776 document listed him as a merchant like Simpson. On 18 November 1776, for £20 Richard sold 100 acres of land left to him by his father that adjoined the plantation of his brother, Peter, with the latter witnessing the transaction. ^[10]

On 18 February 1780, Richard filed a land entry (application for a land grant) of 150 acres in Pitt County on Cow Swamp that adjoined the land he had sold in 1776. Probably due to chaos of the Revolutionary War, the land was not surveyed for Albritton until 22 May 1783, with his brother, Henry, assisting the surveyor by working as one of the sworn chain carriers. ^[11] On 20 April 1781, Richard witnessed a land transaction in which Henry sold a 62-acre tract of land given to him by their father in his will. ^[12] On 28 January 1783, Richard Albritton paid £50 for a 150-acre tract of land that adjoined his existing plantation, ^[13] and a few months later, on April 7th, he witnessed a land transaction between his nephew, John, the son of Thomas, Richard’s eldest brother, and his youngest brother, Henry Albritton. ^[14] Richard Albritton made his final purchase of land in North Carolina on 18 August 1783, when he paid £30 “Specia” to John Morse for a 216-acre tract on Indian Well Swamp, with Richard’s younger brother, Henry, and nephew, Matthew Albritton, witnessing the transaction. In this transaction, Richard gave his occupation as “planter” rather than merchant, as he had in 1776. ^[15]

In early 1784, Richard Albritton begins making initial preparations to join the post-Revolutionary War migration from North Carolina into Georgia to disposing of his Pitt County property. On January 27th, he sold the 216-acre tract he had purchased a few months earlier to his nephew, John, for the same price he paid for it. ^[16] On March 18th, he sold three tracts of land totaling 300 acres for £150, including 150 acres bequeathed to him in his father’s will, with his older brothers, Peter and James Albritton Jr., witnessing the transaction. ^[17]

Soon afterwards, Richard Albritton emigrated from Pitt County together with his nephew, John Albritton. By September 6th, both Richard and John had established residence in Effingham County, Georgia, located upriver from Savannah and on the South Carolina border. ^[18] The next year, Richard returned to Pitt County to dispose of his 150-acre land grant in Pitt County for which he had applied several years earlier, officially granted to him after he departed for Georgia. ^[19] On 26 October 1785, Richard sold this last tract of his North Carolina property for “Twenty pounds current money,” with his brothers, James and Peter, witnessing the transaction. Richard then left North Carolina and returned to his new home in Georgia. ^[20]

The Effingham County Surveyor completed Richard’s survey on 1 November 1784, ^[21] and the State of Georgia issued him a patent for the land on the east side of Horse Creek on 15 January 1785. ^[22] For the next twenty years, Richard Albritton worked as a planter on his plantation on Horse and Skull Creeks, with his land in Effingham County near the Burke County line until 1793, when the legislature took portions of Burke and Effingham to create Screven County. After 1793, his plantation appears to have straddled the border between Effingham and Screven Counties, and after 1796, it also lay near or partially in Bulloch County, created from lands ceded to Georgia by the Creek Indians. On 26 August 1794, Richard filed his stock mark in Screven County: ^[23]

"Richard Albritton mark and Brand Crop and half crop in the right Ear and half moon under the left Ear. Branded R. A."

Richard Albritton significantly increased his land holdings and engaged in numerous land transactions over the next quarter-century. On 4 December 1786, the Burke County Justices issued a warrant for a survey for a 200-acre grant to Richard for land on the Big Buckhead Creek (now located in Jenkins County, created in 1905 from portions of Burke and Bulloch Counties). The County Surveyor completed his survey on 13 June 1787, ^[24] and the State of Georgia issued him a grand for the tract in 1788. ^[25] On 30 October 1792, Richard Albritton petitioned the Effingham County Court of Justices for a grant of 100 acres of land on the north side of “Skulls Creek, including his improvements on head rights of Gabriel Barker.” ^[26] The County Surveyor completed a survey for Albritton on 4 July 1793, ^[27] and Georgia issued him a patent for that tract later that year. ^[28]

For a mere £10, on 26 December 1792 Richard Albritton sold 100 acres of his 1785 grant of 200 acres on Horse Creek in Effingham County. ^[29] Then on 3 June 1794, he petitioned the Screven County Court of Justices for a large land grant including the headrights of his nephew, John Albritton, and Isaac Sibley, two of whose sons later married Richard’s daughters. The Justices issued a warrant to the County Surveyor, directing him to prepare a survey for 500 acres in Screven for Richard Albritton,

"...two hundred acres on head Rights of Isaac Sibbley and three hundred acres on an old warrant Including his owne [sic] improvement and John Allbritton [sic] on the Bay Branch on the South Side of Ogeechee River..."

This suggests that Richard’s nephew, John, had built improvements on a vacant tract of land in Screven before moving to Bulloch County. Although the County Surveyor completed his survey on 12 May 1794, ^[30] the State of Georgia did not issue Richard a patent for this 500-acre tract until January 1797. ^[31]

On 7 February 1796, Richard bought 200 acres of land in Screven County for “thirty pounds sterling,” with “Poly Albritton” witnessing the transaction by making her mark to it. Although Polly Albritton’s relationship to Richard is not specifically stated, this record is the only known indication that Richard’s wife may have been named “Mary.” ^[32]

In Bulloch County, Georgia on 9 January 1799, an account of the 1798 expenses of the estate of Elisha Fowler Banks was “Proved before Rd. Alberten Esqr.” Banks was a neighbor of Richard Albritton’s, and so this is clearly our Richard Albritton Sr. ^[33] Richard Albritton Sr. served as a justice of the peace for Bulloch County between 10 February 1797 through 15 April 1799, and he is probably the “Richard Albritton” who served as a grand juror there on 16 May 1797. ^[34]

On 26 September 1798, Richard Albritton Sr. received another bounty land grant in Bulloch County of a 100-acre tract bounded by his own land and that of Lane and Scarborough. ^[35] Later that year, December 12th, as a resident of Bulloch County, Richard Albritton paid John Lanier $100 for a 150-acre tract on the south side of the Great Ogeechee River in Bulloch County. Richard’s nephew, Justice of the Peace John Albritton, and John’s son, Richard Albritton, both witnessed this transaction. ^[36] On 16 December 1801, for “five pounds Sterling,” Richard Albritton of Bulloch County sold 100 acres on Sculls Creek granted to him, with his son, James Albritton and his wife, Laney, witnessing the document. ^[37]

On 3 October 1803, Richard Albritton initiated the process to obtain yet another bounty land grant in Georgia, this one for 200 acres in Effingham County based upon his own headrights, this one “in lieu of an old warrant from Bulloch County” that he presumably never completed. When surveyed on 1 November 1804, the tract contained 157 acres, ^[38] and lay on the Chatham County line adjoining the lands of Reddick Sibley, the husband of Albritton’s eldest daughter, Polly. The sworn chain carriers who assisted in preparing the survey included Reddick Sibley, his son-in-law, and Richard Albritton, the great-nephew of the elder Richard. ^[39] Georgia formerly issued the grant to Richard soon afterwards. ^[40]

When he registered for the 1805 Georgia Land Lottery in 1803/1804, Richard Albritton gave his residence as Effingham County, while the family of his nephew, John Albritton, including John’s married sons Richard, Matthew, and Thomas, all registered in adjoining Bulloch County. ^[41]

Between 1806 and 1808, Richard Albritton Sr. engaged in several land transactions. On 9 January 1806, for a mere $3, Richard Albritton of Bulloch County purchased 200 acres of land in Bulloch County bounded by Sarah Banks and Samuel Scarborough’s land, with the transaction witnessed by “Richard Albritton, Junr” and Sally Albritton. ^[42] Richard Jr. was the elder Richard’s great-nephew (the son of his nephew, John), but the identity of Sally is unclear. ^[43] On 12 January 1807, for $40, “Richard Albritton, Senr” of Bulloch County purchased 70 acres of land originally in Screven, but now in Bulloch County, part of a 300-acre grant made to Elizabeth Butler and adjoining lands of Richard Albritton, Elisha Banks, Abraham Lane, and William Irwin. ^[44]

Also during this period, Richard Albritton Sr. pursued his final bounty land grant in Georgia, this one for a 175-acre tract in Bulloch County that adjoined his existing land. Although he probably began the process several years earlier, Georgia’s Governor did not sign the official land grant until 13 May 1808. ^[45]

The opening of the postal road through the Creek Nation in 1806 and its expansion into a military road in 1811, thereafter known as the “Federal Road,” provided a gateway for settlers to migrate from Georgia through Creek territory to Mississippi and Orleans Territories. The virgin lands available in the west proved too great of an allure for Richard Albritton and his family, even though he had amassed a plantation of 1000 acres on Skull Creek on the south side of the Ogeechee River, including 600 acres of pine lands and 400 acres of “prime swamp.” On 22 November 1808, he advertised to sell his plantation, located about 75 miles from Savannah; Richard’s advertisement ran through December 1808. ^[46]

Although the sale was not recorded in either Effingham, Screven, or Bulloch Counties, Richard Albritton apparently found a buyer about 1809, and he then moved with his extended family from Georgia to the Louisiana/Mississippi border. ^[47] By October 1810, they had settled in St. Helena Parish, one of the Florida Parishes considered Spanish Territory until about 1810, when the region briefly proclaimed its independence as the Republic of West Florida, then capitulated to the United States, which annexed the Florida Parishes to Orleans Territory. In 1812, Orleans Territory became the State of Louisiana. St. Helena Parish was located on the border between Louisiana and Amite County, Mississippi Territory. ^[48] Richard Albritton settled on the west side of the “River Amite,” extending along the river bluff and including a number of springs. He later claimed settlement from 1 November 1810. ^[49]

In early 1811, Richard Albritton apparently attempted to join the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Amite County, Mississippi, only a few miles north of where he settled. At the church conference held on 4 May 1811, the church agreed to write a letter to the Skull Creek Church in Bulloch County, Georgia, “requesting to be authorized to hear a consistence [sic] of Richard Albritton, Excommunicated from said Church.” ^[50]

In December 1812, Richard Albritton “settled upon and cultivated a tract of land on the waters of Bogue Lucia,” then in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. His land lay on the east side of the Amite River, in modern northwestern Livingston Parish, a few miles north of present-day Watson. On 7 June 1813, Albritton filed a claim for his 640.94-acre tract of land, and in October 1817, a government official listed “Richard Albreaton” as a settler, together with his sons-in-law, Robert and Reddick Sibley. Congress did not confirm his land to Albritton until 3 March 1819, after his death. ^[51] Due to mistakes made by government officials, it took many years for them to secure a clear title to the land on which Richard Albritton settled in 1812, involving action by the United States Congress in the 1850s. The Federal Government finally issued Albritton a patent for his land in 1909, nearly a century after his death. ^[52]

In March 1816, as he approached seventy years of age, Richard Albritton decided to begin placing his affairs in order. He gathered his children together to agree upon a partition of his property. Richard and his sons, John and Richard Albritton Jr., agreed that the elder Richard’s land claim would pass to John, even though Richard Albritton Jr. then lived on a portion of his father’s land. They agreed that the younger Richard would receive a slave in lieu of land. ^[53] To effect their agreement, on March 29th, for $100 Richard Albritton Sr. sold to his son, John, his rights to the land on which he had settled on 1 November 1810 and improved on the east bank bluffs of the Amite River, called the “Second Bluff.” ^[54] On the same day, for $100, Richard sold his son-in-law, Robert Sibley, a one-year-old female slave, Fillis, ^[55] and for the same price, he sold his son, “Richard Allbritton Junior” a three-year-old “negroe boy,” Thomas. ^[56]

The next day, on 30 March 1816, the elder Richard Albritton wrote his will, naming his sons James, Richard Jr., and John, and daughters Nancy, Betsy, and Avarilla, and the heirs of his daughters Polly and Sally. His will made no mention of a wife or of any land, given that he had previously sold his land claim to his son. Richard died in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana shortly before 13 September 1817, when his children filed his will in court. ^[57]

A few weeks later, on October 6th, Richard’s son, James Albritton of Feliciana Parish, purchased Richard’s slaves from his siblings, paying them $850 for “negroe woman Judy,” aged twenty-three years, and her infant daughter, Mary, aged three months. ^[58] On the same day, James Albritton paid his siblings $900 for Frank, a “negroe man” aged thirty-six. ^[59]

Confusion regarding the title to the land on which Richard Albritton Sr. settled in 1810 began soon after his death. Apparently in order to get the United States Congress to approve his land claim, on 14 January 1819, all the heirs of Richard Albritton Sr. signed a statement that they had all received their shares of his estate. John Albritton appeared before a notary public two days later to file the record in court. ^[60] John Albritton died within a few months, with his heirs technically inheriting his land, which included the land claim of Richard Albritton Sr. ^[61] Confusion over Richard’s land claim seems to have prompted his son, Richard Albritton Jr., to move across the state line into Mississippi, as well as petitions to Congress in the 1850s over confusion regarding the claim.

Despite claims that Richard Albritton Sr. married Mary Hart, absolutely no documentation is known to verify the name of his wife, or any indication that he married more than once. ^[62] On 7 February 1796, Richard Albritton purchased land in Screven County, with the transaction witnessed by “Poly Albritton,” who made her mark to the document. ^[63] The identity of Polly Albritton is unknown, and she could have been Richard’s wife although this is far from certain. This is the only known circumstantial evidence that his wife may have been named “Mary.”

Claims that Richard Albritton Sr. fathered an illegitimate child as an elderly man prior to his death seem uncertain, as they are based upon court documents in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana that indicate the Richard Albritton who fathered the boy may have been the grandson of Richard Albritton Sr. Certainly, there is some doubt as to the precise identity to the Richard Albritton who fathered James Jackson Albritton. ^[64] Similarly, claims that he married a woman in Louisiana have no known documentary basis.

Sources

1. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 253–255 (Richard Albritton to Joshua Kemp, 18 March 1784). Richard Albritton sold Kemp 150 acres of land that James Albritton Sr. had purchased from John Simpson on 4 March 1769, “and by my father’s last will and Testament Bequeathed unto me.”
2. ↑ 2. Secretary of State Records, State Archives of North Carolina. SSXVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists, Box 2, 1762, 1763, 1764, 1775 Pitt County NC Tax Lists. Pitt County NC Deed Book F, pp. 75–77 (Thomas, James, Peter, and Matthew Albritton to George Albritton, 25 May 1774; witnessed by Richard Albritton). Saunders, William L., ed. The Colonial Records of North Carolina. 10 vols. Raleigh, NC: Josephaus Daniels, 1890, Vol. VII, pp. 472, 487. The North Carolina Province assessed a poll tax on all white males “above sixteen years of age” through 1767 (see Saunders, p. 487). If taken literally, Richard’s absence from the 1764 Tax List implies that he had not yet reached seventeen years in 1764. This places Richard’s birth after 1747. In the document filed by the North Carolina States Archives as the “1775 Pitt County Tax List,” Capt. William Burney’s District includes #13: Richd. Albritton. Although the North Carolina State Archives designates it as a “tax list,” the original document contains the heading, “A List of the Inhabitants of Pitt County Taken by order of the Continental & Provincial Congress August 25th, 1775.” Instead of a tax list, this is the surviving census of this district, as ordered by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on 25 August 1775, and as recorded in the proceedings of the Pitt County Safety Committee the next month, directed by the chairman, Col. John Simpson (Saunders, Vol. X, pp. 255–256). The document shows that Richard Albritton was then a “White male of age,” which is difficult to interpret. His 1775 household includes an adult white couple and one young male slave. This suggests (but does not conclusively prove) that Richard had married by 1775. On 25 May 1774, Richard witnessed a deed in which his older brothers sold land. He had probably reached eighteen years of age by May 1774 to have witnessed a deed, putting his birth prior to about 1756. Taken together, these records suggest Richard was born between about 1747 and 1755.
3. ↑ Princess Anne County VA Deed Book 6, p. 325 (John Burfoot and James Albritton to John Bushby Sr., 6 November 1744; Eliza Albritton appeared in court to relinquish her dower rights on November 7th). Beaufort County NC Deed Book 3, p. 63 (James and Amy “Alberton” to John Wichard, 20 November 1750). These two documents provide the only information we know regarding Eliza Albritton’s death and James’ remarriage to Amy: Eliza was still alive on 7 November 1744, and by 20 November 1750, she had died, and James had remarried to Amy.
4. ↑ Secretary of State Records, State Archives of North Carolina. SSXVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists, Box 2, 1775 Pitt County NC Tax List, Capt. William Burney’s District, #13: Richd. Albritton. As described above, this actually a census of the district and not a literal tax list. The document gives the composition of Richard Albritton’s household. While we cannot say with absolutely certainty that the adult female in the household is Richard’s wife, this is likely.
5. ↑ Saunders, William L., ed. The Colonial Records of North Carolina. Raleigh, NC: Josephus Daniels, 1890, Vol. X, pp. 85-87,41-46,91,96-98,105-106,118-119,38,62-64,94-95,221.
6. ↑ Saunders, Vol. X, pp. 61–63.
7. ↑ North Carolina Revolutionary War Pay Vouchers, 1779–1782. LDS Film #004320121, Images #410–411 (“Richard Albriton” of Pitt County, due “the Sum of Two pounds two Shillings for Militia Duty,” dated 10 December 1783.
8. ↑ Clark, Walter, ed. The State Records of North Carolina. Vol. XXII., Goldsboro, NC: Nash Brothers, 1907, pp. 411–416. Secretary of State Records, State Archives of North Carolina. SSXVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists, Box 2, 1775 Pitt County NC Tax List. The reference given for Richard Albritton’s military service is Clark, p. 415, which is a list titled merely, “A List of Capt. William Burney’s Company.” The document is undated, and no location or context is mentioned. The preceding pages give militia officers from Cumberland County (pp. 411–413) and a list of broken firearms from the Dobbs County militia (pp. 413–414), while the page afterwards, p. 416, gives the pay roll of the Orange County Militia. These three lists clearly state that those militia units served in the War of the Regulation, 1770–1771. On the other hand, p. 415 gives no context whatsoever, and the next to the last name on the list is “Margaret Tanner,” a female, and women did not openly serve in militia units in Colonial America. A comparison of Clark, p. 415 (the Capt. William Burney list) with the document filed in the North Carolina States Archives filed under “Pitt County 1775 Tax List,” “A list of all of Capt. William Burney’s Company,” reveals they are identical. The document is neither a militia list nor a tax list, but rather it is the surviving census of this district, as ordered by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on 25 August 1775, and as recorded in the proceedings of the Pitt County Safety Committee the next month, directed by the chairman, Col. John Simpson (Saunders, William L., ed. The Colonial Records of North Carolina. 10 vols. Raleigh, NC: Josephus Daniels, 1890, Vol. X, pp. 255–256). Only a few districts in Pitt have this 1775 census, and the list for Capt. Lanier’s District is titled, “A List of the Inhabitants of Pitt County Taken by order of the Continental & Provincial Congress August 25th: 1775.” The back of Capt. William Burney’s list reads, “Capt. Willm. Burney List of Inhabitants, 1775,” while the front heading is “A list of all of Capt. William Burney’s Company.” This list contains the names of Richard Albritton, Thomas Albritton, and of John Robinson, who married their father’s widow, Amy Albritton Robinson; it also gives the numbers of males and females, both white and black in their households. While we have documentation that Richard Albritton served in the North Carolina Militia, the reference to Capt. William Burney’s Company does not refer to a military unit.
9. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book F, pp. 75–77 (Thomas, James, Peter, and Matthew Albritton to George Albritton, 25 May 1774; witnessed by Robert Salter, Richard Albritton, and John Simpson).
10. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book F, p. 208 (Richard Albritton to Nehemiah Tuten, 18 November 1776; witness: Peter Albritton). The deed states that the land Richard Albritton sold to Nehemiah Tuten was “Granted to me by pattent [sic] bearing date April 28: 1768.” If correct, to have received a land grant in April 1768, Richard Albritton must have been born no later than 1748. However, North Carolina land grants are completely intact, and there is no record of any land grant in North Carolina to Richard Albritton other than his 1784 grant. In fact, the only land grant issued in Pitt County on 28 April 1768 was to John Simpson, who received 400 acres of land “On both sides of Taylors Swamp,” land that Simpson sold to James Albritton in 1769 (North Carolina Grant Book 23, p. 211, Grant #149, File #194). The mistake given in the 1776 deed can be seen in the land description given when Nehemiah Tuten sells this 100-acre tract in February 1788 (Pitt County NC Deed Book M, pp. 188–189, Nehemiah Tuten to Nesby Mills Sr.). That document describes the land as “Granted to John Simpson Patent bearing date April 28, 1768 and by him sold to James Albritton.” This shows that Richard Albritton obtained the 100 acres from his father, presumably bequeathed to him in his father’s will like several other tracts of land. The mistake by the Pitt County clerk who recorded this document caused other researchers to mistakenly state that Richard Albritton received a land grant on 28 April 1768 (see Lomas, Fran Wylie. Book of Albrittons: 1609–1979. San Angelo, TX, 1979, p. 209).
11. ↑ North Carolina Grant Book 57, p. 291, Entry #621, Grant #573, Folder #793 (Richard Albritton, entered 18 February 1780, surveyed 22 May 1783, granted 6 November 1784). Chain carriers: William Brooks, Henry “Albritain.”
12. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book H, p. 140 (Henry Albritton to Joshua Martin, 20 April 1781; witness: Richard Albritton).
13. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 72–73 (Ephraim Moss to Richard “Albritain,” 28 January 1783).
14. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 97–98 (John Albritton to Henry Albritton, 7 April 1783; witnesses: Richard Albritton, Joseph Smith).
15. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 172–173 (John Morse to Richard “Albrittain,” 18 August 1783; witnesses: Henry “Albrittain,” Matthew “Albrittain”). Henry Albritton is undoubtedly Richard’s younger brother, but the identity of the Matthew Albritton who witnessed is less clear. He could conceivably be Richard’s older brother, Matthew, but there is no indication that he ever returned to Pitt from Onslow County prior to his death. Moreover, the Matthew Albritton who witnessed this transaction made his mark to it rather than signing. Richard’s brother was literate and signed his name to all known transactions made during his lifetime. This man is probably Richard’s nephew, the son of his eldest brother, Thomas Albritton. The younger Matthew served as a soldier fighting for the Patriots during the Revolutionary War and is known to have been illiterate. For more documentation, see the information on Thomas Albritton’s children.
16. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 212–213 (Richard “Albrittain” to John “Albrittain,” 27 January 1784).
17. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 253–255 (Richard Albritton to Joshua Kemp, 18 March 1784). This deed places Richard Albritton in Pitt County on 18 March 1784. It is possible that his nephew, John, had already left for Georgia, but he may have remained in Pitt and then travelled to Georgia together with Richard.
18. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Images #42–44 (John “Albriton,” Effingham County, 200 acres, 6 September 1784); Images 55–56 (“Richd. Alberton” and “Richard Albritton,” Effingham County, 200 acres, 6 September 1784). On this date, both Richard and John Albritton appeared before the Justices of the Effingham County Court to secure a warrant that ordered a survey for a land grant for them.
19. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book K, p. 92, Grant #573 (North Carolina to Richard Albritton, surveyed 22 May 1783, granted 6 November 1784).
20. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book L, p. 6 (Richard Albritton to Joshua Kemp, 26 October 1785; witnessed by Peter and James Albritton).
21. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Image 56 (“Richard Albrittin, 200 Acres; Executed the 1st Day of Novr 1784; Wm Clifton”). Georgia Archives, Headright and Lottery Loose Plat File, Georgia Surveyor General, RG 3-3-26, Headright and Bounty Plats Digital Collection, Vol. B, p. 189, #561 (Richard Albritton Platt, 200 acres, Effingham County).
22. ↑ Georgia Land Grant Book FFF, p. 449 (State of Georgia to Richard “Allbritton,” 200 acres, 1785). Effingham County GA Deed and Mortgage Record Book C-D, pp. 5–6 (Richard Albritton to Wharton Vaughter, 26 December 1792). The 1792 deed states that the State of Georgia granted the land to Richard Albritton on 15 January 1785.
23. ↑ Screven County GA Deed Book A, Part 1, p. 8 (Richard Albritton mark and brand, 26 August 1794).
24. ↑ Georgia Archives, Headright and Lottery Loose Plat File, Georgia Surveyor General, RG 3-3-26, Headright and Bounty Plats Digital Collection, Vol. L, p. 84, #162 (Richard Albritton Platt, 200 acres, Burke County, 1787).
25. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1788–1789, Vol. QQQ, p. 276 (Richard “Albritain,” 200 acres in Burke County, 5 August 1788).
26. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Images 51–52 (Richard Albritton, Effingham County, 100 acres, 30 October 1792, surveyed 4 July 1793).
27. ↑ Georgia Archives, Headright and Lottery Loose Plat File, Georgia Surveyor General, RG 3-3-26, Headright and Bounty Plats Digital Collection, Vol. S, p. 277, #966 (Richard Albritton Platt, 100 acres, Effingham County, 1793).
28. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1793, Vol. BBBB, p. 350 (Richard Albritton, 100 acres in Effingham County, 16 November 1793).
29. ↑ ffingham County GA Deeds & Mortgages Book C–D, pp. 5–6 (Richard Albritton to Wharton Vaughter, 26 December 1792).
30. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Images 53–54 (Richard “Allbritton,” Screven County, 500 acres, warrant dated 3 February 1794, surveyed 12 May 1794).
31. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1796–1797, Vol. ZZZZ, p. 156 (Richard Albritton, 500 acres in Screven County, 16 January 1797).
32. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, p. 144 (Lewis and Charity Moore to Richard Albritton, 7 February 1796; witnesses: “Poly Albritton,” Samuel Thornton, “Neomy Thornton”).
33. ↑ Bulloch County GA Marriages, Wills, Appraisements, Etc. 1795–1807, pp. 8, 87. In 1807, Richard Albritton Sr. purchased land that adjoined Elisha Banks, Sarah Banks, and Samuel Scarborough (Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, pp. 146–147). Scarborough appraised the estate of Elisha F. Banks on 17 February 1796.
34. ↑ Lomas, Fran Wylie. Book of Albrittons: 1609–1979. San Angelo, TX, 1979, p. 209. Beginning in the latter 1790s, one must exercise caution in determining whether records in the region are for Richard Albritton Sr. or his namesake great-nephew, the son of John Albritton. The younger Richard Albritton reached adulthood by about 1798 or 1799. Although uncle and nephew, Richard Sr. and John Albritton were contemporaries, as John’s father, Richard’s older brother, Thomas Albritton, was considerably older than Richard. In fact, John’s birth may have occurred a few years earlier than Richard’s. The pair moved their families to Georgia together and initially settled near each other in Effingham County. By the latter 1790s, either by a move or county line change, John primarily resided in Bulloch County, whereas Richard’s lands land in Effingham, Bulloch, and Screven Counties. The elder Richard Albritton’s own namesake son was only born in 1793, and so he remained a minor until after the family’s removal to Louisiana. Hereafter, we refer to the elder Richard as “Richard Albritton Sr.”
35. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1797–1799, Vol. AAAAA, p. 699 (Richard Albritton, 100 acres in Bulloch County, 26 September 1798). The grant described Albritton’s land as bounded on the northwest by “Lanes land,” northeast by Albritton’s land, and to the southwest by “Scharboroughs land.” Although the land descriptions do not give precise descriptions of the tract, these are the same adjoining landowners as the land Richard Albritton Sr. purchased a few years later (see deeds in 1806 and 1807 below).
36. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, pp. 144–145 (John Lanier to Richard Albritton, 12 December 1798). John’s son, Richard Albritton, was born between 1775 and 1780, and this is the first known record of the younger Richard’s participation in a legal transaction.
37. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book A, p. 54b (Richard Albritton to John Richardson, 16 December 1801; witnesses: James Albritton; Lany Albritton). In the 1801 transaction, James Albritton, son of Richard Albritton, proved the deed, stating he and “Lany…his wife” witnessed the transaction. James Albritton had married Lany Kent the previous month, on 11 November 1801 (Bulloch County GA Marriages, Inventories, Wills, Appraisements 1795–1807, p. 25).
38. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Images 49–50 (Richard Albritton, Effingham County, warrant dated 3 October 1803 for 200 acres, surveyed 1 November 1804 at 157 acres). The Effingham County justices issued the warrant “in lieu of an old warrant from Bullock County adj. Owens in the Whooping Islands – on his own head rights.”
39. ↑ Georgia Archives, Headright and Lottery Loose Plat File, Georgia Surveyor General, RG 3-3-26, Headright and Bounty Plats Digital Collection, Vol. II, p. 100, #371 (Richard Albritton Plat, 157 acres, Effingham County, surveyed 1 November 1804, advanced 12 January 1805). County Surveyor John Moore listed the sworn chain carriers as “Reddick Sibley” and “Richd. Albritton.” A man did not serve as a chain carrier for his own grant, so the chain carrier was a different Richard. As the elder Richard Albritton maintained a close relationship with his nephew, John Albritton, his contemporary, and his children, the man who assisted the surveyor in preparing the survey as chain carrier was most likely John’s son, Richard Albritton, born between 1775 and 1780 in Pitt County North Carolina. Reddick Sibley was the son-in-law of Richard Albritton Sr.
40. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1805–1807, Vol. FFFFF, p. 576 (Richard Albritton, 157 acres in Effingham County, not dated). The grant described Albritton’s land as bounded on the southeast by Chatham County and on the southwest by lands of Richard Sibley. Richard Sibley is unidentified, and since Reddick Sibley served as a chain carrier for the man who surveyed the tract, the person recording the land description probably wrote Sibley’s given name incorrectly. The bottom portion of the original grant, including the blanks that give the precise date on which Georgia’s Governor signed the grant, were left blank.
41. ↑ Graham, Paul K. 1805 Georgia Land Lottery: Persons Entitled to Draws. Decatur, GA: The Genealogy Company, 2005, p. 4.
42. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, p. 146 (William Irwin to Richard Albritton, 9 February 1806; witnesses: “Richard Albritton Junr,” Sally Albritton [her mark]).
43. ↑ Bulloch County GA Marriages, Inventories, Appraisements, Etc. 1795–1807, p. 26. Richard Albritton obtained a license to marry “Marget Kent” on 17 February 1802. Sally Albritton was not the wife of the younger Richard, as his wife, Margaret Kent Albritton, was still alive in 1807. Sally’s identity is unknown.
44. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, pp. 146–147 (William Richardson to “Richard Albritton Senr,” 12 January 1807).
45. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1805–1809, Vol. GGGGG, p. 294 (Richard Albritton, 175 acres in Bulloch County, 13 May 1808). The grant described Albritton’s land as bounded on the northwest by Richard Albritton’s own land, southwest by William Irwin’s land, east “by land of said Albritton Surveyed for John Lanier,” and on the southeast by the Great Ogeechee River. These adjoining landowners verify that this grant was to Richard Albritton Sr. and not to his namesake great-nephew.
46. ↑ "The Republican; and Savannah Evening Ledger" (Savannah, GA), November 22 (p. 3, column 4) and 24 (p. 4, column 1), and December 13 (p. 3, column 4), 1808.
47. ↑ There is no known record of Richard Albritton selling his plantation in either Effingham, Screven, or Bulloch Counties. In addition, there is no known record of his advertising his plantation for sale in 1809. Presumably, he found a buyer in early 1809 and then emigrated from Georgia. On 11 August 1810, Richard’s son-in-law, Reddick Sibley, was listed as a tax defaulter in Bulloch County, having not paid his taxes in one of 1807, 1808, or 1809. Since Richard’s extended family presumably travelled across the Creek Nation together, this suggests they made the trek in 1809 (“The Republican; and Savannah Evening Ledger,” 11 August 1810, p. 3, column 4). Incidentally, Richard Albritton himself was not listed as a defaulter, but his nephew, Richard Albritton Jr., was. The younger Richard probably left about the same time as his uncle, but he moved with his father, John Albritton, and brothers to Laurens County Georgia.
48. ↑ American State Papers 030. Public Lands, Vol. 3. Publication No. 234. Land Claims East and West of Pearl River, 5 January 1816, p. 69. “Richard Albritain, Sen.” had a claim in October 1810 “by settlement,” whereas “John Albritain” had a claim also in October 1810 “by purchase.”
49. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 122–123 (Richard Albritton to John Albritton, 29 March 1816). The record stated that Richard Albritton sold John “all right, claim and interest in improvement on river Amite, sd. Improvement begun & claimed by sd. Richard” on 1 November 1810.
50. ↑ Ebenezer Baptist Church Minutes (1807–1907), Amite County Mississippi, Conference of 4 May 1811.
51. ↑ United States Congressional Records. Records of the 45th Congress, 3d Session, Senate Mis. Doc. No. 81. Reports of the Committees on Private Land Claims of the Senate and House of Representatives. Serial Set Vol. No. 1836, Part I, pp. 359–360: Richard Albritton. American State Papers 030. Public Lands, Vol. 3. Publication No. 321. Land Claims West of Pearl River, 12 May 1820, pp. 437, 440–441. United States Tract Book, District of Greensburg, Township 5 South, Range 3 East, Section #39 for 640.94 acres to “Richard Albritton Sr.,” A499, Vol. 3, Cooley 1813, #393, Confirmed by Act of Congress 3 Mar 1819.
52. ↑ United States Congressional Records. Records of the 46th Congress, 3d Session, Senate Mis. Doc. No. 14. List of Private Claims Brought Before the Senate of the United States. Serial Set Vol. No. 1945, p. 18. United States Patent #45873, P.L.C. Docket #23, Certificate #491, Richard Albritton Sr., 640.94 acres, 8 February 1909. On 6 August 1856, the Senate approved a bill to grant permission to issue Richard Albritton land “in lieu of land disposed of by the United States.” It is unclear if this were later overturned, for it appears the Government issued Albritton a patent for the land on which he originally settled in 1909.
53. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book B, p. 452 (James Albritton declaration, 27 July 1827); Conveyance Book B, pp. 452–453 (David Measell declaration, 21 August 1827). James Albritton makes affidavit in East Feliciana Parish stating he was present at the partition of the estate of Richard Albritton Sr. as one of the heirs, and at a prior family meeting they decided that the land claim of Richard Albritton Sr. would pass to his son, John Albritton, even though Richard Albritton Jr. then lived on his father’s land. David Measell of Washington Parish made a similar declaration, that he was present at the family meeting to divide the property of Richard Albritton Sr. Measell stated that he heard Richard Albritton Sr., John Albritton, and Richard Albritton Jr. agree that in the settlement, John would receive the land claim, and that according to Measell, the heirs of John Albritton, dec’d. owned the land, as all involved agreed to the partition.
54. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 122–123 (Richard Albritton to John Albritton, 29 March 1816).
55. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 123–124 (Richard Albritton to Robert Sibley, 29 March 1816).
56. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, p. 124 (Richard Albritton Sr. to Richard Albritton Jr., 29 March 1816).
57. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Succession File A-2, Richard Albritton, 1816.
58. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 266–267 (David Miosels, Robert Sibley, John Albritton, Reddick Sibley, Richard Albritton, Laban Kent, and John Richardson to James Albritton, 6 October 1817).
59. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 266–268 (David Miosels, Robert Sibley, John Albritton, Reddick Sibley, Richard Albritton, Laban Kent, and John Richardson to James Albritton, 6 October 1817).
60. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book C, p. 39 (David Mizell, John Albritton, Richard Albritton, Labon Kent, John Richardson, Robert Sibley, Reddick Sibley, and James Albritton, heirs of Richard Albritton Sr. receipt of his estate, 14 January 1819).
61. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book C, p. 59 (William Allen to Robert Sibley, 14 October 1819). Allen sells to Robert Sibley for $85.50 his interest in improvements on the east side of the Amite River, adjoining the improvements of Reddick Sibley and Richard Albritton, and the improvement of “the heirs of John Albritton.”
62. ↑ Lomas, Fran Wylie. Book of Albrittons: 1609–1979. San Angelo, TX, 1979, p. 210. Albritton, Bobby G. Albrittons of the Second Millennium, Revised ed. Alpharetta, GA: Balbritt, 2004, pp. 44–46.
63. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, p. 144 (Lewis and Charity Moore to Richard Albritton, 7 February 1796).
64. ↑ East Feliciana Parish LA Probate Records, James Albritton Estate, Files #7–12. James Albritton, son of Richard Albritton Sr., moved to what became East Feliciana Parish, where he and his wife, Delaney Kent Albritton, died in 1832 or early 1833. Records in his probate file there do show a petition by James Jackson Albritton born on 8 February 1814, who was a minor son of Richard Albritton. This Richard had died prior to September 1829, and the court had appointed Labon Kent as his tutor (File #12, Documents #2–5). Other papers refer to Richard Albritton, son of James and Delaney Albritton, who married Margaret and had one daughter, Amanda Amelia Albritton (File #12, Documents #1, 6–14). While Labon Kent is indeed a son-in-law of Richard Albritton Sr., this does not necessarily prove that the elderly man fathered James Jackson Albritton. On 2 September 1829, James Jackson Albritton petitioned the East Feliciana Parish Court that he “is entitled to his part of his father’s estate from James Albritton of East Feliciana Parish,” and asks the court to appoint curators to collection his property due (File #12, Document #5). We know that Richard Albritton Jr. lived until the 1870s, so he was not the father of James Jackson Albritton. Still, it is unclear that if the Richard Albritton who fathered James Jackson Albritton were Richard Sr., why would James Jackson Albritton be demanding property only from James Albritton of East Feliciana Parish?

Richard was born in 1747. He passed away in 1817.

Richard Albritton was an American Revolutionary War Patriot. His Will was dated 20 March 1816 and probated 13 Sept. 1817, in Mt. Pelier, St. Helena Louisiana so it is assumed for memorial purposes that he died there.

July 1, 1775- Richard Albritton, Patroller and Committee of Safety, Pitt County, North Carolina. Reference Colonial Records, North Carolina, Book 10, pp. 62-63.

Richard Albritton was married in 1776 to Mary Hart, born 25 Dec 1759 in NC. She was the mother of all of his children, with exception of illegitimate child born in 1815. Mary Hart Albritton died in 1804 in Bulloch County, Georgia.

1785- Richard sells last of his Pitt County, North Carolina land to Joshua Kemp. Jan. 15, 1785- Richard receives a 200 acre land grant from the State of Georgia in Effingham County. 1790- Sold his Georgia land grant to nephew, John Albritton. 1793- received land grant of 100 acres in Effingham County, Georgia. 1795- Richard Albritton is a Justice of the Peace in Scriven County, Georgia. 1796- Richard Albritton, Esquire, is the Administrator on the estate of Elisha Banks. Reference Court Records, Bulloch County, Georgia. Feb. 10, 1797 to April 15, 1799- Richard Albritton was a Justice of the Peace in Bulloch County, Georgia. 1799- Richard Albritton took Oath of Allegiance. Wife Mary Hart Albritton died in 1804, in Bulloch County, GA. 1813- Louisiana Original Settlers Land Certificate 393 issued to Richard Albritton, SR.

Will of Richard Albritton dated 20 March 1816 Probated 13 Sept. 1817, Mt. Pelier, St. Helena Louisiana. Only his children with Mary Hart are named in his will. The child James Jackson Albritton-Brown born in 1815 was not acknowledged. This child did win a paternity suit and did move with Richard Albritton, Jr. to Mississippi, where he changed his name to Brown as an adult.

Richard Albritton, SR. remarried just prior to his death to widow Ann X. She is the Ann referred to as his wife in his will, and per 1820 census, she was same age as his adult children. Ann Albritton and her adult daughter disappeared after 1820 US Fed Census. James Jackson Brown was not in 1820 census with Ann Albritton. He was not mentioned in any of the settlement papers of estate of Richard Albritton, Sr.

Reference for marriage to Mary Hart: 1960 Research by Dr. E. Russ Williams (not a descendant) Research and Manuscript of Ottis Albritton, 1963, Vice President of Illinois Central Railroad, descendant and family historian.

Sources

1. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 253–255 (Richard Albritton to Joshua Kemp, 18 March 1784). Richard Albritton sold Kemp 150 acres of land that James Albritton Sr. had purchased from John Simpson on 4 March 1769, “and by my father’s last will and Testament Bequeathed unto me.”
2. ↑ 2. Secretary of State Records, State Archives of North Carolina. SSXVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists, Box 2, 1762, 1763, 1764, 1775 Pitt County NC Tax Lists. Pitt County NC Deed Book F, pp. 75–77 (Thomas, James, Peter, and Matthew Albritton to George Albritton, 25 May 1774; witnessed by Richard Albritton). Saunders, William L., ed. The Colonial Records of North Carolina. 10 vols. Raleigh, NC: Josephaus Daniels, 1890, Vol. VII, pp. 472, 487. The North Carolina Province assessed a poll tax on all white males “above sixteen years of age” through 1767 (see Saunders, p. 487). If taken literally, Richard’s absence from the 1764 Tax List implies that he had not yet reached seventeen years in 1764. This places Richard’s birth after 1747. In the document filed by the North Carolina States Archives as the “1775 Pitt County Tax List,” Capt. William Burney’s District includes #13: Richd. Albritton. Although the North Carolina State Archives designates it as a “tax list,” the original document contains the heading, “A List of the Inhabitants of Pitt County Taken by order of the Continental & Provincial Congress August 25th, 1775.” Instead of a tax list, this is the surviving census of this district, as ordered by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on 25 August 1775, and as recorded in the proceedings of the Pitt County Safety Committee the next month, directed by the chairman, Col. John Simpson (Saunders, Vol. X, pp. 255–256). The document shows that Richard Albritton was then a “White male of age,” which is difficult to interpret. His 1775 household includes an adult white couple and one young male slave. This suggests (but does not conclusively prove) that Richard had married by 1775. On 25 May 1774, Richard witnessed a deed in which his older brothers sold land. He had probably reached eighteen years of age by May 1774 to have witnessed a deed, putting his birth prior to about 1756. Taken together, these records suggest Richard was born between about 1747 and 1755.
3. ↑ Princess Anne County VA Deed Book 6, p. 325 (John Burfoot and James Albritton to John Bushby Sr., 6 November 1744; Eliza Albritton appeared in court to relinquish her dower rights on November 7th). Beaufort County NC Deed Book 3, p. 63 (James and Amy “Alberton” to John Wichard, 20 November 1750). These two documents provide the only information we know regarding Eliza Albritton’s death and James’ remarriage to Amy: Eliza was still alive on 7 November 1744, and by 20 November 1750, she had died, and James had remarried to Amy.
4. ↑ Secretary of State Records, State Archives of North Carolina. SSXVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists, Box 2, 1775 Pitt County NC Tax List, Capt. William Burney’s District, #13: Richd. Albritton. As described above, this actually a census of the district and not a literal tax list. The document gives the composition of Richard Albritton’s household. While we cannot say with absolutely certainty that the adult female in the household is Richard’s wife, this is likely.
5. ↑ Saunders, William L., ed. The Colonial Records of North Carolina. Raleigh, NC: Josephus Daniels, 1890, Vol. X, pp. 85-87,41-46,91,96-98,105-106,118-119,38,62-64,94-95,221.
6. ↑ Saunders, Vol. X, pp. 61–63.
7. ↑ North Carolina Revolutionary War Pay Vouchers, 1779–1782. LDS Film #004320121, Images #410–411 (“Richard Albriton” of Pitt County, due “the Sum of Two pounds two Shillings for Militia Duty,” dated 10 December 1783.
8. ↑ Clark, Walter, ed. The State Records of North Carolina. Vol. XXII., Goldsboro, NC: Nash Brothers, 1907, pp. 411–416. Secretary of State Records, State Archives of North Carolina. SSXVIII, Recordkeeping (Misc.): Tax Lists, Box 2, 1775 Pitt County NC Tax List. The reference given for Richard Albritton’s military service is Clark, p. 415, which is a list titled merely, “A List of Capt. William Burney’s Company.” The document is undated, and no location or context is mentioned. The preceding pages give militia officers from Cumberland County (pp. 411–413) and a list of broken firearms from the Dobbs County militia (pp. 413–414), while the page afterwards, p. 416, gives the pay roll of the Orange County Militia. These three lists clearly state that those militia units served in the War of the Regulation, 1770–1771. On the other hand, p. 415 gives no context whatsoever, and the next to the last name on the list is “Margaret Tanner,” a female, and women did not openly serve in militia units in Colonial America. A comparison of Clark, p. 415 (the Capt. William Burney list) with the document filed in the North Carolina States Archives filed under “Pitt County 1775 Tax List,” “A list of all of Capt. William Burney’s Company,” reveals they are identical. The document is neither a militia list nor a tax list, but rather it is the surviving census of this district, as ordered by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on 25 August 1775, and as recorded in the proceedings of the Pitt County Safety Committee the next month, directed by the chairman, Col. John Simpson (Saunders, William L., ed. The Colonial Records of North Carolina. 10 vols. Raleigh, NC: Josephus Daniels, 1890, Vol. X, pp. 255–256). Only a few districts in Pitt have this 1775 census, and the list for Capt. Lanier’s District is titled, “A List of the Inhabitants of Pitt County Taken by order of the Continental & Provincial Congress August 25th: 1775.” The back of Capt. William Burney’s list reads, “Capt. Willm. Burney List of Inhabitants, 1775,” while the front heading is “A list of all of Capt. William Burney’s Company.” This list contains the names of Richard Albritton, Thomas Albritton, and of John Robinson, who married their father’s widow, Amy Albritton Robinson; it also gives the numbers of males and females, both white and black in their households. While we have documentation that Richard Albritton served in the North Carolina Militia, the reference to Capt. William Burney’s Company does not refer to a military unit.
9. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book F, pp. 75–77 (Thomas, James, Peter, and Matthew Albritton to George Albritton, 25 May 1774; witnessed by Robert Salter, Richard Albritton, and John Simpson).
10. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book F, p. 208 (Richard Albritton to Nehemiah Tuten, 18 November 1776; witness: Peter Albritton). The deed states that the land Richard Albritton sold to Nehemiah Tuten was “Granted to me by pattent [sic] bearing date April 28: 1768.” If correct, to have received a land grant in April 1768, Richard Albritton must have been born no later than 1748. However, North Carolina land grants are completely intact, and there is no record of any land grant in North Carolina to Richard Albritton other than his 1784 grant. In fact, the only land grant issued in Pitt County on 28 April 1768 was to John Simpson, who received 400 acres of land “On both sides of Taylors Swamp,” land that Simpson sold to James Albritton in 1769 (North Carolina Grant Book 23, p. 211, Grant #149, File #194). The mistake given in the 1776 deed can be seen in the land description given when Nehemiah Tuten sells this 100-acre tract in February 1788 (Pitt County NC Deed Book M, pp. 188–189, Nehemiah Tuten to Nesby Mills Sr.). That document describes the land as “Granted to John Simpson Patent bearing date April 28, 1768 and by him sold to James Albritton.” This shows that Richard Albritton obtained the 100 acres from his father, presumably bequeathed to him in his father’s will like several other tracts of land. The mistake by the Pitt County clerk who recorded this document caused other researchers to mistakenly state that Richard Albritton received a land grant on 28 April 1768 (see Lomas, Fran Wylie. Book of Albrittons: 1609–1979. San Angelo, TX, 1979, p. 209).
11. ↑ North Carolina Grant Book 57, p. 291, Entry #621, Grant #573, Folder #793 (Richard Albritton, entered 18 February 1780, surveyed 22 May 1783, granted 6 November 1784). Chain carriers: William Brooks, Henry “Albritain.”
12. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book H, p. 140 (Henry Albritton to Joshua Martin, 20 April 1781; witness: Richard Albritton).
13. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 72–73 (Ephraim Moss to Richard “Albritain,” 28 January 1783).
14. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 97–98 (John Albritton to Henry Albritton, 7 April 1783; witnesses: Richard Albritton, Joseph Smith).
15. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 172–173 (John Morse to Richard “Albrittain,” 18 August 1783; witnesses: Henry “Albrittain,” Matthew “Albrittain”). Henry Albritton is undoubtedly Richard’s younger brother, but the identity of the Matthew Albritton who witnessed is less clear. He could conceivably be Richard’s older brother, Matthew, but there is no indication that he ever returned to Pitt from Onslow County prior to his death. Moreover, the Matthew Albritton who witnessed this transaction made his mark to it rather than signing. Richard’s brother was literate and signed his name to all known transactions made during his lifetime. This man is probably Richard’s nephew, the son of his eldest brother, Thomas Albritton. The younger Matthew served as a soldier fighting for the Patriots during the Revolutionary War and is known to have been illiterate. For more documentation, see the information on Thomas Albritton’s children.
16. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 212–213 (Richard “Albrittain” to John “Albrittain,” 27 January 1784).
17. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book I, pp. 253–255 (Richard Albritton to Joshua Kemp, 18 March 1784). This deed places Richard Albritton in Pitt County on 18 March 1784. It is possible that his nephew, John, had already left for Georgia, but he may have remained in Pitt and then travelled to Georgia together with Richard.
18. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Images #42–44 (John “Albriton,” Effingham County, 200 acres, 6 September 1784); Images 55–56 (“Richd. Alberton” and “Richard Albritton,” Effingham County, 200 acres, 6 September 1784). On this date, both Richard and John Albritton appeared before the Justices of the Effingham County Court to secure a warrant that ordered a survey for a land grant for them.
19. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book K, p. 92, Grant #573 (North Carolina to Richard Albritton, surveyed 22 May 1783, granted 6 November 1784).
20. ↑ Pitt County NC Deed Book L, p. 6 (Richard Albritton to Joshua Kemp, 26 October 1785; witnessed by Peter and James Albritton).
21. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Image 56 (“Richard Albrittin, 200 Acres; Executed the 1st Day of Novr 1784; Wm Clifton”). Georgia Archives, Headright and Lottery Loose Plat File, Georgia Surveyor General, RG 3-3-26, Headright and Bounty Plats Digital Collection, Vol. B, p. 189, #561 (Richard Albritton Platt, 200 acres, Effingham County).
22. ↑ Georgia Land Grant Book FFF, p. 449 (State of Georgia to Richard “Allbritton,” 200 acres, 1785). Effingham County GA Deed and Mortgage Record Book C-D, pp. 5–6 (Richard Albritton to Wharton Vaughter, 26 December 1792). The 1792 deed states that the State of Georgia granted the land to Richard Albritton on 15 January 1785.
23. ↑ Screven County GA Deed Book A, Part 1, p. 8 (Richard Albritton mark and brand, 26 August 1794).
24. ↑ Georgia Archives, Headright and Lottery Loose Plat File, Georgia Surveyor General, RG 3-3-26, Headright and Bounty Plats Digital Collection, Vol. L, p. 84, #162 (Richard Albritton Platt, 200 acres, Burke County, 1787).
25. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1788–1789, Vol. QQQ, p. 276 (Richard “Albritain,” 200 acres in Burke County, 5 August 1788).
26. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Images 51–52 (Richard Albritton, Effingham County, 100 acres, 30 October 1792, surveyed 4 July 1793).
27. ↑ Georgia Archives, Headright and Lottery Loose Plat File, Georgia Surveyor General, RG 3-3-26, Headright and Bounty Plats Digital Collection, Vol. S, p. 277, #966 (Richard Albritton Platt, 100 acres, Effingham County, 1793).
28. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1793, Vol. BBBB, p. 350 (Richard Albritton, 100 acres in Effingham County, 16 November 1793).
29. ↑ ffingham County GA Deeds & Mortgages Book C–D, pp. 5–6 (Richard Albritton to Wharton Vaughter, 26 December 1792).
30. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Images 53–54 (Richard “Allbritton,” Screven County, 500 acres, warrant dated 3 February 1794, surveyed 12 May 1794).
31. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1796–1797, Vol. ZZZZ, p. 156 (Richard Albritton, 500 acres in Screven County, 16 January 1797).
32. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, p. 144 (Lewis and Charity Moore to Richard Albritton, 7 February 1796; witnesses: “Poly Albritton,” Samuel Thornton, “Neomy Thornton”).
33. ↑ Bulloch County GA Marriages, Wills, Appraisements, Etc. 1795–1807, pp. 8, 87. In 1807, Richard Albritton Sr. purchased land that adjoined Elisha Banks, Sarah Banks, and Samuel Scarborough (Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, pp. 146–147). Scarborough appraised the estate of Elisha F. Banks on 17 February 1796.
34. ↑ Lomas, Fran Wylie. Book of Albrittons: 1609–1979. San Angelo, TX, 1979, p. 209. Beginning in the latter 1790s, one must exercise caution in determining whether records in the region are for Richard Albritton Sr. or his namesake great-nephew, the son of John Albritton. The younger Richard Albritton reached adulthood by about 1798 or 1799. Although uncle and nephew, Richard Sr. and John Albritton were contemporaries, as John’s father, Richard’s older brother, Thomas Albritton, was considerably older than Richard. In fact, John’s birth may have occurred a few years earlier than Richard’s. The pair moved their families to Georgia together and initially settled near each other in Effingham County. By the latter 1790s, either by a move or county line change, John primarily resided in Bulloch County, whereas Richard’s lands land in Effingham, Bulloch, and Screven Counties. The elder Richard Albritton’s own namesake son was only born in 1793, and so he remained a minor until after the family’s removal to Louisiana. Hereafter, we refer to the elder Richard as “Richard Albritton Sr.”
35. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1797–1799, Vol. AAAAA, p. 699 (Richard Albritton, 100 acres in Bulloch County, 26 September 1798). The grant described Albritton’s land as bounded on the northwest by “Lanes land,” northeast by Albritton’s land, and to the southwest by “Scharboroughs land.” Although the land descriptions do not give precise descriptions of the tract, these are the same adjoining landowners as the land Richard Albritton Sr. purchased a few years later (see deeds in 1806 and 1807 below).
36. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, pp. 144–145 (John Lanier to Richard Albritton, 12 December 1798). John’s son, Richard Albritton, was born between 1775 and 1780, and this is the first known record of the younger Richard’s participation in a legal transaction.
37. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book A, p. 54b (Richard Albritton to John Richardson, 16 December 1801; witnesses: James Albritton; Lany Albritton). In the 1801 transaction, James Albritton, son of Richard Albritton, proved the deed, stating he and “Lany…his wife” witnessed the transaction. James Albritton had married Lany Kent the previous month, on 11 November 1801 (Bulloch County GA Marriages, Inventories, Wills, Appraisements 1795–1807, p. 25).
38. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Documents, 1783–1909, LDS Film #005034305, Images 49–50 (Richard Albritton, Effingham County, warrant dated 3 October 1803 for 200 acres, surveyed 1 November 1804 at 157 acres). The Effingham County justices issued the warrant “in lieu of an old warrant from Bullock County adj. Owens in the Whooping Islands – on his own head rights.”
39. ↑ Georgia Archives, Headright and Lottery Loose Plat File, Georgia Surveyor General, RG 3-3-26, Headright and Bounty Plats Digital Collection, Vol. II, p. 100, #371 (Richard Albritton Plat, 157 acres, Effingham County, surveyed 1 November 1804, advanced 12 January 1805). County Surveyor John Moore listed the sworn chain carriers as “Reddick Sibley” and “Richd. Albritton.” A man did not serve as a chain carrier for his own grant, so the chain carrier was a different Richard. As the elder Richard Albritton maintained a close relationship with his nephew, John Albritton, his contemporary, and his children, the man who assisted the surveyor in preparing the survey as chain carrier was most likely John’s son, Richard Albritton, born between 1775 and 1780 in Pitt County North Carolina. Reddick Sibley was the son-in-law of Richard Albritton Sr.
40. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1805–1807, Vol. FFFFF, p. 576 (Richard Albritton, 157 acres in Effingham County, not dated). The grant described Albritton’s land as bounded on the southeast by Chatham County and on the southwest by lands of Richard Sibley. Richard Sibley is unidentified, and since Reddick Sibley served as a chain carrier for the man who surveyed the tract, the person recording the land description probably wrote Sibley’s given name incorrectly. The bottom portion of the original grant, including the blanks that give the precise date on which Georgia’s Governor signed the grant, were left blank.
41. ↑ Graham, Paul K. 1805 Georgia Land Lottery: Persons Entitled to Draws. Decatur, GA: The Genealogy Company, 2005, p. 4.
42. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, p. 146 (William Irwin to Richard Albritton, 9 February 1806; witnesses: “Richard Albritton Junr,” Sally Albritton [her mark]).
43. ↑ Bulloch County GA Marriages, Inventories, Appraisements, Etc. 1795–1807, p. 26. Richard Albritton obtained a license to marry “Marget Kent” on 17 February 1802. Sally Albritton was not the wife of the younger Richard, as his wife, Margaret Kent Albritton, was still alive in 1807. Sally’s identity is unknown.
44. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, pp. 146–147 (William Richardson to “Richard Albritton Senr,” 12 January 1807).
45. ↑ Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783–1909. Register of Grants 1805–1809, Vol. GGGGG, p. 294 (Richard Albritton, 175 acres in Bulloch County, 13 May 1808). The grant described Albritton’s land as bounded on the northwest by Richard Albritton’s own land, southwest by William Irwin’s land, east “by land of said Albritton Surveyed for John Lanier,” and on the southeast by the Great Ogeechee River. These adjoining landowners verify that this grant was to Richard Albritton Sr. and not to his namesake great-nephew.
46. ↑ "The Republican; and Savannah Evening Ledger" (Savannah, GA), November 22 (p. 3, column 4) and 24 (p. 4, column 1), and December 13 (p. 3, column 4), 1808.
47. ↑ There is no known record of Richard Albritton selling his plantation in either Effingham, Screven, or Bulloch Counties. In addition, there is no known record of his advertising his plantation for sale in 1809. Presumably, he found a buyer in early 1809 and then emigrated from Georgia. On 11 August 1810, Richard’s son-in-law, Reddick Sibley, was listed as a tax defaulter in Bulloch County, having not paid his taxes in one of 1807, 1808, or 1809. Since Richard’s extended family presumably travelled across the Creek Nation together, this suggests they made the trek in 1809 (“The Republican; and Savannah Evening Ledger,” 11 August 1810, p. 3, column 4). Incidentally, Richard Albritton himself was not listed as a defaulter, but his nephew, Richard Albritton Jr., was. The younger Richard probably left about the same time as his uncle, but he moved with his father, John Albritton, and brothers to Laurens County Georgia.
48. ↑ American State Papers 030. Public Lands, Vol. 3. Publication No. 234. Land Claims East and West of Pearl River, 5 January 1816, p. 69. “Richard Albritain, Sen.” had a claim in October 1810 “by settlement,” whereas “John Albritain” had a claim also in October 1810 “by purchase.”
49. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 122–123 (Richard Albritton to John Albritton, 29 March 1816). The record stated that Richard Albritton sold John “all right, claim and interest in improvement on river Amite, sd. Improvement begun & claimed by sd. Richard” on 1 November 1810.
50. ↑ Ebenezer Baptist Church Minutes (1807–1907), Amite County Mississippi, Conference of 4 May 1811.
51. ↑ United States Congressional Records. Records of the 45th Congress, 3d Session, Senate Mis. Doc. No. 81. Reports of the Committees on Private Land Claims of the Senate and House of Representatives. Serial Set Vol. No. 1836, Part I, pp. 359–360: Richard Albritton. American State Papers 030. Public Lands, Vol. 3. Publication No. 321. Land Claims West of Pearl River, 12 May 1820, pp. 437, 440–441. United States Tract Book, District of Greensburg, Township 5 South, Range 3 East, Section #39 for 640.94 acres to “Richard Albritton Sr.,” A499, Vol. 3, Cooley 1813, #393, Confirmed by Act of Congress 3 Mar 1819.
52. ↑ United States Congressional Records. Records of the 46th Congress, 3d Session, Senate Mis. Doc. No. 14. List of Private Claims Brought Before the Senate of the United States. Serial Set Vol. No. 1945, p. 18. United States Patent #45873, P.L.C. Docket #23, Certificate #491, Richard Albritton Sr., 640.94 acres, 8 February 1909. On 6 August 1856, the Senate approved a bill to grant permission to issue Richard Albritton land “in lieu of land disposed of by the United States.” It is unclear if this were later overturned, for it appears the Government issued Albritton a patent for the land on which he originally settled in 1909.
53. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book B, p. 452 (James Albritton declaration, 27 July 1827); Conveyance Book B, pp. 452–453 (David Measell declaration, 21 August 1827). James Albritton makes affidavit in East Feliciana Parish stating he was present at the partition of the estate of Richard Albritton Sr. as one of the heirs, and at a prior family meeting they decided that the land claim of Richard Albritton Sr. would pass to his son, John Albritton, even though Richard Albritton Jr. then lived on his father’s land. David Measell of Washington Parish made a similar declaration, that he was present at the family meeting to divide the property of Richard Albritton Sr. Measell stated that he heard Richard Albritton Sr., John Albritton, and Richard Albritton Jr. agree that in the settlement, John would receive the land claim, and that according to Measell, the heirs of John Albritton, dec’d. owned the land, as all involved agreed to the partition.
54. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 122–123 (Richard Albritton to John Albritton, 29 March 1816).
55. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 123–124 (Richard Albritton to Robert Sibley, 29 March 1816).
56. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, p. 124 (Richard Albritton Sr. to Richard Albritton Jr., 29 March 1816).
57. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Succession File A-2, Richard Albritton, 1816.
58. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 266–267 (David Miosels, Robert Sibley, John Albritton, Reddick Sibley, Richard Albritton, Laban Kent, and John Richardson to James Albritton, 6 October 1817).
59. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book A, pp. 266–268 (David Miosels, Robert Sibley, John Albritton, Reddick Sibley, Richard Albritton, Laban Kent, and John Richardson to James Albritton, 6 October 1817).
60. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book C, p. 39 (David Mizell, John Albritton, Richard Albritton, Labon Kent, John Richardson, Robert Sibley, Reddick Sibley, and James Albritton, heirs of Richard Albritton Sr. receipt of his estate, 14 January 1819).
61. ↑ St. Helena Parish LA Conveyance Book C, p. 59 (William Allen to Robert Sibley, 14 October 1819). Allen sells to Robert Sibley for $85.50 his interest in improvements on the east side of the Amite River, adjoining the improvements of Reddick Sibley and Richard Albritton, and the improvement of “the heirs of John Albritton.”
62. ↑ Lomas, Fran Wylie. Book of Albrittons: 1609–1979. San Angelo, TX, 1979, p. 210. Albritton, Bobby G. Albrittons of the Second Millennium, Revised ed. Alpharetta, GA: Balbritt, 2004, pp. 44–46.
63. ↑ Bulloch County GA Deed Book AA, p. 144 (Lewis and Charity Moore to Richard Albritton, 7 February 1796).
64. ↑ East Feliciana Parish LA Probate Records, James Albritton Estate, Files #7–12. James Albritton, son of Richard Albritton Sr., moved to what became East Feliciana Parish, where he and his wife, Delaney Kent Albritton, died in 1832 or early 1833. Records in his probate file there do show a petition by James Jackson Albritton born on 8 February 1814, who was a minor son of Richard Albritton. This Richard had died prior to September 1829, and the court had appointed Labon Kent as his tutor (File #12, Documents #2–5). Other papers refer to Richard Albritton, son of James and Delaney Albritton, who married Margaret and had one daughter, Amanda Amelia Albritton (File #12, Documents #1, 6–14). While Labon Kent is indeed a son-in-law of Richard Albritton Sr., this does not necessarily prove that the elderly man fathered James Jackson Albritton. On 2 September 1829, James Jackson Albritton petitioned the East Feliciana Parish Court that he “is entitled to his part of his father’s estate from James Albritton of East Feliciana Parish,” and asks the court to appoint curators to collection his property due (File #12, Document #5). We know that Richard Albritton Jr. lived until the 1870s, so he was not the father of James Jackson Albritton. Still, it is unclear that if the Richard Albritton who fathered James Jackson Albritton were Richard Sr., why would James Jackson Albritton be demanding property only from James Albritton of East Feliciana Parish?

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