Georgia   Biographies  John Wilkes

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Barbara Winge barbarawinge@yahoo.com

http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Georgia Table of Contents:

JOHN WILKES

Honorable John Wilkes, Alderman of London, was born
October, 1727.  On account of the publication of an
indelicate and licentious essay on woman, he was expelled
the House of Commons and outlawed.  He was, however, some
time after, elected from Middlesex, and his ardor for the
rights of the Colonies, in 1776-7, induced Georgia to
name a county after him.

Ref:  Sherwood, Adiel, A GAZETTEER OF THE STATE OF
GEORGIA, 1837. Printed by P. Force, Washington City, p.
312.

WILKES COUNTY, GEORGIA

Laid out in 1777.  Part set off to Elbert, 1790; part to
Warren, 1793; a part to Lincoln, 1796; part to Greene,
1802; parts to Taliaferro, 1825 and 1828.  Named after
John Wilkes, the great champion of American liberty.

WASHINGTON is the county town, 60 miles N. E. of
Milledgeville.  

Among the early settlers in this county were, S. Heard,
Wm. Downs, John King, Absalom Biddle, Benjamin Catching,
Henry Ware, George Walton, John Rutherford, H. Freeman,
John Torrence, William Moss, William Terrell, John
Wingfield, John George, Benjamin Taliaferro, Thomas
Wooten, Andrew Burns, John Cunningham, James Tate, Wm.
Moore, John Talbto, Walton Harris, Henry Monger, James
Marks, T. Ledbetter, B. Jordan, Josiah Cole, Jeremiah
Walker, Edward Jones, Wm. Stokes, James Shepard, Wm.
Pollard, Micajah Williamson.

[An account of the Battle of Kettle Creek is included in
this write-up.]

Ref:  White, Rev. George, M. A., HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
OF GEORGIA, 1854, Pudney & Russell, New York, pp. 681-
688.  [Reprinted 1968, Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA]



Note: Adiel Sherwood, A GAZETTEER OF THE STATE OF
GEORGIA, Washington City, Printed by P. Force, 1837,  pp.
255-256. APPENDIX:  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES "The author
conceived that a short biographical sketch of the
individuals after whom the several counties were named,
would furnish an instructive and pleasing appendage to
his topographical work... Acquainted with the intimate
friends of some of the 'venerable dead,' he has been
furnished with sufficient materials to enlarge on their
character... There are in the State ninety counties (book
printed in 1837, presently in 2001, there are 159
counties)..."


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