Brooks-Thomas-Colquitt County GaArchives Biographies.....Livingston, Thomas John 1828 - 1903 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 20, 2004, 9:59 am Author: William Harden p. 830-831 CAPT. THOMAS JOHN LIVINGSTON. A South Carolinian who for many years was prominent in the public life of the state of Georgia, the late Capt. T. J. Livingston was born at Abbeville, South Carolina, on the 25th of February, 1828, and was a son of Thomas and Margaret (Fraser) Livingston. The first of the name to come to America was Robert Livingston, who settled in New York and lived there the rest of his life. He married Alida Schuyler. He was known as first lord of Livingston Manor. From him the line of descent is through the following: His youngest son Gilbert who married Cornelia Beekman was born in 1690 and died in 1746; was registrar of the colonial court of chancery, 1720; county clerk of Ulster county, 1722; member of the assembly for the manor, 1728-1737, and lieutenant colonel of the provincial militia. Cornelius, son of Gilbert, married a Taliaferro, and both died in Virginia, Their son Thomas was twice married, his wives being sisters, Mary and Nancy Childs, of Virginia. He was a private in Company Eight of Virginia, under Capt. Thomas Tebbs, April, 1777, as shown by record of Revolutionary War by W. T. R. Saffell, page 275. Thomas, a son of Thomas, married Margaret Fraser, of Abbeville, South Carolina and they were the parents of the late Captain Livingston. Leaving South Carolina, they became pioneers of Madison county, Florida. For a number of years after their settlement the Indians were so troublesome that each community had its fort or block-house, to which the inhabitants fled on the first alarm. Thomas Livingston, the father, was a lawyer by profession, but spent most of his years as a planter, having a large number of slaves. He and his wife spent their last years on the plantation home near Madison. Thomas John Livingston, their son, was eight years old when the family moved to Florida, in which state he was reared and educated. He began his career as a farmer and was engaged in that occupation when the war between the states began. Raising a company for the Confederacy, he was made captain, and as a comrade wrote after his death, he performed his duty faithfully and with ability in every position he was placed. At the close of the war he entertained for a few days at his home Gen. J. C. Breckinridge, who was then trying to elude capture by his federal pursuers. Captain Livingston and Captain Tucker took this noted Confederate leader in a boat down the Suwanee river to the coast, whence he embarked for Cuba. After the war Captain Livingston engaged in merchandising at Quitman, Georgia, for a time, and then retired to his farm in the Grooverville district of Brooks county. During succeeding years he took a high stand as an influential and able leader in civic affairs. He was chosen state senator and represented the counties of Brooks, Thomas and Colquitt. During his youth he united with the Methodist church, and for a quarter of a century was superintendent of his local Sunday-school. He was faithful in his religion, making it a practical guide in his everyday life, was a just and upright man, and a splendid type of the old southern gentleman. His death occurred at his homestead in Brooks county on the 15th of February, 1903. Captain Livingston was twice married. Margaret S. Wyche, who became his first wife, was born at Madison, Florida, daughter of John Scott and Hannah Lawson (Maelntyre) Wyche. Her ancestry is interesting. Henry Wyche, founder of the family in America, was born in England and came to the colonies about 1679, settling in Surry county, Virginia, and is mentioned as one of the foot soldiers of Surry county, Virginia. His son George (II) lived in Surry county, and George's son Peter (III) lived in Brunswick county, Virginia. George (IV), son of Peter, married a Miss Scott and became a pioneer settler in Richmond county, Georgia. Batte (V), the next in line, married a Miss Jarrett. John S. (VI), son of Batte, married Hannah Lawson L. MacIntyre. The latter was a daughter of Archibald and Hannah (Lawson) MacIntyre, and a lineal descendant of Daniel MacIntyre, founder of that name in America (see MacIntyre sketch). Captain Livingston's first wife died at the age of thirty-five, and he later married Ellen Groover. The children of Captain and Margaret (Wyche) Livingston were: Margaret Fraser, who became the wife of the late Archibald T. MacIntyre, of Thomasville (see preceding sketch); Lula Lawson, who married William H. Mitchell and lives in Thomasville; Irvene Camillas, who married, first, T. J. Howard, and, second, T. L. Shofner, and lives in Dade City, Florida; Thomas John, who married Mary McCall and lives in Fitzgerald. The children of Captain Livingston's second marriage are: Donald Madison; Emily Josephine, wife of McCall Quarterman, of Lane Park, Florida; LeRoy Rushin; and Helen Lucile, wife of R. W. Adams, of Boston, Georgia. Additional Comments: From: A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA BY WILLIAM HARDEN VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY CHICAGO AND NEW YORK 1913 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/brooks/bios/gbs343livingst.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb