Emanuel County GaArchives Biographies.....Neal, James 1747 - 1806 ************************************************ 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: Royce Neal royceneal@yahoo.com September 5, 2024, 10:21 am Author: Royce Neal James Neal Family, 1747-1806, Neels Creek, Emanuel County, Georgia - by Royce Neal The James Neal family lived in Emanuel County, Georgia from its inception in 1812 until 1858 when the County boundaries changed and the 56th Militia District where they lived on Neels Creek in Emanuel County became Johnson County. Our first encounter with James Neal is a property transaction in what is now Columbia County, Georgia. In that transaction we find his wife's first name, Priscilla, "Peter Youngblood, Georgia Records Peter, Sr. of 96 Dist. SC grantee in colonial GA deed 1773 from James & Priscilla Neal of St. Paul's Parish, GA; Wit.: Jacob & Lewis Youngblood." The following was added by someone later someone as to where the location of this property might have been, "No location or acreage is given in this abstract, but this possibly contained the 200 acres on White Oak Creek in Richmond Co. (then St. Paul's Parish), that he deeded to sons, Abraham and George on 27 Nov. 1777." I found a White Oak Branch, a small creek in Columbia County just before state highway 221 on I-20 East. I wonder if that may have been originally Richmond County and then Columbia County. James and Priscilla Neal were my 5th great grandparents. James was born around 1748, he was a farmer and a Baptist. His children were Elias, Arthur, Amy, J. T., Britain and Monneyca/Monica who was born in 1773. James Neal Sr. was in Montgomery County, Georgia before Emanuel County was created at least by 1898 since Arthur and Thomas both sons of James Neal Sr. were on the 1898 jury and tax list there. James, Elias, Jonathan, Reuben, and Harmon Neal are on the 1805-06 tax rolls. James Neal Sr. died in Montgomery County in 1806 and lists all his children in his will including his daughter Monneyca's three children, Mitchell, Henry and Milley, "Original Last Will and Testament found Montgomery County, Georgia Courthouse. Officially Recorded during the 1990's by Lynne Paul Neal, etal. Will states recorded by Thomas Davis, Clerk January 27, 1806, however no record was found: Original Will date is September 23, 1803, Codicil attached July 31, 1805. Will lists all of James's Kids, to include his daughter (Monneyca) and her Kids "Mitchell, Henry, & Milley." It is assumed that Monneyca (Monica) was living at home based on the will stating "Unto my daughter, Monneyca, I give and bequeath a bed and bedclothes, the same that she occupies now as her own." Monneyca's son Mitchell had the last name of Neal. Mitchell Neal is listed in the 1830 Emanuel County, Census as Mitchell Niels. Mitchell married Elizabeth Riner in the late 1820s and died 12, December 1839 leaving Elizabeth with several children. Elizabeth was the daughter of Amos and Elizabeth Douglas Riner. Elizabeth Douglas was the daughter of Edward Douglas RS and the sister of William and John Douglas. William Douglas was my 3rd great grandfather. (1.) James Thomas Neal Jr. is listed in the 1820 Emanuel County, Census as Thomas Neel with his sister Monneyca and brother-in-law John Bird living next door to him in the 56th militia district on Neel's Creek South of Liberty Church Road. John and Monneyca were married in 1808 in Montgomery County. Thomas Neal is listed as over 45 years old, his son Daniel is listed between 16 to 26 years old and an older female between 26 to 45 years old, Thomas' wife is listed as over 45 years old. Other family members are also listed in this census, John Neel, Reubin Neel a surveyor, Elias Neel possibly the brother of Thomas Neal, Mary Ann (Polly) Thigpen Neal whose husband was Hezekiah Neal and a daughter of Travis Thigpen. Hezekiah may have been a son of Elias and Jonathan Neel a son of Elias. Elias and Jonathan later moved to Crawford County and are buried in the Old Shiloh Primitive Baptist Cemetery on Columbus Road in a field on a farm out of Macon, Georgia. It seems Thomas Neal, his wife and Daniel all died before the 1830 Emanuel census. In that census Daniel's wife is listed as Sarah Niel and is living in Thomas Neal's house with her son John Neal listed as 5 to 10 years old and her daughter Sarah Ann Neal listed as 0 to 5 years old. Daniel Neal died in 1827, Daniel Neal was my 3rd great grandfather. In the 1830 census William and James Johnson are living on either side of Sarah Neal, one of them is living in Monneyca and John Bird's house since they are no longer listed in the census. This Johnson family will remain the Neal neighbors until at least 1875 when Sarah Neal's granddaughter the last known family member to live there gets married. Sarah and Mitchell Neal are the only Neal's listed in the 1830 Emanuel County, Georgia Census. Sarah Neal remained single for around 10 years after her husband Daniel Neal's death. Noah Tison a neighbor was listed as guardian of John Neal in 1836 and Moses Thomas was listed as his guardian in 1837. Sometime before 1840 Sarah Ann married Moses Thomas. In the 1840 census, Moses Thomas is listed as the head of household with Sarah and her two children John and Sarah Ann living with them in the same Neal home site. Henry Hall is listed as living between James and William Johnson in this census, one house away from Moses and Sarah Thomas. Pamela Hall Forney of the Henry Hall family places James Johnson as the father of Henry Hall's wife Amelia. Pamela placed Henry Hall as the son of James hall. In 1835 Mitchell Neal was the guardian of James Hall's minor children, James Hall, J.J. Hall, John Hall, and Sarah Hall showing that the families had a close connection. According to DNA Henry Hall's male descendants have the same Y chromosome as the Neal family. Sarah's son John Niell as listed in the 1850 Emanuel County, Georgia Census, is my 2nd great grandfather he was born in 1821 in Emanuel County and married Martha Ann Douglas on 21, December 1848, Rev. William Norris performed the ceremony. Martha was born Martha Ann Rich in Emanuel County before 1827. Martha Ann was the illegitimate daughter of William Douglas and Zilpha Rich. Zilpha Rich was the daughter of Stephen Elliott born 1775 and Abiah Johns Rich. The first court of Emanuel County met in Stephen Rich's home. After the death of Zilpha Rich, William Douglas adopted his five children from their relationship in 1831, Lodoiska who married Eldred Swain, Martha Ann, Sarah, Tersia, and William Robert Rich. In the 1850 Emanuel County Census John and Martha Neal lived next to John's mother Sarah Thomas listed as 48 years old and is still living at the original Neal home site. John Neal's sister Sarah Ann married Manning Thomas on 24, October 1848, in Emanuel County. In the 1850 Washington County, Georgia Census they are living between James and Edward Brantley. In the 1860 Johnson County census, they are living in the old Neal home place on Neels Creek after Sarah Thomas Neal's death. John and Martha had moved down the road to the newly acquired property, 54 acres obtained on Neel's Creek in 1853. John is serving in the Militia in 1860 and on 11, July of 1861 he would join the Confederate Army. John served with Company F, 14th Georgia Infantry Regiment. He last appeared on the roll for this unit in October 1861. This may be the last appearance of John or Martha in any written records in Johnson County. Manning Thomas volunteered to fight in the Civil War and participated in the 7 days battles according to county records. His health was very poor and he was eventually released from service for "inability to perform the duties of a soldier" at Richmond, Va., June 23, 1862. Manning was a primitive Baptist preacher. Manning died in 1909 and he and Sarah Ann who died in 1898 are buried at Silver Leaf Cemetery, Laurens County, Georgia. John and Martha Ann Neal had five children in the 1860 Johnson County, Census, Martha Jane born, 1850, William Daniel born in 1852, Elizabeth born in 1854, Sarah born in 1857, and James T. probably Thomas born in 1859. John was listed as 39 years old and Martha Ann as 29. The first 4 children were born in Emanuel county. These children are all named after their ancestors, Martha Jane was named after her mother, William Daniel was named after Martha Ann's father and John Neal's father. Elizabeth was named after Martha Ann's stepmother. Sarah was named after John Neal's mother and James T. was probably named after his grandfather Thomas and his great-grandfather James. John and Martha Ann and their three youngest children, Elizabeth, Sarah and James T. disappeared from any records after the 1860 Johnson County, Georgia Census and John's release from the army in October of 1861. John's oldest daughter Martha Jane married Bennett Green Kight/Kite in 1875, the son of Henry Jasper Kight, 1823-1885 and Exie Matilda Rowell. Reverend Spencer Meeks pastor of Sardis Baptist Primitive Church performed the ceremony. Martha Jane was living in the old home site alone, listed as single, a farm laborer at 20 years old in the 1870 Johnson County, Census until her marriage at 25 years old. William Daniel Neal was my Great grandfather. He was born in Emanuel County, Georgia in 1852. He married Susan Emma Fennell on 14, November 1882, his cousin Rev. John Benjamin Thomas performed the ceremony. Susan Emma was the daughter of Nathan F. Fennell born 7, September 1836 and Catherine Temperance Donaldson born 17, December 1840, all of them are buried at Silver Leaf Primitive Baptist Cemetery, Laurens County, Georgia. Catherine was the daughter of John and Nancy Donaldson. William Daniel and Susan Emma Neal's children were, John Henry Neal 1882-1954, Zelphia Neal Miller 1883-1929, Viola Neal Curl 1886-?, Wilburn Walter Neal 1888- 1942, James Kelly Neal 1890-1978, Willie Aaron Neal 1891-1906, Mary Ocella Neal Curl 1893-1958, Cora A Neal 1897-1897, Vera Jane Neal Mims 1898-1971, Lena Lee Neal 1900-1978, Rebecca Neal Nelms 1904-1981, Hershel Leon Neal 1906-1974. William Daniel and Susan Emma made their home in Minter, Georgia in Laurens County. My grandfather was John Henry Neal who after coming of age moved to Neilly, Lumber City in Telfair County, Georgia and married Kate Cornelia Powell a daughter of Jasper Newton and Cornelia Studstill Powell. They are buried at Dodges Chapel Church Cemetery. My father was their son Robert Euris Neal Sr. Born 1907 in Neilly, and married Eula Maude Hamil born 1914, in Clay County, Alabama the daughter of Joseph Peter and Eliza Ann Young Hamil. Euris, Eula Maude and Eliza are all buried at Telfair Memorial Gardens, McRae, Georgia. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/emanuel/bios/neal95nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles/ File size: 11.1 Kb