Upson County GaArchives Photo Place.....Flewellen, Thomas House ************************************************ 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: Archie Colburn acolburn@tyler.net February 13, 2005, 7:43 pm Source: Personal collection Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/upson/photos/ph4467flewelle.jpg Image file size: 481.6 Kb UPSON COUNTY In reference to trying to identify the location of the house shown in the picture as the Thomas Flewellen house in Upson County, Ga. Francis Cary in her "memoirs" says "About 1830 Pa moved to what was called the Butte place a ½ mile from the Upson Camp Ground". Later she says "After moving to Thomaston six miles away he tented there". She also says that in 1834 there was a meteor shower while they were living "at the Butte place". In the "History of Upson County", pages 372 and 373, it says that on 16 Jan 1829 a deed was executed to Thomas Flewellen, et al, trustees conveying the W/2 of Lot 26, 10th Dist. for the Upson Camp Ground. It also says that in 1837, Thomas Flewellen, et al were trustees and the camp ground was about 7 miles east of Thomaston. Thomas Flewellen purchased Lots 80 & 81, District 10 (405 acres) on 25 Nov 1825. He purchased Lots 82 and 91, District 10 (405 acres) on 4 Aug 1834. He purchased 202.5 acres being Lot 90, District 10 on 27 Jun 1838. He retained this property until 5 Nov 1849. On 2 Oct 1849, Thomas Flewellen bought 1012.5 acres from the Estate of Kinchen P. Thweatt, being Lots 145, 146, 160, 161 and 162 of District 10. He acquired two adjacent Lots, 144 and 163, on 11 Jan 1853. He retained this land until 5 Jan 1854 at which time he sold all of it. On 17 Dec 1849, Thomas Flewellen had also acquired a tract of 460 acres, Lots 122, 136, 137 and 138, Section 16, which is south of Thomaston. These were sold on 9 Feb 1854. There were many other land transactions, but only these lots were held for any long period of time. The map of Upson County was originally on a scale of 45 chains = 1 inch, but was reduced to 77.14 chains = 1 inch. Each of the lots was 202.5 acres, which means they were 2970' x 2970'. Since one chain equals 66 feet, it looks like the Flewellen tracts would be about 3 miles from Thomaston at that time or maybe a little closer. There were also purchases and sales of lots in Thomaston. 1. Wm. F. Yonge to Thomas Flewellen, 22 Apr 1835, C-91, 38.875 acres SW part of Lot 216, Section 10, which is just north of Thomaston. 2. Daniel & Marra Walker to Thomas Flewellen, 30 Nov 1837, D-342, 21 acres, SE Lot 227, 10D 3. E. C. Turner to Thomas Flewellen, 27 Jan 1843, F-132, 29 acres, Lot 226, 10D. There are two letters written by Maria Flewellen, one dated 1 Apr 1851 and the other 3 Mar 1852, and these are the only ones written during the time they would have lived in Upson County. Both letters show at the top they were written in Thomaston. The first letter says "… tell your Pa we have two little Ponys he can ride to town every day…". The second letter says "…I have just returned from town, I went up yesterday to see Caroline…". These letters sound as though they live in the country, but in referring to the upcoming wedding of Eugenia on 27 Apr 1852, she refers to the house as being too small. The house in the picture certainly does not look too small. The "Early History of Upson County" contains an article on the Drake-Flewellen family and on page 906 it says Dr. Drake "boarded with Rev. Thomas Flewellyn, a local preacher and farmer, at the old Flewellyn home, which was later known as the Ben Lowe place, and still later owned by Dr. J. W. Suggs. While boarding there he met Mary Ann Flewellyn, of Culloden, Ga., who was attending school at Thomaston, and they were married April 3, 1839…". If this house were outside of Thomaston, it would have been on the land sold in 1849. There is an article on Dr. John W. Suggs in the Upson County book, but it doesn't mention where he lived. It does say that he moved to Thomaston after 1860. Both the census of 1870 and 1880 show Dr. Suggs lived in Thomaston. The Upson - Thomaston Sesquicentennial book (page 29) contains a picture of the John W. Suggs' house and says it was on the corner of Herbert and East Lee Streets. East Lee Street would be southeast of the courthouse. This is a small house and certainly not the one in the Flewellen picture. The first deed to Dr. Suggs was dated 22 Mar 1859 at H-447 and conveyed Lot 4, Rogers SD in 10D. The deed records show that Thomas Flewellen executed a deed to William Lowe dated 8 Oct 1849 at G-163 conveying 81 7/8 acres, Lots 22 and 24 in the town and part of Lots 216, 226 and 227, NW Square, 10D. There is a bond for title dated 31 Dec 1878 from E. H. Lowe, Trustee for wife and children to J. W. Suggs and a deed between the same parties dated 27 Dec 1879 at L-472 conveying 80 acres in North Thomaston. There is a deed dated 1 Dec 1904 from John W. Suggs to Mrs. A. M. Zorn at Z-82 conveying 95 acres being part of Lots 216, 217, 226 & 227, 10D. This was Arabella M. Zorn and she died about 1910. After her death, the property went to E. T. Nottingham. In a deed of trust dated 7 Dec 1912, the property was described as the "Old Suggs Place". The 1920 census showed Elliott T. and Carolyn Nottingham living at 401 N. Church Street. In summary, it looks like Thomas Flewellen moved to "the Butte place" about 1830, but between 1834 - 1838, he moved into Thomaston. It appears that he sold his large house in 1849 and moved to a smaller one. There were several conveyances to Thomas Flewellen about this time of lots in Thomaston, and as mentioned above, he bought the Kinchen Thweatt lands outside of town. Since he left Thomaston in 1854, the picture of the "Flewellen House" must have been taken after he left, possibly the same day as the picture taken of the Suggs family sitting on the steps. Additional Comments: Thomas Flewellen, 29 Mar 1799 - 13 Nov 1889. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/upson/photos/ph4467flewelle.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.4 Kb