Grant to Thomas Reeves

The warrant and grant set out below is among six warrants contained in a folder at the Georgia Archives for Thomas Reeves. Given that the six warrants are in the same folder might suggest that it is the same Thomas Reeves; however, they do not appear to be. The Thomas Reeves of the 1784 grant is known to have died in 1787. The Thomas Reeves of Screven County is still unidentified while the Thomas "Reeves" of Jackson County is actually Thomas Rives.

The six warrants are:

        1784 Washington County (287½ acres September 1784)
        1808 Screven County (75 acres February 1808)
        1808 Screven County (1,000 acres September 1808)
        1809 Screven County (130 acres October 1809)
        1815 Jackson County (350 acres September 1815)
        1815 Jackson County (100 acres September 1815)

The warrants for counties other than Washington County can be found in entries made in those respective counties. The Certificate proving eligibility for the bounty land was made in Richmond County in 1784 suggesting Thomas Reeves lived in that county at the time.

Bounty Land in Washington County

Note: This land was apparently in that area that became part of Greene County. On March 21, 1798 Charles Moore of Hancock County sold to Robert Flournoy four tracts of land in Greene County, including a tract originally granted to Thomas Reeves on April 8, 1785. (Freda R. Turner, Greene County, Georgia, Land Records, Deeds 1785-1810, Wolfe Publishing, Fernandina Beach, FL, second printing (2002), p. 263.)

Transcriptions

Certificate

State Georgia
Richmond Co’ty

This is to Certify that Thomas Reeves has Stedfastly done his Duty from the passing an act of assembly to wit on 20th August 1781 Until the total Expulsion of the British from this State, and the Said Thomas Reeves Cannot to my Knowledge or Belief be Convicted of plundering the Country and is therefore under he same act Entitled to a Bounty of two Hundred acres of good land free from tax ten years:

Given under my Hand this 20 day of July 1784
B’n. Few Colo.
As per Certificate of Capt James Danely.

Petition

State of Georgia
To the Honourable
the Governour and the Members of Council, now sitting in Augusta for the Purpose of granting Lands in the two new Counties of Franklin and Washington.

The PETITION of Thos. Reeves a Citizen of the State aforesaid,

SHEWETH, THAT your Petitioner is entitled to Two Hundred and eighty seven & ½ Acres of Land as a Bounty for his Services, pursuant to the Certificate hereunto annexed: That your Petitioner is desirous of taking up the said Lands in the County of (left blank)

May it therefore please your Honourable board to grant your Petitioner Two Hundred and eight seven & ½ Acres of Land in the County of (blank) on the Right aforesaid, and on his complying with the Terms mentioned in the late Land Act; and your petitioner will pray.

Thos. Reeves


Warrant

Warrant
Thomas Reeves
287½ Acres

Washington County
No. 2989

Two thousand nine hundred and eighty nine

To Joseph Bannile(?) surveyor for the said county of Washington You are hereby authorized and required to admeasure and lay out, or cause to be admeasured and laid out unto Thomas Reeves, tract of Land which shall contain two hundred and eighty seven and half Acres, in the said County of Washington.

Taking especial care that the same has not been Laid out to any other person or persons and you are hereby also directed and required to record the Plat of the same in your office and transmit ac thereof, together with this Warrant, to the surveyor general within the term of three months from this date given under my hand this thirteenth Day of September 1784.

J. Houston(?)


Grant

State of Georgia

By the Honorable Samuel Elbert Esquire, Captain General, Governor and Commander in and over the sad State.

To all to whom these Presents shall come, GREETINGS:

KNOW YE, That in Pursuance of the At for opening the Land Office, and by virtue of the Powers in me vested, I HAVE, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Honorable the Executive Council given and granted, and by these Presents, in the Name and Behalf of the said State, DO give and grant unto Thomas Reaves his Heirs and Assigns forever, ALL that Tract or Parcel of Land, containing Two hundred and eighty seven and a half Acres, situate, lying, and being, in the County of Washington in the said State, butting and bounding North by Jacks land, South by Hails(?) land, and East by Stirks land, and West by Vacant land,

(on Bounty)

having such Shape, Form, and Marks as appear by a Plat of the same hereunto annexed; together with all and singular the Rights, Members, and appurtenances thereof, whatsoever, to the said Tract or Parcel of Land belonging, or in any wise appertaining; and also all the Estate, Right, Title, Interest, Claim and Demand, of the State aforesaid, of, in, to, or out of the same: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said Tract or Parcel of Land, and all and singular the Premises aforesaid, with their and every of their Rights, Members, and appurtenances, unto the said Thomas Reaves his Heirs and Assigns, to his and their own proper Use and Behoof forever, in Fee-Simple.

GIVEN under my Hand in Council, and the Great Seal of the said State, this Eighth Day of April in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Severn Hundred and Eighty-Five and in the Ninth Year of American Independence.

Signed by His Honor the Governor in Council the 8th Day of April 1785.
G. Handley C.C.

Registered 22nd April 1785

Source

Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783-1809 Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-26299-7213-33?cc=1914217&wc=MMYG-GZ2:n1418440277
Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783-1809, Register of Grants, 1785, Vol. GGG, p. 429, Family Search, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-18446-5449-53?cc=1914217&wc=MMYG-GDP:n362898748
RG-SG-S 003-04-005, Doc. 4132, Unbound Headright & Bounty Documents, Georgia Archives.