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Jesse Stephens, Jr. was born in Burke County, Georgia to Jesse Stephens,Sr. and Elizabeth ???. Legal records of Laurens County, Georgia, indicate that Jesse Stephens,married Mary (Polly) Dykes on July 29, 1821. Their marriage was performedby Justice of Peace Thomas Mathers in Laurens County, Georgia. Around 1825, Jesse Stephens, Jr., moved his family to Gadsden County,Florida as the following land transactions will indicate. In the early1830's, there was a large migration of people to south Georgia andnorthwest Florida. Most of them came from the Carolinas and centralGeorgia. There was a depression in that area, cotton prices were very lowand large plantation owners were having problems keeping their land aswell as supporting slaves. It appears that many family members movedabout the same time. The boundaries for Gadsden County were set in 1823 by the FloridaTerritorial Legislature. It was named for James Gadsden who was theaide-de-camp to Andrew Jackson. Early settlers from Virginia, Marylandand the Carolinas came to the area. Many of the original settlers werewealthy slave owners and the county is still famous for its largeplantations and tobacco crop. The city of Quincy is the county seat. According to the Florida Militia Muster Rolls of the Seminole IndianWars, Jesse was listed as a Corporal on December 12, 1835. this fact isproven on File 05: 062-63. GADSDEN COUNTY, FLORIDA Jesse purchased land in 1827 and appears on the 1830 Census of GadsdenCounty, page 143. The Gadsden County, Florida Census of 1840, also showsJesse living in Gadsden County. However, in 1850, Jesse appears on the Decatur County, Georgia Census asfollows: Jesse Stephens, age 49, Farmer, born Georgia Mary, wife, age 46, b. S.C. Caroline, daughter, age 21, b. Fla. Amanda, daughter, age 18, b. Fla. Mary, daughter, age 16, b. Fla. Jacob, son, age 15, b. Fla. Julia, daughter, age 12, b. Fla. Amaziah, son, age 10, b. Fla. Jesse, son, age 8, b. Fla. Mahala, daughter, age 4, b. Fla. Thomas Fain, age 34 Martha Fain, age 16 Prior to 1850, census records only listed the head of household by name.The other occupants were classified by age category. The 1850 Census wasthe first to list all occupants by name. In 1850, Jesse's son Ebenezer was 26 years old and had married Mary(Polly) Elkins, thus he would not appear in Jesse's household at thattime. The boundary of Gadsden County, Florida and Decatur County, Georgia wasreally undetermined at that time and it is possible that Jesse couldappear on the Florida Census in 1840 and the Georgia Census in 1850 andhis residence have been in the same location. Shortly after 1850, Jessemoved his family to Jackson County, Florida. Jackson County was heavilypopulated with Dykes families at that time and it is possible that is thereason Jesse and his wife, Mary (Polly) Dykes moved to Jackson County,Florida. Jesse Stephens appears on the Jackson County, Florida Census in 1860.This Census shows: Jesse Stephens, age 58, Farmer, born Georgia Mary, wife, age 57, born South Carolina Jessee, son, age 18, born Florida Mahala, daughter, age 16, born Florida Jesse and Mary's other children had left his household by 1860. HH# 426 Stephens Jesse 59 M Farmer Ga. Mary 57 F S.C. Jesse 18 M Fla. Mahala 16 F HH# 427 Beaty Hugh W. 26 M Farmer Ala. Candice 23 F Fla. S. C. 2 F John R. 1 M Sims Samuel 17 M Laborer M 1) Land records in Florida, File # 870, dated January 16, 1827, show thatJesse Stephens purchased land in Quincy, Gadsden County, Florida, W 1/2NE 1/4 Sect. 8, TP 3, R 2, north and west. 2) Land records in Florida, File # 3208, dated January 8, 1830 , showthat Jesse Stephens purchased land in 1 1/4 miles SE Jamieson, GadsdenCounty, Florida, E 1/2 SW 1/4, Sect. 8, TP. 3, R. 2, north and west. 3) Land records in Florida, File # 5591, dated April 11, 1836 , show thatJesse Stephens purchased land 2 miles North of Round Lake, JacksonCounty, Florida, SE 1/4 and NW 1/4 SE 1/4 SECT. 12, TP 3, R2, north andwest. 4) The last land transaction in Gadsden County, Florida Land Records,File # 156, indicate that Jesse Stephens, (DUP) (Jr) December 28, 1836, 1mile SE Havana, Gadsden Co., Florida, SW 1/4, Sect. 5, TP 2, R 2, northand west. Transferred to Thomas Speight, December 28, 1836. 5) The next land purchase made by Jesse was in Jackson County, Florida.Records indicate this property was located as : SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 Sec 21,T3N R8W 39.86 A---Dated February 26,1855. According to the land purchases and sales listed above it appears thatJesse was buying land in Gadsden County in 1827 and 1830. He lived thereuntil 1850, when he sold his property and bought land in Jackson County,Florida, with his final purchase in 1855. Jesse Stephens and Bryant Stephens were in Laurens County, Georgia onFebruary 18, 1852, testifying in a slavery case filed against FrancisHilliard. The plaintiffs claimed that Hilliard was illegally inpossession of seventeen negroes. They apparently lost the case becausethey were ordered to pay court costs of ten dollars. It is not known whyJesse and Bryant had a claim against Hilliard. However, many times afather would "lend" slaves to a child in his Will. If this was the case,then Hilliard possibly married the sister of Jesse and Bryant. It is notknown if they were brothers but it is highly suspect since they wereco-plaintiffs in this case. More research is needed to verify anyconnection. It is known that Bryant Stephens married Rachel Watson inLaurens County and was living there the same time as Jesse. Jesse leftLaurens and moved to Gadsden County, Florida and Bryant left Laurensabout the same time and moved to Leon County, Florida just a few milesfrom Jesse. It has been reported Bryant moved to Miller County, where hedied about 1860. The following was taken from the Legal Records of Laurens County,Georgia: Feb. 18, 1852----Laurens County, Georgia Plaintiffs were Jesse Stephens and Bryant Stephens. Their attorneys wereD. Sheftall and E. T. Sheftall. Defendant was Francis Hilliard. Attorney for the defendant was James J. Scarborough. Case was an actionin trover. The plaintiffs swore, before Laurens County Justice of PeaceWashington Baker, to their affidavit on Feb. 18, 1852. Plaintiffs contended that Hilliard was in possession of 17 negroesillegally. The negroes were a 50 year old woman named Venus, a 23 yearold negro woman named Rose Ann and her children Eli, a boy about 5 or 6years old, a 2 or 3 year old girl named Grace and an 18 month old boynamed Bill, a 20 year old man named Joe, a 17 year old man named Paul, a13 year old boy named Major, an 8 or 9 year old girl named Clarissa, a 40or 50 year old woman named Phebe, a 19 or 20 year old man named Zipter,an 18 year old woman named Nelly and her mulatto 4 year old child namedHarriet and a name unknown infant about a year old, a 10 year old boynamed Primus, a 4 or 5 year old girl named Nanny and a 3 or 4 year oldboy named Brister. All the slaves had a value of about $7,000.00. Plaintiffs contended that Hilliard had the slaves since July 1, 1851 andthat the profits from the slaves should accrue to the plaintiffs. Judgewas Augustas H. Hansell. Clerk Francis Thomas, Sheriff J. M. Smith servedthe papers on the defendant on Feb. 19, 1852. Hilliard answered the suit of the plaintiffs and stated that he had beenin lawful possession of the slaves for over 4 years and the plaintiffsshould have brought their action long ago. On March 8, 1853, theplaintiffs confessed judgement to the defendant the sum of $10.50 for hiscosts in defending the suit, but they reserved the right of appeal. Jesse and Mary (Polly) Dykes Stephens were living in Jackson County,Florida according to the 1860 Census. They failed to appear on the 1870Census so it is reasonable to assume they died there. Searches for theirgraves have not revealed the time and place of death and burial. GREENWOOD STREET CEMETERY, Barnesville, Ga. Barnesville is the County Seat of Lamar County which was established Aug.17, 1920 from the counties of Pike and Monroe. Pike County was taken fromMonroe County Dec, 9, 1822 and Monroe County was erected May 15, 1821from the Creek cession of Jan. 8, 1821. Land in Monroe County wasdistributed through the Lottery of 1821. Jesse Stephens , 5/8/1803 - 5/8/1877 Amanda Jane Stephens 6/27/1831 - 5/24/1915 Anna Elizabeth Stephens 7/6/1835 - 6/12/1917 Sallie Frances Stephens 7/27/1844 - 8/15/1926 Roswell A Stephens 4/20/1838 - 9/24/1880 More About JESSE STEPHENS, JR.: Burial: Aft. 1860, Jackson or Calhoun County, Florida Fact 1: 1801, Born, Burke County, Georgia Fact 2: 1821, Married Polly Dykes, Laurens County,Georgia Fact 3: 1830, Gadsden County, Florida Census Fact 4: 1840, Gadsden County, Florida Census Fact 5: 1850, Decatur County, Georgia Census Fact 6: 1836, Veteran-Seminole War, Corporal--Index to Florida militiamuster rolls, 05:062-63 Fact 7: 1845, Gadsden County, Florida Census Fact 8: 1860, Jackson County, Florida Census ------William Lackey Stephens;http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/t/e/William-Lackey--Stephens/index.html
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