Hawkins-Davison Houses, Frederica, St. Simons Island, GeorgiaCate, Margaret Davis
History
Hawkins-Davison Houses, Frederica, St. Simons Island, Georgia
Cate, Margaret Davis
Dwellings -- Georgia -- Saint Simons Island; Fort Frederica National Monument (Ga.); Saint Simons Island (Ga. : Island) -- History
Even though these volumes of the colonial records contained the names of
many of the settlers and told of the part they played in the life of
Frederica, rarely did they contain information as to the number of the
lot which such individuals occupied. Not until 1947 when the University
of Georgia purchased a manuscript collection of Georgiana, known as the
Egmont Papers of the Phillipps Collection, did this definite information
become available. From material in this collection Dr. E. Merton Coulter
and Dr. Albert B. Saye edited in 1949 _A List of the Early Settlers of
Georgia_, which gives the lot numbers granted these settlers and makes
it possible to locate each individual on the proper lot.
It is believed that this list was compiled in England by Viscount
Percival, Earl of Egmont, President of the Board of Trustees for the
Founding of the Colony of Georgia, from information sent over from
Georgia from time to time. As is so often the case with such records,
there were errors. One such instance is the listing of lot number 2,
South Ward, Frederica, for Samuel Davison and the same lot for Dr.
Thomas Hawkins. Since the Hawkins and Davison families came to Frederica
at the same time and were among the first settlers of Frederica, it is
obvious that both of them could not have had lot number 2, South Ward.
Davison left Georgia in 1741,[7] moving to Charleston, S. C., and Dr.
Hawkins returned to England in 1743.[8] In 1767 George Mackintosh
petitioned for lot number 1, South Ward of Frederica “formerly belonging
to Dr. Hawkins.”[9] His petition was not granted. In January of the
following year Christian Perkins,[10] widow, petitioned the Colonial
Council, stating that “there was a Lot in Frederica known by the Name of
Dr. Hawkins’s which was left in the Care and Possession of the
Petitioner’s late Husband by John Hawkins the said Doctor’s Brother who
was supposed to be entitled thereto That her said Husband from the Time
the said Lot was so left with him to the Time of his Death (being many
Years) had the Possession thereof and constantly accounted for the Taxes
and other Provincial Duties,” and asked that it be granted to her.[11]
This was done, the lot being recorded as number 1, South Ward.[12] Thus,
in this 1768 record we have proof that lot number 1, South Ward belonged
to Dr. Hawkins, leaving Samuel Davison in undisputed possession of lot
number 2.
The families who occupied these two lots were different in every way.
Dr. Thomas Hawkins and his wife, Beatre, who occupied lot number 1, were
troublemakers; in fact, Mrs. Hawkins was known as “a mean woman.”[13]
Samuel Davison, with his wife, Susanna, their little daughter, Susanna
(born in England), and sons, John and Samuel (born at Frederica),[14]
who lived on lot number 2, were good citizens and well liked by the
other settlers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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