Bryant Peacock Of Pulaski County, Georgia And His Descendants

By Carolyn Hall
This paper begins with the elusive Bryant Peacock, my 3rd Great Grandfather, which is as far back as I have been able to successfully research our Peacock lineage. In what I call advanced research, some of the Peacock descendants who belong to the Peacock Association of the South have had successful DNA tests conducted.

These tests have further verified the history that some families have already published. Others have received surprises!

We were one of those families who received that big surprise! In desperation, I had asked a member of our Peacock family line to take the DNA test. The results showed that his DNA includes a very close link to the Rodgers/Rogers family instead of that close link to the Peacocks descending from the very well known Samuel I of NC.

The Rodgers/Rogers connection may have occurred with Bryant’s parents or many generations back, but certainly before Bryant Peacock and his brother, Cullen Peacock, were born. Cullen’s descendants have published a lot of information on that line, but they cannot get passed Bryant either and were just as surprised at the Rodgers/Rogers connection in the DNA tests results. Looking back through the censuses, I have indeed found Rodgers families living next door or in close proximity to Bryant as early as the 1820 Pulaski County census, and also his children’s families, which leads one to realize there must be a connection, but we have yet to connect! Don Peacock, our DNA expert, and I have been working closely with the Rodgers/Rogers researchers who have also taken the DNA tests and found, to their surprise, our close connection. Of course, we still have our Peacock family DNA, but now we realize those feathers spread far and wide.

Information contained in the U.S. Census records has led me to deduce that Bryant Peacock was born in NC between 1790 and 1795 and his brother, Cullen Peacock, about 1801. There are researchers who connect them to Uriah and Susan Peacock; others connect them to Abraham Peacock (wife unknown). Uriah and Abraham migrated to Georgia in the early 1800’s. Bryant’s children listed North Carolina as the birthplace of their father on the U.S. Census records.

1814 -1815 MILITARY
The earliest records on Bryant Peacock that I have located begin with the War of 1812. Bryant’s place of residence in 1814, when he entered the War of 1812, at perhaps the age of 20 or 21, was listed as Washington County, GA. One trail that is usually most helpful is the search for local records in the county courthouses, but that trail ran cold when it came to searching for Bryant’s records. The Washington County Courthouse was burned during Sherman’s march from Atlanta to the sea during the Civil War and a number of times since then so those county records are scarce if any at all. Another trail that provides a good bit of information would be a pension application. However, laws passed for veterans or widows to apply for pensions due to service in the War of 1812 was not passed by Congress until 1871 and 1878, long after Bryant had died.

There are four Consolidated Military Service Record (CMSR) cards in Bryant’s war record at the National Archives. Bryant entered the War of 1812 the 23rd of September 1814 and was sent to Camp Jackson. It took three days and 55 miles to reach the rendezvous point. He served as a Private in Capt. James Willis’ Company of GA Militia, 3rd Regiment/GA State Troops, commanded by Col. Ignatius A. Few. He appeared present on each of the pay rolls. Total amount of pay and subsistence from 26 Sep 1814 to 2 Mar 1815 was $45.04. After completion of his military service he was discharged at Camp Covington. In order for Bryant to reach his home, he had to walk a distance of 195 miles, which took thirteen days.

1820 EARLY TAX RECORDS
After the war, Bryant settled in Pulaski County and is listed in the 1820 Georgia Tax Index. In the 1820 Georgia Tax Index for Washington County were Archibald, John, Jonathan, Molton, Pierson, Right, Tinker John, Washington, and William Peacock. 1821,

1823 JURY SERVICE
On 24 Feb 1821, Bryant was selected along with Kinchen Peacock to serve as a Petit Juror and again in Oct 1823. 1820 PULASKI COUNTY, GEORGIA CENSUS RECORDS Bryant was listed, in the U.S. Census, Pulaski County, GA as being 26-45 with a wife, 16-26, and already had a family of four children, one male, under ten, and three females, ten years of age and under. Therefore, I am generalizing that he was married about 1815 around the age of 18-20 although I have not been successful in locating a marriage record.

1830, 1 June. By this time, the census indicated that Bryant is between 30 and 40 and the Mrs. as being between 20 and 30 and they were blessed with nine children: five boys; 2 under five, one 5-10, one 10-15, one 20-30. The four females were one under 5, one 5-10, one 10-15, and one 15-20.

1840 census shows Bryant and his wife as being between 40 and 50 with eight children, 4 males, one under five, one 5-10, and two 10-15; the four females being one under 5, one 10-15, one 15-20, and one 20-30.

1821 – 1839 LAND RECORDS
Bryant bought and sold land from 1821 until his death in 1843. 1821 Land Lottery Bryant drew a lot in Monroe County, which later was changed to Pike County. He sold that lot in 1823 to Henry King for $100.00. This sale was witnessed by an Adam Scarborough.
1830, Bryant purchased 202 ½ acres in Pulaski Co, formerly Dooly County, from Lucas Gilliland for $150.
1834, Bryant sold 100 acres, in Pulaski County originally located in Dooly when surveyed, to Jonathan Wood for $500, witnessed by John Beavans.
1835, Bryant sold 202 ½ acres, Pulaski County, originally Dooly County, to Jonathan Wood for $2,000, which was again witnessed by John Beavans.
1837, Bryant sold 202 ½ acres, Pulaski County, originally Dooly County, to James Knight for $1,000 witnessed by Miles Bembry and Jonathan Wood.
1837, Bryant sold 202 ½ acres in Pulaski County, originally Dooly County, to James Knight for $300.00, witnessed again by Miles Bembry and Jonathan Wood.
1837, Bryant purchased 202 ½ acres Pulaski Co, formerly Dooly, from Appleton Chisholm for $400, witnessed by Wiley Holder.
1839, Bryant Peacock sold two tracts of land in Pulaski County, originally Dooly County, to Green W. Fountain for $1,600.00, and again witnessed by Wiley Holder and John D. Gistner.

There were two additional lots in Pulaski County, sold by Cullen Peacock after Bryant’s death for $300.

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