Person:Jonathan Magee (2)

The first record of Jonathan Magee is the 7 Nov 1785 entering of land in his name in Richmond County, Georgia by John Smith, his step-father: “John Smith in behalf of the heirs of Jonathan McGee entered two hundred acres of land between Spirit Creek & Mcbean including the long pond” (Richmond County, Georgia Land Court Minutes 1784-1787, 92). I have discussed the parentage of Jonathan under the family page of Lewis and Elizabeth Magee, the parents, and will not repeat those arguments here.

The land court minutes are somewhat misleading, in that they infer that one Jonathan McGee was a deceased adult. However, the warrant issued on the same date shows that the 200 acres were issued to John Smith as “Trustee for Jonathan McGee,” to be laid out between Spirit Creek and McBean [Creek], including “The Long Pond.” (“Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records 1783-1909,” database at familysearch.org). Therefore, the entry in the land court minutes was not to a deceased man named Jonathan McGee, but to a minor of that name. The lands granted were obtained under the Georgia headright law passed 17 Feb 1783. Under this law, “each head of a family was allowed two hundred acres plus fifty additional acres for each family member or slave, the total amount not to exceed one thousand acres. (Cadle, “Georgia Land Surveying History and Law,” 68). Two hundred acres, then, was the most acreage that a single male could normally receive. Jonathan was still a minor, perhaps just about to come of age in 1785, hence I place his birth at sometime shortly before 1770. The grant for this land was issued 18 July 1787. The land description was for 200 acres bounding “on all sides vacant land” (Register of Grants Book OOO, 32, viewable in “Georgia Headright and Bounty Land Records 1783-1909,” at familysearch.org).

Other Richmond County records relative to Jonathan Magee include the 1793 bond for his marriage to Rebecca James, and the 1795 Richmond County tax digest (viewable at cdm.sos.state.ga.us) showing John Smith paying taxes on his behalf, and on behalf of his brother William.

With respect to brother William, it is important to note that Jonathan and William appear to have shared a very close relationship. They are practically inseparable up until the time of William’s death in the 1820s. These two men removed from Richmond County, Georgia shortly after 1800, settling on Dry Creek near present-day Bude, Franklin County, Mississippi. The Adams County and Franklin County tax returns digitized in the “Mississippi State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951” database at familysearch.org show them both assessed in this area through the early 1810s. These two men both removed southwestwardly into what would become Louisiana about 1810 or shortly thereafter, where they squatted on land to which they eventually were granted title due to their improvements thereon, under stipulations of a Congressional Act of 1819. These men both obtained title to land in Twp 1 South of Range 10 East of the St Helena Meridian, with Jonathan obtaining Section 58 [one section=640 acres] and William obtaining Sections 39, 40, 41 and 42. These lands are in present-day Washington Parish, along Bogue Chitto River and its tributary, Hays Creek. See the Greensburg Claim Papers, digitized at http://wwwslodms.doa.la.gov/HistoricalDocument. Jonathan also appears to have briefly owned a tract of land on Silver Creek, a tributary of Bogue Chitto, in Washington Parish (St Tammany Parish, LA Deed Bk A-1, 206-7).

After William Magee died in the 1820s (the traditional death year given him is 1827), Jonathan remained in Washington Parish for a few more years. He was shown as head of household there in the 1830 census, aged 60-70. Sometime in 1831 or 1832, he removed to Simpson County, Mississippi, where he was assessed for the first time in the tax return of 1832. There was quite a significant migration of families from Washington Parish, Louisiana and its surrounding areas into the central Mississippi counties of Simpson, Rankin, Hinds, Copiah, etc. during this general time frame. Jonathan followed his sons Evan and Holden into Simpson County. Evan is first found in the 1828 tax return for Simpson, and Holden is first found in the 1829 return. Curiously, neither Jonathan nor any of his boys are assessed with any land in Simpson County during their stay there through the 1830s decade. The last record of Jonathan is his entry in the 1841 Mississippi State Census in Simpson County. He is believed to have died shortly after this time. Neither he nor any of his sons are found in the 1842 tax assessment for Simpson County.

[submitted by: Bevin Creel, 6 July 2012]

1. ↑ 1830 Federal Census, Washington Parish, Louisiana.
2. ↑ 1840 Federal Census, Simpson County, Mississippi.
3. ↑ 1841 State Census, Mississippi, Simpson County.