From Virginia Through the Southwest:Information about Samuel Pruitt III
Samuel Pruitt III (b. September 10, 1762, d. December 19, 1845)
Notes for Samuel Pruitt III:Samuel Pruitt III, like his father and two of his brothers served the Revolutionary War cause and was a Patriot. Samuel married Lavina Walters in Pittsylvania County, Virginia in 1789 and five years later in 1794 they settled in Franklin County, Georgia, in what is now Banks County, Georgia.
When Samuel's younger brother, Joseph Pruitt, died at the age of 36 in early 1805 Samuel was appointed administrator of Joseph's estate on February 12, 1805 by the Franklin Co. Georgia Court.On March 29, 1805 an inventory of "the goods and chattels of Japheth Prewett (deceased)" were submitted to the court by Joakim Hudson, William Ash, and Henry Parks, Appraisers.
On May 4, 1807, more than two years after brother Joseph's death, it was ordered that "Samuel Prewitt (III) be appointed Guardian of Phillip Prewett, Patsy Prewett, Tilman Prewett and Zechariah Prewett upon his giving bond with security in Franklin Co. Georgia."Joseph Pruitt's four children were referred to as "orphans" in court records even though the children lived on the property bordering Samuel's with their mother Nancy and her second husband Charles Toney.
In 1811, six years after Joseph's death, Charles Toney paid $48 to Samuel Pruitt III, for rent and cash per interest.Samuel Pruitt III paid Charles Toney $48.19 for boarding and clothing the orphans, schooling by James Lowery, and taxes paid for the year 1810.
Samuel was a well educated and wealthy man, he and wife Lavinaraised their seven children on a large plantation in Franklin Co. Georgia.Lavinadied in 1813, and Samuel was soon remarried, in 1814, to Keziah Stokes Connally, the widow of Charles Connally.They had one son, John Willis Pruitt.
In the July 1826 Franklin Co. Georgia Term (Wills, Inventories and Estates): Ordered that Samuel Prewitt have letters granted to him by the Clerk of dismissory as respects for his administration of the Estate of Japath Prewitt, dec'd.On September 24, 1826, Samuel Pruitt III was dismissed as administrator of the estate of Japheth (Joseph) Prewitt.His brothers' children were by this time all of age.
Nephew Zachariah Pruitt, son of Samuel's deceased brother Joseph, named a son, born in 1827, after uncle Samuel Pruitt III.
Granddaughter Susan Adella Pruitt-Hardin (daughter of John Willis Pruitt) recalled the slaves on Samuel Pruitt III's land:
"Hannah was a full blooded African bought at Charleston, South Carolina when 12 years of age.She lived to be 105 years old.Grem was bought by my grandfather at Charleston when 12 years of age at $500.Grem had four daughters, Linda was Emma's maid; Fannie was Lou's maid; Martha was Bessie's maid; and Mary was Ellen's maid.Their mother was Charlotte.These four sisters accompanied the four Pruitt sisters when they went away from home to college.Edmund, our carriage driver looked after the carriage horses.His wife was Patsy.Lily was our cook, and Louis, her husband, was the hog and sheep feeder.Sarah, Julia, and Polly were seamstresses.Patience was the house maid.Dan was a blacksmith, and Elvira, Dan's wife, was a field hand.Charles, Queen, Patsy, Sanford, Ed, and Luke were also field hands.Fannie's children were Fletcher, Brud, Ella, and Sallie.Ella still lives in Gainesville (about 1940).Bennie, a field hand, was killed by Yankees.Sanford is the one Pa faced the Yankee officer for.William was T. Dorough's bodyguard in the War Between the States.My nurse was Adelina; we called her Sooky.Dora and Cora were twins, Silvia and Tilda were twins, Rueben and Ben were twins.There were 32 children under ten years of age on the plantation.
Will of Samuel Prewitt 15 May 1839Franklin County, GA
I Samuel Prewitt of the county and state aforsaid being mindful of and
the frailty of life and being possession of a sound and disposing mind
and memory and will and also being desirous to dispose of the good things
of this world that it hath pleased God to bless me with in this world do
by virtue of these presents make this my last will and testament
Item 1stIt is my will that my body be buried in Christian like order
Item 2ndIt is my will that my beloved wife Kezia have five
negroes (viz) Lewis and Luke and Sarah a woman and Lucy a woman and Ann
during her life at her death?? and my white mare and white horse and
three feather beds and furniture and the lower part of my tract of land
liing on Hudson river beginning at Daniel Bushes line thence along a new
fence made in the J can Eighteen hundred and thirty nine leaving a narrow
lane between that fence and Polley Chandlers field untill it makes a
corner then along an other line of fence near a south west course untill
it comes to a swamp thence keeping the course of the las mentioned fence
untill it strikes hudson river thence down said river to Bushes line
thence along said line to the beginning by her freely to be possed
during her natural life or widowhood also one yoke of oxen and my cart
hose hold and hitch furniture and plantation tools and my stock of
cattle and hogs & cart to make use of in any way she sees cause if she
has need to sell any of the above property she is at the liberty to do
so, accept the land she is not at the liberty to sell or rent as I shall
dispose of hereafter
Item 3rdIt is my will that Polly Chandler have the balance of
my land lying on hudson river dividing by the above named and sorse to
Hudson river thence up the river to Flemmings line and at the death of
my wife Kesiah she the said Polly Chandler shall posses the whole tract
of lnad I hold on hudson river during her life and at her death it to
belong to her three sons (viz) Wilkins Daniel and Johnson Prewitt
Bounded by Flemming land and Bushes land
Item 4thIt is my will to give my grandson Samuel W. Prewett my
tract of land lying in the fork of flat creek joining Sanders Newman and
Young containing 170 Acres be the same moor or less also my negro man
Henry and my white mare colt and one feather bed and furniture and one
cow & calf when he the said Samuel arrives at the age at one and twenty
years of age. Item 5 It is my will to give my grandson Samuel Riley all that
tract of land lying on the north side of Danielville Road containing
187 Acres be the same moor or less joining lands of Young and Hezekiah Prewitt
Item 6 It is my will to give my daughter Lucy Riley two hundred dollars extra
Item 7It is my will to give Hezakiah Prewitt my son two dollars
Item 8It is my will to give my son John W. Prewitt this tract
of land wheron I now live containing 500 acres be the same moor or less
bounded by lands of Nichholas Porter Hudson Mize and Hezakiah Prewitt
also sixteen negroes that are now in his possessionI have delivered
them unto him with the stock of cattle hogs good and chattles that is
now in his hands with the plantation tools and black smith tools
Item 9 It is my will that at my Decease my negro man Solomon
and my Negro Boy Ben be sold and my wagon and both my pleasure carriages
and 3 head of horses if they remain alive untill then (viz) Buck Dock &
Tim all the above named property to be sold on my present premises from
the??giving 12 months credit after giving public notice at all
public places for ten miles Round take notice you are not at liberty to
sell Solomon at the fur?Moor than ten miles from his wife and children
all the above named property from the 9 Item down or the proceeds to be
Equally divided between my daughter Lucy Riley the orphans of Samuel
Prewitt Deceased and Robert W. Prewitt and Joseph Prewitt and Polly Chandler
Item 10thIf I should have any money on outstanding debts at my
Decease it shall be equally divided between the five las named legatees
Also my wife Kesia and John W Prewitt
Item 11thI appoint my son John W Prewitt and George T Bonds to
Execute this my last will and testamentRatifying this and no other to
be my last will & testament in winiss wheof I have hereunto set my hand
& seal this fifteenth day of May 1839Samuel Prewett
Enter?E E SanderbeforeWm A Young
assignedMingard Sanders JPA codicil
Know all men by these presents that I Samuel Prewett of Franklin county
and state of Georgia have made and declared my last will and testament
in writing bearing date the fifteenth day of May one thousand eight
hundred and thirty nine I the said Samuel Prewitt by this present Codicil
do ratify and confirm my last will and testament and further at the death
of my beloved wife Kesia Prewitt what she shall leave of stock household
and kitchen furniture plantation tools at her decease shall be sold to
the highest bider and the proceeds by equally divided between Lucy Rilie
the orphan of Samuel Prewett Deceased Robert W. Presett Joseph Presett
and Polly Chandler and John W Presett and my will and meaning is that
this codicil be assigned to be apart parcel of my last will and testament
and all things therin mentioned be faithfully performed as if the the
same had ben set down in my last will and testament witness my hand the
day and year first above writtenSamuel PrewettE E SandersWm A Young
Minyard SandersGeorgia}Personally appeared in open court at a called
January Franklin County }term 1846 Minyard Sanders who being duly sworn
depseth & saith that he saw the within named Samuel Prewett sign & seal
the foregoing will and testament for the purpose therin mentioned when in
his proper mind that he d?subscribed the same as a witness and saw E E
Sanders and William A Young do so likewise sworn to in open court this
5th day of January 1846Minyard SandersThos King CCOBy D Dumass
Roger A. Pruitt, Willis Harden, Jr., and Ray Pruitt found the unmarked grave of Samuel Pruitt III in Banks County, Georgia, in June 1980. There is a commemorative stone marker for Samuel Pruitt III in the old Pruitt Cemetery in Harden's pasture in Banks County, Georgia now called the Phi Delta Cemetery. The inscription on the badly weathered stone reads:
SAMUEL PRUITT III
BORN PITSYLVANIA CO. VA. 1762
SETTLED NEAR HERE 1794
1ST WIFE LUVANIA WALTERS
2ND WIFE KEZIAH STOKES CONNELLY
MOTHER OF JOHN WILLIS PRUITT
Sources:
Tillman Dixon Pruitt & Diannah Hillsman Farrar Their Ancestors and Descendants by Donna Duckworth.
Roger A. Pruitt
SEE PHOTOGRAPHS OF SAMUEL PRUITT'S FAMILY BIBLE AND GRAVE at Roger Pruitt's website at-
http://www.fhsu.edu/~phrp/Pruitt/index.html
Census:
1830 Franklin Co. Georgia, page 247. Listed as "Samuel Prewitt" 70-80 years old.
1840 Franklin Co. Georgia, page 336. Listed as "Samuel Prewitt" 70-80 years old.
More About Samuel Pruitt III:
Burial: Pruitt Cemetery (now Phi Delta Cemetery), Harden's Pasture, Banks Co. Georgia.
Veteran: Revolutionary War Patriot.
More About Samuel Pruitt III and Lavina Walters:
Marriage: January 01, 1789, Pittsylvania Co. Virginia.
More About Samuel Pruitt III and Keziah Stokes:
Marriage: November 15, 1814, Franklin Co. Georgia.