John Womack, Mary Dargan

A recent post on the Womack Rootsweb board states that the Timothy D Womack/Warmack of Yazoo Co, MS was Timothy Durgan Womack. Timothy was born circa 1787, from his Army enlistment record.

The Durgan middle name reminded me of a record I had seen in Fairfield Co, SC:

The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research
SCMAR, Volume I
Number 1, Winter, 1973
Fairfield County Will Book 1, 1787-1792
SCMAR, Vol. I, Winter 1973, No. 1, p.20
Page 61. Return of Kemp Taliafero Strother as guardian to Elizabeth Dargan, now James. Upon inquiring into my wards affairs, I find that her father William Dargan made a Will whereby he gave his personalties to be equally divided between his three children and his real estate to his son William Dargan. That John Wammock who married the eldest daughter tore said will, and took out letters of Administration. John Wammock has sold and disposed of such real and personal estate. I have found the original will tho' tore, and have tried to establish the same in Georgia, but as his (i. e., Strother's) ward is now married, he presumes his trust is now at an end. I have received no part of her property, but have been at an expense of about Four pounds on account of said estate. 16 Mar. 1790.

The original of this record may be viewed at familysearch.org here:

* South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964
* Fairfield
* County Court, Estate records
* 1787-1792
* No File Description Available
* Image 32 of 78

Kemp T Stother also took John Wommack to court in Edgefield Co, SC

Edgefield County, South Carolina, minutes of the County Court, 1785-1795, by Brent Holcomb
July 1788 - Kemp T Stroather vs John Wonack. Attmt. Judgement by default.
Oct 1789 - Kemp T Strother vs John Wommack discontinued.

Fairfield Co, SC is in the center of SC, while Edgefield Co, SC is on the border with Georgia, across from Burke Co, GA and Richmond Co, GA in the 1780s. Note that SC counties were called "Districts" at this time.

From what I could gather online, Kemp Taliaffero Strother was the son of William Strother and Catherine Dargan, and Catherine Dargan was the daughter of Timothy Dargan. This Dargan family is apparently mentioned in records of several central SC counties. Timothy Dargan also had a son William Dargan, and he appears to be the William Dargan mentioned as deceased by Kemp T Strother in 1790. This William Dargan had three children: an unnamed eldest daughter who married John Womack, Elizabeth Dargan who married a Mr James (according to Kemp T Strother's statement), and William Dargan Jr. Kemp T Strother was the first cousin of Elizabeth Dargan James, and acted as her guardian until she married.

The 1762 will of Timothy Dargan of Berkley Co, SC mentions children including William Dargan and Catherine Strother.

Also, Kemp T Strother's statement in 1790 mentions that he tried to establish the will in Georgia, implying that William Durgan Sr had property there.

Next, I found the following in the "General Name File" at the Georgia Archives:

Womack, Mary

Mr. Henderson presented a petition from Mary Womack, in behalf of herself and the other heirs of William Durgan, deceased. S.J. 1808, p.61. {Note that S.J. means "Senate Journal", the journal kept by the GA State Senate.

So, now we know that John Womack married Mary Dargan/Durgan, daughter of William Dargan.

Also, I found an earlier record of William Dargan, Jr:

Dargan, William

(Petition) From William Dargan praying to be taken from the act of banishment and to become a citizen he being at the time of passing the same and is still a minor. The committee are of opinion he be admitted as a citizen as the legislature has restored the estate of William Dargan to his children of which the petitioner is one, which was agreed to. House Journal, 1785, p.244.

Also, this:

Durgan, William

Monday the 10th of November 1800. Mr. Simms gave notice that he would tomorrow move for a Committee to be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill entitled "An Act to restore to the heirs of William Durgan all the personal estate of the said Durgan, that remains unsold by the State, who was on thee act of confiscation and banishment". H.J. 1800, p.47 {House Journal}. Nov. 13, 1800. Mr. Simms from the committee appointed reported a bill to be entitled "An act to grant certain privileges to Enoch James and others, the legal representatives of William Durgan, late of Burke County, deceased". H.J. 1800, p.59.

From this we find that the Mr. James that Elizabeth Dargan married was Enoch James. There is also a GA "General Name File" card for an Enoch James, probably the same one, that states he was an ensign in Wilkes Co, GA militia on 3 Apr 1793.

In March, 1782, the State of Georgia passed a law which punished certain people for supporting the British side during the Revolutionary War. Their property was to confiscated, and they were banished from the state, forced to leave within 60 days. The long list of people is broken up by county, and William Durgin appears under Burke County, GA.

Several people on the list appear to have not been banished. Rather, they "amerced", which means they simply payed a large fine and were able to stay, although their rights to vote or hold public office were restricted. Another way to prevent banishment was apparently to join the army as a soldier. In August 1782, William Dargan is listed as dead, from Burke Co, GA, among others who amerced or became soldiers.

In January, 1783, the GA House of Assembly heard a petition from "Mary Durgan & Sister."

So, it appears that William Dargan of Burke co, GA, son of Timothy Dargan, supported the British during the Revolutionary War. A fairly large percentage of the American population did support the British, and felt the American Revolution was wrong. William Dargan was dead by August 1782, but his children spent many years trying to recover his estate which the State of Georgia confiscated. From various records, the three children of William Dargan were Mary Dargan (married John Womack); Elizabeth Dargan (married Enoch James); and William Dargan Jr.