John Warnock and wife Mary "Polly" Price

John Warnock was in the 1788 tax list of Greene County, Georgia, listed in Alexander Autrey's District with just a white poll, no land (LDS Film #007903320, image 371/600).  A William Womack was also in the this district with a white poll, no land.  Other important names in this District for Womack and Warnock genealogy were Absalom Autrey, Alexander Autrey, Michael Cupp and Joseph Price.  

William Womack witnessed deeds for the Autreys and for Michael Cupp.  I have researched this William Womack extensively. He moved around a lot.  His wife was Rebecca, maiden name probably Ledbetter.  William moved to Wilkes Co, GA by 1793, then to Pendleton Co, SC, then to Jackson Co, GA, then to Tennessee, then to Kentucky, before moving to Gallatin Co, IL where he died in 1820.

Joseph Price was the father-in-law of John Warnock.  See https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Price-14612, search for 'Warnoch'.  I have not verified this research, but it appears the Joseph Price family came to Georgia from Virginia around the same time that John Warnock and his father Robert Warnock came to Georgia from North Carolina.  So, it is likely John Warnock met his wife Mary "Polly" Warnock in Greene Co, GA.  

John Warnock may have been married previously, and the Thomas Warnock who married Charity Peters in 1807 in Oglethorpe Co, GA was possibly John's son from an earlier marriage.  Some researchers believe Thomas Warnock moved to Hinds Co, MS, but I have not verified that research.

The Rebecca Warnock who married John Miles in 1808 in Oglethorpe Co, GA was Robert Warnock's daughter, who Robert named in his will in 1797.

The Mary Ann Warnock who married Drewry Silvey in 1807, and the John Warnock who married Martha Briant (from deed records, it appears her maiden name was Briant, not Obriant) in 1817, both in Oglethorpe Co, GA, were the children of John Warnock and Mary "Polly" Price.  There was a third child, Rosana Warnock, named in Robert Warnock's 1797 will as his granddaughter; no further info on her.

On 9 Dec 1794, Rosanna Price and Joseph Price applied for letters of administration on the estate of "Joseph Price, late dec'd of Greene County".  (Greene Co, GA WB A:257, Film # 005756648, image 156/778).  Rosanna was Joseph Price Sr's widow, her maiden name unknown, and she administered her husband's estate with their son Joseph Price Jr.  An inventory for Joseph Price starts on p.258 of Will Book A and runs to p.260, dated 9 Mar 1795.  The final page mentions cows given to Polly Warnock and Jinny Williams.  Though not explicitly stated, other documents show these were likely Mary "Polly" Price Warnock and Jane "Jinny" Price Williams, daughters of Joseph & Rosanna Price.  At this time, Polly was pretty much always a nickname for Mary, and Jinny/Jenny for Jane.

Jane "Jinny" Price married first an unknown Mr Williams, followed by her marriage to Ransom Duke, 20 May 1798 in the marriage records of Oglethorpe Co, GA.  The estate records of Ransom Duke have Jane Duke as the administratrix of his estate.  

In the year 1800, the "heirs and representatives" of Joseph Price Sr sold his land in Oglethorpe County, Georgia (Oglethorpe Co, GA DB C:491, LDS Film # 007898905, image 285/666).  The heirs and representatives are listed as John Warnock, Joseph Price, Abel Price, George Price and Ransom Duke.  They all signed the deed, and Rosana Price signed as well.  So, Joseph Price Sr's sons, sons-in-law and widow all signed this deed.

John Warnock and the Price family appear near each other in the same tax district lists in Greene Co, GA and later Oglethorpe Co, GA.  These tax lists also show the relationship to Drewry Silvey, which I will get to.

John P Warnock, born circa 1795, was the son of John Warnock and Mary Price.  His marriage record in 1817 in Oglethorpe lists his wife as Martha Obriant, but her maiden name was likely just Briant, from deed records in Oglethorpe involving John and the Briant family.  John P Warnock was on the 1820 census of Oglethorpe Co, GA; the 1830 Census of Greene Co, GA; the 1840 and 1850 censuses of Troup Co, GA; and the 1860 and 1870 censuses of Russell Co, AL.  He married his second wife, Permelia B Buchanan, on 25 June 1848 in Troup Co, GA.

John P Warnock appears to have living descendants, and descendants of Drewry Silvey and Mary Ann Warnock should compare DNA.

The Calhoun Co, AR death certificate of daughter Martha Maregarette Warnock Grisham, 1 Dec 1830 - 16 Nov 1920, lists her parents as John P Warnock and Patsy Byrant; Patsy was a common nickname for Martha.

John P Warnock had War of 1812 service, and his widow Permelia applied for his pension.  The pension application file may have more genealogical value.  John P Warrnock also has records for the the First Seminole War (2 Regiment (Little's) Georgia Militia, Rank of Private), as well as the Creek War of 1836 (F & S Co., Alford's Batt'n, Ga. Mtd. Vols, Rank of 'Q. M. Sergt').

John P Warnock received a pension, probably for a disability suffered in one of the Indian Wars, and he was on the 'Revolutionary War Pension List', though he did not fight in the Revolutionary War.  Some of the men on the pension rolls were soldiers from later conflicts who were injured while serving, and John P Warnock falls into that category.  See https://www.fold3.com/pdf/M1746.pdf, search for both Warnock and Wamock (a transcription error).

More later...

Drewry Silvey and Mary Ann Warnock

First, I should say I am not convinced the woman 'Mary A' with Drewry Silvey in the 1850 and 1860 federal censuses of Campbell Co, GA was his first wife, Mary Ann Warnock.  It could be that Drewry's first wife died, and he married a second woman named Mary.  If Mary Ann Warnock was Drewry's only wife, and her reported birthdate of 17 July 1793 is in fact correct, she was very young when she married 16 Feb 1807 - 5 months shy of turning 14.

Her youth when she married is one of many reasons the UNDOCUMENTED and highly unlikely claim that her father was Jesse Womack Jr is so nonsensical, in my opinion.  Jesse Womack Jr was living in Washington County, Mississippi Territory (now Washington Co, AL) in 1807 as proven by extant tax lists, so why would he have a 13 year old daughter marrying hundreds of miles away in Oglethorpe County, Georgia in 1807?  It boggles the mind.

The Warnock family of Mary Ann Warnock Silvey was in Rowan County, North Carolina in the 1750s, in the area which became Surry County in 1770, and then became Stokes County in 1789.  Three Warnock men, Robert, Matthew and Samuel, appear in early records, but their relationship has not been determined.  They were clearly related from their interactions.  A great deal of research has been done by others on this family.  I found a research document entitled "Warnock Family of The Northern Piedmont of North Carolina - 1755 thru 1810" attached to one of these Warnocks in an ancestry family tree, however it does not list the author.  The research is generally very good.

Robert Warnock was listed in multiple tax lists of Surry Co, NC, including in 1774 with son John as a tithable (meaning over 16) in his household. Robert Warnock and wife Mary Ann are listed in a deed where they sold land in Surry Co, NC in 1785 - Surry Co, NC DB C:30 (Film # 007538681, image 236).

Robert Warnock and son John moved to Greene Co, GA where John appears in tax lists as early as 1789.  Matthew Warnock bought land in Greene Co in 1789 (DB 1:432).  Matthew is listed as "of North Carolina" and Robert Warnock was a witness to the deed.  Matthew returned to NC, where he was on the 1790 census of Stokes Co, NC in a household consisting of just himself.  It is unknown if Matthew ever married or had children.  

On 4 Dec 1794, in Stokes Co, NC, "Administration of the estate of Matthew Warnock dec'd was granted to Samuel Warnock..." (Stokes Co, NC, Minutes of County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, LDS Film # 008195646, image 306/816).

On 25 Dec 1794 in Greene Co, GA, "Robert Warnock applied for letters of administration on the estate of Mathew Warnock (on that part of it that is in the State of Georgia) late dec'd, a traveller in Pendleton county, S Carolina" (Greene Co, GA Will Book A:260, LDS Film # 00575664, image 158/778).  

Apparently, Matthew visited his land in Georgia in late 1794, and died in South Carolina while travelling back to North Carolina.  Robert Warnock and Samuel Warnock administered his estate in the two places Matthew had property.  John Warnock later took over the administration for his father Robert (Greene Co, GA Deed Book 3:249), probably when Robert became unable to act as administrator due to age or illness.  Over time, Robert and John Warnock sold the land that originally belonged to Matthew Warnock (Greene Co, GA Deed Book 3:274, 3:599, 4:163, 4:232,  4:359).

Robert Warnock made his Last Will and Testament on 6 Nov 1797 while a resident of Greene Co, Georgia.  It was recorded 10 July 1800 in neighboring Oglethorpe Co, GA.  (Oglethorpe Co, GA Will Book A:99).  Robert Warnock left belongings to son John Warnock, daughter Rebeckah Warnock, grandson John Warnock, granddaughter Mary Warnock and granddaughter Rosana Warnock.  In particular, he left his grandson John Warnock his Janus horse (likely a descendant of the famous race horse Janus), but Robert's son John to have use of the horse until it was seven years old.  

Robert Warnock's wife Mary Ann, from the 1785 deed mentioned above, must have died before Robert wrote his will.  Although not explicitly stated in the will, it seems clear that Robert's grandson John was the son of Robert's son John, and that Mary and Rosana were John's daughters.  This make sense, because John's mother was Mary Ann, so he named a daughter Mary Ann, who later married Drewry Silvey.  There is no further info on John's daughter Rosana, but as I will show in a later post, she was named for John Warnock's mother-in-law.

More later...

Katie Silvey Speer - incorrect birth year on grave

Katie Silvey first appears in federal censuses in the 1870 FC of Atlanta Ward 5, Fulton Co, GA, Dwelling #62.  She is 4 years old, with parents John (age 47) & Adeline (age 30) Silvey, indexed by ancestry as Silvasy.

In the 1860 FC of Atlanta Ward 5, Fulton Co, GA, Dwelling #1172, John (37) and Adaline (25) Silvey had only one child, daughter Mary Silvey, age 5, who died as a child in 1865:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84547837/mary-silvey

So, Katie Silvey was not alive in 1860, and was only listed as 4 years old in 1870.  In the 1880 FC of Atlanta, Fulton Co, GA, House #102, the Silvey family consists of John 50, Adeline 34 and Katie E 13.  Katie married William Speer, and she is listed in the 1900 FC of Atlanta Ward 5 as 32 years old, born Aug 1867.  She and her husband were living with her widowed mother Adeline.

In 1910 FC, Katie Silvey Speer was listed as 39; in 1920 FC she was 44; in 1930 FC she was 52; and in 1940 FC she was 60.  The 1950 and later censuses have not yet been released by the National Archives.

All of this goes to show that her birthdate on her grave stone of 22 June 1857 (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84547943/kate-speer) cannot possibly be correct, and she was at least 9 years younger than shown.

In other words, she was born well after both of her paternal grandparents, Drewry and Mary Ann Silvey, had both died.  She did not personally know her grandparents.

Katie Silvey Speer believed her paternal grandmother's maiden name was WOMACK. She paid for a memorial headstone for her grandparents before 16 Mar 1934, when the cemetery was surveyed.  The memorial stone was placed near the original gravestone.  The newer memorial says "In memory of Drewry Silvey 1770-1860, Mary Womack Silvey 1793-1864'.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68886268/mary-ann-silvey  (please ignore the UNDOCUMENTED and highly unlikely claim on Find-a-Grave about Mary being the daughter of Jesse and Mary Ann Abney Womack).

When Katie's father, John D Silvey, a wealthy man, died in 1897, the Atlanta Constitution newspaper ran an obituary listing his parents as Drewery Silvey and Miss Mary WARNEC.  Newspaper clipping.

The marriage record of Drewry and Mary exists in records of Oglethorpe Co, GA, and is sometime incorrectly stated to have occurred in 1805.  The marriage (or at least the license for the marriage) was dated 16 Feb 1807.  The typescript transcription has "Drewry Silon and Margaret Warnock 787" (microfilm entitled 'Oglethorpe County, State of Georgia, Marriages 'White' Transcribed 1794-1812', image 15 of 75).

The typescript comes from a ledger book "Marriage Licenses Granted".  Image 88 of 198, microfilm entitled 'Oglethorpe County, State of Georgia, Marriages 'White', Vol 1, 1794-1832'.  Here, in cursive handwriting, is "1807 Febry 16, Drewry Silon [?, possibly 'Silver'] to Margan [possibly 'Maryan'] Warnock [possibly 'Wamock'] 720".

Womack and Warnock are often confused in old handwriting, but are distinct surnames.  Womack is English and Warnock is Scottish, and they have distinct Y-DNA in tested patrilineal lines.

The other Womack or Warnock marriages in Oglethorpe County, Georgia were:

• Thomas Warnock to Charity Peters, 19 Jan 1807
• John Miles to Rebecca Warnock, 8 Oct 1808
• Liza Wamack [Womack] to Thos Bacon, 11 Jan 1810
• John Warnock to Martha Obriant [Briant or Bryant], 30 May 1817

Other than Eliza Womack to Thomas Bacon, I believe the rest were Warnock marriages.  Eliza Womack who married Thomas Bacon was the daughter of Josiah Womack and Keziah Wilkinson of Nottoway Co, VA; she moved to Georgia with her brother Bird Womack and her widowed mother, and there are deed records in Virginia where Thomas and Eliza Bacon sold the land she inherited from her father, Josiah Womack (Lunenburg Co, VA Deed Book 32:453A).

This is the first of a series of posts to show that Drewry Silvey married Mary Ann WARNOCK.  Stay tuned for DOCUMENTATION of her parents.

Henry Christian and Nancy Womack of Jones County, Georgia

 From this website:  https://thegagenweb.com/gajones/obits.html

Macon Weekly Telegraph
~excerpt~TRIBUTE OF RESPECT, SINCERITY LODGE NO. 161, F. A. M, January 12, 1878
Brother Henry Christian was born in Chatham county, North Carolina, July 4, 1814, and died in Jones county, Georgia, on his plantation, near Clinton, where he lived, of a severe and protracted attack of pneumonia, on the 11th of December, in the 64th year of his age.
His youngest brother, Wm. R. Christian, died a few weeks previous in the same house of the same disease; and it is a remarkable coincidence that of the numerous family, all, except two living brothers, have died of pneumonia.
Brother Christian, in many respects, was a remarkable man. He came to Jones county, Georgia, in 1835, a stranger and penniless, yet by energy and industry he acquired a large property, raised a large family and educated them liberally. Born and raised poor himself, he never received the advantage of an education-having gone to school only a single day-still he learned to read, write and calculate well, and filled two important offices in Jones county, sheriff and tax collector, with great credit to himself and satisfaction to his friends and the public.
.....O. P. Finney, R. T. Ross, W. P. Grover, D. M. Committee.

July 5, 1887
Macon Daily Telegraph
Clinton, July 4 - The death of Mrs. Nancy Christian will be painful news to the citizens of Jones county. She died at her home in Clinton on Saturday morning after a painful illness of several months, and was buried at the same place on Sunday morning. She was upwards of eighty years old, and leaves a large family of children and grandchildren, who have the deep sympathy of many friends.  [She died Saturday, 2 July 1887, using a perpetual calendar.]

The Georgia death certificate of their son Hardy Christian (31 Aug 1838 - 15 Sep 1926) list his parents as Henry Christian and Nancy Womack.

Alexander Womack Jr in Cocke County, Tennessee

 Many years ago, when I started trying to sort out the Womack family in the US, I discovered that the Alexander Womack in Bedford Co, TN was likely the son of David Womack and his wife Elizabeth Hawkins, going against conventional wisdom that this was Alexander Womack Jr, David's brother.

Furthermore, I discovered deed records in Buncombe Co, NC, starting in 1813 (G:267), where an Alexander Womack from Cocke Co, TN began buying and selling land; the names Henry Buckner and Buckner Womack:  http://womackgen.com/ew/other/nc_womack_records.html

I was convinced this was Alexander Womack Jr and his son Buckner Womack, but an older generation researcher insisted this was Alexander Womack III and his brother Buckner, and that Alexander III was buying land at the age of 16 (based on the belief he was born in 1797; I think he was born closer to 1800).

Cocke County, Tennessee is a 'burned county' with most county records before the 1850s gone, as well as Federal censuses before 1830. However, there were Tennessee land grants in Cocke Co which were kept by the state government, and not lost.

On 12 Oct 1807, Alexander Womack Jr and wife Sarah McDearmon sold most of their land in Campbell Co, VA (DB 8:44). Alexander next appears as an adjacent land owner in a 23 June 1808 survey in Cocke Co, TN:

Tennessee Early Land Records, Series 3, Book 45:133 (Image 88/418) - No 245. Cocke Co, TN, 6th Dist, 23 June 1808 surveyed for Hezekiah Cairy 250 acres including his improvement, both sides of Clay Creek … “a corner of Alexander Wamocks deeded land” … “Fowlers line” … “conditional line between him and Coner” ….”line between him and Henry Reece”. John Shield Ds 6th S [District 6 Surveyor]. Chain Bearers: Buckner Wamack & John Cairy. Filed in the office 17 Sep and recorded 3 Nov 1808.

Note that Hezekiah Cairy's survey was next to Alexander Womack's deeded land, i.e., land which Alexander bought.  Note also that Buckner Womack was a chain carrier.  

In 1810, Alexander Womack had two surveys of his own:

Tennessee Early Land Records, Series 3, Book 45:308 (Image 188/418) - No 523. Cocke Co, TN, 6th Dist, 17 Nov 1810, surveyed for Alexander Wamock 68 acres including his improvement, both sides Clay Creek, … “line of his deeded land” … “conditional line between him and Buckner Wamack” … “Thomas Celendenans line” … “Buckner Wamacks claim” … “conditional line between him and Bowyers” … “conditional line between him and Thomas Fowler”. John Shields DS. Chain Bearers: Buckner Wamack & John Cairy. Filed in the office 22 Nov 1810, recorded 22 Nov 1810.

Tennessee Early Land Records, Series 3, Book 45:309 (Image 188/418) - No 524. Cocke Co, TN, 6th Dist, 17 Nov 1810, surveyed for Alexander Wamock 100 acres including his improvement, waters of Clay Creek, adjoining said Wamocks “deeded tract of 150 acres”. John Shields DS. Chain Bearers: Buckner Wammack & John Cayry. Filed in the office 22 Nov 1810, recorded 22 Nov 1810.

There are other later Tennessee land records from Cocke Co that show Alexander Womack assigned several claims to Benjamin Bryant, likely he same man he bought land from in Buncombe Co, NC (DB H:277).  There are further land records referring to Buckner Womack's land in Cocke Co in the 1820s.

These records are clearly too early to be referring to Alexander Womack III, even if you believe he was born as early as 1795, which I have seen claimed on the web, though no evidence supports he was born that early.  These records clearly refer to Alexander Womack Jr.