In a message dated 11/10/2003 7:52:14 AM Eastern Standard Time, jclarke@rose.net writes: > Good Morning, > As I have stated in one or more posts of recent, I have been tracing the > land deeded by Alice Daniel RICHTER (1854-1924) to Milton Chapel church in > 1895 in Morgan County, GA. We know from this 1895 deed this land was > located in Land Lot 74, Land District 19 which is down in the SW part of > Morgan County, GA near the Jasper County, line. > We also know this land was once owned by John DURDIN and his wife, A. M. > DURDIN. DURDIN, who went bankrupt in 1873 owned land in LL 74, 84 and 85, > as I remember, all of which was located all around this area, and it was > contiguous. This land is located around the area that is now the > intersection of Reese Road and Durdin Road. > Marshall WILLIAMS and I still have not figured out how Alice got this > land. What we do know is he went bankrupt in 1873 and this land was sold on > the courthouse steps by Frederick FOSTER, Esq. of Madison Frederick was the > son of Albert Gallatin FOSTER and Caroline COLBERT and was named for her > father, Frederick COLBERT. I also know the FOSTERS and her husband's > RICHTER family were close. > Anyway, guess who bought this land at the courthouse steps? John DURDIN > for $710 and a few pennies. For a man who had gone bankrupt -- where did he > get the money? We also know from Morgan County, GA deeds that in 1881 > DURDIN sold this same land to a Pleasant WILSON, whom Marshall said was a > Yankee who came south after the CW. There, we loose the trail on how Alice > got this land but Marshall is still searching and I am sure he will find it > and let me know how this land got from DURDIN to WILSON and then to her by > 1895. > However, that is really not my question. My question is what does > anyone know about this John DURDIN, especially who was that A. M. DURDIN, > listed as his wife? I feel there has to be some family connection between > John DURDIN, his wife and Alice's DANIEL family but do not know what it is. > Also, what does someone know about this Pleasant WILSON. If you know > anything about any of this, please let me know. Thanks, in advance..... > > John R. Clarke > Thomasville, GA > > > Mr. Clarke: I am forwarding this message on to some researchers of the Durden family history in the hope that some of them will be able to assist you; however, if Morgan County Historian Marshall Williams, (known locally as "Mr. Woody"), is unable to solve the mystery, it would seem to me the puzzle may never be solved (since he is among the most reliable, knowledgeable, and cheerful helpers I've encountered in a quarter century of research experience regarding my birth family's background (Mitchem/Mitchum) in North Carolina and Georgia ... particularly in Morgan County. Alta Mitchem Durden (near Augusta, Georgia, but born and raised in North Carolina as were my indirect ancestors who relocated to Morgan County, Georgia in the early 1800's).