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Parentage of George ELLIOTT Sr1

From the hand written notes of Rev. James Couch Elliott (1830-1908):
"My father was born in VA or GA - not certain which - his name was Henry Hodge Elliott and his father was William Preston Elliott and his father was George Elliott, and his father was Robert Elliott. My Grandfather, Wm. P. Elliott was the youngest of seven brothers - they had one sister named Betty (Elizabeth) who married a man named Wallace - Only three of my Grandfather's brothers names are now remembered - These were George, Alexander, and Robin (Robert)"
In addition a transcript of a family bible also exists.2
Elliott Bible
Copied by Mrs. John H. Bryan March 11, 1972
From a Photostat of the Original Record

Original Owner: Robert Elliott
Present Owner: Mr. William Elliott, Arlington, Virginia

Printed in Edinburgh, Scotland by Mark and Charles Kerr, His Majesty’s Printers, Bookfeller, Glascow, MDCCXCVIL (assumed to be MDCCXCVII, 1797)

George Elliott - born in Scotland 1731, married Mary Henry in 1756.
Mary Henry was born June 28, 1732
Mary Henry, wife of George Elliott, died January 31, 1816
Mary Henry was Robert Elliott’s Mother, her first child was, Elizabeth, her second, Robert Elliott, her third, Margaret Elliott, her fourth, Alexander Elliott, her fifth, Rebecca Elliott, her sixth, George Elliott, her seventh, James Elliott, and her eighth, William Preston Elliott her last child.

Robert Elliott was born July 21st 1759, married Sarah French September 7th 1784
Sarah French was born September, 21st 1765
Sarah French Elliott died November 21, 1817
Robert Elliott died Sept 4th _____
...
Not apparently in the bible, but on the same page as the above transcript:
(Robert) Was a blacksmith and member of New Hope Community Presbyterian Church.

1804 Deed Oglethorpe/Elbert Co, Georgia3

From book, "Descendants of George Elliott, Pioneer Settler of Atlanta GA" by Janet Elliott Cain. Elbert Co, GA, Deed Book J, 1803-1806, page 67:
Deed of Gift, 21 Feb 1804, Robert Elliot, Alexander Elliott, George Elliot, & Nathan Johnson & Rebecah, his wife, of Oglethorpe Co., GA, for divers good causes and valuable considerations, give to Mary Elliot, James Elliot, & William Preston Elliot of Elbert Co., GA our right, claim & interest of the Estate of George Elliott, dec'd.
Signed Robert Elliott, Alexander Elliott, Nathan Johnson, Rebecah(x) Johnson, George (x) Elliott.
Wit: Howard Allen, Mary Allen, William McKie, W. A.D. Ewing, J.P. Regd. 17 July 1804.

1898 letter from Asbury SAYE4

"Notes From Ancestoral History Written by Asbury Saye, 1898" ;
(also published in a book about the Presbyterians in Georgia8. We are unsure at the moment which is the earliest record.)
"Our Fathers settled after emigrating to Georgia in 1777 in the county of Wilks.
They were Presbyterians and had come from the neighborhood of Carlyle in Cumberland Co., Pa. Our great grandfather Gardner, I can recollect of seeing him when I was small, was with General Washington 3 years and was in the battle of Germantown Long Island and Brandywine and probably others. After the war, he married a Miss Margaret Elliott, the Elliott's were Black-Smiths. They were detailed by General Washington to assist in making the huge chain that was stretched across the Delaware River, to prevent the British Fleet from reaching Philadelphia. The Elliotts with a few others made the first settlement in what is now Madison Co. [GA] My grandmother was born in Pa. her mother died while she was an infant. Christopher Gardner came with his Father-in-law, George Elliott, his five sons, George, John, Alexander, William and Thomas to Georgia in 178? and made the first settlement ever made in what is now Madison Co on the south fork of the Broad River. [Note by JPP: The names of the sons do not agree with the diary of Rev. James Hodge Saye, who was the uncle of Asbury Saye; Rev. James Hodge Saye gave them as Robert, Alexander, George Jr., James and William - to which LH adds see 1804 deed above.]
The Elliotts made nails to nail on the first roof on the first Presbyterian church ever organized in Georgia - Newhope Church is the oldest one organized in 1788 by the Rev John Newton, the first Presbyterian minister that ever settled in north Georgia. The Creek Indians became troublesome in 1787, my great grandfather with the Elliotts built a Fort near where Paoli now stands to protect themselves from the Inroads of the Indians.

"I can recollect my great grandfather Gardner emigrated to America from Ireland in 1775 landed at Baltimore and enlisted into the rebellion that was then taking place against the British Government, that part of the command in which he enlisted in was placed under the immediate supervision of General Washington he served three years at his first term, I don't know that he served an enlisted term any more he may had done as many others did, go out and fight a battle and get shot of the enemy and return to their homes again, he settled near Philadelphia, but soon after the war come to Georgia, after he came to this state he married his 2nd wife she beared him eleven children three boys and 8 girls the names of the boys was Asa, John, and Thomas, Asa when he grew up settled in Jasper county [GA] married a Miss Worthington after a few years emigrated to Arkansas was raising his family out there when he was killed by one of his mules kicking him, that happened in 1848. Of his family I know very little, the second son John, I became well acquainted with him, it was to his house I repaired when I left my fathers house and went to Mississippi in to what is now Lee Co. it was then Ittawamba I found my great uncle doing well. Caleb Garrett who married one of his daughters is living or was in Fort Worth Texas, the others if living I suppose is in Mississippi. Uncle John Gardner died in 1863 in the dark days of the war, Uncle Johns wife was a Miss Baker of Franklin Co., Ga.

...continues with further Gardner family details finishing..

"My grandmother [Note by JPP: Margaret Gardner Saye dau of Margaret Elliott Gardner] used to tell us that she thought she could recollect of coming over the Rock Bridge in Virginia though she was only in her third year, the Rock Bridge spans a creek 215 feet above where a small stream is running through below it is one of natures curosities, he settled in Wilks Co. the Indians were troublesome on those days, they lived in a Fort for a good while to protect themselves from the Indians, grandmother used to tell us that her and other children would be playing outside the fort and imagining they heard or saw Indians would run into the Fort for safety, after she grew up and married, her father Christopher Gardner and her husband Richard Saye removed to Franklin Co where they raised their families."

Commentary on 1898 letter from Ashbury SAYE5

Notes Nov 1990 from Charles R. Clemson of Lancaster, PA, reflecting upon the above Asbury Saye history: [According to what Joyce Poole had reported to him, Charles Clemson wrote:]
"At some time after Jan 1782, blacksmith JPP#1 George Elliott and family, including son-in-law Christopher Gardner, left Newton Twp., Cumberland Co., PA, called "Near Carlyle.
"From a distance, Newton Twp. = near Carlisle, the county seat and the noted Cumberland Valley town that had arisen early. In Conococheague Valley & watershed, Peters Twp. and near would not be expected so referred; early accounts Fort Loudon, etc., Chambers' place -- and subsequently Mercersburg and Chambersburg. (And even if away in Rev. yrs., land would keep owner on tax lists.)
[19 Sep 1997, C. R. Clemson3 said that the taxlists show William and James Hodge taxed in Newton Twp., Cumberland-PA 1780]
"The Saye account is quite lucid, but was not directly clear about Chris'r Gardner after Ire. to Balto. 1775; proceeding to PA, but, 1782 "Chris'n Garner" in multi-transcribed tax, Newton Twp. record = Christopher; marr. Mgt. Elliott by 1782.
The statement that he settled "Near Phila." [probably can be explained by] from a distance, less common for Cumberland Co. than Lancaster Co. locations; that's all (Christopher maybe came to Newton Twp., PA after 3-yr. term of service, there being calm in PA after the surrender in Oct 1781 by Cornwallis at Yorktown.)

"At 1785 and/or 1786, and probably for a year or more, they were at Rockbridge Co., VA, as Geo. Sr's gr.dau, Mgt. Gardner, recalled seeing the rock bridge when in her "third year," and (her mother dying at her birth) she was born "29 Jan 1783" in "Cumberland Co., PA."

"In (or by) 1787, they arrived in GA, location has been clear [forks of the Broad Rivers in what was then Wilkes Co., may have become Elbert Co. and then Oglethorpe Co., is now in Madison Co.].
Other sources mention the fort at Paoli built by the Elliotts in this area to protect themselves from Indian attacks.
"The chain used to block the Delaware River: when was it constructed? Need to nvestigate. The Battle of Brandywine where Saye said Christopher Gardner served was on 11 Sep 1777; 4 Oct 1777 was Battle of Germantown (Philadelphia) with Geo. Wash. not successful, after which the British in Phila. brought the British fleet up the Delaware R. Was chain constructed during the Valley Forge winter of 1776-1777?"
[End of Charles Clemson's letter.]

Diary of Rev James Hodge SAYE (1808-1892)6

Joyce advises that the recollections of Rev. James H. Saye tells of his Elliott ancestors moving from PA, to Rockbridge Co., VA, and into the Broad River Forks of Wilkes Co., Georgia after the Revolution.
"She was the daughter of Christopher and Margaret Gardner, was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, January 29, 1783. Her mother died when she was born; she was taken by her maternal grandmother, Mrs Mary Elliott, wife of George Elliott.
"Mr Elliott was a weaver by trade and settled upon the main road leading from Washington, Ga., in the direction of Bush's Fort on Hudson's Fork. There my mother principally grew up among a people engaged in the labors and excitements incident to new settlements and exposed to the dangers of Frontier life in the face of savage and wiley enemies."
James' daughter Harriett STUCKEY stated7 that George Elliott came to Pennsylvania from Ireland before the Revolutionary War ... married Mary Henry also from Ireland ... (cf the family bible of his son Robert which states George Sr was born Scotland)

Source list:

1. Handwritten notes of the Rev James Couch ELLIOTT, online in WorldConnect db ("mothball") of Curtis ELLIOTT
2. Bible transcript(with some explanations), a picture of the transcript is also available
3. Transcript of a Feb 1804 deed, signed Jul 1804, between George Sr's widow and children: online in ancestry tree of cathydmc(Prattville, Alabama) - attached media (Click here if you have ancestry access)
4. Asbury SAYE's 1898 notes: typescript copy from gr gr granddaugher Sherrie Clemens (Santa Ana, CA) to Joyce Poole, Dec 1983.
(see also 2005 GenForum message from Patricia SAYE)
5. Commentary on above SAYE 1898 letter by Charles R. Clemson of Lancaster, PA, received by Joyce POOLE Nov 1990
6. Diary of Rev James Hodge SAYE (1808-1892) and memories of his daughter Harriet Tallulah STUCKEY.
Diary last believed to be in possession of a Robert Stevens of Darlington, SC who was writing a history of colonial wars and the Revolution, unpublished by 2007.
7. Letter dated 7 Feb 1983 from Mary L Stuckey to Joyce Poole with quotes from reminiscences of her great grandfather, the Rev James Hodge SAYE
8. "Historical Sketches, Presbyterian Churches and Early Settlers in Northeast Georgia" by Rev. Groves Harrison Cartledge. Rev. Cartledge says that his Elliott family history came from Rev. James H. Saye of Chester Co., SC