THE WHIDDON FAMILY

Lott Whiddon, his wife Judea and four children settled about a mile from Irwinville, on lot 41, in 1824.

Lott Whiddon was the son of William Whiddon who came from England to South Carolina, and married Mary Eason. They moved to Emanuel county where Lott, Eli, Dempsey, John, William, Unie, Winnie, Feraby, Susie and Betsy were born. Lott was born Dec. 26, 1796; he married Judea Dorminy, who was born in Emanuel county, Oct. 28, 1796. She was the daughter of John Dorminey, who married Rachael Bradford. The Dorminy's were of German descent who accompanied the Salzburgers that settled in Emanuel county; Eli and John, sons of William Whiddon Sr., went to Florida. Demsey went to Washington county; William went to Alabama; Feraby married a man named Lewis; they went to Alabama. Betsy and Susie married Barwicks and remained in Emanuel county.

Lott and his wife were poor in this world's goods and rich in health and youthful habitat. They. decided to abandon their native heath and venture in the land of sunshine and opportunities. They crossed the Ocmulgee river in a flat with their hous-hold goods and other necessities and built a log house in the forest. Their children, Elias, Mary, Feraby and William accompanied them participating in all the struggles and hardships of frontier; life. A daughter was born in their new home she was named Rachael. After remaining in Irwin county some time, Lott decided to visit his old home in Emanuel county, returning with a bunch of cattle, accompanied by his father-in-law, John Dorminy. Mr. Dorminy persuaded Lott to trade him his home. and moved his family there; while Lott, in the meantime traded with Mr. Wallace for lot 39, where he built a log house near the place where the cemetery now is at Irwinville in which the remains of Walton Clement., Ora Clements and others are at rest.

John Dorminy and family occupied the place procured from Lott Whiddon, where both John and his faithwife died and were buried.

Lott Whiddon remained in Irwinville several years where Martha Vann was born, who was the first child born in Irwinville.

The old pioneers brought Sycamore trees from their native country and planted them at Irwinville where they are today.

Mrs. Judea Whiddon cut a switch from one of the trees at Irwinville using it as a riding whip, She stuck it in the ground at the place where Sycamore now stands and the city derived its name from the switch, which grew into a large , tree.

Lott Whiddon and his family moved to Sycamore, leaving Irwinville, where Dan Luke and his family then took possession of the Irwinville lot.

When Martha Vann was three months old, in 1829, they arrived at their new home. The nearest neighbors were fifteen miles away. Hat creek was an Indian camp. Their camp fires could be seen from Sycamore very plainly. The nearest court house was at Jacksonville, on the other side of the Ocmulgee River.

The first court held in Irwin county convened on the front porch, of Mr. McDuffie, where William Dorminy's home is now situated. Then a log house was built at Irwinville, which stood until replaced by a more modern frame structure that was utilized as a court house until a change of the county seat to Ocilla.

Jim Wallace moved to the place owned by the late Geo. Young; it was known as Wallace's mill, In later years, Jake Young, son of Geo. Young, moved. there built a house and resided there until he moved to Sylvester where he was killed while marshal of that town. Mrs. Wiley Branch Sr., inherited the place after her father's death. She was a daughter of Geo. Young. Her son-in-law, Ed. Ritchie, purchased the place. It! is situated on the Alapaha river with good fishing and camping grounds. and patronized by the sporting fraternity.

Lott Whiddon and family prospered at Sycamore, where Susan, Jim, Unie and Louisa Jane were born. He died June 22, 1880, at the home of his son Jim, near Little river, His faithful wife and companion died August 8, 1886, at the home of Capt. Jack Henderson, her son-in-law, who had become proprietor of the old homestead that Lott and his wife had converted from the piney woods into a habitable settlement. They both were buried at Hickory Springs. They were the first settlers that crossed the Alapaha river.

Elias Whiddon, the eldest son of Lott Whiddon, married Nancy Fletcher, daughter of Joe Fletcher. They settled four miles north of Sycamore at a place called Peckville, where both died with measles and were buried. Their children were: Judy, Polly, John, Lott, Susie, Jim, Millie and Rachel. Judy married _afe Lambert. They had no children. Polly married Zara Paulk, father of Jesse and Geo. F. John and Lott died in the war. Susie married Dave Clements, of Irwin County, Millie married James Paulk, Jr. Of Irwin county. She died. She was the mother of J.M. Paulk, of Tifton, Cashier of the Citizen's Bank, and Ivey Paulk, both deceased. Jim , the youngest son of Elias Whiddon, son of Lott, married Frankie Gibbs. She died, leaving Rachel, who married Tim Paulk near Ocilla; Kate, married ______ Brown, of Sycamore, Henry and Judy.

Rachel, daughter of Elias married Jim Pate, of Cordele Their children are: Mary, John and Zacharia. Mary, the oldest daughter of Lott Whiddon married Manasseh Henderson, son of Uncle Dan Henderson. They purchased land from Ashley Hamilton, son of Ben Hamilton. Ashley had the first saloon in Ashburn after whom Ashburn was named. His father Ben Hamilton, was a wealthy farmer and land agent at the place where Cordele -now stands. He sold the land to Joe Brown, the War Governor, and the father of "Little Joe" Brown, Governor of Georgia.

Mary and her husband began life in a very humble cottage, with cattle she received from her parents and some he owned. They were thrifty an accumulated wealth, land and stock. He died directly after the war. She lived almost a century. becoming afflicted with small-pox, to which she succumbed at her home near Ashburn in 1909, attended by her nephew, Elias Whiddon and family, They had no children.

General John C. Breckenridge spent the night at that house, when Jeff Davis was captured next morning. He slept with his gun loaded lying near him He never removed his clothes. Davis was captured and Breckenridge escaped, re- turning to Kentucky after the war.

Feraby daughter of Lott Whiddon, married Captain Dan Hender son, brother of Manasseh. He represented Irwin county in the legislature in the early seventies. She became the mother of a large and influential family of children. (See Henderson's )

William; son of Lott Whiddon married Elizabeth Ford, daughter of Green Ford. Their children are : Silvia, Elias, Green, Beatrice, Robert Mary and Augustus.

Silvia married a Mr. Hobby. They have several children.

Elias married Mattie Bass. Their children are, Kyle, Pauline, Laura and Ossie.

Green married Lucy Culpepper. They have several children.

Beatrice married Wm. Tanner; he died. She then married N. G Houston.

Robert married Miss Dunn. He killed Rev. I.M. Lawson, and shot himself near Ashburn in September, 1911.

Mary married Chap Cox. They have several children.

William Whiddon died in 1903.

Rachel, daughter of Lott married George Paulk son of Jacob. She died in 1868, leaving a large family (See the Paulk's )

Martha Vann married Micajah Paulk brother of George. He was known as Loldy. He died in 1891. leaving a large family., She still resides in the old log house, now renovated, that was built by her husband when they first married, sixty years ago, near Willacoochee creek. She became the mother of a large family.

Susan, another daughter of Lott married John Jackson Henderson, eon of old John Henderson. She has become the mother of a large, prosperous family. Her son, Jim, represents Turner county. Her daughter, Unie, married Thomas Young.

Jim, son of Lott, better known at present as ' Uncle Jim," of Whiddon's Mill, married Lucy Branch daughter of Dave Branch, a pioneer of Appling county. They lived at Waterloo until after the war, when they settled at the place they still occupy, near Little river. They had a. large family- some died-those that remain are, John J., Dave W., Dempsey, Jim Buck, William Lott, Frank, Unie, Juilia, Reecy and Georgiana.

John Jackson, oldest son of Jim Whiddon married Jane Sumner, the daughter of Dan Sumner. Their children were John, Elsa, Daisy and Dolly. John married Eva Culpepper, of Sumner.

Elsa married Lizzie Aiken, daughter of W. Akin, of Tift county. She died.

Daisy married Peter Rape. Dolly has never married.

David W. married Pricilla Young, daughter of Tom Young, of Worth county. Their children are, Albert, Alonzo, Alice. Clifford and Tommy,

Albert married Mattie Seagraves; Alonzo married Annie Lou Leach; Alice married Dr. Wm. Tyson, of Chula. Clifford and Tommy are single.

Jim Buck married Molly Paulk daughter of Jesse Paulk. Their children are: Cecil, Nichols and Della. Cecil married Sally Wheeles, of Tifton. He was flagman on the ill-fated ''Dixie Flyer." Wrecked ....... Eer, Green, were all that were saved of the whole train crew. Dempsey, son of Jim Whiddon married Narcissa Vickers, daughter of Rev. Jack Vickers. Their children are: Annibell, married Preston Whaley; Arthur married Nora Phelps; Martha , who married Tullie Sutton who wa killed by Wm. Sumner in 1910. The jury exonerated Sumner declaring it a justifiable homicide. Ava married Jim Akin. Lester, Mary, Lott and more small ones single.

William, son of Jim Whiddon" married Jane Easters, daughter of Wm. or Buck Easters. Their children are.

Mille, married Bruce Betts,' of Berrien county, formerly of Virginia.

Jim Buck, married Miss Griffin; Mattie, married Elias O'Quinn; Hattie, married Albert Carmichael. Duncan and Lucy, single. Walton, dead.

Lott, son of Jim Whiddon married Emma Fletcher. Children small.

Frank, youngest son of Jim Whiddon married Mary Young, daughter of crippled Jake Young They have no children. Unie, daughter of Jim Whiddon, married John Vickers, son of Rev. Jack Vickers They settled near Little River then moved to Moultrie

Julia daughter of Uncle Jim Whiddon, married Tom Perry. Their children are: Pocahontas, Jim and others. They moved to Quitman.

Reecy, daughter of Jim Whiddon, married James Goodwin. Their children are. Mary, who married

John Rooks, and Jim, not married.

Georgian, daughter of Uncle Jim Whiddon married George Cravy. son of Wm. Cravy, who emigrated from Telfair county. Their children are: Eveline, who married Walton Paulk, John who married Leona Leseuere; Solly, who married Cora Jones; Ora, who married Wm. Branch, son of Dyke ; Jim, Nathan. Watkin, Abraham and Joe, all single.

Unie, -daughter of Lott Whiddon married Walton. Clements. (See Clements.) Louisa Jane, youngest daughter of Lott Whiddon married Wm. Branch, or Big Bill. (See Branches.)

These are the immediate descendants of Lott and Judea Whiddon .

1911.

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(A correction was made in the next issue;)

Note - Owing to the fact that I was too busy to read the proof of last week's issue, a few errors appeared in the account of the Whiddon family; viz; Walton Whiddon, son of William Whiddon is very much alive; although single and may become the father of a large family; also Jehu Whiddon son of J.J. was mistaken for John and Mr. Jim Whiddon is alive but Mr. Jim Whiddon, son of Elias, is dead. We will receive all information and corrections and adjust mistakes and errors or omissions upon proper information , in order to arrange this in book form, for those desirous of purchasing the book who can register as soon as possible to avoid the rush. Smada

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