Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-19

Garden lots IN lie township Of savannah 800
/ Land on ~kid8wHy island. ............. 4,5DS
/ Land on Wilmington island .-.......... 1900
On IYber island ....... .... ............ .25O
On Hutchinson island ..... ........... 1900
ON Great Warsaw island. --...-....... l,Oe0
On Argyle island .... ............ s35
ON Isle Of Hope -. ............ ,2JO
ON Gittl" War-aw and Pine islands 736
GA ossabHw island .... ........ 900
On other Islands and hummOCks ........ 1850
Otherlands IN the county ....... ljQ,l5S
Total Observation-Disclosures. Isl. Olz
The area Of the county, as computed by
Maj. Tebeau, County Surveyor il, in
round numbers, 30, 900; deductng the
acres granted, leaves to the two societies
-, 1888 acres.
THE EARLY RECORDS:
To reach and locate the land thus sub
ject to the claims Of the academy aud
Union Society, Mr.. Beckett will next take
each of the l,0I7 grants above referred to,
and trace them through the colonial
records down to the Chatham county
books, which We're begun IN 11Sj, aud
having already digested the Chatham
records, il viii be an easy task to follow
The tracts to the present owners. This
accomplished, all outside must necos-
sarily be the ungranted lands, and il will
only remain for the County surveyor to
survey and designate them.
In reply to a question as to where the
ungranted lands are principally located
MIR. Beckett said that they seem 70 be
pretty well scattered over the county
For example, the farm lots contain in the
aggregate about II, 500 acres, only 9,3l5
acres Of which are covered by grants.
The garden lots contain $40 acres, but
only 900 acres are covered. 1t may prove,
however, that many Of the latter are
included in grants of two or three tracts
east Of the city, although it is quite clear
that at least three or four OF these lots,
now included within the boundaries of the
city OF Savannah, were never granted TO
any person.
DIsPOssEssING THE HOLDERS.
''What will he the effect upon parties
who have held or purchased portions of
these lands-wiil it not be u great hard
ship to dispOssess them now?" asked a
NEWS reporter.
Il do not doubt that very large tracts
still remained unclaimed and uninclOsed
but however that may be, am sure that
the gentlemen composing the board Of
trustees of these two societies will deal
generously, at least, with innocent pur-
chasers, and enable them to Sc
cure good titles for nominal con-
sideratiOns. Where lands are claimed
by parties who have simply sQuatted upon
them without shadow Of right or title,
they can hardly be expected to do other
wise than secure for the benevolent insti-
buttons which they represent the property
which Justly belongs TO them. Where a
man deliberately took possession Of land
which he knew did not belong TO him, it
can scarcely be supposed that he will
claim the right TO retain it without rem
derng a fair equivalent. ] do not think
that any man will be dealt with harshlY-
the character of these gentlemen repudi-
atGa the idea of hard deaiiuR.0
THE BOUNDARIES OF CHATHAM COUNTY.
"WiH you give me some idea OF the for
nation OF Chatham county-the area COW
cred by il, past and present-aud such
facts concerning it as will prove interest
ing TO the readers of the NEWS|'
''The trustees of the colony OF Georgia,
appointed under the charter granted to
| OglothOrpe aud associates, divided the
/ territory into towns and districts. At the
/ expiration Of the charter a Governor Gen
/ eral was appointed and colonial Legis-
/ lature organized. This Legislature in
! 1888 divided Georgia into parishes as
! the divisions were called. The
county OF Chatham. as it now exists, Is
identical almost with the Christ church
parish, formed, in the language of the
act, by the town and district of Savan-
nah, extending up the river Savannah, in
GLIDING the islands therein. as far az
the southeast boundary of Goshen; from
/ thence in southwest line TO the river
Great Ogeechee, and from the town Of
savannah eastward, as far as the mouth
Of the river Savannah, including the sea
islands to the mouth of the river Great
Ogeechee, and all the settlements on the
north side OF said river TO the western
boundaries thereof
ST. PHILLIPS PARISH.
SPY the same act st. Philips parish was
formed from the district of Ogeechee. be-
tween the Ogeechee and Midway rivers.
and late-, by the first constitution of
| Georgia, Chatham county was made up
from the whole Of Christ church parish
and that portion of st. Philips below tue
CanoOchee river, but in 1898 the Legsla-
ture OF the State of Georgia formed the
county of Bryan from the territory Of
| Chatham. and left the latter county iden-
! teal with the old parish Of Christ church"
Under the act Of the Legislature Of
Georgia of 1929 entitled IAN act to ascer-
tain, dispose or and appropriate the I'M
granted lands in the county, and 10 vest
the proceeds of the same in certain chart
table societies, and an act passed in 1886
entitled IAN act 10 alter and enlarge" the
above cited act. the trustees OF Chatham
Academy are entitled 10 the first choice of
| 10000 acres OF these lands. and the re-
mainder becomes the property Il the
pointed 10 carry ont the provisions OF
these acts, and many years ago AN Gu
gagement was made with a surveyor 70
lay out the lands. and carry the purpose
90 the law into effect, but for some reason
the work was not completed
The following table gives the approx
mate number Of grants In each decade
since 1906. and shows something Of the
progress of the county;
Years. No. OF grants.
ltHN 10 llNn tlUA
ltpo 20 100 32h
lLth 10 Iteo ...,.+.......... ,...t......... =
ltrn To leo +..t.t..t......t \
1895 10 date ...... ........... ............. 2
The date Of the first deed was oct. 81.
1880. The table covers the entire period
from then up to the present date.
10000 DEEDS AND TITLES.
Mr. Beckett bias been enabled by means
of the volumin0gs data which he has
gathered In the course of his researches
~ collect and arrange the information in
a comparatively very short space OF time.
He has already completed ~ volumes OF
records giving the title and history OF
every piece Of property IN Chatham
county from 1873 up 20 the pres
Cut tune. In the compilation Of