PART 3

October 4, 1812
Nancy Sarah Higginbotham, daughter of Joseph Alexander and Mary Ann Pinkham Higginbotham was born. She later married John Spicer Braddock.

July 8, 1813
John Carroll Houston, son of Elizabeth Susannah Christopher and John Carroll Houston is born. According to genealogy records, they also had another son, Samuel C., the C. probably standing for Christopher.

October 30, 1813
Hester Ann, daughter of John David and Martha Christopher Braddock, was born. She later married Nathaniel Wilds III.

December 27, 1813
According to an abstract in Camden County, Georgia court records, John D. Braddock and John Christopher were executors on a bill of sale for slaves which Spicer Christopher sold to Dr. Lemuel Church of St. Marys, attorney for Timothy Hall, Esq. Another bill of sale from William Braddock to Dr. Church bore the same date.

1814
Alexander Jackson Braddock, son of William and Charlotte Christopher Braddock was born. He later married Isabella Higginbotham.

Mary Kempes Turnbull, who later married James Braddock Edwards, was born.

William Greenwood Christopher, son of William Bluet and Elizabeth Edwards Christopher, was born. He later Mary Floyd Broadhead.

1814
The Spanish 1814 census translated from East Florida Papers by Donna Rachel Mills into the book, First Families of Florida, lists the census by area:

John the elder’s wife was Jane Harvey.

John the younger’s wife was Elizabeth Susannah Christopher. Although they are enumerated with no children, genealogy records show that son John Carroll was born July 8, 1813.

The name of Lewis Christopher’s wife is not known.

John’s wife is Martha Christopher. Although the census shows only one child, genealogy records indicate he had five before 1814.

This is undoubtedly the father of Nathaniel Wilds who married Hester Ann Braddock.

William’s wife is Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of John Edwards and Mary Braddock Edwards. The two daughters were Martha Louise and Mary Ann.

William’s wife is Charlotte Christopher. Although only two are shown, genealogy records indicate they had five children by 1814.

Spicer Christopher Jr.’s wife is Ann, daughter of John and Mary Braddock Edwards.

Israel Pool was foreman of the Fitzgerald's plantation, Black Hammock.

Either the enumerator erred or women fudged on telling their age even back then. If she were 55 in 1814, she would have been only ten years of age when she married John Cutler Braddock, as reliable records show, in 1769.

This John Edwards is a mystery. If Mary Braddock Edwards had a son in 1815 and died at the ripe old age of 83 on January 10, 1858, as genealogy records indicate, this cannot be her husband. His age is too young to have been John’s father. And he seems a little old to be having children so young.

March 23, 1814
[EFP] In a letter to the governor, Phillip Yonge reported to the governor that Lewis Christopher mistreated a slave. The governor replied that the slave is in St. Augustine and can find a new owner to buy her.

1815
Henry Recus Edwards, son of John and Mary Braddock Edwards, was born. He later married Isabella Denham.

Esther Ann, daughter of William and Ann Braddock Berrie, was born. She later married Henry E. Holland.

February 2, 1816
According to claim Con. B 22; Dg III 643, William Berrie received a grant of "350 acres, in Duval County, on Amelia River, Cowpen Branch . . . . near the place called Orange Grove."

February 3, 1815 - June 24, 1815
[EFP] Many slaves of residents of Amelia Island and the St. Marys River escaped to Cumberland Island while British forces occupied the island. British rear Admiral Jorge Cockburn declared all slaves coming under British protection as free. Listed among several owners of the fugitive slaves were Lucy Fitzgerald, Spicer Christopher Jr., and William Christopher.

February 15, 1816
According to claim Cons. E75-b DG IV 239. "John Houston [II] claims . . . . the island and marshes of Little Talbot, bounded on the east by the sea, south, north, and west by marshes separating it from Great Talbot Island; Governor White's grant to   Spicer Christopher, 1/31/1793. Claimant is in actual possession."

According to the same claim, he ". . . petitions for his quota of lands, 2/15/1816, 500 acres at Half-moon in Pine Bluff and the remainder at Cane's Swamp on Nassau River at the head of Dam Creek. He was received as an inhabitant of this Province in May, 1813 at Fernandina, before Governor Kindelan who was visiting the city. Prior to this he was married to the youngest daughter of Spicer Christopher by Vicar Miguel Crosby. Up to the present time he has cultivated lands of his father-in-law with his Negroes. Governor Coppinger grants 715 acres, 2/16/1816, which correspond to head rights of John Houston, his wife, a white servant, and 26 slaves." The grants, which in actuality total only 705 acres, are made up of the following: " . . .160 acres at Cane Swamp on Nassau River. . . ;" "155 acres at Half-Moon Bluff on Nassau River . . . ;" ". . . 120 acres at Mill Branch, known as Dunn's Creek, on Nassau River . . . ;" and ". . . 270 acres at Pine Island, Nassau River . . ."

He was married at the time to Elizabeth Christopher, his first wife, who , according to genealogies, died in 1824. The claim shows no children in their household, yet the tombstone of their son, John Carrol Houston III gives his birth date as July 8, 1813.

In another undated claim—Con. H74—John Houston II petitioned for other lands his father-in-law had owned including 100 acres on Talbot ". . . originally granted to William Hendricks6/13/1809, who sold it to Spicer Christopher, who in turn willed it to John Houston, who is in actual possession;" another " . . . 100 acres on Talbot Island, bounded on north by lands of John Houston, east by marshes, south by Fort George Bar, and west by Talbot River, Governor White's head rights to Spicer Christopher, 4/12/1809. Claimant is in actual possession;" and another 92 acres (2 caballerias and 23 acres) at San Cristobel granted to Spicer Christopher 2/11/1792.

March 6, 1816 Ann Braddock Berrie, 36 years old, daughter of John and Lucy Cook Braddock and wife of William Berrie died and was buried in the Berrie Cemetery 300 yards W of Spring Bluff, 50 ft North of US17 in Georgia. Doris Bennett Howell has exellent pictures, not only of Ann's grave, but also of William Berrie's  on her web site at: Berrie Cemetery

June 13, 1816
James Aldridge Braddock, son of William and Charlotte Christopher Braddock, was born. He later married Winnifred Haddock.

1817
Joseph C., nine year old son of William and Ann Braddock Berrie, died..

June 29, 1817 The history of Spanish East Florida repeated itself, especially that of Amelia, when a "Patriot Army" of 55 men landed on the island and captured it without resistance. The invasion was planned and led by Gregor McGregor, a Scot who came to the United States by way of South America. His intent was to make Amelia his base of operations for taking all of Florida from Spain. He raised his "Green Cross" flag and issued a proclamation:

McGregor had hoped for the active support of Amelia Island and its surrounding area’s predominately English-speaking population. Instead, many of them joined in a local militia that fought against the invaders (as a land claim record cited later indicates Spicer Christopher Jr.  served as a sergeant in the militia’s cavalry, it is highly probable that some of his kinsmen also served). A lack of support from Amelia residents and the gradual unraveling of his small, undisciplined army prompted McGregor to bail out of the fiasco September 4th, leaving Luis Aury, a Frenchman, to run the show. Aury elected himself commander-in-chief and issued a proclamation:

Becoming uneasy with the goings on a river’s width from the United States, the President, on November 12, 1817, ordered that the invaders be removed peaceably or forcibly. The U. S. Adams, along with two brigs, a schooner, and 250 fighting men, was dispatched to the scene. The message sent to Aury was unmistakably clear :

Aury responded with a long, rambling message questioning what jurisdiction the United States had over, in his words, "this republic." The response he got made it doubly clear that he should evacuate and quickly:

Aury’s response was brief:

(the preceding citations concerning the invasion of the Patriot Army are excepted from The Florida Historical Quarterly, volume 7, issue 1, "MacGregor's Invasion of Florida" by T. FREDERICK DAVIS.)

Early in the afternoon of December 23d, about two hundred American troops landed, and the Mexican flag was replaced by Old Glory.

October 20, 1817
According to claim Con. H58; DG IV 281, Elijah Higginbotham, son of Burroughs and Elizabeth Incy Higginbotham, received a grant for "350 acres on Little St. Marys River, 7 miles from its junction with St. Marys River." Three of Elijah's several children married Braddocks.

According to unconfirmed claim H25; G&S VI 60, 121, Thomas Higginbotham, son of Burroughs and Elizabeth Incy Higginbotham,  ". . . claimed 200 acres on St. Marys River, given permission to occupy it 10/20/1817." according to claim Unc. H25; G&S VI 60, 121, Surveyor George J. F. "Clarke writes, 10/17/1818, 'Consequent to the disposition of S. S., 10/20/1817, I have given permission to Thomas Higginbotham to occupy and enjoy the use of 200 acres which are what corresponds to him and his family, in the place that suits him on the St Matys River, without injury to any other person, and are measured for him when he asks it." claim

November 16, 1817 According to claim Con. H59; DG IV 281, Joseph Higginbotham, son of Burroughs and Elizabeth Incy Higginbotham, received a grant for "300 acres on Spell's Swamp, a branch of Nassau River." Two of Joseph Alexander Higginbotham's several children married Braddocks.

December 20, 1817
Zachariah Haddock, grandfather of Winnifred Haddock, who married James Aldridge Braddock, and who had migrated from Pitt County, NC to Florida by way of Georgia, Had four sons. Zachariah, Jr., Ezekial, Joseph, and William. In consecutive unconfirmed claims H1 through H4, each had land surveyed for him in "Cabbage Swamp on the St. Mary's River."

May 5, 1818
According to undated, unconfirmed claim Unc. W13; DG V 421,Nathaniel WIlds II, father-in-law of Hester Ann Braddock, ". . . claims . . . . 184 acres on St. Marys River near the mouth of Little St. Marys River. Claimant is in actual possession. . . . Clarke certifies plat  according to S. S. of 10/20/1817, laid out for Nathaniel Wilds, captain of militia, for 184 acres . . . 5/8/1818

May 20, 1818
According to undated claim Unc. H31 made by John Carroll Houston II for land that had been granted to his father, ". . . John C. Houston petitions the governor, 3/1/1818, to confirm the grant of 700 acres, 180 of which are at Dames Point on the St. Johns River, and the rest on Star Island on the Nassau River, made to him May, 1816.  . . . Governor Coppinger makes the grant, 5/20/1818."

1819
William Monteith Braddock, son of John David and Martha Christopher Braddock, was born. He later married Jane Christopher.

William Berrie's wife, Ann Braddock, having died in 1816, he married widow Catherine Ann Jones Dilworth.

Julia Ann, daughter of Thomas Ellis Hardee and Mary Ann Berrie Hardee, was born. She later married John McPherson Berrian Goodbread.

John McPherson Berrian Goodbread was born. He later married Julia Ann Hardee.

January 28, 1819
[EFP]  James Bixby sued John Houston for damages in a lumber contract. Ship Yard Plantation is mentioned.

February 22, 1819
Spain sold Florida to the United States for no cost beyond the U.S. assumption of some $5 million of claims by U.S. citizens against Spain. Formal U.S. occupation began in 1821, and General Andrew Jackson, the hero of the War of 1812, was appointed military governor. A transcript of the treaty can be seen at: Florida Purchase. Florida was organized as territory March 30, 1821.

May 19, 1819
David Ogilvie, son of William and Janet Tait Ogilvie, is born. He later married Elizabeth Greenwood Braddock, then Louranah Geiger. He lived to be 101.

September 15, 1819
Mary Ann Berrie, daughter of William and Ann Braddock Berrie, married Thomas Ellis Hardee, son of John and Sarah Ellis Hardee.

November 3, 1819
According to claim Con. C 41; DG, "Juan D. Bradick, executor and representative of his wife as one of the heirs of the late Spicer Christopher, petitions for title to 600 acres at north end of Talbot Island and also another copy of their concession since the one they have is torn and almost illegible. Signed John D. Braddock, 11/3/1819."

According to claim Con. C 41; DG, "Spicer Christopher, first-sergeant of militia and cavalry, who has suffered a considerable set-back in the rebellion, petitions to exchange his land on Nassau (except 25 acres which he reserves for wood to repair his houses and fences) for an equal number of acres on Talbot between the line of William Hendrick and the north point. This land, although carrascal [black jack oak land, perhaps cutover brush] can accommodate his horses better than where they will be exposed to the insults of the rebels, if they should return. Governor grants; Aguilar attests, 11/3/1819."

The rebellion referred to was the invasion in late June 1817 led by Gregor MacGregor. Spicer, the younger, served in the militia formed to defend against the invaders.

1820
Lucy E. Berrie, 12 year old daughter of William and Ann Braddock Berrie, died.

February 21, 1821
John Edwards Wirick, son of Adam and Adeline Catherine Edwards Wirick, was born. He later married Ann Josephine Davis.

October 10, 1820
In 1812, the Spanish wrote a new constitution for its East and West Florida possessions relaxing to some extent the stringent controls imposed on the citizens. Some of this was to be accomplished through allowing local areas there own municipal governments rather than citizens having to travel to St. Augustine to conduct even the most trivial of government affairs. Eight years later, not all of the articles of the constitution, including the one concerning municipalities, had not been put into effect. The disgruntled citizenry of what is now Nassau County drew up the following petition containing more than 200 names and sent it to Governor Sebastian Kindelan of East Florida. (Some of the names were necessarily edited.)

PREFACE

PART 1

PART 2

PART4