Georgia Revolutionists were fierce in keeping the British at bay in Georgia. My 4th great-grandfather, Capt. John Cutler Braddock, as a galley commander was one of the fiercest. There were many other Georgians, however, who, by dictate of conscience, chose to remain Loyal to the Crown.
You may be surprised to learn that Benjamin Franklin's son was a staunch Loyalist. They paid dearly for their loyalty.
On August 19, 1783, the Assembly of the State of Georgia passed an Act of Attainder, Banishments and Confistication that took from all known Loyalists, property they held in Georgia and banished them from the state. Most fled to the British province of East Florida and from there to England and to British held islands in the Caribbean, primarily the Bahamas. Notice of the Act was published in the Georgia Gazette followed by a list of 225 names of Georgia Loyalists.
The list included the last Royal Governor of Georgia, Sir James Wright, Lt. Gov. John Graham, and members of their council along with all other officials of the displaced government. Many on the list went on to become successful leaders in their places of exile. One such man was William Lyford Jr., uncle to the aforesaid John Cutler Braddock. He received several large grants in the Bahamas for his service to British naval operations in the Southeast and for being one of the planners and participants of Col. Andrew DeVeaux's famous raid that drove the Spanish from Nassau in 1783. The exclusive residential resort Lyford Cay, home of international best-selling author Arthur Hailey and actor Sean Connery, is located on one of the Grants.
GEORGIA,
House of Assembly, 15th July, 1783
ORDERED, That his Honour the Governor and Council be recommended and
requested to transmit to the Executive and Legislative Powers or Departments,
in every State on the United States, a List of Persons named in their Laws so
that, by this correspondence, each State may know, or be informed from Time
to Time, what is done by each State relative to those Persons so proscribed.
Extract from the Minutes,
(Signed) JOHN WILKINSON, Clk. G. A.
In Council, Savannah, 19th August, 1783.
PURSUANT to the foregoing order of the Honourable the House of Assembly,
passed at Augusta on the Fifteenth July last past, the following Persons are
named within our Act of Attainder, Banishments and Confiscation, and stood
proscribed on that Day.
By Order of his Honour the Governor in Council,
D. REES, Sec'y. Ex. Council
A LIST of Persons on the Bill of Attainder, Banishment and Confiscation, passed at Augusta, in the State of Georgia, on the Fourth Day of May, which was in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Eighty Two, and of our Sovereignty and Independence the Sixth, to wit:
Sir J.Wright C.W.Mackinea Robert French Bart Alexan. Rose Will. Balfour John Graham C.Wright sen Isaac Downing Alex. Wright Robert Porteous Isaac Fulton L. McGillivray Jermyn Wright Acd. McNielly John Mullryne C. Wright (son James Lyle Josiah Tattnall of James) Joseph Marshal Basil Cowper J. McGillivray John Pig William Telfair Tim Barnard John Brown Alex. McGoun Issac Delyon Th. Rutherford T.Tallemach Peter Edwards David Green Sam. Douglass Roger Kelsall Ph. Hevelstine L.Johnston sen Thomas Young W.Hammond L.Johnston jun Simon Munro G. Johnston sen. Wm. Johnston Henry Munro John Johnston Samuel Farley James Spalding William Corker Ja. Alexander Alex Crighton John Corker James Butler Rod. McIntosh Wil. Mangrum John Wood Will. McIntosh Will. Durgan Robert Reid (Indiantrader) James Hunt John Storr Cha. McDonald William Young Thomas Ried John McDonald Matthew Moore Ph. Delegal sen. Don. McDonald Henry Sharp Ph. Delegal jun. Daniel McLeod Cordy Sharp John Glenn D.B. McIntosh Will. McNatt J. Bead Randel John Polson S. Montgomery John C. Lucena William Rose Benj. Brantley Nathaniel Hall John Westley Elias Bonnell Tho. Gibbons —- McKay (St. Absalom Wells John Fox jun. Andrew's) John Ferguson John Simpson of Ar. Carney jun. William Ried Sabine Fields Will Dawson Thomas Beatty Mat. Stewart Charles Watts Thomas Waters Thomas Ross Samuel Shepard Henry Williams John J. Zubly James Carson John Douglass Dav. Zubly jun. John Martin William White George Baillie (Jekyl) Sam. Williams William Wylly John Kitching Daniel Philips Campbel Wylly J.W. Williams James Gordon Levi Sheftal William Clark Abr. Wilkins James Herriott R. Demere jun. Samuel Wilkins James Graham John Proctor Jonath. Wilkins James Hume Daniel McGirt William Tidwel John Hume James McGirt Reuben Sherral Tho. Goldsmith George Aarons J. Grierson (Cl) James Wright William Willis Andrew Moore (Major) Absal. Mincey John Howard Ja. Robertson H. Cooper sen. Will. Manson H. Yonge jun. H. Cooper jun. James Ingram Joseph Farley William Cooper Edward Ashton John Foulis Philip Dell J Seymour (RJ) Tho. Flyming James Dell M. Weatherford Alex. Thomson James Pace sen. John Henderson R. McCormick Ch.F. Triebner J. Weatherford Thomas Forbes Steph. Dampier George Philips T. Brown (Cl.) Peter Blyth Alex. McLean W. Jones (Sav.) John Blyth Benj. Howard Martin Jollie Ulrick Gruber Tho. Howard Donald Fraser Joseph Johnston And. Robertson Isaac Bailleu John Johnston Don. Cameron George Kincaid William Love John Jamieson William Knox John Love William Oates John Murray John Thomas Thomas Scott Geo. Cuthbert David Russel Richard Bailey W. McGillivray Matthew Lyle John Coppinger Peter Deas Robert Miller Tho. Manson George Fox John Robertson Jacob Watson Moses Kirkland Daniel Howel And. Johnston J. Lightenstone Alexan. Carter C. Weatherford William Lyford Ro. Wolfington John Furlow Andrew Hewat William Tucker James Jackson Alexan. Inglis J. McCormick (Augusta) James Brisbane P. McCormick Will. Johnston William Miller Ro. Henderson F. Folliot (D.) William Moss Lud Mobley T. Taylor (D.) Philip Moore James Herbert Simeon Paterson William Panton James Moore Nathan. Polhill Tho. Skinner Samuel Moore John Maxwell J.M. Tattnall Joseph Cornals Soloman Kemp.Contributed by: J. G. (Jerry) Braddock Sr. Charleston, SC. Author of Wooden Ships - Iron Men.