Brinkley Corbett
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 1745
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Parents
Father: Joseph Corbett
Mother:
Notes
General:
BLADEN CO., NC DEED BOOK 1738-1779 RESEARCHED & COMPILED BY
DIANE SMITH October 1998
OCT 8, 1769 Brinkley CORBETT of Bladen planter & Abel CORBETT planter of same.
20 lbs 100 A in Co of Bladen SW side of NW River of Cape Fear the middle marsh of
Swann's Cr includ Michael O'Don___ improv..Wit: Wm. JOHNSON, Samuel BEL___
P.39-40
BRINKLEY CORBITT
Brinkley Corbitt was born April 7, 1745 hi New Hanover. North Carolina.61 As previously stated, he is most likely the son of Joseph and Mary Corbitt. Not much has been found regarding Brinkley's early life, however he was apparently very industrious in that he started buying real estate at the age of 19. In the same area where he was living around that time were other Corbetts, namely Joseph Corbett, Abel Corbett, James Corbett and Judith Corbett. There are a lot of land transactions by them and among them taking place. They were all probably related even though the spellings of their last names differ in property records. Following are some land transactions that I found in records in North Carolina in the name of Brinkley Corbitt:
Brinkley Corbet, 9 November 1764, 100 acres in Bladen on the S.W. side of the N.W. Rver of Cape Fear on the Middle marsh of Swanns Creek - Including Michael Odums Improvements, joining the N. side of sd Creek near the Improvement.62
Warrant #572 issued October 25, 1765, by Gov. William Tryon to Brinkley Corbit & Edmonston Weir for 250 acres on head of Long Br & joins said Corbit's land. 63
Brinkley Corbeet, 200 ac surveyed November 24, 1768 by Ro Edwards, land SW of NW River & begins at a large black oak E of a large pond & W of a small prong of Plummers cr; chain carriers Joseph Corbet & Ebenezer Lowe. 64
18 October 1769, Brinkley Corbett of Bladen County, planter, sold to Abel Corbett, planter of same, for £20 proc. Money, 100 acres of land on SW side of the North West Branch of Cape Fear River the middle Marsh of Swanns Creek including Michael Odom's improvements, joining the N side of the sd creek near the improvement.65
In 1770 and 1774 there are purchases of land by others recorded in the area of Plummers Creek which contain in the description "joining land of Brinkley Corbett".66
While in his early 20s, Brinkley left the area he grew up in and moved south. In April 1770, Brinkley Corbet made a petition for a land grant of 100 acres of land on the Sweetwater Branch of Briar Creek in Georgia for use in cultivation. In the petition, Brinkley stated that he had settled in Wrightsborough Township, located in St. Paul's Parish, Georgia, and had not had any previous land granted to him. Brinkley's petition was granted on the condition that he take out a grant for the land within seven months and then register the grant with the Registrar's Office within six months of that date so "that his Majesty not be defrauded of his Quit Rents".67
This petition for land by Brinkley brings up the subject of the group known as The Society of Friends, whose members are commonly called "Quakers". Quakers immigrated to America from England, initially to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and in time some moved south to North Carolina. Because of ill treatment by the British Governor of North Carolina, some of the North Carolina Quakers petitioned to the Royal Governor of Georgia, Sir James Wright, for a land grant of some of the newly ceded Creek Indian lands. This settlement was known as Wrightsborough Township.
Parishes were a predecessor to the county system in Georgia, and St. Paul's Parish covered what is now McDuffie, Columbia, Warren, Glascock and Richmond Counties. There were at one time eleven parishes along the eastern boundary of Georgia. Within a Parish were divisions called Townships, and the Wrightsborough Township included all of McDuffie County and parts of Warren and Columbia Counties. The Quaker colony of Wrightsborough (later shortened to Wrightsboro) was about 40 miles from Augusta near present day Thomson, Georgia, in McDuffie County. Wrightsborough was begun around 1767 when members of the Quaker group known as the Cane Creek Meeting in Orange County, North Carolina, applied for the land grant in the territory of Georgia. Governor Wright granted their request and 12,000 acres were reserved in the area specified as Sweetwater Creek and Brier Creek for the Quakers, and the area was then called the Quaker Reserve. They soon found that they had more settlers in the area than they had planned for, so in 1769 the Quaker leaders petitioned for more land claiming that the original petition was meant for 40 families, but that 70 families had actually settled, and they expected more. An additional 44,000 acres were granted by Royal Governor Sir James Wright. The Governor did insist that 1000 acres be laid out for a town, which was to be named Wrightsborough in his honor.
There has been no indication that any of the Corbitts have ever been Quakers, and I found one book in which the author questioned the assertion of previous scholars and writers that almost every settler in Wrightsborough was a Quaker. Indeed, in keeping with their beliefs of religious tolerance, the Quakers allowed non-Quakers to settle in the area, and the Quakers were eventually outnumbered. None of this really matters to us because Brinkley apparently never followed through with the land grant. Three months after he petitioned for the land he married and settled in South Carolina. (In March 1772 a man named John Dunn petitioned for 100 acres of land in St. Paul's Parish, Wrightsborough Township, described as "formerly surveyed for Brinkley Corbet". The petition and plat in the surveyor's office for Brinkley having elapsed, Mr. Dunn's petition was granted.)69
Brinkley met a girl from the southern part of South Carolina named Margaret Connell and on June 4, 1770, they were married. Margaret was from the Orangeburg District of South Carolina and that is where they were married.70 Brinkley may have remained in the Orangeburg area for a while, but he shows up in records in the northern part of the state for most of the 1770s and 1780s, and he and Margaret appear to have lived there during that time period. Following are some land transactions from South Carolina in the name of Brinkley Corbitt:
Brinkley Corbitt received a grant of 100 acres in the Camden District, St. Marks Parish on December 5, 1785.71 The plat attached to the grant shows the property to be a square shape, bisected diagonally with the west side labeled as "Halfway Swamp".72 The price was "Two pounds and six shillings sterling".
On June 5, 1787, for the same price of "Two pounds and six shillings sterling", Brinckley Corbitt was granted another 100 acres. I cannot tell if this land adjoins the other 100 acres but it is described as being in the Camden District on a branch of "Jack's Creek". The survey was done in 1784.73
On February 7, 1787, Brinkley Corbet was the buyer of 200 acres belonging to William Cantey in the Camden District. Then on March 1, 1787, according to the probate records of William Cantey's will, Brinkley Corbet was one of the buyers involved in the sale of property from Mr. Cantey's estate.74 There are many records of Brinkley Corbitt in the South Carolina archives. His name is misspelled more times than it isn't, and includes variations such as Beinckley, Brentley, Binkley, Brinkly, and Brintley. The Corbitt name is also abused, but we've seen that before. He is listed as having jury duty in Camden District in 1778-1779. His name is misspelled again on the list as Brenchley Corbitt.75
In the Court of Ordinary, December 17, 1773, the Last Will and Testament of Josiah Cantey of St. Marks Parish, Craven County, South Carolina, was proved by the oath of Brinkley Corbett.76
1783 - Camden District of South Carolina, Brinkley Corbett was qualified as a Petit Juror.77
Brinkley Corbett participated in establishing American Independence by serving as a Revolutionary War soldier in the South Carolina militia, and by providing supplies to the army. Revolutionary War soldiers are sometimes identified in writings by the notations "R.S." or "REV" after their names. Brinkley's service as a Revolutionary War soldier has been documented several times by descendants using his service for admission into the Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution. In 1781 and 1782 Brinkley served in the South Carolina Militia under General Francis Marion, who became famously known as the "Swamp Fox" due to his ability to elude the British in the swampy areas of coastal South Carolina. Brinkley's length of service was 35 days, and he was paid 17 pounds, 7 shillings, and 7 pence. Serving along with Brinkley were two of his brothers, James and Joseph. In addition to his service, Brinkley was also recognized for contributing several beef cattle for the use of the troops. For one of these conscriptions, being four steers with a total weight of 1,200 pounds, Brinkley was issued a receipt signed by General Francis Marion.78 In addition, on March 16, 1783, the South Carolina Commissioners of the Treasury issued an indented certificate to Brinkley Corbett for 14 pounds, 7 shillings, and 9 pence for providing a horse to Continental and State troops on July 1, 1776.79 Copies of these documents are in the South Carolina Archives, but the copy quality is too poor to reproduce. I was able to retrieve a copy of his signature on one of the receipts for payment to him. One was for the four steers weighing 1,200 pounds for the use of the troops under command of General Marion, payment received January 5, 1785.
Brinkley and Margaret finally settled on the banks of the Salkehatchie River near the present day town of Barnwell, South Carolina. Barnwell was actually a section within the Orangeburg District. Barnwell later became its own district which was eventually designated as a county. Margaret was born in 1753 in the Orangeburg District, the part that later became the Barnwell District80, so this move was back to her home area.
On February 1, 1802, Brinkley Corbett, and another person named Phillip Smith, received a land grant of 1000 acres in the Barnwell area described as being "on the SW side of the Big Saltcatcher Swamp".
On October 14, 1805, Brinkley Corbett received another grant for 373 acres in the Barnwell District described as being on Miller's Swamp waters of the big Salt-ketchers".
Their plantation must have been on one or both of these land grants. Saltcatcher and Salt-ketchers are two of the varied spellings I have seen for what is now spelled Salkehatchie River. Some other court records involving Brinkley Corbett in the Barnwell area are as follows:
1810 - Tax Returns for Barnwell District, Bunkley Corbett paid 15 cents in property tax.81
1834 - There is a will of Charles Connors of Clarendon, S.C. who leaves land to his wife, including 584 acres bought by Connors from Brinkley Corbitt. (No date is given when the land was purchased from Brinkley or where it was located.)
As mentioned earlier, Brinkley had a brother, Benjamin, who moved to Louisiana and settled in the Catahoula Parish there. I cannot determine if the following references are for our Brinkley or his son of the same name, but one of them, taking after predecessor Joseph Corbitt, was industrious enough to start a ferry service across the Mississippi river in the area just north of the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi and another smaller river further west down the road. The following is taken from an article in a 1932 edition of The Louisiana Historical Quarterly.82
OCTOBER TERM, concluded Oct 6, 1806.
At the October Term, 1806, in addition to the routine entries in pending law suits, we find in the minutes, signed by Judge Mahon, the following business transacted:
1. On application of Brinkley Corbett for a license for a ferry upon the Mississippi River nearly opposite the Petty Gulph, the same is hereby allowed on said Brinkley Corbett's entering into such recognizance as the law directs. (Followed by Corbett's bond, in favor of the Territory, in the penal sum of $100.00)
2. On application of Brinkley Corbett for a license for a Ferry upon the Tensas83 River, immediately on the new late marked Road leading from the Mississippi, the same is hereby allowed on the said Brinkley Corbett's entering into such recognizance as the law directs.
(Followed by the executed bond.)
The Brinkley Corbett ferries and the newly marked road, mentioned in connection with them, is the beginning of the famous old Texas Road through the southern end of Tensas Parish84, over which, a few years later, there passed many of those brave adventurers who made history in the Spanish-Mexican Territory and Independent Republic of Texas. Later still, there passed this way, in their covered wagons, numberless sturdy emigrants from Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia, and further North, who peopled the pine hills of Northwestern Louisiana and parts of the great State of Texas with an honest, hard-working, virile, fearless and God fearing citizenry.
Taking all of the life events of Brinkley's that we know about into account, our ancestor had a great impact on this country's early development for which his descendants can all be proud. Brinkley died in Barnwell District, South Carolina on December 10, 1816, at the age of 71 and is said to have been buried on his plantation on the banks of the Salkahatchie River. Margaret, his wife of 46 years, followed him in death the following year and was buried next to him.85 As far as I could determine the site of their graves are not presently known.
Brinkley and Margaret had at least five children -Brinkley Corbitt. Jr. (b. about 1775 in SC. married Sarah Unknown, most likelv moved to Clairbome Co. MS about 1805. then to Catahoula Parish. LA about 1810). Isham Corbitt (b. 1777 in SC. d. 1861. married Amelia Stokes, both are buried in Fender Cemetery near Lakeland. Georgia). Christina Corbitt (b. 1789 in SC.
married Joseph Fanning), Mary Corbett86 (b. Jan. 6, 1808, married first to unk. Hooper, then unk. Formsby), Walter J. Corbett87 (b. unk., married Sarah Cobia), and possibly another daughter -Amelia Corbitt. Another possible son was Elisha Corbitt, who will be discussed later.
The following was taken from a privately published Corbitt family history:
South Carolina,
Barnwell District
By Orsamus D. Allen, Esquire, Ordinary
Whereas Margaret Corbitt made suit to me to grant her letters of administration of the estate and effects of Brinkley Corbitt deceased. These are therefore to cite and admonish all and singular the kindred and creditors of the said Brinkley Corbitt deceased, that they be and appear before me, in the court of Ordinary, to be held at my office, on Friday next after publication hereof, to shew cause if any they have, why the said administration should not be granted. Given under my hand and seal, this fourteenth day of February in the Year of our Lord 1817, and in the forty-first Year of American Independence. Orsamus D. Allen (L.S.)
Published at Barnwell Dist (illegible) on Sunday the 23rd day of February, 1817. (signed) Grd.(?) Hagood
Following is another entry related to Brinkley's estate and his wife's actions to deal with legal matters related to him.
Citation on the estate of Brinkley Corbitt, decd.
South Carolina
Not being myself able to give the security required, I do hereby relinquish and assign to Thomas Harris(?) all my rights and title to the administration of the estate and effects which were of my husband Brinkley Corbitt deceased. Given under my hand & seal this seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventeen her Margaret (X) Corbitt
mark hand drawn seal L.S. signed A Pa???on
Some events that happened during Brinkley's lifetime
Just to put into perspective the time period during which Brinkley lived, consider the following things that occurred during his lifetime.
Presidents who served: George Washington (1789-1797), John Adams (1797-1801), Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), James Madison(1809-1817). [It is noteworthy that Brinkley was 44 years old when George Washington was first elected president.]
The following states were only territories before, but became states during his lifetime: The Original Thirteen Colonies were ratified as states (1787 - 1790), Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792), Tennessee (1796), Ohio (1803), Louisiana (1812), Indiana (1816)
Famous people who lived during his lifetime: Johann Sebastian Bach, James Edward Oglethorpe (Founder of Georgia), Benjamin Franklin, Giacomo Girolamo Casanova, Marie Antoinette, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Napoleon Bonaparte, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Hans Christian Anderson, Leo Tolstoy
Events that occurred during his lifetime:
1727-1760 Rein of King George II
1752 Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod
1754-1763 French-Indian War
1758 Haley's Comet
1760 Benjamin Franklin invents bi-focal glasses
1760-1820 Rein of King George III
1765 Steam engine invented
1769 San Francisco Bay discovered
1770 Boston Massacre - 5 killed when British fire on a mob
1773 Boston Tea Party
1774 First Continental Congress meets
1775-1783 American Revolutionary War against the British
1776 Declaration of Independence signed
1778 Congress forbids importation of slaves to America
1780 Benjamin Franklin discovers that lightning is electricity
1781 Planet Uranus discovered
1783 First hot-air balloon launched
1786 The dollar is adopted as official U.S. currency
1787 U.S. Constitution adopted by the constitutional congress
1789-1797 George Washington becomes the first U.S. President
1790 First U.S. Census; U.S. Coast Guard established
1791 Bill of Rights adopted
1792 United States adopts the Dollar as its official currency
1793 Marie Antoinette beheaded
1793 Cotton Gin invented by Eli Whitney
1794 U.S. Post Office established
1800 United States capital moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
1803 Louisiana Purchase
1804-1806 Louis & Clark Expedition
1812-1814 War of 1812 against England
Bryant W. Corbett
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 9 Feb 1857 181
Christening:
Death: 7 Oct 1917 - ( at age 60) 181
Burial: in Carter Cemetery, Echols County, Georgia, USA
Spouses and Children
1. *Rebecca Ann Carter
Marriage:
Status:
Charles Theophilus Corbett
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 1857
Christening:
Death: 1939 - ( at age 82)
Burial:
Parents
Father: James Thomas Corbett Jr
Mother: Jane Elizabeth Zipperer
David Corbett
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 1874 - Manor, Ware County, Georgia
Christening:
Death: 19 Nov 1942 - Manor, Ware County, Georgia ( at age 68)
Burial:
Parents
Father: Henry Corbett
Mother: Julia Ann Crews
Eliza Corbett
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 25 Nov 1863
Christening:
Death: 1871 - ( at age 8) 126
Burial:
Parents
Father: Franklin Corbett 182
Mother: Winnie Stuart
Notes
General:
Eliza 1863 - 1871 is buried in Hickory Grove cemetery, Lowndes Co., GA
Elizabeth Corbett
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 1897
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Parents
Father: Henry Corbett
Mother: Julia Ann Crews
Elizabeth Ann Corbett
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 1836
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Parents
Father: James Thomas Corbett Sr 70
Mother: Mary Elizabeth Peterson 70
Elzie J. Corbett
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 8 Dec 1884 - Echols County, Georgia
Christening:
Death: 7 Dec 1918 - Lake Park, Lowndes Co., Georgia, USA ( at age 33)
Burial: in Carter Cemetery, Echols County, Georgia, USA
Spouses and Children
1. *Kizzie Carter
Marriage: Abt 1906 126
Status:
Children:
1. Flossie Corbett
Notes
General:
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61174447/elzie_j-corbett: accessed December 22, 2024), memorial page for Elzie J. Corbett (8 Dec 1884\endash 7 Dec 1918), Find a Grave Memorial ID 61174447, citing Carter Cemetery, Statenville, Echols County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Delita (contributor 47315206).