MILDRED SNEAD AND RICHARD SORRELLS

Both William and Charles Sorrells, and their mother, Mildred Sorrells, are shown on the 1813-27 tax lists in Madison County, created December 1811 from parts of Elbert, Oglethorpe, Clarke, Jackson, and Franklin. The family was originally in Elbert County. An 1832 deed shows Charles Sorrells sold to Richard W. Sorrells, 233 acres land in Madison County on Scull Shoal Creek, the same being part of three surveys: grant to Charles, grant to John Rogers, and grant to Colbert's Heirs [Madison Co. Deed Bk F:88].

This was land originally purchased by father, Richard in 1800, some granted to Charles Sorrells in 1810 and some purchased by Charles in 1803.  Richard W. Sorrells was the son of Charles as given in the will of Charles Sorrells in 1849.  The letters of Mary Susan Sorrells state that Richard Sorrells and his wife, Mildred, are buried on their old homeplace in Madison County, formerly Elbert County. The letters were not dated but at the time she wrote them, she stated the old homeplace was then owned by a great-great-great-grandson of Richard, A.C. Sorrells.  The compiler went to Madison County in 1981 and talked to William Archie Sorrells, a great-great-grandson of Richard W. Sorrells (1802-1855).

The grave of Richard W. Sorrells, grandson of Richard and Mildred Sorrells, is very close to Scull Shoal Creek, about 2 miles above Danielsville. Will took the compiler to the grave and said, ''My uncle, Allen Candler Sorrells died in 1947 and was the son of Howell Parks Sorrells (Charles Lee, Richard W., Charles, Richard). Howell Parks used to be the owner of the land which adjoins the property where Richard W.'s grave is located. The land where Richard is buried was in the family of Samuel H. Sorrells, brother of Howell. Howell and Samuel were sons of Charles Lee Sorrells. Will confirmed that A.C. Sorrells was the same as Allen Candler Sorrells. Charles Lee Sorrells was the only living child of Richard W. Sorrells through whom the land could have passed after Richard W.'s death in 1855. Deeds show that Richard W. owned some of the original land purchased by old Richard in 1800, and that Richard W. was living on Scull Shoal Creek when he died.

A grandson of Samuel H. Sorrells, Britt Sorrells, who has lived in the area all his life, told Will that originally there were other graves located on the same site. However, only the marked grave of Richard W. Sorrells is seen today. Britt said there were several iron fences around the graves when he was a boy. About fifty yards below the cemetery towards the creek, there was an old homestead place in ruins. Will also remembers seeing those ruins himself. Today, the remains of two old homeplaces, believed to have been those of Richard W. and Charles Lee Sorrells, can still be seen. However, Will and Britt are telling of a third old homeplace ruin, completely gone now. It is not known now exactly where Richard and Mildred Sorrells are buried, but it is believed the location is nearby.

The lands acquired by Richard and his wife, Mildred, and which then passed down through Charles and through William Alexander Sorrells, proves that they were the parents of Charles and William. Charles and William Alexander are the only known children. The compiler believes the possibility exists that there were more, although the old letters only mention these two. The compiler would be very glad to hear from descendants of Richard and Mildred Sorrells. Further information, corrections, additions, and queries are welcome.

+1       WILLIAM ALEXANDER  ², b. ca. 1774, Va; d. prior May 1841, Walton Co. Ga; m. DORCAS SANDERS, daughter of Sarah Tully and James Sanders, Sr., on 20 October 1797, Oglethorpe Co. Ga.[Marriage Bk A-B:263].   For the SANDERS family, please click http://www.oursoutherancestors.com/san-001.html.

+2       CHARLES  ², b. 10 Dec. 1776, Va; d. 12 July 1854, Walton Co. Ga; m.

1.      WILLIAM ALEXANDER ² SORRELLS (Richard), the son of Mildred Snead and Richard Sorrells, was born in Virginia ca. 1774, according to family tradition, and died prior to May 1841, Walton County, Georgia, according to Minutes 1840, pp. 22-24.

He married DORCAS SANDERS, the youngest child of Sarah Tully and James Sanders, Sr. on 20 October 1797, Oglethorpe County, Georgia [Marriage Bk A-B:263]. This is the earliest dated record found on any one of this Sorrells family in Georgia. Dorcas Sanders Sorrells was born 21 November 1779 in Surry County, North Carolina [Sanders Bible Record], and died in Walton County, Georgia prior to 4 December 1848 [Deed Bk P:218-19].It is thought that Dorcas and William Alexander Sorrells were buried on their old homeplace on Hard Labour Creek, Walton County, but the exact location is not known to this compiler [old letter of William Thomas Sorrells]. Graves are said to be unmarked.

Two records were found to determine exactly where William lived before coming to Georgia. As noted before, the record of Richard Sorrel, #5242 voucher and account in North Carolina, and Richard Sorrils on the 1782 Surry County tax list are believed to be the same person as the father of William Alexander and Charles Sorrells. It is known that William's father-in-law, James Sanders, was the same one as listed on the 1782 Surry County tax list (p. 205). James and his family were in Surry County from ca. 1774 until late 1794 when they came to Oglethorpe County, Georgia, settling on Brushy Creek. This part of Oglethorpe became Madison County when it was created in December 1811.

The first purchase deed for William in Georgia has not been found. No deed for the purchase of any land in Elbert, Madison, or Oglethorpe County was found, although the early Madison County tax lists show him owning land on Brushy Creek, and his estate papers show he owned land there. On the first Madison County tax list in 1813, William had 126 1/2 acres of land, originally granted to Colbert's Heirs. Charles Sorrells had it on later lists. This was the same land which their father, Richard, bought in 1800. No deeds were found between Charles and William, or concerning transfer of land from Richard to either of his sons. Perhaps the deeds were not recorded, or they are found on an unindexed roll of microfilm. It was not possible to check all records.

Charles and William Alexander Sorrells each had 101½ acres of land, Lot #75, 5th District, Wilkinson County, Georgia, on the first Madison County tax list. Since Charles is known to have won this land in the 1805 Georgia Land Lottery, it can be surmised that William got the land from Charles. The Wilkinson County land may have been sold, because it does not appear on later lists of the Madison County tax. Wilkinson County deeds are not on microfilm Whatever records have survived four courthouse fires are in the courthouse at Irwinton, Georgia. The Clerk of the Superior Court of Wilkinson has informed the compiler that no Sorrells appear in the indexes to land records there.

Although William entered the 1805 Lottery as a resident of Elbert County, he did not win a prize. Names of all registrants in this lottery are preserved. The early 1795-99 Oglethorpe County tax lists show George and Greene Sorrell, Samuel Sorrells, and David Sorrells, and the Sanders family. However, no Richard, Charles, or William Sorrells is listed.

On 29 November 1802 in Oglethorpe County there was a sale of the estate of James Sanders, Sr., father-in-law of William Sorrells. Among the buyers were William Sorrells, purchasing flaxseed and tooth drawers for $I.25, and Charles Sorrells, purchasing 1 table and hand bellows. On 28 February 1804 in Oglethorpe County, Received of William Sanders, administrator of the estate of James Sanders, Sr. deceased, $241.75 in full of my part of the estate of said deceased. s/William Sorrells. Wits: Hugh Batey, Charles Sorrells [Inv. & App. Bk H:3].

The will of Delila Cottle (identity unknown) was proven in Elbert County, Georgia. To daughter, Lurinna, all estate, an inventory of which she gives 9 including cloth woven and garments made for David Odam, John Hollcum, a slave in the possession of Edward Mukleroy of Oglethorpe Co., $100 due from John Jones of Montgomery Co., cows lent to Wm. and John Thomasson, Chas. Sorrells, cattle in possession of Samuel Godden of Morgan CO., all to be sold for benefit of said daughter. Wits: Nathan Williford, Joel Freeman, and William Sorrells. Signed 6 July 1808. Probated March Term, 1810, Elbert County.

According to the old letters of John Benjamin Sorrells, son of Charles, both William and Charles Sorrells served in the War of 1812. The compiler checked the National Archives, Virginia State Library, Georgia Archives, Kentucky Archives, North Carolina Archives, and the Daughters of 1812, Washington D.C. for documentation, but found none. This does not mean they did not serve, but an official record of service has not been found.

William Sorrells purchased 75 acres of land from William Sanders (son of Sarah Tully and James Sanders, Sr.). The land was granted to William Sanders in 1809 and was located in Oglethorpe County when the grant was made [Land Grant Bk G-5:541]. These facts were made known when the same land was sold from the estate of William Alexander Sorrells to Sanders W. Colbert in 1842 [Madison Co. Deed Bk I:191-192]. Also, William Sorrells purchased 200 acres from William Sanders, 8 September 1814; 59 acres granted estate of John Hodges, 50 acres from Charity Ward, and 59 acres from Sidney Anderson, all lands in Madison County, and included in the sale to Colbert. However, none of the purchase deeds of William were found.

William, Charles, and Bennett Sorrells are listed in the 1820 Madison County census. Who was Bennett Sorrells? He married Rosannah Strickland in Madison County in 1819. It is likely that he was related to these Sorrells.

William entered the 1820 Land Lottery as a resident of Adair's District, Madison County. He won Lot #35, 2nd District, Walton County. The first record for him in Walton County is dated 2 November 1827 and showed him mortgaging the land for $2000. Evidently,, he paid off the first promissory note, because he again mortgaged the land to Hay T. Landrum of Oglethorpe County plus Lot #34, 2nd District, Walton County, in 1835. This too, was paid off, because the land was part of his estate when he died in 1841. At some time, he bought 100 acres of Lot #37 from James Bell, adjacent to the other lots in Walton County. This was mentioned in one of the other deeds in Walton County. However, the deed for Lot #37 was not found in Georgia Archives; neither was the deed where William bought Lot #34 from James Anderson of Madison County.

When William died, he owned lands in Rabun, Stewart, Floyd, Cherokee, Madison and Walton Counties, Georgia. He left a sizable estate for the times. He was a hard working man and a smart one, especially in his financial dealings. It appears that he was an educated man, but he cared little for public life. It seems he and his brother, Charles, were very close, and lived near each other all their lives. Charles seems to have been extroverted, and William seems to have been the introverted brother.

At William's death, his administrators were his wife, Dorcas, his son, Wiley Jones Sorrells, and his son-in-law, William Gordon Bullock.

The estate records show William owned Lots #34, 35, and 37, 2nd District, Walton County, when he died. Lots #34 and 35 lay on Hard Labour Creek. Many descendants believe this is where William and Dorcas Sorrells lived, and that they are buried on their homeplace in unmarked graves. Homeplace site has not been located; it may not be in existence today? In 1979, the compiler visited William Dewey Melton, a descendant of the son of William, Wiley Jones Sorrells, we went to the Clegg Cemetery on Hard Labour Road, a few miles south of Monroe, Georgia in Walton County. Buried there are Bennett W. Sorrells, Dorcas Frances Bullock Clegg. James Nathaniel Sorrells, another son of William is buried nearby in the Tanner Cemetery.

Directly across the road from the Clegg Cemetery is the Towler Cemetery. The compiler deduced that William Alexander Sorrells must have lived nearby this area. Deeds show that most of William's land was sold to the Towlers after his death. A part of Lot #35 was sold to Abijah R. Towler on 27 January 1851 by John H. Sorrells, believed son of William [Deed Bk P:583A] . Previously, John H. Sorrells had purchased this land from the estate of William Sorrells on 4 December 1848 [Bk P: 218-19]. On the same date John H. Sorrells had sold to Wiley Jones Sorrells, half the lot he had just purchased [Bk P:179]. The compiler has often wondered about this transaction. Perhaps, as administrator Wiley could not buy the land outright? No record was found showing Wiley selling his part of Lot #35 to anyone.

Although Bennett W. Sorrells owned land adjacent to Lot #35 [Bk P:583A] it was another parcel, Lot #1, Ist District, which was sold from Bennett's estate to Abijah R. Towler, 3 January 1878 [Bk X,324]. Lots #34 and 37, Walton County, belonging to William's estate, were purchased by one William S. Sorrells, Jr. in December 1845. William S. Sorrells lost land by fi fa, March 1846. The Sheriff, Blake Cooper, sold these lots to Abijah R. Towler on 6 January 1847 [Bk O:481, 558].

On 8 January 1846, $163.80, was paid by voucher to a William S. Sorrells from William's estate. Identification of this William S. has now been made. He was the son of William Alexander and Dorcas Sanders Sorrells and William Snead Sorrells was the son of Charles Sorrells and Elizabeth Jones Sorrells. They were first cousins and often easy to confuse in the records.

The deeds show that the land owned by William Alexander Sorrells, during his lifetime, was owned or occupied by members of his family at various times. Among them were Charles S., Alexander H., James N., John H, and Wiley J. Sorrells. Bennett W. Sorrells owned land adjacent to Lot #35, and a William S. Sorrells, purchased Lots #34 and 37 from William's estate.

Loose papers for the families of William and Charles Sorrells may be seen at the Georgia Archives. These original papers have not been microfilmed. A researcher Mary Gene Elliott, was engaged by the compiler to search them. Most of these records have been abstracted and appear in the text pertaining to the person involved. Call numbers are: