New Here-Family Research

Hi, My name is Gavin aka”whitehawk” and I am a new member to the Saponi Town. I live in West Central Georgia at the present time and I was reared in Southeast Ga. near the Okefenokee Swamp. My family has connections to the Lower Creek of Georgia and The Coharie of N.C. I also believe that my Family have connections to the Saponi and Other Eastern Siouan Tribes through the Names: Roberson, Rawlinson, Kelly, Evans, Jones, Davis and Wood The Roberson line is from the Robeson Co. N.C. area. The Rawlinson Line is from the Virginia-North Carolina Border area of Granville County N.C. and from the Richland/Sumter Co. S.C. area. The Kelly and Evans line is from the Edgecombe/Halifax County N.C. area. The Jones line is from Virginia and the Halifax County N.C. area. The Davis line is from the Orange and Chatham County N.C. Area. and the Wood line is from the Bertie and Halifax County N.C. area. Other names within my Family that have Native American ties are: Ammons and West-Coharie; Redd and Kaney-Lower Creek; Rowell-supposedly Cherokee(It has been stated that the connection is Cherokee, but unsure at this time). I joined the Saponi Town Forum hoping that it will help me in my geneaolgy research into these family lines. Thank You for having this site.

In Addition:

I saw a post by Brenda Collins Dillon on the Griffin Family of Richland County S.C. and I believe that these Griffins do have a connection to the Saponi along with the Rawlinson side of my family. I know that Rawlinson is not a name that is commonly associated with the Saponi, but I will try to explain the connection here. From Studying migration patterns of various families that were considered “free persons of color” or “other free”, I have come to believe that my Rawlinson family are descendants of the Saponi. My family migrated from Virginia to N.C.(Granville Co Area) to S.C.(Richland and Sumter Co Area) and then to GA and North FL. From my research I know that the Griffins and Rawlinsons along with other surnames associated with the Saponi and other Eastern Siouan Indians like the Bunchs, Jeffries, Harris, Chavis and Jacobs were listed in the 1750 tax lists of Granville Co. N.C. as “other free” or “free persons of Color”. These families, with others, migrated from the Granville Co. area to the Richland Co. S.C. area. “John Griffins family received a 250 acres grant on the waters of the Congaree(Toms and Griffins Creek area) in the year 1764. These Griffins were part of a large free person of color community in Richland County c1790-1850.” My Rawlinson family was also recorded in S.C. records as recieving land in the same area around the same time. In 1764, William Rawlinson recorded a plat of land for 400 acres and in 1769 Benjamin Rawlinson, my 5th Grt Grandfather, recorded a memorial for 200 acres on Congaree and Wateree Rivers. In 1770, he recorded a memorial for 100 acres between Wateree and Congaree Rivers(Toms and Griffins Creek Area). Benjamin’s daughter Patience married Gideon Griffin, the son of John Griffin and Miles Bunch. Miles Bunch was the daughter of Gideon Bunch. In this area, there WAS a Large commnity of “other free” or “free persons of color”. In 1810 there were 10 Rawlinson/Rollinson families listed a “Other Free”. Also in this same area in 1810 there are several other families all living near each other listed as “Other Free” which are surnames that are associated with the Saponi, Catawba, Lumbee and Other Eastern Siouan Indians which included: Griffin, Jeffries, Harris, Evans, Scott, Jacobs, Chavis and Sweat. In a tax document from 1822 of Richland District, S.C., a list of free people of color delinquent in the personal tax expected of them included the names, Harris, Oxendine, Wilson, Locklier, Sweat, Gibson, Jacobs, Chavis, Simmons and Jones. All these families and others made up this Large “Free Person of Color” or “Other Free” Community in Richland Co. S.C. From my research of these families and their migration patterns, I am almost certain that they were descendants of the Saponi and other Eastern Siouan Tribes. I hope that I explained the connection were it is understandable. Thanks Again.