Abt 1770 - 1817
Son of William Norman and Mary Ross
Descendants of George Norman
Generation No. 1
George Norman (William4, Joseph3, Isaac2, Joseph1) was born Abt. 1774 in Virginia, and died October 1817 in Lincoln County, Ga. He married Sarah "Sally" Groce Bet. 1796 - 1798 in Lincoln County, Ga. Sally was the daughter of Jared Groce and Sarah Sheppard. She was born Abt. 1771 in Virginia, and died December 05, 1855 in Macon, Ga.
Notes for George Norman:
George Norman was the son of William Norman and his first wife, Mary Ross. We know very little about George's mother. Records of William Sheppard Norman, (George's son) in his own handwriting, state, "Mary Ross was our paternal Grandmother's name and for whom my dear Sister was named". There were Ross families in Fauquier and Prince William Counties, but no connection has been established with them.
In 1784, William Ross of Prince William County, VA left a will bequeathing all his estate to his wife, Margaret, except the lands he had in Kentucky. These lands were to be equally divided between his four sons, John, William, Benjamin and Alexander, and his grandson George Norman. In the Lincoln County, Ga deed book A 1796-1799, the following is recorded.
George Norman to trusty friend, Thomas Dallas, 15 January 1799, Power of Attorney to receive from David Lee of Prince William County, Va., what he holds as Norman's guardian. Witnessed: Samuel Davis before Gibson Wooldridge, J.P. Registered January 16, 1799. Page 184.The connection between George Norman and David Lee has not been established; and we do not know for certain that the George Norman named in William Ross' will was our George Norman, but that seems to be a very good possibility. Many of the records in Prince William County, VA were destroyed during the War Between the States so we have not been able to find further proof of George Norman's relationship to the Ross family in Virginia.
George Norman moved from Virginia to Georgia in 1793 with his father when he was about 18 years old. The family settled in the part of Wilkes County that in 1796 became Lincoln County. George was said to be a surveyor by profession, but acquired land and was a planter. George was Sheriff of Lincoln County from October 23, 1803 until October 23, 1805. He was Justice of the Peace in 1806 and again in 1813.
George's name is on the Tax Digest of Lincoln County from 1802 until 1816. He is listed in the Georgia Land Lottery of 1805, but did not draw any land. On March 30, 1805, George bought 338 acres of land on Fishing Creek in Lincoln County from his father for $332. George appears to have been prosperous as he ultimately acquired 500 acres of land, owned a number of slaves and had a two-wheel pleasure carriage.
George Norman married Sarah Groce Holt, a widow without children. Her first husband was Richard Holt who she married August 15, 1794 in Wilkes County, GA. Richard was killed when he was thrown from a horse. We have found no record of George's marriage to Sarah, but from the ages of their children , it is assumed that they married about 1796. Sarah was the daughter of Jared Ellison Groce and Sarah Sheppard. She was born about 1771 in Virginia according to census records. Her parents had moved from Surry County, NC to Halifax County, VA about the time of her birth. They migrated to Georgia in 1787. Sarah was named in her father's will, dated March 2, 1803. George Norman was one of the executors of the will. Sarah's brothers were; Jared Ellison, Jr., Sheppard, and Edmund. Her sisters were Lucy, Polly, Patsey and Betsey. Sarah's brother, Jared E. Groce, moved to Texas and was said to have been one of the richest men in the colony. Sam Houston stopped at Jared Groce's ranch to rest and feed his troops on his way to Goliad to fight Santa Ana.
George Norman died in 1817 in Lincoln County. He died intestate and Letters of Administration were granted to Sarah Norman on November 3, 1817. She was appointed guardian of their minor children. (Minute book N Lincoln County). Appraisers were appointed on the same date to make an inventory of the estate. The inventory of "the goods and chattels," shows that the home was comfortably furnished and the plantation well equipped. Among the items inventoried was a Bible valued at twenty dollars. The value of the estate, exclusive of land, was about twelve thousand dollars. The court records indicate that George died in October 1817. He was about 47 years old. George is buried in the Norman family cemetery in Lincoln County where his father, William is also buried.
After George's death, Sarah and her children continued to live on the plantation for 5 or 6 years. She was on the tax list from 1817 until 1822, and paid a tax of about $5.00 on 500 acres of land and a number of slaves. She was on the census of Lincoln County as the head of the household in 1820. Her name and that of the children were on the Georgia Land Lottery of 1821.
Sarah Norman and her children moved to Bibb County, Georgia in 1822, and were among the original settlers of Macon. Her son-in-law, Oliver Hillhouse Prince, was one of the five commissioners appointed by the Georgia Legislature to lay out the County of Bibb and the City of Macon in 1822. Oliver was a lawyer, writer and legislator. He was prominent in the affairs of Georgia, as was another of her sons-in-law, Washington Poe.
Sarah Norman was living in the household of Washington and Selina Norman Poe in 1850. On the census of that year, she was listed as 79 years old and Virginia was given as her place of birth. She died in Macon on December 5, 1855 at the age of 84 and is buried in the Washington Poe lot in the beautiful Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon. She left a will in which bequests were made to her son, William Sheppard Norman; daughter, Selina Poe and the grandchildren, Oliver and Norman Poe, Mortimer R. Wallis, Mary S. Colsey and Louise C. Cassels.
Three of George and Sarah's daughters are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. Mary Ross and her husband were lost at sea in the shipwreck of the steamboat HOME. There is a memorial in Rose Hill Cemetery dedicated to the memory of Mary R. Norman and Oliver Hillhouse Prince.
Children of George Norman and Sarah Groce are:
Generation No. 2
William Sheppard Norman (George5, William4, Joseph3, Isaac2, Joseph1) was born June 27, 1802 in Lincoln County, GA, and died February 02, 1890 in Union County, Ar. He married Martha Adeline Watts March 06, 1827 in Bibb County, GA.
Notes for William Sheppard Norman:
William Sheppard Norman was apparently named after his mother, Sally Groce's brother, Sheppard Groce. Sheppard Groce probably got his name from his mother's maiden name which was Shepherd or Sheppard. It has been spelled several ways in documents.
Children of William Norman and Martha Watts are:
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