The Hunter Family¶
The Hunter surname appears in several South Georgia record chains. The records do not join all of them into one family. This page keeps Abraham Hunter's early line separate from the Black Hunter families documented at Barney in 1900 and 1920.
Evidence-graded branch map¶
| Proposed link | Grade | What the records support |
|---|---|---|
| Screven Abraham → Lowndes Abraham Sr. | Strong probable | Age, chronology, property dealings, and associates align; no migration instrument states continuity |
| Abraham Sr. ↔ Ann | Strong probable spouses | The 1850 household fits a married couple; no marriage or probate statement was inspected |
| Abraham Sr. → Abraham Jr. | Strong probable father-son | An 1845 Sr.-to-Jr. land transfer, nearby households, chronology, and later family material |
| Abraham Jr. ↔ Jane Bryan/Bryant | Verified couple | 1850 and later household continuity |
| Jane → John Bryan | Strong probable daughter | Her 1912 obituary names him as her father |
| Abraham Jr. and Jane → Theophilus W. | Verified | Theophilus's death certificate names both parents |
| Abraham Sr. → William G. or Hardy E. | Secondary-supported possible sons | A derivative tree states the links; dated transactions support association but not kinship |
| Abraham line → Barney Hunter households | Unresolved | No generation-by-generation bridge joins the branches |
The Abraham Hunter line¶
Abraham Hunter was associated with Screven County through 1838 and was in Lowndes County by 1840. That chronology contradicts the later claim that he moved directly from North Carolina to the Okapilco–Mule Creek area in 1823.
An 1845 reconstructed deed entry distinguishes Abraham Sr. from Abraham Jr. and records a 512-acre transfer between them. The record makes their father-son relationship strong probable, but it does not state it directly. Abraham Jr. married Jane Bryan or Bryant, the strong-probable daughter of John Bryan.
Their son Theophilus W. Hunter became a Quitman physician and helped organize subscriptions for the South Georgia Railroad. His death certificate names Abraham Hunter and Jane Bryant as his parents.
William G. and Hardy E.¶
William G. Hunter twice conveyed property to Abraham Sr. and followed the same Screven-to-Lowndes corridor. Hardy E. Hunter received land from Abraham and bought three tracts from Abraham's estate in 1855. A derivative tree calls both men Abraham's sons. Until a deed, will, estate return, Bible, or obituary states those relationships, they remain possible sons rather than proved children.
The Barney families¶
The 1900 Barney census records Dan and Mary Hunter with Augustus, Ethel, Elias, Johnson, and infant Mary. Henry Hunter, a North Carolina-born adopted son in Mary Clark's household, was another separate resident. In 1920, Barney-area schedules include Vander and Bertha Hunter with J. T., Hubert, and Ferry Lee, and Ike and Lula Hunter with nephew Jasper and nieces Dina and Delia.
These were Black Hunter families with their own household and vital-record trails. No inspected record joins them to the antebellum Abraham line. Slavery, surname adoption, and missing records may obscure earlier connections, but a surname match cannot supply the absent generations.
Related Hunter profiles
William G. Hunter’s profile follows his District 12 land dealings, militia office, Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church work, and courthouse-committee service. His proposed place as Abraham’s son remains secondary-supported; the public record does not establish his parents.
Dr. Theophilus W. Hunter’s dossier follows Abraham Jr. and Jane’s son into medicine and the South Georgia Railroad subscription effort. Jane Bryan Hunter’s profile gives the separate evidence for her Bryan or Bryant parentage.
What would settle the questions¶
The best remaining records are reconstructed Lowndes Deed Book E, pages 593–594 and 615–616; Abraham's surviving estate returns and post-fire deed recitals; Ann's reported 1853 deed to Lenora Ann Lane; Screven conveyances for the Little Ogeechee property; and parent-naming records for the Barney Hunter households.
Sources¶
- Census, deed, plat, newspaper, and death-certificate sources listed on Abraham Hunter's profile.
- 1900 U.S. census, Barney, Brooks County, Dan Hunter household and Mary Clark household.
- 1920 U.S. census, Barney area, Vander Hunter and Ike Hunter households.
- WikiTree profile
Hunter-9393, used only as a derivative child-group lead.