Pepper DNA Project

John Pepper was born of unknown parentage circa 1765. John married Hester Whaley, daughter of William James Whaley and Hannah Brewton Pound, circa 1786.

John Pepper first appears in 1793 in Greene County, Georgia, where he was recorded on the tax list as owning 63 acres of oak and hickory land adjoining Nathanial Whaley. He had no slaves. His land was valued at £7,17,6 and his taxes came to 2 shillings and 2 cents.

John was sworn in as a member of the jury in inferior court in September 1794 in Greene County, Georgia. John Pepper sued Nathanial Whaley for slander and settled at the plaintiffs cost in July 1795.

In 1796, John Pepper was recorded on the tax list for persons without property. He paid 37 1/2 cents in taxes. In 1797, 1798 and 1799, John Pepper was again recorded on the tax list as owning 100 acres of oak and hickory land, valued at £34 on the waters of W. Richland, adjoining Heard's land in Greene County, Georgia. The land was originally granted to Napeer. No slaves were recorded and only one free male. Taxes owed in 1797 were 4 shillings and 3 cents. In 1798, he owed 52 shillings and 3/4 cents, and in 1799, taxes amounted to 55 shillings.

It was ordered in November 1797 in Greene County, Georgia, that John Pepper be appointed overseer of the road leaving from Gresham's Mill to Greensborough so far as from Beaverdam Creek to the Town of Greensborough in place of Richard Sansom, who had resigned.

John was sworn in as a jury member in inferior court in January 1800.

John Pepper was also a member of the jury in a case in inferior court of the trustees of the university versus Charles Coleman and William Fitzpatrick involving a covenant in January 1800 in Greene County. The jurors found in favor of the trustees for $70.50. Again in November 1800 John Pepper was drawn as a juror in Greensborough, Greene County, Georgia, to serve at the January Term 1801 in inferior court.

John Pepper was listed as the head of a family on the 1820 census of Gwinnett County, Georgia. Based on ages, it is possible that the following were also living in the household: John Pepper, a free white male, age newborn to 10 years old, Henry Pepper, a free white male, age ten to sixteen years old, Kelly Pepper, a free white male, age sixteen to eighteen years old, Sunsberry Pepper, a free white male, age sixteen to twenty-six years old, Martha Pepper, a free white female, age ten to sixteen years of age, Hester Pepper, a free white female, over forty-five years of age. The official date of this census was 7 August 1820. John was recorded as being over 45 years old. He had no slaves.

On 22 February 1826 in Walton County, John Pepper and Samuel Whaley were mentioned in a court case in which John paid what was due to Benjamin W. Maddux, administrator of Zachariah Maddux, deceased. Samuel Whaley appeared as security. In July 1826 the jury decided John Pepper must pay Benjamin W. Maddux, administrator of Zachariah Maddux, deceased, $61.98 3/4 cents. On 25 Aug 1826, the final decision of the jury was that John Pepper must pay Benjamin W. Maddux, administrator of Zachariah Maddux, the sum of $66.93 3/4 cents, with cost of suit and 10% damage.

John Pepper sold 112.5 acres for $400.00 to Stephen James on 7 March 1827 in Walton County, Georgia.

John Pepper was listed as the head of a family on the 1830 census in Walton County, Georgia. Based on ages, it is possible that the following were also living in the household: William M. Pepper, a free white male, age ten to fifteen years old, John J. Pepper Jr., a free white male, age fifteen to twenty years old, (--?--) Pepper, a free white female age ten to fifteen years old, Hester Pepper, a free white female age forty to fifty years old. The official date of this census was 1 June 1830. John was recorded as being between 50-60 years old. He owned two slaves.

In February 1830, John was brought before the court for retailing spirits without a license. He was mentioned in a court case in which a man was accused of having betted with a slave, named Bob, who was property of John in August 1830.

On 22 Apr 1847, John Pepper sold 70 acres for $500.00 to Martha Lake.

On the 1850 slave census, John Pepper was listed as the head of household in Walton County, Georgia. The official date of this census was 1 June 1850. John was recorded as owning one fifty year old female slave.

John was listed as the head of a family on the 1850 census on 19 October 1850 in Walton County, Georgia. Hessa Peppers and Polly Peppers were listed as household members. The official date of this census was 1 June 1850. John was recorded as being 50 years old, born in Pennsylvania and owning real estate valued at $600. He was reportedly illiterate. Two mulatto children were residing with the family: Adaline, 7 years old and Carolina, 4 years old, both born in Georgia.

John Pepper made a will on 7 December 1851. Easther Pepper and granddaughter, Mariah Pepper, were listed as heirs. The text of the will in Volume J on pages 271 and 272 of the Walton County, Georgia Court of Ordinary Probate Minutes is as follows:

December the seventh one thousand eight hundred and fifty one this Declaration is my will and desire which is made known by appointing Bailey G. N. Chandler my legal Executor here unto specified the Said John Pepper Senr. doth firmly agree to will all of his property both real and personal land and tenements to his wife Easther Pepper during her natural life provided the Said Easther Pepper the wife of the Said John Pepper Senr. should give unto Mariah Pepper a grandchild of the Said John Pepper Senr. and her children a home for her and her children so long as the Said Easther Pepper the wife of John Pepper Senr. should live and then at the death of my Easther Pepper I want all of my property both real and personal land and tenements to be legally disposed of to all of my children each child to have a legal share, also the grand child that was raised by the said John and Easter Pepper which she bears the name of and title of Mariah Pepper which the said Mariah Pepper shall have a legal share as though she was my own child, exclusive of her mother or her mother, legal share at the death of the said Easther Pepper the wife of the said John Pepper Senr.

Signed and sealed in the presence of these witnesses
John X * Pepper
*his mark

Test Truman K. Smith
William Ridgeway
Harry Treadwell.

John died in or before Dec 1854 in Walton County, Georgia, leaving Hester as a widow.

John's last will and testament was proven to the satisfaction of the court in December 1854. Bailey N. G. Chandler was nominated as executor in John's estate. The appraisers were Walton Sims, Wm. Ridgeway, Solomon E. Beddingfield, Green W. Smith and George W. T. Thomas. B. G. N. Chandler renounced his executorship of the last will and testament of John Pepper on 8 January 1855.

After B. G. N. Chander renounced his executorship of John's estate, Sunsberry applied for administratorship. Sunsberry gave bond in the amount of $2000 with B. R. Fulks and his neighbor, Nathaniel Hall, as security in March 1855. In the same month, B. G. N. Chandler, Wm. Ridgeway, Sr., Truman, K. Smith, Walton Sims and Howard Thomas were appointed as appraisers of John Pepper's estate.

The appraisers certified that the appraisement was done to the best of their judgment. The appraisement bill was brought to court on 7 Mar 1855. The inventory and appraisement of the Estate of John Pepper, Sr., deceased, was as follows:

Sunsberry's bond was recorded on 8 March 1855.

In March 1860, John Pepper's sons, Parker Pepper and John Pepper, Jr., and his sons-in-law, Tilmon McDonald and Nathan Fowler, petitioned the court, because Sunsberry Pepper's securities, Benjamin R. Fulks and Nathanial Hall, had left the state and were insolvent, and because he was failing his duties as administrator and mismanaging the estate of John Pepper. In April 1860, a Rule Nisi was filed against Sunsberry as administrator of John Pepper's estate, because of his securities being insolvent. Sunsberry Pepper appeared in court to tender his new securities, Wiley W. Pearce and Wiley Reaves, and to give bond in the sum of $2000 for the administratorship of John Pepper's estate on 2 April 1860.

Because Sunsberrry Pepper had died without fully administering John's estate, and B. G. N. Chandler was dismissed from his executorship, Sewell H. McClung applied for letters of administration on 7 February 1866. The letters of administration were granted to Green W. Smith on 9 April 1866 who gave bond in the sum of $800. He then appointed appraisers William Williams, Solomon E. Beddingfield, John C. Jackson, Truman K. Smith, and Joshua T. Smith. Green W. Smith was fully empowered to act at administrator of John Pepper's estate.

On 3 September 1866, Green W. Smith appeared in court, having filed his application to sell John Pepper's land, and was given permission to sell those lands.

On 25 December 1866, the new appraisal of John's estate was recorded:

We do hereby certify that the foregoing contains a new appraisment and valuation of the goods and chattels of John Pepper deceased as produced to us by Green W. Smith the administrator to the best of our judgement and understanding. December 25th 1866

The property sold was listed on 25 December 1866 as follows:

Received of the sale (and rent) of a portion of the personal estate of John Pepper, deceased, sold and rented on the 25th day of December 1866 for cash.

December 25th 1866
G. W. Smith, Admr.

On the schedule of notes belonging to the estate of John Pepper, his son, Kelly Pepper was shown to have a debt of $108.00 from 25 December 1838, and $108.00 from 25 December 1839, as well as $55.00 from 25 December 1853. Tilman McDonald, John's son-in-law, had a debt of $3.95 from 25 December 1855. On 17 March 1868, the final credits and receipts were received in court. The account of John Pepper's estate was returned to court on 21 December 1868 in Walton County, Georgia, and the probate of John Pepper's estate was closed.

On 20 September 1870, in Whitfield County, Georgia, the heirs of John Pepper, Mahulda Pepper, Martha Pepper, and John Pepper, hired an attorney from Clarke County, Georgia, Clayborn Simms, to represent them, in an attempt to receive their due inheritance. The Court of Clark County decided in their favor.

The last probate record found, dated 5 July 1881, concerned John's daughter, Mary Conant, who had lived in Marion County, Illinois. It was determined that she was deceased, and therefore her two sons and two daughters would be the heirs to John's estate.