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- WILEY JONES 3 SORRELLS (William 2, Richard), born 22 September 1818, Madison County, Georgia; died 29 March 1864, Walton County, of chronic diarrhea acquired while serving in Co. K, 66th Regt. Ga. Vol. Inf. during the Civil War. He married SUSANNAH STILL (b. 10 June 1825, Ga; d. 25 June 1911, Walton Co.), daughter of Jane Martin and Benjamin Still, on 28 December 1842, Walton County[Bk D:119]. Both are buried in the Still family cemetery, Walton County. More on the Still family and the Martin family may be found http://www.oursouthernancestors.com/index.html by this compiler.
The compiler has never found a record which calls Wiley J. Sorrells a son of William Alexander and Dorcas Sanders Sorrells, but when a careful analysis was made of the records found, the only conclusion is that he was indeed their son.
Wiley was first found as Administrator of the William Sorrells estate, May 1841, Walton County. He was appointed along with Dorcas, William's wife, and William G. Bullock, William's son-in-law. Minutes 1840, May 1841 shows that James N. Sorrells, Alexander G. Bullock, et al, had their father's will annuled, so it might make sense to appoint a son administrator of the estate with the others. However, the compiler did not take this alone as proof that Wiley was William's son. A fruitless search was made for the annulled will in Georgia Archives, partly to prove Wiley and partly to prove all the other children.
The old letters preserved by Mary Susan Sorrells' relatives were very valuable, but the lists differed slightly as to William's children, and would be considered as traditional evidence. The will of Charles Sorrells (2) named his children, and no Wiley was included. At first this puzzled the compiler, because Wiley's middle name was Jones, and Charles married Elizabeth Jones. At first, it was thought that Charles and Elizabeth might be his parents, but the records soon disproved this theory. The compiler has found no evidence of a Jones ancestry for Wiley, although the possibility has not been ruled out.
The compiler searched some of the records for every member of the Sorrells family found at the time in Madison and Walton counties. Copies of all the papers in William's estate on microfilm were searched. There is no mention of Wiley's relationship. Some of the loose papers were searched and it was found that Wiley paid $2.50 (perhaps a recording fee?) for 490 acres land in Rabun County in March 1842. The land belonged to William Alexander Sorrells' estate. How did William acquire this land? When did Wiley sell it? No deeds were found to answer these questions. The above record, more than any other, means William was his father. Wiley also received $270 cash from the estate of William.
The compiler searched the deeds made by William while he was alive, and those made after his death, concerning land he owned. Also searched were deeds made by other members of this family, and the ones in which Wiley was involved; tax lists, censuses; published works; church records; marriages, cemetery records; military records, and more.
The records of the estate of Wiley Jones Sorrells on microfilm and in the loose papers show that Charles J. Sorrells, called his brother-in-law in the records, was his administrator. The will of Charles shows Charles J. was the son of Charles (2), so he was a first cousin to Wiley. It is proven that Charles was not the father of Wiley. Charles J. Sorrells (19) married Sarah Still, sister of Wiley's wife, Susannah Sorrells. See Still family at http://www.oursouthernancestors.com/index.htmlby this compiler.
There is talk among some descendants in the Walton County area about a Bible which exists listing the children of Dorcas and William Alexander Sorrells. The compiler, after many attempts, was unsuccessful in finding an authentic copy of such a Bible. However, the Bible record of Wiley Jones Sorrells was included in the hard bound edition of Our Southern Ancestors.
Some of the Heads of Households in the 1850 Walton County census were: Wiley J. Sorrells, #557, 88th Div.; Thomas Clegg, #555; John W.B. Allen, #556; John M.B. Moon, #558; James B. Jones, #559; Abijah R. Towler, #483; Bennett W. Sorrells, #1173; James N. Sorrells, #876; John H. Sorrells, #877 (apparently, John H. did not live on Lot #35 land); Seaborn Adcock, #1092; Archibald Tanner, #82; William E. Hughes, #77; Robert McCord, #59 [Wayfarers pp. 543-53]. The last three named were in Tanner's District. As shown in Deed Bk 0:431, Thomas Clegg owned land in 2nd District, Walton, adjacent to Lots #34 and 37 (land owned by William when he was alive).
This means Clegg was living very close to Wiley in 1850, making it possible that Wiley was living on the 125 acres land, one-half of Lot#35, 2nd District, which he purchased from John H. Sorrells, 4 December 1848. John had purchased it from Williams' estate. Lot #35 was won by William in the 1820 Land Lottery and was the site of his homeplace in Walton. John H. Sorrells, on 27 Jan. 1851, sold the other half of Lot #35 to Abijah R. Towler. At some time, Wiley probably sold his half, but no deed was found to know. In the 1852 Walton County tax list, Wiley J. Sorrells of Tanner's District reported 320 acres of land in the county. It is thought he moved to Tanner's District which included the area of Bethlehem later, by 1852 from the place south of Monroe.
William E. Hughes also reported 610 acres land as a resident of Tanner's District in 1852. On 3 February 1855, Wiley sold 20 acres to R. B. McCord, adjoining Hughes and McCord. Witness, Wm. E. Hughes. The Hughes family lived in the area known as Bethlehem. William E. Hughes' granddaughter, Lucy Ann Virginia Williams, married Thomas Wiley Sorrells, grandson of Wiley Jones Sorrells. Click for the Philip Hughes family here,
http://www.oursouthernancestors.com/index.html.
On 12 May 1853 William E. Hughes bought 260 acres land from Robert B. McCord, and the land was bordered on the SE by Wiley J. Sorrells, on the SW by the Appalachee River, NE by Lofton Reaves, and NW by Williamson Creek. Another deed shows Wiley sold 10 acres land, 6 January, 1860, to R.B. McCord, adjoining McCord and Wiley J. Sorrells. From the description of roads (Gainesville Rd. mentioned), the land appears to have been in the Bethlehem area.
Some of the Heads of Households in the 1860 Walton census were:H.E. McGaughey,#986; Archibald Tanner, #1005; R.M.C. McCord, #1006; Robert Hill, #1019; Wiley J. Sorrells, #1020, P.O. Tanner's Store; Minerva Hughes, #1021 (widow of William Edward Hughes); and Wilie Reeves, #1015. Down south of Monroe,: B.W. Sorrells, #628 (moved since 1850); Jacob Callahan,,#632; Abijah R. Towler, #634 (moved since 1850); Thomas Clegg, #635; Seaborn Adcock, #636 (moved since 1850); Oliver Chick, #637; Thomas Blasingame, #638 [Wayfarers:553-561]. If we assume Thomas Clegg did not move since 1850, he sure did have a bunch of new neighbors in 1860.
The deeds show Towler bought Lots 34 and 37 from William's estate, plus one-half of Lot 35 from John H. Sorrells. Perhaps Wiley sold his Lot 35 land to one of these neighbors, and it might be found in the indexes under the buyer's name. This has not been investigated yet.
When Wiley died intestate, 29 March 1864, he left 255 acres land, described as an undivided parcel of land bounded by Archa (sic) Tanner, H.H. McGaughey, and John Perry [Dec. Term, 1878, Walton Co.]. John Perry was not found in the 1860 census, but the other two were living close to Wiley Jones Sorrells in Tanner's District.
The 1870 Walton Co. census is illegible in spots. Consequently, the land he left when he died is believed to have been in Tanner's District, in the area later named Bethlehem. Wiley's widow, Susannah Still Sorrells, and his sons, John Clark Sorrells and William Benjamin Sorrells, were not found in the 1870 census (may be due to illegibility).
In 1880, John Clark and William Benjamin Sorrells were in 250th District (Tanner's). William Benjamin's old home is still standing on a dirt road called Arch Tanner Road, just off Rt. 324 in Bethlehem. However, the compiler cannot say, with certainty, that the home stands on land left in Wiley's estate. An Archibald Tanner served in the Civil War with William Benjamin and testified for him when he applied for a pension.
A. Tanner and John Perry were securities when Susannah Sorrells was made guardian of James W. Sorrells and Mary D. Sorrells in December 1878. An old house of interest is reached by coming from Barrow County on Rt. 81, crossing the Apalachee River into Walton County, taking the first turn to the left on an old dirt road. Although William Benjamin Sorrells lived across the river in present Barrow County, it was a part of Walton County until 1914. This house is only a short distance from where William Benjamin lived.
A lifetime resident of Bethlehem, Chester Pruitt, told the compiler that the house above had been known as the "Reeves Place" during his lifetime. Another researcher told the compiler that this place lay on the old Wilie Reeves tract. Note Wilie Reeves was living close to Minerva Hughes and Wiley Jones Sorrells in the 1860 census. In the early days, the main road leading to this place was known as Monroe-Gainesville Road, now known as Monroe-Loganville Road or Rt. 81. There is mention of Gainesville Road in one of Wiley's deeds.
In the front yard of this old house is a grave marked "Rufus P. Hughes, Co. C. 42nd Inf. C.S.A." Rufus was a proven son of William Edward Hughes. Since William Edward Hughes died in 1856, it is thought that Hughes was the original owner of the place. Rufus was born ca. 1839 and died 29 July 1863 and is buried there. The deeds show Wiley had land adjoining Hughes, therefore the land belonging to Wiley was in this area. For more on the Philip Hughes family see http://www.oursouthernancestors.com/index.htmlor Our Southern Ancestors, 1985, by this compiler.
Susannah Still Sorrells was listed in the 1880 census, living with her youngest children, Mary Dorcas and James Walker Sorrells, in 415th District, Vinegar Hill, Walton.In 1882, a deed shows all of them selling a part of Lot #59, 3rd District,, Walton, bounded by said Mrs. Sorrells and others. It is of record that Lot #59 belonged to Charles Sorrells in the 1831 Walton County tax list. How did Susannah and her children acquire this land? No deed was found.
The land in Wiley's estate was spoken of as if it was one undivided parcel. James Walker Sorrells, his family, and his mother were living together in Vinegar Hill in 1900 census. Susannah lived with them until her death in 1911. Mary Dorcas Sorrells Richardson, the youngest daughter of Susannah and Wiley Jones Sorrells, lived next door to them in the 1900 census.
Mary D. Richardson's will refers to the old Sorrells homestead, bounded by J.W. Sorrells, etc. The compiler believes this was the home that Susannah and the minor children lived in after Wiley's death, and was located in Vinegar Hill. It might have been the only home in Mary's memory since she was born in 1862. It is obvious there must have been more deeds. Perhaps others may be found in other loose papers or unindexed.
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1818 - 1864 (45 years)
