The Georgia Tax Digests

The Georgia Property Tax Digests at Ancestry.com are a fabulous resource! I've only just begun to scratch the surface. I've started with the Heltons and found a wealth of material. 

In order to understand just a fraction of what the GPTD can tell you, here's a quick lesson. The info is distilled or quoted from this website:

http://sos.georgia.gov/archives/what_do_we_have/taxfaq.htm#columns

"The poll tax is a specific sum to be paid by a person between 21 and 60 years of age. The age varies with legislation. This tax is levied without regard to property, and taxable persons with no land are frequently listed in the tax digests. The tax applies to males exclusively." 

In the 1825 Pike County Tax Digest, where we first see Joseph Helton, the headings are these:

Person's Name

Poll (# of men in the household 21 - 60)

1st Qual land???

2nd

3rd

Pine (what does this mean?)

County where the land lies

Water course

To whom the land joins

No. (Number--what does this mean?)

$ (Dollars of what??)

Cty (a number--quantity??)

County tax


Consider another entry from Washington County in 1830:

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=1729&iid=40141_1220705227_0569-00086&fn=Oley&ln=Prosser&st=d&ssrc=&pid=3442792

The Prossers (Prawsers) owned land that was bounded by land owned by Nathan Vinson. Nathan Vinson was a neighbor of, and bought land from, the McDaniels.  Nathan's daughter married a Colvin, which was Martha (Mattie's) maiden name. Elizabeth Prosser (Prawser) married Reuben Hicklin. Joseph served in Captain Hicklin's Company in the War of 1812. The McDaniels are closely related to Joseph; probably his stepfamily. 

Connections, connections, connections. 

And that's just from one year, one entry. 

Oh, joy! I can't wait to dig deeper for the McGuires and the Pinsons!!!!!