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| Birth: | About 1770 in North Carolina |
| Death: | About 1862 in , Randolph Co, GA |
| Sex: | M |
| Father: | Wiley Taylor |
| Mother: | Sarah Rigby |
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| Residence: Georgia About 1790 |
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Individual:
Allens father was Wiley Taylor. He did not take the name of his
father, but instead took the name of his mother Rigsby. He di thispartly because Sarahs father had two girls and no son to carry on thename and partly because the Rigsby name had some privlege with it.
The present form of this name evidently came from Rigby which itself came from Rigbi. It is probable, however; that its orgin came from thewords "Riggs" and "By". Riggs is a Danish word meaning wealthy ordenoting a steep elevatio, a range of hills or the upper part of sucha range. "By" means a dewelling. a village, or town when used as aterminationand is Danish orgin. The name Riggsby then would denote adweller among or by or on hills or mountains. This family came intoEngland with William the Conqueror and it is probable that the nameRiggsby was conferred upon those of his soldiers who came from amongthe hills and that all of the people bearing this name do not come ofone common ancestor.
The name Rigsby is derived from Rigby which was derived from Rigbi. The family came from Normandy into England with Willliam theConqueror. The first Norman killied in the battle of Hastings wasnamed Rigby. From England they came to North Carolina and frequentmemtion is made if them in the Colonial Records of the State. It isprobable that the "s" was added to the name there because fo thehatred and comtempt felt for Sir Richard Rigby because of his positionso antagonistic to the colonies in the British Parliment, he at thattime being one of its members.
Orgin of the surname Rigsby is discussed in L. W. Rigsby's "Historic Georgia Families".
Enlarging on his comments, Rigby is of Scandinavian-Belgin origin, and is listed in
Lancashire, England, in the 11th century, Domesday Book, with the reference from Old
Norse as hrygg-r, meaning a ridge; plus by-r, meaning a dwelling or farmstead. In the 14th
century, this name is found as Riggeby and Rygby in Yorkshire. This name is also established in Cheshire, Eccleston parish, wwhere HarrockHall has been the residence of a distinguished family of this descentof our branch of the Rigsby family from the fammily from Harrock Hall.
The Scandinavian origin perhaps accounts for the physicxal characteristics of our Allen Rigsby in the 19th century, when he isdescribed as having fair hair, fair complexion, and blue eyes.
Although many published resources, including books, journals, quarterlies, microflims, microfiche, etc., have been researched by theauthor; and, even though three highly qualified researchers in NorthCarolina were retained to aid in this research, the parentage of AllenRigsby remains elusive, and no clue has been found to prove a linkbetween him and any other Rigsbys. Records of Orange County, NorthCarolina, during the early years of Allen's life were burned; thus ,no documents relative to his parents' identity have been found. Nodeeds for establishing residency were located.
Allen Rigsby was born in North Carolina but his Parentage is uncertain. Allen Rigsby, U>S> Rifles (Cap. Thomas A. Smith) enlistedJune 12, 1809 by Leutenant Thomas Spencer for five years. He served inthe war of 1812 and was a sergant in Captain Abraham Massias Companybeing dicharged at Camp Point Peter, near Wilmington in N. C. He wasalso known as "Andrew". He was a farmer, cooper, school teacher andhad a deep sense of religion, being ordained and serving as deacon inthe Baptist Church.He died in Randolph County, Georgia about 1862. Heand his wife Margarett were both buried at Rocky Mount ChurchCemetery.
It has been proved from the War of 11812 records that Allen Rigsby was born in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1770, as stated in hisdischarge papers.
Only one other reference to Allen Rigsby has been located to date in North Carolina civil records. This was in an index to the Court ofPleas and Quarter Sessions of Orange Co., North Carolina, 1777-1788:
"Part 1. Rigsbee (Rigsby) Allen
Allen Rigsbee bound to Matthew Stroud until 21 years of age."
This was dated February, 1779, when Allen was only nine years of age. Was he an orphan? Was his father killed in the Revolutionary War? Washis mother living at that time? No determination has been made. It wasunusual to have someone indentured to a man with no property, unlesshe were a relative. Only two minor references were found on MatthewStroud: In 1782,he was listed in the St. Thomas District, OrangeCounty, North Carolina, with no land, 1 horse, 3 cattle,$8.00. In1785, he was on the same tax list with no land, 1 white poll. In 1778,Matthew Stroud supervised road work near Hillsborough, North Carolina.Efforts to locate Matthew Stroud on the 1790 federal censes records ofall the southern states were unsuccessful.
Allen Rigsby's indenture would have ended in 1791, after which he apparently moved to Georgia, perhaps hiring himself out in order toget a fresh start in life. Washington County was one of the firstcounties created in Georgia, and Allen Rigsby is found there in Capt.Hooker's militia district as "Sgt. Allen rigsby." It was customary forall adult males to report for militia duty, as defense against theIndians, upon arrival in a community. Life must have been hard forAllen Rigsby; on the roll of 1793, he was listed as a defaulter inCapt. Hooker's district.(defaulter= late , not delinquent.)
Life on the frontier must have had its happier moments, for it appears from the birth date of their first child that Allen Rigsby probablymarried Margaret Johnson in 1796/97 in that part of Jackson County,Geprgia. which later became Clarke County. Jackson County was createdfrom nFranklin County in 1796, and is located just north of WashingtonCounty. Allen Rigsby is listed on the tax rolls for Jackson County in1803. However, Allen's two eldest sons list their birth county asClarke, so it may be that the county lines changed and that AllenRigsby did not move.
Using the tax rolls. it would appear that Lewis Johnson Rigsby, the third son of Allen and Margaret (Johnson) Rigsby was born inJackson/Clarke County in 11802. The ten children of Allen Rigsby arelisted in the "Historic Georgia Families". Three corrections in thislist should be noted. The family positions of John and Samuel shoul bereversed. as War of 1812 records give data on birth dates. While nodefinite proof exists, the author believes the full name of"Jefferson" should be "Allen Jefferson," because of census and deedrecords.
Thus, Samuel Rigsby was born in January 1798; John in February 1799, and Lewis Johnson in 1802, and the youngest, Wiley taylor in January1809. This does not leave enough intervening years ffor the borths ofthe ther six children, unless there were twins.
It was customary during this time frame for the eldest son to be named for his Maternal grandfather. If this holds true in this instance,Margaret's fater might possibly be a Samuel Johnson.
The tax lists for Clarke County, Georgia, were checked, and Allen Rigsby was listed in 1805, 1806,. and 1807. He also was on the petitjury list there in 1808 and 1809. His name appears in deed records in1806, 1807 and 1809/ In 1806 and 1807, he sold land on Nall's Creek.in 1809, his remaining land was sold by the sheriff. This was the yearof Allen'senlistment in the War of 1812. Allen enlisted in June, 1809,followed by his two young sons, Samuel and John (ages eleven and ten)as musician and drummer, in August, 1809. Allen's land was "levyed on"and sold by the sheriff in September, 1809.
The enlistment took place at Watkinsville in adjourning Oconee County, Georgia. All three served at Fort Hawkins (near present Macon),staying their full five-year term of enlistment, and were dischargedat Point Peter, ear Savannah, in 1814.
Both Allen Rigsby and his son John were described in their discharge papers as having "fair hair, fair complexion and blue eyes." Nodescription was given for Samuel. Allen's height was given as fivefeet ten inches, and John's as four feet nine inches (then fifteenyears of age.)
Allen's nextmove was to Walton County, just west of Oconee County, where he was listed in 1819 on the petit jury. Walton County wasformed in 1818 from Cherokee lands, so Allen Rigsby must have been one of the first settlers. In the 1820/21 land lottery of Georgia, AllenRigsby of Wagon's District was the successful drawee of 250 acres,described as land lot 54. in Section 9 of Hall County. Itr was notnecessary for a winner to live on this
awarded land, and these land certificates could be sold.
The 1820 federal census of Walton County, listing Allen Rigsby as head of household, matches the known family of Allen. No entry deed inWalton County has been located for Allen Rigsby, but in 1824, Allensold 140 acres in the third district on Beaverdam Creek, and in 11826,sold another 60 acres in the fourth district on Alcovy River. Itprobably was at this time that Allen moved to neighboring GwinnettCounty, leaving in Walton sons Samuel, John, and perhaps (Allen)Jefferson (found on deed records in 1833).
Allen Rigsby was found on the 1830 federal census in Gwinett County. Thus, he was residing there when Lewis Johnson Rigsby married inMonroe County in 1831. Allen migrated south and was found on thefederal census 0f 1840 in Marion County; in 1850, he was in RandolphCounty and in 1860, in Decatur County.
Randolph County, Georgia, 1850, 6th District, page 751, Dwelling 56, family 56.
Allen Rigsby, aged 80 male born North Carolina: Margaret Rigsby, 79 female born North Carolina.
Dwelling 80, Family 80:
Samuel Day, 45 male born Georgia, Charity Day, 43 female born georgia (daughter of Allen Rigsby); Robert Day, 21, Jno.W. Day, 18, A. R. Day,16; M. A. Day, 15; S. E. Day, 14; M. J. Day, 12.
It was in 1850 while residing in Randolph County that Allen Rigsby applied for bounty land, describing his service in the War of 1812. Hewas issued Warrent #6369 for 160 acres, dated July 1851. He requestedthat his claim be processed quickly because "of his advanced age."However, he lived another twelve years.
Allen Rigsby died at about age ninty-one or ninty-two. In "Historic Georgia Families", it is stated that both he and his wife were buriedin Rocky Mount Cemetery, Randolph County, Georgia, although no proofhas been found. In the index of cemeteries in Decatur County, Geprgia,index No. 44 lists the grave of "Rigsby;" no dates; no given name.Could this be Allen Rigsby? He had children living in both Randolphand Decatur Counties.
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- Title: GEDCOM file imported on 5 Dec 1999.
- Title: GEDCOM file imported on 13 Jan 2001.
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