What a tangled Webb we weave- the Webb, Kelley and Hardy connection.

After finding some more information on DNA results I had decided to look into Robert Kelley a bit further. I don't believe my Hardy's are from Robert Kelley Sr, but rather, his son Robert Kelley Jr is the stepfather of Gardner Hardy. Below is a discussion of what I found, and why my tree on Ancestry will be so different than the rest of them. 

Wentworth Webb Sr’s will is in Colonial Wills of Georgia (Georgia historical society online collection). The heirs named are sons Henry and Wentworth Jr and daughter Susannah in the 1771 document. Prior to his death Wentworth had claimed a headright bounty as a head of household with 6 children from the Colonial government. Also named in the will is his wife Rachel. In the will Susannah and Wentworth Jr are still minor children.

We have the married name of Rachel (named in will of Wentwoth Sr) after his death in this information. as evidenced by the following.

Records of Effingham County, Georgia Containing Annals of Georgia Vol. II and Effingham County Legal Records from The Georgia Genealogical Magazine: Part 2-Effingham County Legal Records from The Georgia Genealogical Magazine, 1976, Southern Historical Press; GEORGIA 929.3758 WILS V.2

 Section entitled (Deed Book “C-D”) page 43

“(p.11)  JESSE MIXON, BENJAMIN COOK, WILLIAM COOK, ROBERT KELLY and MICHAEL PHILLIPS, all of Eff. Co., “joint-heirs of Rachel Shorter, dec’d”, to HENRY WEBB of same county, oldest son of said Rachel Phillips.  Deed of Gift dated March 15, 1793, conveying “all such goods and chattels as were laid off for his use by his grandmother, Rachel Shorter, dec’d., viz: Mare, saddle and bridle, horned cattle, feather bed and furniture. Wit: Robert McCall, James Gill.” 

So we know that Rachel, the widow of Wentworth Webb Sr is now Rachel Phillips in March of 1793. By September 1793, Henry Webb and Wentworth Webb Jr have also died as evidenced by this information from Georgia Annals.

Wentworth Webb, Sept 25, 1793, Executor: Robert Kelly. Jesse Mixon enters caveat against Robert Kelly, who is also made administrator of the estates of Henry Webb, Rachel Shorter and Co. Caveators reason that Robert Kelly was co-equal heir of Wentworth Webb. Signed by William and Benjamin Cook and Rachel Philips.

Wit.: Christian Treutlen, J. P., and Abraham Ravot, J. P. “Mr. Robert Kelly not being pleased with the Openian, prays for an appeal.” Appraised by Robert Scott McKeen and William

Cone.

Examining the claims of September 1793, we have the following information. Heirs to the estate of Wentworth Webb Jr and Henry Webb would only be his siblings and nieces and nephews or mother, so the fact that Jesse Mixon, Benjamin Cook, William Cook and Rachel Phillips are protesting Robert Kelley managing all three estates would mean they feel they are entitled to part of the estate. Additionally, as a cousin, Robert Kelley wouldn’t likely be an heir, so this implies that Robert Kelley (Sr.) is married to a sister of Wentworth Webb Jr.

Benjamin Cook was born in 1760, probably in the Carolinas. His father was James Cook. He married the daughter of Wentworth Webb Sr.  They had four known children, Wentworth, Nancy, Lisbon and Lewis.

Jesse Mixon was born in South Carolina in 1744, the son of John Mixon IV, of Darlington District, South Carolina. It is not known who his mother was. He died in Yazoo County, Mississippi about 1832. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War in South Carolina, serving in Captain Robert Lide's Company of Volunteers, which was organized on October 5, 1775.

He received a small land grant in 1785 in Beaufort District, South Carolina, located on Matthews Bluff, near the Savannah River. He moved to Effingham County, Georgia before 1790, and later, to Bulloch County, Georgia. County records of Effingham County indicate he was Administrator of the estate of Henry Webb and Rachel Shorter which he applied for in October 1793. Researchers have him with two wives, the second started having children in 1790. It is reasonable to assume that his second wife, first name unknown was another daughter of Wentworth Webb Sr.

Michael Phillips is the husband of Rachel Shorter the widow of Wentworth Webb Sr.

This leaves the following information for the heirs of Rachel Shorter and Wentworth Webb Sr.

Rachel, his widow subsequently married to Michael Phillips.

Wentworth Webb Jr, died in 1793.

Henry Webb (eldest son) died in 1793.

Daughter married to Benjamin Cook.

Daughter married to Jesse Mixon.

Daughter married to Robert Kelley Sr.

6^th child, unknown sex.

Susannah who was under 18 in 1771 (women didn’t have to be 21 to be of legal age if I am correct), would be of child bearing age by 1793, she could easily be the wife of any of the three men, but we don’t know which one. The 6^th child is no longer living by the time that Rachel Shorter has passed away. Additionally, it appears that at the time of her death, Rachel Shorter had no other heirs.

Robert Kelley Jr in 1821 becomes the guardian of Gardner Hardy and George Hardy, two of the three sons of the deceased Robert Hardy. In 1820 in Bulloch county Robert Kelley has four sons under 10, I believe that two of them are Gardner Hardy and George Hardy. December 21, 1813 Robert Hardy in the Savannah Chronicle advertises that he will not be responsible for any credit or debts for his wife Rebecca Hardy who has abandoned his bed and board. By 1814, Thomas Hardy, the eldest son of Robert Hardy is given guardianship to Sheppard Williams, the Uncle of Robert Hardy. It is my opinion that Rebecca Hardy had George W Hardy (either December 1814 or December 1813) who also resides in Coffee County, Alabama.

In 1850 we find Robert Kelley Jr in Coffee County, Alabama with wife Rebecca who is born in 1791. The other Kelley’s in Coffee county are Jacob, who appears to be a brother or cousin to Robert Kelley Jr, Robert Kelley III (whose age is 1810-1825 depending on the census, looks to be truly born in 1820 time frame), William N. Kelley age 16, William M J Kelley age 36, Henry Kelley age 30, and CWC Kelley age 31, all of these are born in Georgia, indicating at least that Robert Kelley resided in Georgia until 1830, though I suspect that the family moved to Coffee County around in the latter part of the 1830’s and just isn’t in the 1840 census as the births of the children are in Alabama after 1837 for Robert and his sons children. We know Gardner Hardy arrived and married in Coffee county by 1837.

We have no idea yet what the surname of Rebecca Hardy is, but DNA results for almost all the testers are strongly showing a connection to the Bobo family (Spencer and Tilman primarily) for many of the descendants whose common link is Gardner Hardy and his wife Harriet.  DNA also shows a strong relationship for three of the great great granddaughters of Gardner Hardy to descendants of Robert Kelley, supporting my theory.