Many 19th-century Georgians met their end in unusual ways, and hundreds of accounts of those deaths have been published in a book.
A. Stephen Johnson, of Columbus, culled from newspaper articles published between 1820 and 1920 to compile his book, “500 Horrible Ways to Die in Georgia.” While this book cannot cover all unusual deaths, he has certainly pulled together some interesting ones.
The death articles are arranged in chronological order, with the newspapers cited, and articles are quoted verbatim. There are two indexes. One is arranged by the cause of death, such as by animals, hanging, poisoning, drowning, crushing, train wreck, murders and so on. The second index lists the name of the deceased and the counties where they died, in case you want to see if any of your kinsmen are there, or how many happened in your area. This book certainly makes interesting reading and shows that our ancestors did not live in idyllic times.
The book would be an interesting gift for the person who thinks they have everything. Self-published by the author through Booklogix, it is for sale via Amazon.com at $15.99 plus any shipping.
The story of Polly Barclay published
Robert M. Willingham, of Washington, Georgia, has published “No Mercy, the Polly Barclay Story.” It’s about a well-known local woman who was hanged in 1806 for the murder of her husband. Barclay’s story was covered inaccurately by earlier writers, but Willingham sets the record straight relying on the original records. He weaves an interesting story with information on the era, the environs, maps and the actual court records. It’s great to finally have this story accurately documented in a very readable manner. This 228-page paperback is $26 by mail from the author at 212 W. Robert Toombs Ave., Washington, Ga., 30673.
Find a Grave worth using
If you are not using Findagrave.com to look for burials of your kin, you should. You should also add information on your own people there. You can add photographs of your ancestors, their tombstones, or create a memorial burial site. It can be a great source.
Contact Kenneth H. Thomas Jr., P. O. Box 901, Decatur, Ga., 30031 or www.kenthomasongenealogy.com.
About the Author
