[Alaucha2.FTW]
Info from: Judy Crabb Roberts-Oxford, Fla.
Jim Strickland lists John's birth date as abt 1772? and his date ofdeath as abt 1840.
From Pioneers of Wiregrass, Georgia: by Huxford John O'Steen was born inNorth Carolina in 1772, a son of William and Elizabeth (Davis) O'Ste en.The family moved to Effingham County, Georgia about 1791, then to Liberty
County, thenc s to Tattnall County. John O'Steen's wife was Ada Weeks.
More children have been found since this book was printed. There were 13children in all, in cluding Ada's illegitimate daughter, Phoebe, born in1785.
John O'Steen and family moved to Wayne County in its early days, 1810 orbefore, and also liv ed awhile in Camden County. Record is found inCamden of his service as an Indian spy in th e Camden County militiaunder Major
William Bailey in 1817. When Appling County was created , he became oneof its first settlers in the 451st militia district which in those daysembra ced the whole of the present counties of Ware and Atkinson, Clinchand
Pierce Counties. He w as first Lieutenant of the militia in thatdistrict, 1821-1822, he and his family were cut ou t of Appling into thenew County of Ware, and when the new 586th district was formed out of the 451st it
included the O'Steen home in present Clinch County. He was 2nd Lieut.,of the mi litia in that district, 1830-1832. Mr. O'Steen was one of theJustices of Ware Inferior Cour t, 1829-1833.
John O'Steen died in Ware, now Clinch County, Feb. 15th, 1840, in his69th year.
Census References: 1820 Appling; 1830, Ware
From 'Families Remembered' by John Albert Burnett John O'Steen and familymoved to Wayne County in its early days, 1810 or before, and also liv edawhile in Camden County. Record is found in Camden of his service as anIndian
spy in th e Camden County militia under Major William Bailey in 1817.When Appling County was created , he became one of its first settlers inthe 451st militia district which in those days embra ced the whole of thepresent
counties of Ware and Atkinson, Clinch and Pierce Counties. He w as firstLieutenant of the militia in that district, 1821-1822, he and his familywere cut ou t of Appling into the new County of Ware, and when the new586th
district was formed out of t he 451st it included the O'Steen home inpresent Clinch County. He was 2nd Lieut., of the mi litia in thatdistrict, 1830-1832. Mr. O'Steen was one of the Justices of WareInferior Cour t,
1829-1833.
Mrs. Ada (Weeks) O'Steen was a charter member of the HIgh Bluff BaptistChurch in present Bra ntley (then Wayne) County, when it was formed onJune 30, 1819. Mr. O'Steen was baptized int o the same church May 11,1823, and on
November 8, 1823 they were dismissed by letter to joi n in organizing theKettle Creek Baptist Church in what was then Appling County, Georgia (But which became Ware County in 1825). Due to the loss of the latterchurch's
records their su bsequent church membership cannot be traced.
John O'Steen, late in life made a move with his family to ColumbiaCounty, Florida. He is sh own in the 1840 census of Columbia County.John O'Steen died in Columbia County on Feb. 15 , 1841. Ada (Weeks)O'Steen after the
death of her husband moved in with her daughter, Mrs . Robinson who livedin Camden County, Georgia. Ada (Weeks) O'Steen is shown living with he rin the 1850 Camden County census. She is thought to have died between
1850-1860. John O'S teen, and Ada (Weeks) O'Steen exact places of burialare not known.
There has been some controversy for several years over Phoebe O'Steen'sbirth being before Jo hn and Ada's marriage. During the colonial periodit was very common for couples to live tog ether and even has somechildren before
their actual marriage. Such couples were recognize d as mand and wifewho later marries when a minister was around. Ealier researchers upsetov er this birth incident before marriage have concocted several storiesabout
Phoebe O'Steen . One was that she was a half sister of Ada Weeks-this isnot true. Another is that she wa s a relative living with thefamily-also not true. Illegitimacy was a sticky issue in the co lonialperiod. A
bastardy bond would have to had been posted for any illegitimate child.Ca rteret County, North Carolina records are quite extensive and no suchbond exists for Phoeb e O'Steen. She was the daughter of John O'Steenand Ada
(Weeks) O'Steen that they had prio r to their marriage.