Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Chatham County)

Chatham County, Georgia, named for William Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham, was formed from the parishes of Christ Church Paris and St. Phillip in 1777. Savannah is the county seat.

From the description of Chatham County (Ga.) estate records, 1777-1860. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 180190215

The colonial Acts of 1755 and September 29, 1773 established the creation of Militia Districts in the colony of Georgia. Under these acts, the power to create and reorganize districts belonged to the Provincial Governor. In each district, the Captain of the Company would record the names of every male between the ages of 16 and 60 within the district. This enrolled the men as members of the Militia Company. In 1792, an Act of Congress established uniform Militia laws for all of the states. Initially, Militia Districts were not numbered, but instead named after the district Captain. The Act of December 10, 1807, changed this practice, stating that all districts must be numbered. In Georgia, some districts had already been numbered, and while some of these numbers changed, others remained, leading to duplication. While the power to establish Militia Districts originally belonged to the Provincial Governor, from 1778 to 1799 that power was transferred to the state's Governor. The Act of February 10, 1799 transferred the power to establish and change Militia Districts again, this time to the officers of the Militia in each County, subject to the approval of the Brigadier General of each county. In 1819, the power to establish and change Militia Districts was given to the Inferior Courts of the Counties, with an 1840 amendment requiring that the Governor be notified of all changes immediately. After a shift of power and the abolishment of Inferior Courts, the creation and changing of Militia Districts in Georgia fell to the Ordinaries of each county.

From the description of Georgia Milita Districts census records, ca. 1894. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 79470816