Peter Northen (1794-1863), the first o the Northen family in Georgia, was born in North Carolina; he moved to Georgia at a young age. He served as a private in the War of 1812. In 1817, he married Louisa Maria Davis (1799-1881), the daughter of Abner Davis of Jones County, Georgia. Northen was a farmer and was very active in the Baptist Church in Jones County; he continued these interests when he moved to Penfield in Greene County. In Penfield, he was a teacher of Agriculture at Mercer University. At the start of the Civil War, Northen raised a company of infantry, known as Stocks Volunteers, Co. D., 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade of the Georgia State Troops, of which he served as captain. William Jonathan Northen (1835-1913), the son of Peter and Louisa Davis Northen, was born in Jones County, Georgia. He graduated from Mercer University in 1853 and began teaching at Mt. Zion Academy (Select School) in Hancock County in 1854. He was also a farmer and was for a time president of the Georgia State Agricultural Society. In 1860, he married Mattie (Martha) Moss Neel (1839-1918), the daughter of Thomas Neel and Nancy Veazy Neel. W.J. Northen served in the Georgia House, 1877-1878, 1880-1881, and Senate, 1884-1885, and was Governor of Georgia for two terms, 1890-1894. He was also active in the Baptist Church and was president of the Georgia Baptist Convention for 14 sessions and the Southern Baptist convention for three years. He was also active in the Business Men's Gospel Union. Shortly after his last term as governor, he became manager of the Georgia Immigration and Investment Bureau and served until about 1912. In 1910, he was appointed compiler of state records to succeed A.D. Candler, who died in that year. In this capacity, Northen was editor in part of The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia, XXII, pts. 1 and 2 (1912). He edited Men of Mark in Georgia (Atlanta, 1909-1912), 7 vols. Jonathan and Mattie Neel Northen had two children, Annie Belle and Thomas Henry. Thomas Henry Northen (1863-1904) was born in Sparta, Georgia. He graduated from Mercer University in 1883 and taught for a short time in Kirkwood, DeKalb County, but in 1892, after only a few months, moved to Atlanta and organized the firm of Northen and Dunson, a real estate and loan company. He married Mattie (Martha) Traylor, the daughter of John H. Traylor of La Grange, in 1883. They had three children: Ruth and William Jonathan, Jr. (twins) and George Traylor Northen. Annie Belle Northen graduated form Southern Female College at La Grange.
From the description of Northen family papers, 1832-1944. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 173482409
