Col. Benjamin Whitaker

Colonel Benjamin Whitaker served in the Georgia Militia. Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives for about ten years, he married the daughter of his friend David Emmanuel, Governor of Georgia. His plantation was in Jefferson Co. Georgia. Much of his time was spent in Milledgeville, the then capital of Georgia.

Benjamin Whitaker was born to Eliphalet Whitaker and Ruth Bayles of Somerset Co., New Jersey on March 17, 1765. Eliphalet Whitaker was the youngest son of Jonathan Whitaker I. of England born circa 1690, and was born in Huntington, Long Island, New York.

Benjamin Whitaker drew land in the Ga. Land Lottery in 1799 - 60 acres.

Benjamin Whitaker's plantation was in Jefferson Co., Georgia approximately two and one-half miles from Louisville off the Old Augusta Road (Middleground Road) near Lambert's Big Creek and bounded by Warnock property and Beatty property. Nearby were "Mount Pleasant" plantation owned by Roger Lawson, "Woodlawn Plantation" owned by William Lowery, "Woods Mill" plantation owned by Robert Fleming, and the families of Carswell, Hancock, and McCullers. The name of his plantation is not known.

Gov. David Emanuel's property and that of the Lewis family were on Shaver's (Shaeffer's) Creek near the Burke Co. line. These properties were bounded by the lands of John Patterson, William Patterson, Samuel Little, John Morrison, and William Read. David Emanuel was granted the first ceded Indian land. His grant on Shaver's Creek was in 1765 and 1766.

The colonial history of the Emanuel and Whitaker families in Georgia is almost a blank due to the destruction or records during Sherman's March to the Sea and several fires in the Burke Co. Courthouse.

Benjamin and Ann Emanuel Whitaker had nine children. Sons Benjamin Eliphalet and David Emmanuel Whitaker did not live very long and left no male descendants. Son Eli Daniel (author's ancestor), who married Amel Jane McCullers and Elizabeth Watters, had three sons before his death at about forty-one years old. One of his sons died young.

His son Benjamin Emanuel Whitaker had five daughters and one son who had no children. Son William Watters Whitaker was our great grandfather and had five sons to carry on the name.

It is highly possible that Benjamin Whitaker had another plantation in the Pine Hill Area. It is known that wealthy plantation owners often had homes at Pine Hill at this time. He possibly got land in Hancock Co. in a draw.

The year before his death, Benjamin Whitaker was an electorate to elect the President. For eleven years he spent up to three months each year in Milledgeville due to the fact that he was Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1806 to 1816. He was a person of wealth and influence, and was a teacher in his youth.

In his will made July 1820 and probated 3 Sept 1821, he mentions wife Ann, daughters Elizabeth Whitaker, Mary Clements, Ascenith Ann Whitaker, Nancy Whitaker, and Rebecca Jane Frances Whitaker, and sons David Emmanuel Whitaker, Benjamin Eliphalet Whitaker, and Eli Daniel Whitaker. Executors were sons David Emmanuel Whitaker and Benjamin Eliphalet Whitaker. [Son Eli Daniel was ten years old.] Son David inherited his grandfather David Emmanuel's land - 350 acres. Son Benjamin inherited his grandfather Eliphalet Whitaker's land. Son Eli Daniel inherited his father's plantation 295 acres, lying on Lamberts Creek and also other land containing 295 acres.