Copyright 2004 Elizabeth Robertson

Presented on these pages is a recap of various information regarding the Fourth Land Lottery of Georgia, or, the 1821 Land Lottery.  This lottery was for lands ceded by the Creek Nation of Indians by treaty made and concluded at the Indian Spring.
(To view the entire Act 716 click here). The main purpose is to list the names of the lucky drawers in the lottery for Monroe County.

The original boundary of Monroe County covered all of present day Monroe County, Pike County, Lamar County and parts of Spalding, Butts, Bibb and Upson Counties.  The below lists includes all those lots with a notation added on the right columns if the lot was moved to another county. 

"All that part of said territory lying between the last mentioned line, and a line commencing at the Seven Islands, on the Ocmulgee river, and running due west forty miles, thence due south to the Flint river, shall form one other county, to be called Monroe."

(Click on Map to enlarge)

MAP OF ORIGINAL LAND LOTS(CLICK HERE)

Legend: Green Line - Monroe Co. of 1821 Land Lottery
Red:  Districts named in lottery
Black dotted line: Later moved to another county: Pike - 1821; Spalding - 1851; Upson - 1824; Butts - 1826; Bibb - 1822
Shaded area represents current Monroe County. (Scale approximate)(See map below listing current District Numbers)


    Present day Militia Districts of Monroe County.

ACT OF MAY 15, 1821.
RECAP OF ACT OF MAY 15, 1821  (For full version see the Carl Vinson Institute web page. (click here)
Authority: Act of May 15, 1821
Year of Drawing: 1821
Counties
Dooly: 16 districts (1-16)
Fayette: 4 districts ( 6,7,9,14)
Henry: 18 districts (1-18)
Houston: 16 districts (1-16)
Monroe: 15 districts (1-15)
Size of Land Lots
Dooly: 202 ½ acres (2970 feet square)
Fayette: 202 ½ acres (2970 feet square)
Henry: 202 ½ acres (2970 feet square)
Houston: 202 ½ acres (2970 feet square)
Monroe: 202 ½ acres (2970 feet square)
Grant Fee
$19.00 per Land Lot
Persons Entitled to Draw
Bachelor, 18 years or older, 3 year residence in Georgia, 3 year citizen United States – 1 draw
Married man with wife and/or minor son under 18 and/or unmarried daughter, 3 year residence in Georgia, 3 year citizen United States – 2 draws
Widow, 3 year residence in Georgia – 1 draw
Family of minor orphans, father dead, 3 year residence in Georgia – 1 draw
Family (3 or more) of minor orphans, father and mother dead – 2 draws
Family (one or two) of minor orphans, father and mother dead – 1 draw
Widow, husband killed or died in Revolutionary War, War of 1812 or Indian Wars 3 year residence in Georgia – 2 draws
Orphan, father killed or died in Revolutionary War, War of 1812 or Indian Wars – 2 draws
Child or family of children of a convict, 3 year residence in Georgia – 1 draw
Persons Excluded
Any fortunate drawer in any previous Land Lottery.
How do I find the names of the winners or more information on the lottery?
The Third and Fourth or 1820 and 1821 Land Lotteries of Georgia. Easley, SC: Georgia Genealogical Reprints/Southern Historical Press, 1973. Alphabetical listing of fortunate drawers.
The Fourth or 1821 Land Lottery of Georgia. Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas, Comp. Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1986. Alphabetical listing of fortunate drawers.
"Chapter 5. The 1821 Land Lottery" in Cadle, Farris. Georgia Land Surveying and Law. Athens, Ga.: University of Georgia Press, 1991. pp. 234-241. Historical information regarding this land lottery.

The below list of the persons drawing lots in Monroe County  was transcribed by various volunteers.  The list of those drawing lots in this lottery , including all counties - Dooly, Fayette, Henry, Houston and Monroe is on line in the USGenWeb Project Archives. (Click here).

I would suggest you verify all the information.  As in all records, the original is more accurate than a transcription.  Various books on the lottery are available at public libraries as well as the State of Georgia Archives.  Keep in mind that not all grantees had the money to purchase the lots.  Also, those eligible to more than one draw, sometimes drew lots in different counties.  Perhaps one in Monroe and another in Dooly.  Some chances for the draw were sold prior to the draw.  Others were levied on by people they owed money to.   The lucky drawers had a certain length of time to claim their winnings.  After that time the land "reverted" back to the state and the land was auctioned off to the highest bidder at a public auction in the region.  The only way to verify whether or not they actually purchased the lot is to be lucky enough to locate a deed in the county seat.  This information may be at the State of Georgia Archives( There are 35 rolls of microfilm in the State Archives on this subject).

At any rate, the below chart lists those  eligible to draw, their county of Residence, and District, Lot Number and County of Draw. 
(Reminder, this lists only those drawing lots located in Monroe County).  The last two columns on the right have been added by me to show those lots later moved to other counties as the original Monroe County was subdivided.  If you would like to know the exact location of a lot, please contact Liz Robertson.

(Please see the Reference page for dates lots were moved and the lot numbers later moved to other counties. )

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