Key Facts

Snapshot:	farm laborer
Parents:	unknown
Born:	circa 1818 Georgia
Last known record:	1880 census militia district 92 (map), Washington County, Georgia
Buried:	unknown

70Gilford Bedgood was born circa 18141, 18182, 18203, or 18254—depending on which census you consult. They all agree that he was born in Georgia, however.

In 1848 70Gilford owned 100 acres of pine land in Washington County, Georgia but did not own slaves, according to an 1848 tax digest, the earliest extant record I've found of 70Gilford.5

1848: 70Gilford paid tax as a resident of militia district 92 (map), Washington County, Georgia. Full page.5

The next year's tax digest (1849) shows him as a resident of nearby militia district 91.6

Although I haven't found a marriage certificate, 70Gilford married 71Lucinda ___ probably in 1849, since they had an infant daughter in 1850.4 The family may have been struggling financially, since the 1850 tax digest lists 70Gilford as a tax defaulter.7

1850: 70Gilford's family in militia district 91 (map), Washington County, Georgia. Full page.4

Tax digests suggest that 70Gilford's family may have moved frequently around southern Washington County. In 1851 they were in militia district 89,89 and in 1855 in district 92.9 By 1860 70Gilford and 71Lucinda had had four more children.2

1860: 70Gilford's family in Washington County, Georgia Full page.2

In 1867 the U.S. Congress passed several Reconstruction Acts. These Acts divided the former Confederacy into several military occupation zones, which were ruled by Union military commanders. The Acts also directed the commanding officers to register Southerners who wanted to vote in upcoming elections. One registration requirement was to swear an oath of loyalty to the United States; the obvious intent was to disfranchise any lingering Confederate resistance. 70Gilford signed his oath on 22 July 1867. It shows that he was a resident of militia district 85 (map), Jefferson County, Georgia.10 (I also attempted to find 70Gilford in the 1864 Joe Brown census. However, Jefferson County's copies are no longer extant. I didn't find 70Gilford in Washington County.)

70Gilford's Reconstruction-era voter registration oath10

The 1870 census shows them still in the same place (for a change).1

1870: 70Gilford's family in militia district 85 (map), Jefferson County, Georgia. Full page.1

In 1880 70Gilford and 71Lucinda were back in Washington County. Their daughter 35Tempie and son-in-law 34John Knight were living with them.3

1880: 70Gilford's household in militia district 92 (map), Washington County, Georgia. Full page.3

I have found no further record of 70Gilford despite searching:

•	Tad Evans' book Washington County, Georgia, Newspaper Clippings: Volume III. 1881-1890
•	Elizabeth Pritchard Newsom's book Washington County Georgia Estate Papers. This book summarizes some pre-1880 records, but the only record relevant for our discussion here is the book's summary of Wills Book B (1852-1903).
•	the index to Washington County's Inventories & Appraisements Book B (1863-1901)
•	the indices to Washington County's Letters of Administration Books A (1852-1882) and B (1882-1918)
•	Elizabeth Pritchard Newsom's book Washington County Georgia Tombstone Inscriptions
•	Leroy Lewis' book Cemeteries of Jefferson County Georgia 1792-2000

Sources Cited:

1: 1870 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Militia district 85, Jefferson County, Georgia. Page 142B, dwelling 369, family 431, Gilford Bedford household. NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 160. HeritageQuest, accessed 6 December 2010. Although I used HeritageQuest, the same record is available on Internet Archive: <http://archive.org/stream/populationschedu0160unit#page/n288/mode/1up>.

2: 1860 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Washington County, Georgia. Page 261, dwelling 776, family 756, Guilford Bedgood household. NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 140. Internet Archive, <https://archive.org/stream/populationschedu140unit#page/n263/mode/1up>, accessed 15 October 2021.

3: 1880 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Militia district 92, Washington County, Georgia. Enumeration district 125, page 258A, dwelling 1, Gilford Bedgood household. NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 170. Internet Archive, <https://archive.org/stream/10thcensus0170unit#page/n718/mode/1up>, accessed 15 October 2021.

4: 1850 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Division 91, Washington County, Georgia. Page 249A, dwelling 686, family 686, G Bedgood household. NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 87. Internet Archive, <https://archive.org/stream/7thcensus0067unix#page/n355/mode/1up>, accessed 15 October 2021.

5: Washington County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1848, Captain Harrison's 92nd district, page 18, entry for Gilford Bedgood. Ancestry.com (“Georgia Property Tax Digests, 1793-1893” / Washington County / 1848 / images 38 and 39 of 143), accessed 1 August 2013. The same record is also available on FamilySearch: <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H3-74Y7?i=419&cc=4130006&cat=307097>.

6: Washington County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1849, 91st district, page 24, entry for Guilford Bedgood. Ancestry.com (“Georgia Propery Tax Digests, 1793-1893” / Washington County / 1849 / images 48 and 49 of 137), accessed 1 August 2013. The same record is also available on FamilySearch: <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H3-7ZBJ?i=513&cc=4130006&cat=307097>.

7: Washington County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1850, defaulters list, page 63, entry for Guilford Bedgood. Ancestry.com (“Georgia Property Tax Digests, 1793-1893” / Washington County / 1850 / images 125 and 126 of 131), accessed 1 August 2013. The same record is also available on FamilySearch: <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H3-78M3?i=626&cc=4130006&cat=307097>.

8: Washington County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1851, 89th district, page 31, entry Guilford Bedgood. Ancestry.com (“Georgia Property Tax Digests, 1793-1893” / Washington County / 1851 / images 63 and 64 of 132), accessed 1 August 2013. The same record is also available on FamilySearch: <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H3-7ZL3?i=667&cc=4130006&cat=307097>.

9: Washington County, Georgia. Tax digest for 1855, page 71, entry for Guilford Bedgood. Ancestry.com (“Georgia Property Tax Digests, 1793-1893” / Washington County / images 141 and 142 of 155), accessed 1 August 2013.

10: Georgia's 1867-1868 Voter Registration Oath Books. Volume 106 (Jefferson County Book 4), page 171, entry 30, Guildford Badgood. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Returns of Qualified Voters and Reconstruction Oath Books, 1867-1869" / Oath Book / Jefferson / 18 / image 740 of 997), accessed 20 May 2012. Although I copied the image from Ancestry.com, the corresponding microfilm reel at the Georgia Archives is microfilm 296/40.