Nimrod Lewis, GA to SC and back to GA

Nimrod Lewis always seemed like he should be really easy to find in the records, just because his name is so unusual.  This is in fact true once he gets to Crawford County GA, but his life before that is still piecemeal and his birthplace and parents are unknown.

In every census, Nimrod gives his birthplace as Georgia, as do his children in the censuses after 1880.   Based on the 1850 and 1860 census, he was probably born about 1786.  He could possibly be the Nimrod Lewis who served in Capt Bowling's militia or the 1st GA regiment in the War of 1812.  If that is the case, he was probably living then in the Greene-Hancock County area. 

He is known to have been in SC for a while, since several of his children were born there.  The 1820 Edgefield county census does have a Nimrod Lewis but the ages of the members of the family do not include anyone likely to be my Nimrod.    He has not been found in Georgia in this census.  However, if he wasn't married yet (quite possible with his first known child born in 1824), then he would be unlikely to show up on it anyway.

In 1830, there is a different Nimrod Lewis family in Edgefield County and this one does seem likely to be the correct one, especially since his neighbor is Turner Cates who was later closely associated with him in Crawford County, GA.    In 1835, he moved to Crawford County, GA, with the date established by a tax record where he claimed to have no liability for 1834 taxes, since he had not yet moved to the county.  He remained in Crawford County for the remainder of his life, dying there in 1868.

The 1850 and 1860 censuses establish Nimrod's wife as Feraby/Pheraby, probably born in SC about 1804.  There is no indication that he was previously married.  I believe that Pheraby may be the daughter of Thomas Cates of Edgefield, SC, who was also the father of Turner Cates.

Nimrod seems to have been fairly public minded, although he never ran for any kind of office.
   --He regularly served on Crawford county juries,
   --He was chosen in 1847 as part of 3-man committee to select delegates to the State gubernatorial convention
   --During the war, he helped at least two Crawford County families unrelated to him with the paperwork when their son or husband was killed.

Fortunately for me, Nimrod died intestate.  His children all signed a petition for an administrator to be appointed, giving me a list of all the children, proving that my ancestor Martha Lewis Morris was one of them, and providing the married names for two of the daughters.