The first Royal Land Grants on Sapelo Island were given to honor John Mackintosh Mohr and his oldest son William Mackintosh (McIntosh) in 1756 for their extraordinary service to General James Oglethorpe in the founding of the Colony of Georgia. They were the clan chiefs of the Borlum Mackintosh in Scotland and the clan leaders in Georgia. (They were the grandfather and great grandfather to Thomas Spalding (Spalding Clan Chief.) Georgia Counties McIntosh and Spalding are named for them.

John Mackintosh Mohr on Sapelo Island in July 1756 350 acres and 500 acres. William Mackintosh (McIntosh) on Sapelo Island 350 acres May 1756

Beginning in 1756 many of the listed below Scottish Highlanders built dwellings on Sapelo Island as shown on 1760 Brahms survey map

The following years between 1757-1759 additional Crown Land Grants were awarded on Sapelo Island to Oglethorpe’s Highland Rangers for their service in the War of Jenkins Ear: 1759 Angus Mackintosh 100 acres, 1757 Daniel MacKay 300 Acres, 1757 Hugh Clark 500 Acres, 1758 Nathaniel Clark 200 acres, 1758 Daniel Demetre 150 acres, 1757 Abraham (Abigail) Minis 500 Acres, William Harris 350 Acres, 1757 John Jagger 400 acres, 1758 John Rutledge 350 Acres, 1757 Donald Kennedy 150 acres, 1759 George McDonald 150 acres

Total 3950 acres with remaining 9520 also given as Crown Land Grant to Grey Elliott

1760 Grey Elliott 9520 Acres

1762 Patrick Mackay (MacKay Clan Chief) 9520 Acres MacKay dies in 1768 (brother-in-law William McIntosh and nephew James Spalding became executors of Sapelo estate and sold the island in 1784)

1784 John McQueen

1789 Francois Dumousay (French Sapelo Company)

1798 Richard Leake (father-in-law to Thomas Spalding)

1801 Thomas Spalding (Spalding Clan Chief) inherited 400 acres on Sapelo and a small house from his grandfather William McIntosh and several thousand acres from his father-in-law Richard Leake before eventually buying the majority of Sapelo. Thomas Spalding’s grandson William Wylly sold the last 8500 acres in 1912-1914

1912 Howard Coffin

1934 Richard Reynolds

1969‍ ‍State of Georgia

OFFICIAL STATE OF GEORGIA TARTAN: Whereas both the pattern and colors of the Georgia Tartan are a reflection of this state’s strong ties with Scotland. The pattern, or “sett,” comes from the earliest known Mackintosh tartan; it was John Mohr Mackintosh and Gen James Oglethorpe who repulsed the Spanish invaders and kept Georgia a British Colony; and Whereas, the red and light blue come from the Royal Tartan from the reign of King George II, which was worn by the Royal Company of Archers, the King’s personal bodyguards in Scotland. The green and black are from what once was the government pattern worn by Mackintosh’s troops and since has become world famous as the tartan worn by the Royal Highland Regiment, “The Black Watch”.