Other research has stated that Thomas Kicklighter brought his family to South Carolina from Germany in 1752. His only surviving son, John Frederick Kicklighter moved to Charleston and John's widow was living in Newberry District for the 1790 census. John is thought to have died between 1782 - 1790.
The above research also reports: "The sons of John Frederick Kicklighter moved to Beaufort District, South Carolina. John, the oldest son, served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from Beaufort District, St. Luke Parish, in 1806-08 and 1810-12. The two younger sons, Andrew and Thomas, were granted several tracts of land in South Carolina but moved to Bulloch County, Georgia around 1810. Thomas apparently stayed for awhile in Bulloch County, later moving to Atlanta."
The relationship of the Kicklighter family with both the Odum and the Thomas families in Bulloch County is significant. Two of Andrew Kicklighter's sons married Thomas women in Bulloch County: Jesse Kicklighter married Vicey Thomas June 10, 1823, and Andrew Kicklighter, Jr. married Nancy Thomas November 11, 1824. There were only a few Thomas families in Bulloch County for the 1820 and 1830 censuses:
- 1820:
- John Thomas - page 6: age over 45, wife, 5 sons, 2 daughters
- John Thomas, Jr. - page 14: age 26 - 45, wife, 1 son, no daughters
- William Thomas - page 14: age over 45, wife, 6 sons, 6 daughters
- William Thomas - page 17: age 16 - 18, wife, 1 son and one female over 45
- 1830
- John Thomas - page 7: age 60 - 70, wife, 4 sons, 1 daughter
- Ryall C. Thomas - page 21: age 20 - 30, with probably wife, 1 son and mother or mother-inlaw
- William Thomas - page 21: age 40 - 50, 2 sons and no females in the household.
The decrease in the females in these households between 1820 and 1830 is such that I have not been able to determine which of the familes from which Nancy and Vicey may have come.
Add into this mix Mary Thomas who married James Odum in Bulloch County in 1817 and later, Andrew Kicklighter, Sr. in 1841. The relationship between Mary, Vicey and Nancy Thomas is not known. The 1830 census shows Mary Odum (with 3 children and no husband) living adjacent to the older William Thomas, indicative perhaps that as a single parent she moved to be near her parent(s) or a sibling.
Also, Eliza Lavicy Odum, thought to be Mary Thomas Odum's daughter, married Frederick Kicklighter (another of Andrew Sr.'s sons) in Bulloch County on March 18, 1841. This was just two months before Mary herself married Andrew, Sr. there on May 2, 1841. Andrew and Mary had one daughter, Mary Magdalene Kicklighter.
A final Kicklighter connection comes after Mary's death in 1849. The 1850 census shows Mary's sons Henry Odum (age 13), Leonard Odum (age 22), and Leonard's wife living in the same household in Liberty County, GA. Eveline Odum, age 16, was then living in the household of Henry Kicklighter and wife, Mary Ann, two households away from Leonard and Henry Odum. Since there were no Odums (or spelling variations) in Liberty County on the 1840 census, Henry and Eveline could well have followed Leonard there from Bulloch County after their mother's death. Also, there were no other Odums (or spelling variations) on the 1850 Liberty County census.