| Almost 170 years ago, John Parland, known as the
Colonel, died on his beloved island known as Colonel’s Island. For
those of you familiar with Brunswick, Colonel’s Island is where many
automobile makers import their cars to distribute to auto dealers around
the country. John Parland was a native of Scotland
settling in the Glynn County area on Colonel’s Island and Blythe Island.
When Parland was 58, he was thrown from his horse and killed. He was
buried on a forested bluff overlooking the Brunswick River, not far from
his plantation home on Colonel’s Island.
According to legend, when John died, he left his
daughters Jean Adams Parland and Frances Ann Scarlett Parland, by wife
Mary Ann (Scarlett) Parland, the first and second wealthiest people in
Glynn County in the year 1836.
Frances never married, and Jean married Henry C. King of
Wayne County in 1856, having three daughters.
During John’s time on the island his main crop was sea
island cotton. He also produced other staples to sell to neighboring
plantations which included corn, potatoes, and poultry. John owned
three other plantations, Longwood, the Dyke, and Gowrie, where he
cultivated sugar, rice, and processed lumber.
Upon his death, his two daughters inherited, Jean and
Frances’ grandfather, Francis M. Scarlett, managed the estate for them
until Jean married, when her husband assumed responsibility for her share,
and their uncle Francis D. Scarlett managed Frances’ share.
By 1886 all of the land was either sold or leased, and
in 1970 the Ports Authority gained ownership of this island, which is now
divided in half by highway 17. By the year 2000, only John’s grave
was the last remaining parcel of land left undisturbed by the growing
Ports Authority.
On 16 August 2000, John’s body was exhumed, and removed
to a new location at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Brunswick, directly behind
the chapel. There a plaque was erected signifying the move, and the
original tombstone was laid upon his grave. Grave
was surveyed in October 2003. |
