History of Office of the Sheriff, Effingham County

Effingham County Georgia was developed in 1733 under the Treaty of Savannah and established as Saint Matthew Parish. Effingham County was one of the eight original counties created by the Georgia Constitution of 1777. John Adam Treutlen, Georgia's first governor, was appointed as the first Justice of the Peace for the parish of Saint Matthew, now Effingham County. He served as one of the 15 members of the Council of Safety, formed on June 22, 1775. The Council of Safety was responsible for issuing orders to apprehend. In 1796, Saint Matthew Parish became Effingham County. The county sheriff was responsible for the collection of taxes and for maintaining order. Stockades were the common punishment for minor criminal acts and for severe acts of crime the sentence was public hanging.