Screven County was created by an act of the General Assembly of Georgia on December 14th, 1793, and was named for General James Screven. Its first county seat and courthouse were at the home of Benjamin Lanier at what is now Rocky Ford. In a companion act, the first county court officials were named as Justices of Peace Nathaniel Hudson, John Greene, Jr., Benjamin Richardson, Samuel Dunn, Robert Stafford, Luke Mizell, McKeen Greene, James Bevil, Joseph Plumer, Robert Williamson, Samuel Bird, John Loney, James Bird, James William, James H. Rutherford, Daniel Blackburn, and William Pearce, Esquires. The justices of the Inferior Court named in the act creating Screven County were Benjamin Lanier, Caleb Howell, Lemuel Lanier, Paul Bevil, and Drury Jones. In the first election held in Screven County on January 20th, 1794, William Coursey was elected sheriff, Thomas Hylton clerk of the Superior Court, Robert Williams clerk of the Inferior Court, Robert Stafford surveyor, Lemuel Lanier register of probate, and William Briger coroner.