John Screven was born in Savannah. He served as Captain of the Savannah volunteer guards until becoming Lieutenant-Colonel during the defense of Savannah in 1864. Col. Screven was a lawyer by trade and longtime justice on the Inferior Court before serving two terms as the Mayor of Savannah beginning in 1869. Col. Screven served as president of the Georgia Historical society from 1899 until his death on January 9th, 1900. He is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery in Savannah.

Sources:

• Vertical file: “John Screven” by Ben Whitley
• John Screven military orders GHS 0497
• “The Screven Family (concluded)” by the Editor of the Georgia Historical Quarterly. The Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 3, September 1917.