William Wilson Elizabeth Blackburn
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Tfil-96?J>J DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM WILSON (1722-1801) AND ELIZABETH BLACKBURN Compiled by C. J. MAXWELL GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY ^ THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS DATE MICROFILM DALLAS, TEXAS \2 Mi* 19 73 1943 ITEM ON ROLL CAMERA NO. SLC-I3- CATALOGUE NO. ^ ai 3V0 tax ' WO 39Cf MIB HB 59b ibfi 33 >rfa • :00 hi Lithoprinted in U.S.A. JJCf EDWARDS BROTHERS, INC, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 1943 i98 .16 •Jtq THE WILLIAM WILSON FAMILY. FOREWORD. For several years it has been my effort to assemble the names of the de scendants of William Wilson and Elizabeth Blackburn, who settled finally in what is now Hardy County, West Virginia. The task has been an arduous one with many discouragements, but after much labor it is here presented in the best form pos sible under the circumstances. It was my main purpose merely to assemble the names of which there are now over 7,200. It is my guess, (not even an estimate,) that at least 1,500 are not yet included. Many of the "children" disappeared in the early part of the eigh teenth century and no further traces have been found. A word as to the accuracy of this list. Please remember all had to be ac cumulated by correspondence. In many cases no replies were received and informa tion had to be gathered from the best available sources. Very often the data were given from memory. Many of the dates and the spelling of the names have been changed three or four times as later information would come in. Occasion ally a name would be spelled one way as a child and by the same informant would be spelled another way when used as a parent. This will account for a few apparent Indications of carelessness on my part. Some idea of the magnitude of this list and the difficulty of preparing it and the chances of errors is indicated. There are over 7,200 names of descend ants. Each name has a number and from one to three dates, (birth, marriage, death.) Thousands of the names are repeated as parents; every marriage adds an additional name of husband or wife. This means that over 10,000 names and over 25,000 numbers and dates are listed. Most of the work has been copied two or three times and new numbers given as the list expanded. If you find errors, (and there are many,) please consider the number of chances for mistakes. Effort was made to list the children of each family in the order of their ages. Occasionally, after the material was typed, additional information would show the first order was not correct; but to change the order would have necessi tated the changing the numbers in thousands of cases so the original order was retained. If the month, day and year are given the Information may usually be considered accurate. Where only the year, or often no date at all is given, the Information may not be accurate. Errors and omissions are impossible to avoid but they have been reduced as low as possible. No effort has been made to give biographies except for the very earliest generations. It is hoped that in the near future some one with the means, in clination, and opportunity will take up the biographies. It would be a valuable piece of work and should be done. The descendants have been in all American wars from the Indian and the Dunmore War to the present World War. They have occupied civil and judicial positions from justice of the peace to state supreme and fed- eral judges. They have held important positions in financial, professional, in dustrial and agricultural fields. No effort has been made to eulogize in the short biographies; only mere statements of facts as to their lives are noted. William Wilson is given the arbitrary Roman numeral of (XV;) his children have (XVI;) the grandchildren, (XVIII,) and so on. Each generation is thus given the same Roman numeral showing how far each is removed from William Wilson. The order of the children in each generation is shown by the figures following the Roman numeral. For those unaccustomed to this classification it will be easy if they will remember to turn toward the back of the book for the name repeated as a PARENT while they will turn towards the front of the book for the name of any parent as a CHILD. After some names will be found double or hyphenated numbers as (XIX 476-3.) This means that after the regular numbers were allotted, new names came in and the extra numbers had to be used. Many names have two **'s before them. This indicates that nothing further is known concerning them. This material has been prepared as my tribute to the ancestors who went through many hardships that we descendants might have a better world. This con tribution has been a pleasant though laborious one. It is my hope that future generations may find it an aid in knowing more about who and where their ances tors were. My obligations to those who have assisted are great. It is impossible to list all who have aided but to all my thanks are expressed. Qj2^lA^^^iM!i_ In care Ginn & Co., Dallas, Texas. January, 1943. Special Request It is especially requested that my attention be called to any errors of omission or to any inaccuracies. There must necessarily be many such errors and the correct information is earnestly desired. If feasible, later, a supple ment will be issued making these corrections. SHORT BIOGRAPHIES. DAVID DAVIS WILSON (XIII) was born in Scotland about 1650; his son DAVID WILSON (XIV) was born {here about 1685 and took part in the Scotch Rebellion of 1715; when the Scots were overthrown he fled to Ulster Ireland. This information is from family tradition. The maiden names of their wives are not known. WILLIAM WILSON (XV l), born Nov. 16, 1722, in Ireland, came to America in 1737, landing in Philadelphia; afterwards came to Shenandoah County, Virginia. With him were his two cousins John and William White, both of whom were later killed by Indians in Randolph County, (West) Virginia. In 1746 William married Elizabeth Blackburn, daughter of Archibald Blackburn; she, too was born in Ire land. William lived in Shenandoah County at first then moved to Hampshire (now Hardy) County, (West) Virginia. The date of his moving is not known but it was not later than 1780 for at that time his son, Moses, died and was buried on the Wilson homestead on Trout Run, near Wardensville, in Hardy County. In May 1770 he bought from Andrew Vannoy two tracts of land, 318 acres, on Lost River; in August 1771, from David Williams, 118 acres on both sides of Lost River, and 438 acres from James Scott. All these tracts are in Hardy County. It was a general custom then for a man to make a "lease and buy" contract for land. The rental was a mere token, often only an ear of corn each year. It is likely this land was leased some earlier than the purchase and he may have been in Hampshire County some years before the death of his son, Moses. The will and inventory of William are given at the close of this sketch. They show the manner of writing wills at that time, what property he had, and give a clue as to where the children were. It is interesting to know of the household property of a well-to-do farmer of that period. Compared with the present it seems very meager but evidently he had his home well furnished. There were two children with the same name, Moses. It was often a custom when a child died young to give the next one the same name. The graves of William, his wife Elizabeth, and his son Moses are about two miles from Wardensville on the farm of E. W. Garrett. Large trees are in and around the graves. The head stones are still legible In 1942. Several other head stones are still standing and. many depressions show still other graves. The owner of the farm, Mr. Garrett, was very courteous to visitors to the graves and gave a good deal of information as to surroundings. Remains of the founda tions of the old church are near. The exact location of the graves was not gen erally known for many years but in the summer of 1937, the writer with the aid of a very old citizen finally located them again. WILL.of WILLIAM WILSON (XV l) recorded in Hardy County, W. Va., County Court Records, Will Book No. 1, page 207. Spelling and punctuation as recorded. ^1 IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN, I William Wilson of the County of Hardy and Common wealth of Virginia, being sick and weak in body, but of sound mind, memory and understanding, thanks be to God for his mercies, and knowing that it is appoint ed for all men once to die, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs, & thereby be the better prepared to leave this world, when^it shall "please God to call me, hence, do therefore make and publish this my last Will and testament, in manner and form following, (that is to say)- FIRST, and principally I commend my soul to God who gave it, and ray body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my dear wife and executors hereafter named, who I doubt not will manage it with all requisite prudence.