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Henry Watkins[1, 2]

Male Est 1636 - 1691  (~ 55 years)


Personal Information    |    Media    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Henry Watkins 
    • Another Henry Watkins is seen in the list of living individuals in 1623 in Virginia.
    Born Est 1636  Henrico Co., Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 1691  Chickahominy, Henrico Co., Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I16868  My Reynolds Line
    Last Modified 17 Jul 2017 

    Family Catherine Pride,   b. Est 1635, Aaccomac Plantation, Colonial Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Married
    • One thing that endears Henry Watkins, to me, is his disbursement of his lands to his children prior to his death. He mentions his love for his children when he gave land to each of his sons on the south side of Chickahominy Swamp in 1691/2. The tradition of primogeniture was still common in the early colonies. However, by making a will you could distribute your property as you saw fit. Henry went even further than this when he partitioned his land to his sons prior to his death. I feel it showed a great deal of confidence in the ability and integrity of his sons.

      In January 1691/2, he gifted, "With love and affection," the following to his sons:
      William: 120 acres next to Edward Finch
      Joseph: 120 acres ?in the lower part?
      Edward: 120 acres ?in the lower part?
      Henry (Jr.): ?the tract where I now live?
      Thomas: 200 acres on ?Three Runs?
    Children 
    +1. Thomas of Swift Creek Watkins,   b. 1672, Malvern Hills Plantation, Henrico Co., Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Jun 1760, Henrico Co., Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 88 years)
    +2. William Watkins,   b. Abt 1685, Curles, Henrico County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1784, Cornwall Parish, Charlotte County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 99 years)
     3. Joseph Watkins,   b. Est 1675, Henrico Co., Colonial Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    +4. Edward Watkins,   b. Est 1680, Charlotte Co., Colonial Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1771  (Age ~ 91 years)
    +5. Henry Watkins, Jr.,   b. Est 1660, Henrico Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1715, Henrico Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 55 years)
    +6. Rachael Watkins,   b. 1664, Henrico Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 1729, Henrico Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 64 years)
    Last Modified 1 Jan 2019 
    Family ID F5965  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Documents
    Quaker Record Henrico & Charles City Friends Meetings Records Showing Henry Watkins, Joseph Pleasants, Jane Pleasants and others
    Quaker Record Henrico & Charles City Friends Meetings Records Showing Henry Watkins, Joseph Pleasants, Jane Pleasants and others
    qrHenryWatkins-JosPleasants.jpg

  • Sources 
    1. [S86] Our Southern Cousins, http://oursoutherncousins.com/watkins.html.
      One thing that endears Henry Watkins, to me, is his disbursement of his lands to his children prior to his death. He mentions his love for his children when he gave land to each of his sons on the south side of Chickahominy Swamp in 1691/2. The tradition of primogeniture was still common in the early colonies. However, by making a will you could distribute your property as you saw fit. Henry went even further than this when he partitioned his land to his sons prior to his death. I feel it showed a great deal of confidence in the ability and integrity of his sons.
      In January 1691/2, he gifted, ?With love and affection,? the following to his sons:
      William: 120 acres next to Edward Finch
      Joseph: 120 acres ?in the lower part?
      Edward: 120 acres ?in the lower part?
      Henry (Jr.): ?the tract where I now live?
      Thomas: 200 acres on ?Three Runs?
      Watkins Family
      There are several sources that state there was an early HENRY WATKINS (born about 1585) who was the father of Henry Watkins of Henrico County, Virginia, who married Katherine.
      Most particularly, there is the application of Miss Jamie Hess to the Daughters of the Pilgrims, which stated that ?Henry Watkins was born in Wales, 1600, was Burgess of Henrico Co, VA, 1623, listed as dead same year, References provided: Copies with applications of family records, wills and deeds filed with application. Virginia House of Burgesses, 1619-1658.? [I don?t know the truth of her proofs, and can?t help but wonder if those records still exist somewhere!? It seems to me that he would have been born earlier than 1600, and he seems to have been alive in February 1624, although that is the last mention of him I can find.]
      The first representatives of Accomack in the Assembly were "Captain John Wilcocks" and "HENRY WATKINS" both of whom signed a paper as Burgesses from the Eastern Shore in 1624.
      Henry is listed in Henry Watkins of Henrico County: His Descendants and Their Allied Families. States he was born 1585, which gives this list:
      I. Henry Watkins (1585-___)
      II. Henry Watkins m. Katherine Pride
      III. Edward Watkins (c 1665-1771)
      IV. John Watkins (c. 1710-1765) Phoebe Hancock
      V.Henry Watkins,(1758-1829)m. ElizabethHudson Clay
      VI. John Watkins (1785-1845) Catherine T. Milton
      Henry Watkins, alive on the Eastern Shore in 1623, after the great Indian massacre of March 22, 1621.
      In 1621, John Rolfe, in his "Relation of Virginia" writes of being at Cale's Gift near Cape Charles, where there were 17 inhabitants under the command of Lt. Craddock. By 1623 there were 96 inhabitants, 9 of whom were females. Of the 87 men and boys, the only names preserved were: Edward Rodgers, Benjamin Knight, Henry Wilson, William Andrews, John Parsons, Thomas Hall, Walter Scott, William Williams, Robert Edmunds, John Evans, Thomas Powell, Thomas Parks, HENRY WATKINS, William Davis, John Wilkins, William Smith, John Barrett, Thomas Ancient Savage, John Fisher, James Vocat Piper, John Parramore, and Thomas Gascoyne.
      Henry Watkins subscribed with twenty-five other Burgesses means with which to send Mr. Pountis , in 1623 , with a petition to the Crown. - (Campbell , 178, and Hening I, 129.)

      In February 1624, Accomack Plantation was represented at a stormy session of the General Assembly. Captain John Wilcox, overseer of the Company land, and HENRY WATKINS, overseer for Lady Dale, were the Burgesses. King James I had annulled the charter of the Virginia Company and only a decree of the highest court in England was needed to make the annulment final. The fate of the representative government which had functioned for almost five years was unknown. The King had never favored it and some members of the Virginia Company who sought Royal favors had criticized it. This Assembly was also concerned about the ownership of land in fee simple when the charter was annulled. Some existing laws were strengthened and additional ones were passed to make this government more closely conform to the English Parliament. After the General Assembly of 1624 adjourned, Burgesses Wilcox and WATKINS returned to Accomack Plantation to explain the laws to the people. At the census at this time there were 79 men, women and church. The charter of the Virginia Company was annulled on June 24, 1624, and Virginia became England's first Crown Colony. A church was built on the Secretary's land. After the harvest was finished in the fall of 1624, the rest of the Company tenants were transferred to Elizabeth City. The census of 1625 shows 51 people.
      Other than in Miss Hess?s application, I can find no further proof that this early Henry Watkins was the father of our Henry Watkins. There is no will of the early Henry Watkins, that I know of, and no land records, etc., that might tell us the truth of the matter. There are proofs that we descend from the following Henry, however.

      HENRY WATKINS is documented in Henrico County, Virginia. He was a Quaker, a member of the Society of Friends, and appears in officials records in Henrico County, VA as early as 1677. One quote says: "One of the most interesting families in Virginia from the point of view of economic, social and political development is the distinguished family of which Henry Watkins is the immigrant ancestor."
      1677: assisted Richard Cocke, Col. Ligon, and Gilbert Jones in the survey of ?Mawburne [Malvern] Hills,? which he owned.
      1678: Henry Watkins paid tithes in Varina parish.
      1679: Deed patented for 170 acres of land on the north side of the James River in Henrico County. Henry Watkins held land in the "Turkey Island" district of eastern Henrico County, north of the James River, when a militia roll was taken in June 1679. [also the area where Giles Carter is found]
      1684: Henry Fined for continuing in his Quakerism.
      1690: Purchased 360 acres of land in Varina Parish, Henrico Co, south side of Chickahominy Swamp from Lyonel Morris. That same year, he bought 60 acres of land adjoining his own land and touching a run of Turkey Island Creek.

      His religion, at times, caused him to clash with the ruling authorities in Virginia. In 1660, the Virginia Assembly passed a strict law against Quakers, who they described as ?"... an unreasonable and turbulent sort of people, who daily gather together unlawful assemblies of people, teaching lies, miracles, false visions, prophecies, and doctrines tending to disturb the peace, disorganize Society and destroy the peace, disorganize society and destroy all laws, and government, and religion.? You?ll find many mentions of Henry Watkins in "Quaker Records of Henrico Monthly Meeting" by F. Edward Wright. When his wife was assaulted, he refused to prosecute the criminal because the law required actions contrary to the Quaker doctrine. In 1661 an act was passed that anyone who failed to attend services of the established church for a period of one month would be subject to a fine. And again in 1666 an act was passed imposing fines on 'refractory persons' for failure to comply with the militia laws and regulations. In 1684 Henry Watkins was fined by the court for "continuing in his Quakerisms." His fine was later remitted. Other Quaker families in the area were the Pleasant?s, ?Makeney?s,? and the Woodson?s.

    2. [S213] Virginia Deaths and Burials Index, https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/LIVING%20AND%20DEAD%20IN%20VIRGINIA%20FEBRUARY%2016%2C%201623.pdf?token=AWxOkuSgblUAM9KrqHyTwAjioZETiwIP61O7bN1j4BD8tYa3m7_1ruZN1nK53z_S91S4HUmy5vOYwvIrsUt1-J8PmcNb7R8Six7SfAnztbtnFaQjUUTiPcmOEU2B8lDoqgVgTsxpJ5D0V095NZq59XxOF9Ksa-ugZaSE4tsi_8YujQ.
      Ephraim Jackson and John Jackson are listed in A LIST OF NAMES OF THE LIVING IN VIRGINIA,
      February the 16th, 1623
      Others Listed; William Price, Thos Osborne, John Price, Thomas and Edward Hobson, Peter Jordan, Christopher Branch, John Cartter, William Emerson, (AT JORDANS Jorney) Sislye Jordan, Temperance Byllife, Mary Jordan, Marjery Jordan, Wm. Farrar, Thos. Williams. [AT FLOURDIRN HUNDRED] Richard Gregory, Anthony Jones, John Brown, John Woodson, and many other early immigrants to Virginia.