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Family: PATRIOT Major William Cunningham / Elizabeth Anne 'Betsey Anne' Watkins (F5837)  [1

m. 4 Dec 1793


Family Information    |    PDF

  • Father | Male
    PATRIOT Major William Cunningham

    Born  10 Apr 1741  Goochland Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location
    Died  1805  Smith Co., Tennessee Find all individuals with events at this location
    Buried     
    Married  4 Dec 1793  [2]  Caswell Co., North Carolina  [2] Find all individuals with events at this location
    Father  Alexander Cunningham, Jr. | F518495254 Group Sheet 
    Mother  Easter Mary Michaux | F518495254 Group Sheet 

    Mother | Female
    Elizabeth Anne 'Betsey Anne' Watkins

    Born  31 Jul 1738  Henrico Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location
    Died  14 May 1834  Smith Co., Tennessee Find all individuals with events at this location
    Buried     
    Father  Thomas of Chickahominy Swamp Watkins | F5756 Group Sheet 
    Mother  Frances Anne Anderson | F5756 Group Sheet 

    Child 1 | Female
    + Susannah Rochet Cunningham

    Born  17 Sep 1784  Prince Edward Co., Colonial Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location
    Died  1853   
    Buried     
    Spouse  George Booker | F6270 
    Married     

  • Sources 
    1. [S107] Family Histories, http://oursoutherncousins.com/watkins4.html.
      Thomas Watkins of 'Chickahominy' was born about 1714 and died Nov 1783 in Henrico Co, VA. It is thanks to the original 1852 work of Francis N. Watkins of Prince Edward County, Virginia, that so much is known about Thomas. Francis Watkins' work, entitled 'A Catalogue of the Descendants of Thomas Watkins of Chickahominy, VA' is one of earliest known examples of Virginia family histories written before the War. As cousin Eugenia says, it might not be 100% correct, but you can credit him with being one of those who started our modern genealogy work in the U.S.! The Catalogue is invaluable to those of us descended from this line. I won't repeat, here, all that Francis says about Thomas, but it is transcribed in it's entirety in the notes attached.

      Thomas Watkins lived on Swift Creek, Cumberland County, VA (part that was later cut off to form Powhatan Co.). He is said to have been the eldest son of Thomas Watkins 'of Swift Creek,' (the older children being daughters). 'Thomas farmed his father's land in southeastern Henrico County and he reached out for new lands in what are now Charlotte and Prince Edward Counties.'

      In 1735: Thos. Watkins, of Henrico parish, lands joined those of Joseph Woodson, Wm. Porter, Sr., Col. Harrison, Wm. Lewis, Thos. Binford, Edward Mosby and George Freeman, and were on the Chickahominy swamp. [Giles Carters]
      In 1746, Thomas and "Frances his wife" sold some land in Henrico County.
      In 1752, "Thomas Watkins Junr." bought 773 acres "on south side of Chickahominy Swamp."
      In 1768 he, with others, appointed to select a new site for Curl's Church - (St. John's Register). In the same year he was a vestryman of St. John's Church, Henrico.

      He would remain on that land in northeastern Henrico County close to the Bottom's Bridge crossing of the Chickahominy for the rest of his life.'

      The following quote, to me, seems to sum up Thomas Watkins: "Of Thomas Watkins, of Chickahominy," said Mr. Leigh, "I have heard very full accounts from my mother and from my uncle Thomas, both of whom knew him very well; he was a man of the highest respectability in every point of view, and in particular, a man of the most indefatigable industry. He reared a large family of children (four sons and seven daughters), with limited means, and when they entered upon the active duties of life, he seems to have made but little, if any advancements, to his sons at least, leaving them, either from necessity or prudential considerations, to depend mainly on their own energy and resources. I have seen his will, and find among the papers of his executors, in relation to its execution, evidences of a very affectionate regard among the children for the wishes of the father, and of their great integrity. There is a codicil attached to his will, in which he designed to devise real and personal estate, of a value I infer, equal to my bequest in the will to persons not members of his family. There was no proof of the execution of the writing, purporting to be a codicil to the will, and it never went to record. By the operation of the then existing law, the old man died intestate as to the property mentioned in the codicil, and the real estate descended to the eldest son, Henry, and the personal assets, by virtue of the will, went to the brothers and sisters. The sons, daughters, and sons-in-law appear to have been anxious to carry out the old gentleman's wishes, although it deprived them of interest of some value to them. There being infants interested (the children of Thomas Jr., who had died) some difficulties occurred in carrying out the intentions of the testator. The children not only relinquished to the intended beneficiaries their right and title to the property in questions, but made liberal contributions to the intended devisees."

      Thomas ?Chickahominy? Watkins married Frances Anderson (born about 1715, death date not known, but after 1750) the daughter of Henry Anderson and Prudence Stratton. Henry Anderson mentions his daughter, Frances Anderson, in his will which was proven in 1734, so Frances married Thomas Watkins after that date, (the exact date of their marriage is unknown). Also, the exact dates of birth for most of their children are not known, but they were obviously married after 1734/35, and their children began arriving by the late 1730?s.

      Thomas Watkins and Frances Anderson had the following children:

      1) Henry WATKINS (4th of the name) (b.Aft 1735-Prince Edward County,VA d.Abt 1798)
      | sp: Temperance HUGHES of Chesterfield, VA (b.1739 m.28 Jan 1760 d.Bef 1798)
      2) Elizabeth (Betsey) WATKINS (b.Abt 1739 d.Bef 1783)
      | sp: Nathaniel MASSIE
      3) Col. JOEL WATKINS (b.Abt 1737-Henrico County,VA d.2 Jan 1820-Charlotte County,VA)
      | sp: Agnes (dau of Joseph & Agnes) MORTON (b.26 Feb 1747-Charlotte County,VA d.1814-Henrico County,VA)
      4) THOMAS * WATKINS (called "Jr.) (b.Abt 1738/1741-Powhatan Co,VA d.1778-Henrico County,Virginia)
      | sp: Sarah "Sally" * WALTON (sister of signer) (b.1746-Swift Creek,Goochland/Cumberland County,VA m.8 Feb 1762 d.20 Nov 1805-Kentucky)
      5) Susan (Susanna) WATKINS (b.Abt 1744-Henrico County,VA d.Abt 1814-Charlotte County,Virginia)
      | sp: Col. William MORTON (b.27 Nov 1743-Charlotte County,Virginia m.29 Oct 1764 d.29 Nov 1820-Charlotte County,Virginia)
      6) Mary WATKINS (b.Abt 1742)
      | sp: Stephen, Jr. PANKEY (b.1742/1752 m.4 Jun 1788 d.1 Dec 1799-Campbell Co.,KY)
      7) Nancy WATKINS (b.Abt 1743)
      | sp: Smith BLAKEY of Henrico Co., VA
      8) Jane WATKINS (b.Abt 1744)
      | sp: Charles HUNDLEY
      9) Francis WATKINS (Sr.)of Poplar Hill (b.15 Jul 1745-Henrico County,VA d.1826-"Poplar Hill" Prince Edward County,VA)
      | sp: Agnes (dau of Richard & Ann Michaux) WOODSON (b.4 Oct 1748-"Poplar Hill",Henrico co.,VA m.9 Jan 1765 d.Jul 1820-Henrico County,VA)
      10) Prudence WATKINS (b.Abt 1745)
      | sp: William ROYSTER of Goochland (VA)
      11) Sally WATKINS (b.Abt 1748 d.Abt 1765-Charlotte County,VA)

    2. [S46] Marriage Record/Certificate, https://books.google.com/books?id=K1g11k0MKCwC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=Philip+Carter+%2B+Sarah+Gunn+%2B+Caswell&source=bl&ots=SQuj79jAX4&sig=j_RFP9TveSCUj3VRHIzCNRSUYBQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbwYeju9_OAhWGKB4KHfjRBugQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=Philip%20Carter%20%2B%20Sarah%20Gunn%20%2B%20Caswell&f=false.
      Jesse Carter as Bondsman