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John Watkins[1]

Male 1710 - 1763  (53 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name John Watkins 
    Born 1710  Goochland, Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 1763  Halifax Co., Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I18343  My Reynolds Line
    Last Modified 9 Jan 2019 

    Father Edward Watkins,   b. Est 1680, Charlotte Co., Colonial Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1771  (Age ~ 91 years) 
    Mother Mary Bishop TAYLOR PENDLETON Bishop?,   b. Est 1676,   d. 1771  (Age ~ 95 years) 
    Family ID F6726  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Phoebe Hancock,   b. 10 May 1719, Henrico Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Married 1734  Henrico County, Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Children of John Watkins, s/o Edward Watkins, and Phoebe Hancock named in his will: John, Thomas, James, George, Sarah Dickie, William (dec'd) and Frances Mackmananey (dec'd), Sarah Dickie.
    Children 
    +1. Frances Watkins,   b. 4 Oct 1736, Prob. Henrico Co., Colonial Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 1763, Halifax County, Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 26 years)
     2. John [Hancock] Watkins, Jr.,   b. 23 Jul 1742, Henrico Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1807, Halifax Co., Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 64 years)
    +3. Sarah 'Sally' m. Dickie Watkins,   b. Est 1726, Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown, Halifax County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location
    +4. Phoebe 'Patty' Watkins,   b. 6 Feb 1753, Cumberland Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1818, Buckingham County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 64 years)
    Last Modified 8 Jan 2019 
    Family ID F6727  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Elizabeth, Mrs. John Watkins,   b. Est 1720, Henrico Co., Virginia Colony Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft 1763, Halifax Co., Virginia Colony [his will]] Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 44 years) 
    Last Modified 4 Jun 2017 
    Family ID F6731  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Micajah Watkins signs as witness to John Watkins will; Micajah is dead by 1800 as his orphan M. M. Watkins is in the custody of Henry E. Coleman who rents his plantation to Charles Irby.

  • Sources 
    1. [S40] Will.
      Halifax County, VA Will Book O, pp. 156-158.
      John Watkins, Sr Will made 3 April 1762, proven 19 May 1763
      (Transcription)
      In the Name of God Amen The Third day of April one thousand Seven hundred and Sixty two I John Watkins Senr of Halifax County being sick in Body but of good and Sound memory thanks be to Almighty God for it and calling make remembrance the uncertain Estate of this Transitory Life and that all Flesh must Yeild to death when it shall please God to Call do make Constitute Ordain and Declare this my last will and Testament revoking annulling by these presents all and every Testament and Testaments Will and Wills heretofore by me made and declared either by word or wrighting and this to be taken only for my last will and Testament and none other In manner and form following/ that is to say/
      Item I lend to my well beloved wife Elizabeth Watkins all my Negroes for and during the space of three years and two of them that is to say Dick
      and Lucy during her natural life or widowhood also I give to my well beloved wife Elizabeth aforsaid all my moveable Estate during her Natural life. Item I give and bequeath to my well beloved son George Watkins at the Expiration of three years the following Negroes/ that is/ Dick, Cato, Will, Fan, Friday and Isham them and their Increase to him and his heirs forever I also give and bequeath to my said Son George Watkins aforesaid after the decease or marriage of my well beloved wife Elizabeth aforesaid my other two negroes /that is/ Lucy and Dick/ Son of the aforesaid Dick/ their their Increase to him and his Heirs forever
      Item my will and desire is that after the decease of my well beloved wife Elizabeth is that all the remainder of my Estate real an personal be Equally divided among my sons and Daughters/ that is/ John Watkins, Thomas Watkins, James Watkins, George Watkins, Mary Welch, Elizabeth Watkins, Sarah Dickie, and my son William Watkins, and my daughter Franus Mackmahaney deceased parts to be Equally divided among their Heirs which Bequeath Estate to them and each of them their Heirs &c
      forever. Item I appoint my well beloved wife Elizabeth Watkins Executrix and my son Thomas Watkins and George Watkins Executors of this
      my Last Will and Testament in whom I have reposed my Trust and hope they will duly perform it. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the day and date above mentioned.
      Signed Sealed and declared in Presents of Micajah Watkins
      Elizabeth Watkins (O her mark)
      John Watkins
      Mary Mackmanhaney (O her mark)
      John Watkins (ยง his mark)
      At a court held for Halifax County the 19th day of May 1763 The within last will and Testament of John Watkins deceased was Exhibited in Court by George Watkins one of the Executors herein appointed/ Thomas Watkins the other Executor refusing to take upon him the Execution herof/ and the same was proved by the oath of Micajah Watkins and John Watkins two of the subscribing witnesses and Ordered/ the said Witnesses here in Court voluntarily relinquishing all benefit advantage of any Legacy or Legacies given them by the said Will and the said George Watkins having first taken the Oath by law prescribed and with Benjamin Lankford and Thomas Spraggins his Securities entered into
      Bond as the Law directs and acknowledged the same Certificate was granted him for obtaining a probate of the said Will in due form reserving liberty to Elizabeth Widow relict and Executrix in the said Will also appointed to joyn in the probate when she shall think fit.
      Truly recorded Test R Munford
      Test Robt [WC]unford Clk
      Contributed by Walter Turner

    2. [S86] Our Southern Cousins, http://oursoutherncousins.com/watkins.html.
      Edward Watkins, s/o Henry was married 3 times. Two of his wives are unknown; 5) Edward WATKINS (b. Abt 1676 d. 1771-Cumberland Co., VA)
      | sp: (unknown)
      | sp: Mary Bishop TAYLOR PENDLETON (m. Abt 1723)
      | sp: (third wife of Edward Watkins-unknown)

      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.

    3. [S40] Will.