Hawkins DNA group #1 has several participants who descend from Benjamin and Sarah Willis. This couple was living in the Culpeper/Orange County area of Virginia during the Revolution. Benjamin and Sarah had four sons who were born in the late 1730s to the late 1740s. These sons were named Benjamin, William, James, and Moses (not necessarily in that order of birth). During the Revolutionary War, this was a very patriotic family. There is no doubt that they did their part for our freedom!
Benjamin Sr. died sometime c. 1782. Sarah is found in the court records for Orange County on Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th of May 1782 having her claim allowed for having provided for 275 pounds of beef on July 20, 1781. You know, I am not entirely clear on whether Sarah and Benjamin lived in Orange or Culpeper county. If you want a discussion of this, look at my post dated:
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 (this is in my marshamoses@blogspot.com blog....not the DNA blog)
Here are the four sons of Benjamin and Sarah Willis and their service:
I. James married to Jane Bourne was a captain in the militia:
Reubin Boston gives a deposition in Jane Hawkins application for a pension in Anderson County, KY in 1836. He states that he lived in Orange County and knew Captain Hawkins during the Revolutionary War. ..... He states that he served in Capt James Hawkins Company in 1781.
also
James received a land grant in Ky for his services in the Revolution and they moved to KY.
(this information from book by Dorothy Ford Wulfeck called: Hawkins in Virginia, Kentucky and Caroinas. This book can be viewed on the ancestry site)
A History of Orange County by WW Scott p. 261 shows James Hawkins recommended as lieutenant in 1777 and as captain in 1779.
II. William Hawkins is found on a list at a court held by the Justices of Orange County, Court at the courthouse in April 1782 of claims that were allowed to be just and reasonable for providing 375 pounds of beef, 20 and 1/2 pounds of bacon recieved by Prettyman Merry Lt. Orange Militia for the 18 months men marching to Fredericksburg.
III. Benjamin Hawkins Jr. is found on the list at a court of Orange held in summer/fall of 1782 for supplying 3 and 1/5 bushels of wheat on October 14, 1780.
IV. Moses, was a Captain in the 14th Virginia Regiment. He was Captain of the 8th Company. Moses was killed at the battle of Germantown.
The Orange County records are full of records that were made as the orphans of Moses were provided for. For Example in Will book 3, page 173:
Moses' widow, Sarah Strother, married her husband's good friend and neighbor, Thomas Coleman 28, June 1781. This couple moved to Kentucky as did many of our Hawkins DNA group #1 ancestors. Records tell us that Thomas Coleman was a corporal in the company commanded by Moses Hawkins of the 14th Virginia regiment, and a friend of long standing.
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington. The British victory in this battle ensured that Philadelphia, the capital of the self-proclaimed United States of America, would remain in British hands throughout the winter of 1777–1778. Now part of the city of Philadelphia, Germantown was an outlying community in 1777.
I have run out of time today with many questions in my mind about what I have written. Hopefully someone in Hawkins DNA group #1 can help me edit, clarify, and fix the problems that I did not get to. Some of my questions are whether each of the sons are living in Orange or Culpeper during the Revolution....and whether Benjamin and Sarah are living in Culpeper or Orange at the time.
IV. Moses, was a Captain in the 14th Virginia Regiment. He was Captain of the 8th Company. Moses was killed at the battle of Germantown.
The Orange County records are full of records that were made as the orphans of Moses were provided for. For Example in Will book 3, page 173:
The estate of Moses Hawkins, dec'd, to Thomas Coleman. In 1788-1789, board and cloathing for four orphans of Moses Hawkins. Paid Duncan Campbell, Benjamin Hawkins, John Thomas, Reuben Moore, Isaac Rucker, Benja Willis, Thomas Coleman, guardian. Account returned into court 22nd Feb 1790.
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington. The British victory in this battle ensured that Philadelphia, the capital of the self-proclaimed United States of America, would remain in British hands throughout the winter of 1777–1778. Now part of the city of Philadelphia, Germantown was an outlying community in 1777.
I have run out of time today with many questions in my mind about what I have written. Hopefully someone in Hawkins DNA group #1 can help me edit, clarify, and fix the problems that I did not get to. Some of my questions are whether each of the sons are living in Orange or Culpeper during the Revolution....and whether Benjamin and Sarah are living in Culpeper or Orange at the time.
MOSES3 HAWKINS (BENJAMIN2 , JOHN1 ) was born October 04, 1750 in Culpeper
ReplyDeleteCounty, Virginia, and died October 04, 1777. He was killed at Germantown, Pennsylvania. He
married SUSANNA STROTHER March 03, 1770 in Culpeper County, Virginia, daughter of
WILLIAM STROTHER. She was born 1752 in Orange County, Virginia, and died 1785 in
Woodford County, Kentucky.
More About MOSES HAWKINS and SUSANNA STROTHER:
Children of MOSES HAWKINS and SUSANNA STROTHER are:
i. SARAH BAILEY4 HAWKINS, b. 1771, state of Virginia; m. JAMES THORTON.
ii. MOSES STROTHER HAWKINS, b. 1772; d. 1817, Woodford County, Kentucky; m. SARAH CASTLEMAN,
Woodford County, Kentucky.
13. iii. WILLIAM STROTHER HAWKINS, b. June 01, 1772, state of Virginia; d. October 26, 1858, Woodford
County, Kentucky.
iv. LUCY HAWKINS, b. 1775; m. WILLIAM GEORGE, February 13, 1793.
Moses' sons (Moses and William) were born the same year and may have been twins. One of those two appears to be my GGF.
Benjamin Hawkins Sr. Was my 5GGF 1708 - 1782
ReplyDeleteCaptain James Hawkins 12-17-1750/ 3-2-1819 was his son, my 4GGF
Hi, Kentuckygirl! I feel sure that you and I are cousins! I just haven't proven my own line back that far yet. If you get a chance, reply to me at my e-mail: mosesm@earthlink.net. My dad's closest DNA match believes that he also descend from James and Jane Bourne Hawkins.
ReplyDelete