Saturday, March 31, 2012

Surname Saturday: More on WILSON of Old Rappahannock & Richmond Co VA: JOHN WILSON & SARAH MAULDIN


Continued from previous post....


4) JOHN WILSON I b about 1710 Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA (son of HENRY WILSON)  & SARAH MAULDIN, dau of RICHARD MAULDIN aka THOMAS RICHARD MAULDIN & JANE TAYLOR of Caroline Co VA. They were likely married sometime before 1737, in Caroline Co VA.

For the longest time I couldn't figure out how JOHN WILSON from Richmond Co VA could have possibly ended up in Caroline Co VA--or later generations in Orange, Culpeper & Madison Co VA.  Then I took a close look at a map of Virginia.  The peninsula called the "Northern Neck" of Virginia is on the eastern shore of the Rappahanock River, and contains  Richmond, Lancaster, Northumberland & Westmoreland counties.  Spotsylvania, Caroline, Orange, & Culpeper are all along the Rappahanock River, heading northwest.  So basically JOHN WILSON & subsequent descendants  simply went up the river, either by trail or road, or more likely by boat--probably the easiest form of transport in the 1700s, as there weren't many roads.

It's hard to say why JOHN WILSON might have moved to Caroline County; he may have been bound out or apprenticed to someone there, or his father HENRY may have owned land there & wished his son to work that land (there is some indication in Caroline Co records that he was a planter). 

At any rate, it appears that he was there by the time he was age 21.

The  most interesting story I found was in the book, Colonial Caroline by T. E. Campbell, page 74. The incident took place in 1731 or 1732 :

"Mobilization of the militia prevented acts of violence in Caroline, but it did not keep planters from grumbling. Constables seized JOHN WILSON for cursing King George, and when he reached the court, the magistrates made an example of him by ordering the sheriff to lay twenty lashes on his bare back at the public whipping post.  Two justices, THOMAS RUCKER and THOMAS MAULDING, did not agree with this sentence and publicly proclaimed the fact.  For this boldness and certain other remarks against the unpopular law, Governor Gooch removed them as Magistrates."

THOMAS MAULDING is actually RICHARD THOMAS MAULDIN, whose daughter SARAH MAULDIN later married JOHN WILSON.  There is significant documentation that MAULDIN was the magistrate in early colonial Caroline County who was dismissed by Gov Gooch,  and that he was a merchant in business with THOMAS MALLORY.  In records he mostly appears as RICHARD MAULDIN, but sometimes as THOMAS MAULDIN.  Here is a short bio (Colonial Caroline, Campbell, p 393)

RICHARD MAULDIN was the first trader of St Margaret's Parish of record.  He operated a trading post at Chesterfield when Caroline Co was organized.  Gov Gooch made him a magistrate but removed him from the court for criticizing the tobacco laws (and JOHN WILSON's public whipping). After his remval from the court, MAULDIN sold his business at Chesterfield to his partner THOMAS MALLORY, and opened a new establishment further north in St Margaret's.  He remained in business here until about 1750 when he sold out to PETER COPELAND and left the county"

Here is a link to a website on the MAULDIN  family with tons of records on RICHARD MAULDIN (his start about halfway down the page).  Not sure exactly where he ended up after leaving Caroline County, probably Orange County? 

And on that page there is reference to a deed which "seals the deal" so to speak,  and really proves that JOHN WILSON of Richmond Co VA was the same JOHN WILSON who endured the public whipping in Caroline County

24 March 1747 Orange County VA Deed Book 11 Pg 40
Richard Maulding of Caroline County VA to John Wilson of Richmond Co., VA for natural love and fatherly affection .. land  in Parish of St. Marks, north side of Robinson River.
[John Wilson wife Sarah Mauldin - Will 6 Mar 1759 VA]


( on a side note:  my own LANGFORD, LYON & GUINNEY families were living in Caroline County at the time of JOHN WILSON's public whipping.  They may have even witnessed it! My ancestor MICHAEL GUINNEY owned a tavern--I'll bet JOHN's whipping was a hot topic of conversation there!)

JOHN WILSON inherited his father HENRY's Richmond Co VA plantation in 1737 and likely moved there with his wife.  JOHN died in Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA 1760, his will written March 6, 1759 and proved Feb 4, 1760.  Here is a link to his will in book Richmond County Wills by Robert K Headley, p 120

JOHN WILSON & SARAH MAULDIN had the following children:

--JOSEPH WILSON b bef 1742 Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA (under 18 at time of father's will; inherited his plantation)
--JOHN WILSON II  b about 1746 Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA m 1st)  ANN NEWMAN; 2nd) unknown; died 1781 Rev War battle of Eutaw Springs, SC. He was to be  bound  to JAMES KELLY (likely his father's 1st cousin) when he reached age 14, according to will; also received land in Culpeper VA
--JAMES MAULDIN WILSON b 1740s-1750s Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA; named after his mother's brother; received land in Culpeper VA.
--TARPLEY WILSON b 1740s-1750 Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA. Tarpley is a surname from Richmond Co VA; received land in Culpeper VA
--SPICER WILSON b 1740s-1750s Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA; m JANE; died after 1808 Madison Co VA. Received land in Culpeper VA. Spicer is a surname from     Richmond Co VA.
--SUSANNA WILSON b 1740s-1750s Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA
--SARAH WILSON b 1740s-1750s Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA
--ANN / ANNE WILSON b abt Lunenberg Parish, Richmond Co VA m WILLIAM CARR LANE; married ; Robert Headley indicates they moved to Loudon Co VA. 

 Have a great day!

Betty
© Betty Tartas  2012

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