Descendants of James Wilson   

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Descendants of James Wilson

 

Generation No. 1

1. JAMES1 WILSON died January 17, 1781 in killed at Cowpens. He married MARTHA CALHOUN, daughter of JAMES CALHOUN and SUSANNAH LONG.

 

Notes for MARTHA CALHOUN:

Elizabeth Willson's father, James Willson, was killed at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17 , 1781. (Pension records of Martha Calhoun Willson Anderson). Martha later married a William Anderson, and evidently her children were also known by the step-father's name of Anderson, becausehere was confusion among the descendants for many years whether the name was "Willson" o r "Anderson." For that reason the court records regarding this are included in this work (Som e Descendants of David McWhorter...).The records show that this second marriage proved to b e not legal becauseMr. Anderson still had a living wife whom he had not divorced. Martha Calhoun and James Willson had four children, three of them being Elizabeth, Mary W. Langston and James Willson. The petititon of Mrs. Mary W. Langston for a pension states the death date of he r mother, Martha Willson Anderson, as being on the 31 day of January, 1840.

The 1800 U.Sl Census of Pendleton District, S.C. lists a Martha Anderson,with 2 white males ( 10-16), one white female (under 10) and one whitefemale (45-0ver).

Mrs. Shelley McWhorter Wright joined the DAR on the services of JamesWillson in the Revolutio nary War. Her National DAR number is 395254.

Notes for MARTHA CALHOUN:

[Newkirk family tree.FTW]

Petition of Martha Anderson (Formerly Widow of James Willson) for Pension

From South Carolina Archives Department, Columbia, S.C.

State of South Carolina

Before me John Willson a Justice of the Quoum for said state personally came Martha Anderson o f the State aforesaid and district of Pendleton and being duly sworn on the holy Evangelist an d on oath sayeth that her husband James Willson was a true friend to his cuntry in the Revolutionary War with Grait Briton and was killed in the searvis of his contry at the battle at the Cowpens on the 17th day of January 1781, and that she was left a widow with three small children and the day after her husband Received his death wound she was delivered of a fourth child and had no land or negroes left by her husband and that she remained a widow near about four years and her oldest child was nine years old at the death of her husband, the second was seven y ears old at said time and herthird child was five years old at its fathers death and the youngest born the day after her husband's death as aforesaid.

John Willson, J.Q.

The state of south carolina Anderson District

To the Honorable, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State, in General Assembly convened. the humble petition of Martha Anderson, formerly Martha Willson of the District and St ate aforesaid:

Respectfully showeth:

That she was the lawful wife, and afterward relict of James Wilson, a Revolutionary sodier, who died in the services of the united States, rather in that of the State of South Carolina, i n which state he served in the whole of the revolutionary War until the time when he fell in battle at the Cowpens, leaving your petitioner with four small children in a State of Poverty an d Sufferance; having been robbed by the Tories of their only two slaves, as well as of all other property of value.

And your petitioner begs leave to state further, in Consequence of mental derangement, to which she was for a considerable time unfortunately subjected, she was totally incompetent to prosecute her rights, or seek redress from wrongs and injuries--in consequence of which there has been added to the loss of her Husband, the loss of both health and property; and that she received nothing in exchange for those losses until after the close of said War, when she was placed on the pension roll of this State, and drew for herself and children, until she unfortunately intermarried with one William Anderson, who then as she subsequently  learned had a living wife. that your petitioner and the said William Anderson separated and he is since dead. And your peititioner prays leave further to state that from and after the time of the intermarriage , with the said William Anderson, she received nothing by way of Annuity or otherwise from the said State, until within and for the last five or six years, and your petitioner made application to your Honorable body by way of petition, and was again reinstated on the roll of pensionary under the name of Martha Anderson, taking the name of her second husband--but was not all owed nor has ever received anything by way of arrears. Your petitioner would not ask anything further from the country, was it in her power to live without it. But she considers her mean s as low as she well can be, and far advanced in life, being now more than eighty years of age and exceedingly infirm, she makes this cll upon the Honorable body, as the last Hope of Comfort, for her few remaining days and from a country which she bore an active part in serving during that time which tried the  hearts and souls of all.

Your petitioner hereupon prays that your Honorable body will grant to her arrears justly due her, for her annuity from the year 1785 at the rate of five pounds per annum until the year 182 5, at which time your petitioner was again placed on the pension Rolls above stated.

Hear her supplication and she will feel in duty bound ever to pray for your and the public welfare.

Her

Martha X Anderson

mark

The 1800 Census of South Carolina states that "the Pendleton District, South Carolina, locate d in the western part of the state, was later divided into Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties." The Handy Book for Genealogists, Everton Publishers shows that the 96th Judicial District existed from 1789 to 1798. In 1789 the Pendleton district was organized from part of the 96t h District. Abbeville was formed in 1785 from the96th District. Pickens and Anderson were for med in 1825-26 from Pendleton District. Oconee County was formed in 1868 from Pickens County . Records of land (the same ground) may be found in the court houses in Pickens or Walhalla, S. C.

Child of JAMES WILSON and MARTHA CALHOUN is:

2. i. ELIZABETH2 WILLSON, b. March 15, 1776, South Carolina; d. July 10, 1840, Bethel Church Cemetery , Walhalla, S.C..

 

Generation No. 2

2. ELIZABETH2 WILLSON (JAMES1 WILSON) was born March 15, 1776 in South Carolina, and died July 10, 1840 in Bethel Church Cemetery , Walhalla, S.C.. She married JOHN MCWHORTER 1795, son of DAVID MCWHORTER and MARY POSTON.

Notes for ELIZABETH WILLSON:

Notes for JOHN MCWHORTER:

Posten Bible, 1850 census Walker County, Georgia

More About JOHN MCWHORTER:

Burial: Fairview Cemetery five miles south of LaFayette, at foot ofPigeon Mountain

More About ELIZABETH WILLSON:

Burial: Bethel Church Cemetery near Walhalla, S.C., marker standing

Children of JOHN MCWHORTER and ELIZABETH WILLSON are:

5. i. DAVID5 MCWHORTER, b. 1800.

ii. JAMES MCWHORTER29, b. March 09, 179629.

iii. MARY MCWHORTER29, b. 179829.

iv. ELIZABETH ANN MCWHORTER29, b. 180129.

v. MATILDA MCWHORTER29, b. July 05, 180229.

vi. JOHN BAYLES MCWHORTER29, b. May 11, 180429.

vii. EZEKIEL MCWHORTER29, b. January 02, 180729.

viii. SAMUEL MCWHORTER29, b. January 02, 180929.

 

 

Notes for JOHN MCWHORTER:

Notes for JOHN MCWHORTER:

Posten Bible, 1850 census Walker County, Georgia

More About JOHN MCWHORTER:

Burial: Fairview Cemetery five miles south of LaFayette, at foot ofPigeon Mountain

More About ELIZABETH WILLSON:

Burial: Bethel Church Cemetery near Walhalla, S.C., marker standing

Children of JOHN MCWHORTER and ELIZABETH WILLSON are:

5. i. DAVID5 MCWHORTER, b. 1800.

ii. JAMES MCWHORTER29, b. March 09, 179629.

iii. MARY MCWHORTER29, b. 179829.

iv. ELIZABETH ANN MCWHORTER29, b. 180129.

v. MATILDA MCWHORTER29, b. July 05, 180229.

vi. JOHN BAYLES MCWHORTER29, b. May 11, 180429.

vii. EZEKIEL MCWHORTER29, b. January 02, 180729.

viii. SAMUEL MCWHORTER29, b. January 02, 180929.

 

Child of ELIZABETH WILLSON and JOHN MCWHORTER is:

i. DAVID3 MCWHORTER, m. MARY (POLLY) WARDLAW.

Notes for DAVID MCWHORTER:

The original letter which follows is now with Mrs. Charles R. Rein of Panama City, Florida . It was written by David McWhorter (3rd child of John and Elizabeth McWhorter) to his broth er, John McWhorter (1st child of John and Elizabeth McWhorter), in 1838. The penmanship is v ery good and legible in most places.

Alabama Willcox County

October 14th 1838

My beloved Brother I now sit down to wright you a fiew lines in answer to youre letter date d 16 August and to let you know that I am still injoying the blessings of God in helth and m y children injoys a reasonable portion of helth this yeare for which I have great reason to b e umbel and truley thankful to God who provideth all things for the best to them that love hi m. brother my broubels which I have met with has been light but my sins has been hevy and burdensom to me and the neglect of duty towards my God and Saviour beares me down and if not f ree grace and free pardon through the atoning blood of the lamb of God I must sink beneath hi s frounds but hop review sometimes and makes my burdens somewhat lighter. brother don't leave me out of youre prairs and secret thoughts to God and Christ and my children also that the y may bee brought in and saved with an everlasting salvation. My tears would bath your letter if it would doo any good but drops of tears can near repay for my crimes. brother my hear t is with you but my body is not but time will roll us together if not in this world of troubles I trust we will meet in Christs his where wee will prase redeeming grace and dying love through an never ending aturnity. I wrote to you in my letter that perhaps I would com to se e you this winter perhaps not. I have been feeding myself upon that notion for some time but I now have to give it out. My imployer seems loth to give me up yet. He chooses to finance me in provisions next yeare besides the wages he has been giving which has been three hundred Dollars anueley. I have not been abel to lay aney thing up for another time and I fin d I had better stay with him another yeare but if I can get the opertunity of coming to see y ou this winter I will come and if spared to another fall or winter I shal visit your countr y and if I like your cuntry I shal better be abel to settle myself. I would like to buy som e small place neare to you all with a mill sceat on it and watter plenty to support a saw an d grist and could bee got on tolerabel turmes. I think that would suit me as well as aney wa y I lik Alabama ptolerabel well at this time except the helth of it that is particular object ion I have to it. The spearet of farming is very high crops of corn is tolerabel good but co ton is not so good as has been made upon account of its been so dry all the latter part of th e summer and fall. I am making tolerabel crop of corn and cotton . I shall make 14 or 15 hu ndred bushels of corn and 25 or 26 bales of cotton weighing from 4 to five hundred pounds . I have written 2 letters to brother William and recd answer to both of them. The last ha s been since I recd youres. He says he is wel and fameley and he states he has bot land an d has hired the bilding of him a house and expects to get it this month and is teaching schoo l and preaching once a month at his apointed places and that his income is about twelve hundr ed dollars and his expenses is about the same in purchase of land and bilding and suparting a nd rent paying for the youce of a house in pantatock and he writes to me that he has a notion to wright to brother Samuel to come to that cuntry to teach school but rather scrinks to do o it but if he does I should like to see brother Samuel as he passes through for I think my cuntry is as good as that for a teacher and equaley as helthy as that we have some peopel living herare that has lived theare and as respects health Alabama is as good as Missippia and i f he leaves a helthy cuntry I should like to see him in my cuntry for tuition is as high hear e as aney whare and a great call for them but contentment is better than riches and helth bet ter than fortune. brother let the rest of my brothers and sisters see these lines after you read them and that broth Samuel will wright next brother Jameses hand has got so stiff he c an't moove his pen to write a line or too to me

D McWhorter

Wright to me if you see aney place that would suit me and be convenient to you and be neare to some presbyterian church sose that I can bring my children up under the eye of the church t hat I desire them to be brought up in. Don't forget to wright. So Farewell til I heare fro m some of you.

D McWhorter

If sister Martha is neare give my brotherly love to hur and Hugh Rogers

(This letter is written on a wide sheet of peper then doubled to form an envelope and address ed to: John McWhorter

Lafayett County

Georgia

Lafayette Court House

On the back, it looks like: Womack, Ala. Oct 15, 1838