Thomas Edwards Sr
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Thomas Nathaniel Edwards Sr (1690 - 1781)

Sir [uncertain] Thomas Nathaniel Edwards Sr
Born in Walesmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 12 Mar 1714 in Lleanymyceck, Walesmap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 91 in St. Marys County, Marylandmap [uncertain]
Profile last modified | Created 12 Jul 2011
This page has been accessed 11,601 times.
Research suggests that this person may never have existed. See the text for details.
US Southern Colonies.
Thomas Edwards Sr resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776.
Join: US Southern Colonies Project
Discuss: southern_colonies

Caution Edwards Heirs Misinformation: There is no clear evidence this couple or their children ever existed. See details below.

Contents

Biography

This profile is part of the Edwards Name Study.

Thomas Edwards[1]

Born: 14 October 1690 in South Wales.[1][2][3]
Marriage: Thomas Edwards and Isabella Downing were married in Wales on 12 March 1714.[1]
Children: "Their eight known children were all born in Wales."[1][4]
  1. Robert Edwards (1716–)[5]
  2. Joshua Edwards (1718–1823)[5]
  3. William Harrison Edwards (1720–1808)[6]
  4. Thomas Edwards (1723–1791)[5]
  5. Leonard Edwards (1725–)[5]
  6. John Edwards (1727–1801)[5]
  7. Jacob Edwards (1729–)[5]
daughter
  1. Martha "Patsy" Edwards (1731–)
Immigration: "It is not known exactly when or where Thomas Edwards and his family first came into the new world, but family tradition maintains that he sailed here with his family..."[1]
  • arrived New York, c1740s/50s
  • settled in southeastern Pennsylvania, in "the Welsh Tract"
  • then moved "southwesterly along the well trodden migration route into northern Maryland."[1]
Death: "It is claimed that Thomas Edwards died during 1778 at Swansea, Maryland."[1][7]

Research Notes

Caution: Edwards Heirs Misinformation: There is no clear evidence this couple or their children ever existed but were a construct to connect descendants of Robert Edwards, who was said to have left land in Manhattan to his siblings' descendants after a 99-year lease expired. The following recap was previously shown in this profile under a bullet "Incorrect Information":

There is a story of an Edwards Estate, that many claim was never passed down but taken by the government. The Estate is estimated to be in the millions and is in the ownership of Trinity Church in Manhattan. However, other sources claim that the property was sold to a William Beekman, after the death of Thomas. [Which Thomas is not specified, but presumed to mean this "Thomas Nathaniel Edwards.]

The following is from the Edwards Genealogy of Colonial Virginia blogspot:

The "Edwards fortune" fraud did immeasurable damage to Edwards genealogy, and the insertion of the fictitious Thomas Nathaniel Edwards, named in Edwards Heirs, cemented the various stories about the Edwards legacy,... despite the fact that not one clear document supporting his existence has ever been confirmed.[8]

WikiTree Biography: The above biography, based on his FindAGrave memorial,[1] appears to be a reiteration of unsupported genealogies published in the early 1900s by Edwards Heirs associations. "Despite more than a century of dedicated research funded by millions of dollars worth of membership fees in the Association of Edwards Heirs," notes the Edwards Genealogy of Colonial Virginia blogspot, "not a single genealogist has found a record proving the existence of Thomas Nathaniel Edwards, his wife Isabelle Downing, or any of their supposed children."[9] See details in Dr. Hinchliff's "Estate Fraud and Spurious Pedigrees".[10]

Uncertain->Disproven Existence: This profile represents a person who probably did not exist and did not marry a woman named Isabel/Elizabeth Dowling (who also probably did not exist). While the people represented by the profiles attached as their children might have existed, if they did, they were not his children. As of 30 May 2021, this profile displays the "Uncertain Existence" Research Notes Box, but the intention is to transfer management of this profile to the Disproven Existence Project if the requirements for that project can be met. A review of the profiles attached as children will also be needed; those portraying real people will need to be detached prior to submitting Thomas, Isabel, and the remaining profiles attached as children to be project-managed profiles of the Disproven Existence Project. (See the G2G discussion about detaching his parents, in particular, this answer. ~ Liz Shifflett, co-leader, US Southern Colonies Project

The Edwards Heirs controversy is summarized by Delbert Hahn's article - "The Hall-Edwards Estate: Fact or Fiction?" - which appeared in the 1995 issue of Ancestry Magazine, who notes that the legend has been "attracting the unscrupulous and the unwary for decades."[11] It is also discussed in the blogspot article just mentioned ("Who Was Thomas Nathaniel Edwards?")[9] and this G2G discussion also pertains.
Most "early" information is a result of Family Trees reportedly from family papers and bibles relating to Edward Heirs claims, where thousands of people tried to prove they were descendants, providing affidavits, but no bible references (pages 90, 101, 109, 111, 161).[11][12]

No original sources are known for any vital records for Thomas and Isabel and their children. Most information on this family is "tradition" that emerged from the newsletters of the "Association of Edwards Heirs".[3] The Biography above was created based on his FindAGrave memorial (as of 29 May 2021).[1] The following sections show information from merged profiles that differs from that in the Biography section. Citations that were given for the same information were added to the appropriate statement(s) in the Biography section, but much of the information had no inline citation.

Parents

The ancestry of SIR THOMAS NATHANIEL EDWARDS, SR. is in dispute. There does not appear to be any exact civil or parish records found which positively establish his parents.
Disconnected Profiles: The profiles of Robert Thomas Edwards (1662-1734) and Margaret Elizabeth (Cuelin) Edwards (1666-1738) were disconnected 30 May 2021 (see this G2G discussion). They were mentioned in the profile text as "presumed parents... p.212, 232, 253[11]"
Disputed Parents: William and Unknown (who was son of Joshua).[13]
Duplicate Family?: The profile for Edwards-1873 - Thomas Nathaniel Edwards (1635-1698) - is attached as son of William Edwards and Jonet Reese (s of 1 June 2021).

Name

Sir Thomas (unsourced peerage)
Thomas, Thomas Nathaniel, Thomas Nathaniel Harrison
Edwards, Edwardes

Birth

Exact date and location Unknown (sources suspect - Denbigh, Wales does have some records supporting possible birth dates for several individuals - but No Parent information found to connect parents to children; No Bible Sources located; No Will Located)
  • Wales vs England ("Birth Sources Suspect")
  • Denbigh, Wales[14]
  • Baptism (speculative) 1692 Westbury, Wiltshire, England[14]
  • Edwards Hall, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales (London, Swansea, Maryland), etc.

Marriage

Isobel, Issobell, Isabell, Elizabeth - Sarah Elizabeth; Downing, Dowling
  • Elizabeth Isabelle Downing, Apr 12 1713 - 1714 in Swansea, Wales
  • Thomas and Elizabeth reportedly married 1714 in Swansea Wales[15]
  • Apr 12, 1713 in North Carolina[16]
Marriage Estimate most generally accepted Mar 12 1713-1714 Wales - Elizabeth (Isabell) Downing, [Daughter of George Downing Baronet and Lady Catherine Cecil][17][18]
  • vs England, North Carolina, Glamorgan Wales, (Llandaff, Cardiff, Edwards Hall) ; 12 Mar 1714 in Swansea, Wales etc.)[19][12][20]

Children

Descendants of Thomas Nathaniel EDWARDS (1690-1781) and Isabella Elizabeth DOWNING (1693-1785) is questionable because of the "Edwards Estate Scams."
Estimated Children's Births 1713-1738
Estimated Birth Location Wales -- and possibly New York or North Carolina after parents arrival.
Variously reported as having 8-13 children - only 8 identified in 1778 Lease[12][11][21] (Robert's Sibilings - apparently all married and alive at time of lease in 1778)[11]
"Presumed children of Thomas Nathaniel Edwards and Isabell (Elizabeth) Downing]]"[21][22]
Robert, his brothers William, Jacob, Leonard, Joshua, John and Thomas and sister Martha[11] (aka Patsy / aka Frankie).

Arrival

Arrival at New York Harbor, 9 May 1714.[16]
One researcher stated they came to America in 1750. Another researcher stated they were in Chapel Hill NC by 1740.
Arrival Estimate presumed before 1740-1750 (vs the 1714 at New York Harbor before 1678).[12]<[16] This passenger list not located.

Death

Death Estimate 1781 (Unknown - some genealogists claim without evidence that he died in North Carolina or Montgomery Co Maryland [3] - Will Not Located[23])
Supposedly died Swansea, Maryland, or some claim, London, England.
  • 1781 North Carolina[16]
  • February 11, 1781 in North Carolina
  • Nov 2 1781 Maryland
  • vs 1778 Maryland vs. NC or Wales, England; (speculative) buried in Rehobeth Cemetery, Lincoln County, North Carolina, or "at sea"[3]
  • Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 11 October 2020), memorial page for Thomas Nathaniel Edwards (14 Oct 1690–2 Nov 1781), Find A Grave: Memorial #57774365, ; Maintained by Iriss Hill (contributor 46617720) Unknown.
  • Supposedly Elizabeth (Isobell) died 8 Jun 1742 of Yellow Fever along with 3 of her children at Port Savannah, Georgia, and was buried in Wales. [Said to be "From Medical History of Strange Disease of Georgia’s First Settlers" but no book by that name is known to exist.]
  • Sea Voyages in the 1700's from America to Wales typically lasted seven weeks. Logic would indicate that it is unlikely someone who died in America of Yellow Fever would be "transported for burial."

Will

No will/probate record located to definitively prove or disprove death date, locations, children, relationships, etc.
No records located in VA Wills and Admin; Chalkey's or Henning's, Culpeper County, Virginia, will books B and C, court suits, loose papers, inscriptions
Reportedly in 1781, SIR THOMAS NATHANIEL EDWARDS, SR.'s will was recorded in Culpepper County, Virginia. It does not, however, appear in the will book, so this is false.
Robert Edwards, said to be the oldest son, was the administrator of his father's estate. In 1778, Robert signed the release of lease for 99 years in New York.[24][11] (See #Lease.)

Lease

"Robert and Elizabeth Edwards had no children so they leased the land to George & John Cruger for 99 years in June 1786. At the expiration of this 99 years it must revert to Robert Edwards’ lawful living heirs who were descendents of his brothers and sisters John, Joshua, Jacob, Leonard, Thomas, William and Martha Edwards."[25]
Actual lease date was June 1 1778 vs June 1786[26]
See also info in this footnote:[4]
Under a heading of "Not Identified in Lease" was this statement: Erroneously assigned children have been removed. Oldest sources cite only five sons: Robert, born February 14. 1716. Joshua, born March 12. 1718. William, born April 9, 1720. Thomas, born July 7. 1723. Leonard, born May. 1725. John, born February 10. 1727. See "Edwards Heirs": https://archive.org/stream/edwardsheirs00unse/edwardsheirs00unse_djvu.txt
NOTE: Lease claimed to be from "Liber 43, Page 139" does not actually appear in New York City Conveyance records. See: https://edwardsvirginiagenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/01/who-was-thomas-nathaniel-edwards.html

Old Biography

need to move to the profile of the child

  • Martha Edwards, born 1731/2; died 1799. married before 1778 - Unknown (reportedly 3X Thomas Nathan Wilson; Unknown White; John Roberts[22]
  • Robert Edwards reportedly unmarried; born February 14, 1715/16 Died after 1778 Lease -- British Navy, “privateer” for Crown of England, drowned, unmarried, no children. Descendants claim he is the initial source of the “Edwards Fortune.”
  • Edwards-2186|William Edwards]], born April 08, 1720; died 1806; (others claim 1808 or 1816) presumed m. 2X (image 75 from Bible; birth and death agree, reportedly son David) ((Edwards-3217|Wiliam of this will supposedly m. Elizabeth Breazeale)
Will at World Connect Hackworth and Tate Research; will named wife (unnamed); son William, son Richard son John ; daughters Mary, Elizabeth (m. Major Weatherford); Agnes and Hana
Executors: my trusty sons, Major Weatherford and William Edwards. Witnesses: John Hardman, John Manley and William Manley; Proven: 23 May 1757 by oaths of John Hardman, John Manley and William Manley.
Executors: Major Weatherford and William Edwards.[27]

Security: James Talbot. Bedford County, Virginia Deed Book 1 (1754- 1762); Pages 118-119

  • Supposedly Wm (son of Downing) Married all three - *children do not match to 1806 Will in Bedford County, Virginia.
  • Possible Co-mingled Contemporary Williams - Marriages appear to have occurred at about the same time.
1 = Unknown (presumed Evart)
2 = Edwards-2186|Polly Cramer]] (b: 5 AUG 1721 in NC m. 1748 in Orange Co NC d. ABT 1759 Find A Grave Memorial# 113759433 Polly Cramer (reportedly 15 children)
Children of William Edwards and Polly Cramer are: Solomon Edwards, born 1746, Samuel Edwards, born 1777. Sampson Edwards, born 1821. Peter Edwards. (heirs image 90, 132
3 = Edwards-4744|married Grizzell Coleman]] (dau DANIEL COLEMAN and PATIENCE DARBY). NOTE: This tradition is likely erroneous. See updates at Edwards-4744.
  • 1729 Jacob Edwards, born August 08, 1729; died March 12, 1780 in Wales; married. (1) Affa Sphars 1746. (2) Effie Spears January 18, 1748/49; Died Livingston Essec Co NJ. - Burial: Caldwell Cem Caldwell NJ
p.112 One Jacob m. Phoebe Crawford in 1654 (unsourced) had same named children as Thomas m. Downing

Children of Jacob Edwards and Effie Spears are: John Edwards. Colbert Edwards. Joseph Edwards. Morgan Edwards. Thomas Edwards. Moses Edwards. Aaron Edwards. Alpha Edwards. Nathaniel Edwards. Jacob Edwards. originally submitted this to DFoyt Family Tree on 28 Nov 2009 From Edwards message board on Ancestry:

  • Edwards-8924|Leonard Edwards]], born May 20, 1725. (vs Born Jun 20 1725)
  • Edwards-6139| Joshua Edwards]], born March 12, 1716/17. married Rebecca Ward. (vs Born Mar 11 1716)
  • 1727 John Edwards, born February 08, 1726/27 in Staffordshire England; died in Lancaster Co., VA 1762. (vs Died Wales) m. (1) Polly Potts. (2) Alice Edwards. (3) Mary Walker 1749.

Children of John Edwards and Polly Potts are:

Joseph Edwards.

Edwin Edwards. Exam Edwards. Abner Edwards. Henry Edwards. Maraduke Edwards. Martha Edwards. Elizabeth Edwards. Mary Edwards. David Edwards, born 1764; died 1825. Thomas Edwards.

  • Edwards-5590|John also reportedly married Henrietta Barbour]] with Son Arthur Edwards (sourced)[28]
    • Child John m. Barbour[29]
    • Gchild Arthur m. Ann Turley[29][21]
  • [[Edwards-1870|Thomas Edwards, born July 07, 1723; died bef. 1712; m. Elizabeth Nichols 1743;
Children of Thomas Edwards and Elizabeth Nichols] are: Robert Edwards, born 1743.

William Edwards. Solomon Edwards. Thomas Edwards. Sarah Edwards. Andrew Edwards.

Thomas Edwards III married Mary Ann McClellan of Culpeper, VA. They had three children,
James Mac Edwards born in VA and married Nancy English, Sarah Edwards born about 1755 married Andrew McClellan of GA in 1769, and Martha Edwards born January 17, 1760 married Grover Sharpe of Georgia.
Sara & Andrew McClellan had two daughters, Sara and Elizabeth McClellan. Elizabeth McClellan married Joseph Mills in 1788. They had two children Rachel & Elizabeth Mills. Elizabeth Mills married George Fleming and Rachel Mills married Charles Nevils Drury, son of William and Katherine Drury of Sussex, England.

Converted Footnotes

need to incorporate info into text ... and check for ref's referencing them

ref name=Dis Discrepancy Notes from Leon Kearns (View posts) Posted: 25 Nov 2003 6:35PM Surnames: Edwards

Having searched two Edwards surname mailing list for Thomas Nathaniel Edwards and his wife Elizabeth Downing, I thought I would send to the list what I found. What was interesting were the different birth dates and locations of the children. Also several of the sons were claimed by different lines and had different descendants.
One example is John b. 1727, who is reported by one researcher to be the John who went to South Carolina and is buried there and another researcher claims him as the John who wrote a will dtd Apr 2, 1798 and proven in Orange Co NC November 1801. (Most likely the "son vs father")

ref name=Birth Parents Listed as Thomas & Eliza

(Possibly Incorrect location or wrong parents (b.1790))
Bristol, England, Select Church of England Parish Registers, 1720-1933 Birth, Marriage & Death

Name Thomas Edwards Spouse Eliza Edwards Gender Male

Northamptonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1532-1812 Birth, Marriage & Death

Name Thomas Edwards Spouse Elizabeth Edwards Vital Peterborough, St John, Northamptonshire Gender Male

Parent Robert and Unknown -- "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N8GJ-R5W : 6 December 2014), Thomas Edwards, 21 Aug 1692; citing Hartford, Huntingdon, England, reference item 17; FHL microfilm 1,040,631.

ref name=Marr Marriage:

U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900about Sarah Isabell Downing

Name: Sarah Isabell Downing Gender: Female Birth Year: 1714 (wrong year - this is Marr date) Spouse Thomas Edwards Spouse Birth Year: 1690 Number Pages: 1

Family Data Collection - Marriages

Name Thomas Nathaniel Edwards Spouse Elizibeth Isabelle Downing Marriage Date (Day, Month, Year) 12 March 1713 City South Wales

ref name=Arr Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s about Elizabeth Edwards Name: Elizabeth Edwards Year: 1750 Place: America Source Publication Code: 1217.2 Primary Immigrant: Edwards, Elizabeth Source Bibliography: COLDHAM, PETER WILSON. Bonded Passengers to America. 9 vols. in 3. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1983. Vol. 2. Middlesex, 1617-1775. 334p. Page: 87

Edwards Heirs Controversy

need to move to Space:Edwards_Family_Cleanup_Project

  • Myth summarized by Ancestry Magazine 11/1/1995 - Archive November/December 1995 Vol. 13 No. 6
  • Edwards heirs Supp. Vol. 1, No. 1 Story p.252
  • FBI investigation for fraud:
    • "In New Orleans, Louisiana, during 1966 and 1967, Velma Josephine Wilson and William Chester Carr were investigated by the FBI and indicted by a federal grand jury for mail fraud and wire fraud as a result of their activities with the Hall-Edwards estate. They subsequently pled guilty and were jailed for five years. Wilson had claimed to be a genealogist who was working as an agent for Edwards’ heirs. The pair claimed there were millions of dollars on deposit in a Federal Reserve Bank for the benefit of the heirs, put there in part by Trinity Church officials. Wilson went so far as to travel to England, claiming she had met with Queen Elizabeth and had settled the estate. Wilson and Carr permitted non-heirs to share in the estate by allowing them to invest cash for legal expenses in exchange for a share in the estate (see "False Heirs: The Hall-Edwards Estate Fraud," Ancestry, Vol. 12 No. 1).

Speculation

need to move to Space:Edwards_Family_Cleanup_Project

There were several Roberts within the same timeframe. Most likely they are "different individuals" and over the years information appears to have been co-mingled between the Roberts' and Thomas'

Contemporary Roberts

  • Parents Unproven
  • 1. Robert of Cardiff m. Mary Hunt (100 Acres) Isle of Wright - Ref - Probate d. 1780-1781 (Doctor)
  • 2. Robert (b.1608) m. Rebecca immigrant to Isle of Wright Virginia (1635 / Indentured Servant )
  • 3. Robert m. Cuelin -- Robert of NY (77 acres) Manhatten ((b. 1719 died 1762) (Edward Heirs Research - very few sources; some bible records; No Hunts or Rebecca; (said to be a son of Thomas (styled as Thomas Nathaniel) and Isabell (Elizabeth) Downing -- Arrival about 1750 - (No Probate Found); (said to have "died at sea"); vs Thomas m. Hael (Hall)
  • Stories co-mingle the "Robert's" (and Thomas'). Robert m. Cuelin (1662 - 1738 presumed to be Robert the Welsh Buccaneer/pirate granted land by Queen Anne of Great Britain (Anne's Reign (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) -- for his services in disrupting Spanish sea lanes (Robert m. Cuelin - was Executor of Thomas m. Hael (Hall) Estate) (The 99 yr lease expired in 1877 (wikipedia error/confusion

*Lease signed 1778 presumed to be signed by (Grandson) Robert leased to the brothers John and George Cruger for 99 years with the condition that thereafter it would revert to (Robert's Heirs)

    • The Heirs of (Grandson) Robert Edwards named in the lease as his brothers William, Jacob, Leonard, Joshua, John and Thomas and his sister Martha (aka Frankie). (children of Thomas (Nathaniel) and Isabell (Elizabeth) Downing).

To be deleted /moved / incorporated elsewhere

Premerge Notes To Be Deleted

Transcribed from handwritten papers by Irene Copeland Connell see this Changes page for previous version (search for Transcribed), from which the following was abstracted
  • Thomas Edwards Sr married Isabele Downing & they had eight children (Robert Thomas, Joshua, John, Jacob, Leonard, Thomas, William and Martha).
  • Robert Thomas Edwards married Elizabeth Hall, daughter of Thomas Hall
  • Father of Robert married Cuelin
  • Thomas Hall "came to live in Manhattan Island, New York, procured a grant from the Dutch Government who at the time owned this Island. This grant some 77 acres covering almost all lower Manhatten water front along the Hudson River, between Old John Land and south on Rotterdam Road. Thomas Hall let this grant to his daughter Elizabeth and son-in law Robert Thomas Edwards. Elizabeth was his only child. The British took this land from the Dutch in the early 1700’s. Robert Thomas Edwards had a grant confirmed by Sir Thomas Lovelace, the Royal Governor of British government, establishing his rights to this land."
  • [The last bullet seems to say that the Robert who married Elizabeth Hall died at sea.]
Elsewhere in the profle text was the statement: "Said to have resided in New York on land left to him by his grandfather (The Edward/Hall (Hael) Estate)" - meaning this "Thomas Nathaniel Edwards" was grandson of Thomas Hall (Hael)? Or was the unnamed subject of the profile his son Robert?

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Anthony J. Christensen, Arthur Edwards and His Descendants (Spanish Fork Utah: Mac Anthony Corp.,1991), as quoted on the Find A Grave: Memorial #57774365 for "Thomas Nathaniel Edwards (1690-1781)" - the quoted information is followed by a genforum link - http://genforum.genealogy.com/downing/messages/1074.html - so it is unclear what information is from where (FindAGrave memorial accessed 29 May 2021).
  2. Born 14 October 1690 first appears in "Edwards Heirs" in 1925.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Information from his FindAGrave entry, which "is purely traditional information from the Edwards Heirs newsletter." See Edwards Heirs Association newsletters, 1925-26 (archive.org full text).
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Edwards Heirs" - to be used with caution - names their son Robert based on a "1778 lease" for land in Manhattan that is said to name Robert's siblings. Text from elsewhere in this profile (as of 29 May 2021):
    • "Robert and Elizabeth Edwards had no children so they leased the land to George & John Cruger for 99 years in June 1786. At the expiration of this 99 years it must revert to Robert Edwards’ lawful living heirs who were descendents of his brothers and sisters John, Joshua, Jacob, Leonard, Thomas, William and Martha Edwards."
    • "The Heirs of (Grandson) Robert Edwards named in the lease as his brothers William, Jacob, Leonard, Joshua, John and Thomas and his sister Martha (aka Frankie)."
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Geni, entry for William Harrison Edwards.
  6. FindAGrave
  7. Note: No will/probate record located to definitively prove or disprove death date, locations, children, relationships, etc. (see #Will).
  8. "A Walk Through Various Errors in the Edwards Genealogies of Westmoreland Co., Virginia", 7 November 2019. Edwards Genealogy of Colonial Virginia (accessed 30 May 2021).
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Who Was Thomas Nathaniel Edwards?", 8 January 2020, Edwards Genealogy of Colonial Virginia (accessed 30 May 2021).
  10. Helen Hinchliff, Ph.D., "Estate Fraud and Spurious Pedigrees (pdf).
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Myth summarized by Ancestry Magazine 11/1/1995 - Archive November/December 1995 Vol. 13 No. 6; Edwards heirs Supp. Vol. 1, No. 1 Story p.252.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 This named citation is missing and is referenced 6 times throughout this Profile. Either provide the citation or delete this reference and the other 6 references.
  13. Darryl Lundy. William Edwards, entry in "thepeerage.com" database (accessed 1 June 2021), citing
    • L. G. Pine, The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms (London, U.K.: Heraldry Today, 1972), page 171.
    • Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Genealogical Books Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 947.
  14. 14.0 14.1 see #Converted Footnotes, "ref name=Birth"
  15. The way the notes were, it appeared that both the 1714 marriage in Wales and the 12 April 1713 marriage in North Carolina were both citing "ref name=Bio" (Bio information).
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Bio information
  17. [1] Wikipedia George Downing, 2nd Baronet
  18. Lleanymyceck, Wales Thanks to Combined Edwards Research at World Connect (Sourced),
  19. The Peerage
  20. see #Converted Footnotes, "ref name=Marr"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 Thomas Nathaniel information - Children Births per The Edwards Family of Virginia and Maryland; From the Montgomery County MD Historical Society Files; (SLGL F984145)
    Arthur Edwards and His Descendants by Anthony J. Christensen Chapter I; p.522 secondary sources/References
  22. 22.0 22.1 Source: Edwards Heirs Association newsletters, 1925-26. See https://archive.org/stream/edwardsheirs00unse/edwardsheirs00unse_djvu.txt
  23. No Will/Probate Located to Prove/Disprove Locations, children, relationships. See #Will.
  24. Lindgren/Tyron Family Research (Source 199 p.78; 365 p.73; 455)
  25. Transcribed from handwritten papers by Irene Copeland Connell
  26. Edwards heirs Supp. Vol. 1, No. 1 pg 3-4. 169. 172, 174, 178 (patent not located, seen in 1874 p.174)
  27. On 03 September 1787 Major’s estate was divided as follows: An extra legacy of 20 pounds to Martha and 30 pounds to Drucilla. The remainder to be divided between William, John, Major, Richard, Elisabeth, Susanna Parsons, Mary, Aggy Harper, Lucy, Martha and Drucilla. (There’s no indication as to which of these women are the unnamed daughters in Major’s will.) Weatherford Will (Weatherford Researchers indicate he may have married Elizabeth first, then her sister Ann
  28. Anthony J. Christensen, Arthur Edwards and His Descendants, (Spanish Fork Utah: Mac Anthony Corp.,1991 - Arthur Edwards (1747-1805) lived in Loundon County, Virginia and married Ann Turley (b. ca. 1751) in 1770. They lived at Snow Creek, Franklin County, Virginia and raised their family, later moving to Mountain Creek, and then to Davidson County, Tennessee.).
  29. 29.0 29.1 Descendants of Arthur, was followed by ref name=MDH

Acknowledgments

Thank you for Extensive Research done by

Edwards Family Extensive research by James E. Hargrave and and Joyce Jogen (Sourced)

Nancy Snow, Saturday, January 11, 2014. Mike Edwards May 7, 2013 Elizabeth Ross, Jul 12, 2011 Paul Duncan import of Duncan-Anderson Family Tree_2013-11-03.ged on Nov 3, 2013.





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Comments: 36

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Small note "Thomas" in reference to William Beekman is evidently Thomas Hall (d.1670) not Thomas Edwards. See: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/edwards/12093/
posted by Jason F.
Well. This is becoming quite the education. I intend to continue my work on this profile, but I will be doing so with the intent of recommending that his profile be managed by the Disproven Existence Project, not the US Southern Colonies Project. Probably the best summaries as to why can be found at this blogspot post and this G2G discussion.
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Hi! I am a co-leader of the US Southern Colonies Project. This profile has been edited to remove errors (if a project box is displayed, the project account must be a manager), but further review by our Managed Profiles Team has determined that it needs to be not only managed by the project but also a project-protected profile.

The maintenance category intially added "Needs Style Reveiw" could have also been "Needs Relationship Review". It appears that the parents need to be detached. I will be doing that and more.

In addition, WikiTree guidelines suggest that profiles only need a handful of managers. One of the reasons for a profile having a manager is so that people know who to contact about the profile. This means managers need to be active & inactive managers removed. Please post a reply to this comment before Wednesday, 2 June, if you are still active in WikiTree and would like to remain a manager of this profile. If I don't hear from you by then, I will remove you as manager (but you'll still be on the the trusted list). Thanks!

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Hi Liz, I'm not actually a manager, but I'm on the trusted list and have been basically sole curator of these profiles for a couple of years. I believe they represent fictitious persons. Adding this to the "disproven existence" project sounds great to me. All of the ancestors and siblings of Thomas Nathaniel Edwards should probably be added as well.
posted by Jason F.
Jason - you're the only response I have had, so I'll be removing the others as managers tomorrow unless I hear from them.

Would you like to be added as a manager?

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
edited by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
That would be great, thanks. I can keep an eye on this while I wait for the day that I can get his Findagrave deleted XD
posted by Jason F.
Janice Lynn Lewis: It is my family that are the true descendants of the Edwards New York Property, our family has a family chart the first entry is William James Edwards II Son of Captain William W Edwards, of Llangyfelach & Jamestown who was the brother of Thomas "Nathaniel" Edwards, of Cardiff & NY who is the father of the false claim Thomas Nathaniel Edwards, I. We also show in the chart the names of the brothers and sisters of Robert Edwards the Captain who had the land...
posted by [Living Lewis]
Has this family chart been corroborated by other evidence, such as public records?
posted by Jason F.
Yes, we have several sources, alse we have the original family chart passed down from within the family, charted in a book
posted by [Living Lewis]
edited by [Living Lewis]
There was never any Edwards Property in New York, according to the deed books, and there was likely never anyone named Thomas Nathaniel Edwards. But if you have documentation, feel free to post. Thanks.
posted by Jason F.
Thomas Nathaniel Edwards I born Oct 17 1639 Died Between 1688 and 1703 Son of

Captain William W Edwards I, of Llangyfelach & Jamestown Born Nov 1 1620 died Apr 20 1697 Thomas Nathaniel Edwards I Son Thomas Nathaniel Edwards, II Born Oct 14 1690 Died Nov 2 1781(was involved in the Lease for Trinity Church) The true genealogy line is the son of Captain William W Edwards I, of Llangyfelach & Jamestown which is William James Edwards, II Born Aug 5 1635 Died 1705 all the brothers and sisters mentioned in Robert Edwards are in my line. We did not go to America....we went to Ireland and then in the 1800 came to Canada, Robert Edwards went before us to make provisions for his family that was coming to a new country.......it saddens me that such treachery was undertaken.....both from the Trinity church and of our Cousins, Thomas Nathaniel Edwards, and others,

posted by [Living Lewis]
So this Capt. William W. Edwards I had a child at fourteen years old? Nov. 1, 1620 to Aug. 5, 1635 is just fourteen years.

Thank you for the information but I'm sorry to report what you have is just another iteration of the "Edwards Heirs" genealogy that was invented in the 1920s. There are dozens of versions out there and have been for about a century. None of them have ever been supported with documentation.

https://edwardsvirginiagenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/01/who-was-thomas-nathaniel-edwards.html

posted by Jason F.
[Comment Deleted]
posted by [Living Lewis]
deleted by Admin WikiTree
flagged by Wendy Browne
Janice, you claimed in your post that you are one of "the true descendants of the Edwards New York Property" which has been discredited by two court cases, the New York State legislature, numerous journalistic investigations and academic material. The Robert Edwards claim is a well known inheritance scam that went on for over a century in various iterations. I am intimately familiar with this topic. We can move this to G2G if you want and let some other genealogists weigh in. Some have already addressed it here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/973133/edwards-heirs-hoax-estate-fraud-and-spurious-pedigrees
posted by Jason F.
Citation #3 is in violation of Wikitree standards-- these links that say they are "sourced" are not sourced at all, but contain the same cut-and-pasted rubbish from the old Edwards Heirs newsletters. Ancestry trees and Rootsweb gedcoms are not sources. I am planning on removing all of this, but let me know if you want to discuss. I will keep references to the "Edwards Heirs" letters.
posted by Jason F.
Edwards-25271 and Edwards-1871 appear to represent the same person because: This is an obvious duplicate of Edwards-1871 that is virtually unsourced. I'd like to merge this entire family group into their better-developed equivalents. Thanks!
posted by Jason F.
Edwards-1871 and Edwards-8770 appear to represent the same person because: They are clearly referring to same individual--same birth, death, marriage, etc. 1871 has better documentation, so 8770 is superfluous. Upon merge I want to keep the parents and children of 1871, unless someone wants to show why that shouldn't be done.
posted on Edwards-8770 (merged) by Jason F.
So I recently went through and pruned this tree. Not to be mean, but this is honestly some of the worst genealogy I've ever seen. Sources are evidently all internet-based, with references to original records virtually non-existent. A number of people tacked on their own random Edwards ancestors with no argument, theory or support. Others created duplicates and rather than merging with TNE just tacked him on as a "brother" or something. Worst of all, much of the information for TNE's children is presented as though it were verified fact, despite big, glaring disclaimers in the TNE profile. It's almost a master class in how not to do genealogical research.

https://edwardsvirginiagenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/01/who-was-thomas-nathaniel-edwards.html

The earliest references to TNE seem to come from the pages of "Edwards Heirs" as submitted by genealogists in the 1920s. Assuming they are real at all, they seem to represent family tradition. The children were typically given in 1925 as Robert, born February 14. 1716; Joshua, born March 12. 1718; William, born April 9, 1720; Thomas, born July 7. 1723; Leonard, born May 17, 1725; John, born February 10. 1727. Some accounts also include Jacob, born 1729 and Martha, born 1731. Other conflicting accounts at the time also gave these as the children of Jacob Edwards and Phoebe Crawford. https://archive.org/stream/edwardsheirs00unse/edwardsheirs00unse_djvu.txt

I honestly doubt any of these people ever existed, but there is a chance that some of this is rooted in fact, so it is instructive to leave this up in its current form with everything carefully cited. I only ask future editors of this family to not tack on their random Edwards relatives because they want to be "Edwards Heirs" or whatever. Thanks!

posted by Jason F.
edited by Jason F.
Hi, for any descendants of Ambrose, Robert or Ann Edwards--this is not your ancestor. Thomas Nathaniel Edwards is fictitious. Ambrose first appears in King William County deeds in 1756 and is likely a son of James or John Edwards.

You can see who your actual ancestors are here: https://edwardsvirginiagenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-walk-through-various-errors-in.html

posted by Jason F.
Jacob Edwards Disproved parent of Morgan Edwards

See individual profile for updated information - & identified/proven children

posted by Sandy Edwards
Hi-- so this is most likely a mythological ancestor-- someone who never existed. However, at least one of the children here (Ann Edwards Barber) is a descendant of the St. Mary's County Edwards family that likely descend from an immigrant called Isaac Edwards, an indentured servant to MD in 1637 who patented "Edwards Freehold" in 1640. Another grandchild here, Ambrose Edwards, apparent son of a John Edwards, almost certainly comes from the same clan-- I have DNA matches on both, and a confirmed Maryland-originated Edwards ancestor.

Unfortunately the name Edwards appeared all over Maryland and Virginia in the mid 18th century so it may be impossible to fully untangle this mythology. But we can get at least some things accurate.

posted by Jason F.
Hello! Much to my surprise I have DNA matches with two descendants of this man--I thought I was descended from a totally different Edwards family of St. Mary's County until minutes ago. My only Edwards link is Ignatius Edwards (c.1707-1750) of Stafford Co., VA. He would have to be this man's son. Ignatius is confirmed from Maryland. Has anyone seen the name "Ignatius" in this lineage anywhere? Thank you!! --Jason
posted by Jason F.
Edwards-1871 and Edwards-8770 are not ready to be merged because: different parents.
posted on Edwards-8770 (merged) by Raymond Nichols DD
This profile has erroneous parents-- can we merge them anyway and just keep the parents from 1871? Most of what's in this profile should just be deleted. I'm going to initiate another merge soon.
posted on Edwards-8770 (merged) by Jason F.
Edwards-8770 and Edwards-1871 appear to represent the same person because: Based on the name, birth and death dates and locations as well as the name of one of his wives, these are a match. There appear to be some issues regarding the identity of his parents, but these profiles should be listed as a match (or Unmerged Match) instead of a rejected match.

Thanks!

Julie

No Response to email - appears inactive - profile corrections needed
posted on Edwards-8770 (merged) by Sandy Edwards
Both profiles for Edwards-8770 and Edwards-1871 have the same year of birth 1690. Perhaps the parentage of this profile is incorrect??
posted by Janne (Shoults) Gorman
Edwards-8770 and Edwards-1871 do not represent the same person because: The DOB would mean that his parents were app. 80 at the time of his birth
posted by Mike Edwards
Edwards-8770 and Edwards-1871 appear to represent the same person because: Husband of Elizabeth (Downing) Edwards — married 12 Mar 1714 (to 1781) in Lleanymyceck, Wales
posted by Janne (Shoults) Gorman
Hi Jessica - Have you had a chance to review my private message sent Wednesday, January 4, 2017 regarding suggested corrections for Edwards-8770? Let me know if you did not receive.

Regards, Sandy

posted on Edwards-8770 (merged) by Sandy Edwards
Edwards-9824 and Edwards-1871 appear to represent the same person because: Edwards-1871 (m. downing) (Lowest ID)See Profile Notes

Edwards-2204 (m. downing)

Edwards-9824 (m. downing) - date variation (all appear to represent the same individual with varying information. In order to prove/disprove, profiles need to be consolidated to determine most accurate information. Several source-to-source discrepancies and name variations Profile cleanup to be done after merges are complete. Please do not reject merges - resolve obvious discrepancies and provide source; Note under Discrepancies for inclusion to Final Info.

posted by Sandy Edwards
Edwards-6502 and Edwards-1871 appear to represent the same person because: See Notes at Lowest ID Edwards-1871

Please approve. Thank you for your assistance in creating 1 profile per person. Thomas Nathaniel Edwards (aka Sir Thomas) Birth Estimate 1690 Wales Marriage Estimate Isabel Elizabeth Downing Death Estimate 1781 (Unknown - Maryland vs. NC or Wales) Will Not Located (Additional Merges for spouse/children TBD)

posted by Sandy Edwards
First two "children" attached to this profile were born before their father and have a different last name
posted on Edwards-8770 (merged) by Jim Vondrak