George Dillard (abt. 1634 - abt. 1680)

Born about 1634 in Wiltshire, England

Died about 1680 at about age 46 in King and Queen, Virginia [uncertain]

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Biography

This is the profile for a George Dillard-383 about whom no verified information has been found, and whose existence is therefore considered disproven. As such, this profile contains no links to parents, spouses or children, although these are cross-referenced in the Research Notes. There is a parallel profile for George Dillard-85 which contains only documented information.

Research Notes

The Many Legends About George Dillard

"That a number of published Dillard family traditions cannot be substantiated was first published in 1993 by Carlton M. Dillard in Back to Old Virginia with Dillard, Daniel and Kin.^[1]

Born in Wiltshire, England, son of John Dillard

Welch and other popular genealogies show George Dillard, born in Wiltshire, England in 1634. ^[2] Hudson reports George Dillard as the son of John Dillard in Wiltshire. ^[3] However, a review of records in Wiltshire reveals no Dillard families there in this time period. ^[4]

Barrister and Attorney for King George III

Hudson reports that George was a barrister of the British Government and was sent to James Town, Virginia, as attorney for King George III. ^[3] However:

• No barrister named George Dillard has been found. Carlton Dillard went to the source---the indexes of those who had studied at the four Inns of Court in London--to show that George Dillard, the first of the surname in America, contrary to legend, did not come to Virginia as a barrister of the King of England, since he was not listed in student indexes. Study and training at one of the Inns of Court was, and still is, a requirement for a barrister.^[5] To Test Tradition: Ballad to George Dillard--Immigrant 1650 and its notes in the same book showed that other Dillard traditions are undocumented and unverifiable and consequently should not be accepted as part of the Dillard heritage..." In a letter of 7 Apr. 1993 to Carlton M. Dillard, Mr. Anthony Camp, Director, Society of Genealogists, London, stated that he had examined "the published registers of admission at Grays Inn 1521-1839, the Middle Temple 1501-1944 and Lincolns Inn 1420-1893 but regret to say that they make no mention of any person called Dillard or Dyllard." ^[1] In another letter to Carlton Dillard, Mr. I. G. Murray, Archivist of The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, London, reported, "I have searched our records of admission and call to the Bar without success" in finding George Dillard listed. ^[1]
• There was no George Dillard who was an attorney for George III.
• George III was not king for another century, acceding to the throne in 1760.
• There was no king in England in 1650; England was ruled by Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth.
• An emissary of the king would have been entertained by Governor Sir William Berkeley and would have appeared in his records. ^[4]
• In fact, the real George Dillard was an illiterate Indentured Servant of Captain Moore Fountleroy. Refer to George Dillard-85 for the account of George Dillard, Captain Fountleroy's headright.

Received Land for Military Service Against Indians

H M Dillard reported that in a military enrollment for the militia at Jamestown in 1650 the name of George Dillard, 26 years of age, from Wiltshire, England, first appears In an apportionment of lands for the New Kent Land District ^[6]

The same George Dillard is credited with 250 acres of land for military services rendered against the Indians, dated 1665. ^[6]

A few years after wards George Dillard obtains another grant of land, 139 acres, in King and Queen County, adjoining the former tract. ^[6]

However: Military service was required of all able bodied males, and was not rewarded with grants of land. ^[4]

Marriage to Martha Williams

George Dillard is reported to have married Martha; these two women have both been linked as George's wife.

• Martha Williams born Wiltshire 1624
• Martha Breckenridge, born Wiltshire 1620

However, while it is known that the real George Dillardl married, the name of his wife is unknown.

On 29 November 1665 the real George Dillard, as reported by Cavaliers and Pioneers patented 250 acres of land in New Kent County, Virginia (later King and Queen County when created in 1691), adjoining land he was living on. This was the result of a headright grant for transporting Jno. Richardson, Peter Stone, Margtt. Williams, Martha Wms. (Williams), Wm. Worts. ^[7]

That he transported such a woman, among others, may be the source of the impression that he also married her.

Names James Stephen Dillard as son in Will

In his will he gives 289 acres to a son, James Stephen Dillard of James City County, and two girls. ^[6] However:

• Despite the statement of Henry Moorman Dillard that the will is in his possession ^[6] no will has been found.
• No documentation has been found for the existence of any Dillard with the double given name of James Stephen. Double given names were not customary during the time period he would have lived.

Eight Children

Hudson reports that from George Dillard, who came to America in 1660, all lines of the Dillard families descend."^[3] George and his wife Martha had 8 children.

1. a daughter born 1667
2. a daughter born 1669
3. a daughter born 1671
4. Henry B. Dillard born 1673
5. Nocholas B. Dillard born 1675, probably the Nick Sr.
6. Thomas born 1677
7. Edward Dillard born 1680
8. James Dillard born 1682 (indian fighter) In her "ballad" of false Dillard information, Dorothy Dillard Hughes notes that in 1658 George had a son named James. In 1698 James had a son named James. ^[4]

However:

No children of George Dillard have been documented with confidence. There are 4 Dillards found in the 1704 Quit Rent Rolls in King and Queen. This is the basis for the speculation that they are his sons. The lands held by all 4 were in close proximity to each other. These are linked as sons of George Dillard born 1633 but marked as uncertain:

• George Dillard, born 1658 = George, either the founder or a possible son George, with 325 acres in 1704 ^[8]
• Thomas Dillard, born 1675, New Kent, Virginia = Thomas with 175 acres in 1704 ^[8]
• Edward Dillard, born 1680, Virginia = Edward with 150 acres in 1704 ^[8]
• Nicholas Dillard, born 1674, New Kent, Virginia = Nicholas with 150 acres in 1704 ^[8]

Four Additional children previously shown as children of George Dillard have been delinked, as no basis has been found for the relationship.

• James Dillard, born 1658, Wiltshire, England
• John Dillard, born 1658
• Mary Dillard, born 1667
• Sally Dillard, born 1669

Cross-Reference: Dillard Family American Founding Legends

This profile forms part of a series of profiles associated with Dillard family origins in North America which are undocumented or false accounts. For convenience of reference, annotated links to these profiles appear below:

• George Dillard, born 1638, was said to be son of John Dillard. Some records of a real George have been identified, which appear at George Dillard (Dillard-85). George is said to have married Martha Williams born Wiltshire 1624 and/or Martha Breckenridge, born Wiltshire 1620. There is no documentation of these marriages or even the existence of these women and the links have been broken.

• James Stephen Dillard, born 1658, was said to be the son of George Dillard. The existence of anyone named James Stephen Dillard is disproven. Some records of a real James Dillard have been identified, which appear at James Dillard.

• James Dillard, son of James, born 1710. This profile contains some documented information and also legendary information, as well as Henry Moorman Dillard's listing of Dillard descendants.

Cross Reference: Dillard Family European Founding Legends

This profile forms part of a series of profiles associated with Dillard family origins in Europe which are undocumented or false accounts. For convenience of reference, annotated links to these profiles appear below:

On her website, Pamela Hudson presents the founding story of the Dillard family: ^[3] Hudson reports that the following information was sent to a family member by a Mrs. S. Gary Dillard of Clinton, South Carolina, who had received from a Mrs. E. B. Richards of Springfield, Virginia.

• Carbonne d'Illard. "The Dillard families of America came from Carbonne d'illard---that is Carbonne of the cantonment or family of Illard on the upper waters of the Rhine in France. Because of religious oppression, they accompanied William the Conqueror from France to the Isle of Man." ^[3] However:
  • Religious oppression was not an issue at the time William the Conqueror conquered England in 1066.
  • A time span from 1066 to 1700 would require at least 18 generations of descendants, not 4 or 5.
  • Others reject the Carbonne d’Illard connection and instead believe that family Dillard originated as French Huguenots who migrated to England, perhaps after the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 when many Huguenots fled to England, or perhaps during other French religious wars in the 1620's. ^[9]
  • Still others believe the Dillard line first originated in the Wiltshire area of southern England, and that the name Dillard is likely an alliteration of an English name such as Tilliard or Tilyard or some other similar name. ^[9]

• John Carbonne d'Illard, born 1580. "This family settled in Waltshire (Wiltshire), England. They had a son named John Carbonne d'illard who had two sons, one of whom was named John. ^[3] John Carbonne DIllard was born about 1580 in Wiltshire, England. ^[10] However:
  • Double given names such as "John Carbonne" were rare or nonexistent in this time period.
  • No relaible documentation has been found for the existence of this person.

• John Dillard "This John changed his name to Dillard." ^[3] John Dillard, sonof John Carbonne d'Illard, was born between 1605 and 1665. ^[11] He was the father of Edward Dillard. ^[11] However
  • No reliable documentation has been found for the existence of this person.

• George Dillard, son of John. There was a real George Dillard (Dillard-85) who has a separate profile.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Carlton M. Dillard, Back to Old Virginia with Dillard, Daniel and Kin: Showing Relationship with Bruce, Cunningham, Ellington, Ewing, Slaton, Thomson, and Wright Families (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, Inc., (c) by compiler 1993), p. 3.
2. ↑ Bart Welch. The Ancestry of Bart Welch Family Dillard 1630-1783 Welch does not provide sources, but his material may have come from Henry Moorman Dillard's 1902 article.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Pamela D. Hudson [http://www.redbirdacres.net/dillard.html My D'illard History and Genealogy of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia] Accessed 10/21/2019 jhd
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Dorothy Dillard Hughes. Dillard in Print: Fact or Fantasy. Texas State Genealogical Society. Stirpes, Volume 33, Number 4, December 1993, periodical, December 1993; Sulphur Springs, Texas, pages 16-24; Accessed . November 1, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Genealogical Society.
5. ↑ Elaine Saunders, Tracing Your British Ancestors Through Their Trades and Occupations, Ancestry, Vol. X: No. 6 (November 1992), pp. 8-12.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} H. M. (Henry Moorman) Dillard, Meridian, Texas, A Partial History of the Dillard Family Montgomery Advertiser, 2 February 1906. Moorman's material was presented to the Daughters of the American Revolution as an answer to a query and was found by Dorothy Dillard Hughes in 1976 in the vertical file at the Department of Archives and History in Montgomery, Alabama. The associated WikiTree Free-Space article contains a transcript and photo of the original 1906 article.
7. ↑ Nugent, Nell Marion. 1963. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1660 Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1963, originally Richmond, Virginia, 1934. Volume 1, p 541, Patent Book 5, p.456.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Smith, Annie Laurie Wright. 2004. The quit rents of Virginia, 1704. Baltimore, Md: Reprinted for Clearfield Co. by Genealogical Pub. Co.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Matson Family Family Dillard (1630-1783
10. ↑ Ancestry Board. http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.dillard/623.4/mb.ashx
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Geni. John Dillard Managed by Private User, Last updated February 16, 2015. Accessed 10/21/2019 jhd