William Simpson (abt. 1737 - aft. 1805)

Ancestors

Husband of Eleanor (Lucas) Simpson — married about 1765 in Va

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lee Bain [send private message]

Biography

Simpson researchers believe this William Simpson Jr. married Eleanor Lucas, the sister of Ann Lucas, who married Richard Simpson, grandson of Richard Simpson & Mrs. Sarah Barker, and that William died 1820 in Guilford Co., NC. William Simpson Jr. may have left Fairfax Co. in 1805, as there is no record of death. He is also supposed to be the son of William Simpson, Sr, and Mary Ann Neale.

I forget the source of the following. “After the death of John Lucas without "heirs lawfully begotten," the children of his brother Thomas became the reversionary legatees of their grandmother, Anne Vernon, under the terms of her will. On January 12, 1775, William Simpson and Eleanor his wife, John Marshall and Sarah his wife, William Powell and Zilla his wife, and Mary Lucas, all of Fairfax County, Virginia, appointed "our loving brother Francis Lucas of Bladen County, North Carolina to be our true and lawful attorney. . ."

The parents of Rhodham Simpson are often said to be William Simpson and Lettice Lunsford, and that Lettice Lunsford was the daughter of Rodham Lunsford and Lettice Lynton. However, Lettice Lynton did not marry Rodham Lunsford until 26 Feb1774.

The Rhodham/Rodham name probably comes through Mary Ann Neale, as a daughter of Matthew Rodham married Christopher Neale.

William Simpson, Sr, had a son Rodham, and a grandson Rhodham, which is consistent with Rhodham Simpson, who married Polly Thomas, to be son of William Jr. and to be in the family of John Simpson, The Scotsman, of Prince William Co., Va.

Dr. Robert and Twilah McFarland discuss the history and descendants of John Simpson and wife Hannah in SIMPSON CONNECTIONS, published in 1987. It is clear that Rhodham Simpson, his father-in-law, Benjamin Thomas, and John Simpson and Hannah, migrated to the Halifax/Henry Co. region from the Dettingen Parish area of Prince William Co., Va, near Brentville, and John Simpson, the Scotsman’s location.

These were also all closely associated in the public records. I have now identified 158 dna matches with descendants of John Simpson and Hannah. Even if Rhodham was the son of John Simpson and Hannah, this would be a very large number to observe at about the 6th cousin distance. The widow and children of John Simpson have a deed record which does not include Rhodham, which seems to be evidence that Rhodham was not the son of John. So, any dna matches would have an even more distant common ancestor. As discussed elsewhere, I have reason to believe that John Simpson is most likely the son of George Simpson, who was deceased by 1730, the son of John Simpson, the Scotsman. This would make Rhodham first cousin of John Simpson, twice removed. I am not a dna expert, but I expert the strong dna matches are due to a double cousin relationship, and John Simpson’s wife, Hannah, for example, might be a sister of Benjamin Thomas.

Sources

• Simpson family researchers