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Jonathan Wilder (1728 - 1788)

Jonathan Wilder
Born in Richmond County, Virginiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Brother of
Husband of — married before 1761 in Richmond County, Virginiamap
Husband of — married after 1770 in Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 59 in Lancaster County, Virginiamap
Problems/Questions Profile managers: Carol Wilder private message [send private message] and Cheri Passey private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 29 Dec 2011
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Contents

Biography

Jonathan Wilder was born 18 January 1728 in North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia.[1] Jonathan was the son of Michael Wilder and Susannah Steward.

Jonathan Wilder married his first wife Mary James before December 1761, as the birth of Jonathan's daughter Winnifred Wilder is recorded in The Register of North Farnham Parish.[2]

Jonathan Wilder received the following property from the estate of his wife Mary's father, Thomas James: "In obedience to an order of Lancaster County court bearing date the 19th day of October last, we the subscribers did meet & divide the Estate of Thomas James dec'd & possessed each person with his part thereof agreeable to the Will of the said dec'd as followeth . . . Jonathan Wilders Part - 1 Negro man Jack; Negro Woman Suky; negro boy James; 1 bed & legacy; 2 shoats; 5 sheep; 1 heifer; 1 steer; 1 box; 1 oval table; 1 womans saddle & cover; 1 bed & furniture; 2 broad & 3 narrow hoes; & 2 narrow axes . . .At a Court held for Lancaster County on 16th day of May 1776. This division of the Estate of Thomas James dec'd was returned to Court and ordered to be recorded. . . . "[3]

Jonathan Wilder and his first wife Mary James were the parents of four (4) children with three of the children surviving infancy. Jonathan's children by his first marriage were: Winnifred Wilder, did not survive infancy; James Wilder; Spencer Wilder; and Thomas Wilder.

Jonathan Wilder married his second wife, Frances last name unknown, after 1771. Jonathan and Frances Wilder were the parents of five (5) children: Frances Wilder; John Wilder; Mary James Wilder; Vincent Wilder; and William Wilder. Frances was deceased by January 1788 when Jonathan Wilder made his will. [4]

Jonathan Wilder's son James Wilder died before Jonathan. James Wilder made his will 26 December 1786. James' will names his brother Spencer Wilder and his half siblings: Frances Wilder, John Wilder, Mary James Wilder, Vincent Wilder, and William Wilder. James Wilder's Will is recorded in Lancaster County, Virginia Will Book 22, page 165; and appraisal is on page 202.

Jonathan Wilder died January 1788. Jonathan's will would be considered a death bed will in that the will is dated 16 January 1788, and five days after the will was made the will was filed for probate on the 21st January 1788. Jonathan Wilder’s will reads in part as follows: “In the name of God Amen, I Jonathan Wilder of the county of Lancaster being sick and weak but of perfect sense and memory . . . I give my oldest son Spencer Wilder three of my negroes . . . I give my negroe girl Sarah to my Daughter Frances Wilder . . . I give my negroe girl Violet to my Daughter Mary James Wilder . . . It is my will and desire that all the rest of my estate of what kind so ever shall be equally divided amongst my Five children William Wilder, John Wilder, Vincent Wilder, Frances Wilder and Mary James Wilder . . . In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this sixteenth day of January one thousand Seven hundred and Eighty Eight.” “At a court held for Lancaster County 21st January 1788 This Last Will and Testament of Jonathan Wilder dec’d was presented in Court . . .” [5]

At the time of Jonathan's death five of his children were minors, and the following children were placed under guardianship: Frances Wilder placed under guardianship of Jesse Robinson, John Wilder placed under guardianship of John Sullivant, Mary James Wilder placed under guardianship of Michael Wilder, Vincent Wilder placed under guardianship of James Brent, and William Wilder placed under guardianship of John Watts.[6]

Settlement of Jonathan's estates was complicated by a suit filed in Chancery Court Lancaster County, Virginia by Spencer Wilder against the executors of Jonathan Wilder's estate (Wilder vs Wilder's Executors 1789-006). This suit states in part: ". . . Humbly complaining showeth unto your worships Spencer Wilder the only surviving child of Jonathan Wilder late of this county dec'd by his first wife Mary the Daughter of Thomas James dec'd by his first wife . . .that your orator showeth that his mother Mary died in the lifetime of her mother in law Joan James, widow of the aforesaid Thomas, leaving three children to wit: James, your orator and Thomas that James and Thomas are also since dec'd without issue . . . Your orator also showeth that sometime on or about the 22 Nov 1775 your orators father Jonathan was possessed of sundary slaves and personal estate belonging to the estate of your orator's grandfather Thos. James, and which he only could claim as natural guardian to his children by his dec'd first wife Mary . . ."[7]

Sources

  1. Jonathan's date of birth from "The Register of North Farnham Parish 1663-1814" by George Harrison Sandford King, page 198. Also found in: "Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VRRC-P56 : 5 December 2014), Michael Wilder in entry for Jonathan Wilder, 18 Jan 1728; citing NORTH FARNHAM PARISH,RICHMOND,VIRGINIA, reference ; FHL microfilm 975.523 V2K.
  2. Winnifred Wilder's birth is recorded in The Register of North Farnham Parish 1663-1814" by George Harrison Sandford King.
  3. Lancaster County, Virginia Wills, Settlements of Estates No. 20 (1770-1783) pages 96 & 97; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9LP-H77G
  4. Name of Jonathan's children from Will of James Wilder dated 26 December 1786, Lancaster County, Virginia Will Book 22, page 165, and Will of Jonathan Wilder dated 16 January 1788, filed in Lancaster County, Virginia Will Book 22, page 164; 195 & 200. I (Carolyn Wilder) have copies of Jonathan Wilder's Will and James Wilder's Will, also have copies of the suit of Spencer Wilder vs. Executors of Jonathan Wilder.
  5. Lancaster County, Virginia Will Book 22, page 83.
  6. Jonathan's will is recorded in Lancaster County, Virginia Will Book 22, page 164; and the appraisal and division of property and naming of guardians for minor children found in Will Book 22, pages 195 and 200.
  7. Mary James Wilder's name from suit in Chancery Court, Lancaster County, Virginia, March 1789 filed by Spencer Wilder against the executors of Jonathan Wilder estate. Wilder vs Wilder's executors 1789-006 Lancaster County, Chancery Court. Suit available on line at the Virginia Library: https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/full_case_detail.asp?CFN=103-1789-006#img

Disputed Son

Jonathan Wilder (Jr) is listed a number of online genealogies and in the book "Wilder And Connecting (Especially Ware) Families In The Southeastern States", by William Murtha Wilder" as the oldest son of Jonathan Wilder. Jonathan Wilder is NOT a son of Jonathan Wilder and his first wife Mary James. This is based on the fact that James Wilder in his December 1786 will did not name a brother with the name "Jonathan"[8]., and Jonathan Wilder did not name a son "Jonathan" in his will in January 1788. [9] In Spencer Wilder's law suit against the executors of his father's estate in March 1788, Spencer listed: Thomas, James and himself as the only children of Jonathan Wilder and his first wife Mary James, and as grandchildren of Thomas James.[10] If Jonathan and Mary James Wilder had a son named Jonathan Wilder then Spencer Wilder would have been required to list Jonathan in his law suit. Spencer listed his brothers who were deceased and stated that both brothers had died without issue, as any heirs of these brothers would be entitled, along with Spencer, to part of the assets from the estate of Thomas James. The law suit regarded slaves and other possessions that had been left to the children of Mary James as grandchildren of Thomas James.

Research Notes

NOTE: For those who have used the "Wilder And Connecting (Especially Ware) Families In The Southeastern States", by William Murtha Wilder, as the proof of their Wilder or Ware lineage be advised this book is a very unreliable source and contains inaccurate information on many families, and should be used with great caution, and all sources should be check against the original documents.

Note: 26 Jan 2007- From e-mail received from Dot Baker who is doing research on this line: First of all, for the ones from Jesse Baker/ Nancy Ellen Wilder line, I wonder if anyone has researched Jonathan Wilder, grandfather of Nancy Ellen Wilder? I recently learned that wife of Jonathan Wilder was Mary Frances James. When Jonathan Wilder married Mary Frances James, he had two sons, Spencer and James Wilder. James Wilder died before Jan 21, 1788. His will was written Dec, 1786, before Jonathan : Wilder wrote his will. The Wills of James Wilder and Jonathan Wilder were entered in Court Jan 21, 1788; Jonathan Wilder wrote his Will Jan 16, 1788. If anyone on this list can add to this information, please post to the list.

NOTE: The above 26 Jan 2007 e-mail is wrong in that Jonathan Wilder's first wife's name was Mary James the daughter of Thomas James who left his will in Lancaster Co., Virginia Will Book 17, page 98. Jonathan's second wife's name was Frances last name unknown. The above e-mail mistakenly states that Jonathan had two sons when he married Frances, he actually had three: Thomas, James and Spencer as stated by Spencer Wilder in the law suit he filed in March 1788 in Lancaster Co., Virginia Chancery Court against the executors of Jonathan Wilder's estate. Both Thomas and James died before their father Jonathan Wilder and they died without issue.


Acknowledgments

Biography and Sources prepared by Carol Wilder based on research in the records of Lancaster County, Virginia.

Thank you to Cheri Passey for creating WikiTree profile Wilder-899 through the import of wikipaternal.ged on Sep 16, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Cheri and others.






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Comments: 2

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Wilder-899 and Wilder-601 appear to represent the same person because: These two Jonathan Wilder's are the same individuals. I have added notations with additional information in the profile of Jonathan (Wilder-899) to correct misinformation.
posted by Carol Wilder
Jonathan Wilder, born ca. 1768 should be removed as a son of Jonathan Wilder based on will's of James Wilder and Jonathan Wilder and the suit of Spencer Wilder filed in Chancery Court Lancaster Co., Virginia. See Biography, Sources and Notes for further details.
posted by Carol Wilder

Rejected matches › Jonathan Wilder (abt.1745-1797)

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