Edwards Family Cleanup Project

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Space:Edwards Name Study > Edwards Family Cleanup Project Note: This page appears to focus on the Edwards family said to have migrated to the Southern colonies. (contains various research and source links)

For the Pennsylvania immigrant from Wales, see Thomas Edwards (1673-1764).

Update

This page was adopted for the US Southern Colonies Project on 30 May 2021. An edit of the "Uncertain Existence" profile for Thomas Nathaniel Edwards Sr (1690-1781) is underway. ~ Noland-165 23:17, 3 June 2021 (UTC)

The progenitor of the Virginia Edwards is Edwards-25424: Meredith Edwards (bef.1656-1712), whose parents are not known.

Edwards Family Clean up Project

Many Gedcom dups with erroneous/co-mingled information. (only IGI/Ancestry Tree File as supporting source of information) Many appear to be intended to represent the same individual but with unsourced varying information

• Please do not reject merges unless a source can be provided to show they are, in fact, separate individuals- (these sources need to be added to "reject notes" and the Profiles updated.
• In order to prove/disprove, profiles need to be consolidated to determine the most accurate information. *Several source-to-source discrepancies have been located with co-mingled and name variations
• Final Profile cleanup to be done after merges are complete.

Please resolve any obvious discrepancies and provide source; otherwise, Note under Discrepancies for inclusion to Final Info.

Note Additional Research Details Links Below - Probable Erroneous IGI and Burkes Peerage (G2G Discussion; BP1999 volume 1)

Thank you for your assistance in maintaining 1 profile per person.

Discrepancies

There is a great deal of conflicting information – Several Source-to-Source discrepancies; co-mingling, Lack of records; conflicting family stories; number of same names, No Verified Middle Names , etc. There were several Same Named Edwards' within the same timeframe (and various locations in close proximity). Most likely they are "different individuals/families" and over the years information appears to have been co-mingled.

No original source records have been located to confirm birth, marriage or death records. It appears that some erroneous information may have been published, and perhaps republished/reported, making the “actual facts” obscure.

Location American Colonies

The Edwards name included among those who first settled the Virginia Colony.

• A William and Arthur Edwards among those killed in the Indian massacre at Jamestown (1622)
• Living & Dead in Virginia Apr 1622-Feb 1623 p.192 James Cittie - William Edwards, Robert Awards^[1]
• No proof located that any of these were children/or sibilings of Richard & Eleanore (Hopton Castle); most researchers agree members of this family probably arrived about 1635 and later

Location Wales vs England

Most researchers concur that Many of the Edwards coming to America originated in Wales. Although Various conflicting Locations for same intended individuals appear to be a result of boundary changes Wales vs England.^[2]

• Hagely Hall – reportedly an Edwards home but actually Hagley Hall is a "Grade I listed 18th-century house" in Hagley, Worcestershire England-- the home of the Lyttelton family. It was the creation of George, 1st Lord Lyttelton (1709–1773),
• Edwardes Hall (if ever existed) was in Glen Morganshire (Glamorgan Wales) (and built around 1050-1100) in the time of William the Conqueror; reportedly came into the Edwards family later by marriage into the family of Queen Elizabeth (Reign 1558-1603). Many generations are reported to have "occupied Edwards Hall" until it was abandoned in the early 1700s. Nothing appears to remain to mark its actual location.

Reportedly may have resided at Edwards Hall, near Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales. (Reportedly Inherited Edwards Hall^[3])

• Hopton Castle - village of Hopton, Shropshire, England; Unknown if actually a residence for Edwards Family; several Edwards bapt listed (beginning in 1554)^[4]
• http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/maps/Hotels_Wales_Borders.htm Border Counties England and Wales]

Edwards Heirs

Children of Richard and Elenore, namely William and Joshua appear to have originated with the Hopton Castle Registers^[4]

• Joshua Edwards Married Unknown - Presumed to be 1625; Birth Presumed to be June 20 1595 Josia filia Rici Edwards & Elionor ux (p 7);^[4] Death Estimate - Unknown - 1664 Wales.
• William Edwards Married Unknown - Presumed to be 1625; Birth Presumed to be Jan 5 1604 William, son of Rich. Edwards & Eleanor (p 9)^[4]

Children of Thomas Nathaniel m. Isabelle (Elizabeth) Dowining are the "Presumed Heirs named in 1778 Lease)

Estimated births 1583-1608 / Estimated Marriage 1605-1620 /Estimated Death 1670

Names may be real -- Accounts appear to be fictionalized insofar as "Joshua's Line" This genealogy seems to be inaccurate and appears to have originated with

(a) the famed Edward Heirs Lawsuit;

(b) an erroneous IGI (Edwards-860; and

(c) Doubtful Peerage entries; as well as a series of books published thereafter (restating the same ancestors).

(d) Much of the Edwards line captured appears to be "Tree Copy to Tree Copy"; "Unsourced And Undocumented" (and generally conflicts with located record / confirmation).^[2]

UnverifiedParents: Caution Note -- Edwards Heirs Misinformation - Edwards researchers are encouraged to re-research from scratch, and correct profiles with sources - While the names may be correct, Accounts appear to be fictionalized and unsourced connections may be fictitious)

G2G

Some good information and interesting discussions can be found in G2G threads, such as...

• Jeremy Edwards, "EDWARDS HEIRS HOAX: ESTATE FRAUD AND SPURIOUS PEDIGREES", asked 21 January 2020. Attached to James Edwards; includes link to https://www.wikitree.com/photo/pdf/Edwards-16167 (pdf of Helen Hinchliff's "Estate Fraud and Spurious Pedigrees").
• Liz Shifflett, "looking for a project for soon-to-be-detached parent profiles", asked 30 May 2021. Attached to Thomas Edwards.

Bibles

Image of a page from the bible of Abel Edwards (1739-1827).

Information from the bible of Benjamin Edwards as printed in the June 1925 issue of Edwards Heirs^[5] can be found on his profile page: Benjamin Edwards (abt.1685-).

Image of a page from the bible of "Nathan Edwards". Profiles connected to the image include Joshua Edwards (1718-1824) and Thomas Edwards (1755-1852) - attached in WikiTree as father and son, with Joshua attached as the son of Thomas Nathaniel Edwards and Rebecca Gladys (Ward) Edwards (1725-1790) attached as wife of Joshua/mother of Thomas. I may be misreading the page from the will of Nathan Edwards' bible, but it appears to me that the first name on the page is "Nathan", not Joshua (so Thomas and the other children listed would be Nathan's children, not Joshua's; the image was uploaded to Edwards-6136 & I posted a comment on that page... looking again, the first letter of the first name & the J in John look the same... the s as an f is unusual - usually ss is written fs, not sh as fh, which it seems to be here).

Pension Applications

Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters: Transcriptions of Revolutionary War applications can be gold mines of useful genealogical information.

The DAR database has a lot of information also, but should be collaborated by reliable sources.

Wills

Meredith Edwards of Virginia (Edwards-25424). Source: Wills of Westmoreland County^[6] (abstracted from abstract posted on his profile, 3 June 2021):

"Merida" Edwards. Will written 17 June 1712; proved 27 August 1712^[6]

• wife Ann
• son John
• son William
• granddaughter
• godson John Maders
• daughter Ellenor
• son Thomas

executor: son John

Sources

^{[3] [2]} See also:

• The Peerage Discrepancies Noted - See G2G Discussion; BP1999 volume 1, page 947; [S8] Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes. Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999
• Digital Copy (Footnote) p.34 The descendants of William and Elizabeth Tuttle, who came from old to New England in 1635, and settled in New Haven in 1639, with numerous biographical notes and sketches : also, some account of the descendants of John Tuttle, of Ipswich; and Henry Tuthill, of Hingham, Mass; by Tuttle, George Frederick, 1823- Published 1883
• Marriage Links - Overwharton Parish Register (Virginia); Early Virginia marriages
• Jamestown Links - Virtual Jamestown The Powhatan Indian Attack of March 22, 1622; 1606-The First Residents of Jamestown (Ships the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery) ; Historic Jamestown
• J. Ralph Lindgren, The Lindgren/Tryon genealogy : the ancestry of John Ralph Lindgren and Shirley Ann Tryon (FamilySearch Library).

To explore:

• https://www.geni.com/people/Rev-Richard-Edwardes/6000000007426365302 (re: Tudor rumors)
  • https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/118942/did-henry-viii-tudor-have-a-son-richard-edwards
• https://archive.org/stream/virginiaoverwhar00will/virginiaoverwhar00will_djvu.txt
• https://archive.org/stream/earlyvirginiamar00croz/earlyvirginiamar00croz_djvu.txt
• https://archive.org/stream/edwardsheirs00unse/edwardsheirs00unse_djvu.txt
• https://archive.org/details/edwardsheirs00unse/page/n55/mode/1up
• https://www.wikitree.com/photo/pdf/Edwards-11306-1
• https://www.wikitree.com/photo/pdf/Edwards_Heirs_-_Volume1_Issue_10
• https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I073099&tree=Tree1
• https://edwardsvirginiagenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-walk-through-various-errors-in.html
• https://edwardsvirginiagenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/01/who-was-thomas-nathaniel-edwards.html
• https://archive.org/details/the-descendants-of-meredith-edwards-of-westmoreland-county-virginia/page/6/mode/1up?q=nathaniel

Footnotes

^[1]

^[7]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The original lists of persons of quality; emigrants; religious exiles; political rebels; serving men sold for a term of years; apprentices; children stolen; maidens pressed; and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700 : with their ages and the names of the ships in which they embarked, and other interesting particulars; from mss. preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office, England; by Hotten, John Camden, 1832-1873; Published 1874 Digital Copy
   • Living & Dead in Virginia Apr 1622-Feb 1623 p.192 James Cittie
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Edwards Heirs
   • Myth summarized by Ancestry Magazine 11/1/1995 - Archive November/December 1995 Vol. 13 No. 6
   • Edwards Millions Glamorgan Records
   • Edwards heirs Supp. Vol. 1, No. 1 Story p.252

   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) (p.90. 101, 109, 111, 161) (Affidavits, but (few to none) Bible References given) -- Exact dates and locations Unknown/Unsupported (Sources Suspect - Denbigh Wales does have some records supporting birth dates for several individuals - but No Parent information found to connect parents to children;

   Caution Note: The EDWARDS of Plas Newydd, Chirk Denbighshire Wales are likely related to John Edwards and Ann Puttenham, (estimated 1495–1500 –aft. 1584) (daughter of Robert Puttenham of Hants. m. (1) Dorothy, dau. of Sir Richard Sherborne ) who built the family seat at Plas Newydd, and publicly renounced the Pope at the execution in Wrexham of the first Welsh Catholic martyr in 1584. There does not appear to be a proven connection to Richard (m. Elenor) (1566-1635) of Glamorgan (sons William and Joshua of Hopton) (vs Denbeigh Edwards) The History of Parliment (assuming Richard b. 1566 of Parish North Petherton Somerset England is the same as Richard m. Elenore of Hopton (Shropshire England - Border of Wales)

   or a possible connection to

   • The Edwards of Rhyd y gors (Edward ap John – his son David Edwardes, who became an Alderman of Carmarthen, Town Bailiff in 1570, and Mayor in 1585 (vs 1606) - Carmarthen Town Council History
   (circumstantial - no proof of connection Hopton vs Rhyd y gorf - ) 1546 John ap David bapt (Hopton) 1545 David ap Meredith (Hopton)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Lindgren/Tryon Digital Copy p.267 #855 The Lindgren/Tryon Genealogy: The Ancestry of John Ralph Lindgren and Shirley Ann Tryon, Revised Edition; by J. Ralph Lindgren; Trafford Publishing, Jan 24, 2008 - Biography & Autobiography - 624 pages (p.267 )
   • Sources The Edwards of Northampton Bruce Montgomery Edwards; Montgomery Publishing Company, 1973 - Northampton County (N.C.) - 293 pages
   • The Edwards Legacy by David D. Edwards (Gateway Press Inc. Baltimore, 1992 (GLAMORGAN RECORD OFFICE)
   • The Descendants of Richard Edwards (VA, MD, NC, SC, GA) (p.11-15)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} The registers of Hopton Castle, Shropshire. 1538-1812; by Hopton Castle, Eng. (Parish); Elton, Edward Daubeny; Fletcher, William George Dimock, 851-1935, ed; Published 1901
5. ↑ Bible of Benjamin Edwards (printed in London in 1708) as given in the June 1925 issue of Edwards Heirs, page 2 (archive.org, page 54 of 344 pages, accessed 3 June 2021).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Augusta B. Fothergill,Wills of Westmoreland County, Virginia 1654-1800 (page 47).
7. ↑ North Petherton Archive Org North Petherton (Vol 10 1558- 1614) Dwelly, E. (Edward), 1864- (Main Author) Publication:Herne Bay, England : [s.n.], 1914-1917

   North Petherton Digital Copy Dwelly, E. (Edward), 1864- (Main Author) Publication:Herne Bay, England : [s.n.], 1914-1917; Vol 1 – Vol 9

Additional Research Notes

Edwards from England/Wales to America

William Edwards

See Individual Profile for Most Up to date Information

• Edwards-3764 Profile Represents William Edwards (1615-1673) son of Robert Edwards (1580) and Mary Tilney (1590) of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England[1]

AKA - Edwards Family of Surry; aka 1st Burgess of Surry VA in 1652] The ancestors of the Edwards Family of Surry/Southampton County, VA and Johnston County, NC has been identified with sources (confirmed with DNA) as originating from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England (Pending Further Ancestor Research) Arrival in America 1648 vs 1635[2][3]

Born in 1615, first generation born in Virginia.^[8]

Research Notes

+++ Discrepancy +++

• Several William Edwards (1615-1660) intended to Represent the Same Person - w/No Source and comingled info -- In order to straighten out, suggest that Wms need to be Merged or Redirected.
• Popularly Styled as Great-Grandson of Richard & Elenore Thomas ; - Likely a Generation Problem - Date Problems - Likely Misinterpretation/Fabrication/Co-mingled - Conflicting stories (Edwards Heirs Problems Ancestor/Descendants)

Birth/Marriage Estimates

1566-1585 Richard

1585-1635 son of Richard

1600-1625 grandson

1625-1650 great-grandson

Check Profiles (William)

William Edwards m. Unknown

(b.1586 d.1622 Jamestown) son of Richard & Elenor

Supposedly brother of Joshua (Joshua in Burkes ^[9] (Joshua probably an error either in Transcription or as a person; No marriage to Babbs located; same sons as William)

• The William Edwards who died in the Good Friday Massacre 1624 was NOT a relative. He was a mate on board the Unity before being a servant on George Sandy's Plantation. [by/Sean Edwards 2020]

[NOTE by/Sandy - Martin's Hundred had a population of about 140 on the morning of Good Friday, March 22, 1622, the day of a coordinated attack by the Algonquian Confederation on homes and settlements across Virginia. Of the 140, 58 were killed and 15 were captured]

Therefore Edwards-860 could not have arrived in 1635 and been the same William as the one Listed Among the dead in 1624. (Hotten, "Emigrants to America", p. 192); nor could he be the father of Immigrant William m Dorothy as the William who arrived 1635 supposedly arrived with sons John, Thomas, Robert and William Edwards

The earliest located James City Immigrants are: (1624 Edwards - Living & Dead) Wm & Arthur died at James City) and (Richard & John listed on 1624 Muster Rolls) -- Immigrants in 1635 -Thomas 1615; Robert 1597; William 1605; Edmond 1615; Robert 1608; (and 3 Johns (-Rebels) [Cabell]

Contemporary William (b 1605 /Arrived 1635/ died Unknown)

• William Edwards who arrived about 1635 (not the spouse of Dorothy). This was a different William who came aboard the Merchants Hope. (which sailed from London to Jamestown in 1635) (alleged to have married an Elizabeth Swann in the Jamestown Church and to have died in Jamestown)
• William arrived 1635 under the Headright System (paid own way and received 50 Acres) (229) Captain William Peirce, Esq. transport of 40 persons Virginia Genealogy Trails transcribed land patents
• (Original Immigrants list a 30 yr old William (b. 1605) (Arr 1635)
• (Hopton Castle list a Wm. b. 1604 to Richard & Elenore (Elenore wife of Richard d. 1628)

Open/Unresolved William(s) - To Transfer info to 5172 and 1874 = (or other) Edwards-5172 (parent Joshua - No Marriage) b.1620 d.1718 No Carolina s/b Merge Away - possibly to Wm/Reese? William m. Reese (No Probate located in N. Carolina Abstracts)

• Result = 1 William m. Reese

Presumed Paternal Line (Totally Speculative - see comments [by/Sean Edwards 2020] Edwards-3764 m. Dorothy (Father Edwards-1874|William m. Reese (Grandfather Edwards-1875 Joshua (Great Grandfather Edwards-1876 Richard m. Elenore

To Be Resolved (Likely Wm Edwards-860 ) A. (Hopton Castle Register shows a Wm. b. 1604 to Richard & Elenore (Elenore wife of Richard d. 1628)

(Burke's shows 2 Unknown Wives for William -

Hopton - Most likely candidates Sibil & Catherine)

(No Proof he (Wm b. 1586) came to VA & died 1622-1624 (Most likely d. 1635 in Wales)

(Living & Dead Wm & Arthur at James City) - (Richard & John on 1624 Muster Rolls)

(Immigrants in 1635 -Thomas 1615; Robert 1597; William 1605; Edmond 1615; Robert 1608; (3 Johns-Rebels) [Cabell]

B. Brother Joshua (b.1595) m. Babbs (No Birth at Hopton/No Marriage/No Death) (There was a Josia (daughter of Rich/Elenor) b. in 1595 (same date) (also a family of Bebbe). (Possible transcription error Fila vs Fils - (Joshua may be fictitious -- may actually be children of presumed brother William).

(Hopton - timeframe - only a Prelim Review of b&d from 1535 to 1645 shows:)^[4]

Parents Richard/Elenore --

(Josia 1595) (William (1603) John 1607;

(Richard & Moth Unk) -- Richard 1612 ; Henry b&d 1616

Parents William & (wife Sibil d.1618) -- (Johes 1610;

Parents William & (wife Cath d.1643 ?) -- (Henry 1619; dau B&D 1621; Richard 1622; William 1625; Samuel 1629 d. 1635;

Parents Edmond and Sara -- (Richard 1626;

Parent Rich of Hagley - (dau Jane m. 1622 John Meyricke); (Richard of Hagley d. 1635 ) (Wm of Hagley d. 1635; Kathrin wid of Hagley d. 1643)

(Burkes - sons of William show as -- Robert Edwards; William Edwards; John Edwards; Thomas Edwards b. c 1610)

Josia (Hopton MOST LIKELY misinterpreted as Joshua or Unrecorded Joshua or transcription error) -- Burkes show only one son -- William Edwards b.1610

C. Sons of Joshua to Virginia vs William (in 1635) -- (Wm/Dorothy) (Probably also Rice) (Wm. descendants to VA in 1640-1650 (William m. Downing (child: Thomas Nathaniel) 8 children b. Wales)

1. William of Llangyfelach m. Jonet Reese is most probable son of Richard (Edwards-8771)

2. William m. Downing (most probable descendant son of William/Reese)

3.. William m. Dorothy (of Surry / Jamestown / James City / Most Probable son of (Joshua/Babbs) (Edwards-3764) But Unproven

Jamestown Society Member Edwards, William - A2404; born 1615, died 1673, Surry Co.: 1652-53, 1658 (Burgess). Edwards, William - A2405; died 1698, James City Co.: 1693 (Burgess).