William V. Adkins

  General Notes:

Death: BET 1754 AND 1774

at http://littlecalamity.tripod.com/Genealogy/AdkinsFamily.html
WILLIAM V. ADKINS (JOHN THOMAS, JOHN THOMAS, THOMAS, HENRY) was born March 28, 1689 in Henrico County, Virginia, and died Abt. 1774 in Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia. He married ELIZABETH PARKER January 17, 1715/16 in St. John's Church, Richmond, Henrico, Virginia, daughter of RICHARD PARKER and MITHA ?. She was born Abt. 1695 in Charles City, Henrico County, Virginia, and died Bef. 1733 in Goochland County, Virginia.
Notes for WILLIAM V. ADKINS:
I've seen his father listed as Thomas Adkins, Jr. of Henrico County, VA. Others believe his father is John Adkins of New Kent County. The spelling of the name is often Atkinson [son of Adkins].
SEE: http://fly.hiwaay.net/~jjadkins/genealogy/HTML/d0000/g0000526.html#I900
According to Grace Gregory's Book of Rememberance: "William ADKINS, Sr. may have been married to Sarah PAULEY, 24 Jul 1734, Philadelphia, PA. If so, he would be the son of John or Thomas [ADKINS] who was the son of James, the immigrant - they were Quakers. If so, Sarah would be 2nd wife, and Elizabeth PARKER [the] 1st. A William ATKINSON md Elizabeth PARKER, 17 Jan 1716 in St. Johns church, Henrico Co., VA. Elizabeth's father named as Richard PARKER. William (sign is a 'WA') ended up in Pittsylvania Co., VA, making deeds and wife Sarah signing with him.
1715, 29 Aug - a William ATKINSON of Lunenburg Co., VA let son Henry have 50 acres in Goochland Co., VA. 1748, 2 Aug - a William ATKINSON of Goochland Co., VA sold to Jeremiah Parker REACH 50 acres, being in Goochland Co., VA (no wife signed). 1750, 29 May - William ATKINSON of Lunenburg Co., VA sold to Francis CONLEY 100 acres in Goochland Co. No wife signed. 1624 - John ADKINS died, James City Co. A brother, William ATKINS who in 1624 lived near either Bear or Rear in Bassinghall, London, England. 1636 - John ADKINS, in VA. Henry ATKINS on ship "HOPEWELL" who took the oath of allegience in 1634. Henry ATKYNS, age 22, to Barbados from part of London, later to VA. The ADKINS name is spelled several different ways, including ATKYNS, ATKINS, ATKINSON, ADKINSON, and ADKINS.
1740 Oct Henrico Co., VA
Land Transfer: William Adkins and Elizabeth, his wife, to John Owen, Jr.
Our family appears in probate records at http://www.psi-sc.com/genealogy/atkisson/atkissprobate.html
Notes for ELIZABETH PARKER:
1717 Jan 7 Henrico Co., VA
Land Transfer: From Richard Parker of Henrico Co., VA and parish for love & affection to his daughter, Elizabeth, wife of William Atkinson a tract of land next to Daniel Patrick's landbought of John Woodson, the land given to his daughter Mary, wife of Lewis Jenkins and John Woodson. - 150 acres. Witnesses: John Woodson and Thomas Owen. Elizabeth, wife of John Parker, relinquishes her dowry rights.
1729 Mar 5 Henrico Co., VA
Land Transfer: Francis Wilkerson of St. Peter's Parish, New Kent Co., VA to John Law of Henrico Co., VA. all land that Richard Parker sold to Wilkerson at head of Turner's Run next to Robert Morgan, William Adkins and Lewis Jenkins - 100 acres.

  Research Notes:

From rootsweb.ancestry.com Family Tree researched and recorded: Joel Hager's Southern West Virginia Research
In accordance with the Mormon Church at Salt Lake City, Utah, a William Adkins was born on March 28, 1689, and was as son of John and Elizabeth Bromwell Adkins, of Sandy, Bedford, England. Our proven William Adkins (Adkinson) was said to have been born about 1690, which is about the same as March 28, 1689. Based on the above, we concluded that the William Adkinson, son of John and Elizabeth Bromwell, born on March 28, 1689, and William born about 1690, are the one and same person. Assuming this to be true (at least until someone, sometime can prove differently), we are listing our Adkins relatives or progenitors as originating in England.

Using number 1, as Henry Adkins, born about 1530, who married Francis Edwards, born about 1535, who could have bee n a descendant of William Adekyn of County, Somerset Shire, England, who was born about 1327, and died about 1377.
Number 2, Thomas Adkins (son), born February 6, 1584, in Sandy Bedford, England, and married Hester Frasure.
Number 3, Thomas, born about 1610, in Sandy, Bedford, England, and married Agnes (unknown) Adkins, born about 1615.
Number 4, John Adkins (Adekyn or Adkinson), born April 7, 1639, in Bedford England, and married Elizabeth Bromwell.
Number 5, William Adkins (Adekyn or Adkinson), born March 28, 1689, married Elizabeth Parker, on January 17, 1716, in the Saint James Episcopal Church in Henrico County, Virginia. Elizabeth Parker was the daughter of Richard and Mitha Parker. St. John's Episcopal Church is located near Richmond, Virginia. During this early time period the church was some distance from the city, but as Richmond grew the new developments surrounded the church until the church became part of the city of Richmond. It was in St. John's that Patrick Henry in 1775 gave his famous "give me liberty or give me death speech.

Elizabeth's father, Richard Parker, indicated the marriage of his daughter, Elizabeth Parker to William Atkinson (Adkins) in his "will" dated Mar. 6, 1726 in Henrico County, Virginia. Richard and Mitha Parker lived on "Four Mile Creek", in Henrico County, Virginia. William and Elizabeth lived on Machumps Creek on the Savannah River and later moved to the Pigg River in Virginia.

William Adekyn, Adkinson, or Adkins, and Elizabeth Parker had the following children:
1. Richard Adkins, born c. 1717 in Henrico County, Virginia and is said to have moved to Tenn., in 1790.
2. Parker Adkins, born 1720, in Henrico County, Virginia, and died c. 1792 in Montgomery County, Virginia, which was Giles County in 1806. He married a Mary (Polly) Fry. Parker Adkins severed in the Revolutionary War.
3. William Adkins, Jr., born c. 1721, in Henrico County, Virginia and died between 01-20-1784, and 03-15-1784. He married Lydia Owens, who was born c. 1724, in 1745, and died before 1782. Lydia Owens was the daughter of William and Lydia Lansford Owens.
4. Jacob Adkins, born c. 1725, in Henrico County, Virginia, and married Judah (unknown) Adkins.
5. Joseph Adkins, had four proven children, but the name of his wife is unknown. Based upon the birth date of Jacob and Sherwood, Joseph was probably born around 1726 or 1727.
6. Sherwood (Sherrod), Adkins, born c. 1728, and married Sally (probably Lucas), around 1760, and lived at Clear Fork, of Wolf Creek, Virginia, that became West Virginia in 1863. Sherwood Adkins was the father of Isaac Adkins, Sr. Born c. 1780 and died on March 29, 1860, and Isaac married on May 6, 1804, to Elizabeth Hager, born c. 1780, in Baltimore, Maryland, daughter of Jacob and Sally Hager. Isaac Adkins, Sr. and Elizabeth Hager had a son named Isaac Adkins, Jr. Born in 1804, in Virginia, in accordance with the Carter County, Kentucky 1850 census.
7. Henry Adkins, born c. 1730, and married Rachel Houchins, on January 20, 1756. Henry Adkins lived in the Pigg River area in Virginia, and was born in Goochland County, Virginia.
8. Elizabeth Ann Atkinson b: Abt 1732 in Henrico County, Virginia married Zachariah Doss
9. Mary (Polly) Adkins, born c. 1735, in Goochland, County, Virginia. She may or may not have been married, since there are no records, but raised six children, probably all by Jacob Harley, the so-called Earl of Oxford.

William's father is believed to be Thomas Adkins, Jr. of Henrico County, VA. Others believe his father is John Adkins of New Kent County. The original spelling of his name is Atkinson.

William and Elizabeth Parker Adkins and family move westward in 1740 to what is now Franklin County, Virginia (this same area was Brunswick County in 1740: then Lunenburg County in 1746; then Halifax County in 1752; then Pittsylvania County in 1767; to Henry County in 1776; and now finally Franklin County since 1785).

This move westward was part of the white man's first penetration across the Blue Ridge Mountains. They lived in the Snow Creek District on the Harping and Story Creeks on the Pigg River. William became a land owner/farmer then changed occupations by becoming a mill operator. (mill operating became a family profession). The deaths of William and Elizabeth Parker Adkins isn't clear. Elizabeth disappears after 1740, and William disappears after 1753 in Franklin County, Virginia. Their exact death dates are unknown. Their son was Sherwood Adkins, who had a son named Isaac Adkins, Sr., who had a son Isaac Adkins, Jr., who moved to Shanty Branch, Carter Co., Ky. About 1835, as their son David was born in 1835 in Carter Co., Ky.

From the Family Notes of Virginia Pierce: "A lot of the information we have on the descendants of William Atkinson and Elizabeth Parker was taken from the book 'Adkins-Land of York, Surrey Co., England to Beech Fork, Wayne Co., West Virginia by Ronnie Adkins". Ronnie is a descendant of Elizabeth Parker also. He phoned me one night from Alabama, where he lives and works in the law enforcement dept. I was afraid he might be someone trying to put something over on me for a while, but I finally trusted him. He said he would like to have a copy of the genealogy we have on our family from the beginning up to the present date. I sent it to him. He called several times after that. He said he had been working on this project for over ten years and was publishing it in a book....I sent him a $40 check. A few months passed. Finally one day in the mail came this large volume book. It is filled with genealogy on our family on Grandma Nancy Evalyn Elkins side. It has pictures of wills, cemetery lists, birth certificates, marriage certificates, as well as pictures of places and of people from William Atkinson on down."

From "Adkins' Family History":
"William Adkins (Atkinson in all early records), the earliest proven ancestor of our family was born in Charles City or Henrico Co. Virginia. As the parents of William are unknown there is no information available prior to his marriage. At the now famous St. John's Church in Richmond, Henrico Co., Va. on Friday 17 Jan 1716 William married Elizabeth Parker b ca 1695 d/o Richard and Mitha Parker. Their marriage is recorded in the register of St. John's. This register has been completely reprinted in the Besty of Henrico Parrish. The marriage of William & Elizabeth is recorded on pg. 228. Several other publications "Marriages of Some Virginia Residents" by Wulfeck also have the marriage recorded. This marriage record states "William Atkinson to daughter of Richard Parker..." Richard's will fills in the first name "I give to my daughter, Elizabeth, wife of William Atkinson..."

In the year of their marriage Elizabeth's father gave her 150 acres in Henrico Parrish (Goochland co. 1727) stating in the deed "for love and affection to my daughter Elizabeth, wife of William Atkinson". William and Elizabeth lived on a tributary of the Savannah River known as Machumps Creek; having been named after an Indian that told early settlers much about the country in which they lived. All of their children were born here and the family is mentioned in many records of both Henrico and Goochland Counties including the following.

Records of St. John's Church of Henrico Parrish
a 1736 record for a 1735 birth (probably Mary)
a 1736 record showing 230 acres standing good for a store debt in Goochl
a 1740 record of Goochland showing William with 3 sons - William Jr., Richard, and Parker.
...Sometime around 1743 William, Elizabeth and children undertook a Westward move that again would place them on the very edge of the frontier. This move took some ten years to fully complete. Some of the records that show the move spanning several yrs. follows: William Sr. and Parker appear on Lance Holmans' tax list of Lunenberg Co. in 1746. William Sr., William Jr., Parker and others on Henry Martin's 1747 tax list of Goochland Co. William Sr., William Jr., Parker and Richard on Lance Holman's tax list of Lunenberg in 1748. After 1748 records and listing proliferate in Lunenberg while those in Goochland almost cease and after 1756 when Henry married they completely cease. This westward move (a part of the white man's first penetration across the Blue Ridge Mtns.) was to what is today Franklin Co., Virginia. The family lived in the Snow Creek District on the Harping and Story Creeks of the Pigg River. When the move was initiated this area was in Brunswick Co., becoming Lunenberg in 1746, Halifax in 1752, Pittsylvania in 1767, Henry in 1776, and Franklin (as today) in 1785. Records of the family appear in all these counties making it extremely difficult to find the vital statistics. In this area William was a farmer, land owner, and mill operator; the latter an occupation that stood the family in good stead for many years up to and including the move to what is today West Virginia.

Many records of the family are in Halifax including a 1753 road petition from William to the county commission requesting a road from Snow Creek and a 1762 land record for Parker. After 1767 when the area became Pittsylvania the records multiply as the children became land owners and sellers. It is not known when William (b ca 1690) died, however, the date is surely between late 1753 when the records seem to show William Jr. being designated as Sr. and 1774 when the records are clear that William Jr. is now Sr.

William married Elizabeth Parker, daughter of Richard Parker and Mitha ?, on 17 Jan 1716 in St. Johns Church, Richmond, VA.