John Edwards

Notes:

Edwards of Northampton

JOHN EDWARDS, GENTLEMAN
Born in 1727 in Wales, sixth son of Sir Thomas Edwards, Baron, he came to
America at about 23 years of age. One can only guess at his reason for coming.
Religious oppression, political pressure, the excitement and thrill of high adventure, or more possibly the lack of opportunity for self-expression under the common practice of inheritance by the oldest son may have motivated him.

There is little doubt that his kinsmen had preceded him over a period of more than a hundred years and were firmly established in the New World. He would have had no particular reason to come to, Northampton County unless there had been communication with family connections. At this time the influx of settlers was greater in the New York and Pennsylvania area than in the Carolinas and Virginia. A flood of emigrants was pouring into the country. The Edwards name appeared from New England to South Carolina and into Georgia. Dr. Lawrence Edwards, in his book "Old Speedwell Families", traces his family to William Edwards (1720-1808), son of Thomas. Very possibly he was of our family - brother of John. We do, not know how many, other than the three in our records, of these brothers came to America. His William Edwards came through the valley of Virginia across the mountains into Tennessee. There is little doubt that historians are correct in tracing another William, son of John - one of the four
brothers - to Kentucky where many prominent public servants originated, including the Governor of Illinois in 1826. It is most probable that the Edwards' of Isle of Wight, Southampton and Surry counties in Virginia and Bertie and Northampton counties in North Carolina were closely related.

When John Edwards came to Northampton the Tidewater was thickly settled.
Colonists had pushed westward to the mountains. The rights of the Eight Proprietors, to whom King Charles II had granted the territory from about Cape Kennedy to the Virginia line and westward to the "south seas" in 1633, had been reclaimed by King Goerge II with the exception of the one-eighth interest held by John Carteret, Earl of Granville. He would not sell to the Crown and still held title to a huge area along the Virginia-North Carolina line that was laid off in 1744 as his portion. Titles to land in Eastern North Carolina then were by deeds known as "Granville Grants", continued by him and his succeeding son Robert up until they lost their rights by reason of the American Revolution. In 1750 the New World was firmly held by the British as Royal Colonies.

It was still a raw land. There were practically no roads in the interior
and travel was by horseback where there were no navigable streams. Emigrants had never seen such a land before, much less hope to own a part of it, and they took up all the land they could get, clearing it as they could. By 1750 the most desirable land had changed hands several times. Away from the settlements on the Coast and in Eastern Virginia, schools were nonexistent. There was by then some wealth in North Carolina but it was far from being a place of fine homes and leisurely living. Another John Edwards, Clerk of Northampton Court, reported in 1754 that there were 902 white taxables (heads of families)and 837 blacks in the county. The now growing population and difficulty of travel made it expedient to form Northampton County from Bertie in 1741. This was the land
that John Edwards found on his arrival.

Traces of John Edwards, our ancestor, are limited. He married about the
time he bought property in 1752 - we do not know his wife's name. The family picked up the name "Elizabeth" from old deeds, but we cannot be sure. He had a son named Samuel Edwards. John's wife died and he was also in ill health, possibly from the swampy, low lying nature of his property, and he returned to England. He must have expected to return for he did not dispose of his real property. He did not return, however, but died - date unknown. His deed to the 167 acre farm, recorded in Book 2 page 47, was dated 30 April 1752. He paid thirty pounds for it in "current money of the Colony of Virginia", the accepted currency at that time. It is a long and flowery document, evidently prepared by a lawyer, and recited the title as having been by grant to John Godley on 2 Aug. 1729, sold by him to Daniel O'Quinn, who sold it to Isaac Hunter in Nov. 1741. His son Theophilus Hunter inherited it from him and sold it to "John Edwards,
Gentleman".

He was further identified on 11 Nov. 1755 as "John Edwards, Gentleman" when he proved the signature on a will. No other record of him is identifiable except for the written word of his heirs. Information about his marriage, his son Samuel and his return to England is from his grandchildren.

Whether or not he bought and sold other property is confused by the fact that there were at least three other "John Edwards' " in Northampton at the same time. His identity is established by the fact that his son Samuel returned to Northhampton and made his home on the property described in the deed, willing it along with other property he acquired to his heirs. Others of the same name left record of their heirs and there is no confusion between them.

What construction can be placed on the fact that the term "Gentleman" was
applied to him, absent in reference to the others of the same name, is an interesting conjecture. His father held a title, but John had little hope of inheriting it as a sixth son. Generally it appears to have had reference to one of considerable means who did not find it necessary to work with his hands. Samuel, his son, returned to America with sufficient funds to purchase considerable property, although only a boy. He could only have acquired it at his age by inheritance. This would picture John Edwards as a young man of
prestige and means whose health prevented him from becoming a part of the developing Nation.

John EDWARDS 1,2
Birth: 10 Feb 1727, Wales
Married: May 1750, Fauquier County, Virginia
Death: 16 Mar 1801, Greenville, SC

General Notes:

1. Came from Virginia in 1787 with his wife, Henrietta Ayers Edwards
2. There are two Edwards family cemetaries in the area. One located on Wade Hampton Blvd., and another located at Edwards Rd Baptist Church.

Marriage Information:

John married Henrietta AYERS, daughter of Thomas AYERS and Unknown, in May 1750 in Fauquier County, Virginia. (Henrietta AYERS was born in 1728.

Sources

1 Steve Skidgel, (http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/SC/Greenville Bios Greenville County Biographies).

2 P 191. Source Text: P 191 Will of John EDWARDS ....whole estate to my beloved HENRIETTA EDWARDS during her natural life whats hereafter mentioned to my children Daughter Sarah EDWARDS Son William EDWARDS Daughter Elizabeth BRIDWELL Daughter mary BRUCE (sp?) Son Joseph EDWARDS Son John EDWARDS Beloved wife Henrietta Edwards Six children-namely Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, John, William, and Sarah. My friend Thomas EDWARDS and Pleasant HUDSON. Written Sept 29, 1799 John Edwards Witnesses: Mary Ann EDWARDS, Thomas EDWARDS Supposing John Edwards never should come, Item I will and bequeath what is for him to my daughter Sarah EDWARDS. Witness: Joseph MCAFEE, George ROSS Proven Mar 16, 1801

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. William Edwards was born on 10 Feb 1768 in , Bedford, Virginia, USA; died on 23 Nov 1832 in , Pittsylvania, Virginia, USA.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Thomas N Edwards

Notes:

from: http://home.clara.net/wfha/wales/listfram.htm
EDWARDS, Thomas N., b. Oct 14, 1690, Denbighshire, son of John EDWARDS. Thomas m.
Mar 14, 1714, to Isabella DOWNING, b. 1692. Children: Robert, b. Feb 24, 1716; Joshua, b.
Mar 11, 1718; William, b. Apr 9, 1720, d. 1816; Thomas, b. Jul 7, 1723; Leonard, b. May 20,
1725; John, b. 1727; Jacob, b. 1729; Martha, b. 1731; Soloman; and Frankie. The family
emigrated ca. 1740 to North Carolina, USA. Thomas d. ca. 1760/62; Isabella d. 1783.
Submitted by: Robert Edwards

Thomas married Isabelle Downing on 14 Mar 1714. Isabelle (daughter of George Downing and Catherine Cecil) was born on 12 Mar 1694 in Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales; died on 8 Jun 1742 in Savannah, Chatham, Georgia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Elizabeth. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

George married Catherine Cecil on 12 Jul 1683 in , Glamorgan, Wales. Catherine (daughter of James Cecil and Margaret Manners) was born in 1663 in , , , England; died on 13 Aug 1698. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

George married Frances Howard in 1654 in Groton, Suffolk, England. Frances (daughter of William Howard and Mary Eure) was born in 1633 in Naworth, Brampton, Cumberland, England; died on 10 Jul 1686 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James married Margaret Manners on 1 Oct 1661 in , , , England. Margaret (daughter of John Manners and Frances Montagu) was born in 1648 in London, London, England; died on 30 Aug 1682 in Orléans, Loiret, Centre, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Dorothy Thomas in 1640 in , , Wales. Dorothy was born in 1620 in , , Wales; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Mary Eure in 1625 in Ingleby, Greenhow, Yorkshire, England. Mary (daughter of William Eure and Lucy Noel) was born in 1602 in Wilton, Durham, England; died on 28 Jan 1638 in , , , England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Charles married Diana Maxwell on 2 Apr 1639 in Fields, London, England. Diana (daughter of James Maxwell and Elizabeth Deboussoyne) was born in 1619 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England; died on 3 May 1675 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Frances Montagu in 1628 in Barnwell Castle, Northamptonshire, England. Frances (daughter of Edward Montagu and Frances Cotton) was born in 1614 in , Northamptonshire, England; died on 19 May 1671 in Bottesford, Wiltshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Philip married Margaret Carryl in 1601 in Naworth, Brampton, Cumberland, England. Margaret was born in 1585 in Harting, Sussex, England; died in 1648. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Lucy Noel on 15 Sep 1601 in Ingleby, Greenhow, Yorkshire, England. Lucy was born in 1580 in Dalby, Leicestershire, England; died on 20 Jan 1615 in Old Malton, Yorkshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Catherine Howard on 1 Dec 1608 in Westminster, Middlesex, London, England. Catherine was born in 1588 in Saffron, Walden, Essex, England; died on 27 Jan 1673 in Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James married Elizabeth Deboussoyne. Elizabeth was born in 1578 in , , Scotland; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

George married Grace Pierrepont on 2 Apr 1594 in Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire, England. Grace was born in 1575 in Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire, England; died in 1650. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Edward married Frances Cotton. Frances was born in 1578 in Connington, Huntingdonshire, England; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]