Person:Alexander Eakin (3)

Alexander was a VERY prosperous farmer in Washington County, Virginia. His will is VERY detailed and he is very specific as what is wants to give/or not to his children. He appears also to be a large slave holder.

Please note that his family roots are in Berkeley County Virginia (now W. Va). The Eakin of Berkeley County are cousins of the Eakin of Augusta County. They use many of the same names and it is almost like there are two universes tracking along similar paths. The Berkeley County Eakin use the names "Thomas" and "William" where as the Augusta County clan did not that I can tell. That is one way to tell them apart.

The two families came from County Down, Ireland. The Augusta County Eakin were from Drumbo Parish and the Berkeley County Eakin were from Magherdrool/Ballynahinch Parish. The two parishes were 10 miles apart in Ireland. They MAY have immigrated together and both settled in Pennsylvania for a short time. They are definitely Scotch-Irish. The origins of this group of Eakin appears to be from Ayrshire, Scotland, where the founder of the line "John" was recruited (~1607-1614) to help Hugh Montgomery build the port of Dounghnee near Bangor/Belfast.

The Berkeley County Eakin migrated west. The Augusta County Eakin migrated mostly south into Eastern Tennessee and SW Virginia.

P1 of Will

P2 of Will

P3 of Will

1.   Washington County Deeds, in Buys Property Washington Co Virginia
   10 Jan 1788.

   Alexander buys 345 acres on the fourth fork of Cedar Creek, Middle Fork of Holston River. He buys from Will Greer.

2.   From an unsourced post on Ancestry. Purpose to provide clues where to look for rest of Alexander's family: "There were several members of the Eakin family in Berkeley County, Virginia in the late 1790's. One of them, James Eakin, left a very detailed will which defined his family. This James was the primogenitor of the Monongalia Co., Virginia and Greene County, Pennsylvania Eakin family. James is buried at the Tuskarora Meeting House in Berkeley County, Virginia, now West Virginia. Three of his children, James, Samuel and William were minors as a guardian, Thomas Eakin, a brother of James, was appointed by the court to protect their interests. The other children named in the will were: Mary, John, Andrew, Nancy married to Hugh Miller, James, Samuel, and William. Also named is a brother of James, Thomas Eakin. Another will of great interest to the family is that of his son, James Eakin, who died in 1820 also in Berkeley Co., Virginia.