Person:William Edmiston (3)

William Edmiston
b.Est 1727
d.Bef 10 Feb 1789 Washington County, Virginia
m. Est 1720
  1. Dorothy Edmiston.Abt 1721 - Abt 1763
  2. James EdmistonAbt 1724 - 1793
  3. William EdmistonEst 1727 - Bef 1789
  • HWilliam EdmistonEst 1727 - Bef 1789
  • WAgnes Holmes - Aft 1789
m. 1752
  1. Robert Edmondson, Jr.1753 - 1816
  2. Thomas Edmondson1759 - 1824
  3. Elizabeth EdmondsonAbt 1760 - Abt 1830
  4. Mary Jane EdmondsonAbt 1761 - 1830
  5. William Edmondson1765 -
  6. Samuel EdmondsonAbt 1767 -
  7. John Edmondson1769 -
  8. James EdmondsonAbt 1771 -
  9. Margaret Edmondson1773 - 1858
  10. Andrew EdmondsonAbt 1775 -
  11. Jane EdmondsonAbt 1777 -
Facts and Events
Name William Edmiston
Alt Name William Edmondson
Gender Male
Birth? Est 1727
Marriage 1752 Augusta County, Virginiato Agnes Holmes
Death? Bef 10 Feb 1789 Washington County, Virginia

Contents

Edmondson Tapestry
Register
Data
Notebooks
Analysis
Bibliography
Graphics
YDNA
Index

……………………..The Tapestry
Families Old Chester OldAugusta Germanna
New River SWVP Cumberland Carolina Cradle
The Smokies Old Kentucky

__________________________

Overview

This article concerns the William Edmiston who signed the Ebbing Springs Call in 1773, and left a will dated 1788 in Washington County Virginia. This William is believed to be a cousin of Col William Edmiston who also settled in this area, and signed the Ebbing Springs Call. [3] At his death he names his wife Agnes, and seven children. Dates commonly given for the birth of his children begin in 1753, implying a DOM of no later than 1752. There are significant gaps in the DOB's of his children in the commonly given child record, which may imply either an error in the list of children, or the existence of children who died young, and so were not named in his will. Based on the DOB of 1753 of his eldest known child, we can infer a DOB for William himself of no later than c1733, but likely earlier.

Family Relations

Personal Data

Personal Data
VitaDatumSource/Basis/Comment
DOB: c1720William dies at the end of 1788, or early 1789, leaving at least one grand child (Agness, daughter of son Robert.) This implies William was born prior to at least 1749.
POB:
DOD:1789Will written 25 December 1788; [Need probate date]
POD:
Father:Person:Robert Edmiston (2)
Mother:Jean?See Edmondson Family of Rockbridge County Virginia, Chalkley, which gives a court record for Robert Edmiston that suggests the name of his wife was "Jean"
Spouse:Agnes Holmesidentified as "Agness" in his will [4] Need basis for identifying her maiden name as "Holmes"
DOM:c1752 based on unproven DOB of 1753 for eldest child
POM:Rockbridge County, based on family location in 1753

ChildList

Children Vita for children are unconfirmed, and should be regarded as only approximate placeholders until supporting evidence is noted.
Name DOB POB DOD POD Spouse DOM POM Dispersion and Notes
Person:Robert Edmondson (6) 1753 Named in Will[4]Will notes that Robert is caring for his father's cattle "on the Cumberland", implying that Robert has moved away from SW VA. William also makes a bequest to a daughter of Robert named Agness, indicating that Robert is married in 1788. This implies a DOB of no later than 1768, and most likely substantially earlier.
Person:Thomas Edmondson (2) 1759 Martha Buchanan 23 APR 1782 Washington County, VA Named in Will[4]To Cumberland Settlement (Davidson County) by 1807
Person:Mary Edmondson (33) abt. 1761 John Moore (1788), Jonathan Spurgeon (1791) NOT Named in Will[4] Identified by some as a daughter, no obvious reason
Person:William Edmondson (7) 1764 Named in Will[4]Moved to the area between modern Nashville and Murfreesboro (Cumberland Settlement) by 1780 (Signatory to the Cumberland Compact)
Person:John Edmiston (4) 1765 1813 Named in Will[4]Believed to have moved to the Cumberland Settlement by 1788; said to have been killed at the Battle of Raisin River in the War of 1812.
Person:Samuel Edmondson (1) 1767 Named in Will[4]
Person:James Edmondson (3) 1769 Named in Will[4]


Person:Margaret Edmondson (2) 6 MAR 1775 1858 Davidson Co. TN John Buchanan Named in Will[4] Alt DOB of 9 May 1773 given by some; Couple moved to Williamson County TN (Cumberland Settlement)
Other possible children not named in will
Person:Elizabeth Edmondson (2) 1760 c1830 Washington County, VA Mathew Buchanan NOT Named in Will[4]Husband identified as a co-executor in Williams Will, implying a close family relation, such as soninlaw. Apparently remained in Washington County.
Person:Andrew Edmondson (2) 1775 NOT Named in Will[4] Identified by some as a son, no obvious reason
Person:Jane Edmondson (2) 1777 NOT Named in Will[4] Identified by some as a daughter, no obvious reason


Dispersion

William and Agness had seven known children between 1753 and 1773, as identified in William's will. Given a 2- year interval between child births, and gaps in the dhildren's ages it seems likely that there were several other children who did not live past 1788 when William wrote his will, or for some other reason not mentioned in his will. [5] The surviving children are:

ChildDOBDispersion
Person:Robert Edmondson (6) 1753 Moved to the Cumberland Settlement by after 1780, and before 1787
Thomas Edmiston 1759Moved to Cumberland Settlement by 1780, signed Cumberland Compact
Mary Edmondson abt. 1761 Married John Moore (1788), Jonathan Spurgeon (1791), possibly married 1st, Jonathan Green (1776), needs research due to age conflict (too young?).
William Edmiston 1764 Moved to the Cumberland Settlement by 1787
John Edmiston 1765 Moved to the Cumberland Settlement by 1787
Samuel Edmiston 1767
James Edmiston 1769
Margaret Edmiston 1773 Married John Buchanan and moved to Cumberland Settlement
Elizabeth Edmiston1760 Said to have married Mathew Buchanan; children of this couple seem to have been born in Washington County, indicating that they remained in the area.
Andrew Edmiston1775
Jane Edmiston1777

Deeds

Source:Summers, 1992a:1309. Citing:Brief of Deeds, Washington County, Virginia, United States, page 405 Source:Summers, 1929 May 19, 1795. William Edmondson, John Edmondson, Matthew Buchanan, executors of the will of William Edmondson deceased, to Thomas McCall, 70 pounds, 215 acres on the South Fork of the Holston River.


Will of William Edmiston

  • In the name of God, Amen, I William Edmiston of Washington County and State of Virginia, being weak in body but of sound mind, thanks be to God; but calling to mind the mortality of my body and that it is appointed unto all men once to die, do make and ordain this as follow with my last will and testament. --Viz:
First - I do allow my executors to collect all my just debts and pay all debts justly due me. I do likewise give and bequeath to my beloved wife Agnes Edmiston one Sorrel Mare likewise one third of all my cattle in Washington County and sheep and hogs and household furniture, and one fourth of all my books, the second volume of travel works excepted also the free and unmolested us of all the improvements upon my plantation for the use of my wife and my sons James and Samuel also to my son William one Bond of Fifty pounds on James Curtis due the first of Nov. 1789; also to my son John one bond of Fifty pounds on said (Curtis due 1791) one bay horse 4 years old and my stallion colt to be equally divided between him and my son James; also to sons James and Samuel my plantation at my wife's death to be equally divided between them and provided either of them should die before my wife the other is to heir the land upon paying ten pounds to my John; also to my son James one Brown horse 4 years old and my son Samuel one Black mare; also the remaining two parts of my personal property to be equally divided betwixt my sons James and Samuel and my daughter Margaret; and my daughter Margaret one black colt, 1 year old; also my sons James and Samuel are each of them to pay ten pounds to purchase a horse and saddle and school my son Robert's daughter Agnes if she liveth with her grandmother till she is of age. I do likewise bequeath to my son Thomas the 2nd volume of Travel works and the remaining three parts of my books to be divided between my sons John, James, and Samuel; also my cattle upon Cumberland after my son Robert has satisfied himself for his trouble in taking care of them, to be equally divided between my sons John and James, except one cow to my son William.
I do likewise appoint William Edmiston Esq. and Matthew Buchanan, and my son John Edmiston my whole and sole executors of this will and testament in witness where of I hereunto set my hand and seal this 25 day of December 1788.
10 Feb. 1789 will was exhibited and recorded

Records

From Augusta County, VA Records

  • Page 137.--17th March, 1756. Wm. Edmondson's bond as guardian (chosen) to James Hays, orphan of Geo. Hays; Andrew Steel, John Loggan, sureties.
  • Page 861.--20th May, 1765. (John ( ) Edmiston and Margret ( ) to John Stewart, £50, 132 acres in Borden's tract; corner John Stewart; corner Wm. Edmiston. Teste: Samuel Buchanan, Wm. and Samuel Edmiston. Delivered: Jno. Stuart, 10th December, 1790. (Note: William Edmiston was living on his father's patent in the Borden Tract).

Footnotes

  1.   Donald Loyd Bradley.

    Date of Import: Aug 21, 1999

  2.   Powell, Diana. Rambling Roots Website.

    Probate date of William Edmiston's will 10 February 1789 taken from microfilm FHL MF #34356

  3. Somewhere I've run across a primary which establishes the cousin relationship. Perhaps its in Andrew Edmiston's letter to Governor Campbell, but might have been something Source:Allison, 1960 quoted. In anycase, this needs to be tracked down to verify the family connection. A number of other adult Edmiston's signed the Ebbing Springs Call, and are presumed to be close kin descended from brothers Robert and William Edmiston, who came from Cecil County, MD, and settled on Borden's grant in the early 1740's. A minority view present in the genealogical community is that Person:William Edmiston (3) is a son of David "Turk" Edmiston who settled near Tinkling Springs on Beverly's Manor about 1740. This David Edmiston is known to have had a son William in 1740, but most family historians do not trace his history. Those that do, believe he died in Abingdon in 1788, and so would be the William Edmiston of this article. While conceivable, there's little evidence to tie this William to David of Tinkling Springs. It should also be noted that there was a Captain William Edmiston in Cambell's regiment and killed at King's Mountain (1780), along with Person:William Edmiston (5). This could not be the William Edmiston of this article, as he survived until 1788. Its possible that Captain Edmiston is in reality the William who signed the Ebbing Springs Call, but this remains to be determined.
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 [[1]
  5. Some identify an Elizabeth b 1760, Andrew b. 1775, and Jane b. 1777, as additional children. The exact DOB's given may or may not be correct, but these children may fit into the "child gaps" in the known list of children. The basis for including these children in some lineages is not known; however, the husband of Elizabeth (Mathew Buchanan) is listed as a co-executor of William's will, suggesting that he might be a soninlaw.