Person:William Withers (7)

"The wills of Rev. Edmund Withers and the Rev. William Withers, sons of the Rev. Thomas Withers, mentioned in the Alumni of Cambridge give the full list of children of Rev. Thomas Withers, of Halton. ... Child (4) ***WILLIAM WITHER, born circa 1636, Lancashire, d. 1698, Stafford County, VA."

"It is hardly possible that at present a full genealogy of this family can be prepared; but much data illustrating its history has been collected, which it is proposed to present, together with such deductions as may be made from them. An act passed by the General Assembly of Virginia in May, 1758 (Hening, VI,513) gives a clew to the English home of the family. It recites that John Withers [William's brother], deceased, formerly of the county of Stafford, Virginia, was in his lifetime seised in fee, amongst other lands, a tract in the parish of St. Paul in that county, containing about 533 acres, and called Chotank; and by his will dated 29 Aug 1698, devised the same to his daughter Sarah Withers, for her life, and after her decease, to his cousin William Withers, and his heirs male, and for default of such issue, to Mr. Thomas Withers, of Lancaster, in Great Britain, and his heirs male, and for default of such issue, to any one proving themselves to be of the name Withers. And the said Wm. Withers, named, died in the Colony soon after the said testator, never having been married, and the said Thos. Withers died in England, leaving his brother William Withers, his heir; and the said William Withers also died in England, leaving issue: Thomas Withers, his eldest son and heir, who died in England, leaving issue: William Withers, his eldest son and heir. And the said Sarah Withers, daughter of the testor, John Withers, married Christopher Conway, and by deeds dated 12 and 13 Jun 1727, conveyed said land to Augustine Washington, who bequeathed it to his son Samuel Washington. Disputes having arisen between William Withers and Samuel Washington, this act was passed vesting the land in Samuel Washington, on condition that he paid to William Withers six hundred pounds current money of Virginia. There is recorded in Stafford a deed dated 30 Aug 1756 from William Withers, of Williamsburg, gent., to Samuel Washington, relinquishing his claim to the land, as heir male of Captain John Withers. It would seem from the act that this branch of the family and probably all of the name in Stafford, were from Lancaster, England. William Withers, the last named in the act, was ancestor of the family of Withers resident near Petersburg, VA. It would appear from the terms of this act and from various deeds to be noticed hereafter, that John Withers had no son. The almost entire destruc- tion of the early records of Stafford, make it impossible to learn much in regard to the immigrant members of the family; but it is evident that there were in the county (contemporary with John Withers), two persons named WILLIAM WITHERS, both probably relatives. There is a deed dated Stafford, 6 Dec 1699, from ***WILLIAM WITHERS of that county, conveying to John Simpson, of Acquia, 200 acres near Little Hunting Creek, Stafford, part of a dividend of 2,400 acres. Also a deed dated 6 Dec 1699, from William Withers, of Stafford, conveying 300 acres, part of 500 acres patented by Captain John Withers and purchased from him by WILLIAM WITHERS, father of William Withers, party to the deed. Mary, wife of the last named William Withers, relinquishes her interest."

Virginia Vital Records #1, Virginia Land Records, Charles City County Patents Issued During the Regal Government; The Learning Co Inc. "(Patentee's name, date of patent, number of acres, and locality of lands.) Book No. 6. Page 85. ***WILLIAM WITHERS. Mar. 13, 1665. 172 acres. 3 R. 1 po. On the south side of James river on the head of Flowerdu Hundred Creek, on the East side of the Southern run joining to Wm. Harris." CONFLICT: Other sources report that he emigrated in 1690.

Virginia Vital Records #1, 1600S-1800S, Virginia Will Records, Stafford County Wills, Administrations, Inventories, Etc. 1664-1760; The Learning Co Inc. "***WILLIAM WITHERS, dec'd. 1699."

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Robert Edwin Withers, Sr. Withers Family of the County Lancaster, England and of Stafford County, Virginia, 1189-1947. (Dietz Publishing Co., 1947).
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Robert Edwin Withers, Sr. Withers Family of the County Lancaster, England and of Stafford County, Virginia, 1189-1947. (Dietz Publishing Co., 1947)
   also at http://www.withersfamily.com.