Descendants of Francis Wilkinson of
County Antrim, Ireland

Generation #3

Francis (²Samuel, ¹Francis) Wilkinson of Russell Co VA

The answer to the question of Thomas and Brannoc Wilkinson's parentage can be found through the Washington Co VA land records. On 10/28/1871 Samuel Wilkinson willed to "my son Francis and my Daughter Ann all my goods & Chattels that's on [the] Clinch [River]." This land was probably in the Lower District in the vicinity of Ft. Blackmore and would have already been surveyed and recorded before the will was written. Francis' lands on Thompson Creek in the Upper District in the vicinity of New Garden Station were not surveyed until 9/1781 through 1785. Beginning in 1798, Rachael and her son Brannoc Wilkinson are found in the Lower Dist. Tax List for Russell Co VA. Were the lands Samuel willed to Francis and Ann these lands in the Lower District? If so, reasonable conjecture leads to the belief that Francis was Rachael's husband and the father of Thomas and Brannoc. Is there a record of Samuel's original land grant or purchase in what was then Washington Co VA?

Francis Wilkinson was born in about 1747, probably in Chester Co PA. After peace was reached between the British and French in 1764, King George III prohibited settlement beyond the Appalachians. This decree forced settlers seeking new lands to look south into the newly opened lands of the Valley of Virginia. Just before the Revolution, Francis, in the company of his family, migrated down the Great Wagon Road south and west into the Valley of Virginia and central North Carolina. Francis is first found recorded in a 1769 Orange Co NC Quaker Meeting rent record.

Belief that Francis was at some time in the Dorchester Co MD/Kent Co DE area comes from a series of evidences. In the 1880 Warrick Co IN Census, Grandson Henry Wilkerson, son of Brannoc, stated that his father was born in Delaware. And in about 1768, Francis married Rachael Brannock b. c. 1750 Kent Co DE. At the time of son Brannoc's birth, the boundary between Maryland and Delaware had recently been shifted west from its initial location. Therefore, family births, marriages, and wills along with land transactions and court proceedings which had been recorded in Dorchester Co MD were now recorded in Kent Co DE. [1775 Boundary Map]

In Francis' father's will of 1782, nonspecific lands "on Clinch" were left to Francis and his sister Ann. Subsequently, Francis purchased land in the New Garden Station on Thompson Creek (vic. Honaker VA) in what was then Washington Co VA. These lands would eventually be located in Scott and Russell counties.

Francis is found in survey and tax records up until his death after the 1797 property tax list was compiled. The last record of Francis comes from the 1798 through 1803 land purchase by Stephen Woolsey of lands between Thompson and Lewis Creeks in Russell Co VA which had been Francis' and were subsequently willed to his siblings. Beginning in 1798, wife Rachael and son Brannoc are found in the Lower Dist. of Russell County. Francis is believed to be buried on the family property between Thompson and Lewis Creeks in Russell Co VA. [Wilkinson Family Migration]

• Born c. 1747 Chester Co PA

• Migrated by 1752 with family to Exeter Twp. (vic. Reading), Berks Co PA

• Migrated 6/2/1759 with family to Cane Creek, Orange Co NC

• Married c. 1768 in Orange Co NC to Rachael Brannock b. c. 1750 Kent Co DE

• 7/15/1769 Eno MM Church Rents, Cedar Grove, Orange Co NC

• 8/4/1774 Abstracts of Wills, Kent Co DE

• 1777 Caswell Co split from Orange Co
• 1781 Caswell Co NC Probate

• Migrated 1781 to Washington Co VA

• Washington Co VA Land Surveys: 1783-1785 Russell Co VA Land Grants

• 1786 Russell Co split from Washington Co

• 1787 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Property Tax List: Wilkinson, Francis (1)

• 1788 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Land Tax List: Wilkenson, Francis - 300 ac.

• 1790 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Land Tax List: Wilkenson, Francis - 800 ac.

• 1791 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Land Tax List: Wilkenson, Francis - 800 ac.

• 1792 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Land Tax List: Wilkinson, Francis - 800 Ac.

• 1793 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Land Tax List: Wilkenson, Francis - 902 Ac.

• 1794 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Land Tax List: Francis Wilkenson - 800 ac

• Russell Co VA Land Transactions

• 1796 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Property Tax List: Wilkinson, Francis (1)

• 1796 Russell Co VA Land Transaction

• 1797 Russell Co VA (Upper Dist.) Property Tax List: Wilkinson, Francis (1)

• Died before 11/1798 Russell Co VA

    Children

    1. Thomas Wilkinson b. c. 1769 Orange Co NC

    2. Brannoc Wilkinson b. 1771 Orange Co NC

    3. Daughter Wilkinson

• Born c. 1780 Caswell Co NC

• Migrated 1781 with family to Washington Co VA

• 1786 Russell Co split from Washington Co

• Married c. 1793 in North Carolina to Sherod Cooper b. 1774 in South Carolina

• Migrated by 1803 to Knox Co KY

• Died before 12/1809 Knox Co KY

    4. Rachael Wilkinson

• Born c. 1785 Washington Co VA

• Migrated 1804 with family to Knox Co KY

• 1786 Russell Co split from Washington Co

• Married 9/2/1805 in Knox Co KY to Samuel Carter (possible brother of Enoch Carter) b. c. 1780 in Virginia

• Died in Kentucky

    5. Louisa "Luly" Wilkinson

• Born c. 1789 Washington Co VA

• 1786 Russell Co split from Washington Co

• Migrated by 1803 with family to Knox Co KY

• Married 12/13/1809 Knox Co KY to Sherod Cooper b. 1774 in South Carolina

• 1810 Knox Co KY Census:

• Migrated by 1815 to Clay (now Owsley) Co KY

• 1820 Clay Co KY Census, p. 116:

• 1825 Clay Co KY Tax List: Luly Wilkinson

• Divorced 10/24/1826 Clay Co KY

• 1830 Clay Co KY Census:

• Died after 1830 Clay Co KY

• 1843 Owsley Co split from Clay Co KY

• Probably buried in Owsley Co KY

Generation #4