Edwards Genealogy of Colonial Virginia

It seems the primary reason even professional genealogists have gotten the Edwards family of Virginia so mixed up over the last century is a 24-page book published in Havre, France by an obscure genealogist named C. W. Chancellor, M.D.  This book is called Leaves from the Chancellor--Fitzgerald--Cooper--Edwards Tree and in 1895 it introduced to the world the hypothesis that William Edwards of Westmoreland (c.1687-c.1746) was the son of William Edwards (d.1722) and Ann Harrison of Surry County, an idea I've already spent considerable space debunking . But the fascinating thing about this obscure little book is that it seems to be the source for almost all of the early flawed research about the Edwards families of Virginia, in particular, the Westmoreland County clan. In addition to being quoted almost verbatim in the Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Vol. 17 No. 49 in 1919 by Henry Strother (who cited it as his "manuscript" by a "prominent member of...

I found an absolute gold mine on eBay last week. A Mrs. Dan Hugh Williamson who evidently died in 2009 had done extensive work on the genealogy of Thomas Edwards and Mary Ann McClanahan of Greenville County, South Carolina some decades ago and compiled her research into a single, slightly musty volume titled THOMAS EDWARDS: Westmoreland Co., Virginia to Greenville Co., SC and after coming across it incidentally I managed to buy it. Mrs. Williamson has done some stellar genealogical work, and has even included photocopies straight from the Thomas Edwards family bible. I've transcribed all of the names and dates in the bible here: Thomas Edwards b. Jan. 25, 1762 d. Aug. 7, 1832 Mary Ann McClanahan, his wife b. Aug. 16, 1763 d. Nov. 14, 1841 Thomas and Mary Ann his wife were married Aug. 27, 1782. Their children: 1. William Edwards born Apr. 24, 1784 d. Feb. 10, 1804 2. Thomas Edwards Jr. b. May 10, 1786 d. July 4, 1843. "Was shot on the public road." 3. Peter Edwards b. O...