Edwards Genealogy of Colonial Virginia

I recently found scans of a book called Historic Sketches of the Edwards and Todd Families and Their Descendants 1523-1895 . Originally printed in 1895 and updated several times afterward, the book was authored by Georgie Hortense Edwards, a descendant of Haden Edwards (1716-1803).  The book was published the same year as C. W. Chancellor's Leaves from the Chancellor--Fitzgerald--Cooper--Edwards Tree and between them represent the earliest texts I've ever been able to find on the Edwards family of Westmoreland County, Virginia. Georgie Edwards wrote that she had traced her Edwards ancestry back to Richard Edwards, who was born in 1523 and, she claims, "great grandfather of Haden." On page one she already makes reference to "Edwards Hall" (red flag), the immigrant brothers myth (red flag number two), and claims that "Benjamin, son of William Edwards, married Ann Harrison, daughter of William Henry Harrison's great grandfather." This is an inte...

If you're a colonial Edwards researcher, you've likely seen his name all over the internet. The information usually runs something like this: William Harrison Edwards, b. Apr. 9, 1720 in Wales d. Apr. 30, 1808 in Claiborne Co., TN (other sources might say KY). Married to Polly Creamer/Cramer b. Aug. 5, 1721 (or 1731), d.1794. Married second to Sarah Evart Cantrell (1733-1807).  Some sources will even give an earlier wife as Jane Taylor. Virtually every source gives his parents as Thomas Edwards and Isabelle Downing. Information about William is usually sparse, but may involve claims that he had lived in Orange or Chowan County, North Carolina; had owned an iron furnace near Mount Sterling, Kentucky ; moved to Gallatin County, Kentucky "to live with his son, John" and co-founded Big Barren Baptist Church in what was then Hawkins County, Tennessee. William is said by some accounts to be the father of a very large family: Drucilla, Peter, Isaac, Alexander, David, Willia...

Virgil Anson Lewis Here is another Edwards Heirs mystery solved. The Edwards Heirs Association newsletter claimed that Arthur Edwards, who married Jane Withrow and was buried in Mason County, West Virginia in 1820, was a son of Thomas Nathaniel Edwards Jr. But his actual parentage appears to have already been established by a competent historian using original records quite a while back. They were Hugh and Elizabeth Edwards of Augusta County, Virginia. Per information from his Findagrave memorial : Arthur, a Revolutionary War soldier, was in the battle of "Guilford Courthouse" under General Gates. In 1783, he bought land in the Shenandoah Valley, in Augusta Co, VA. Five years later, he moved to Greenbrier County and joined the settlers in and near Cook's Fort (now Monroe, Co, WV). Isaac, son of Arthur and Jane (Withrow) Edwards, was 10 years old when the family came to Cook's Fort. At that time, there were five children. The rest of the 12, (four boys and eight ...