Williams and Boykin Families
Of England, Virginia, and North Carolina
Updated December 10, 2018
This page contains family group sheets and timelines for my Williams and Boykin families, as well as a little on related families. These files contain as much documentation in the footnotes as could be found at this time. New information and corrections have been made to the files for George Williams, Sr., George Williams, Jr., Thomas Mann, Jr., and Bridgett Hooker, Thomas Mann, Sr., and Elizabeth (perhaps Booth), Daniel Boucher's timeline, and the timeline for the two George Williamses in North Carolina. Please note point 5 below concerning a different George Williams family that is frequently confused with mine.
1. Richard Williams of Bedminster, County Somerset, England, was probably born before 1555. For his name, location, and some of the information on his son, Walter Williams, Sr., I have depended on the family tree web page at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com, WorldConnect Project, of Charles C. Lucas, cclmd@aol.com, database: "clucas," page entitled "John Lucas of Eastern North Carolina Descendants and Related Families," last updated 24 Nov 2015; accessed 19 Feb 2017. For the father and birth location of George Williams, he cited "Bristol Apprentice Books 1600-1640," researched by Geoffrey Roberts, Genealogist, of Bristol, England, in 2000.
2. Walter Williams, Sr. (c. 1575-1625), was the son of Richard Williams of Bedminster, County Somerset, England, and he was apprenticed there as a tanner. He married Dorothea unknown about 1600, and they had five known children baptized at St. James Church, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England. A possible first child was baptized at St. Philip and St. Jacob's Church, but this is not proved. He died in Bristol in 1625 and is buried at St. James Church. Dorothea then married John Panter.
3. After Walter's death, his son George Williams, Sr. (1618-1672), was apprenticed as a tailor in Bristol in 1634, and he left England, arriving in Jamestown, Virginia, in December 1656 or January 1657. Not long after this George married a daughter of Daniel Boucher, whose first name is unknown, and they had at least three children in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The oldest, William, died about 1665. A daughter, Elizabeth, married Richard Reynolds, Jr., about 1684. The third child was a son, George, Jr., born about 1670.
4. George Williams, Jr. (c. 1670-c. 1750), married Sarah Mann, daughter of Thomas Mann and Bridgett Hooker, in Isle of Wight County about 1700. He was in Chowan County by May 26, 1723. He died about May 1750 in Northampton County, North Carolina. He married Sarah Mann. Sarah's father, Thomas Mann, Jr., did not name Sarah as a daughter in his will, although he named Sarah's husband and son, George Williams III. It may be that Sarah Mann had died before her father did. The will of George Williams, Jr., names his wife as Sarah. This is either Sarah Mann or a second wife named Sarah. He had eight children: George III, Mildred (sometimes shown as Millicent), Sarah, Robert, William, Ann, Samuel, and Jacob. I have added a little new information to this page for the parents of Thomas Mann, Jr., who were Thomas Mann, Sr., and Elizabeth, perhaps Booth. More new information is reflected in an updated PDF for this couple.
5. There is another George Williams, Jr. (c. 1710-1735), who is frequently confused with him because they lived in some of the same parts of North Carolina. This George Williams, Jr., was the son of George Williams, Sr. (c. 1681-1738), and Joanna unknown, (who was the son of Roger Williams and Mary unknown, of Surry County, Virginia). There is no relationship between these two Williams families that I know of. George Sr. of Surry County, Virginia, married Joanna unknown about 1703, and they moved to Chowan County, North Carolina, by 1722. Joanna made her will in Bertie County, North Carolina, on January 12, 1747/8, and it was probated in July court 1756. They had seven children: Jean, Richard, Roger, George, Jr., Mary, Thomas, and Eliza. There was no overlap in children's names between the two George Williams families except that both had sons named George, Jr. Timelines for both these men are included on this page because it takes some effort to distinguish between them on the basis of their North Carolina records, and many people's family trees mistakenly mix the two families together. I also have made a timeline showing both men with the data for George of Isle of Wight in blue and the data for George of Surry in yellow, which is named "Two George Williamses in NC Timeline." This may help to separate them because both men were in Chowan County and Bertie County, North Carolina, at roughly the same times.
6. My line picks up with Mildred Williams, the daughter of George Williams, Jr., and unknown Mann (in 3. above). She married Francis Boykin. See point 9, below.
7. But first I'll introduce Edward Boykin, the Immigrant (c. 1650-1728), and Ann unknown (c. 1652/1660-after 1728). Edward Boykin was probably born in England, perhaps in Kent, but this is not known for sure. He first appeared in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, records in 1678, and could have been about 28 years old at this time. He died in this county about 1728. His known children were John, Edward, Jr., Thomas, and William. There was no daughter Mary who married George Rotchell in 1751, a ludicrous date. Some people think that his wife Ann's maiden name was Gwaltney or Williamson, but I have been unable to verify this in any way. William Gwaltney, Sr., of Isle of Wight County, made a will probated 2 Mar 1732 in which he left a cow to a grandson, Edward Boykin. This indicates that William had an unknown daughter, who married Edward Boykin, Jr. The grandson of William Gwaltney was Edward Boykin, III. His mother could not have been the wife of the immigrant Edward Boykin, who was too old to be having children at the approximate time the youngest Edward Boykin was born.
8. John Boykin (c. 1678-1729), son of Edward, the Immigrant, and Ann unknown, probably was the father of Francis Boykin. Other children, if any, are unknown, and no wife's name is known. The children of his brothers, Edward, Jr., Thomas, and William, are accounted for in those men's wills (family group sheets included here), so, by the process of elimination, it appears that John was Francis's father.
9. Francis Boykin (c. 1700-1761) was born probably in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. He married Mildred Williams about 1721, and she died before February 1752. He then married Sarah Wall. His will was recorded in 1761 in Northampton County, North Carolina. Although Mildred was identified as Mildred in her father's 1750 will, a 1748 deed shows her as Millicent. Francis Boykin and Mildred Williams had a daughter named Mildred. The evidence suggests Mildred is correct, rather than Millicent.
10. My line continues with Mary Boykin (c. 1726-after 1764), daughter of Francis Boykin and Mildred Williams. Mary's husband, Samuel DeLoach (c. 1706-1764), named Francis as his father-in-law in his 1764 will in Edgecombe County, North Carolina.
11. The daughter of Mary Boykin and Samuel DeLoach was Celia (Selah) DeLoache (c. 1744-after 1801), who married Joseph Barnes (c. 1744-1795). The Barnes lines are shown on my web page williambarnesgenealogy.com.
12. I have added new information about Edward Boykin III, son of Edward Boykin, Jr., and Miss Gwaltney. Anne Jacobs Boykin Murphy, who wrote the typescript book, “History and Genealogy of the Boykin Family,” which she self-published in Richmond, Virginia, in 1964, stated on page 127 that Edward III married Judith Holt about 1740, but she provided no proof of this. In Darlington County and Craven County, South Carolina, deeds of 1749 and 1756 his wife was named Sarah. When his wife died, the Georgia Gazette reported the date but did not give her first name. She was born about 1705 because the paper stated that she was aged 86 years. “Mrs. Boykin, age 86, widow of Edward Boykin, died ” (3 Feb 1791) From: Folks Huxford, Marriages and Obituaries From Early Georgia Newspapers, Southern Historical Press, Easley, South Carolina, 1989, p. 174. Edward Boykin III and his wife had at least three children: Anne Boykin, born about 1722; Henry Boykin, born about 1734; and John Drury Boykin, born about 1743. See the notes with the family group sheet shown at the lower left side of this page, “Edward Boykin III and Sarah Unknown Family Group Sheet.” Anne married the Rev. Robert Williams, and this Robert Williams was closely associated with Edward Boykin III in South Carolina in their Baptist church and deeds. See more about this Robert Williams in point 13 below and the notes with “Rev. Robert Williams and Anne Boykin Family Group Sheet.”
Some New Williams Information
13. There are at least two different men named Robert Williams whom researchers claim to be the son of George Williams, Jr., and Sarah Mann. I think it is very likely that the Rev. Robert Williams, who married Anne Boykin, was their son, but I cannot prove it. The family of George Williams, Jr., had relationships with the Boykin family. I am showing family group sheets for both men named Robert Williams. They were both born about the same time and married women named Anne. They can be confused with each other. New PDF’s are offered at the bottom left column under “Some Additional Williams families.” Strong circumstantial evidence indicates that Anne Boykin was the daughter of Edward Boykin, III. This is discussed separately.
14. Robert Williams, Sr., was born about 1713, perhaps in Isle of Wight Co., VA, or Bertie Co., NC. He married Anne Lee. I do not know who his father was or if he was related to the George Williams line of County Somerset and Gloucestershire, England. John Meidl on WikiTree, “Williams-24341” proposed that this Robert Williams was the son of George Williams, Jr., and Sarah Mann. However, I think it is more likely that the Rev. Robert Williams, born 1717 in Chowan Precinct of Albemarle County, North Carolina, discussed above, was the son of George Williams, Jr., and Sarah Mann. This Robert Williams, Sr., and Anne Lee had three possible children. A 1768 deed of gift from Robert Williams and second wife, Sarah, to George Williams, b. about 1734 (who married Tabitha unknown) suggests that he was Robert’s son. A 1768 deed of gift from Robert Williams and second wife, Sarah, to Robert Williams, Jr., who married Mary Harper also suggests that he was Robert’s son. Other transactions between Robert Sr. and Robert Jr. also argue for a relationship. Margaret Williams, the wife of Benjamin Best, Sr., is often shown as a daughter of Robert Williams, Sr., also, but I cannot find any documented evidence for this. In addition, Robert Williams and his wife made a deed of gift to John Baptist Sheperd [sic.] of Duplin County. Since John Baptist Sheppard married Mourning Williams [misread as Morneg] many people think that Mourning was Robert’s daughter. However, Robert’s son George stated in his will that Mourning Sheppard was his daughter, making her Robert’s granddaughter.
I have relied on the research of two people in particular. They include Robert W. Baird, www.genfiles.com, "Bob's Genealogy Filing Cabinet," and the family tree web page at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com, WorldConnect Project, of Charles Lucas, cclmd@aol.com, database: “lucama12,” page entitled “John Lucas and Descendants of Eastern NC,” last updated 27 Nov 2017; accessed 25 Jan 2018. In addition, for some of the new information on "Some Additional Williams Families" toward the bottom left side of the page, I would like to acknowledge John Meidl on WikiTree, “Williams-24341.”
I have researched some of these families for more than 20 years and want to make the results available to other descendants. My database is at www.ancestry.com. Select "Search" at the top left of the page and then "Public Member Trees" from the drop-down menu. Insert names you are looking for; my database is Famconnections with a number such as 7 or 8 or higher. If there are a number of family trees that appear as results, you may need to add more information to make the search more specific. If you use any of the research on this website, please give appropriate credit. If you find errors or new information, please let me know. You can contact me at: Cecilie Gaziano, 4511 Fremont Avenue So., Minneapolis, MN 55419-4744, USA; cgaziano@prodigy.net OR cgaziano1@gmail.com