From Pittsylvania County, Virginia Will 1768-1800 9293555 p-692H-5
Welden, Jonathan D&W 11, P 129
D: Dec. 18,1781 Pr: Oct. 15, 1782
Names: Wife: Mary- my plantation where I live with stock of all kinds
Son: Jonathan Weldon- 100 acres of land at upper end of my
land-across-from "line to line".
Son: Isack Weldon- 100 acres of land joining Jonathan's,
"line to line"
Son: William Dale Weldon- 50 acres of land where I live after
wife's decease and 10 lbs cash
Dau: Susannah Weldon
Dau: Frances Weldon
Four youngest daughters: Elizabeth Weldon, Sarah Weldon,
Mary Weldon, Lida Weldon
All moveable estate, after wife's death, to William Dale Weldon,
except the pounds to be equally divided
Executors: Wife, Mary Weldon, Moses Hank and John Waller
Witnesses: John Creel, James Addams, John (X) Pond and Fortan Dodson
s/ Jonathan (X) Weldon
Will exhibited by Mary Weldon, Ex'trx
Proved by oaths of two witnesses and O.R.
Sec: John Pond and James Adams
From notes originally prepared by Jacqueline Kimberlin Higdon: Apparently borrowed from the book "In Search of Footprints" by Thomas L. Hooker.
The parents of Jonathan Weldon are unknown at this time. Jonathan and his wife Mary Elizabeth were early Virginia settlers in what is now Pittsylvania County.
The Weldons most likely were similar to thousands of other poor yet hardy people who moved away from the Atlantic coast in hopes of creating a living out of the wilderness. Arriving in the area, the Weldons, found a bountiful land of rolling hills covered by open woods, sparkling streams and broad sweeps of rich meadows. Wild game was plentiful with large numbers of bear. Buffalo still roamed the hills of Pittsylvania County as late as the 1730s.
Although no records document the exact year Jonathan came into this county, his first recorded land acquisition involved a grant of 804 acres on the waters of Lower Double Creek. Jonathan Weldon's grant in the southeast corner of the county was first surveyed for Nathaniel Hughes on 12th Feb 1766. Whatever interest Hughes had in the property was assigned to Jonathan Weldon through a grant issued by Governor Thomas Jefferson on 14th Jun 1780. Weldon paid 80 shillings to the Commonwealth for this grant. Adjoining property was owned by Thomas Walkins, Charles Weatherford and Henry Tally. The farm was located between Kentuck and Laurel Grove. His land was toward the end of present Highway 711, also called Slayton Road, off of Route 729.
Once the land was obtained the Weldons likely cleared the land of forests for planting. Life must have been difficult in those early days, in part because Indian raids had been a threat in the recent past. During the period of the French and Indian War (1750s) several forts were built nearby to protect the settlers.
The 1903 family history by William Gray Welden, "Sketch of the Welden Family', states that all of Jonathan Welden's (Weldon's) children were born in Pittsylvania County, and that he had three sons; Isaac, Beverly and Jonathan(II), the latter son was born in 1776 and being the one from which Donna Carpenter, a fellow researcher, descends. This history indicates there were at least three daughters; Susan, Sallie(Sarah) and Frances, and that during the Revolutionary War the two oldest sons left home; Beverly Welden moving to a northern state and Isaac Welden moving further south.
In a will signed by Jonathan Weldon, on 18th Dec 1781, and still on file at the Pittsylvania County Court House, shows that the three sons were Isaac, Jonathan(II), and William Dale Weldon. Six daughters were named; Susannah, Frances, Elizabeth, Sarah (Sallie), Mary and Lida(Lydia). Also, Jonathan Weldon did not reach Pittsylvania County until after his marriage to Mary Elizabeth Hanks, therefore some of their elder children may have been born elsewhere. Jonathan's will was witnessed by four of his neighbors, which included John Creel (who was the pastor of the oldest Baptist Church (Kentuck) that is still active in this Virginia county), and John Henry (a cousin to Patrick Henry).
In William Gray Welden's book he states Jonathan Welden (he spells it with an "e") fought for the patriots at Yorktown. There are no records at the National Archives to support this, though it is known many are not recorded. The Battle of Yorktown occurred just two months before Jonathan's death in 1781, at which time he stated he was "sick and weak of body", this makes it doubtful that he saw active service.
Following the death of her husband Jonathan's widow married a second time to William Pearman. After the death of her second husband Mary Elizabeth moved to the Abbeville District of South Carolina by 1806.
More About MARY ELIZABETH HANKS:
Fact 1: August 18, 1785, Mar. Rec. Virginia Tn. Gen. # 2008 Vol. 1
Children of JONATHAN WELDON and MARY HANKS are:
i. ISAAC2 WELDON, b. Bef. 1760, Pittsylvania County, Virginia; d. Unknown.
More About ISAAC WELDON:
Fact 1: 1800, Possibly living in Accomack County, Virginia
ii. FRANCES WELDON, b. Abt. 1760, Pittsylvania County , Virginia; d. Unknown; m. JOHN BURCH; b. Abt. 1760; d. Unknown.
2. iii. SUSANNAH WELDON, b. May 09, 1765, Pittsylvania County, Virginia; d. Aft. October 08, 1829, Pittsylvania County , Virginia.
3. iv. ELIZABETH WELDON, b. Abt. 1768, Pittsylvania County , Virginia; d. Aft. 1850.
v. SARAH WELDON, b. Abt. 1770, Pittsylvania County , Virginia; m. JOSEPH HILL, September 14, 1785, Pittsylvania County , Virginia; b. Abt. 1770.
vi. MARY E. WELDON, b. Aft. 1770; m. GREGORY CLAIBORNE, November 1819.
4. vii. JONATHAN WELDON II, b. Abt. 1776, Pittsylvania County , Virginia; d. 1844, Hart County, Kentucky Bur. Linwood, Kentucky.
viii. LIDA WELDON, b. Abt. 1778, Pittsylvania Co., Va; d. Bef. 1860, Cherokee, Alabama; m. WILLIAM HUGHES; b. Abt. 1778; d. Unknown.
ix. WILLIAM DALE WELDON, b. Abt. 1781, Pittsylvania County , Virginia; d. May 28, 1860, Hart County, Kentucky; m. NANCY SPRUILL; b. Aft. 1781; d. Bet. 1800 - 1881.
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2
Will Probated 15 Oct 1782
From Pitts. Co. Wills Page 129-130
LWT JONATHAN WELDON being sick and weak of body but of perfect sense and
memory.
I lend unto my wife MARY WELDON the plantation whereon I now live and the
stock of all kind and one bed and furniture during her lifetime.
To my son JONATHAN WELDON, 100 acres at the upper end of my land.
To my son ISACK WELDON, 100 acres joining Jonathan's.
To my son WILLIAM DALE WELDON, 50 acres where I now live, after the
decease of my wife, and ten pounds cash.
To my daughter SUSANAH WELDON, one feather bed and furniture,
To my four youngest daughters: ELIZABETH WELDON, SARAH WELDON, MARY WELDON
and LIDA WELDON, all my moveable estate that my wife is possessed of at
her death with the exception of the ten pounds that is to be paid to my
son WILLIAM DALE WELDON.
Appoint my wife, with MOSES HANKS and JOHN WALLER executors.
JONATHAN (X) WELDON
Wit: JOHN CREEL, JAMES ADAMS, JOHN (X) POND, FORTAN DODSON, JOHN POND and
JAMES ADAMS security for MARY WELDON.
Deeds & Wills, Book 11, page 129, Pittsylvania Co., VA
From Some Puckett Kin -- Will Bk. "D"
Sources:
Provided by TKBernard at Rootsweb.com