Originally shared in a Word document by tiffanycochran7 on March 30, 2014.  I copied and pasted it into a story format for those who do not have Word on their computer.

Jonathan Weldon was born in 1732 in Virginia, died on 18 Dec 1781 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, at age 49, and was buried in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
According to some researchers, the American progenitor of the Weldon/Welden lines was a Samuel Weldon of London who arrived in Virgina with his wife Sarah Efford, settling in James City County, Virginia in 1675. Sarah was the daughter of Peter Efford of Middle Plantation in York County, Virginia. Her father had died about 1666 leaving his children Nicholas and Sarah to the care of Rev. John Weldon, minister of the parish of St. Mary Newington in County Surry, England. Major Weldon, Sarah's husband, is believed by Weldon researchers to have been a descendant of the family Whelden, Wheltden, and Welden which originated about 1066 in Northumberland, Great Britain.

In 1692-93 Mrs. Sarah Weldon, as "widow of Major Samuel Weldon," brought an action in York by Poynes Weldon, her attorney.

Captain William Weldon was chosen to be in charge of the Virginia Company's project for the establishing of a college in Henrico County, Virginia. This college later became the "College of William and Mary" at Williamsburg, Virginia. This William Weldon is believed by some to be a son of Sir Anthony Weldon of Swanscomb, Kent, England.

There is a Samuel Weldon (1704 - 1759) who married Elizabeth Allen Cobbs of York County, Virginia in 1725. Children of their union included Daniel, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Samuel, and Priscilla. The will of Samuel Weldon, of Dale parish, Henrico County was proved in July of 1748, and names children: Daniel, Benjamin (who received lands in Goochland), Samuel, Elizabeth, and Priscilla; son-in-law Roderick Easley, wife's daughters Sarah Jones and
Martha Richardson, and her grandson, Allen Jones, and Willie and
Charlotte Jones.

Benjamin Weldon (son of Samuel and Elizabeth) made his will in Southampton County on 5 August 1755, and proved 9 February 1756. It named sisters Elizabeth and Priscilla, brother Daniel, cousins Allen, Willie, and Martha Jones, brother Samuel Weldon, and friends Robert Jones and Gray Briggs.

Descendants of this Weldon line also migrated into North Carolina. In 1749 Daniel Weldon was one of the commissioners of North Carolina about the boundary line; and Samuel Weldon and Allen Jones were members of the North Carolina Convention of 1776. The city of Weldon, North Carolina, was named after this line of Weldons. Although the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill on 6 January 1843 incorporating the Town of Weldon, the beginning of "Weldon" was much earlier. In 1752 Daniel Weldon purchased 1,273 acres of land and upon his death, this tract was inherited by his son, Major William Weldon who built a house and planted an orchard. This plantation became known as "Weldon's Orchard". Other names were given to the settlement that grew up around it including "Weldon's Place" and "Weldon's Landing", the latter referring to its location on the river.

Some researchers claim there was a William Weldon who came to Virginia in 1619 on the "Bona Nova.

There were two Whelden brothers who sailed out of Ipswich, Massachusetts, and were shipwrecked on Cape Fear in 1695/6. These brothers settled near Charleston, South Carolina.

There is record of a John Weldon, blacksmith, who was living in Pittsylvania County, Virginia as early as 1757.

In the book HISTORY OF KENTUCKY, Vol. 3 there is mentioned a James Weldon who was born in Weldon, North Carolina. His wife was Cora Landis Weldon and they had a child, George Childs Weldon born 1869 in St. Joe, Missouri.

So, where does my 5th great grandfather Jonathan Weldon of Virginia fit into the Weldon lines?

The helpful information below is derived from the book, IN SEARCH OF FOOTPRINTS, published and copyrighted in 1998 by Thomas L. Hooker, a 5th great grandson of Jonathan Weldon. For more information about his book and his research you may contact him at: THooker974@aol.com

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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 beautiful 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 1730's.

Although no records document the exact year Jonathan came into this country, 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 12 February 1766. Whatever interest Hughes had in the property was assigned to Jonathan Weldon through a grant issued by Governor Thomas Jefferson on 14 June 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 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 (1750's) 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) children were born in Pittsylvania County and that he had three sons; Isaac, Beverly, and Jonathan (II), the latter son born in 1776. 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 18 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 the 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 of 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 that many are not recorded. The Battle of Yorktown occurred just two months before Jonathan's death in 1781 at which time he was "sick and weak of body", which 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.

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Will of Jonathan Weldon
Vol. 11, page 129, 18 Dec 1781

"In the name of God. Amen, I, JONATHAN WELDON of Pittsylvania County, being sick and weak of body but in perfect sense and memory do make and ordain this to be my last Will and Testament in manner form following -
Item - I lend to my wife, MARY WELDON, my plantation, whereon I now live and stock of all kind and one bed and furniture during her life.
Item - I give to my son, ISACK WELDON, one hundred acres of land joining
Jonathan's crossing from line to line.
Item - I give to my son, WILLIAM DALE HENDON, fifty acres of land where I now live, after my wife's decease, also ten lbs cash.
Item - I give to my daughter, SUSANAH WELDON, one feather bed and the furniture.
Item - I give to my daughter, FRANCES WELDON, one feather bed and the furniture.
Item - I give to my four youngest daughters, ELIZABETH, WELDON, SARAH WELDON, MARY WELDON, and LIDA WELDON, all my movable estate that my move is possessed with at her death; only the ten pounds to be out of it to my son, WILLIAM DALE WELDON. After the ten pounds is paid, then the rest to be equally divide between my four youngest daughters.
I likewise ordain and appoint my wife, MARY WELDON and MOSES HANK and JOHN WALLER to be the true and lawful Executors of this my last Will and Testament as witness my hand and seal this eighteenth Day of December, one thousand seven hundred and eighty one.

JONATHAN (His Mark) WELDON, S.
S.

Test.
JOHN CREEL
JAMES AIDAMES (ADAMS)
JOHN POND (His Mark)
FORTAN DODSON

At a court held for Pittsylvania County the 15th day of Oct. 1782, the within
last Will and Testament of JONATHAN WELDON, deceased was Exhibited into court by MARY WELDON, the Executrix therein named, and proved by the oaths of two of the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of the said Ex-, who made oath according to law, certificate is granted her for obtaining a probate thereof in due form of Law on giving security, where upon she, together with JOHN POND and JAMES ADAMS have Securities entered into bond and acknowledged the same according to law.

Teste
WILL TURNSTALL, C.D.

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And then there are German Weldons:

Exerpts: HISTORY OF THE WELDEN NAME
By Armand Varwelde of Brussels, Belgium (1981)
Registered Number 0428
The name, “Welden,” existed before the 10th century, a time when having a surname was the privilege of nobility, of judges and of officials. The name originated in the small locality of Welden in Swabia, 15 miles from Augsburg, in western Germany.
When the Germanic tribes swept across the land forcing back the Romans, they cleared land for themselves. About this time, the first “deWeldens” are thought to have appeared, between the 6th and 9th centuries. They claimed a wooded area on the Laugna River; they called it “Welden” derived presumably from “woods, field, or spring.”
The Lords of Welden were large land owners from the beginning. By the end of the 10th century, they had become lawyers and judges as well as supervisors of arms at the tournaments of the knights.
In the year 1300, the Lords of Welden ruled over a domain extending for 22 miles. In fact, during the 13th and 14th centuries, the Von Weldens were knights or barons, becoming true feudal lords owning serfs in surrounding areas. Practically all of the Von Weldens were educated at the University of Dilligen.
There was a castle and citadel built on the summit of Mount Thekla in the 12th century (demolished in 1665). There is still a small castle in Auffensbergstrasse but in ruins since the 1600s.
The Von Weldens extended their holdings to surrounding localities. Utzen von Welden was named protector of Augsburg by Leopold III of Austria in 1383. The name von Welden is found regularly in documents in the archives of convents, monasteries, and other religious communities; there are also inscriptions in stone at the parish church of Welden as well as the Augsburg Cathedral.
Among their activities, the von Weldens manufactured beer, imposing it on all the inhabitants of Welden and environs. Their influence was spread nearly everywhere in Central Europe in the 18th century. They were even advisors to Marie Teresa of Astria.
In the early 19th century when the feudal system was over, the great land holdings came to an end. Their possessions were numerous. Besides Welden, there was Laupheim, Eroldsheim, and Neffaried (sp?)– also others. The history of the German Welden family is impressive, but too lenghty towrite here.
There were “Weldes” in Norway, and the de or van Weldens emigrated to Belgium, France, Switzerland, and many to the United States.
WELDEN
The ancient Coat of Arms of the German family of Welden is described in Rietstap Armorial General.
The shield is divided. The one side without figures is in “gules” (red). The other side is in “sinople” (a brownish red color). The transversal is in silver.
The spelling of the name often varied and might be written Waldin, Weeldin, Waeldin, Welda. Often the prefix meaning “of” might be added, resulting in “ Von, Van, or De Welden or Welde.
No relationship between the British families and the Germans of similar names has been definitely established as yet. Only when their descendants migrated to America have the names become “Americanized,” making it almost impossible to tell the origin of a family by the spelling of their name. The names mostly widely used in America today are “Weldon” and “Welden.”
The Knights of Welden
The origin of the name lies in the small locality of Welden, in Swabia, a part of Bavaria, situated about 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Augsburg in western Germany. It cannot be said that all those who carry the name “Welden” were natives or descended from natives of that particular locality, regardless of the particle of speech which accompanies the name, de, von, or van, all denoting “of.” These particles have often undergon changes in the course of centuries. Thus, the knights of Welden would carry their name with the particle “de” for one or two centuries, then changing it to “von” afterwards. The “von” became “van” for the van weldens in Belgium. It is also the same for Welde, Welden, or Weldon. As a result, before the 16th century, the orthography of one’s own name was not uniform and, instead of Welden, could say the German equivalent of WOOD, FIELD, or SPRING, and we find these spellings, Waldin, Waeldin, Waeldiu, Weldin, Welda and other variants, arriving finally at the present Welden, Welde, and Weldon.
The name “WELDEN” existed before the 10th century, a time when having a surname was the privilege of nobility, of judges, and of officials. Generally, othe rpersons wer ename after the given name of their fathers (as Marc d’Armand or Vincent de Carl), after their trade or profession (baker, miller), or by one of their characteristics (lean, stout), or by one or another rparticularity or trait of character (fox, good). It appeared, moreover, that they tried to prove their sense of humor , in those times, in conferring names which were in vogue, rather than surnames or emblems of family. Family names such as we know them were actually not introduced until 1130 or 1150 A.D. Although the orthography (spelling) still varied from one country to another and especially from one epoch to another, starting from the 12th century, the branches of a given family had become identifiable.
In the Heart of the Middle Ages
Period of Fables and Legends
According the “meimatforschers” (Homeland Researchers), the name “de Welden,” existed from the period of land clearing for farming purposes, thought to be between the 6th and the 9th centuries (see pages 36-38). Indeed, the Alamans (Germanic Tribes) actually passed through Swabia in following water courses. They invaded by means of rivers and streams, branching off of the Danube and Lech rivers, and supplanted the Romans who were forced back everywhere under the attacks and repeated thrusts of the Germanic tribes. These lands, previously occupied, first by the Celtics and later by the Romans, were divied, as they advanced, amongst the conquering Alaman military forces in proportion to those who were the most distinguished and meritorious. About this time, the first “de Weldens” were to appear amongst them. They claimed for themselves a domain richly wooded in the pretty valley of the Laugna River and called it WELDEN, derived presumably from “woods, field, or spring.” We might point out that Laugna, the original Celtic name, signified “little water or spring.” The victors became “Lords of Welden,” likewise their descendants, during the whole period of occupation going from the 6th to the 9th centuries.
The Lords of Welden were first and foremost large land owners from the beginning. By the end of the 10th century, they had also become eminent lawyers and judges. It is written repeatedly that the von Weldens assumed the function of supervisor of arms at the great tournaments of the knights. It is in the capacity that we find Ritter (Knight) Georg von Welden at Zurich in 1109; Wolfgang von Welden at Worms in 1165; another Wolfgang at Wurzburg in 1235; and lastly, Ernst von Welden at Regensburg (Ratsbon) in 1294.
The forename most current amongst the von Weldens, at the period of time, was Ulrich, for whom they generally applied the diminutive Utzen or Uz. There was such a number carrying this forename that during a certain epoch, one added “the younger’ or “the elder” to distinguish between them, and not to imply others of slighly varying names. It was one of these Ulrichs who became a leading jurish of the region, likewise Ernst von Welden. Practically all of the von Weldens were educated at the University of Dilligen.

Jonathan married Mary Elizabeth Hanks , daughter of Luke II Hanks and Nancy Dale , in 1760 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Mary was born in 1742 in Virginia, died after 1815 in Abbeville, South Carolina, and was buried in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.