James Forest Hudgins b. 1761
My 5th Great-Grandfather
By David Arthur
Descendants
Mary Dolly Hudgins
Richard Edmonds
Elizabeth Edmonds
Sarah Sallie Skinner
James Washington Overby
Bertha Margaret Overby
E. David Arthur
The father of James
Forest Hudgins was Aaron Hudgins
Birth: Abt 1734 in
Virginia
Death: Abt 1795 in
Lunenburg Co, VA
Note:
The marriage date of
Aaron and Mary Callis is documented in the Kingston Parrish, Virginia Register
1749 -1827. The births of their first three children are also documented in
this register.
Aaron and Mary Hudgins
moved their family from Mathews, VA to Lunenburg County, where the remaining
Hudgins descendents were born. As documented in a deed to Aaron Hudgins dated
July 26, 1766, he purchased 416 acres in Lunenburg County:
Lunenburg County:
typ deed
ref LUDB10p276-277
dat 26 Jul 1766
frm William
Williams and wife Mary of BRCO
to Aaron Hudgins of
LUCO
con £22.S10
re 416a Lunenburg/
adj. Joseph Taylor, John Sherrin Sisson, Robert
Singleton, John Parker,
Lazarus Williams, Matthew Williams
Wit: Wm. Williams Jr.,
Burrel Jackson, John Sherrin Sisson;
Rec: 12 Aug 1766
(Abbreviations are BRCO
Brunswick Co, LUCO Lunenburg Co)
(This land is located
in the Stoney Creek watershed, north of the Meherrin River)
On the same court date,
Aaron gave by deed of gift certain items to his three young children (witnesses,
James and Lewis Callis, LDB10p285-286).
Elizabeth - one feather
bed with a white cotton tick and furniture, one black mare "Fancy", and
one steer yearling
Emmanuel - one white-side
cow & calf, one feather bed & furniture, two chairs, an iron pot and 6
pewter plates
James Forrest - one
darkish colored cow & calf, 1 dark bay horse named "Silver", 1 chest
& table, 1 frying pan and little iron pot, 1 spinning wheel, one pewter
dish and basin, and 2 tin pans
On June 9, 1768, Aaron
and his wife Mary sold 120 acres (for 9 pounds) to Joseph Taylor (LDB11:160).
On November 10, 1768, Aaron and Mary sold 100 acres (for 5 pounds) to John
Parker of Brunswick County (LDB11:218). From 1782 through 1790, the Lunenburg
Land Tax Books charged Aaron Hudgins with 260 acres, but in tax year 1791, 48
acres of his land were sold for taxes owed. By 1793, Aaron had redeemed his
land and continued with 260 acres through 1795, which is probably about the
time of his death. In 1796, the Lunenburg Land Tax Book has no listing for
Aaron Hudgins.
There is no will on
record for Aaron Hudgins of Lunenburg County.
The above information
taken from the book " Long Ago in Lunenburg on Stony Creek of the
Meherrin" written by June Banks Evans.
Aaron married Mary (Joann?)
CALLIS b: Abt 1739 in Gloucester, Mathews Co, VA
Married: 6 Jun 1759
in Kingston Parish, Gloucester,VA
Children
Elizabeth HUDGINS b:
24 Jun 1759 in Kingston Parish, VA
James Forrest HUDGINS
b: 17 May 1761 in Kingston Parrish, Mathews, VA
Emmanuel Hundley HUDGINS
b: 13 Mar 1762 in Kingston Parrish, Mathews, VA
Aaron HUDGINS b: Abt
1764 in Lunenburg Co, VA
Sarah (Sallie) HUDGINS
b: Abt 1766 in Lunenburg Co, VA
Mary Ann Callis HUDGINS
b: Abt 1770 in Lunenburg Co, VA
Aarons Father was John
Hudgins
Based on piecing information
together and combined with the fact that the only Hudgen/Hudgins family in
Kingston Parish stemmed from the four brothers who finally settled there in the
mid 1740's, my assumptions are that Aaron is the child of John Hudgins (born
1705 in England).
The majority of the
Hudgins family stayed in Mathews, VA (Kingston Parish).Kingston was one of the 4
colonial parishes of GLoucester, VA but in 1791 it split apart and became
Mathews County, VA. The parish is still an active parish but after the Revoluation
and the birth of the Episcopal Church, the "old" parishes were only religious
congregations and didn't serve in the same capacity as before.
John's elder brother
William Thomas was already married to Mary Houlder when he arrived, though his
wife died back in England and he remarried Johanna Degge.
John's two other younger
brothers Robert and Lewis were apparently also married. My assumptions are that
several other Hudgen/Hudgins family members mentioned for marriage in the KP
Register (Aaron, Gabriel, etc.) were sons of John. Bottom line is that Aaron
would have had to have been son of one of the 4 Hudgins brothers.
I will tell you that
the father Robert Humphrey Hudgins (father of the 4 brothers including John)
was a very wealthy owner of ships who traded in the Carribean and Atlantic and
had a role in the slave trade business as well as cargo.
His first son William
Thomas Hudgins was initially married to Mary Houlder, daughter of Sir Robert Houlder
and Mary Shakespeare (great grand niece of Sir William Shakespeare). Because of
this, William Thomas Hudgins' first marriage and heirs inherited the greatest
amount of money and his eldest son was Houlder (Holder) Hudgen (Hudgins).
Mary Houlder died
back in England after the 4 brothers finally stayed here in the mid 1700's, and
William Thomas Hudgins married 2nd Johanna Degge, daughter of Anthony Degge of
Christchurch Parish (Lancaster, VA). Christchurch in Lancaster is still there
and is one of the most beautiful of colonial churches.
James Forest Hudgins
enlisted in the Continental Army of the American Revolution at the age of 15
and served a 3 year enlistment.
After which he served
3 enlistments of 3 months each in the Virginia Militia.
His service is described
below.
http://www.edavidarthur.net/AmerRev/s8740.pdf
State of North Carolina Warren County:
On this 20th day of November A.D. 1845 personally appeared before me Thomas J Judkins one of the Justices of the Peace and a member of the court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions in and for said County of Warren and in the State aforesaid James F Hudgins a citizen of said County aged eighty-four years who being first duly sworn according to law makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress of the 7th of June 1832 entitled "an act for the relief of certain surviving officers & soldiers of the revolution["] to wit
"That he is a
native of the County of Lunenburg State of Virginia of the age of eighty-four
years or thereabouts to the best of his recollection that when a little more
than fifteen years of age & in the year (he believes) 1776 he enlisted for
three years as a private in the Virginia Line of the Continental Army of the
United States in said County of Lunenburg under Captain James Johnson who was a
recruiting officer of the United States & one Epaphroditus Redder or Rudder
as his Lieutenant that together with a company of sixty some odd men he
marched under said Johnson & Redder or Rudder to the town of Baltimore
which was in place of rendezvous when & where he was delivered up to Colonel
Wallace and mustered into his Regiment (the 4th
Virginia Regiment he believes) with one Ellis as his Captain (the
number of whose company in said Regiment he does not recollect) and from thence
marched under said Wallace to City of New York that upon his arrival at that
place he was considered too young to perform military duty and was employed in
waiting upon the Doctor or Surgeon in the camp whose name he believes was
Thompson or very much like it that after the lapse of some months and about
the time he was sixteen years old he was put under the command of the said
Colonel Wallace as his recollection at present serves him who commanded the 4th Virginia Regiment according to his
present recollection under the said Captain Ellis whose company belonged to the
said 4th Virginia Regiment
that he was at the battle of Brandywine [September 11, 1777] and under the
command of either Colonel Wallace of the 4th
or Colonel Tucker of the 2nd Virginia
Regiment but from the great length of time since he cannot undertake to say with
certainty which of the 2 commanded him, and during which battle he was wounded
with the bayonet of a British soldier in the left hand though not severely the
scar of which may now be seen without difficulty that he was also in the battle
of Germantown [October 4, 1777] and commanded by Colonel Tucker of 2nd Virginia Regiment
but does not at present remember the number of company in which he was that
they were the only regular engagements in which he was but was in several
skirmishes that during his said term of service he was marched through the
middle and northern states ranging from Baltimore almost to the Canada line
sometimes under General Washington whose sword he remembers and sometimes under
other officers whose names he cannot now recall to his mind that after the
expiration of his said 3 years service of enlistment he was discharged at
Baltimore the certificate of which discharge was given him and others by the
aforesaid Colonel Tucker under whom he had been serving but considering the
paper of no value he took no care of it and of course it was destroyed or
otherwise lost sight of the opinion prevailing among the soldiers commonly
that their discharges were of no value and that they would never receive
anything else than what they had already received i.e. there monthly pay that
after the expiration of his enlistment he was drafted as a private in the
Virginia militia performing 3 different tours and when at the siege of Yorktown
1781 and after the surrender of the British General Cornwallis he received from
Colonel Edward Garland of Prince Edward [County] a piece of parchment
containing as he was informed and believes the amount of land which Virginia
agreed to pay to her citizens who enlisted for 3 years or during the war that
it was customary for field officers and colonels to issue these evidences to
those soldiers whom they knew to have performed such service that some years
after said battle of Yorktown he sold the aforesaid land evidence to William
Doswell of Amelia County Virginia but who if now alive would be in the County
of Nottoway that part of said Amelia County lying on Nottoway River having
been cut off year 1788 & formed into a new County by the name of Nottoway
the said Doswell agreeing to pay him the sum of $20 for the aforesaid land
claim, which he thinks was to be located in Kentucky & on Green River
that when he applied through his neighbor & friend the Honorable W. N.
Edwards for a pension for his services he only applied for the amount which he
supposed was knew him from the Government for his militia services. He made no
declaration of his services as a Continental soldier because he did not think
or consider that he had any claim against the United States Government
therefore: having been paid his monthly pay whilst in the service as
aforesaid i.e. the Continental service: and moreover he had never conversed
with any person to whom he made known the facts of his services in the Virginia
line of Continental Army that he removed from said County of Lunenburg 6 or 7
years after the war to the adjoining County of Mecklenburg Virginia in which he
lived upwards of 36 years and since that time he has consistently resided in
the said County of Warren North Carolina that he will be able to establish
his Continental services by sterling Cooper of Franklin County Virginia if
alive but he confidently relies upon the recorded evidence of his services on
the muster roll of the Continental line either in the City of Washington or
Richmond Virginia to establish his claim that he solemnly appeals to the
authorities of the government for the amount due him as one of her citizens and
who services almost threescore years & ten gone by contributed though
humbly to establish the liberties of the Country whose Government he now asked
for the small additional amount which would help him (now old & infirm) to
support himself and family and with a firm reliance on the justice and truth of
his claim he now submits his case.
State of North Carolina, Warren County: Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions May Term 1835
On this 26th day of May 1835 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of said Court now sitting it being a Court of Record, James F. Hudgins of the County of Warren aforesaid, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed 7th June 1832. To wit,
That sometime in the
spring of the year 1780, being then a Resident of the County of Lunenburg,
State of Virginia, he became a Substitute for three months in the Militia in
the place of one Carrington Garret under the command of one Captain Walker. The
Company met at the Magazine near Taylor's ferry in Mecklenburg County,
Virginia, was marched thence to Hillsborough North Carolina where they met
& joined the other Virginia militia under Major Nelson [probably Thomas
Nelson] remaining at this place a few days they marched to Guilford Court
House then to New Garden five or six miles the other side of Court House
there they remained several weeks and were marched thence to Salisbury then
to Massey's ferry on the Pee Dee River [Pedee River] where they were stationed
for some time making frequent incursions in pursuit of the Tories killing
some & taking others prisoners. While in this service Gates' defeat at
Camden took place [Battle of Camden, August 15-16, 1780] for on the return of
this affiant to the ferry from an excursion he found there some of the sick and
wounded who had been engaged in that battle. Shortly after this battle, the
Company to which this affiant was attached, was marched back to New Garden
where he received a regular discharge from Captain Walker which he is unable
now to produce having lost or mislaid it. Not many weeks after his returned
Home he was drafted as a militia man and attached to the Company commanded by
Captain William Hays. It met at Alley Moore's Tavern in Lunenburg and was
marched thence to Cabin Point on the James River where they joined the Regiment
of Militia under Colonel Edward Garland marched thence to Mackey's Mill, near
Suffolk then to Chuckatue [?]1 --
then to the Long Bridge on the Dismal Swamp. In this march between the two
latter places they passed near the British Fort in Princess Anne [County] and
received several fires from the Fort. At the Long Bridge they met a good many
troops under Colonel Parker. General Morgan [Daniel Morgan] and his force also
came in here and stayed a short time. From this place they were marched to the
Fort at Black Water where they stayed, he thinks, about a week and returned to
the Long Bridge where he was stationed till his
tour of three months expired and received his discharge which is also lost or
mislaid. Not very long after his return Home from this service he was again
called out for three months in the Militia as a private and attached to the
Company under the command of Captain William Fisher & Lieutenant William
Ragsdale which met also at Alley Moore's Tavern. They marched thence to
Petersburg and there joined to several companies of Militia and some Regulars.
Recollects seeing here a Captain Nelson & Lieutenant Rudder [?] engaged in
enlisting soldiers for the Regular Army. They were overtaken between [?]
Petersburg by a Regiment of Militia under the command of Colonel Tucker and
were marched to Cobhams opposite James Town and there crossed James River and
marched through Williamsburg to Gloucester Court House and having crossed York
River five or six miles above little York Town marched down to little York
and became a part of the force stationed on the North side of the Town under
the command of General Lafayette. He saw him often & also Colonel Garland
of the Virginia militia. General Washington was at this time stationed in the
Fork of the Rivers York and James cannonading was kept up for many days and
nights and ceased on the 18th of October 1781. The next day the British surrendered
and the Prisoners, he thinks, were sent under guard to Albemarle Barracks.
This affiant was discharged in about a Fortnight after the surrender, about two
weeks of this last service unexpired. This discharge is also lost or mislaid.
This affiant avers that besides the service as above set forth, he served other
tours of duty in the Militia in the capacity as a Substitute. (He is certain
one tour of three months) but he cannot speak of others with sufficient
particularity to introduce them in this declaration being very young and this
periods long since passed by almost all the particulars have escaped his
memory. This affiant was born in Lunenburg County Virginia 5th of July 1762 [?,
could be 4]2. He resided there
during the War & shortly after its close, he moved to Mecklenburg and
whence he removed about seven years ago to Warren in N. C. in which he now
resides. He has no Register of his age. And the only evidence in his power now
to produce is the accompanying deposition of Carrington Garret to obtain which
he was put to great expense and trouble in going to Lunenburg Virginia. This
affiant relinquishes every claim to a Pension or annuity except the present
& declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any
State. At the Sworn to & subscribed in open court. S/ James F. Hudgins
State of North Carolina Warren County: Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions August Term 1836
On this 23rd day of August 1836 personally appeared in open Court before the justices of the said court now sitting it being a Court of record James F Hudgins of the County of Warren aforesaid who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed 7th June 1832 to wit, That sometime in the spring of the year 1780 being then a Resident of the County of Lunenburg State of Virginia, he became a substitute for three months in the militia in the place of one Carrington Garret under the command of one Captain Walker. The company first met at the [one or more indecipherable words]3 near Taylor's Ferry, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, was marched near to Hillsboro North Carolina; whence they met & joined the other Virginia militia under Major Nelson: Remaining at this place a few days, they marched to Guilford Court House, then to New Garden 5 or 6 miles the other side of the Court House. Here we remained several weeks and were marched thence to Salisbury, then to Massey's Ferry on the Pedee River; where they were stationed for some time making frequent excursions in pursuit of the Tories; killing some & taking others prisoners. While in this service Gates defeat at Camden took place: for on the return of this affiant to the Ferry from an excursion he found there some of the sick and wounded who had been engaged in that Battle. Shortly after this battle, the company to which this affiant was attached, was marched back to New Garden, where he received a regular discharge from Captain Walker, which he is unable now to produce, having lost or mislaid it.
Not many weeks after his
return home, he was drafted as a militia man, and attached to the Company
commanded by Captain William Hayes, it met at Alley Moon's Tavern in Lunenburg,
and was marched thence to Cabin Point on the James River, where they joined the
Regiment of militia under Major Edward Garland, marched thence to Mackey's Mill
near Suffolk Virginia then to Chuckatue, then to the long Bridge on the dismal
swamp. In the march between the two latter places they passed near the British
Fort in Princess Anne, and received several fires from the Fort. At the long
Bridge they met a good many troops under Colonel Parker, General Morgan and his
force also came here and stayed a short time. From this place they were marched
to the Fort at Black Water, where they stayed he thinks about a week, and
returned to the long bridge; where he was stationed until his tour of 3 months
expired, and he received his discharge, which is also lost or mislaid. Not very
long after his return home from this service, he was again called out for 3
months in the Militia as a private and attached to the Company under the
Command of Captain William Fisher & Lieutenant William Ragsdale, which met
also at Alley Moon's Tavern. They marched thence to Petersburg and there joined
several companies of Militia and some Regulars, Recollects seeing here a
Captain Nelson & Lieutenant Rudder engaged in enlisting soldiers for the
Regular Army. They were overtaken below Petersburg by a Regiment of Militia under
the command of Colonel Tucker, and were marched to Cobham opposite James
Town, and there crossed James River and marched through Williamsburg to
Gloucester Court House; and having crossed York River 5 or 6 miles above little
York Town, marched down to little York and became a part of the force stationed
on the North side of the Town, under the command of General Lafayette.
He saw him often and also a Colonel Garland of the Virginia militia. General
Washington was at that time stationed in the fork of the rivers York and James,
Cannonading was kept up for many days and nights, and ceased on the 18th October 1781. The
next day the British surrendered, and the prisoners, he thinks, were sent under
guard to Albemarle Barracks. This affiant was discharged in about a fortnight
after the surrender: about two weeks of this last service unexpired. This
discharge is also lost or mislaid. This affiant avers that besides the services
above set forth, he served other tours of duty in the Militia, in the capacity
of a substitute (He is certain, one tour of three months) but he cannot speak
of them with sufficient particular area the to introduce them in this
declaration, being very young, and the period long since passed by, almost all
the particulars have escaped his memory. This affiant was born in Lunenburg
County Virginia 5th
of
July 1762. He resided there during the war, & shortly after its close, he
moved to Mecklenburg Virginia where he moved about 7 years ago to Warren North
Carolina in which he now resides. He has no Register of his age, and the only
evidence in his power now to produce is the accompanying deposition of
Carrington Garret, to obtain which he was put to great expense and trouble in
going to Lunenburg, Virginia. This affiant relinquishes every claim to a
pension or annuity except the present; and declares that his name is not on the
Pension Roll of the agency of any state. S/ James Hudgins [Stephen Turner,
Senior and William F Hilliard gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
State of Virginia Mecklenburg County
This day Salley Overbey personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace for the County aforesaid and made Oath in due form of law that James Hudgins marched as a soldier from the County of Lunenburg Virginia in date of 1778 or 1779 under Captain Alexander Walker to the magazine at Taylor's Ferry in the County of Mecklenburg, From thence to Hillsborough N. C. and down to Salisbury Mask Ferry on the Pedee River and back to Guilford County N. C. where he was discharged
Also the said Salley Overbey made oath that James Hudgins in the date of 1781 marched from the County of Lunenburg Virginia under Captain William Fisher for York Town and was at the surrender of Lord Con Wallace [Cornwallis, October 19, 1781].
Given under my hand this 31st of August 1835
S/ Salley Overbey, X her Mark
This affiant was born in Lunenburg
County Virginia 5th
of
July 1762. He resided there during the war, & shortly after its close, he
moved to Mecklenburg Virginia where he moved about 7 years ago to Warren North
Carolina in which he now resides. He has no Register of his age, and the only
evidence in his power now to produce is the accompanying deposition of
Carrington Garret, to obtain which he was put to great expense and trouble in
going to Lunenburg, Virginia. This affiant relinquishes every claim to a
pension or annuity except the present; and declares that his name is not on the
Pension Roll of the agency of any state. S/ James Hudgins [Stephen Turner,
Senior and William F Hilliard gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
James
Forest Hudgins died in 1847 in Warren County, NC
Probate
info is at: http://www.edavidarthur.net/InventoryProbate.pdf
Download
this page as a pdf at
http://www.edavidarthur.net/JamesForestHudgins.pdf