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

 

Aaron’s 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.]

 

 

 

 

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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