The Edwards Family History
with original spelling and punctuation
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The surname, EDWARDS, means son of Edwards, the latter being a personal name derived from Old English fadweard (prosperity-guard).
Once everyone was known by a single name but this led to confusion and so an extra name was adopted. Thus, a man named John whose father was Edward might be known as John Edwards (i.e. Edwards son), the additional name eventually becoming heredity as a surname.
Early records mention William Edward who appears in Suffolk Curia Regis Rolls in 1219; Cristina Edwardis, in Huntingdonshire Hundred red Rolls in 1279; and John Edwards, in Wales in 1498.
Richard Edwards (1523-1566) was a poet and playwright. He become master of the children of the Chapel Royal in 1561 and composed, “Palamon and Arcite” for Queen Elizabeth’s entertainment at Oxford in 1566. Humphrey Edwards (died 1658) joined the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, having found loyalty to Charles I financially unprofitable. He was one of the signatories of the Kings death warrant. Among early emigrants from England to America were John and Anthony Edwards who are recorded in Virginia in 1623 and 1626, respectively, and William Edwards who settled in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1639. Jonathan Edwards (1745-1801) was an American divine and author and Beta Edwards (1802-1852), and author.
The arms illustrated which are described heraldically as: Per fess sable and argent, a lion rampant counterchanged; Crests within a wreath of the colours a lion as in the arms, are ascribed to a family named Edwards, of Shropshire, who daim descent from Madoc last Prince of Powys-Fadoc in Wales. Writers have attributed symbolism to the tinctures and charges of heraldry, thus, argent (silver) is said to denote Humility; and sable (black), Wisdom; whilst ther lion signifies Deathless Courage.
FAMILY HISTORY:
THIS PART IS TRADITION
John Edwards Sr., son of John Edwards-Emigrant was born in Virginia in 1755 – died in Kentucky 183, was one of the prominent pioneers of that state which was then (1780) a part of Virginia. He entered patents for 23,000 acres of land, and was in the Convention to ratify the Constitution, and served in Congress from 1791-1795. Three brothers, Robert, Jacob, and John, came to this country in 1750. They were of Whelsh ancestry, and were a collateral branch of Jonathan Edwards, born in 1703. Robert is said to have been in the Royal Navy, and was given by George III a grant of land in the heart of New York City. He preferred the sea and was evidently loyal to the king. Soon after the Revolutionary War, he leased this land to George and John Cruger for 99 years. The lease expired a few years prior to the death of Rev. John Ellis Vanculan Edwards. From what John told his granddaughter, Ida M. Edwards, during his last illness, he said he had been corresponding with a New York lawyer. He said the lawyer wrote him. He was sure from the information that John had sent him that John was on the right line for a part of the inheritance. However, nothing can be done about it, as tradition is nothing in law. John Thomas has been a family name from early history.
THIS COPY OF THE EDWARDS FAMILY HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY LANDON BEIRNE EDWARDS.
Tradition says three brothers, Robert, Jacob, and John came to this country in 1750. As the story goes, they were of a collateral line with the great Jonathan Edwards who was born in Connecticut in 1703. Robert is said to have been in the Royal Navy, and was given a land grant by King George III of 77 acres in the heart of New York City. I suppose he preferred the sea and was evidently loyal to the King, so after the Revolutionary War, he leased this land to the Krugers for 99 years; which lease expired a few years before the death of Grandfather Edwards, who evidently had been carrying on correspondence with a New York lawyer. I didn’t know about the property involved until then. He was too feeble to do anything, and to my exclamation of surprise and delight, he said, “Nothing can be done in law unless there are writings to prove it.” Tradition means nothing in law. The British burned Guilford C.H. with all the records it contained. His father, Thos. Edwards II was only two months old when Thos. Edwards was killed at the battle of Guilford C.H., and after that was brought up by Andrews relations, for Ruth (the mother), died when he was about four. Afterwards, he was apprenticed, as the fashion then was, to a hatter and learned to make hats. He had a hat store in Greensboro where he was highly respected. The battle of Guilford C.H. was fought on Andrews property and was only four miles from the homestead. The Quaker meeting house was close by, and the neighbors for the most part were Quakers, so Thos. II grew up with strong inclinations towards that faith. But on his marriage on January 16, 1806 to Susannah Ellis (a relative of Governor Ellis of North Carolina, a devoted Methodist) he might have become a Quaker himself. She, however, of English birth on his father’s side and Swedish birth on her mother’s, who was a Van Culan, was a woman of fine intellect and great force of character. So under her influence, Thos. II, in 1821, united with the Methodist church. He was a steward for forty years and was class leader and superintendent of the Sunday School. He gave the land upon which Muir’s Chapel, Guildford Co. is built, and he and his wife, Susannah were largely instrumental in organizing the Methodist church in that community. In that early day, when circuits were very large, his home was the home of the Methodist preachers. Of the Ellis family not much is known, not even the first name of Susannah’s father or mother, who was a Van Culan. Van in Swedish is the same as Von in German, and is a title of nobility. The Swedish was Van Khuylen. Of their children nothing is known except that Susannah was marred to Thomas Edwards January 16, 1806. Susannah was small in stature, being about five feet in height with very fair skin, blue eyes, and long curly blond hair reaching almost to the floor. She delighted in reading and had her children well taught. He piety extended beyond her family to the surrounding community. She was born August 5, 1787 and died May 4, 1848. She and Thos. II had seven children (children listed are gathered in the family group sheet). Thos. Edwards was born January 28, 1781, married Susannah Ellis January, 1806, and died September 22, 1863. He remained a widower some time, and then when quite an old man, he married and brought to the old homestead as his second wife a woman of sterling character, but one far beneath his first wife in either mental attainments or in social standing. The woman was his housekeeper and may have threatened to leave unless she became his wife. The marriage was a great blow to his children, who were all married and had families of their own. The two children of the second marriage were Susan and David. Thos. II was born January 28th, 1781 and therefore when his father Thos. I was killed in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse March 15, 1781, he was two months old. Ruth, when she heard that her husband was slain, took some slaves, and snow being on the ground, three some skins in the sleigh and went out to the battlefield, found her husband’s body and drove it home. The grave was unmarked, and therefore his body not being with the others, there is on the stone a vacant space where his name should have been. The colonists were too poverty stricken to think much of fame or future descendants. Ruth had known her fiery character twice before. Once while out of doors, a Redcoat stated to insult her. She fought him off with a pitchfork. Another time her husband stole in to see her. The servants rushed in saying the British were coming. There seemed no escape. There was no place in their cabin apparently where he could be hidden, and outdoors he would be caught and hanged. Ruth quickly rushed to an old wooden box where bedclothes were left. Pulling some of the quilts out, she made Thos. I jump in, double himself up. Then she covered him with quilts, leaving some edges hanging out so he wouldn’t smother. Hardly had this been done when the British (having been notified by a Tory neighbor that he was at home) burst open the door demanding that Thos. Be turned over to them. Ruth told them if they had been correctly informed to search the premises. The house being small and with no places for concealment was easily searched. Ruth, fearing they would pull out the clothes from the chest or stick their bayonets into it, laughingly threw open the lid and asked them did they think he was there. Thrown off by her bluff, they left the house, and when all was safe Thos. I went back to camp. The box was in the family for years, until Uncle Williams second wife, Mary Westbrood got rid of the ugly thing, as she considered it. Of the Andrews family little is known, not even their first names or the number in the family. They were Scotch, and perhaps came down with other Scotch people from Pennsylvania. Ruth lived with her parents as did Thos. I when he could steal away from the army. It is said by one of the Edwards descendants that it is in the Colonial and State records where he took the oath of allegiance in Goshen district in 1778. Goshen district is now Granvillle, North Carolina, and Oxford is the county seat. As he was the son of John Edwards, he must have come into North Carolina from somewhere in Virginia. As I already said, Robert disappeared after he leased his land to the Krugers at the close of the Revolution. He doesn’t seem to have ever married, but the two brothers, Jacob and John, married and had descendants. It is said that some of the Edwards of Portsmouth are Jacob’s descendants. I think that perhaps John settled in one of the counties bordering on North Carolina. Both Jacob and John seemed to be patriots. Certainly John’s son Thos. I gave his life for the cause of freedom. Had he not been killed about a year after his marriage, we might have perhaps have known where and when he was born and the name of his mother. With the burning of Guilford C.H. the marriage license of Thos. I and Ruth Amdrews was burned and perhaps many other important documents. What I have written was told me by Grandpa and other things by Cousin Edwards Wantington and by a granddaughter of Annie Edwards and Joseph Hobbs. She is Mrs. August Byers, Box 126, Roanoke, VA. That was several years ago. My letter was never answered, and I lost sight of her. She says she is the granddaughter of Grandpa’s sister Annie and James Hobbs through their son Montesquien Vanculen Hobbs (dead). Grandpa didn’t seem to think that Joeseph Edwards who married his sister Mary was any kin to us. Grandpa’s brother, Daniel, married Elizabeth Donnel and moved to Missouri. I wrote several letters to his daughter Bettie who used to write to Grandpa, but I never received any reply; so though we have Missouri kin, I new nothing of them. Uncle Tom was the father of Cousin John T. Edwards who married a Miss Virginia Goolrich of Fredericksburg. Their only child Maria married B.F. Bran of Bedford City where she still lives. He died last fall. Cousin Eugenin died several years ago, but her daughter Hattie Isler still lives in Greensboro. Cousin Claude died last year. Norman writes sometimes. Cousin Minnie died in Raleigh some years ago. I forgot who Saddie married. Great Aunt Susan McCeacher died several years ago and so did her brother David. They lived at the old homestead and both left children. They say that Great Aunt Mary left descendants, too, the children of Joseph Edwards. I don’t know where any of them are. Thomas I was buried at the old homestead. Muir’s Chapel is still standing. The original was the log meeting house of Grandpa’s story. The End.
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*John Stuart Edwards*