Henry Watkins (abt. 1600 - aft. 1625)

Born about 1600 in England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Alice Moslin — married 1637 in Charles City, Virginia

Descendants

Died after 1625 after about age 25 in Eastern Shore, Colony of Virginia

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Henry Watkins resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Note: "No record has been found of Henry Watkins in Virginia between his attendance at the General Assembly in March 1623/24 and the appearance of Henry Watkins, Quaker, in Henrico County in 1677."^[1]

Biography

Henry Watkins is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

Henry Watkins^[2] was born about 1600 in either England or Wales. No birth record has been located and his parents are at this time unknown.

The first reference we find to Henry Watkins in the Colony of Virginia is on the list of the Living in Virginia "At the Eastern Shore." On this list you find Henry with his supposed brothers, Peregree [Peregrine] and Daniel Wattkins. Also on this list is John Wilcocks. Wilcocks and Henry Watkins represented the Eastern Shore in the House of Burgesses for 1623/24.^[3]

• John Wilcocks .... p 188
• Henry Wattkins
• Peregree Wattkins
• Daniell Wattkins .... p 189

Henry does not appear on the Muster of January 1624/25, but both Daniel Wattkins and Peregrin Wattkins do.

• At Paces Paines, James Citty
  • Daniell Wattkins in the Charles 1621
• Easterne Shore
  • Peregrim Watkines age 24 in the George 1621

Henry appears to have arrived about the same time as Daniel and Peregrin, probably 1620/21. In September 1623 he was identified as the overseer of Lady Elizabeth Dale's (widow of Sir Thomas Dale in 1619) property, servants and cattle on the Eastern Shore. He served as overseer until mid-1625. He was replaced by Charles Harmar who arrived in the colony on the Furtherance in 1622.^[4]

In 1621, John Rolfe, in his "Relation of Virginia" writes of being at Cale's Gift near Cape Charles, where there were 17 inhabitants under the command of Lt. Craddock. By 1623 there were 96 inhabitants, 9 of whom were females. Of the 87 men and boys, the only names preserved were: Edward Rodgers, Benjamin Knight, Henry Wilson, William Andrews, John Parsons, Thomas Hall, Walter Scott, William Williams, Robert Edmunds, John Evans, Thomas Powell, Thomas Parks, Henry Watkins, William Davis, John Wilkins, William Smith, John Barrett, Thomas Ancient Savage, John Fisher, James Vocat Piper, John Parramore, and Thomas Gascoyne.^[5][6].

The first representatives of Accomack in the Assembly were "Captain John Wilcocks" and "Henry Watkins", both of whom signed documents as Burgesses from the Eastern Shore in 1623/1624.^[7]

Henry Watkins subscribed with twenty-five other Burgesses means with which to send Mr. Pountis, dated 5 March 1623/24, with a petition to the Crown. - (Campbell, 178, and Hening I, 129.)^[7]

In February 1623/24, Accomack Plantation was represented at a stormy session of the General Assembly. Captain John Wilcox, overseer of the Company land, and Henry Watkins, overseer for Lady Dale, were the Burgesses. King James I had annulled the charter of the Virginia Company and only a decree of the highest court in England was needed to make the annulment final. The fate of the representative government which had functioned for almost five years was unknown. The King had never favored it and some members of the Virginia Company who sought Royal favors had criticized it. This Assembly was also concerned about the ownership of land in fee simple when the charter was annulled. Some existing laws were strengthened and additional ones were passed to make this government more closely conform to the English Parliament.^[7]

On 3 January 1625, Henry Watkins posted security for Peter Langman of Jamestown. Langman agreed to serve Watkins for a year if he defaulted on the debt.^[4]

By 3 April 1627 Charles Harmar had replaced Henry Watkins as overseer for Lady Elizabeth Dale. Harmar informed the General Court that he had taken custody of Lady Dale's cattle, crops and other property, which Watkins had delivered to him.^[4]

No records have been located for Henry Watkins in Virginia Colony after this date.

Research Notes

Fraud Category

Added Category: Media Research Bureau, Washington, DC, Fraud because information about his father James (and grandfather Francis appears to be based on the following:

Media Research Bureau, 1607-1608, Washington, DC-1800 states that the early Watkins started with Francis Watkins of Shotten, Wales born about 1562, his son James born about 1586 in Shotten, Wales came over on the ship PHOENIX in 1608 with Captain John Smith of Jamestown, had a son, Edward born 1611 in Henrico Co., VA had a son Henry born 1637 in Henrico Co, Va who was a Quaker, married Katherine.

Please provide details on sources for the information in this profile to show the validity of his relationships. Thanks! ~ Noland-165 23:28, 19 October 2018 (UTC)

Disputed background, origins, marriage

The following statements have no primary sourcing/documentation for the purported marriage to Alice Moslin or to confirm his relationship as son to James Watkins.^[8]

Henry is said to have married Alice Moslin around 1637 in Charles City, Virginia. Henry and Alice (Moslin) Watkins had three children: John, Thomas, and Lewis. Henry Watkins died in Malvern Hills, Accomack, Virginia, in 1658.^[9][10][11]

There are several sources that state there was an early HENRY WATKINS (born about 1585) who was the father of Henry Watkins of Henrico County, Virginia, who married Katherine.^[5]

Most particularly, there is the application of Miss Jamie Hess to the Daughters of the Pilgrims, which stated that "Henry Watkins was born in Wales, 1600, was Burgess of Henrico Co, VA, 1623, listed as dead same year, References provided: Copies with applications of family records, wills and deeds filed with application. Virginia House of Burgesses, 1619-1658." I don’t know the truth of her proofs, and can’t help but wonder if those records still exist somewhere!? It seems to me that he would have been born earlier than 1600, and he seems to have been alive in February 1624, although that is the last mention of him I can find.^[5]

Henry is listed in "Henry Watkins of Henrico County: His Descendants and Their Allied Families", which states that he was born 1585 and gives this list:^[5][12]

1. Henry Watkins (1585-___)
2. Henry Watkins m. Katherine Pride
3. Edward Watkins (c 1665-1771)
4. John Watkins (c 1710-1765) Phoebe Hancock
5. Henry Watkins (1758-1829) Elizabeth Hudson Clay
6. John Watkins (1785-1845) Catherine T. Milton

See Henry Watkins, free space page discussing these problems.

Location Notes

Henrico County, created in 1634, was one of the original eight shires.^[13] The address given in an online tree for this Henry was "Malvern Hills Plantation", which is associated with later Henrys.^[14]

The following information from a duplicate profile does not seem pertinent to this profile. The last paragraph had a footnote, which may have been meant to apply to the entire section. However, this information was not found at the link, to the Kith 'n' Kin online database's entry matching the information for the duplicate profile, "Sir Henry Watkins of Talgarth", citing (as of 15 March 2024) "Find a Grave, U.S. and Intl. Marriage Records, 1560-1900, 1940 United States Census."^[14] The only accessible source: Find A Grave: Memorial #176165351 (unsourced) for Henry Watkins I, born 1611 in Wales; died 1639 in Wales and buried in Talgarth Churchyard, Talgarth, Powys, Wales. (It does not have the following text either.)

The ancient market Town of Talgarth nestles beneath the Black Mountains which run along the border between Wales and England.

Close to Brecon, Crickhowell and Hay-on-Wye it, provides an ideal base for visitors wishing to explore both the Black Mountains and the eastern end of the Brecon Beacons

With the Wye valley to the north and the Usk valley to the east Talgarth could not be better placed for a holiday in this beautiful part of Wales.

According to traditional accounts, Talgarth was the capital of the early medieval Welsh Kingdom of Brycheiniog.^[14]

Warning: Check the data.

Upon saving, the following automated notices were received:

• A father's death date (Watkins-313 died 1625) should not be more than nine months before one of his children's birth dates (Watkins-270 born 1638).
• A father's death date (Watkins-313 died 1625) should not be more than nine months before one of his children's birth dates (Watkins-382 born 1638).
• A father's death date (Watkins-313 died 1625) should not be more than nine months before one of his children's birth dates (Watkins-383 born 1640).
• A father's death date (Watkins-313 died 1625) should not be more than nine months before one of his children's birth dates (Watkins-384 born 1640).

Sources

1. ↑ From Space:Henry_Watkins, which discusses problems raised in Research Notes (above).
2. ↑ Jamestowne Society: Watkins, Henry - A8409; Eastern Shore: 1624 (Burgess). accessed 18 November 2021
3. ↑ Hotten, John Camden, Editor. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants' Religious Exiles; … and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700. John Camden Hotten: London, 1874. Reprinted Empire State Book Co., New York. Pages 189, 231, 265.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} McCartney, Martha W. Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers; 1607-1638: A Biographical Dictionary. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, Second Printing, 2007. Page 724.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Our Southern Cousins: Watkins Family
6. ↑ Thomas T. Upshur. “Eastern-Shore History.” The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 9, no. 1, Virginia Historical Society, 1901, pp. 88–99, esp. p. 90. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4242409.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} McIlwaine, H. R. and J. P. Kennedy, Editors. Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia. 13 Volumes. Richmond, Virginia, 1905-1915. Editors: vols. 1-9, H. R. McIlwaine; v. 10-13, J. P. Kennedy. Vol. 1, pages viii, 22, 27, 39, 42
8. ↑ A duplicate profile merged into this one on 15 March 2024 - for "Sir Henry Watkins of Talgarth, Watkins II" (Watkins of Talgarth-1), born about 1611 in Talgarth, Breconshire, Wales and died about 1639 in Henrico County, Virginia, British America, was attached as son of Henry Watkins I and Mary Ann Crews.
9. ↑ Source S101: Place: Virginia; Year: 1622; Page Number: 724 Record for Henry Watkins Ancestry Record pili354 #4736487
10. ↑ Source S160: Database online. Record for Henry Watkins Ancestry Family Tree 836400910
11. ↑ As of 14 March 2024, this profile was attached as son of James Watkins and Sarah Freeman, husband of Alice Moslin, and father of Henry, John, Lewis, and Thomas. I recommend that they all be detached. ~ Noland-165, 15 March 2024
12. ↑ Allen, Jane McMurtry. Henry Watkins of Henrico County, his descendants and their allied families. West Palm Beach, Florida: J.M. Allen, c 1985. Snippets from book at Google Books; page 26
13. ↑ See Virginia Counties and Parishes, Counties table.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2} Kith 'n' Kin, entry for Henry Watkins, II (accessed 15 March 2024).

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #176166139 Find A Grave, database and images, memorial page for Henry (Sir) Watkins, I (Jan 1585–Feb 1658), Find A Grave Memorial no. 176166139, citing Accomack County Cemetery, Accomac, Accomack County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Gary Cummings (contributor 47012773) . This Memorial has no photography of any grave marker and no sources for the stated dates/locations.
• Ancestors of the Hutchins family of early Virginia.