The name Wilkinson (alternately spelled Wilkerson) appears to be English, possibly a variation of the surname Wilkes. Some researchers have traced our Wilkinson ancestors to early colonial Williamsburg, VA.
My research begins with Thomas Wilkinson (1730-1777) of Sussex County, VA. [1] Thomas married Sarah Porch. Thomas died as a Patriot soldier during the American Revolution. He was with the 15th Virginia Regiment (This unit later became the 11th). The circumstances of his death are not known: He may have died in combat or of disease. [2] The 15th is noted to have been at the Battle of Brandywine which was in September of 1777 and Thomas died in October. The Regiment later served at the battles of Germantown and Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston.
Note Sarah's middle initial appears to be written but it is illegible in this copy.
CHILDREN OF THOMAS WILKINSON AND SARAH PORCH
I have only found two known children of Thomas and Sarah: Thomas, Jr. and Elisha. I am sure that there are others - I just haven't researched this line completely.[3]
Thomas Wilkinson Jr.
Thomas had a son Thomas, Jr. who also served with the 15th Virginia Regiment. On his pension application, Thomas Jr. stated that he served with Captain James Mason and Col. David Mason and that he was at the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth. Affidavits in the pension file clearly state that his father Thomas Wilkinson Sr. also served with the same company and regiment and that he died. There are numerous records for him on Ancestry.com and Fold3.com including actual rosters and vouchers. Thomas remained in Virginia until his death (probably Dinwiddie County).
The most noteworthy commanding officers while he was in the 15th VA Regiment were the Mason brothers: David and James.
- Colonel David Mason
He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and of the Virginia Revolutionary Convention, (1775-76).
- Captain James Mason
(Per James Mason's grandson, Captain James Mason and Colonel David Mason were brothers)
Sgt. Elisha Wilkinson
Another son of Thomas and Sarah is Sgt. Elisha Wilkinson (1763-1833) and he served as a Sergeant in the Virginia Militia in and around Sussex County, VA during the Revolutionary War. He was a very young soldier - not yet 20 years old by the end of the war. Per his Revolutionary War pension application (S32078), he arrived in Franklin County, Georgia in 1807 where he lived on land near the Tugaloo River.
The proof of Elisha's parentage lies in the 1776 Will of James Porch, the father of Sarah. The Will clearly states that his grandson is Elisha Wilkinson and he names the daughter that birthed him: "...I give to my two grandsons Elisha Wilkinson & Henry Knight to my two daughters Sarah Wilkinson and Hanah Knight during their natural lives for their support and maintenance....".
We also have the Rev War pension application where Elisha states that he lived in Dinwiddie County, VA for a period of time - Dinwiddie is where his brother Thomas (Jr.) lived. Note that Dinwiddie and Sussex Counties adjoined one another - the family may have moved farther west after the Rev War.
(Ancestry.com & familysearch.org)
James Porch's Will states that he had several sons and daughters, he owned several slaves and had at least 1125 acres of land. The Will notes that some or all of the land was purchased from Edward Buckner and Gerald (Jarrard/Gerrard?) Burrow. Gerald Burrow may be the father of James Porch's son-in-law Henry Burrow. [4] Locating this 1125 acres of land would help to pinpoint where Thomas and his family lived. I saw a note on an internet site that indicated the Buckner lands might have been where Sussex and Surrey Counties adjoin but no proof of this was provided. Part of Surrey County lies along the James River and the old Jamestown Colony is on the other side of the James. This would support the theory that our Wilkinsons were an old Virginia family. Looking at a present day map one can see that Surrey, Sussex and Dinwiddie Counties flow from east to west from the James, south of Petersburg. Historically, the flow of settlers from early Jamestown and Williamsburg flowed westward and south.
Elisha married Lucy Abernathy also of Virginia. I have not yet had time to research her family but her father is Signal Abernathy of Dinwiddie and Mecklenburg Counties of Virginia who died in 1807. It is likely that Dinwiddie County or Mecklenburg County is where Elisha and Lucy were married. Note that Elisha and Lucy arrived in Georgia in 1807 which is the same year that her father died - they may have left VA upon the death of her father.
The gravesite of Sgt. Elisha Wilkinson and Lucy Abernathy is now very close to the banks of Lake Hartwell in present day Franklin County, GA. This likely was his land when he was buried. Today, a lake home is very close to his grave. Note that Lake Hartwell was formed in the 1960s and this area was not as close to the water as it is today - the lake backed up the waters of the Tugaloo River.
(Ancestry.com)
Note the name Thomas Harbin on the 1835 Tax Digest - He was the man that attested Elisha's Rev War pension application. His land adjoined "Cleveland" which was probably Absalom Cleveland, son of Col. Benjamin Cleveland.
Although his sons (Signal and Thomas) are living in different districts, they were living very close to one another based on what I know about the names shown as adjoining property owners. For example, the Stonecyphers and the Stovalls lived very close to where Elisha Wilkinson is buried. The small Farmer-Stovall Cemetery is also located near Lake Hartwell in a residential area. The Oliver Harrison shown above is the brother-in-law of Signal - Oliver's sister Neattie Harrison married Signal. Note that Elisha's wife Lucy is also not shown on this 1840 census - she died in 1837.
(Ancestry.com)
Elisha's Will names a wife, land, several slaves and seven children:
- Wife: Lucy
- Three sons: Elisha, Signal & Thomas
- Four daughters: Polly Bond, Patsy Mitchell, Sophia Edwards, Fanny Wilkinson
(ancestry.com)
Interestingly, Lucy's Will names 10 children:
- 7 daughters: Nancy Carter, Polly Bond, Patsy Mitchell, Sophia Edwards, Sally Cawthorn, Silva Baker & Fanny Baldwin
- 3 sons: Elisha, Signal & Thomas
Why were daughters Nancy Carter, Sally Cawthorn and Silva Baker not noted in Elisha's Will that was written only 2 years earlier? In Elisha's Will he specifically notes "...my 7 children, as follows...". Was Lucy previously married and the 3 daughters not named were by another man or did he omit them from his Will for another reason?
As noted, Elisha and Lucy had 3 sons: Thomas, Elisha Jr, and Signal. Interestingly, both Thomas and Signal were murdered.
- Thomas Pleasant Wilkinson is said to have been very well off. He supposedly owned the 1st cotton gin in Toccoa, Franklin County, GA and it was located where the Toccoa Clinic stood for years. He is said to have owned the first sawmill and flour mills in the area. He and his wife Clarkie/Clarkey Isbell were married in 1833 and they are shown on the 1850 census living near my Crump and Guest ancestors in Franklin County, GA. They are both buried in the Liberty Hill Baptist Church cemetery in Franklin County, GA. I suspect that Clarkey is the daughter of James Isbell and thus the granddaughter of Pendleton Isbell. [5] James Isbell is shown living very close to Thomas on the 1860 census. Thomas lists his real estate value at $6,0000 ($220,000 today). It is not known if they had any children but the 1850 census shows none (he is age 38).
- Elisha Wilkinson Jr's whereabouts are unknown with any degree of certainty. He was alive in 1833 when his father wrote his Will but I have not found anything conclusive about his activities or descendants. I found an Elisha Wilkinson living in Marietta, GA on the 1840 census that indicates his age at 40-49 and one son age 5-10. There is an Elisha Wilkinson (born in GA in 1814) living in the Jacksonville, FL area on later censuses. There is at least one Elisha Wilkinson from Florida that served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War (7th and 8th FL Regiments) . The Elisha Wilkinson that was born in Georgia 1814 had a son named Elisha born in 1840 - certainly the correct age to have been a Civil War soldier. Interestingly, the Elisha Wilkinson that served in the 8th FL Regiment is shown to have been 47 years old at enlistment - close enough in age to have been the Elisha born in 1814. The Elisha that was in the 7th Florida Regiment may be his son. This Elisha was captured by the Union Army near Tullahoma, TN in July 1863 and held as a POW for nearly 2 years when he was released in June of 1865. And there are several Elisha Wilkinsons that were born in Florida in the late 1880s - one of whom might be a descendant of Sgt. Elisha. I have not spent any time trying to sort these men but there are numerous records on Fold3 for men named Elisha Wilkinson that served as soldiers.
Elisha Wilkinson, FL Indian Wars
(Fold3)%20(2).jpg)
Elisha Wilkinson, Jr., FL Indian Wars 1837
(Fold3)
Southern Banner, July 1, 1842
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- Signal Abernathy Wilkinson was murdered by a neighbor while living in Gordon County, GA (near present day Calhoun) in 1851. This is my line - Signal is my 3rd great-grandfather. For more on Signal, CLICK HERE and for information on Neattie Harrison and her Harrison family, CLICK HERE.
I don't have very much information on the daughters of Elisha and Lucy.
- Martha "Patsy" married Wiley Mitchell and they lived in Hart County, GA. They had a large family and most of them are buried in the Shoal Creek Baptist Church cemetery near Lake Hartwell.
- Frances (Fanny) married William Baldwin.
- Polly married Wright Bond.
- Sophia Wilkinson married Thomas Gilbert Edwards. They are buried in the small Edwards family cemetery on Lake Hartwell near the graves of her parents. A descendant of Sophia and Thomas is North Carolina Senator John Edwards who was born in Seneca, SC.
4th great-grandson of Sgt. Elisha Wilkinson and Lucy Abernathy
This was in my grandmother's files - it appears to be notes that she made on a visit to the Franklin County courthouse. I have not identified all of these individuals.
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[1] Thomas' wife Sarah Porch was the daughter of James Porch who left a Will [1] naming his grandson Elisha Wilkinson and daughter Sarah Wilkinson. Sussex County, Albemarle Parish, July 11, 1776 - Available on Ancestry.com
[2] I did find a roster/pay voucher for a Thomas Wilkinson in the 14th Regiment that indicates that he deserted in May of 1777; However, the 14th VA did not have any known soldiers from Sussex County. Even if this was our Thomas (and I don't think it was), note that desertions were often due to sickness and other issues - not necessarily cowardice or losing the will to fight. While desertion was a serious offense with the penalty of death a real possibility, I read that 1/2 of the soldiers that enlisted might have deserted at some point. Some even re-enlisted after deserting. It was a part-time war to many soldiers.
[3] There was also a Bernard or Barnabas Wilkerson/Wilkinson that served as a Sergeant with the 15th - could be another son of Thomas Sr. See also Rev War app #VAS4992.
[4]Edward Buckner left a Will in 1767 naming James Porch as his adjoining neighbor. The Will also notes a son Henry and a Philip Burrow was a witness. Presumably, all of these families lived close together and there were likely several marriages among them. Like our Elisha Wilkinson, some of the Buckners and Burrows moved south. Visit this site for more info.
[5] Pendleton Isbell is a noted Rev War soldier. I have discussed him here.
(This page was created on 8/7/2023; Modified on 8/8/2023)