THE WILLCOCKSON FAMILY OF ROWAN CO., NC (Part 2) This section consists of clarifications of parentage of several members of the second generation of the Willcockson family in Rowan Co., NC. I. ISAAC WILLCOCKSON-- Isaac Willcockson, who married Ruth ________, was NOT the son of John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson. It is true that John and Sarah had a son, Isaac (as also did George Willcockson, Sr.), but it has already been shown [see Part 1] that there was a third Isaac Willcockson in Rowan Co., NC (who was apparently the son of Isaac Willcockson, Sr.). It is the latter who was made guardian of three minor children of the elder Isaac Willcockson, and who appears on the Rowan County tax lists of 1768 and 1772. By October 10, 1783, this Isaac Willcockson was deceased, and on that date his widow, Ruth, received a state land grand of 320 acres. In 1790, Ruth (then a resident of Rowan Co., NC) gave William Willcockson, of Wilkes Co., NC, her power of attorney. Critical to the understanding of who this Isaac and Ruth Willcockson were is the identity of William Willcockson, of Wilkes Co., NC. In 1790, William Willcockson (son of John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson) was living in Rowan Co., NC (according to the census for that year). Also, in the 1790 census was William's cousin, William Willcockson, of Wilkes Co., NC. If Ruth had been the widow of Isaac Willcockson (son of John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson) then why should she have chosen her husband's cousin, William Willcockson of Wilkes Co., NC, as her power of attorney instead of her husband's brother, William of Rowan Co., NC. The obvious answer is that William Willcockson of Wilkes Co., NC WAS her husband's brother, and that William Willcockson of Rowan Co., NC WAS her husband's cousin. As has been shown [see Part 1], the elder Isaac Willcockson left a minor orphan, WILLIAM WILLCOCKSON, who in 1771 chose another Isaac Willcockson (undoubtedly an older brother) as his guardian. It is this Isaac Willcockson (the guardian) who married Ruth ____________. After her husband's death, Ruth Willcockson would have understandably turned to her husband's brother--whom she had taken into her home and raised--for legal advice and to be her power of attorney. There should be no doubt that Isaac Willcockson, who appears in the 1768 and 1772 tax lists of Rowan Co., NC and who became the guardian of Isaac Willcockson Sr.'s three minor children in 1771 WAS the husband of Ruth __________ AND ALSO the brother of William Willcockson, of Wilkes Co., NC. II. WILLIAM WILLCOCKSON-- William Willcockson, of Wilkes Co., NC AND Green Co., KY, was NOT the son of John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson. This is well proven by the following evidence. In 1800, William Willcockson (son of John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson) was living in Rowan Co., NC (according to census records). In 1800, William Willcockson, son of Isaac and Martha (Bane) Willcockson, was living in Wilkes Co., NC (according to census records). His son, Daniel, was listed next to William in the Wilkes County census. By 1810, William Willcockson of Wilkes Co., NC had moved. His son, Daniel, however, is found in the censuses of Wilkes County in 1810, 1820, 1830, and 1840. William Willcockson, of Green Co., KY in his will (written 1826; probated in 1829) names his son, Daniel "of North Carolina". In the 1820 and 1830 censuses for all of North Carolina there is only one Daniel Willcockson listed as the head of a household--this was Daniel of Wilkes County. It is undoubtedly this Daniel, who is referred to in William Willcockson's will. The above evidence shows that William Willcockson, of Wilkes Co., NC--the son of Isaac Willcockson, Sr.--was the same William Willcockson, who moved to Green Co., KY in ca.1807. III. DANIEL WILLCOCKSON-- Many descendants of Daniel Willcockson (1755-1834) have erroneously placed him as a son of John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson. This Daniel Willcockson, of Woodford and Shelby Counties, KY, who married Sarah Faulkner, was NOT the son of John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson. Instead, this Daniel was a son of Isaac and Martha (Bane) Willcockson. This is proven by the following evidence. A Rowan County, NC court records in 1771 stated that "William, DANIEL, and Martha Willcockson, minor orphans of Isaac Willcockson, deceased" chose Isaac Willcockson as their guardian. The Daniel Willcockson described in this document was a minor in 1771, therefore he was not yet 21 years of age. From this information, we know that Daniel, son of Isaac Willcockson, was born after 1750. The Isaac Willcockson, who became the guardian of the orphan, Daniel, was in fact his older brother [see Pt. 2]. This Isaac and his wife, Ruth, raised these three orphans. Following Isaac's death in 1783, Ruth continued to have a close relationship with William, Martha, and Daniel. According to Daniel Willcockson's pension application, he was born 13 March, 1755 in Rowan Co., NC. Less than one month before his birth, John and Sarah (Boone) Willcockson's tenth child, Samuel, was born on 24 February, 1755. The birthdate of Samuel is shown in the Bible of his grandson, as well as on his tombstone. Based on this information alone, NO ONE should believe that Daniel and Samuel were brothers. Daniel Willcockson's pension application also reveals that he enlisted in Capt. John Holder's Company in 1778. This company was involved in extensive service while protecting the frontier forts of Boonesborough and Bryan's Station. While in service, Daniel married Sarah Faulkner at Bryan's Station in October, 1780. In 1783, Daniel was discharged from military service. One of the stories which has survived concerning Daniel Willcockson while he was stationed at Bryan's Station was told by both George Bryan (in an interview with Lyman Draper) [see Pt. 3] and Isaac Wilson (in an interview with John Shane). The account by Isaac Wilson further identifies this Daniel Willcockson. Isaac Wilson was a son of Joseph and Martha (Willcockson) Wilson. Martha was one of the three minor orphans of Isaac and Martha (Bane) Willcockson, and she was a sister of the Daniel Willcockson under study in this section. Isaac Wilson moved to Kentucky with his mother, Martha, and step-father, John Whitaker in 1784. His account states: "My UNCLE, Daniel Wilcox, was ploughing at Bryant's Station. Wilcox...saw the Indians taking after him. One of the Indians outran the rest and grabbed a part of Wilcox's shirt as he got over the fence. His wife stood and called to him to run." This evidence clearly identifies Daniel as the UNCLE of Isaac Wilson, and therefore a son of Isaac Willcockson, Sr. After his discharge from military service in 1783, Daniel and Sarah (Faulkner) Willcockson moved to Woodford Co., KY. By 1784, Daniel's sister and brother-in-law, Martha (Willcockson) Whitaker and John Whitaker, had moved to Kentucky and they also settled in Woodford County. Both Daniel and his sister, Martha, owned land on Craigs Creek in Woodford County and several land records involved both Daniel and Martha's husband and children. It should be also noted that by 1795, Ruth Willcockson had moved from NC to Woodford Co., KY. Ruth was the widow of Isaac Willcockson (d.ca.1783), and had with her husband raised Daniel, Martha, and William Willcockson. It is understandable that these familes would remain together. Martha (Willcockson) Wilson Whitaker died ca.1798, presumably in Woodford Co., KY. In the early 1800's, Daniel Willcockson and Ruth Willcockson removed to Shelby Co., KY, where Daniel died on 16 June, 1837. Again the close relationship between the children of Isaac Willcockson, Sr. and Daniel Willcockson should emphasize that Daniel WAS a son of Isaac Willcockson, Sr. ==== WILCOX Mailing List ==== Web Archives http://lists.rootsweb.com/~archiver/lists/WILCOX-L/