Where and when in the 1700s are your earliest proven Wilson records? The Thomas Wilson I referred to had a son named Thomas also and I get the two generations confused. One married a McLin and the other married an Irvin/Urvin/Irwin/ spellings unsure. At any rate the elder Thomas Wilson was married to a Nathaniel either Urvin/Erwin, or McLin. His son married the other surname. I am not an expert on either this family or the Indian traders. However I am very interested in them. I don't have the information at my fingertips, and won't have time until after Christmas to do much about it. I think if you do a google search on William Pettypool, it will bring up the info on the Indian traders. Many were found living on Three Creeks near each other. I have really beaten the bushes for early Wilsons in this area along the NC/Va border. On Dec 14, 2004, at 9:05 PM, Tom and Patty wrote: Re: Thomas Wilson/ Marilyns' post listed below Hello Marilyn and all, This is my first post, sorry it is so long but wanted to get out as much as possible. I am doing Cherokee research and I have my Wilson line back to the mid-late 1700's. I am now as far back as I believe my Cherokee records can take me. Marilyn mentioned a Thomas Wilson being a licensed Indian Trader. North Carolina was part of the Original Cherokee lands prior to white settlement. Does anyone have any information on this Thomas Wilson? I have not done any kind of research other than Cherokee Rolls and documents and I'm kind of lost at where to start on the white settler research. And yes, at least among the Cherokee, it was common for a White man to keep two wives, one at home in the white settlments and one Cherokee wife for when he was living among the Indians. This not only aided in his ability to meet more Indians to trade with, it also kept him a little safer traveling throughout the land and gave him rights as a Cherokee citizen to hunt, trap, etc. (If he was adopted into the tribe). My Wilson Cherokee have carried the Wilson surname since the 1700's. This would only happen if a Wilson man was married into the Cherokee tribe, or if a Cherokee man took a White mans' name out of honor and friendship. Most full-blood Cherokee did not take a surname until the Civil War and were given their names by soldiers to keep their records straight. The Cherokee were highly involved in the Civil War and suffered the highest casualty rate than any state involved in the war. But that's another story. My Thomas Wilson, SR was born about 1770 + or - and he married Betsy McCrary born about 1770 + or - . They were married about 1785. They are the parents of George W. Wilson, Sr. born about 1786. I do not know if any of these three are of Cherokee blood, but George W.Wilson, Sr did marry Ruth Springston, 1/2 Cherokee and dau. of William (John?) Springston, white, and Nancy Augustus, Full-blood. Nancy was also married later to Alexander Drumgoole, a white man. Thomas Wilson, Sr was also married to an unknown HICKS, probably Elizabeth Hicks, sister to Charles Renautus Hicks, Cherokee Chief. I have found one Will of Elizabeth Irwin or Irvin, that list a Thomas Wilson and Nathaniel Hicks as her son-in-laws. Mailyn listed a name close to this, Irven/ Urvin, I have also seen this name as Erwin. I do not know if this is anything related to me. I believe Betsy McCrary Wilson is from the Hugh McCrary/McCreary line from VA. I have not documented this, but I have a Hiram McCreary (documented and also from Hughs' line) married into another line of my Cherokee ancestors and I think the two are first cousins, by dates, location, others in the two lines married, etc. Also, their is a Elizabeth McCrary (Betsy?)in Hughs' line that is the right age. But I'm still working on her. Is anyone on here researching this Wilson Line? Maybe before it goes into the Cherokee Bloodline? Does anything sound familiar? Any suggestions, recommendations, help, will be greatly appreciated. Pat I have noticed in the past how frequently the Surnames Wilson and Tillman/ Tilghman are found marrying. That has to mean something. The only guess I have is back in the first quarter of the 1700s in what is now Brunswick Co, Va, there were a group of Indian traders living close together who had all been liscenced to trade with the North Carolina Indians, or at least their in-laws had been. There was a Thomas Wilson, a Tillman, a Pettypool (later shortened to Pool(e), a Trotter, a King, a Richard Smith, and Irven/Urvin. That is all I can remember off the top of my head. Many of these appear to be the same men found listed on the surveying crew for the Byrd survey between NC and VA. Could these families have stuck together over the years? There also could have been in addition to their white families, an Indian wife and children back with whatever Indians they traded with. (a common practice as I understand). Marilyn