Circa 1670 to 1737
William Waddill Sr.-1; William-2
John Waddell was born about 1640, probably in England, and died September 20, 1709, in St. Peter’s Parish, New Kent County, Virginia.[Vestry Book] He was named in 1689 as one of the men appointed as processioners by the vestry of St. Peter’s, and in 1704 charged with “quit rents” on 40 acres of New Kent Lands.
Several men named Waddell living in the area are thought, but not proven, to be his sons. They include William Waddill, Charles Waddill, John Waddill, Jr., David Waddill, and James Waddell.
WILLIAM WADDELL, Sr., was born before 1670, and was a vestryman in 1704, as well as church warden in St. Peter’s Parish, New Kent County, Virginia. The name is spelled Waddell until 1704, after which it is spelled Waddill. WILLIAM WADDILL was listed for 375 acres on the Quit Rent Rolls of 1704. A John Waddill, Jr., was also listed in the vestry minutes along with WILLIAM.
David Martin, in an e-mail to the author, dated April 13, 1997, says “I have information as follows: John Waddill, Sr., died in 1709. He was the father of John Waddill, Jr., Charles, William, and James. John Waddill, Jr. married Mary and his children were Frances Waddill, born in 1696, John Waddill, born in 1697, Thomas Waddill, born in 1701, William Waddill?, and possibly Charles Waddill.” An undocumented citation is that William Waddell’s wife was named Judity.
Mildred Wright Fourniter of Lake City, Florida, also supplied information on this family, along with documentation and research notes, mostly from the New Kent St. Peter’s Parish Vestry books.
The name was supposedly originally derived from “Weddell” which is from the old lands of “Wedale” or “The Vale of Woe,” which is now the parish of Stow, partly in Selkirkshire and partly in Mid-Lothian. Variations seen today in the United States include “Waddle.”
We are fortunate that we have the transcribed parish registry giving the births of many of the children in the parish during the time that ANNE WADDILL was born. These children are listed with the names of their fathers and occasionally, the mother’s name will also be listed. The problem is that ANNE’s date of birth is at the “end” of the list of children born to the older William Waddell, and a few years “early” [though possibly] for William Waddill, Jr.
Children of William Waddell, Sr.
The transcribed parish register lists the following children as being the children of “William Waddell” or “Mr. William Wadell.” Unfortunately, by the time William Waddill, Junior, starts having children, his father is apparently also still having children. They appear to be the only two men, however, named William Waddill and the only men who could be her father, as no other men named Waddill had daughters named Ann, Nancy or Agness. [These are “nicknames” for each other.] Some of the dates given are birth dates and some baptism dates and some have dates for both.
Ann
Waddell-2, born June 9, 1691
Elizabeth Waddell-2, born February 24,
1692. Her husband may have been John Sanders, married August 7, 1709,
in New Kent.
William Waddell, Jr.-2, Baptized April 29, 1694. Some
researchers attribute a wife named Sarah to this man on the basis that
in 1738, Sarah was paid 29 pounds of tobacco for “quit rents” on the
glebe lands.
John Waddell-2, born August 24, 1697.
Hannah Waddell-2, born August 16, 1699.
Pridgin Waddell-2, born 1704.
Frances Waddell-2, born May 2, 1706.
Nowel [Noel] Waddell-2, born June 1,
1709. In 1744, “Mrs. Judith Waddell’s ‘hands’ were added to Noel
Waddell’s levy. Was this woman his mother? Noel was listed as the son
of “Mr. Wm. Waddill”
Jacob Waddell-2, born November 7, 1711
Anne Waddill ? born January 24, 1713.
As you can see, Ann, born in 1713 fits very nicely into the “flow” of the children of WILLIAM WADDILL, Sr. It was also not uncommon or unusual for a second child in a family to receive the same given name as a previously born child if the first one had died, especially if that name was “important” to the family. Since there were only the two men named William Waddill in the area, though, it is very likely that ANNE was the daughter of one of the two men, who were father and son. Since she “fits” more closely into the “flow” of children of WILLIAM WADDILL, SR., she will for the purposes of this book, be listed as his child, keeping in mind she may be his granddaughter.
Children of William Waddill, Junior
Baptised 1694
Some of the transcriptions, namely the one on rootsweb.com/~vanewken/stpete06.html, list a William Waddill, Junior for some of the birth dates. Some are listed as “Mr. Wm. Waddill,” and some have only the designation William Waddell. The problem is, where to draw the line? The dates for the children attributed to William and to William and Sarah make a nice “line” in terms of ages of the children from 1718 to 1738 with maybe a small skip or two for a baby that died.
Sarah
Waddill October 13, 1718
William Waddill August 2, 1720
Elizabeth Waddill January 4, 1722/3
Richard Waddill 1725
Noel Waddill October 27, 1730
Children of William Waddill and Sarah
Martha
Waddill February 28, 1729
Shadrack Waddill March 4 1738
Jacob Waddill 1732
It appears that the children born to “William and Sarah Waddill” fit nicely into the “flow” of the children of William Waddill, Jr. It is also apparent that the birth of Anne in 1713 is a bit early to fit into that “flow” and especially since William, Jr., would have only been 19 years old at the time of the birth of that Anne.
Charles Waddill’s Children
These children, spanning a period of nineteen years are probably the children of one man named Charles. Charles Waddill Senior died April 9, 1720.
Agnis
Waddill baptized 22 Sept 1700, died Feb 8, 1716. Though “Agnis”
and “Anne” are essentially the same name, this child is eliminated as
being the Anne who married into the Carter family by the death date.
Sarah Waddill baptized 5 April 1702
Charles Waddill baptized May 14, 1704, died Apr 3, 1720
Joseph Waddill baptized 16 Feb 1706/7
Susanna Waddill baptized May 1709 died Mar 7, 1720/1
Frances Waddill baptized Ap r 18, 1712
Elizabeth Waddill born March 31, 1715
John Waddill born Dec 5, 1719
James Waddill’s Children
The children born to “James Waddill” may not be all the children of the same man. James Waddill [an adult] died December 28, 1721.
George
Waddill baptized July 20, 1707
John Waddill baptized July 1, 1711, died July 13,
1720
Charles Waddill born July 18, 1720 [This Child may
be from a second man named James Waddill.]
Children of men named John Waddill
These children are obviously not the children of one man.. John Waddill, Senior, died in December 20, 1709”.
John
Waddill born 27 Oct 1697 by Mary
Frances Waddill [female] d/o John Waddell Junior & Mary
8 Feb 1696/7
Thomas Waddill baptized 27 July 1701, s/o John Waddill Jr.
James Waddill baptized June 25, 1710, died September
3, 1720
Mary Waddill Baptized September 27, 1713
John B. Waddill November 20, 1722
Agness Waddill born Feb 1, 1724/25
Dennis Waddill May 11, 1727
Elizabeth Waddill d/o John and Mary born 1734
Martha Waddill , d/o John & Mary April 1737
Mary Waddill, d/o John & Mary born 27 Nov, bap Jan 1729.
Sarah, a Mullato Girl, belonging to John Waddill, Junior, was born April 12, 1735
WILLIAM WADDILL-1 was appointed vestryman in 1704 [Vestry Book St. Peter’s Parish] and mentioned frequently in the vestry minutes as being present at the vestry meetings. He also was church warden in 1709, and along with George Poindexter, was supervisor of the building of the glebe house. He was among those paid for keeping the poor of the parish, including 514 pounds of tobacco in 1710 for keeping Daniel McDaniel for 15 days. In 1712, he agreed to keep Richard Collam for one whole year for 600 pounds of tobacco. In 1714, Nanny, a Negro belonging to Mr. WILLIAM WADDILL died. As well as a man slave named Will died that same year. Sue, a Negro also died in 1719.
He kept William Gardner for one year for 1,000 pounds of tobacco. In 1717 and 1718, the vestry met at his house. It had been meeting at the school since 1709. In 1722, WILLIAM, Sr., was again church warden.
In 1728, he was a “tobacco viewer,” which was a very important post in the community. His district as tobacco viewer was “along the main road from Mr.’ former store by Colonel Scotts to Martha Pattison’s.” He was present for the vestry meeting in both September and October of 1737 and he was paid for glebe quit rents. This notation about him being paid for glebe quit rents, and in 1738, Sarah Waddill being paid for glebe quit rents might indicate that Sarah was indeed his widow. William and Sarah, however were having children from 1729 to 1738. Could she have been a young wife? Or could she have been the wife of William Waddill, Junior?
WILLIAM WADDIL owned several slaves and in 1729, the vestry register noted that “Patt” a Negro belonging to WILLIAM was born November 17th.
In 1733, Elizabeth Simbler, a mulatto girl was bound to WILLIAM WADDILL for 31 years. She was born January 6th, 1733. It was customary for bastards of any race, but especially for black or mulattos, to be bound out until age 30 more-or-less.
For the September, 1739, meeting, he was not present and Joseph Marston was sworn in to replace him. On October 6, 1739, Daniel Park Custis was chosen as his successor in the vestry. [Vestry Book, St. Paul’s Parish, New Kent.] WILLIAM WADDILL, Senior, would have been a very old man when he died.
William Waddill, Jr.-2, was born in New Kent in 1694 and apparently grew up there. His father, WILLIAM, Sr.-1, as a vestryman, would have been one of the leading citizens of the area to have been included in that august body. We have no record of the name of WILLIAM, Sr.’s wife, but the name of William, Jr.’s wife was probably Sarah. For him to have been ANNE’s father, he would have had to have married quite young and had a child by the age of 19, then skipped five years before having another. Possible. Likely? Hummm?? Males from more affluent families tended to marry younger than males from less affluent families who were less able to provide independent livings for their sons. Girls tended to marry younger than males because they were not expected to provide a living for the family.
ANN-3, baptized January 24, 1713, was probably the youngest child of WILLIAM WADDELL’s children, or the oldest of WILLIAM, Jr.,’s. He would have been only 19 when ANN-3 was born. Mickey Fournier contributed the results of her research showing that that one of the WILLIAM WADDILLs, may have been married to a woman named Sarah. Sarah was paid 29 pounds of tobacco for “quit rents” on the Glebe land in 1738. Was this because her husband was dead? This may be the widow of WILLIAM WADDILL, Sr., whom we know died about 1737 and was paid prior to his death for the “quit rents for the glebe.” In 1744, a Mrs. Judity Waddell’s hands were “added to Nowel Waddell’s”. It is also possible that both Williams died about the same time, somewhere around 1737. The births and baptisms of children to “William Waddell” stopped about this time.
WILLIAM WADDILL, Sr.’s name disappears from the vestry records after the October 8, 1737, vestry meeting. Later meetings mention him as deceased and his replacement in the vestry waschosen. There was a child born to William and Sarah Waddill March 4, 1738, so this child could be a child of either the father or the son, William Waddill. So at this point in time, we can reasonably say that our ANNE WADDILL was the child of or the grandchild of WILLIAM WADDILL, SR.
In 1742, William Randolph’s will was witnessed by one of the men named “Theodorick Carter,” and it was probated in Goochland County. The Goochland tithable list for 1746 lists a “Theo Carter, overseer for Peter Randolph.” This is most likely the son of Giles, Jr.-2, named Theodorick-3. It is only remotely possible, but not likely, that the man who signed William Randolph’s will was our THEODORICK-3, and we know that by the date of that will that THEODORICK-2 was deceased. The connection between the two families had continued for several generations, however. The Randolphs rose in prosperity and importance in the social and political spheres in the colony, while the Carters simply maintained a middle ground, as they seem to have from the beginning.
ELIZABETH [Webb?] CARTER, the widow of THEODORICK-2, wrote her will July 8, 1747, and it was witnessed in Henrico by her son, THEODORICK-3. This is the last document that he signed in Henrico County. He apparently moved to Amelia County shortly after this, where he is found on the vestry records starting about 1747. These lands shortly became Prince Edward County. His mother, ELIZABETH, apparently lived several more years after the will was signed in 1747. Her will was not probated in Henrico until 1751. A woman could not will her interest in dower lands which she had received from her husband. At her death, these passed back to his estate. The personal property she received from him in fee simple, or items that she had received as a bequest from her family, she could bequeath as she chose.
Thomas Carter, who had witnessed a will with THEODORICK-3 in Henrico, was also found in Prince Edward County records, and apparently had gone with THEODORICK-3 from the Henrico area. Noel Waddill, probably the young uncle or brother of THEODORICK-3’s wife, ANN WADDILL CARTER, was also there in Prince Edward County. Noel Waddill, the son of WILLIAM, Sr., was born 1709, so was probably half-way between the age of her father WILLIAM, Jr., and herself. Noel was apparently an “heirloom” name in that branch of the Waddills, so it may have been one of the other men of this name.
ELIZABETH CARTER was probably in her mid-sixties when she died. Most of her children were grown and married by the time she died, except for the three youngest daughters. Elizabeth-3, the youngest, was only about age 14 when her mother died. Although births to mothers over 40 years of age are always suspect, we know that births as late as the late 40s are not impossible, and with additional other evidence are acceptable.
ELIZABETH named more of the children in her will. She named daughters Ann-3 Ferris, Susannah-3 Scruggs, Martha Carter-3, Mary Carter-3, and Elizabeth Carter-3. She willed the great Bible to THEODORICK-3 and some livestock. ELIZABETH also named a grandson, Cuthbert Webb. He was probably the son of her deceased daughter by John Webb, whose will was witnessed by THEODORICK-2 and ELIZABETH in 1736. John Webb’s will named his sons including Theodorick, Giles, and Cuthboard Webb. Giles and Cuthboard were “heirloom” names in this branch of the Webb family prior to any connection with the CARTERS.
THEODORICK-3 and ANN WADDILL-3 CARTER had been residing in Prince Edward several years by the time his mother, ELIZABETH, died about 1751. What is now Prince Edward County, Virginia, was Amelia County until 1753, when Prince Edward was formed. No one knows just who the first colonists to settle in that area were, but it was probably first settled about 1733. In 1747, THEODORICK-3 is first listed in the vestry as being on a crew to work on clearing a “bridle path” from the “road near Charles Anderson’s to Brush River Church.” Each man and his tithables were required to work on public projects such as roads so many days each year without pay.
In 1754, THEODORICK-3 was listed living between the Bush and Buffalo Rivers and voted in the election in 1754 for House of Burgesses. He voted for John Nans [Nance?]
In 1755, THEODORICK-3 offered some of his lands for sale to the vestry for Glebe lands, two other men also offered their lands at the same time. The glebe land was a farm or estate that went to the minister along with the parish church and any salary. Some churches even had slaves that went along with the parish glebe lands and the minister got the income. The minister was paid in pounds of tobacco by the vestry and the salary was set by law. The value of the tobacco warrants that the minister received for his 16,000 pounds of tobacco varied from parish to parish depending upon the quality of local tobacco grown in his parish. The price per pound was set by the government. Many churches in the poorer areas where tobacco was of poor quality had difficulty securing a minister. If the Glebe lands were also poor, the parish might have no minister for years. [Vestry Book.]
The Virginia vestrymen were cagey, however. In the Church of England, the minister would receive effective “tenure” in his parish church after he was presented to the governor. Prior to that presentation, the minister was at the will of the vestry- men. So, the vestry just didn’t “present” their ministers, and kept them on a year-to- year basis. This, effectively, gave 100% control over the minister into the hands of the vestry. Many of the ministers resented this, but had little power to do anything more than to complain.
THEODORICK-3 priced his land at f 90, but the vestrymen decided against the lands of all three men and chose another plot later. The tithe records for that same year show that THEODORICK-3 owned three slaves on whom taxes were due. Slaves were not usually taxed until they reached 16 years of age. In some areas, at some times, slaves as young as age 12 were taxed. Only about seven percent of landowners in Virginia owned even one slave. Owning three taxable slaves put THEODORICK in the “upper middle class,” if it could be so termed, but he was not one of the ruling elite.
In 1760, the title to THEODORICK CARTER’s land boundaries were “processioned.” This was a process where every few years, the committee from the vestry would walk the boundaries of each person’s lands with the owners, if available, and set the marks. If there was a dispute over the boundary, it was settled. It seems the vestry had been slow in catching up on this chore and so all the previously settled lands were presented and bounds set. The vestry also paid THEODORICK-3 one pound, two shillings, for supplying blankets to a sick man. The destitute of the parish were cared for by the planters, who were reimbursed by the vestry. [Ibid.]
WILLIAM CARTER-4, the son of THEODORICK-3, must have married by 1759, as his first son, William Carter, Jr.-5, was born July 9, 1760. This date of birth is from William-5’s Revolutionary pension, so is considered “solid” information, and gives us an approximate date of marriage of his father.
In 1761, THEODORICK-3 was listed in the vestry records with Jacob McGeehee [previously from King William County], as resurveying and reopening a road that had been closed. Thomas Haskins had petitioned to have a road closed that ran though his property, although it had been in use for about 12 years. The court at first granted his petition, then a petition was introduced to reopen it, as there was “no reasonable way around Mr. Haskin’s property.” The court paid him damages for the inconvenience of the road. [History of Prince Edward County, Virginia, pg. 36.]
“Theodorick and Thomas Carter” were listed in 1767 as working on the roads. THEODORICK-3 was about 57-60 years old, so probably didn’t personally work on this road, but probably saw that his slaves and tithables did the actual work. Roads were community affairs and each planter or yeoman was required to supply labor to the community roads for several days each year without pay.
THEODORICK-3 and ANN had a houseful of children and passed on the heirloom names with the addition of the name “Waddill” to several of them. “Waddill” was passed on in the given names of this line of CARTERS. Heirloom names will be significant in tracing our lines of this family.
Children of Theodorick-3 and Ann Waddill Carter
John Carter-4, born in Henrico County, August 26, 1737, the birth was recorded in St. Peter’s Parish, New Kent, however. The Reverend Mossom was minister to several congregations, including Henrico Parish. He recorded the births of many CARTER children in St. Peter’s Parish records though they were born in Henrico, not New Kent. John moved with his father to Prince Edward County as an infant. He moved as an adult to Halifax County, and his wife’s name was Mary. He died about June 18, 1781, leaving a will in Halifax County. The witnesses to the will were Benj. Hobson, David Bates, and Noel Waddill, Theodorick-3 and Charles Carter-4, who was a son of Theodorick-3. Executors to the will were his brothers, Richard-4 and Theodorick-4. Noel Waddill, his mother’s uncle or brother, lived nearby. A deed shows a tract of 183 1/2 acres on the Dan River in Halifax being transferred from THEODORICK-3 of Prince Edward County to his son, John “of Halifax County.” John named a daughter “Ann Waddill Carter.”
The date of birth of John-4 [August 26, 1737] compared to the date of the will of THEODORICK-2 of July 26, 1736, almost proves that THEODORICK-3 was probably married before the death of his father.
The children of John Carter-4 and his wife, Mary, were: Ann Waddell Carter-5; Elizabeth Carter-5; Judith Carter-5; Sally Carter-5; Richard Carter-5; Theodorick Carter-5; Robert Carter-5, who was born December 20, 1770; James Carter-5; and Francis Carter-5, who died April 17, 1845. [The children of John Carter-4, courtesy of Dorothy Zongker, in a letter to the author, dated August 16, 1997.]
WILLIAM CARTER-4, was probably the second son, born in Prince Edward County about 1740. He is our ancestor and there will be more about him later. He died about 1810.
Theodorick Carter -4, born 1747, in Prince Edward County was a Revolutionary soldier. Published research states that he married a Miss Towne as his first wife and later married Judith Cunningham on April 16, 1764. He died July 13, 1805, in Cumberland, Virginia. He had a son, Samuel Carter-5, of Halifax County, Virginia, who married Elizabeth Holcombe Bibb and had several children with unusual names: Virginia S. B. Carter-6; John Halifax Carter-6; Elizabeth Cunningham Carter-6; America Bedord Carter-6; Louisiana Franklin Carter-6, Missouri Carter-6, Samuel Carter-6, Philemon Carter-6, Mary Carter-6, and Nathaniel Carter-6. Theodorick-4 was the executor of the will of his brother in Halifax County, Virginia.
Susannah Carter-4, married a man named Stubblefield. She was mentioned in her mother’s will.
Nancy Waddill Carter-4, married Thomas Thompson in Prince Edward County, Virginia.
Waddill Carter-4, died about 1782 in Prince Edward County. He married Mildred Wade and had a daughter, Nancy Carter-5, who married John Bissequ in 1786. Her marriage bond mentioned that her father was deceased. His will was executed April 6, 1782, and probated in July, 1782. His other children were James Carter-5, Theodorick Carter-5, John Carter-5, and at least two other daughters.
Molly Carter-4, unmarried in 1777.
Sally Carter-4, unmarried in 1777.
Samuel Carter-4, who inherited the “home place” and was a Revolutionary soldier who served in the Virginia line and lived until about 1829 or 1830. His children were William M. Carter-5, Edward A. Carter-5, and Margaret E. Carter-5, who married John P. Mittaure.
Richard Carter-4, had sons Richard Carter, Jr.-5, Samuel Carter-5, and daughter, Nancy Carter-5.
THEODORICK-3’s brother, John Carter-3, stayed in Henrico County and married a woman named Elizabeth. He also had a son named Theodorick Carter-4, as well as sons, William Carter-4, John Carter-4, Jacob Carter-4, Sherwood Carter-4, and a daughter Frances Carter-4, who married a man named Walton. John Carter-3 gave a slave each to his grandchildren, John Carter Walton, Mary Walton, and Elizabeth Walton, children of Frances [Carter-4] Walton. He gave to his son, William Carter-4, all the remaining lands adjoining that already owned by William-4 and bounded by other land deeded to William’s brother, Jacob-4. He gave slaves to Jacob Carter-4 and Mary Carter’s children.
The Henrico County Carters were probably all descendants of John Carter-3. William Carter-4 the son of John-3, must have been “something.” In 1769, he was 23 years old when he married an 85-year-old woman named Sarah Ellyson. The account of the marriage in the newspaper states that she was “a spritely old tit, with a fortune of 3,000 pounds.” That must have given the community something to talk about and laugh about for quite a while. He must have been an enterprising young man. This reference helps us distinguish this William Carter-4 from his cousin, our WILLIAM CARTER-4, though, so it is helpful, besides being funny. [Colonial Virginia, Its People and Customs. Pg. 185, from The Virginia Gazette of 1769.]
The sons of John Carter-3, son of THEODORICK CARTER-2 who remained in Henrico County were John Carter, Jr.-4, and Sherwood Carter-4. Their wills are recorded there. Wills for John-2’s sons, William Carter-3, Theodorick Carter-3, and Jacob Carter-3, have not been found. They may have left the area. There was a large group of Carters in Middlesex County who named their sons William, but we can safely say that these Carters have been eliminated as our line, even though they frequently use the name William. They don’t use any of the other important heirloom names.
ANN and THEODORICK CARTER-3 lived a prosperous life and acquired land and slaves to pass on to their children. They owned at least 11 slaves [named in the will] but may have owned more. Even 11 slaves was a fairly large estate, so they were apparently of the more “well-to-do” class in the area. From the descriptions of houses in that era, though, only the super wealthy owned anything that we could consider “large” today. Living conditions and possessions were different than today. People owned few pieces of clothing, many had no shoes at all. Forks were rare, with a few of the wealthier people having silver spoons, or metal spoons. The average person might not own a metal spoon. Glass or china plates were rare and expensive. Only those of the better classes might have such objects in their homes.
ANN WADDILL CARTER may have died sometimes before 1777 when THEODORICK-3’s will was written, as she was not mentioned. The failure to mention a wife in a will did not absolutely prove she was deceased, however. Two younger girls were still at home, and possibly destined to be “old maids.”