Hawkins, General Williams

THE HAWKINS FAMILY
supplemental information on the early Benjamin Hawkins family of Buncombe County,
submitted by Dexter ttawkins, R.R. #1, Box 18, Noble, MO 65715
GENERAL WILLIAM HAWKINS (1750-1804)
William Hawkins was born in Baltimore County, Maryland, the son of John and Mary (Simpkins) Hawkins, on October 5, 1750, according to the register of St. Thomas Protestant Episcopal Church. Was in Surry Co.,NC. (Stokes, 1789) by the 26th of October 1772 where he started his settlement of 200 acres of land.

He joined the North Carolina Militia troops in the Revolutionary War, Upper Salisbury District. Received for his war effort, the following from North Carolina:

Cash, one pound silver. No.1291; 13th of October 1783, Land grant of 200 acres, #506; [This first grant was in Surry County, NC., signed by Governor Alexander Martin.]

10th of July 1899,1and grant # 117, 3.510 acres in Western District of NC (Tennessee). signed by H. Rutherford, D.S.

The Tennessee land was on the South Fork of Forked Deer River near present day Dyersburg, TN. His first wife is believed to be Jemima Brittain. They had three sons. William married (2) Nancy Tilley about 1789, and they had five children. He left a non-cupative will. [Stokes Co., 1804] [See Heritage of Stokes

County, NC Vol. 2, page 49 1/2,50.] He was buried in Stokes Co., NC. He died April 29, 1804 being about 54 years of age.

Issue of William, Sr., and Jemima (Brittain) Hawkins:

  1. Benjamin Hawkins [on the 1790 census -see page 92-53 in A Lot of Bunkum.] [See also, Heritage of Old Buncombe Co. Vol. I, art.#372, page 225, and material in L/B. Sept. 1991, page 81.] It is believed he may have gone on to Tennessee.
  2. James Hawkins, first appears on the 1800 census of Buncombe County. He remained in Buncombe County, until his death.
  3. William Hawkins, Jr. – married a Cherokee girl before 1800, should have been in the 1800 census with one son and one daughter. Probably moved to the western district, (Tennessee) by around 1820.

Issue of William, Sr., and Nancy (Tilley) Hawkins:

4. Nelly Hawkins.
5. Betsy Hawkins.
6. Nancy Hawkins
8. Lazarus Hawkins.
9. Joel Hawkins.

Sources: Barnes, Robert W.,: Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759; copyright 1989.
US Census Bureau H252.
–ALOB Vol.XIII No. 7 July 1982, p 92-61

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