Col. William Edmiston

b. between 1734 and 1736, d. 30 July 1822
FatherJohn Edmiston d. 1771
Birthbetween 1734 and 1736 Col. William Edmiston was born between 1734 and 1736, probably on the 27th of April, and probably in Cecil County, Maryland.1,2 
Anecdote  William's father settled the family in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was not a large landowner. Hence, as young adults, William and his younger brother Samuel decided to explore the lands of southwest Virginia. Because the Indians were a real threat to safe travel the brothers enlisted for 3 months in a British regiment whose charge was to protect the frontier.

During this time William, not familiar with the formalities observed by the British soldiers, made the mistake of speaking to an officer without taking off his hat. This resulted in William being severely rebuked. William considered this degrading and after retreating to his comrades, threatened to shoot the officer who had insulted him. Samuel had great difficulty in preventing his older brother from carrying out this threat.

Col. Christian, an officer who knew William, wrote to Gov. Dunmore that he had a high spirited solder in his corp, who unless he was made an officer was likely to do mischief. William's commision arrived shortly thereafter.3 
Marriage He married first Margaret Montgomery.4 
Land-Warrant16 Dec 1773  William, who eventually served as an ensign, received a warrant for 2,000 acres in Fincastle County for his service during the French-Indian War.5 
Land-Patent5 Jul 1774  The land was patented to William as two separate 1,000 acre tracts on July 5, 1774. The parcels sat between the South and Middle Forks of the Holston River in what was then Fincastle (now Washington County). The land ran for over 5 miles in an east-west direction between the South fork and present day highway 91, placing it to the northeast and southwest of the community of Lodi.6 
Land-Sell27 Jul 1775  A year later, on July 27, 1775, William and Margaret sold all but 168 acres of the 2000 acres to various Buchanan or Edmiston/Edmondson individuals. The parcel they kept was on the east end of the east parcel however they do not appear to have lived on this tract.7,8 
Marriage William married second Elizabeth Kennedy.9,10 
Land-Sell9 Aug 1778  On the 9th of August 1778 William sold the remaining 168 acre parcel. Elizabeth also signed the deed, establishing that they had married prior to that date. The transaction was witnessed by Thomas Edmundson, William Kennedy and James Wason.9 
Military7 Oct 1780  William served in the Washington County militia both before and during the Revolutionary War. He was actively involved in many of the skirmishes along the frontier. By the time the Washington Co. militia marched "over the mountain" to fight the British forces at King's Mountain in the fall of 1780, William held the rank of Major. He was second in command of the Virginia forces in the ensuing battle. On Oct. 7th a group of combined militia from southwest Virginia and present day Tennessee defeated a larger contingency of Loyalist troups under British Major Patrick Ferguson. The frontiersmens' victory turned the tide of the Southern campaign following a series of defeats at the hand of British leader Lord Cornwallis.11  
Land-Grant20 Jun 1785  William received a grant for 400 acres on the Middle Fork of the Holston River in Washington County in June 1785 by virtue of a certificate in right of settlement. William was an assignee of Samuel Wilson who was an assignee of Joshua Horton. The land was surveyed 28 Jan. 1783. On Sept. 29th, 1802 William received a second grant which included the first 400 acres and added an additional 200.12,13,14 
  The bulk of this land sat on the north side of the Middle Fork of the Holston River just west of present day Price's Bridge Road. William's home overlooked the river about one half mile west of Price's Bridge on State Rt. 736.15  
Land-Sell28 Apr 1809  In 1809 William gifted his right to land on the waters of the Elk River in Tennessee to 13 of his children as tenants in common for $1. The children were listed as: Samuel, Robert, Thomas, William Jr., Andrew, General William Campbell, Margaret Harold, Esther Kenedy, Mary Mcoun [McQuown or McEwen], Patsy Gillespy [Gillespie], Elisabeth Edmiston, Sallly Edmiston and Catesy Moffet Edmiston. However the children were charged with the costs of locating and surveying the land and satisfying the claims of Joseph Loppard and Joseph Cunningham on a portion of the land.16 
Will29 Oct 1811  William wrote his will in the fall of 1811. He left several slaves to his wife Elizabeth as well as a third of the land on which the family lived. Upon her death or remarriage the land was to be divided between William's sons Robert, William, Andrew and General W.C. Daughter "Ketsy" M. Edmiston was also left several items, including a slave [see will abstract below for more details]. William appointed his sons Andrew and Thomas as his executors; the will was witnessed by Samuel Edmiston, Edward W. Grinstead and Andrew Patterson.17 
Death30 Jul 1822 William died on 30 Jul 1822.18 
Attributes Judge Benjamin Estill, the stepson of William's brother Samuel, offered the following thoughts on William in 1845: "I knew Col. Wm Edmondson most intimately; and can say that from all I have __ of his history as well as from my knowledge of him, that few more gallant __ and honorable men ever lived in any country and that to such gallant spirits this country is indebted for its independence and to few more than to him. To such men statutes have been erected in other countries, yet his name and service are likely to pass away without notice or recollection, than that bestowed by his ___ acquaintenances."3 

Related Links and Images:

William's will
In 1881 Col. Edmiston's grandson, WmC Edmondson provided William Lowry (Clerk of the Washington Co. Ct) a transcript of the colonel's Family Bible Record which William Lowry then copied into a letter to historian Lyman Draper
Also see Benjamin Estill's letter to Lyman Draper about Col. Edmiston

Family 1

Margaret Montgomery d. bef Aug 1778
Children
  • Margaret Edmiston19,20 (16 Feb 1762 - )
  • John Edmiston19,20 (1764 - )
  • Esther Edmiston19,20 (13 Apr 1766 - )
  • Samuel Edmiston19,20 (7 Dec 1768 - )
  • Capt Robert Edmondson19,20,17 (24 May 1771 - 28 Jan 1823)
  • Thomas Edmiston+19,20,17 (4 Aug 1773 - 25 Oct 1822)
  • Mary Edmiston19,20 (22 Jan 1776 or 23 Jan 1776 - )

Family 2

Elizabeth Kennedy
Children
Last Edited16 Nov 2013

Citations

  1. [S5] Elizabeth Kelly Allison, Early Southwest Virginia Families, p. 97. Transcription of letter from Capt Andrew Edmondson to Gov. David Campbell re Andrew's father, dated 13 Jan 1846 at Washington Co. VA states that "My father was born in Cecil County, Md in the year 1734". This information is cited to Draper Manuscript, v. 10-11, p. 26.
  2. [S330] Lyman Chalkley, Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia Extracted From the Original Court Records of Augusta County 1745-1800, 2: 272. Data abstracted from an unpaginated book called "Records" includes a deposition by William Edmiston dated 18 April 1806 in Washington Co., VA that he is 70 or 71 years on on the "27th of this month" [year range would be 1735 or 1736].
  3. [S1394] Letter from B. Estill of Jonesville, Virginia to Lyman C. Draper, dated Aug. 21, 1845; Draper Manuscript Collection, Series ZZ (Virginia Papers 1753-1873), compiled by Lyman Draper (1815-1891), item 8ZZ17.
  4. [S2180] Letter from Wm G. Lowry, Clerk of the Co. Court, Abingdon, Virginia to Lyman C. Draper, dated Feb. 17, 1881; Draper Manuscript Collection, Series DD (King's Mountain Papers Vol 14-15), compiled by Lyman Draper (1815-1891), item 14DD65. William Lowry, in response to a request from Mr. Draper for information on William Edmiston, contacted Wm C. Edmondson [Col. Edmiston's grandson] who provided Mr. Lowry with a list of Col. Edmiston's children (1 list for each of his two wives), as well as each child's year of birth. Mr. Lowry noted that the information was from the Family Bible Record of Maj. [later Col.] Wm Edmiston. The first list of children is headed by this entry: "Maj Edmondsons first wife was a Miss Montgomery she had 7 children". The first child listed under this heading was Margaret born 1762.
  5. [S2346] Mary Kegley, "Bounty Land For Service in the French and Indian War" in Early Adventures on the Western Waters Vol I, 74 . William's warrant for 2,000 acres was listed at the back of Fincastle Co. Survey Bk A, but the survey itself was not found.
  6. [S2344] Virginia Land Office Patents No. 42: 511-514 and 524-527, Library of Virginia Online. Researched by Bob Ford.
  7. [S2341] Montgomery Co. Virginia Deed Bk A (includes Fincastle Co.): 115-137. The land was still in Fincastle County when William and Margaret sold it but after Fincastle County was divided into Montgomery, Washington and Kentucky (now state) Counties in 1776 it ceased to exist. Some of its records were transferred to Montgomery County.
  8. [S66] Bob and Donna Ford, "Wm Edmiston's 2 1000 acre tracts," e-mail to Diana Powell, 25 Oct. 2009. Research by Bob Ford noting that the most eastern of the tracts William and Margaret sold in 1775 listed as the neighbor on the east side one William Brownlee. Since William still owned that adjacent tract it appears he was not actually living on it but was perhaps leasing all or part of it.
  9. [S1046] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 1: 14. Deed dated 9 Aug. 1778 from William and Elizabeth Edmundson to Moses Edmundson, 168 acres on the Middle Fork of the Holston River, part of Edmiston's 1,000 grant. Researched by Bob Ford.
  10. [S2180] Letter from Wm G. Lowry, Clerk of the Co. Court, Abingdon, Virginia to Lyman C. Draper, dated Feb. 17, 1881; Draper Manuscript Collection, Series DD (King's Mountain Papers Vol 14-15), compiled by Lyman Draper (1815-1891), item 14DD65. William Lowry, in response to a request from Mr. Draper for information on William Edmiston, contacted Wm C. Edmondson [Col. Edmiston's grandson] who provided Mr. Lowry with a list of Col. Edmiston's children (1 list for each of his two wives), as well as each child's year of birth. Mr. Lowry noted that the information was from the Family Bible Record of Maj. [later Col.] Wm Edmiston. The second list of children is headed by this entry: "his second wife was Miss Kennedy who had 8 children". The first child listed under this heading was Martha M. born 1779.
  11. [S2850] Lyman Draper, King's Moutain and It's Heroes (Cinncinnati, Ohio: 1881; reprint Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997), p. 402.
  12. [S1438] Virginia Land Office Grants Q: 146, Library of Virginia Online.
  13. [S2347] Thomas Colley, Washington County, Virginia Surveys & Commissioners Certificates 1781-1897, p. 187.
  14. [S2348] Virginia Land Office Grants No. 51: 107, Library of Virginia Online.
  15. [S2851] J. Allen Neal, 1776-1976 Bicentennial History of Washington Co., Virginia, p. 472. Article includes letter from Dr. J. William Ashworth, who purchased Col. Edmiston's home in 1973 and moved it to his own property where it was reconstructed.
  16. [S2152] Washington Co., Virginia Deed Book 4: p. 239. The deed was dated 28 April 1809 and recorded 17 Oct. 1809; witnessed by: William Craig, Samuel Edmison, John Kelly Jr., Richard Deen.
  17. [S858] William Edmiston will (recorded 1822), Washington Co., VA Will Book 5: 57. The will was dated 29 Oct. 1811 and proved at court 20 Aug. 1822.
  18. [S5] Elizabeth Kelly Allison, Early Southwest Virginia Families, p. 97. Transcription of letter from Capt Andrew Edmondson to Gov. David Campbell re Andrew's father, dated 13 Jan 1846 at Washington Co. VA.
  19. [S2180] Letter from Wm G. Lowry, Clerk of the Co. Court, Abingdon, Virginia to Lyman C. Draper, dated Feb. 17, 1881; Draper Manuscript Collection, Series DD (King's Mountain Papers Vol 14-15), compiled by Lyman Draper (1815-1891), item 14DD65. William Lowry, in response to a request from Mr. Draper for information on William Edmiston, contacted Wm C. Edmondson [Col. Edmiston's grandson] who provided Mr. Lowry with a list of Col. Edmiston's children (1 list for each of his two wives), as well as each child's year of birth. Mr. Lowry noted that the information was from the Family Bible Record of Maj. [later Col.] Wm Edmiston.
  20. [S2350] Document identified as a copy of the Family Record of Maj. William Edmiston of Washington Co., Virginia from Bible dated 1756. Entries copied by May (Mrs. Harry) Dunn of Tulsa, OK. probably between 1930 and 1950. The list is now held by Mrs. Dunn's descendants. The location of the original Bible is not known.