The Ancestry of Ann Hudson, Wife of Thomas Owsley II
By Ronny O. Bodine
This article was first published in the September 2010 issue
of the Owsley Family Historical Society Newsletter.
The following should be considered a work in progress. Readers are encouraged to continue working on these lines so as to remove any doubt of their validity or prove that interpretations were erroneous and provide the necessary evidence to support their own conclusions.
On the afternoon of Saturday, 5 June, I was sitting at a table in the library of the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville, on the final day of our 32nd Annual Meeting, pondering over an imponderable. Is the ancestry of Ann Hudson traceable? With all that has been published for that time period, nothing leapt off the page to provide that one important clue to open the path to her ancestry. Sage Joyner was sitting opposite me. Sage is a descendant of Rush Hudson, the man who was security for the administration by Sarah Hudson on her husband’s estate in 1730. I said that it seemed so unlikely that it was just coincidental that Rush Hudson came forward to provide this security and happened to have the same name as she and her late husband. Sage said why could he not have been his brother? I responded saying there was nothing anywhere that tied the two together other than this one reference. And then the clouds of confusion began to part. Indeed, they must have been brothers!
Let’s reexamine that singular clue. On 6 March 1729/30, in King George County, Virginia, administration was granted to Sarah Hudson, widow of William Hudson, decd. Rush Hudson provided security. The estate inventory was recorded 3 April 1730. [Court Order Book 1 (1721-34), p. 489; Bond Book 1 (1723-35), p. 27b; Inventory Book 1 (1721-41), p. 141].
Rush Hudson was the son of Rush Hudson Sr. and his unknown 1st wife. Rush Sr. died in 1735 and soon after, his widow (his 2nd wife) married Edward Turbervile. On 7 Nov 1735, administration on the estate of Rush Hudson was granted to Edward Turbervile and Sarah, his wife. [Court Order Book 2, p. 36]
Sarah Hudson Turbervile died shortly before 28 May 1761 on which date her son, Rush Hudson, presented his mother’s will of 18 June 1760, before the court of Orange County, Virginia. Therein, Sarah Turbervile, of Orange County named her sons as John Willis, William Willis, Henry Wood, David Hudson, Joshua Hudson, and Rush Hudson and daughter Sarah Hawkins, and Rush Hudson’s children Rush, Mary and Elizabeth. [Orange Co. Will Book 2 (1744-78), p. 310-311] Sarah Turbervile had been married 4 times, being the widow of William Willis (d. 1716), Henry Wood (d. 1722), Rush Hudson (d. 1735) and Edward Turbervile (d. 1750).
Because the will of Sarah Turbervile failed to name a son William Hudson, I was thrown into a state of uncertainty. That is when Sage Joyner pointed out she named only her living children and three favorite grandchildren in her will and that is why William was not included. He had died 30 years before, perhaps even before she married her 3rd husband, Rush Hudson. Of course, it then all made more sense. Why would she name the deceased child of her former husband unless she was planning on leaving a bequest to his children, which she did not.
So, before moving on, it is necessary to make it clear that there is no hard, direct evidence, as yet, that proves William Hudson was the son of Rush Hudson Sr. Only the fact that Rush Hudson (Jr.) came forward to serve as security for Sarah Hudson on William’s estate is there a connection to associate the three men. If one accepts this premise then the ancestry of William Hudson unfolds.
The following genealogies have taken the lines back as far as can be proven. If one searches the internet all sorts of connections may be presented as apparently factual when the only thing tying them together is a common name. There is speculation that Joshua Hudson was the son of a John Hudson, based on the belief that if John Hudson had a son Joshua, then Joshua Hudson of Westmoreland County must be the one. And just because the two men may have actually lived in the same county does not establish a relationship. Until evidence is presented to the contrary, the following accounts are based upon facts and not hearsay or wishful thinking. If there is any uncertainty, then it will be clearly stated to that effect.
THE HUDSON FAMILY
of Westmoreland County, Virginia
JOSHUA HUDSON was born, perhaps about 1650. On 3 Jan 1673/4, Wm. Rush gave to Jossua Hudson of Upper Machoteck 100 acres “For natural love and affection I bear unto my daughter Elizth. As also a marriage contracted and so solemnized between Jossua Hudson of Upper Machoteck and my said daughter.” [Westmoreland Co. Deeds, Patents, etc. (1665-77), p. 175a-176]
Upper Machoteck refers to Machodoc Creek which in 1653 was made the dividing line with Northumberland County from which Westmoreland County had been formed in July of that year. So, unless Joshua was several years younger, he may have been born in Northumberland County.
Joshua Hudson died leaving a will written 6 June 1704 and proved 26 July 1704. Therein he made bequests to sons John Hudson, Joshua Hudson, Caleb Hudson and Rush Hudson. He appointed his wife Elizabeth and son Joshua Hudson as executors. [Westmoreland Co. Wills, 1701-07, p. 246-247]
By his wife, Elizabeth Rush, Joshua Hudson was the father of:
RUSH HUDSON was born, perhaps 1678-1680, as the 4th son of Joshua Hudson. On 22 April 1708, he and his brother Caleb witnessed the will of their brother John in Westmoreland County [Deeds and Wills, 1707-09, p. 137-8]. The name of his 1st wife is not known. Before 6 July 1722, he married Sarah Wood, widow of Henry Wood and previously of William Willis. It was on that date that administration on the estate of Henry Wood was granted to Rush Hudson and his wife, Sarah, widow of the deceased. On 7 June 1723, the King George County Court dismissed charges against Rush Hudson for not attending church after Hudson stated he was a member of the Quaker Communion. [King George Co. Order Book, 1721-23, p. 92] Rush Hudson died intestate before 7 Nov 1735 when Edward Turbervile and Sarah, his wife, were appointed administrators of his estate. An inventory and appraisal was submitted to the court on 5 Dec 1735 showing a valuation of 238 pounds, 8 shillings and 8 pence. The inventory included 7 slaves. As noted earlier, Sarah Turbervile died leaving a will written 18 June 1760, proved 28 May 1761. Rush Hudson, by his 1st wife, was the father of Rush, Jr.; Joshua, David and of:
WILLIAM HUDSON was born, perhaps around 1698 and died before 6 March 1729/30 when administration on his estate was granted to his widow, Sarah Hudson, with security by Rush Hudson. Sarah Hudson married 2ndly, Benjamin Settle, and left a will as Sarah Settle, written 9 Dec 1750 and proved in King George County on 2 Jan 1755. Therein she named as heirs, son William Hudson and daughter Lucy Hudson and grandson William Allan. [Will Book A, p. 39-41]. Her daughter, Lucy Hudson, also left a will, written 24 July 1756 and proved 2 Sept 1756 wherein she named as her heirs, brother William Hudson, sisters Ann Housley, Martha Peril and Elizabeth Allan, and cousins Samuel Peril and Pine Housley. [Will Book A, p. 52-53] William Hudson was the father of:
ANN HUDSON. Born, perhaps 1716/7. Her 1st husband is not known, but the marriage was brief, producing a son, John, born about 1733/4. Her 2nd husband was Thomas Owsley II of Fairfax County. Thomas II accepted Ann’s son, John, as his own, and thus, as John Owsley I he founded the Tennessee branch of the Owsley family. Ann went on to bear her husband 8 more children and survived her husband’s death in 1750. She was named Ann Housley in the 1756 will of her sister Lucy Hudson which is the latest date that can be established for certain that she was yet living.
The RUSH FAMILY
of Westmoreland County, Virginia
WILLIAM RUSH. Two men named William Rush are known to have come to America in the first half of the 17th-century. The first William Rush arrived in 1635 aboard the Matthew when he was 20 years old. The second William Rush was transported in 1650 by Sir Thomas Huntsford, Bnt. It seems likely that one of these men was the father of:
WILLIAM RUSH. In or before 1658, William Rush married Anne, daughter of Francis Gray. The following deed, written 20 Nov 1658, was recorded in Westmoreland County on 28 Nov 1658 (Deeds & Wills, Vol. 1, p. 78):
Francis Gray of Appamattox, Westmoreland Co. to William Rush for many and sundry considerations me there unto moving as well as the tender affection I bear unto my daughter, Anne, have and doe by these presents freely give, make over and bestow upon and unto William Rush, husband unto my said daughter, a tract of land containing 100 acres, being part of a tract owned by me lying in the county aforesaid, and being at a place commonly called the Round Hills, nigh unto the Machodick river—to William Rush and his heirs by the body of my said daughter, forever. The said William Rush yielding and paying unto me and my heirs for an acknowledgement, one pepper corn an annum, the said pepper corn to be paid at or upon the feast of St. Michael, the archangel.
The aforesaid 100-acre tract was in turn given on 3 Jan 1673/4 to Joshua Hudson upon his marriage to William Rush’s daughter Elizabeth (refer to the above account of Joshua Hudson).
Three generations of William Rush’s are attested to in the following lease and release of land recorded in Westmoreland County Deed Book 8-2, p. 145-147:
William Rush of Washington Parish, Westmoreland Co., Va. to Rev. David Stuart, of St. Paul’s Parish, Stafford Co., Va., being 100 acres purchased from Robert Howson by William Rush, the grandfather of the above mentioned grantor and lesser, and granted by deed of gift to William Rush his son, the father of the above grantor, as by deed bearing date the 22 July 1689, relation thereunto being had, may more at large appear, and now descended by inheritance to William Rush, the grantor thereof, the grandson to the above William Rush, the first purchaser hereof, the which tract was re-patented and granted to William Rush the first purchaser aforesaid the 10th January, 1704.
William Rush was living 22 July 1689 when he deeded the above 100 acres to his son, but what became of him remains to be determined. Because of the three generations all bearing the same name it is difficult to distinguish what event pertains to whom. The third William Rush died 1707-8 and it was Joshua Hudson who was one of his creditors (Westmoreland Co. Deeds and Wills, Book 4, p. 165)
ELIZABETH RUSH. Wife of Joshua Hudson. See the above account.
The GRAY FAMILY
of Westmoreland County, Virginia
Note: The spelling Gray and Grey was often used interchangeably.
FRANCIS GRAY. Born before 1616. He was one of the first emigrants to Maryland, found living in 1637 at St. George’s Hundred just three years after the arrival of Leonard Calvert and his emigrants. That year he served St. George’s Hundred in the General Assembly of Maryland and was reelected annually until 1643. On 26 Nov 1638, Francis Gray applied for a license to marry Alice Moorman, which license was issued (Archives of Maryland, IV, p. 51). Alice Moorman had been brought to Virginia in 1637 by Capt. Thomas Cornwallis, one of the Council of Maryland (Neill’s Founders of Maryland, p. 78).
From The William and Mary Quarterly, XII [1904], p. 267-8: Owing to the disturbances in Maryland occasioned by William Clayborne and the differences between Catholics and Protestants, several settlements were formed about 1638 on the south bank of the Potomac, at Machodoc and Chicacoan, under the government of Virginia. Francis Gray took an active part in these troubles against Lord Baltimore, and finally found it more agreeable to settle in Virginia. He sold his cattle in Maryland in 1647, and removing to Machodoc, Westmoreland County, Va., died there in 1667.
Francis Grey patented 1000 acres in Westmoreland County on 16 July 1654 for transporting 20 persons to America, including one George Rush, which patent was renewed 18 March 1662. He patented another 374 acres on 16 Nov 1664. (Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Books 3, p. 288 and 5, p. 501)
The will of Francis Grey was written 7 June 1667 and proved 31 July 1667. Therein he referred to his loving wife Alice Grey, son Francis Grey, daughter Anne Rush, the wife of William Rush, and Ann Lancelott, the daughter of John Lancelott. His widow, Alice Grey, was appointed as executrix. (Westmoreland Co. Deeds and Wills, 1653-1671, p. 312-313)
ANNE GRAY. Wife of William Rush. See the above account.
The GRAY, RUSH, HUDSON and OWSLEY Families
FRANCIS GRAY = ALICE MOORMAN WILLIAM RUSH = N.N.
d. 1667
|______________ _____________|
| |
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ANN GRAY = WILLIAM RUSH
|
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JOSHUA HUDSON = ELIZABETH RUSH
c1650-1704 |
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N.N. = RUSH HUDSON = SARAH
d. before d. 1735 d. 1760
1722 m. 4: Edward Turberville
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WILLIAM HUDSON = SARAH RUSH HUDSON
d. 1729/30 d. 1755 living 1760
m. 2: Benjamin Settle Security for Sarah Hudson
| 1730
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N.N. = ANN HUDSON = THOMAS OWSLEY II
d. 1750
| |
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JOHN OWSLEY I 8 CHILDREN
c1733-1764
Adopted by
Thomas Owsley II
Read more:
The Two Wives of Thomas Owsley II
"The Full Story"
The Two Wives of Thomas Owsley II
"There’s More to the Story"
