Report on William Ethington
by Harold D. Ethington
9802 Chylene Drive
Sandy, Utah 84092
(801) 942-0918
30 Nov 1989Evidence supporting William Ethington as Father of the several Ethington men in Culpeper and Spotsylvania counties Virginia in the middle 1700's is as follows (note: Research conducted in 1992 indicates that the imported felon William Ethington cannot be the father of the Spotsylvania family. See that report.):
On 21 Apr 1741 a William Ethington, felon, is taken from a Surry England jail and sent, along with 159 others to Patapsco Maryland. Andrew Reid, of London, contracted the transportation, and was the responsible party. The ships used were the Mediterranean and the Speedwell, under the direction of Capt. George Harrot. In his book, Bonded Passengers to America, author Peter Wilson Coldham states the following:
"By whatever means the convicts found themselves condemned to a period of hard labour in the American colonies, they came together for the first time with others of their kind on the transport ships. After 1718 such ships were provided by a Government appointed contractor who received a per capita fee from State funds to cover the cost of the transatlantic journey. Specially equipped ships, often ex-slavers with the maximum between-decks accommodation and facilities for shackling prisioners, sailed regularly from the London docks to Virginia and Maryland where the convicts were sold to the highest bidder at public auction. Few, when their sentences expired, contrived to return to their native county, and it must be assumed that the greater majority were assimilated into American colonial society to make a new life for themselves and for their descendants."
(page ix)
Additional information regarding indentured servants is found in "Virginians At Home - Family Life in the Eighteenth Century" by Edmund S. Morgan. Mr. Morgan states:"The importation of servants was actually a business in itself, in which a number of middlemen profited before the servant reached his final master. Sometimes dealers known as "Soul-drivers" purchased whole shiploads of servants and drove them through the countryside, selling them like so many pots and pans to whoever would buy. More often a ship carrying servants would anchor off Leedstown or Yorktown, where a dealer would advertise the cargo and those who needed servants would come and purchase them."
(page 56)"Criminals facing execution in England were sometimes given the alternative of transportation to the colonies with their labor to be sold for a period of seven or fourteen years depending on the gravity of the offence, partly as a punishment and partly in order to pay the costs of transportation. Convicts served Virginia masters in a variety of capacities. They were frequently highly skilled in industrial trades and furnished a valuable addition to the labor force of the colony."
(page 57)
We find no record of William Ethington in Maryland (see Lineages report of 14 July 1986 by Slaughter), but there remain several areas to be investigated. Slaughter suggests that first, the Treasury books need to be searched for the affidavit confirming that William arrived in America. His reference number is T/53/40 p. 338.During the Summer of 1988 Leslie and Ray Ethington were able to go to London and extract the original records on William's deportment. They copied the complete list of passengers, but no familiar names were evident. There is a substantial amount of documentation that needs further inspection and study.
While the state of Maryland yields no mention of William Ethington, there are a number of referrences to (a) William Ethington just across the bay in Virginia. Each of these events will be listed in chronological order.
VIRGINIA REFERRENCES TO WILLIAM ETHINGTON:
7 Feb 1743 Spots Co VA
"William Earinton is allowed for one days attendance having been sworn as an evidence for Joseph Penn against Musicks..."
Spots Co Va
Court Orders page 249/250
7 Feb 1743I have searched for this case in both Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County courthouses, and have not found it.
4 Aug 1747 Spots Co VA
"On the motion of William Eatherton he is allowed for two days attendance as an evidence for Nicholas Randall against Benjamine Holliday..."
Spots Co Va
Court Orders page 429/430
4 Aug 1747Again, a great effort has been made to locate this case file with no success. Courthouses in both Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County have been searched. Note that Benjamine Holliday is closly tied to the Ethington family in their later Spotsylvania activities. Also, Benjamine Holliday is wittness for the George Peterson Will naming daughter Lucy Ethington (see Peterson, below).
March Court 1749/1750 Spots Co VA
David Anderson v. William Etherington. The deft moves for leave to plead divers matters, and says that cause of action did not accrue within 5 years, and that the bill filed is not his deed, and the same is continued.April Court 1750 Spots Co VA
DAvid Anderson vs William Etherton continued.July Court 1750 Spots Co VA
DAvid Anderson vs. William Etherton continued at plt's cost.
3 Jun 1755
"Joseph Holliday appointed overseer from Mr. Zachy Lewis's mill into the road that leads to Mat'a. Church and into the road that goes down the country and from the old Chapple Bridge into the mill road. His gang viz. himself, Colson's tithes, on the N. side of ENE Joseph Peterson, Wm. Atherington, Robt Grigory, Jos Gregory, Anth' Golsony, David Sandigo tithes."
Spots Co Va
Court Orders page 9
3 Jun 1755Here we find William Ethington listed on the North side of East North East Creek as a neighbor of Joseph Peterson. Mr. Peterson is the father of Lucy Peterson, who later married James Ethington. Mr. Peterson's son, James, paid taxes for both James Ethington (deceased), and Joseph Ethington in the year 1775. Joseph Peterson had a large estate, and it is possible in view of the above that he had purchased William Ethington's shoemaking abilities as an indentured servant when he arrived from England. Perhaps, at the end of his servitude, William stayed and settled near the Peterson plantation. His son James married Peterson's daughter, Lucy, and Peterson's son James was close enough to William's sons James and Joseph that he paid their taxes for them. This is all conjecture, but seems likely.
7 Mar 1769
"Thomas Steward is appointed overseer of the road in the room of John Etherington from the top of the Fall Hill to Fredericksburg to the falm on the landing."
Spots Co Va
Court Orders, page 33
7 Mar 1769This John Etherington has not yet been identified. John Ethington, husband of Susan Suckly, who served in the Revolution, recalled that there was another man of the same name in Wallace's company.
14 Dec 1769
A notice appeared in the Virginia Gazette 14 Dec 1769, placed by William Ethington for the owner of a lost horse to pick him up. As follows:"Taken up in Spotsylvania, a dark grey horse, about 4 feet
6 inches high, branded on the off shoulder, X, he has
several feathers on his neck..."- William Edinton
(GS film # 0029720)
June, 1775
William Ethington is wittness for George Peterson selling land to Clayton Coleman. Lucy Ethington, widow of James, later (1781) also sells to Clayton Coleman.
1782 -
Property tax records from 1782 forward show a William Ethington, apparently of advanced years (note that he is not tithable), living in Spotsylvania County. He is often associtate with Joseph Ethington, and a William Ethington Jr. These property tax records were found in the Virginia State Library (See HE report of 6 Sep 1989) and show the following:1782 Etherton, Wm 0 tithe, 3 cattle, 1 horse
1783 Edinton, John 1 tithe, 1 horse, 2 cattle
Edinton, Joseph 1 tithe, 1 horse
1784 Etherton, Joseph 1 tithe, 2 horses
1785 Edrington, Joseph (not clear)
1786 Etherton, William Jr. 1 tithe, 3 horses, 5 cattle
1787 Eatherton, Joseph 1 tithe
Eatherton, William 0 tithe, 3 cattle
Eatherton, William Jr. 1 tithe, 3 cattle, 2 horses
1788 Etherton, Joseph 1 tithe, 1 horse
Etherton, John 1 tithe, 1 horse
1789 Eatherton, Joseph 1 tithe
1790 Ethington not found
1791 Eatherton, Joseph 1 tithe, no property
1792 Ethington not found
1793 Ethington not found
1794 Ethington not found
1795 Ethington not found
1796 Eatherton, John 1 tithe, 1 horse
Eatherton, Jospeh 1 tithe, no property
1797 Eatherton, John 1 tithe, 1 horse
Eatherton, Joseph 1 tithe, no property
1798 Atherton, John 1 tithe, 2 horses
1799 Atherton, John 1 tithe, 2 horses
1800 Eatherton, John 1 tithe, 2 horsesThe last time William, the assumed father of William Jr., Joseph, James, John and Francis appears on the tax rolls of Spots Co Va is in 1787. Joseph was married to the mother of Fielding probably in late 1789 or early 1790 (calculating from the birth of Fielding), or, as Ivory Ethington put it (in the 1960's) "Shortly after his father's death". Joseph and Mary's last child, Jeremiah, was born in April 1796. Joseph is last seen on the tax rolls in the year 1798. If Joseph was 45 years old when his father (William) died in 1787/1788, Joseph would have been born in 1743, just two years after William's arrival in Maryland. He could have been William's first child. All facts seem to support the statement of Ivory Ethington. No facts found to date contradict it.
16 Aug 1782
"Ordered that the following hands serve under Thomas Herderwson, overseer (of the) road E N E Bridge to Spence Heads _______ with B. Holladay, Wm Dawson, Jos. Etherton, ________ Pulliam, Jos. Pulliam, Reub Mafacy, Hen___, Tho Henderson, Henry Head, Isaac Head, Davis Head, and Wm Smith..."
Spots Co Va
Court Orders page 240
16 Aug 1782This entry in the court orders book for August 1782 indicates that Joseph Ethington is living in the same area as William Ethington was in 1755 (see above).
Until evidence is found to the contrary, I think we can safely conclude that one William Ethington found in Spots Co Va as early as the 1740's is the likely father of 5 sons: James, William, Joseph, Francis, and John - all found in the Spots records. It is not so clear (at this date) that the William imported from Sury England to Maryland is the same man.
END OF REPORT OF 30 NOV 1989 BY HE.
Letter received July 1992 from Alvin Ethington of Claremont Graduate School in Southern California, (grandson of Peter H. Ethington):"Our family tradition states that our family came from Ireland to Virginia. Research I did in college states that the family name - Ethington / Etherington - refers to the town of Aetherington in Devonshire in England, although I do not have the reference. I assume we are part of the Anglo - Irish stock that lived in Ireland for a while before going elsewhere. My father, indeed, has met members of our family from Ireland. There might have been some intermarriage with Scots (The Scots - Irish of the colonial period in what was to become the United States), but we are definitely not full-blooded Scots."
end of Alvin Ethington Comments.
------------------------------------------------ Note by HDE
Nov 1992:
Research by Lineages INC of SLC Utah, casts doubt on William Ethington being the felon immigrant from England. Their thesis is that he was a part of the Stafford County VA Ethington family, but no proof. Evidence indicates that this William could not (NOT) be the felon. See report.
NAME:
There is only one reference to the possible wife of William Ethington Sr. in Spots Co Va. It appears in the court orders books, 8 Nov 1786 page 40. There, Fanny Etherton is allowed for 3 days attendance as witness for Davis vs. Brasfield (This case file has not yet been found).Need to search for newspaper referecnes to Davis vs. Brasfield. Also check surrounding counties for newspaper references. Check Spots Co deeds and wills for Davis and Brasfield.
In 1786 three of William Ethington Sr's sons were living. They were
John, married to Susan Suckley
William Jr., married to Caty Suckley
Joseph, married (about 1790) to Polly Pines.Sons Francis and James, who was married to Lucy Peterson, were dead. Francis died single.
From this it can be seen that none of the wives of the sons could have been the Fanny Ethington who testified at the Lane trial. (It is possible however that one of Joseph's wives prior to Polly Pines could have been named Fanny, and still active in the community. This should be looked at more closely).
There was a Fanny Ethington married to Benjamine Eddings in Culpeper Co about 1808, but it has been shown that she was a daughter of William Ethington Jr. and his wife Caty. This Fanny would have been born in about 1788, making her too young to be the Fanny testifying in Spots Co in 1786.
Based on the above, and until further evidence shows to the contrary, we will assume that the Fanny who testified in 1786 has to be the wife of William Ethington Sr., the father of William, John, James, Francis, and Joseph.
Note that Fanny could have been an older unmarried daughter of William the
immigrant.- Harold D. Ethington
19 Nov 1989Temple work was done on 11 Oct 1989 for the wife of William Ethington under the name of "Mrs. William Ethington". The name "Fanny" had not been identified as the most likely name of his wife at the time of submission. The ordinence dates listed under Fanny's name in this record will be those done under name of Mrs. William Ethington.
Additional Ordinance Date per IGI:
E: 14 Oct 1989 JRIVE
National Archives Rev War Records shows the following:
Year: 1784
Name: Etherton, Francis
State: Virginia
War: Revolutionary
Card Numbers: 37410013
Date Listed: Not Dated
Enlisted by: Reinlisted by Ensign Smith
Number of Record: 56
Copist: J.B. Sitler (21)Spottsylvania County Court Orders of 1 Nov 1785, page 154 state the following:
"It appearing to the court that Francis Atherton inlisted in the Continental army during the war and that the said Francis died in the service of the states and that Wm. Atherton Jr. is the legal their and representative of the said dec'd."
The inheritance laws of Virginia in effect as of the above date state the following:
"Prior to 1786, a will in Virginia did not have to name the wife or the eldest son. Their inheritance was set by lay... If a man was unmarried, his heir at law was his eldest brother, never his father or is uncle."
Blue Grass Roots, Winter 1987 via
Genealogical Aids Bulletin V.18 issue 2From this we see that William Ethington Jr. was the eldest (living) brother
to Francis Ethington, killed in the revolutionary war. Since William Ethington was a Jr., we can assume that his father was William Ethington Sr., and that both William Jr. and Francis are his sons. While it was the custom to call unrelated men of the same name by Jr. and Sr., I feel that geographical considerations and the surrounding evidence support the conculsion that William and Francis are brothers, and sons of William Sr.There is no further reference to Francis in Spots Co Va records. The National Archives does list Francis as a veteran of the war, but there is no detail.
- Harold D. Ethington
19 Nov 1989
HUSBAND'S AGE AT MARR: 22
WIFE'S AGE AT MARR : 16
LESTER CHINN MD 2ND 5 DEC 1947 RUTH HOLMES.Address at 1971:
Lester Chinn Armstrong
2530 S 6th East
Salt Lake City UT 84106In family group sheet filled out by Lester Chinn Armstrong, he states that he was born near Grafenburg, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY. He also states that he was married to Emma Ethington in Jeffersonville, Clark IN.
See notes for father, John Ethington.
This Fred Ethington may be the same person as Fred Ethington-2845. Need further information.Note from son, Fred H. Ethington Jr.:
"Father married second time to Mary Gladys Capitoe."22 Sep 1990:
Letter from Violet Marsh dated 15 Dec 1970 identifies Fred as son of John T. Ethington, of Kansas City MO. Fred-2845 and Fred-3248 are different people.
Duplicate Ordinance Work:
B: 1 Dec 1995 BOUNT
E: 28 Jan 1997 BOUNT
SS: 4 Feb 1997 BOUNT
Duplicate ordinance work:
B: 3 May 1997 BOUNT
E: 21 Oct 1997 BOUNT
Per Evelyn Carter Ethington, died in the flu epidemic of 1919.
"Her Uncle was a governor."
Letter from Calvin Ethington to Roy EThington Sep 1990.