1. William Chapman, Glover, m. Margaret …
1.1. John Chapman, bapt. Feb. 4, 1615, m. Edith Hicks, 14 Apr. 1645.
1.2. Katherine Chapman, bapt. Nov. 17, 1611, m. Richard Mayo, Oct. 19, 1640; grandparents of James Mayo, father of Abigail Mayo: Indenture, July 28, 1744, betw. Abigail Mayo of Brunswick, St. Andrews Par., and Michael Wall of same, £5, s side of Falling Run, 100a. granted by pat. to James Mayo, Feb. 18 1722. Witnesses: Nathaniel Edwards, George Hicks, Rebecca Chapman (great-niece of John Chapman and Edith Hicks), Thomas Rose. Indenture and memorandum proved by oath of George Hicks, gent, and Rebeccca Chapman, widow. (B. 3, p. 3).

1.3. William Chapman, bapt. Sept. 7, 1609.
1.3.1. Anne Chapman, bapt. Jul. 27, 1647, m. Walter Hickes, Feb. 4, 1676.
1.3.1.1. Robert Hickes, bapt. Mar. 13, 1683. March 6, 1738: Will of Robert Hicks, Gentleman of Brunswick, names sons Charles, George, John, James, grandson Benjamin, dau. Elizabeth Lanier. Wit. John Chapman. (ibid.). She was the wife of Thomas Lanier, son of Nicholas Lanier, half-br. of Sampson Lanier Sr., grandfather of Rebecca, wife of Walton Harris. Thomas Lanier, afors., was the br. of Sarah, wife of Robert Williams, as follows.
1.3.1.1.1.Daniel Hicks, Sr., of Brunswick Co.
1.3.1.1.1.1. Thomas Hicks, m. …. sister of Joseph Lanier Williams
1.3.1.1.1. George Hicks.
1.3.1.1.1.1. Absolem Hicks, son-in-law of Sherwood Harris.

1.3.1.2. Mr. John Hickes, b. ca. 1684, m. 1. Mary … His Will was pr. Aug. 20, 1729, naming son Robert, John, and Daniel Hicks, bequesting “my tract of land which I took up on Stevenss’ branch in Brunswick Co.”, also naming sons-in-law Edward Tatum and John Rose.
1.3.1.2.1. He witnessed, with Sampson Lanier,* an indenture of Nov. 17, 1749, between Charles Sims of Brunswick Co., and John Sims of same, for part of tract granted to Adam Sims Sr. *Father-in-law of Walton Harris.
1.3.1.2.2. Samuel Hicks.
1.3.1.2.2.1. Samuel Hicks, m. Frances Wyatt, she m. (2) John Williams, son of John Williams Sr. John Williams Sr. of Hanover Co to John Williams Jr. of Goochland, his son. Land on North Side James River on branches of Tuckahoe Creek. 425 ac. patented Oct. 31, 1716. Witnesses: Henry & Ralph Graves. Rec. March 21, 1737. John Williams Sr. was the son of John Williams, Will recorded May 1, 1708, appraised by Peter Deberry (who m. Mary, dau. of Edward Brantley, security for the Will of Thomas Harris, d. 1672), and James Piland, his Godson, who was a great-nephew of Thomas Moore, grandfather of Avis White, wife of John Harris, grandson of Thomas Harris, d. 1688. John Williams m. Margaret Moore, dau. of George Moore, James Piland’s aunt.

John Williams was the son of John Williams: John Whitley. Leg.-son John; wife Ann; son Thomas 200 ac. I purchased of Capt. Anthony Fulgham, adj. the land of William Godwin; son William 200 ac. adjoining Mr. William Bressie; dau. Elizabeth; to my son-in-law John Williams. This John Williams was probably the headright of Col. Robert Pitt in 1643 (Nugent 1, p. 145). Robert Pitt’s son, John, was the bondsman for John Williams estate; his Will being proved May 2, 1687.

John Williams Jr. was the br. of Nathaniel Williams (br. of Ann Rasberry), b. Dec. 2, 1712, Hanover Co., who m. (1) Mary … Their issue: (1) Elizabeth , m. Thomas Hicks. (2) John Williams,* b. July 7, 1740, Hanover Co., moved to Goochland Co in 1735, d. 1804, in Orange Co. (now Caswell).

He was the father of:
(1) Henrietta Williams, who m. Richard Simpson, the brother of Mary Simpson, wife of Tyrree Harris.
(2) Marmaduke “Duke” Williams, b. Feb. 14, 1768, Hillsboro, Orange Co., NC, d. 1834. He m. (Nov. 4, 1790), Edith Harris (Sept. 6, 1775-Nov. 26, 1816), dau. of Tyree Harris.
*He was the br. of (1) Joseph Williams, b. March 27, 1748. d. 1827, Surry Co., N.C., m. Rebecca Lanier, dau of Thomas Lanier and sister to Sarah who m. Joseph’s br., Robert.
(3). Robert Williams, b. Aug. 4, 1744, Hanover Co., d.. Oct. 10, 1774 Orange/Granville Co., NC; m. Sarah Lanier, b. Dec. 12, 1748, Lunenburg Co., Va, d. aft 1804, dau. of Thos. Lanier and Eliz. Hicks; son of Nicholas Lanier, half-br. of Sampson Lanier, Sr., whose son and namesake was the father of Rebecca Lanier, wife of Walton Harris, desc. of Edward Harris, son of Thomas Harris, d. 1688

1. Thomas Harris, d. 1688.
1.1. Robert Harris Sr. (brother of Edward Harris – titheable John Williams, 1694).
1.1.1. Robert Harris Jr. – indenture of Feb. 1733 between Robert Harris and (cousin) Benjamin Harris.
1.1.1.1. Tyree Harris, m. (2) Mary Simpson. Robert Harris of Fredericksville Par., Louisa Co., Gent., to Tyree Harris of same, son of Robert Harris. For natural love and affection and for 5 shillings currt. money. 400 ac. and plantation in Fredericksville Par., whereon sd. Robert Harris now lives.
1.1.1.1.1. Simpson Harris (Nov. 21, 1768 – May 8, 1833), m. (Dec. 28, 1792), Mary Coffee, sister of Gen. John Coffee, son of Joshua Coffee and Elizabeth Graves.
1.1.1.2. Mary Harris.
1.1.1.3. … Harris, m. John Jouett, see Robert Harris’s gift to son-in-law, John Jouett, in 1751. (D.B A, pp. 442-443).

1.1.2. Sherwood Harris, Sr. His Will was proved Aug. 1763, execs. were his brother, Robert, and wife Jane. He bequeathed 100 ac. to his dau., Mary Hicks, wife of Absolom Hicks, part part of a tract bought fron Jonathan White, whose inventory of Nov. 1772 was purchased by Richard Harris, Christopher Harris, Ann Harris, Robert Harris, and Sherwood Harris Jr.
1.1.2.1. Robert Harris; his Will was proved in 1786, and bequested to niece Mary Harris, dau. of David Harris; my wife Lemander Harris. Execs: sons Sherwood and Samuel Harris

1.1.3. John Harris, m. Avis White.

1.2. William Harris.
1.2.1. Benjamin Harris, m. Ann Eppes. In an indenture of 1733, Benjamin refers to 256 ac. left him by the Will of his father, William Harris.
1.2.1.1. Francis Eppes Harris. “I appoint my sons, Daniel, Henry and Kennon Harris my executors to this my last fill end Testament, revoking all other Fills ty me heretofore made, whereunto I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of April, 1828”.
1.2.2. William Harris. B. 3. Patent 1943, p. 415, Thomas Graves, November 18, 1738, 220 ac. in Craven Co. on the S. side of Neuse River, joining Mr. Harris and James Green.
1.2.2.1. John Harris, m. Martha Eldridge, dau. of Judith Kennon, who m. Thomas Eldridge, of Surry. Judith Kennon was the sister of (1) Sara Kennon, who m. Francis Eppes; parents of Ann Eppes, who m. Benjamin Harris (second-cousin of John Harris), bef. Oct. 31, 1745. (2) Richard Kennon, who m. Agnes Bolling (who left property in 1762 to “friend Theoderick Bland”).
1.2.2.1.1. Richard, Kennon, and Eldridge Harris.
1.2. Edward Harris.
1.2.1. Nathan Harris
1.2.1.1. Walton Harris.

The Christian name of Sherwood:

(1. Sir John Symes, b. March 4, 1573, 1st s. of William Symes, merchant, of Chard, Som. and Elizabeth, da. of Robert Hill of Taunton, Som.
He was of of Poundisford Park, in Pitminster. He m. Amy Horner, da. of Sir Thomas Horner of Mells, sheriff of Somerset.
1.1. Thomas Symes, m. (June 3, 1640), Amy Bridges, da. of Edward Bridges Esq. (d. 1639), of Keynsham, by his wife Philippa Speke, d. 1628.
1.1.1. George Symes.
1.1.1.1. William Sims, of James City Co.
1.1.1.1.1. George Sims, of Brunswick Co.; d. Sept. 1763. He bought land from his br. John Sims, on 5 Nov. 1747.
1.1.1.1.1.1. Adam Sims, m. Elizabeth Walton, da. of George Walton of Brunswick Co., and who was, thus, the br.-in-law of Nathan Harris, grandson of Thomas Harris, d. 1688, and br. of West Harris. The Waltons were of the squirarchy of Somerset, and sat in judgement at Taunton Assizes, with others of their class – Symes, Hardy, Hodges, Horner, Lancaster, Jones, et al.

When a Symes family historian postulated that the Christian name of Sherwood was used by the Sims family in Virginia, he did so on the basis of a somewhat inconsequential geographical association between a George Sims and a James Sherwood of Lower Norfolk, husband of Grace White (“the witch”, now feminist icon*); the assumption being that a George Sims married their daughter. The Will of Grace Sherwood (probated in 1740), named sons James, John, and Richard. There is no mention of daughters and grandchildren. *It is somewhat ironic, I think, that Grace was singled out for disapprobation for wearing trousers, and her modern-day statue portrays her wearing a skirt.

James Sherwood was an illiterate carpenter, who was given 175 ac. by his father-in-law, John White, as dower. He was in debt to the estate of Thomas Jackson, and his inventory listed “shabby furniture” which had been John White’s. A supposed daughter did not intermarry into the rich and educated family of Symes of Somerset.

The real explanation for Sherwood as a Christian name almost certainly arose from William Sims, of James City Co, marrying into the ‘substantial’ Sherwood family of Pitminster. A branch of the Westcombes settled at Pitminster, where, on Mar., 25, 1589, Michael Westcombe, a Quaker, of Angersleigh, married Elinor, daughter of George Priest, of Pitminster, having issue Ann Priest, who m. Hugh Norris, Oct. 5, 1618, in Pitminster; their dau., Elizabeth Norris, m. Anthony Fulgham in 1638, at Pitminster. Anthony Fulgham was the son of “John Fuljames, of Angersleigh”, who m. (1603) Sarah Hole; her family of Wedmore, connected to the Harris of that place. Anthony Fulgham, m. (2) Martha Greene. Their granddau., Anne Fulgham, supposedly (according to Boddie) m. Robert Harris, son of Thomas Harris, d. 1688. Her sister, Susannah Fulgham, m. Hardy Council, son of Hodges Council Jr., of Wedmore.

Nicholas Sherwood m. Elizabeth Gill, on Oct. 27, 1611, in Pitminster. Her br., Robert Gill, m. Emmett Priest, sister of Ann Priest, aforsaid, on Oct. 19, 1618.

It is as probable as any other postulation that Robert Harris married a Sherwood.

copyright m stanhope 2019