Ann Blevins

From Ancestry, as a starting point for sorting out her husband, William Blevins:

• Reference: Ancestry

Sorting out 3 men named William Blevins, by Rob Blevins

Most people reference William Blevins and say he was married to Ann Bunch, he was a Longhunter, and that he signed the Watauga Purchase. The problem I have with this blanket statement is that I'm sure we are dealing with at least three different men. I hope to get some help sorting out the men named William Blevins all of whom figure into the Blevins family history.

I'll start with the William everyone seems to agree on. William Jr. was the son of John William (or William John) Blevin. He was apparently born in 1690 or 1691 in Fromby (which is in England just north of the Welch border).

He apparently came to Rhode Island as a boy. Most people credit him as being married to Ann Bunch BUT some others identify his wife as being Mary Bean. For sorting purposes, let’s call William Jr. OLD BILL as he is known by some. He apparently died about 1767.

The second William is, I believe OLD BILL'S son. He was born about 1718, although some place his birth as early as 1710. This William III is often referred to as THE ELDER and most say he was married to Agnes Wallen. THE ELDER died sometime around 1777.

The third William is, I believe THE ELDER'S son. He was born about 1735 although some place his birth as being around 1730. This William is often referred to as THE COLONEL and there is a fair amount of information on him relative to the disposition of his estate. He married Ann Morrell and he died around 1805.

The conventional wisdom seems to be that the Blevins people left Rhode Island sometime around 1724 stopping in Bucks County PA, then on to New Jersey, and then by 1734 to Prince George's County MD. By the late 1730's or early 1740's they landed in Southwestern VA.

Question 1. Does anyone DISAGREE with this line of William Blevins? (Old Bill, Elder, Colonel.) Or are these men of different family lines?

Question 2. Most people say that Ann Bunch was an Indian from New Jersey or MD. If so, was she Old Bill's SECOND wife? It seems he was married in Rhode Island (perhaps to Mary Bean) and had children BEFORE he left Rhode Island. A second and perhaps more plausible answer is that Ann Bunch was The Elder's FIRST wife (before Agnes Wallen) and that she was William the Colonel's mother. Ann may have died young and the Elder married Agnes Wallen afterwards. Anyone have an opinion?

Question 3. Are Wallen, Wailing, and Walden the SAME family names and derivatives of Elisha Wallen's family?

Comment 1. I believe that all three of these Williams were hunters. BUT, long hunts are physically demanding and not for old men. There are references to Blevins men being hunters in the earliest VA records (1740 or so) but most of the longhunt stories start around 1761. Old Bill would have been 70 years old in 1761 so I contend that the William Blevins in the longhunter stories was William the Elder (age 43 in 1761), William the Colonel (age 26 in 1761) or both.

Comment 2. The Watauga Purchase was signed in 1774. Old Bill probably died around 1767 and The Elder would have been close to 50 years old at the time. I contend that the William who signed the Purchase was probably William the Colonel who would have been about 39 years old.

Daughter of John Bunch and Mary Bunch.
Agnes Bunch Walden-Birthdate: 1690
Birthplace: Cohansey Township, Salem, Cumberland County, NJ, USA
Married William Blevins.
Death: Died 1740 in Virginia, United States

Daughter of John Bunch, of Virginia and Temperance Bunch (Bates Sister of John III Bunch; Paul Bunch and John Bunch, of Taylor's Creek Half sister of John Jr. Bunch and John Bunch

Mother of Mary Walling; Daniel Blevins, I; John William Blevins; James Blevins, Sr.; William Blevins III; Sarah Blevins and Margaret or Peggy Sally Blevins.

William {'the Elder'} and Agnes arrived in central Virginia by about 1734. They were in southern Va in Henry County, Va. when it was formed from Pittsylvania Co., in 1776.

Children:

1. James Blevins (1708 - 1801)*
2. Mary Blevins Wallen (1710 - 1757)*
3. Daniel Blevins (1712 - 1771)*
4. John Blevins (1716 - 1805)*
5. William Blevins (1718 - 1777)*
6. Catherine Elizabeth Blevins Wallen (1738 - 1814)*

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 11 2019, 1:21:11 UTC
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Mar 18 2019, 1:24:29 UTC
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Mar 18 2019, 2:18:56 UTC

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IGI: marriage 1690 to William Blevin, Formby, Lancashire, England.

GEDCOM Note

Biography

Anna (Bunch) Blevins was born about 1674, at Cohansey, Salem, New Jersey. She was the daughter of John (born about 1630) and Mary Bunch, andthe half sister of Paul Bunch and John Bunch of Taylor's Creek. Her father came to Lancaster County, Virginia in 1651 as an indentured servant. He later moved to New Kent County, Virginia and owned land on thePamunkey River by the 1670’s. He received a patent for 450 acres inNew Kent County, Viriginia on 18 March 1662 (Patents 5:152). Anna's parents were married about 1661 in Virginia.
Ann/Anna Bunch married William Blevins (born in Fromby, Wales, about 1672) about 1690 at Salem, New Jersey or in Maryland. Children of William and Ann/Anna (Bunch) Blevins (probably born in America; order uncertain):

1. William Blevins, born about 1691
2. Richard Blevins, born about 1693 - 1695
3. James Blevins, born about 1702 - 1708
4. John Blevins, born about 1708 - 1710
5. Daniel Blevins, born about 1710 – 1711
6. Thomas Blevins, born about 1711 - 1712
7. Mary (Blevins) Walling
8. Sarah Blevins
9. Margaret or "Peggy" Blevins
10. Sally Blevins Ann died in 1740 (or 1750), in Virginia. (Alternatively, Ann Bunch Blevins is thought to be buried in Maryland or Rhode Island).

Sources

<references /> See also:

• Ann Blevins Ancestry Family Trees. http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=3389077&pid=.... Online publication. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.
• https://familysearch.org # LV7N-JM9