THE WATKINS FAMILY IN GRANDMOTHER'S LINE
This line has the same origin as that of Constance Watkins, grandfather's
ancestor. See that line for more details.
I. HENRY WATKINS
II. HENRY WATKINS, Jr., of Malvern Hill, b. 1638/9
It seems that grandmother's ancestress, Mary (Polly) Watkins who married John
Dupuy, was descended from Henry Watkins who married John Dupuy, was descended
from Henry and his wife Katherine. I do not know her last name.
III. THOMAS WATKINS of Swift Creek, Cumberland (now Powhaton Co.). His will was
dated 1760. He married a Miss Pride.
IV. THOMAS WATKINS of Chickahominy, b. 1714, d. 1783.
He was a vestryman of St. John's Church, Henrico and "a man of the highest
respectability". He married Frances Anderson. They had four sons and seven
daughters. Among them were: Henry Watkins of Prince Edward Co., Francis
Watkins, and Joel, our ancestor.
V. JOEL WATKINS b. 1716 in Henrico Co.
He was the youngest son of Thomas and Frances. He married Agnes Morton in
1741 and they moved to Charlotte County where their home, called "Woodfork",
was a few miles above the Charlotte County Court House. This section later
became Prince Edward County. There are many references to Joel in Bradshaw's
History of Prince Edward County. He was a Justice for several terms, the
Sheriff in 1762-3, and a Col. in the Militia in 1761. McAllister lists him
as a Col. in the Revolution. He was a member of the House of Delegates in
1781. Bradshaw gives an account of an attempt at growing hemp by several
people, and Joel Watkins manufactured 1344 pounds of hemp in 1762. Joel was
one of the original trustees of Hampden-Sydney College.
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Col. Joel Watkins inspired some of the loftiest prose that I have encount-
ered. He was called "a pattern of industry", compared to the Father of his
country, and called a great peace maker. Dupuy quotes Mr. John Randolph of
Roanoke: "On Sunday, the second of January, departed this life Col. Joel
Watkins, beloved, honored and lamented by all who knew him. Without shining
abilities or the advantages of an education, by plain, straightforward in-
dustry, under the guidance of Old Fashion honesty and practical good sense,
he accumulated an ample fortune, in which it is believed that there was not
one dirty shilling." The feeling about him seemed to be summed up in one
eulogy about him which I read. It simply stated that he was the "best man who
ever lived in this world."
The children of Joel and Agnes: Mary (Polly), Susannah, Hunt, Henry A.,
William M., and Jane.
VI. MARY (Polly) WATKINS
She was born at Woodfork, Charlotte Co., Va., Oct. 30, 1756, and died
August 4, 1840. She married John Dupuy and they lived near the Old Welsh
Track Meeting House in Prince Edward Co.
Issue: 1. Watkins Dupuy, m. Elizabeth S. Walton
2. Susan Dupuy, m. Benjamin Watkins
3. Henry Guerrant Dupuy, m. Sarah Taylor
4. Jane Dupuy, m. Nicholas Edmunds
5. Mary Dupuy, m. Col. Townes Walker
6. Frances Anderson Dupuy, m. John Daniel
7. William Hunt Dupuy, m. Agnes Payne Ware
8. John Dupuy, m. Ann Deverly Daniel of N. C.
9. Joel Watkins Dupuy, M.D., Phila. College of Physicians and Surg.,
m. Pauline Pocahontas Eldridge. (She was a direct descendant of
Pocahontas and John Rolfe.)
10. Agnes Dupuy
11. Elizabeth G. Dupuy, m. James Henry Dupuy. They moved to Tennes-
see.
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