This page:
My SC Widener Line

Back to Surname Page

My Widener line descends from a Jacob Widener who was born, raised, lived and died in the areas of Orangeburg and Barnwell, South Carolina. He lived to be at least 88 years old; however, the 1870 Barnwell census lists him incorrectly as 101. I believe this Jacob Widener was born along Lynches river near Wild Cat Creek c1782. This Jacob Widener was married to Nancy Polly (Boyd?) before 1810 and they had at least five children: Westley, born c1815; Jacob, born c1820; Rebecca, born c1825; Isaac, born 1827; and Effie, born 1829. There may have been others but I'm not aware of their names, but I dare say there were at least a couple more daughters older than Westley. I believe that Jacob's wife, Polly, died about 1865 and then Jacob was married to a lady named Kisner by 1870. I doubt he had children from this second marriage, and he may have just lived with this woman and never married her.

Jacob Widener of Barnwell had an older brother named Isaac who moved with his own wife, Nancy, and children (including sons named John and William) to the area around Early County Georgia by 1840.

The father of the mentioned Jacob and Isaac was a Jacob Widener listed in the Orangeburg 1790 census with a wife (Barbara Wolf?), and one son. I assume the son was the Jacob of Barnwell with the other son, Isaac, already moved out on his own. This Jacob Widener of Orangeburg, died by 1813 as both Jacob and Isaac Widener of Barnwell requested what was due them by their father's estate in that year. As it is actually stated on 1 May 1813 the Widener brothers appointed David B Toole as their lawyer to "ask, demand, sue for and receive from the estate of Jacob Widener deceased of Orangeburgh District, all monies owing to us..." The last land transaction for Jacob Widener of Orangeburg is dated 1795 and it is therefore assumed Jacob Widener died sometime between 1795 and 1813.

It is probable the Orangeburg Jacob Widener who died before 1813 was the son of yet another Jacob Widener (also spelled Wisener) who died in Craven County, SC c1777. Other children of this Jacob Widener of Craven County were: John, Martin, Henry and Catherine. Furthermore, this elder Jacob had a brother named Isaac who died about 1784 in Cheraw District. This Isaac appears to have left descendants in Fairfield County, SC. It is assumed that Isaac Widner's sons in Fairfield included a Samuel and yes another Jacob. This Jacob of Fairfield died in 1821 (See Will Link above), and he had 11 children including sons also named Isaac and Jacob who should not become confused with the brothers Isaac and Jacob of Barnwell. The son Isaac in the Fairfield line moved to Georgia just like the Isaac in the Barnwell line, but Isaac of Fairfield moved to a different part of Georgia, Jackson County around 1830. He married a Barbara Beam and their children included: Issac, Zachariah, Sarah, Susan and Wesley (possibly others).


Who was the father of the first Jacob Widener in SC that died c1777 in Craven County? There are two theories on this question. One has Jacob Widener's father being a John Georg Weidner who was supposedly a Protestant Emigrant who came to South Carolina by 1761 and died in Charleston about 1764. I prefer another theory which has Jacob being from a group of Pennsylvania Weidners (See Link above).