I am putting up a lot of information that I have found on public trees, some for which I have no proof or documentation. I am putting it up for informational purposes only. Please do not assume the older information is true. I would welcome hearing about corrections.
William Simpson was born 31 Mar 1720/21 at Saint George Parish, Baltimore Co., Maryland, possibly to William Simpson (1695-1746) and Elizabeth Preble (1699-1732). He married Avarilla Perkins on 18 Aug 1742 at Baltimore Co., Maryland. I do not know when or where he died. If you do, please let me know.
Avarilla Perkins was born 30 Oct 1726 at Baltimore, Maryland possibly to Richard Perkins (1689-1772) and Mary Sherrill/Sherwill (1693-1772)? She seems to have died about 1792 in Baltimore, Maryland. William and Avarilla likely had the following children:
1. Reuben Simpson, b. 6 Oct 1743 at Saint Georges, Baltimore Co., Maryland, d. abt 1832 at Wayne County, Kentucky. He married Sarah Sherrill . This is my direct line, and more information about this family can be found below.
possibly William and Avarilla had at least the following children as well:
2. William Simpson, b. Abt. 1748 Rowan Co, NC, m. Mary
3. ?James Simpson, b. about 1750, d. abt 1815 at Shelby, Kentucky. Possibly married Lucy Sarah Neale?
4. Sarah Simpson, b. between 1747 and 1750 at North Carolina, d. abt 1831 at Lincoln County, North Carolina. She married Moses Sherrill (1742-1813). More information about their family is at the Sherrill page.
5.?Rachel Simpson, b. between 1744 and 1751; d. abt 1817; may have married Isaac Robinson (1745-1838). If so, they had at least one child, James Robinson (1780-1843)
Reuben Simpson and Sarah Sherrill
Reuben Simpson was born on 6 Oct 1743 at St. Georges Parish, Baltimore Co., Maryland to William Simpson and Avarilla Perkins. Reuben died abt 1832 in Wayne Co., Kentucky. He married Sarah Sherrill in about 1762 in Rowan County, North Carolina. Clara Smart said in her book, The Rectors of Wayne County, Kentucky, that he also had a brother named William Simpson. Apparently, Reuben Simpson remained loyal to King George III of England during the American Revolution, even serving as a Captain in a Loyalist unit. This put him at odds with his neighbors, family members, and his father-in-law after the war ended, and could possibly be the reason that his family moved from Rowan County, North Carolina to Pendleton County, South Carolina after the War. In 1798 or 1799, the family moved to Wayne County, Kentucky.
Sarah Sherrill was born 24 Oct 1746 in Augusta Co., VA, and died on 11 Jul 1826 in Wayne Co., KY. Sarah's parents were.Captain William A. Sherrill (1723-1786) and Agnes White (1726-1795)
The children of Reuben Simpson and Sarah Sherrill
1. Avarilla Simpson, born abt 1763 at Orange Co., North Carolina. She married Charles Kilgore around 1790 (in SC). Avarilla died died 1 Jun 1857 at Raglesville, Daviess Co., IN. Charles Kilgore was b. 4 Jan 1764 at NC; d. 28 Nov 1844 at Daviess County, Indiana. He was the son of Robert Kilgore (b. abt 1735 Ireland; d. 21 Dec 1782 at Virginia) and Winifred Clayton (b. abt 1740 NC; d. 1784 at Virginia). They had at least the following children: Josiah Hiram Kilgore (1790-1867); Simpson Kilgore (1793-1888); Winifred "Winnie" Kilgore (1794-1828); Reuben Kilgore (1795-1865); Sarah Kilgore (b. abt 1795); Stephen Kilgore (1803-1868); Charles Kilgore (1806-1884); Polly Kilgore (1807-1877). There were probably more children.
2. William Carroll Simpson, born 15 Apr 1766 (NC), married Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mattox on 5 Nov 1803. Peggy was born 15 Apr 1766 at Tuttle, Stokes Co., NC to Charles Samuel Mattox and Ann (possibly Haselden?). She died 20 May 1875 at Giles, Tennessee. There are a number of William Simpson's from this time period, so it is a bit confused. I'm not 100% sure of this person's information.They likely had the following children, although their find-a-grave memorial claims they had 11: John W. Simpson (1804-1865); William D. Simpson (1806-1887); Margaret Ann Simpson (1818-1900)
3. Mary Simpson, born 3 Dec 1769 (NC), died in Franklin, Georgia 17 Sep 1842. In 1788 she married William White (1755-1809). They had the following children: Jane White (1789-1860); Elizabeth White (1792-1831); Sion White (1794-1860); Pleasant White (1797-1865); Jerusha White (1799-1894); Vianna White (1800-1860); Benjamin Henry White (1804-1860); Vinda White (1806-1842); Martin White (1807-1880); Samuel Isaiah White (1808-1895)
4. Joshua White Simpson, born 21 Oct 1771 (NC), died 8 Sep 1842.They had at least two children, Joshua Simpson (1803-1875); Sarah Sally Simpson (1807-1875).
5. Agnes Anne Simpson, born 8 Jan 1773 (NC), on 23 Feb 1800 at Lincoln Co., KY, she married George McWhorter (b. 1775 VA; d. abt 1840 at Tennessee). Agnes died abt 1855 In Lincoln County, Kentucky. George was the son of John McWhorter (1749 Albemarle, VA, d. 7 Jun 1833 at Middleburg, Casey, Kentucky) and Elizabeth Jasper (b. 1752 at Orangeburg, SC, d. 1784 at Union, SC). They had at least 2 children: James McWherter (1800 KY to 1854 TN); and John McWherter (1807 KY to 1873 TN).
6. Reuben Simpson, Jr. born 7 Jan 1775 (NC), married Martha "Patsy" Merritt (1780-1850) on 25 Sep 1805, died 8 Sep 1842 at Wayne County, Kentucky. Reuben and Martha (Merritt) Simpson had at least the following children:William Simpson (1806-1869); Isaac Simpson (1807-1829); Rebecca Simpson (b. abt 1809); Sarah Simpson (1811-1899); Thomas Simpson (b. abt 1819; d. abt 1891); Mary Simpson (b. abt 1814); Elisha Simpson (1816-1862); Samuel Simpson (1818-1839); Reuben Merrill Simpson (1820-1842); Ruth Simpson (1822-1907); Moses Simpson (1825-1896); Evaline M. Simpson (1827-1895). Please note: the Kentucky author, Harriette Simpson Arnow, descends from Reuben and Patsy's son Thomas Simpson (i.e., Reuben Simpson, Jr => Thomas Simpson=> William Andrew Simpson => Elias Thomas Simpson => Harriette Simpson (married Harold Bernard Arnow).
7. Moses Simpson, born 6 Apr 1778 (NC), married Sarah Penn in KY on 26 Jun 1804 (moved to Alabama prior to 1816). Moses died 29 Jan 1858 in Alabama. Sarah Penn was born 1786 at Maryland to Stephen Penn (1760-1839) and Mary McKay (1767-1850) and she died in 1854. They had at least the following children: James B. Simpson (1805-1884); Thomas Simpson (1806-1860); Matilda Simpson (1808-1861); Mary Simpson (1812-1882); Abington C. Simpson (1814-1866); William Simpson (b. abt 1817); George Simpson (1818-1858); Reuben Simpson (b. abt 1821); Stephen Simpson (1824-1884); Elizabeth Simpson (1825-1840); Sarah Emily Simpson (1827-1907); Moses Simpson (1830-1856); Mary Elizabeth Simpson (1831-1890).
8. Sarah Simpson, born 26 Oct 1780 (NC), married James Grindle (1775-1840) about 1810, died in Alabama on 28 Aug 1851.
9. Samuel Simpson, born 3 Jan 1783 (NC); d. 1850 at Johnson Co., Arkansas. He probably married Margaret Portman (b. abt 1776) with whom he had at least one child, Asa Simpson (b. abt 1805).
10. Elizabeth Simpson, born 5 Apr 1785 (NC), married Preston Beck on 18 Mar 1805 (Wayne Co., KY). Elizabeth died 15 Jan 1841 at Polk, Missouri. Preston Beck was born 25 Dec 1781 at Franklin, VA to Paul Beck (1736-1791) and Martha Lewis (1746-1820). Preston died 19 Jun 1861 at Polk Co, Missouri. Children: James Beck (1810-1861); Martha Patsey Beck (1811-1836); Simpson Beck (1813-1853); Joseph Beck (1817-1862); John Jeffery Beck (1818-1861); and possibly Eliza Jane Beck (1825-1875) and Lewis Brownloe Beck (1828-1912)
11. Elisha Simpson, born Aug 1787, married Mary Davis (b. abt 1791) about 1808 (moved to Indiana abt 1817), died 2 Nov 1841 or 1863 in Lawrence Co., IN. They had at least the following children: Davis Simpson (b. abt 1809); Reuben Simpson (b. abt 1811); William Simpson (b. abt 1813); Elizabeth Simpson (b. abt 1815); Sarah Simpson (b. abt 1818); Noah Simpson (b. abt 1821; d. abt 1893); Denton Simpson (b. abt 1823); Henry L. Simpson (b. abt 1828 IN, d. 1902 at LA, Calif.); John Simpson (b. abt 1831); Elisha Simpson (b. abt 1834).
12. Ruth Ann "Rutha" Simpson, born January (5?) 1790 (Pendleton, SC), married Samuel Rector on February 14, 1807 (Wayne Co., KY), died August 9, 1878 (Wayne Co., KY)
13. Avington Simpson, born 1792 (SC), married Lucinda Payne (1797-1880) at Wayne Co., KY on 17 Feb 1815.They had at least the following children: Moses (1816-1854); Mary Frances (1818-1891); Reuben Simpson (1820-1873); Rachel Simpson (1822-1883); William Simpson (1825-1900); Henry Hardin Simpson (1827-1869); Cyrenia Simpson (1830-1832); Lucinda Simpson (1832); Avington Wayne Simpson (1834-1904); and Timothy Wayne Simpson (1838-1923). Avington Simpson died June 23, 1863 at Polk Co., MO. The following note about Avington Simpson is from Mrs. Smart's book on the Rectors of Wayne County, Kentucky:
"He was killed while sitting on the side of the bed nursing a sick child. It was thought he was the victim of "bushwhackers" as the War Between the States was going on at this time. He had two sons in the Confederate Army and one son in the Union Army. Missouri, like Kentucky, was a "split" state."
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This site was last updated on November 2023
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*Much of the information for this page was taken from The Rector's of Wayne County, Kentucky, by Clara Rector Barnes Smart, 1975, Wayside Press.