Tomlinson Family
We may not be directly related to this group of Tomlinson's, but we might be... Genealogical Research by Elizabeth Harris This page was revised on July 4,
2005 First Generation
The Quaker Josiah Tomlinson, son of Stephen Tomlinson, married
Elizabeth Watson in The other Quakers on this voyage were Robert Milhouse, Samuel Wyly, Timothy Kelly,
Samuel Russell, Samuel Kelly, and John Furnass. At least some of these came with wives and
children. Sally Ryan Tomlinson's 1999 post to the Tomlinson Family
Genealogy Forum at Genealogy.com provides the documentation and much more detail for
the facts I have summarized here. She suggests that Elizabeth Watson died before October
1751, perhaps on the voyage over, based on the fact that Josiah asked for a grant of 450
acres, but would have been entitled to 50 acres more if he had a livng wife. This speculation appears without attribution on several different web sites. So far
as I can tell, it was Sally Ryan Tomlinson's idea. The same sites contain verbatim
uncredited quotes of text that previously appeared on my page. Josiah married Olive Russell sometime during the next few years. Olive is named as
"daughter Olive Tomlinson" in the will of Samuel Russell, writted in September
1756, and Josiah was one of his executors. The exact date of Josiah and Olive's marriage
has not been found, but note that daughter Sarah was born 12th month 1755, which would
move the latest possible date for their marriage back to early in that year. Some histories of this family give Olive's maiden name as Unthank. I have found no
support for this, and am convinced based on Sally Ryan Tomlinson's work that she was the
daughter of Samuel and Sarah Russell. I know nothing else about the Russells, however. If
anyone is researching this family and can fill me in on their ancestry further back, I'll
be most grateful. Josiah's will was dated 15 Dec 1760 and probated 16 Feb 1761. It names sons William,
Samuel and Josiah; daughters Mary, Ann, Sarah and Rebeckah, but does not mention a wife,
suggesting Olive had already died. Hinshaw's records give youngest son Josiah's birth as
3rd month 15, 1760, so perhaps she died soon afterwards. The three sons and Sarah survived
to adulthood; the other daughters are thought to have died young. Previously I suggested that the three oldest daughters died about 1760 along with
Olive. Although no further record of them has been found, they do seem to have been alive
when Josiah wrote his will. Second Generation
Children of Josiah Tomlinson and Elizabeth Watson Children of Josiah Tomlinson and Olive Russell Third Generation
Children of William Tomlinson and Martha Coppock Martha Coppock was the daughter of Moses Coppock and Martha Lester. For a critical
evaluation of family traditions and documentation concerning this family, see Linda
Coate's Coate/Dudick
"Ancestrees" page. ---------- Children of Samuel Tomlinson and Ann English ---------- Children of Josiah Tomlinson and Charity Mendenhall Charity Mendenhall was the daughter of Moses Mendenhall and Dinah Rudduck. For more
information on the Mendenhall family, see the Mendenhall
Family Association page. Fourth Generation
Children of Joseph Tomlinson and Jemima Bray ---------- Children of Josiah Tomlinson and Martha Blair Thanks to John Carr for the definitive list of children for this couple! ---------- Children of Robert Tomlinson and Lydia Kellum ---------- Children of Allen Unthank Tomlinson and Rachel English Sources
I am very grateful to Keith Tomlinson for information on the families
of Joseph Tomlinson and Jemima Bray, and Robert Tomlinson and Lydia Kellum, and for making
me aware of Sally Ryan Tomlinson's work. Since beginning work on this family in the early 1990s, I have discovered that some of
my original sources have significant errors, but I list them here nonetheless: Dean Martin Tomlinson, The Tomlinson Family, LDS film 1034757/8 Tomlinson records from Iowa State Historical Society, LDS film 1020760/7, from Iowa
State Historical Society; several separate records on Tomlinsons of Iowa. Some of these
are apparently accurate, others are clearly incorrect. In particular, "William and
Martha Tomlinson of Kentucky, 1749-1844", by George L. Tomlinson, 1932, is a fanciful
account of William Tomlinson and Martha Coppock that is full of inaccuracies. Diller, Corinne Hanna, Coate/Coppock Family, LDS film 1697552/1-4 Quaker Families. Earlham College Library, seen as LDS film 1572058 Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, volume 1 Randolph County, 1779-1979, published by Randolph County Historical Society and the
Randolph Arts Guild, Hunter Publishing Co., Winston-Salem NC 1980 Ragan, Elizabeth H. (1976). The Lineage of the Amos Ragan Family, Quaker Collection of Abstracts of Wills and Estates Records of Rowan County, North Carolina 1753-1805 and
Tax Lists of 1759 and 1778, copyright Jo White Linn 1980 Webster, Irene B., compiler (1979), South Carolina Will Abstracts, will of Samuel Russell 1757 |