William Henry Wilks b. 1833 d. Abt 1873 , , Virginia, USA: Albemarle to Callaway, a Herring Family Journey

1833 - 1873

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Birth 1833

Gender Male

Died Abt 1873 , , Virginia, USA

Person ID I3327 Herring Family of Callaway County, Missouri

Last Modified 14 Nov 2008

Family Rebecca Anne Wilks, b. Abt 1831, , , Virginia, USA , d. 1 Mar 1885, , Franklin, Virginia, USA

Children

>	1. Missouri Evelyn Wilks, b. Nov 1852, , , Virginia, USA , d. Yes, date unknown
	2. Josephine Wilks, b. Abt 1858, , Franklin, Virginia, USA , d. Yes, date unknown
>	3. John William Wilkes, b. 11 Jan 1862, Roanoke, Roanoke, Virginia, USA , d. 23 Feb 1946, Nine Mile Prairie Twp., , Callaway, Missouri, USA
	4. Ollie Wilks, d. Aft Oct 1951, , , Ohio, USA
	5. Anna Wilks, b. Abt 1865, , , Virginia, USA , d. Aft Oct 1951, , , Ohio, USA
>	6. James Rufus Wilks, b. 30 May 1871, Taylor's Store, Franklin, Virginia, USA , d. 23 Oct 1951, Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa, USA

Last Modified 14 Nov 2008

Family ID F1340 Group Sheet

Notes	Possibly only the father of James Rufus Wilks. From Vickie Miller notes: 1860 Census-Franklin Co VA-Gill Creek Twp-NE Division-Wilkes p252 D-441/425 Rebecca 33 Missouri 8 Josephine 2 Lucy Wilks 18 This is Rebecca Anne Wilks listed on 1860 census as head of household. Note that William Henry Wilks is NOT listed with her. This family is listed in the same township as Archibald Wilks. I believe that Lucy Wilks age 18 listed in Rebecca's household was in fact the Lucy also listed on 1860 census in William E. Wilks (Anne's brother) household. Missouri Evelyn was listed as being born November 1852 on 1900 census and Josephine was born in 1858. Were they actually the daughters of William Henry Wilks or not-I can't say. It appears to me that they may have been either illegitimate or the children of a possible first husband of Rebecca also named Wilks. This is one of those "unanswered questions". I've always wondered why Rebecca was listed on 1860 census as head of household without William Henry Wilks. Now, obviously there can be any number of reasons why William wasn't listed, the most obvious would be that he was absent from home for some reason and wasn't listed; however, on any given day when the census taker dropped showed up not all family members would have been present all the time. It's possible that there were marital problems and some type of separation had occurred (after all-where does Rebecca get the wherewithal to live on her own?). Another possibility is that William H. Wilks may have been in jail and Rebecca was concealing this; however, he wasn't listed on 1860 census in Virginia -inmates were listed on census records). My speculation, based on the death record, is that Rebecca Ann Wilks was unmarried in 1860. This would mean that Missouri & Josephine were illegitimate -but this really isn't a far-fetched conclusion-first note the 6 year difference in their ages; 2nd illegitimate children weren't unknown in this family. Harriet Wilks (whom I now believe was a sister of Rebecca) was the common-law wife of Booker Smith and by whom she had 7 children all illegitimate); Missouri Evelyn had Marcus before she married John H. Ferguson; Mabel Burnett the m/o Lucy Burnett (w/o Archibald) had a sister named Elizabeth who had as many as 6 children out of wedlock and I now suspect that Anna Wilks listed on 1860 census may have actually been the d/o Archibald & Lucy and that her children may have also been born out of wedlock and or she was married to a Wilks cousin hence the surname Wilks. I now suspect that the following was William Henry Wilks (h/o Rebecca): 1850 CENSUS FRANKLIN CO VA p85 D-385/384 Robert P. Dillon 41 VA 500 Martha 36 VA Nancy 17 VA Sylas 7 VA Henry 4 VA Calvin 2 VA William Wilks 14 VA 1832-May 15 Franklin Co VA: Robt. P. Dillion & Martha Dillion Sur: John Saunders p140 (p73 The age is off by about 3 years since William Wilks was listed as 39 on 1870 census: 1870 Census-Franklin Co VA-Wilkes P.O. Rocky Mount VA-Gill Creek Twp-NE Division-July 29, 1870-Claiborne list William 39 Farm laborer $125 cannot read and write D-89 Anne 63 a mother " Rebecca 39 William's wife-keeps house " Sallie 21 sister " Josephine 12 Rufus' sister John 8 Uncle John-brother Texanna 5 Anna Wilks Aliff? Arlina 2 Note that Rebecca lists her age as 39 in 1870 and 33 in 1860. As I said, this makes her age hard to pin down. William couldn't read or write so it's very possible he was off with his age as well. The interesting thing is that Robert P. Dillon was listed on the same page as William Wilks on 1870 census Franklin Co; in fact they are listed 4 households apart. I haven't been able to find William Wilks on 1860 census. There were these "orphaned" Wilks children listed on 1850 census Franklin Co VA: 1850 Census Franklin Co VA p172 D-1653/1647 Elijah Mitchell 40 VA 700 Ellanor 41 VA William L. 14 VA Mary A. 3 VA Richard F. Wilks 18 VA Elizabeth Carter 27 VA Margaret Wilks 16 VA Flora A. 81 VA 1832-April 26 Franklin Co VA: Elisha Mitchell & Eleanor Gregory d/o Richard F. Sur: Samuel Mitchell p90 (p163 I don't know who Flora A. Wilks age 81 was. 1850 Census Franklin Co VA p172 D-1654/1658 Margaret Gregory 84 VA Farmer 300 (w/o Michael? Richard) Mary Wilks 46 VA 1831-May 5 Franklin Co VA: Jonathan Wilks & Mary Gregory d/o Bichael (?) Sur: Elisha Mitchell I think it's possible that William Wilks (h/o Rebecca) may have been the brother of Richard Wilks listed on 1850 census in household of Elijah Mitchell (whom I think was actually Elisha Mitchell). Pat said that family history has it that William Wilks had a brother in the CSA and Richard would fit: p159-Richard F. Wilke/Wilkes-pvt Co G 57th VA Regt-Inf "Ladies Guard" CSA ( 5 9/30) Jonathan Wilks married May 5 1831 Franklin Co VA Mary Gregory could be the f/o William H. Wilks. I haven't yet proved this; but it's possible.