The Bedford Haynes - Brothers?
Henry, William and Jasper Haynes - were they brothers?
It is likely, but not proven, that William (1710-1781) is the younger brother of Henry Haynes (1701-1784), and older brother of Jasper Haynes (1715-1782), with whom he had numerous land dealings. Several monographs have been published on Henry 1701.
The "three brothers" stories are often invoked in genealogy to tie together similar family lines for the convenience and satisfaction of the researcher. This case may have more validity than most. It is interesting to note that William had a son named Henry, and that Henry had a son named William. Yet until now, no one has found any data to show they were related.
While we know nothing about the parents of any of these early HAYNES men, they acted in concert often. For example, the three of them were appointed as surveyors together. (Bedford County Order Book 1A (1754-8)
The Latter Day Saints (LDS) files are often quoted to show their father to be a John Haynes, born 1670 in Bedford County. Bedford County wasn't formed until 1754, when this John Haynes would have been 84. In 1670, the colonists were confined to the coastal lands, and all the land that became Bedford County was still Indian Territory. This John HAYNES of 1670 appears to be a persistent fiction.
There are several more likely fathers of one or all three of them:
William HAYNES, listed on the King & Queen County, VA quit rent roll of 1704;
Richard HAYNES, listed in a Hanover County, VA order Book as living in St. Paul's parish in 1739;
William HAYNES, whose estate papers were filed in Essex County, VA by his widow, Elizabeth in 1743-4;
William HAYNES, whose estate was inventoried in Lunenburg County, VA in 1747.
Further reading on Henry Haynes 1701-1784:
1. Simmons, Julia Clare Gurley, "Some Descendants of Henry Haynes (b. 1701-1784)", Privately published 1965 [LDS Film 085 4139]
2. Strieby, Irene Macy,
et al, "Brief Sketches of Henry Haynes 1701-1784, William Haynes 1727-1806,
Richard Haynes 1763-1850 ..." Privatrely published 1964.[LDS Film 092 4918;
Book 929.273 H333s]
Copyright
1997-2005 John L Haynes Last revised
18-May-2005
