By William D. Lindsey indsch19@ally.ios.com

Wynne Family Connections To Poythress Family

Overview of Wynne Family in England

Robert WYNNE was born before 28 Dec. 1622, Canterbury, England (christened at St. Dunstan’s church on this date). From 1657-60, he appears in various records as burgess from Charles City Co., VA, and 1661-74, he was speaker of the VA House. He d. bef. 8 Oct. 1675, evidently in Charles City Co. His will, dated 1 July 1675, was probated in England on 15 Aug. 1678.

The will identifies Robert WYNNE as of Jordan’s Parish, Charles City Co.,VA, and asks that he be buried in the Jordan’s church near his son Robert. To his oldest son Thomas, he leaves a farm in Whitestaple Parish near Canterbury, England, called Limbet Banckes, along with two houses in Canterbury in St. Mildred’s Parish. To son Joshua he leaves a house and oatmeal mill in Dover Lane outside St. George’s, Canterbury, called the Lilly Pot, and two tenant houses. Sons Thomas and Josuah are also left property in VA, the latter receiving the plantation called George’s. To his daughter Mary Woodlief, he leaves a servant, and to Mary’s son George he also leaves property. The rest of the estate went to Robert WYNNE’s wife and extrx. Mary. The overseers of the estate were to be Thomas GRENDON and Robert WYNNE’s son-in-law [i.e., stepson] Capt. Francis POYTHRESS.

Mary, the widow POYTHRESS’s, maiden name is not known. The children of Robert WYNNE were as follows:

Thomas WYNNE (1657, Charles City Co.-1718, Prince George or Surry Co., VA), m. 1)—- and 2)Agnes STITH and had issue: Joseph (m. —-LLEWELLYN), and Sloman (m. Elizabeth STITH) by first spouse; Thomas (m. 1]Ann, d/o Robert BOLLING and Ann STITH, 2]Martha, perhaps widow of his brother Joseph), Robert (m. 1]Martha JEFFERSON, 2]Mary PHILIPSON), Mary (m. Nathaniel MALONE), and Lucy (m. John COX), these by Agnes STITH.

Robert WYNNE (d. by 1675).

Joshua WYNNE (abt. 1662, Charles City Co., VA–1715, Prince George Co., VA), m. Mary, d/o Peter JONES, and had issue: Peter (m. 1]d/o Col. Edward HILL, and 2]Frances ANDERSON HERBERT), Joshua, m. Mary SLOMAN, Robert (m. 1]—-HAMLIN and 2]Sarah KNIBB), William (m. Frances READ), Francis, Mary (m. John WORSHAM), and Margaret (m. Edward GOODRICH).

Mary, m. John WOODLIEF, s/o Capt. John WOODLIEF.

If anyone is interested in this WYNNE family, I will gladly share information.

Posted: Wed, 12 Mar 1997
W. D. Lindsey
indsch19@ally.ios.com
Overview of Wynne Family in England

Most of what I am summarizing here is from two published studies by cousins of mine: Charles Arthur Wynn, Jr. and Louise Tompkins Wynn, A FAMILY HISTORY OF THE WYNNS (WINN, WYNNE) OF VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, AND GEORGIA AND OTHER RELATED LINES (712 Bluefish Dr., P.O. Box 28025, Panama City Beach, FL 32411); and Frederick Ware Huff, FOUR FAMILIES: WINN, THOMAS, WARE, GARRETT OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES FROM 1600S TO 1993 (Kennesaw, GA; 1993). Charles and Louise Wynn note that much of their research on the English background of the family reproduces information in John Bennett Boddie, VIRGINIA HISTORICAL GENEALOGIES (Baltimore: Geneal. Publ. Co., 1965), 174-7.

These sources say that the Wynne family is first mentioned in the records of Canterbury, England, in 1356, when John Wynne appears as a member of Parliament from Canterbury. From then to Robert Wynne, Mayor of Canterbury in 1599, the name appears often in the records of Canterbury.

Roebert Wynne, mayor of Canterbury, was the grandfather of Col. RobertWynne, speaker of the House of Burgesses in VA in 1661-74. It was this Robert Wynne who m. Mrs. Mary Poythress.

The Wynnes were members of the Wollendrapers Guild of Canterbury. Robert Wynne, mayor of Canterbury was buried at St. Georges in Canterbury on 6 Sept. 1609, his unnamed wife being buried two days later (Wynns, citing St. Georges Psh. Register).

Thomas Wynne, his son, married Mary Wickham of Faversham, Co. Kent, at Onspringe on 20 July 1613 (citing Canterbury Marriage Licenses, 1568-1618, p. 458).

On 20 July 1629, Mary Wickham was buried, and Thomas Wynne of the Almony of St. Augustine, Canterbury, married the widow of James Nichols at St. Martins in Canterbury on 26 Oct. 1629.

On 12 Aug. 1620, Thomas Wynne’s brother Peter was married to Martha Coppin, daughter of William Coppin of St. Margarets, Canterbury. The marriage was at St. Mathins church in Canterbury. Peter Wynne’s son Robert, speaker of the House in Virginia, was christened at St. Dunstans, Canterbury on 28 Dec. 1622. Peter Wynne was buried at St. Georges on 30 May 1638.

William Coppin, father of Martha, was buried at St. Georges on 18 March 1633. The Wynns say that a memorial tablet to him is in St. Georges, and is mentioned in Hasted’s History of Kent, vol. 4, p. 170. The Wynns also note that William Coppin was also probably the grandson of John Coppin, member of Parliament from Canterbury from 1553-4.