Origin

Born in 1704 in Westmoreland county, MS Virginia.

He may be the son of Minor Winn MS and Martha Ann Mary Byrd of Caroline co.,Virginia. MS The connection to Winn-Byrd is considered family lore until corroborated by more then the Original MS.

Came to Fauquier co. from Wales in the early 1700s. Chappell

Born in Eden Plantation, Prince William co.--the Byrd estate of his mother's family. MS

Marriage - Margaret O'Connor

Minor Winn married Margaret O'Connor 4 in Westmoreland county, Virginia. MS before 1727. (based on est. date of first childbirth)

Margaret was born in Ireland. Chappell MS

From Maryland. Her mother born in Ireland. Margaret is named in her mother's will.1

Likely born in Essex or K&Q co., VA to James and Margaret Conner. James died in Spotsylvania co. by November 2, 1725. 5

It seems probable that it was her Connor brothers that witness the Winn deeds below.

NOTE: There is a second Minor Wynn marriage already established in VA. Many old family histories combine all of the Minors into one or erroneously connect them to each other, or erroneously connect them to Robert of Canterbury through Joshua Wynn. 1

Children - Margaret & Minor

Reference Information Only! Additional info held by the webmaster (in database format) for children that don't have a web page on this site.

John, Colonel 4 Chappell	b. ~1727** VA d. 1816 TN	m. Dorothea Wright 1758 Anna - Minor - James - Richard Francis - Wm. Wright - Mary - John Jr. m. Penelope Kirkland 1782 Joseph - Daniel - Harriet - Martha - Margaret - David - Jefferson - Obediah - Zack - Peter - Robert - Edward J.
Elizabeth 4	b. 1728 d. 1772	m. _____ Smith 4 MS Martha +
Margaret 4	b.1729	m. Moses Johnson * m. Smith Johnson 1 m. ____ Johnson MS
Minor, Lieutenant 4	b. 1730 VA d. 1812 VA	m. Elizabeth Withers 1766 Nancy - Sally - Margaret - Betsy - Susannah - Mary (Polly) - John W. - Hannah Withers - Minor IV - Thomas m. Eleanor Harrison 1803 Built Rock Hill about 1807. Made Will Aug. 22, 1813 while sick. Chappell
Mary 4	b. 1731	m. Benjamin Smith *** m. _____ Smith MS
William, Colonel 4 Chappell	b. 1732 VA d. 1800 SC	m. Ann Lingan ~1753 see Wm's page m. Rosamond Hampton see Wm's page
James. Captain 4	b. ~1745 VA d. 1814 ?	m. Hanna(h) Withers 1766 James - William - Joe - Susannah - Queen - George - Minerva - John
Susanna 4	b. 1740 d. 1817	m. Peter Grant MS Fauquier Co., Vr (called Susannar in father's will)
Richard, General 4 Chappell portrait - grave - grave - home	b. 1750 VA d. 1818 TN	m. Priscilla McKinley d. Winnsboro, TN (McKennie per Chappell) "McKennie" "general richard winn" - 3 hits on Google "McKinley" "general richard winn" - 21 hits on Google Minor - Samuel - Benjamin Franklin - Dr. Thomas Brotten - William Richard - Margaret - Christina - John - Richard - Mary - Priscilla

The Mysterious Lettice Bearden Chappell adds a daughter, [ Lettice (1723 - 1790) m. John Bearden 1736 NC] not mentioned in Minor's will. 4 She is not mentioned in the original MS. MS He ties in his family with reference to Dr. J. B. O. Laudrum, History of Spartanburg County (Atlanta, 1900) p. 158, Directory of the Senate of South Carolina, 1776-1964) p. 337 (footnote 2, page 5) If that doesn't lead us to something that would explain her absence from her father's will, we can discount her and assume this is the source for the unfounded Lettice that we had down originally.

+ William also had a daughter (by 1st wife) named Martha, who married Matthew Smith 25 Nov 1771. Could this be the one mentioned in Minor's will instead of Elizabeth's daughter? MS

* Moses Johnson wasn't her husband but instead, the son of Margaret and Smith Johnson. 5

** John is shown as 23 years older than Richard. However, John's birth in 1727 was only a guess in the orig. MS

*** Benjamin Smith's will does not speak of his wife. Deanna Ames claims she is already dead. Ergo, the notion that he married Elizabeth (rather than Mary).

We have Elizabeth dying in 1772, which means she would have been alive at the time of Ben. Smith's Will (below) yet dead at the writing of Minor's will.

Benjamin Smith's Will dated 30 Sep 1770 (Will Book O 1752-1773 Halifax Co. VA) Halifax co VA Will Book O 1752-1773 (Chiarito) Sons: Minor Winn Smith, Weathers Smith, John Winn Smith and Weaden Smith Daughters: Margaret Smith and Susan Smith.
..."on condition my eldest daughter raising of my youngest son". 
s/Benjamin Smith
Exr: Minor Winn Wit: Samuel Hoskins, Thomas Vaughan, Smith Johnson." 5

Winnsboro

Five sons served America in the Revolutionary War holding commissions ranging from Lieutenant to Colonel. After the war Richard became a Major General in the South Carolina militia.

John, Richard, and William went to Cauden District (called Fairfield) South Carolina where in 1765 they founded the town of Winnsboro, (then called Winnsborough) the county seat of Fairfield county. These brothers also founded Mount Zion Society.

In 1966, the Richard Winn Academy was founded in Winnsboro, SC.

Is there also a Winnsboro in TN? Richard died in Winnsboro, Maury co., TN (at his plantations at Duck River 1818).

Mount Zion Society Established in Charleston Jan 9th and incorporated Feb 12, 1777 for founding, endowing, and supporting a public school in the District of Camden, for the education and instruction of youth. "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. To appoint unto them that mount in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." Isaiah Ix. 1 and Ix. 3 Its first President, John Winn (and wardens, William Strother and Robert Ellison) were residents of what is now Fairfield County, then a part of Camden District. Located at Winnsboro, the town named in honor of John Winn, its first year membership was 58. Among these, Col. Thomas Taylor and Thomas Woodward, and two from the low country, Edward McCrady, one of the first members, and Andrew Rutledge. Paraphrased from The History of South Carolina Under the Royal Government, 1719-1776 a book by Edward McCrady available online.

South Carolina Troubled by finding their property 'handled by a few designing men as the see cause,' anticourt petitioners in Fairfield may have been expressing resentment at the brothers Richard, John, and Minor Winn. These three were local merchants and frequent litigants. Richard and John were also county justices who, not coincidentally, signed at the top of Fairfield's procourt petition. Thomas S. Parrot, one of the first signers on the anticourt document, had been a defendant in a suit brought by Evans, Winn, and Company. -- Unification of a Slave State: The Rise of the Planter Class in the South ... By Rachel N. Klein

Tracing His Steps

Putting Minor's records in chronological order, we get the following timeline:

1733	VA Caroline co. - settled there before1733. MS
1733	VA Caroline co. - Court Order - Tobacco paid to Minor Winn April 12. 2
1734	VA Carolina co. - Petition - Minor Winn vrs Co. Collectors, June 13. 2
1734	VA Orange co. formed from part of Spotsylvania co.
1735	VA Carolina co. - Order book 1732-1740, suit of Minor Winn vrs Augustine Moregal dismissed. July 13.MS
1737	VA Prince William co. - Moved to Prince William county. MS
1737	VA Carolina co. - Moved to St. Margaret's Parish, June 25. MS
1737	VA Orange co. - Purchased Land (Great Fork, Rappahannock River) on June 25. 2 MSDeed witnessed by James Connor -- related to Margaret O'Connor?
1737	VA Orange co. - Order Book 2 page 43-43, Minor Winn sold land to Frances Thorton on June 23. MS
1737	VA Orange co. - Order Book 2 page 43; "Minor Winn of St. Margaret's Parish Caroline co., bought land in Orange co., VA, June. MS
	23 YEAR GAP ?
1749	VA Culpeper county formed from part of Orange county.
1757	VA Loudoun county formed from part of Fairfax county.
1759	VA Fauquier county formed from part of Prince William county.
1760	VA Culpeper co. - Deed Bk. C pgs. 408-409 Oct 16 : To all whom present...I, Minor Winn of Prince William co., VA, in consideration of the Natural love and good will which I do bear give to my son-in-law, Smith Johnson, 202 acres on the Great Fork of the Rappa. River and on the Potato Run... signed Minor Winn; Wit: James Connor (Margaret's brother), Richard Young, John Bradley. 5
1763	VA Loudoun co. - Joseph Holtzclaw of Prince William sold to Minor Winn of Prince William county 300 acres on North Branch of Goose Creek. December 10. MS
1764	VA Fauquier co. - Late in life, he apparently resettled on Little River, buying land from Richard Lee and building the first old stone house called "Rock Hill." This place is spoken of as the Old Winn Place and is located about half way between Middlesburg and the Plains of Fauquier Co., VA not far from Washington D. C. MS
1764	VA Fauquier co. - Leased land for farming on May 24. Deed witnessed by James Connor who could be related to Margaret O'Connor, 2
1764	VA Prince William co. - Residing in May 24.MS
1765	SC Three sons establish Winnsboro, SCt.
1765	VA Fauquier co. - Purchased slaves, household effects, etc., from son in March 22.MS
1765	VA Fauquier co. - Lease voided and released to Minor Winn, March 24.MS
1765	VA Loudoun co. - Minor and Margaret sold a lot in Leesburg, D. B. Page 594. MS
1766	VA Fauquier co. - Allowed to repair and use courthouse, July. MS
1769	VA Fauquier co. - Appointed Ordinary, May.MS
1771	VA Loudoun co. - Minor Winn & Margaret O'Connor of Fauquier co., sold 358 acres on April 27. MS
1772	VA Fauquier co. - Sold land on April 26.MS
1772	VA Fauquier co. - Residence in Leeds Parish , April 26.3

Minor's Will

From reading Minor's will, we might suppose that in Fauquier county, Virginia, the following occurred while revolution was fomenting:

Date	Action
July 31, 1775	Written and signed by Minor and Margaret. Appointed Margaret and Minor (wife and son) executors. Witnessed by : Stephen Tolle (?) Thomas White (?) James Fleming (?)
March 23, 1776	Recorded: Is the recorded date in the heading in ERROR?
Feb 5, 1778	Amended Sick and weak, Minor give what Col. Martin Pickett owed him on some Little River land, to son Minor and addressed the distilling, tool, and hog business he and son Minor were engaged in on Minor's property. Witnessed by: Peter Grant (Susanne's husband) James Winn (son) Hannah Winn (above's wife)
March 23, 1778	Probate recorded by Margaret and Minor (widow and son) the same day Minor died? Witnessed by James and Hannah (son & daughter-in-law), Margaret and Minor (wife and son - Executrix and Executor)
July 27, 1778	Probate recorded
May 24, 1779	Appraisment of Estate +
May 1, 1788	Inventory vauled +
Feb 7, 1789	Authority given by William and Richard to John (all three brothers living then in Fairfield county (SC) authority to settle with Minor, the executor, their interests in their father's estate.
Sept. 26, 1796	Inventory vaule recorded +

+ See Fauquier co. Probate Index

Passings

Minor died on March 23*, 1778, at the ripe old age of 74, in the old house on Rock Hill Farm in Warrenton, Fauquier county, Virginia. 3 He was buried nearby at Leeds Parish. 3

* According to his will, he must have died between February 5 and March 23, 1778.

Sources