Wynns family

The Wynns Family, generally associated with Hertford County, North Carolina, has taken on various spellings over time, including Wynns, Wynne and Wynn. According to genealogical research, the earliest member of this family present in the Hertford County area was Captain George Wynns. He was born in 1675 and died in 1751. From his remaining will, we know that Wynns was married to Rosa, and they had seven children. This included John, Mary (wife of Cullence Sessoms), Joseph, Benjamin (a Colonel in the Continental Army of 1776), William (died in 1757, had a wife Elizabeth and daughter Penelope and a son, name unknown), Sarah (wife of Peter Evans) and George (a Major in the Continental Army of 1776).

Captain Thomas, Edmond and Peter Wynne are mentioned among the grantees in the charter of Virginia granted by King Charles II in 1609. Daniel Wynns was the son of one Wynns who married the daughter of Daniel Van Pelt, whose family originally came to North Carolina from New York. According to his will, Daniel Wynns had several children, including George, Watkin Williams, Daniel Van Pelt, Mrs. Mary Jenkins, Mrs. Elizabeth Barns, Mrs. Sarah Roberson and Peggy (who later married a Northcutt), Caroline and Emeline. Colonel Benjamin Wynns (of revolutionary fame, and the son of Captain George Wynns, as previously mentioned) had four sons with his second wife, Margaret Pugh of Bertie, North Carolina. They included Benjamin, George, William and Thomas. Thomas became a general in the states troops after the war of 1776 and represented the Edenton District in Congress from 1802 until 1807. James M. Wynns (son of William), the great grandson of Colonel Benjamin Wynns, produced in marriage (21 Feb 1865 to Jennie Brown) three sons, Thomas B., John S., and William D.; and three daughters, Jennie B., Lucy D., and Maud L. All of these children were still living in Murfreesboro, North Carolina in the early 20th Century. James M. Wynns also served in the Civil War as First Lieutenant, 19th Regiment, North Carolina Troops, 2nd North Carolina Cavalry, Company C-Gates and Hertford Counties.

The Wynns (Winn, Wynn, Winns) family of Hertford County was one of great prominence in colonial North Carolina. As indicated above, the Wynns family took on various spellings throughout generations. As a result, in these papers researchers will find both “Wynn” and “Wynns” used on various documents. In the text of this finding aid, the spelling is kept as “Wynns” to be consistent. These papers document the activities of a later generation of Wynns who lived predominately during the late 1800s and early 1900s. These include Thomas B. Wynns (wife, Lois V. Wynns) and his father, James M. Wynns (12 Oct 1831 - 1906,) James B. Wynns (believed to be James M. Wynns’ other son;) as well as William B. Wynns (1796-1840, married 21 Jan 1830 to Mary A Pipkin,) and his brothers, Thomas, Benjamin, James D.