James Widney

A new surname / Y-DNA project has been opened at FamilyTreeDNA for Udny/Widney/Woodney. Any living male who is, or has reason to believe he is, a genetic Udny, Widney, or Woodney is welcome to join. However, it being a surname project, a Y-DNA test for Y-STR values will be required to maintain membership.
https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/udny-widney-woodney/about?fbcl...

The Widney family was reported by Dr. George Wilds Linn to have been Dutch in origin and owning an estate in County Tyrone, Ireland. His account was based on the recollections of his grandfather, who was just three when the family left Ireland for America, and those of other elderly family members. How accurate those recollections were, and how much of Dr. Linn's account is supposition based on those recollections, are unknown. However, we do know that his account is not without error.

One known discrepancy relates to the Widneys' property in Ireland. There is not one mention of a Widney (of any spelling) living in County Tyrone in all the document transcripts and extracts at the website of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. To the contrary, deeds and other records survive for the Widney family living instead in County Monaghan at least as early as 1713 and owning property in Killymurry, County Monaghan rather than County Tyrone at least as early as 1724 and until 1784. James Widney sold Killymurry in 1784 - the very year he left Ireland for America.

Furthermore, the Widneys were not Dutch but Scottish. There is not one record of birth or baptism of Widneys in The Netherlands. However, Widney is the phonetic spelling of the Scottish surname Udny, as attested by native Scottish folk singer Jock Duncan. Concerning the traditional Scottish song "Bonnie Udny", Duncan had this to say : "I've heard many versions o it - an tunes an aa, fen I wis young. Widney wis the pronunciation. Never naebody heard o Udny: It's Widney boy - are ye gaun doun tae Widney the nicht?'" Udny is the name of a town and a castle in Aberdeenshire, as well as the name of the family that owned the castle. Finally, the tradition of James Widney's ancestor being in the Dutch army is a faulty recollection of the historical fact that one Oliver Udny was a Captain in the Scots Brigade in Service of the United Netherlands from 1607 to 1610. Oliver Udny subsequently acquired land in County Cavan, Ireland and was listed there in 1621 and 1630.

Additional details concerning James Widney's sale of Killymurry are these. On 6 March 1784, James Widney gave an Indented Deed of Assignment No. 2246042 stating, in part, that "James Widney of Kill[y]murry in the County of Monaghan farmer" had sold all his right, title and interest in and to lands of Killymurry containing 39 acres. Witnesses to the sale included John Wilson, gentleman, and Ann Wilson, both of Emyvale, presumably relatives of James's mother, Mary Widney (Wilson).

James was married to Ann Erwin in 1775. Arriving in America nine years later, they and their eldest child[ren] settled in the northernmost tip of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, which was formed just that year from Cumberland County. James purchased six hundred acres of land and helped to found the village of Concord. There they raised a family of at least six children.

See also: http://www.house-of-lynn.com/james_widney_iv.html

• Religion: Methodist
• Emigration: 1784 -

    Path Valley, Franklin (Cumberland) Co., PA

* Residence: Chambers Twp., Franklin Co., PA - 1800

• * Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via son John Widney by SmartCopy: Jan 20 2015, 7:35:01 UTC
• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees by SmartCopy: Jan 20 2015, 7:38:31 UTC