FHB Watson

Family History Book: Watson

This is my paternal surname, so is the Y-DNA root for my immediate birth family. My father did have his Y-DNA tested at FamilyTreeDNA years ago, but the password and source data was lost. Oddly, although this lineage ought to be the easiest to trace via DNA, that had not proven to be the case from a genealogy point of view because of missing documentation. Ironically, the other least-documented line is my mtDNA family, where the earliest known ancestor is only five generations ago (Jane Starling Hutchinson Cattell). Go figure.

UPDATE: Recently, Ancestry.com's ThruLines app turned up DNA connections to 29 descendants of David Lewis Watson (1727-1811)

Our Direct Lineage

Prior Generations

Possible Ancestors of Mulvaney Watson (1575-1605)

Some sources claim that Mulvaney Watson (1575-1606) was the son of David Watson, son of John T. Watson (1520-1584), Bishop of Winchester, born in Evesham, Worcestershire, England, son of Thomas Watson and Elizabeth Weekes. I have not included this lineage since I have not seen convincing evidence of this relationship. However, the same sources also claim that Bishop Watson's ancestry goes back to another Mulvaney Watson in Scotland, so I'm not ruling it out entirely. More research is needed.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography's entry for Bishop John Watson states that he was unmarried, and his will does not mention any children, although he did leave bequests to children of his various siblings. So I do not believe he is our ancestor.

Recent Watson DNA Discoveries

• Earliest Watson Ancestor: Mulvaney Watson (1575-1605, born on Orkney, Scotland
• Second Early Watson: James Mulvaney Watson (1590-1650) of Dundee, Angus, Scotland
• Third Early Watson: James Watson (1624-1704), immigrated from Dundee, Angus, Scotland to Prince George's Co., Maryland
• Fourth Early Watson: William Watson (1652-1723), born in Dundee, immigrated to Maryland
• Fifth Early Watson: James B Watson III (1677-1777), born in Maryland
• Sixth Early Watson: James C Watson (1705-1775)
• Seventh Early Watson: David Lewis Watson (1727-1811), born in Georgia
• Eighth Early Watson: David Watson (1774-1840), born in Georgia, died in Henry Co., Alabama

Pending further information, the possible ancestor, David Watson (1774-1840), or whomever was the father of Charles M Watson, would be the eighth early Watson, and first known Watson. Contrary to other researchers, I now do not believe his name was John Aaron Watson. Overwhelming DNA evidence, however, convinces me that we are descended from David Lewis Watson, and David is his only known son who is said by some to have died at the expected time. The DNA evidence will be explained in detail on another page.

There may be a missing generation between David Lewis Watson (1727-1811) and David Watson (1774-1840), but until more documentation shows up, I'll treat them as father and son rather than grandfather and grandson. David Watson (1774-1840) has the least supporting documentation since immigration, but we're working on it!

Immediate Relatives

Children of Herschel A Watson, Sr.

with Johnnie Mae Hackworth

John Brooks Watson

with Vada Lue Kidd

Linked Families

• Alexander
• Cashion
• Cleaver
• Holman
• Monk
• Rousseau
• Shores
• Skipper
• Smith

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