A Discussion of the Hudson Book on
Colonel Thomas Waters
c 1738 - aft. 1810

The Hudson book on Colonel Thomas Waters has brought forth many questions that need to be answered since it speculates on many things that we have the answers to. It is my belief that the descendants of Thomas Waters through the half Cherokee girl Sally had heard some things about his life before Sally.

1. It is apparent that something came by word of mouth or on papers through the Hudson family of Thomas Waters by the bibliography in the book. The first listing is " The Waters & Kindred Families" by Philemon B. Waters in 1902. Why did they go first to the exact place and family ??? Newberry County, South Carolina where his brother Col. Philemon lived, also the family of Thomas when he sent them to safety in 1779. However " The Waters & Kindred Families" led them astray. Philemon B. Waters made mistakes in the book. He states that Thomas Willoughby Waters was the brother of Col. Philemon Waters ( 1732 - 1796 ). That is wrong as proven by the bible record of the daughter of T.W. Waters. Thomas W. Waters was born 14 November 1763. He was a nephew of Col. Phil and Col. Thomas.

2. The second mistake in the 1902 Waters book is where he speculates on the ancestors of  this Waters family. He speculates that we were descended from Edward & William Waters of Virginia & Maryland. Not true as proven by the Marriott- Waters lawsuit earlier on this web site. However Mr. Hudson took it as true apparently as he went into Virginia and Maryland searching. He searched the Maryland Calender of Wills,  Compendium of American Genealogy, Adventures of Purse & Person,  Wills & Administrations Accounts of Elizabeth City, Virginia 1610 - 1800,  Virginia County Records,  Cyclopedia of Virginia Biography by Tyler, Northampton County, Va. Will Book # 12, p 451,  and last but not least he searched the "Annals of Newberry County, South Carolina " by O'Neal & Chapman. This book also has many mistakes in it which can be vouched for not only by me, but by David Sease of Newberry, South Carolina, one of the authorities on the history of Newberry County. Why did Mr. Hudson do all this research if he thought Thomas Waters was from England ??? Alas he didn't find what he needed for he didn't dig deep enough in the right places and spent too much time on a line that was not correct. In the end he fell back on a bible record that he states was in his family at one time. He only underlines the child Thomas, but then goes on to say that that Thomas that was underlined would have been the uncle of Col. Thomas Waters.  Not so, that Waters-Morgan family was in the 1600's and early 1700's, which is OK, but it's not the line of Col. Thomas Waters. Since Sally their Cherokee ancestress was according to them only half Cherokee the bible could have very well come throught her father's line. Her father was supposed to be an Indian Trader and an Englishman.

3. The "Wilkes County Papers 1773 - 1833"
by Robert Scott Davis, Jr. states on page 25--" Nothing is known of the early life of Thomas Waters. One of his descendants speculated that Waters was born ca 1740 in South Carolina." On page 32 it says "Thomas Waters moved to the Bahamas after the American Revolution and later to Great Britain." The only reference for this statement is Mr. Hudson. No other reference is given to prove this statement. Mr. Hudson was guessing or speculating. This statement is incorrect. Col. Thomas Waters did flee to St. Augustine, Florida with his troops and 1000 Indians. He stayed there several months while it was under British control. Also there with him was his Indian mistress and their 2 children. When East Florida went back under Spanish rule Thomas Waters left. He made arrangements with William Clark, a soldier under his command to take the 2 children and raise them. Sally was sent back to the Cherokee Indian Nation where she lived the rest of her life as far as is known. Mr. Hudson also states that at this time Col. Thomas Waters went to England and remained the rest of his life. Wrong. Thomas Waters returned to his family in South Carolina where he had sent them for safety in 1779. In 1790 he shows in Cheraws District, South Carolina where he had formery owned land, his brother still owned land in the area as proven by the South Carolina Land Grants and the deposition of Rosannah Head Huff as to their flight to safety during the Revolution.

4. The most compelling bit of evidence is from the book " American Loyalists Claims" by Peter Wilson Coldham the noted English genealogist who has specialized in the records of the English who migrated to the Colonies. On page 515 of the " American Loyalist Claims" which was taken from the Public Records Office in London, England and taken from the original records is the following: " Waters, Thomas, Ceded Lands, Georgia." (he ) Was an officer in Horse Rangers during the French War: at their reduction went into South Carolina and a Planter and Trader." The French- Indian Wars were in the 1750's and fought between the English & French over who would control the Ohio River Valley and the lands beyond the mountains of Virginia. Col. Philemon Waters also fought in these wars under the command of George Washington. The French came from Canada into western Pennsylvania and Virginia. It was around the area of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania that they built Fort Necessity. Another proof that Thomas Waters was in the colonies as a young man and not in England.

5. In the " Augusta Chronicle & Gazette", issue of 14 October 1801, page 2, col. 1 was an article filed by Thomas Waters in the Savannah, Georgia newspaper on 9 February 1801 listing debts owed him. He presented it to the Board of Commissioners as legal debts owed him. Among the debtors is listed the " Estate of Edward Barnard" 1478 lbs." This is a huge amount of money considering the amount of the other debtors. As you recall Edward Barnard had been his commanding officer and Sup't. of Indian Affairs over the Cherokee and Creek Indians in 1773. Edward Barnard died 6 June 1775. His estate was not confiscated and sold as was the other Loyalist estates . I suppose because he died before the worst of the rebellion started. After the war Timothy Barnard is listed in the "Georgia in the American Revolution," page 613----Timothy Barnard, relieved from penalty of confiscation and banishment,  permitted to return and estate amerced." ( fined ).  My interpretation of this is that this is the estate of Edward Barnard in Chatham County, Georgia and was given to Timothy Barnard. The second part of the theory is that the 1478 pounds that Thomas Waters is trying to collect in 1801 is a share of the Edward Barnard estate, which might be in right of his white wife who was possibly the daughter of Edward Barnard.