Although I am a Winesett with the middle "e", I have always wondered when I ran across a Winsett, Winsette, Winsettle, Wimsett or Wimsatt - whether that person was related by blood to me. I now believe that in many cases there is a blood relationship which dates back a hundred years or more.
I found that there were Winset/Winsett, Wimset/Wimsett and Wynset/Wynsett families in Great Brittain as far back as the 15th Century on the name lists compiled by the Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church). I did not, however, find any Wimsatts in Great Brittain.
There were Wimsetts and probably Winsetts in the Maryland colony by the late 1600's.
John Wimsett or Winsett and his spouse, Henrietta Bradburn, lived in St. Mary's County, Maryland.
John and Henrietta's son, Raphael whose name was most often spelled Winsett in the records, was born in St. Mary's County about Oct-1752. He served in the First Regiment of the Maryland Line, General George Washington's Continental Army during the Revolutionary War from 1776 to 1-Jan-1780 when discharged. He married about 1783 Susannah Cissel born about 1754 in St. Marys County, MD. After the birth of their son, John in 1785, Raphael and Suzzanah moved to Kentucky in area ofBardstown.
Ignatius Winsett or Wimsett was also in the Bardstown area. He is the son Richard Wimsatt and Katherine O'Bryan {Bryan). Ignatius is more often listed as Wimsatt rather than Winsett.
There were Winsetts in Onslow County, North Carolina by the mid 1700's.
1769: John Winsett, Dobbs County, NC [Mormon Index]
14-Dec-1769: John Winnsent married Catherina Elrod in Rowan County, NC. [Mormon Church].
Mary Ann Jarman (b 12-Feb-1736 Queenn Anne Co, MD) married John Winsett (b a1732 in Quen Anne Co. MD) in St. Mary's County, Maryland.
11-Oct-1774: John Winsett witnessed conveyance by Joseph Jarman to William Ratliffe of 36a on north side of Tuckahoe Creek in Lenoir County, NC. [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC]
1778 Tax: Henry Winsett, Charles County, MD, Upper Hundred
1780: John Winsett, Dobbs County, NC [Mormon Church Index]
1780: Joseph Winsett, Dobbs County, NC [Mormon Church Index]
Joseph Winsett born in MD based on age for 1850
Indianna Census.
7-Aug-1786: John Winsett of Dobbs County purchase 400a on north side of Tuckahoe Creek. [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC]
John and Mary, and Mary's parents are found next in Lenoir County, North Carolina along the Tuckahoe Creek.
11-Oct-1786: Francis Winsett born to John and Mary (Jarman) Winsett. (She later married about 1803 Aretus Jones.\ [Heritage of Lenoir County, NC]
24-May-1789: John Winsett sold to Hall Jarman 60a on south side of Tuchahoe Creek. Witness was John Winsett. (So there were two John Winsetts which may have been father and son) [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC]
10-Jan-1790: Joseph Winsett was a witness to conveyance by William Kinsey to Andrew Cox. (Is he the same person that was in Vermillion County, IN what purchased patent land as Joseph Winesett (1848 and 1850)? The 1850 census listed his as Joseph Winsett born in Maryland who was probably born in the 1770's). [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC]
May 1790: The estate of John Winesett lists Jarman, Mary, Sussanah, Frances and Sarah Winsett. The first three were children of Mary who died. Sarah was the daughter of John's second wife, Hannah, who married a Cox after John's death. (The 1790 census lists Hannah Winsit as head of household with 3 white women and 4 slaves - the older children were married). [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC]
1790 Census: Hannah Winsit as head of household of 3
women and 4 slaves.
Joseph Winsett with 2 males under 16, 6 females
and 2 slaves.
Robert Winsett with another male over 16, 4 males
under 16, 2 females and 2 slaves.
1791: Daniel is born to Joseph (b1765, Jones Co, NC) and Mary Winsett (b 1769, Jones Co, NC) of Jones County, NC. Their marriage is give as about 1790. [Mormon Church Index]
27-Jul-1793: John Winset was a witness to a conveyance by Robert Winset of a slave. (John again - father, uncle, cousin, or nephew?). [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC]
1795: Martin Winsett is born to Joseph and Mrs. Winsett of Jones County, NC. [Mormon Church Index]
1798: Margaret "Peggy" Winsett born to Mrs. Joseph Winsett of Jones County, NC. [Mormon Church Index]
8-Nov-1799: Jarman Winsett married Rachael Waldron. [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC]
A daughter of Col. Thomas Johnston [Johnson] (abt 720 to 1801/5) and Rebecca Woodhouse (abt 1726 to after 1801) married a Winsett whose christian name is not given. Although the Johnston descendants do not know her given name, they give her birth as about 1766. If that date is correct, she was not the mother of Johnson Winesett who was born by 1776.
It was fairly common for to honor a relative by marriage by naming a child with that surname. Usually the first male child was give the surname of the maternal parent. I suspect that Johnson Winesett was named in honor of Col. Thomas Johnston. He was sometimes listed without the "t".
1800 Census: John Winset, Calvert County, MD
Joseph Winsett, Washington County, KY
Joseph Winsett, Jones County, NC
21-Feb-1801: Joseph Winsett sold to Isaac Ramsey 167a on north side of Tuckahoe at mouth of Island Creek. [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC]
4-Mar-1801: Thomas Johnson [Johnston] mentioned his wife Rebecca and granddaughters Elizabeth Winsett and Anne Winset in his will. Will date, it was not proved until 1805. [Gwynn's Records of Onslow County, NC - Vol. I] Note: There was an Elizabeth born about 1795/7 in Eagleville, Williamson County, TN, to Robert Winsett and Milly [no surname given]. An Anne Winsett married 29-Apr-1816 Stringer Potts in Williamson County, TN. There were other Anne/Anna/Elizabeth/Betsy born in KY/AL/MO/TN, etc but these were the only ones I found who were born early enough to have been mentioned in Col. Johnson's will. I also noted that Winsett was spelled differently for the two granddaughters - could that mean that it was their marred names. Also review the next entry.
15-Dec-1801: William Winsett of Jones Co., NC, sold to Nathan Sylvester 60a at dividing line between Thomas and John Johnston which is part of land granted to Mathew Whitfield and Elizabeth Winsett, William Winsett, Anna Winsett and husband, John Winsett. [Gwynn's Records of Onslow County, NC - Vol. I, page 586] Note: Does this mean that William is a grandson of Col Johnson not mentioned in his will? If William sold the land, he was of age and probably Anna who was married. This is confusing. The birth date of Col. Johnston's daughter who married a Winsett must be wrong.
1804: Birth of Jarman Winsett (Jr).
31-Dec-1805: John Winsett married Jenny Jones in Wilson County, TN [Mormon Church Index]
14-Jun-1806: Joseph Winset gave his son Martin Winset 160a on south side of Tuckahoe Creek, etc. [Deed Book J, page 456, Jones County, NC]
23-May-1807: Germain (Jarman) Winsett married Sally Clark in Williamson County, TN. [Mormon Index].
1810 Census: Joseph Winsette, Jones County, NC.
15-Mar-1813: Rachel Jarman's will names Jarman Winsett and other children of deceased daughter, Mary, as Rachel Middleton, Mary Irwin, Susannah Boyt and Francis Jones. The will mentions that Jarman Winsett and his Jarman uncles and cousins who have gone to Tennessee. [Zae Hargett Gwynn's Records of Jones County, NC].
1820 Census: Joseph Winsett, Washington County, KY
Johnson Winesett, Surry County, NC
1830 Census: Johnson Winesett, Grayson County, VA
Joseph Winset, Limestone County, AL
Joseph Winset, Vermillion County, IN
Martin Wineset, Henry County, TN
1840 Census: Jarman Winset, Jones County, NC
John Winset, Vermillion County, IN
Johnson Winesett, Carroll County, VA
Joseph Winsett, Vermillion County, IN, same Township
Joseph Winsett, Vermillion County, IN, Clinton Township
1850 Census: Jarman Winset 46, Jones County, NC along with wife
Penelope 38, children Jane 18, Bacheus (Zaccheus) 17,
Rial (Ryall 8 and Susan 6. All were born in NC.
John Winset, Lawrence County, AL
Johnson Winesett, Carroll County, VA
Joseph Winsett, Vermillion County, IN, Clinton Township
Age 70, born in MD. Married Rebecca Harper, age 41,
31-Mar-1850. Bought land in 148 and again in 1850
as Joseph Winesett. Marriage record is as Wimsett. He
may have previously married Cynthia Powers 28-Sep-1833 in
Vermillion County. Because of the use of Wimsett. I
believe he may have been part of those who moved to
Kentucky from Maryland and then on to Indiana. He
probably was never in North Carolina but still could
be closely related.
1860 Census: Joseph D. Winsett, Henry County, TN
Vermillion County, IN, Joseph is deceased.
I readily admit that I am making guesses which may not be correct. There were more than one John and Joseph. John traveled to and from NC and MD. One Joseph was in IN and another in AL. One or both out of MD to NC and then on to IN or AL.
I made no effort to name all the Winsetts or Winesetts. I showed some to provide evidence that they moved around a lot and there were definite contacts between the groups.
Henry Winesett out of NC/VA went to Illnois and then on to Nelson County, TN were there were many Winsett/Wimsatt members, in finally to IA. His son, Calvin, born in Illnois, grew up in Kentucky, served in the Mexican War of 1848 and went with his father to Iowa. Of age he went to Illnois to marry and then on to Texas, California, Washington State, and then to Oregon. He surely knew many Winsetts scattered throughout the Nation and territories.
Both the Winsetts, Wimsetts and Winesetts named their children after near relatives. There were four Johnson Winesetts at one time and near one another. James, John, Joseph, Robert, Henry, and William were popular among the families. The Winsetts also found Isaac to be popular.
WEINZETTE: This name came out of Austria. I believe there
was originally an "L" after the double "T". The name has
to do with keeping a list. I suspect this was originally the
persons who recorded the number casks or bottles of wine
together with the owner theirof.
WINESETTLE: This is apparently a version of the immediatly
preceding name. There were three men {brothers?} with this name
in Jones County, NC about the same time that Johnson was there.
I did not find any relationship between them and Johnson Winesett.
A family with this name was in Croyle Township, Cambria County,
Pennsylvania for the 1850 Federal Census. The parents Jacob and
Terese were born in Austria and the children John, Michael and
Joseph in PA.
The Webmaster's grandfather said that he met some Winesetts
when he raced in Germany. Since the German "W" is pronounced
like the American "V", he must have made some allowances and
there people were probably the Austrian Weinzettles. I never
found anything closer while I served in Germany. Germans would
say the name sounded French.
VINESETT: I haven't been able to make the connection between
this family and ours. However, the similarities are amazing.
This is how a English speaking person would spell Winesett
or Weinzette as pronounced by a German speaking person. Also
their first reference is in Virginia. Than family included
a son named Johnson which appeared in later generations. I
cannot but wonder if this was a German speaking person from
Austria or Switzerland who could not write or used the
English spelling of the way his name sounded perhaps dropping
the "L" if it appeared after the double "T".
In some northern European countries, a son with the same
name as his father was identified by adding "son" as a suffix.
That is Johnson was understood as John, son of John. I also
note that the second Johnson Winesett who married Phebe Farmer
often identified himself as "John" in deeds omitting the "son".
If you have any information regarding any of the above - don't sit on
it. Spread the wealth! Write, e-mail or phone me.