This Hilbun Blog
My purpose for beginning this blog is simply to share information with others about Hilbun/Hilburn family history, with a focus on the earliest Hilbuns or Hilburns I have discovered in the southern United States, beginning in the colonial period of the 1700’s and going through the end of the 1800’s. My research has included only Hilburns found in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and the other “Southern” states. I am aware of some Hilburn families who settled in colonial days in parts of the northeast but I have not researched them. In addition, I have not researched the many Hilborns of Pennsylvania, many whom settled there also in colonial times.
This blog will share findings which I hope others will use to do further research. Genealogy takes a lot of time and energy and while I plan to continue to research within my own direct family line, I hope others will pursue researching other branches of this Hilbun/Hilburn family tree!
This blog will not provide any “family tree” per se, (listings of family members with DOB, etc.) unless it is relevant to the subject matter about which I decide to blog.
There are many other Hilbun/Hilburn researchers, one of whom is my father Joel P. Hilbun. He has been researching our Hilbun ancestors for over three decades and has much of his compiled history and family tree on his website- joehilbun.com.
One of my goals has been to discover the father of Frederick Hilbun, born in 1768, my fourth great-grandfather. My conclusion at this point is that I don’t know who his father was, but I do believe that he is related to the North Carolina Hilbuns, the Hilbuns who settled in Laurens County, Georgia, the Hilburns of Copiah County, Mississippi and is LIKELY related to the Newberry County, South Carolina Hilburns.
I also want to state that in my research I have tried to document my sources for any finding or conclusion and not perpetuate any undocumented claim. For example, I’ve seen online genealogies in which a person has traced their history back many generations but they do not cite proof or provide supporting documentation. One example related to our Hilbun genealogy is that some state that Frederick’s father was a Joseph Hilburn, but I have seen no evidence to support that claim. If someone has this evidence please share it with me. I am primarily interested in researching early Hilbun history- before 1850.
Hilbun? Hilburn? Hillbun? Hillburn?
There has always been confusion regarding the spelling of our family name Hilbun. My whole life I’ve been called Hilburn even when someone is reading my name. For whatever reason, others want to put a “r” in our name.
In the earliest records I have found on the Hilbun family, I have seen the name spelled numerous ways. In colonial days, few were educated and census takers often spelled names as they sounded. Within the records of the Vaughan Hilburn of the early 1700’s, his name is spelled HILBUN and HILBURN in official documents; the same is true for land records for John Hilbun of Duplin County, North Carolina in the mid 1700’s.
Regarding the Hilbun/Hilburn name, my father, Joel P. Hilbun, on his Hilbun family history webpage- http://joehilbun.com/history.htm stated:
“The family name has several spellings, Hilburn being the most prevalent. There is a Family Bible record by descendants of Frederick Hilbun by his second wife in which every entry is spelled Hilbun.
First page of Frederick Hilbun’s Bible Record. Frederick was last enumerated in the 1850 Census of Lowndes Co., AL. That record gave his place of birth as North Carolina.
I also have copies of a Family Bible record by descendants of Stephen Newberry Hilbun and in it every entry is spelled Hilbun. Some of Frederick’s lines of descendants have used the Hilburn spelling and others the Hilbun spelling.
In another document, Joel P. Hilbun stated:
“Hilbun is the spelling in several land records also and is the spelling kept by all of the family members in Jones County, Mississippi. HILBUN is the spelling maintained by a majority of the descendants of James Bruce Hilbun, as well as other family branches.
A majority of descendants of Vaughn Hilbun (1808-91) in Laurens County, Georgia, have followed the HILBUN spelling. Another group that resided in northwest Mississippi followed the HILBUN spelling. No records of the relationship of those two family groups with each other or of Frederick line has been found. The HILBUN spelling has been found on land records of the early 1700s in North Carolina and on census and other public records in England in the 1800s.”
In addition, I have noticed that the majority of descendants of Woodward A. Hilbun (1775-1851) spell their name “Hilbun”. He was born in North Carolina and is likely the son of Vaughan Hilbun, Jr. and settled in Pontotoc, Mississippi in the 1840’s. His children moved to Desoto County, Mississippi and Memphis area, while many of his descendants moved to Texas and then California. These families have consistently used the name HILBUN.
Another “Hilbun” family I have discovered actually spells their name “HILLBUN”. These Hillbuns are first found in Barren County, Kentucky in 1810 with William Hilbun as the father of several children, most of whom later moved on to Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.
Hilbun/ Hilburn History in early 1700 Virginia and Maryland
Having researched the family name Hilbun/ Hilburn for a decade I’ve come to some conclusions about the various branches or settlements of Hilbun/Hilburn families throughout the United States. It seems that most of them are descended from the Vaughan Hilburn who was in southeast Virginia as early as 1730. But, there are other Hilburns who are recorded even earlier than that. What I am not sure of is if these Hilburns are connected to Vaughan Hilburn in any way.
The earliest record of Hilburns in the southern colonies was in Stafford County, Virginia in the Quit Rent Roll of 1723. The roll included= “John Todd for Hillburn’s heirs; 290 Acres” and “general remarks: now John Peaks”. Source: The Register of Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co., Va. p.153.
Who these Hilburn heirs were is not known. Stafford County, Virginia is in northeast Virginia; Vaughan Hilburn was an adult in 1730 but in southeast Virginia. Could he have been one of the Hillburn heirs?
………
In January 1728 in Queen Anne Parish, Maryland, a John Hilburn drew up his last will and testament. Contents of this will- “Sons William and John to remain with wife Frances until 21 years. Daughter Elizabeth to care of Mark Hargedon (Hargedine) & Jane, his wife, until 18 years. To wife Frances, personalty. Test: John Boulton, Edward More, Wm. Gough.” 19, 643. I have photocopied this will from the Maryland State Archives. It is not known who these Hilburns were and if there is any connection to Vaughan Hilburn.
Later in 1730, Vaughan Hilbun/Hilburn bought 100 acres in Isle of Wight County on the north side of Three Creeks beginning on the north side of Great Reedy Branch. He later was named an heir and administrator of a John Vaughan’s will. The will dated February 9, 1736 in Isle of Wight, Virginia stated: “WILL of John Vaughan. Legatee-wife Elliner, to Vaughn Hilburne, all my land at the death of my wife; to John Simmons, the minor son of John Simmons, Jr. of Surrey County, reversion of the bequest made to John Hilburn also to him. Vaughan Hilburn, executor.” SOURCE: Virginia Land, Marriage, & Probate Records, 1639-1850. A copy of this will is in my possession.
In 1737 Vaughan Hilborn was named a godparent for Sylvanus Stokes, son of Jones & Anne Stokes who was born 18 February 1737 and christened 16 March 1739/40. Other godparents of this child were William Knight and Rebecca Hardwood. Source: “Albemarle Parish Register of Surry & Sussex Co, VA.” Colonial Dames of America.- p 48.
In 1740 Vaughn Hilburn and Nathaniel Ridley were witnesses to a land deed for Thomas Johnston Jr. on the north.side of Three Creeks along Plowman’s Branch.
In January 1741, Vaughan Hilbun of sold his land on the north & south side of Three Creeks in Isle of Wight County to Joshua Nicholson. The last record of Vaughan Hilburn in Virginia was 26 July 1742, the date he returned the inventory of the estate of John Vaughan, deceased. This also was in Isle of Wight county.
Hilbun 