Map by the late county historian Herman Melton

County records indicate that John Donelson surveyed land for William Adkins along Harpen Creek in 1747. During that time, the vicinity was considered part of Lunenburg County. The land, which comprised 350 acres in all, included a parcel of “50 acres of land including his mill.” The spelling of older documents is notable, as the names were written “Wm Atkinson” and “Harping Creek.”  Throughout the mill’s operation, further expansion of the west developed. The county of Halifax was split from Lunenburg in 1752 and split again to establish the county of Pittsylvania in 1767. 

Upon William’s death in 1784, his Last Will & Testament declared to leave for his son Jesse a plantation, the outbuildings, livestock, a gray horse, and three enslaved people called Hannah, Eady, and James. His son William received the land on the south side of Harpen Creek that contained the mill. Two of the Adkins daughters, Nancy and Liddy, are listed with the surname Witcher, but I cannot find the names of their husbands. Evidence from Herman Melton’s book “Pittsylvania’s Eighteenth Century Grist Mills” suggests that through a marriage relation, the mill passed to William Witcher (an influential settler and officer in the local militia) as the owner of the mill for a time. The nearby road became known as “Witcher’s Old Mill Road” as documented in a later deed from 1833.

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Continuing through William Adkins (1760-1848), son of William Adkins the Miller. He married Mary Hartman and had the following children (Note: nearly all birth years are estimates) –

1. Rhoda “Rhody” Adkins (1781-1821)
   • Married in 1799 to Jesse Peak
   • Jesse’s will indicates no children
2. Elizabeth Adkins (~1787-1879)
   • Married to Nathan Carter
3. Sarah “Sally” Adkins (~1785-1860)
   • Married in 1810 to Charles Gibson
   • Married again to James Donley
   • Died of Dropsy in 1860
4. Henry Adkins (1782-1867)
   • Married in 1799 to Elizabeth Rossett
     • She descended from French “deRossett” settlers
5. Anna Adkins (~1783-1862)
   • Married in 1808 to John Rigney
6. Owen Sanford Adkins, Sr (1785-1885)
   • He married in 1809 to Isabel Harris
   • In 1815 he took 3 concubines & built them houses nearby
   • Isabel died in 1825
   • He remarried the same year to Frances Campbell
   • Around 1828 he took another concubine
   • Owen’s second wife Frances died in 1838
   • He lived with 4 concubines including Louisa Kendrick
7. Susan “Sukey” Adkins (~1787-1851)
   • Married in 1806 to George Kenan Smith
8. William Adkins (~1786~1849)
   • Married in 1805 to Betsy Thacker
9. Coleman Reynolds (1830-1862)
   • William Adkins mentions an additional person, Coleman Reynolds, in his Last Will and Testament. It is unlikely that Coleman was a biological son of William due to the age difference of seventy years, but he was probably adopted into the family. 
   • Coleman later joined the Confederate Army and served as a private in the 38th VA Infantry, Company B. He was killed in action at the Battle of Gettysburg. 

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Last Will of William Adkins (1760-1848)

Recorded in the Wills, Inventories & Accts Vol 1-A page 142

Dated April 8, 1847 probated Oct 28, 1848

I, William Adkins of the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia being of sound mind and in good health make my last will and testament in manner and form as follows:

I give to my son Henry Adkins and his heirs forever the following land to wit, beginning in my line adjoining where he lives now at the fence and around the land he is now in possession of it being a part of my track and thence following the fence to a pair of draw rails thence up the path to the ridge path leadin from my house to Capt. Hopkines Decd, then down a hollow to a branch in an old field and down the branch to the Creek hence up the same to the Spring that said Henry formerly used continuing up said branch to my back line and along same to the beginning.

2ly I give to my son Owen Adkins and his heirs forever the following land, towit, beginning at the same place where Henry’s new line is to begin thence along between my son Henry and myself to the road leading from my house to Lynchburg road, thence down said road to a corner in my old line near a field now used by my daughter Sally Gibson, thence to the fence of the said field and along said fence in to an old field not inclosed until it corner oposite and old fence row leading from some pines near the path and so on down said fence row to the head of a hollow and down the same to the creek and up the creek to the land here in before give to my son Henry and along his line to the beginning.

3ly, I give to my daughter Sally Gibson and her heirs forever the following land to wit, beginning at the fence around the field in which she now lived where my son Owen’s William and thence along the lain and through the lower side of an old field crossing the ridge road to trees I have choped as a line to Peek’s old field and through the old field by two marked trees on a ridge and so on to two marked trees below the aple orchard on the branch thence up the same and along my backline to the line herein before directed to bound the land given to my son Owen and along that line to the beginning.

4ly, I give to my son William Adkins and his heirs forever the land where on he lives it being all the remaining part of my land on that side of the creek not herein given to the others.

5ly, It is my will and desire that Coleman Renards shall have and injoy the land and other property herein after mentioned for and during his life and at his death to his lawfully begotten children if he leave any and in case he does not, the to my children here in before mentioned and there heirs forever to wit, I give under the limitations as aforesaid to said Coleman Renards who I hereby recognise as my son and henceforth desire that he shall be called Coleman Adkins the following land, to wit, beginning on the creek between John T. Muse and myself at the mouth of a branch thence along the North side of a crop fence running near a spring formerly used by Sally Reynolds and so onto the woods and thence along a new chopped line to a branch above William Adkins spring and thence up said branch to a new chopped line and along said line to the ridge road and thence along said road and my backline to the land herein before given to my son Henry and thence down his line to the creek and thence down the said creek to the beginning.

6ly, It is my will and desire that my Executor hereinafter appointed sell upon credit of one and two years all residue of my land lying on the West side of Turkey Cock creek and also upon a resonable credit sell all the perishable part of my estate.

7ly, I give to Suky Smith one hundred dollars and I give to Betsy Carter one hundred dollars and to Sally Gipson thirty dollars.

8ly, I give to my son Coleman Adkins upon the terms limitations and conditions contained.