It appears that several different Wiggins family lines ended up residing in Covington County. William Wiggins’s descendants are the ones being featured in today’s writing. All that is known about William is that he was born in 1555 in the Country of England.

Only the name of one son, Thomas Wiggins, is known from the research on this family.

Thomas Wiggins was born in 1608 in Shrewsbury, England.

He was later married to Katherine Whiting who was also born in England in 1601 in London.

They were not married until both had immigrated to American aboard a ship in 1630.

They were first residing in New England and specifically in New Hampshire in 1631.

The couple was then married in 1633.

Thomas died in 1666 in Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire, and Katherine died in 1664 in Stratham, Rockingham.

Thomas Sr. and Katherine had at least the following two sons: Andrew Wiggins, b. 1635, d. ca 1709 in Andover, Mass.

He was married to Hannah Bradstreet, daughter of Governor Simon Bradstreet and wife, Ann (Dudley).

Thomas Wiggins, Jr. was born in 1641 and died in 1700, both in New Hampshire.

He was married to Sarah Sparkman (1650-1711), both in Surry County, Va.

Thomas Wiggins, Jr. and wife, Sarah, had a son whom they named Thomas Wiggins III.

He was born in 1675 in Surry County, Va., and died circa 1708 in same county.

He was married to Ann Stewart who was born in 1680 in England.

Ann died in 1719. Among their children was a son, William “Captain John” Wiggins.

William “Captain John” Wiggins was born in 1716 in Surry County, Va., and was married to Catherine Baker (1715-1765), a native of North Carolina. He had a land grant for property located in Craven County, North Carolina, where he lived in 1737. Records indicate he was still there in 1769, but he had moved to Martin County by 1780. He died there in 1786.

William “Captain John” and his wife had a son whom they named William Wiggins, Sr., who was born in 1755 in Johnson or Halifax County, North Carolina. He grew up and rendered service in the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783 and became a war hero.

By 1784, he and his wife had several children and had moved to Sampson County, N.C.

It appears the family resided there until several families migrated in covered wagons to Monroe County, Ala., known then as the Alabama Territory, in 1818. George William then died the next year in 1819 in Monroeville.

After moving to the Monroe County, the family settled in the Red Hills area where William and his older sons engaged in farming. They attended the Old Salem Baptist Church located near Mexia.

In recent years, William’s family Bible has been located, and it lists his parents and all of his children.

William Wiggins, Sr. was married circa 1775 in Sampson County, N.C. to Elizabeth Cooper (1756-1825), daughter of Fleet Cooper, Sr. and Margaret (Coor).

They reared the following nine children: Elihu, b. 1776, d. 1830, m. Margaret Kinnard; Elisha, b. 1776, d. 1825, m. Nancy Locke; Stephen, b. 1778, d. 1833, m. Nancy Ann Thames; Willis, b. 1781, d. 1863, m. Zilpha Carroll; Elijah Daniel, b. 1784, d. ca 1865, m. Mariann Locke; Lewis, b. 1786, d. ca 1850; Reuben, b. 1788, d. ca 1850; William Jr., b. 1791, d. 1813; and Elizabeth, b. 1796.

All the children were born in Sampson County, N.C., and four of the five oldest sons came with their parents to Alabama in 1818.

The oldest son, Elihu Wiggins, and his wife, Margaret (Kinnard), had a son, Kinnard Wiggins, b. 1815 in N.C. and died in 1880 in Conecuh County, Ala.

He was married to Temperance Ballard and they had moved to Conecuh County by 1850.

They reared the following three children: William P. Miller, b. 1857, m. Dicie Ann Sheffield (1858-1943); Michael, b. 1860; and George, b. ca 1865, d. ca 1965, m. Sarah Paulk.

The third son, Stephen Wiggins, and his wife, Nancy Ann Thames, reared the following 10 children: Johnathon, b. ca 1804, d. 1815; W.W., b. 1805, d. 1854, m. 1825 Elizabeth Henry Fountain; Thomas, b. 1807; James, b. 1809, d. 1869; David, b. 1811, d. 1812; Elizabeth, b. 1813; Robert, b. 1816; Nathan, b. 1818; Martha, b. 1820; and Stephen Jr., b. 1823.

Elihu’s oldest son, William P. Miller Wiggins, and his wife, Dicie Ann Sheffield, reared the following 11 children: James K. “Jim,” b. 1878, d. 1948, m. Letha Jernigan (1885-1962); William Lihu “Billy,” b. 1879, d. 1972, m. Etta ?; Dicie Alabama “Bama,” b. 1881, d. 1977, m. William Curtis Coleman (1876-1960); Evans Branson, b. 1883, d. 1936, m. Julia Gracia Liles (1882-1963); Hilary Fletcher, b. 1885, d. 1948, m. Amanda Lynch (1886-1967); Eleanar “Lena,” b.&d. 1887; Sarah Jennie, b. 1889, d. 1917; Leonard C., b. 1891, d. 197, m. Alice ?; Robert L. Bobbie,” b. 1893, d. 1960, m. Vada Quates; Miller Malachi “Mallie,” b. 1896, d. 1967, m. Nora Johns (1891-1976); Mary Delaney “Laney,” b. 1898, d. 1964, m. George Monroe Jernigan (1882-1966).

Elihu’s son, Evans Branson Wiggins, and wife, Julia Gracia Liles, reared the following children: Maggie Belle, b. ca 1907, m. Bob Cooper; Julia Ann, b. 1907, d. 1975; Henry Hamilton, b. ca 1910, m. Madge Philyaw; Russell Evans, b. 1914 (twin), d. 1964, m. Jewel Gray “Dude” Mitchell; Vera, b. 1914 (twin), d. 1994, m. Elmer Wright; and Sherman McGraw, b. 1920, d. 1988, m. Bessie Ray Mitchell.

Elihu’s youngest son, George Wiggins, was married to Sarah Paulk, daughter of Jacob and Savannah Paulk. George and Sarah reared the following four children: Clyde, b. ca 1910; Hubert; Williams; and Leolla.

Elihu’s grandchildren included the following children of his oldest four grandchildren: James K. and Letha Wiggins reared the following children: Levi, b. ca 1910; Junior, b. 1912, d. 1989; Lottie, b. ca 1907, m. Leonard Jackson Gorun (1908-1972); Vera, b. ca 1918; and Ella, b. ca 1920. William Lihu and Etta Wiggins lived some in Evergreen and had the following three children: Lawsey, b. ca 1908; Flori Mae, b. ca 1910; and Arzo, b. ca 1912. Dicie Alabama “Bama” (Wiggins) and William Curtis Coleman reared the following three children: Gladys; Rachel Missouri, b. 1909, d. 1971, m. William Thomas Lanier (1897-1986); and Albert Curtis, b. 1914, d. 1965, m. Floria L. Singleton (1923-2000).

Dicie died in Opp. Among Evans Branson Wiggins’s grandchildren was Donald Dewain Wiggins, son of Russell Evans Wiggins. Donald was married to Gwendolyn Petty, and they had two children, Mylinda Kay, m. Richard Michael Ayers, Jr.; and Christopher Brent, m. Jessica Miranda Patterson.

There were many descendants in this Wiggins family, and a number of them settled in and made Covington County their home.

One family report was that at one time, Elihu Wiggins had as many as 500 descendants in Monroe County alone.

Appreciation is expressed to Mylinda Wiggins’s husband, Richard Ayers, who has researched this family and shared his data for this writing.

Anyone who might have any corrections to the above is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-222-6467; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.