HudsonHistory.org Hudson Mill Area in 1773 St. Barthlomew Parish Colleton County, South Carolina

This web site is dedicated to Hudson and Hutson families from the Hudson Mill area in Colleton County, South Carolina. It is also dedicated to our DNA cousins the Carters (from St. Barth), and the Frenches and Ginnetts (aka Jennett, Jennet) from Willingboro, NJ. The fascinating new science of DNA has demonstrated that our line of Hudsons may have descended from Thomas Hudson, master of the English ship Elizabeth, Ann, and Catherine. Thomas Hudson was closely-linked to the 1690 William Penn colonies in western New Jersey. More information about this is presented at the bottom of this web page, or you can call me to catch up. We have learned a great deal in the last six months about our pre-South Carolina ancestry, and the pursuit of this research is getting to be a lot of fun! I know that there are dozens or hundreds of my Hudson cousins out there who would love to know what we now know, and I hope you'll call me soon at (714) 658 6880 if we haven't spoken lately.

Hudson or Hutson?

 Throughout this web site, the name Hudson and Hutson might be used interchangeably, but I am convinced that our earliest ancestor spelled the name with a "d". John Hutson (b. 1813) is my DNA cousin, and his family has always spelled the name with a "t". I believe that this is an anomaly, and that John's family changed the spelling to use a "t", probably around the time of the Civil War.

My earliest known US-born paternal ancestor is Isham Hudson (1796-1880), and DNA has also linked me to John Hutson (1813-1898). The earliest known residence for the Isham Hudson family is located on Snider's Highway just west of Walterboro, South Carolina. There is also a cemetery there, said to be the final resting place of over 100 people from the Padgett, Benton, Hudson, and DeWitt families. On pages 444-5 of her book entitled "Cemetaries of Upper Coleton County South Carolina," Evelyn Bryan describes the colorful history of Samuel Padgett and Mary Goodwin Padgett who lived on or immediately adjacent to this property. Click here for more information on the old Isham/Hamilton Hudson cemetery.

The site of "Hudson Mill" is near the corner where the five roads meet between Bells Highway (Routte 64) and the Low Country Highway (Route 21), north of Sniders Highway (Route 63). We believe that the Hudson Mill is near the original homestead for Willis Hudson, who had six boys in the 1820 census. Although it has not yet been proven or confirmed, we strongly-believe that Willis was the father of William Hudson, Sr. He might also have been the father of Isham Hudson (b. 1796-1798), Edward Hudson (b 1808), and John Hudson (b. 1813). Later, William Hudson Sr.'s youngest son Jimmy D. Hudson, operated a country store on the northeast corner where the five roads meet. The 1790 census shows where people lived in relation to one-another. Benjamin and John "Hutison" lived very-close to eachother, and very-close to a John Benton. The Bryan Cemetery book says that the Hudsons and the Bentons "came to America" together, but we haven't seen any evidence to prove this.

We do not yet know for sure if all of the St. Barth Hud(t)sons are biologically related through the Hudson name, but ithe simplest explanation is that they are the descendants of John and Benjamin (aka William?) Hudson. Furthermore, records at the SC state archives show that these two men may have settled in St. Bartholomew parish after serving on the ship Prosper under Captain William Henry Drayton in the Revolutionary War. There are endless interconnections between all of the major families in St. Bartholomews, including all of the Hudsons, Bentons, Ulmers, Smoaks, and Padgetts. For example, my great grandfather Owen Hamilton Hudson was "taken in" (probably as a young adult) by Kirkland K. Hudson, and worked for him dipping turpentine gum. My father was very-close to his grandfather Owen, and Owen often told him how Kirkland helped him establish himself as a young man.

How did the Colleton County Hudsons come to America?

On October 20, 2008, we were contacted by Mr. L. Ginnett who had just taken his DNA test and was matched closely with us. This was the second person with our DNA who was able to trace their ancestors back to the original 17th-century William Penn colony in Wellingboro, NJ. Our other DNA cousin from the French line then showed us the will of Thomas French which shows a John Hudson living next door in 1698 Wellingboro, NJ (the map linked below shows that this John was likely the son or brother of Robert Hudson, the original colonial settler). One can speculate that this John Hudson is related to us, and that our Hudson ancestors were also part of the William Penn Friends/Quaker colony in 17th century western New Jersey (across the Delaware river and just north from Philadelphia, near Burlington, NJ). Note that we are a STRONG DNA match with the French line, 37/37 markers at FTDNA.com. There is greater than 99% chance that we share a common ancestor with the French line after 1650. Based on my 20 years of experience as an amateur genealogist, I believe one could safely conjecture that my Colleton county ancestors (and any Hudsons with my paternal DNA) are legal descendants of Robert and John Hudson from 17th-century Willingboro. Although this John Hudson's paternal line did not survive for more than a few generations, it is possible that Robert Hudson had a brother or first cousin who was also descended from Thomas Hudson, the master of the ships that operated between England and Pennsylvania.

Click here to see the 1690 map showing the original colony and Robert Hudson property on Ranconcas creek in Wellingborough, NJ.

Text from the will of Charles French in 1698:

----- French, Thomas; copy of will of, dated May 3, 1699. Testator about to sail for England, leaves to wife Elizabeth house and
plantation of 420 acres below John Tests, to son Charles 200 a. near John Hudsons with reversion of the plantation after wifes death, and land at
Neather Heyford, England, to daughters Rachell Allen, Hannah Busby, Sarah Wood, Mary Busby, Jane Hall, Lydia, Rebecca; sons Thomas, Richard legacies, payable by son Charles. Witnesses John Paine, Tho: Eves, John Hollinshead, junior. 1699 April 21. Inventory of the estate (personal 68.5.7, the plantation of 400 a. 200); made by John Paine, Thomas Harding, John Hudson and Thomas Eves.1699 May 3. Bond of Charles French, of Wellingborrow, yeoman, as exector. Mathew Allen and Henry Gruff fellow bondsmen. Burlington Wills. 1699 May 3. Will proved by and administration granted to his son Charles French. Burlington Records, p. 29.