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William Vardeman I (1697/98-1783/1789) |
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Old Swedes ChurchNew Sweden, now Delaware 
Original Source Document: Christina Congregation’s
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Content:Age: ~ 91 Occupation: Pioneer State: New Sweden (Delaware), Virginia, South Carolina # of Children: 8 Relocating:William Vardeman and his wife, Magdelena Petersson appear in Old Swedes church records
for their marriage in 1720 and for the birth of their daughter, Maria, in 1724.
Located near Charlottesville, Virginia in Albemarle County by 1734 on Rivanna River just down the road from Peter Jefferson who arrived in 1735, Thomas Jefferson's (3rd US President) father. By 1744 they have relocated to Plumbtree Branch, a northern drainage of the Staunton (Roanoke) River, near modern-day Leesville, Campbell County, Virginia. William's (I) final migration into The Dutch Fork area of what is now Newberry County, South Carolina in 1766. See narrative below: |
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French and Indian WarIncident with Cherokee Indians in Virginia (May 8, 1758): June 1, 1758 January Special Court 1758, Notes for William Vardeman Sr. (William Vardeman I) and his son William Jr. (William Vardeman II): "In the hope of enlisting the aid of friendly Cherokees and Catawbas in the struggle against the French and their Indian allies, Virginia Governor Dinwiddie appointed Col. William Byrd and Col. Peter Randolph to visit the two nations and negotiate a treaty. In the summer of 1756, the two tribes agreed to furnish 500 warriors in return for the erection of a fort to protect their wives and children from the northern Indians. The fort was built, but when the long promised Indian aid finally arrived in the spring of 1757, only 400 warriors came forward and of these only 180 remained. The ensuing tensions between the colonists and Cherokees erupted into bloodshed, and the citizens of Bedford County petitioned the governor to be allowed to kill their opponents. Governor Dinwiddie's term of office expired in January of 1758, and while awaiting the arrival of the new governor, a special court was set up at May's Ferry (now Booker's Ferry) to investigate the root of the conflict. |
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Among the deponents, William Vardeman (William Vardeman I) and his son William Jr. (William Vardeman II) testified that they arrived at the Staunton River where they thought they heard the Indians' "WarHalloo." Crossing the river, they discovered a recently kindled fire and a group of Cherokee not far away. All of the deponents claimed that "Old William Verdiman” (William Vardeman I) aged about sixty, went foremost, and that they all followed close at his heels, that when they came up to the Enemy they found they had tyed their horses, pretty many in number to the Bushes, that most of the Indians were painted and others then painting, some black some Red, but mostly black, that when they came near Old Verdiman (William Vardeman I) pulled off his Hatt and Bowed and accosted them in terms of peace, and Friendship, and said Gentlemen we come in a Brotherly manner to ask you for our Horses, and other Goods, that you have taken from us, that the Indians gave a kind of Grunt, and appeared determined for mischief, stripped themselves threw out the priming of their Guns, fresh primed and Cocked them, struck their Tomahawks into Trees, and in an angry manner demanded of the Deponents if they would fight; that whilst Verdiman (William Vardeman I) who was still uncovered Bowing and treating with them, the Enemy Indeavored to Inviron them, and had actually got them into a half Circle before the Deponents were aware upon which, and young Verdiman (William Vardeman II) observing that two Indians had pointed their Guns, they the Deponents all retreated backwards with their Faces to the Enemy, and took to trees, that on their retreat, the Indians threw their Tomahawks, and that two of them narrowly missed two of their men, that one of them would have hit Old Verdiman (William Vardeman I), but that he luckily parried it with an Elder Stick he had in his hand (for he was one of the number of those that had no Guns)...." Source: Official Correspondence and Military Letters of Virginia Colony Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddie 1754 – 1756, University of Delaware, Special Collections, Manuscript Collection Number 341.
Source: SC Dept. of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina,
Colonial Records of South Carolina, Documents relating to Indian
Affairs, 1754-1765, His Majesty’s Council “Indian Books” (S171001) Vol.
6, 1757-1760, pp. 153- Source: SC Dept. of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina, Colonial Records of South Carolina, Documents relating to Indian Affairs, 1754-1765, 28 His Majesty’s Council “Indian Books” (S171001) Vol. 6, 1757-1760, pp. 463-465. Source: History of Pittsylvania County Virginia, Maud Carter Clement, 1981, page 78-91, Baltimore Regional Publishing Company. Provided by David Vardiman |
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Vardeman Source Document: 14A, 18A, 19A, 22A, 23A, 24A 18 Oct 2000 Letter
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Vardeman Source Document: 8A 30 Oct 2000 Letter
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Vardeman Source Document: 9, 18B, 19B, 22B, 23B, 24B, 25 19 Jan 2002 Letter
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Vardeman Source Document: 18C, 19C, 21A, 22C, 23C, 24C Early Church Records of New Castle County, Delaware
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Vardeman Source Document: 8B, 14B, 18D, 19D, 21B, 22D, 23D, 24D Christina's Congregation Church Book (Old Swedes Church Records)
1717 - Magdelena Petersson's Communion, |
Vardeman Source Document: 20A Genealogies of Kentucky Families
1 April 1721 - Birth of Mary Vardeman (daughter of William Vardeman I) |
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Vardeman Source Document: 22 Early Church Records of New Castle County, Delaware Volume 2Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church Record of Marriages 1720
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William signed a
petition to build a road
with his neighbors in 1740 & 1741 in Goochland County, Virginia
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William and James Vardeman Land Holdings in South Carolina 1766 |
