Sir William Johnson WICKHAM ¹

  General Notes:

PARENTAGE: In John Wickham's Revolutionary War Pension Application, Wm Jn Wickham, who was living in Muskingum Co, OH, signed John Wickham's pension application and referred to John as "my father".

BIRTH DATE: unknown (However, from census records, his birth date could be anywhere between 1776 - 1784.)

NAME: William's middle name is believed to be Johnson. It is possible that John Wickham named his son Sir William Johnson Wickham after Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet (1715-1774) who was a major general in the British forces during the French and Indian War. It is likely that John knew, or knew of, Sir William since John served in the French and Indian War for the term of 2 tours and was at the taking of Ft. Niagara. Sir William Johnson led a Six Nations and militia force as part of General John Prideaux's Battle of Ft. Niagara in the summer of 1759. When Prideaux was killed, Johnson took command of the force and captured the fort.
From the 1740s until his death in 1774, Sir William Johnson was a pivotal figure in early Albany history. Frontier developer, businessman, Indian diplomat, military leader, Masonic enthusiast, and all-around British official, William Johnson was one of the most important people in colonial New York.

HISTORY OF OHIO, Vol. IV, p. 44: Ambrose Merry married Samantha Wickham, whose brother, William Wickham, was a Revolutionary soldier.
(Note: William is believed to have been Samantha Wickham's brother but William was not old enough to have been in the Revolutionary War. Perhaps they meant War of 1812 or perhaps they meant another brother who was in the Revolutionary War?)

1987 LETTER FROM CHUCK & FRANCES MERRY TO MARY ANN MARASICK, Waterford, PA;
"Rensselaer Co, N.Y. is, was and has always been a big problem as far as our research is concerned. The patroon system around Albany more or less precluded ownership of land by the settlers, so records go from scanty to non-existant. John Wickham as well as Benjamin, Warren and William Wickham and Thomas Balis were leaseholders in the Manor of Rensselaerwyck. This we learned from a deed from one Van Rensselaer to another, in which the property description included at least 5 pages of lease holders, front and back. Ebenezer Merry was also a lease holder in said Manor (in 1789, 1793 & 1794), as was his son William."

1810 NY CENSUS, Otsego Co, Milford Twp:
Wm. J. Wickham:
1 m. under 10 (Salathiel?)
1 m. 26-45 (William)
1 f. under 10 (Diana?)
1 f. 16-26 (William's wife)
(Listed next to Jn. Wickham, Jn. Wickham, W. Wickham, Bn. Wickham, A. Merry, T. "Bailus" and E. "Ferinton".)

U.S., WAR OF 1812 SERVICE RECORDS, 1812-1815:
Name: Sir William Johnson Wickham
Company: 16 REG'T (STRANAHAN'S), NEW YORK MILITIA.
Rank - Induction: DRUMMER
Rank - Discharge: DRUMMER
Roll Box: 225
Microfilm Publication: M602

WAR of 1812: He served 2 mo., from Sept. 2 - Nov. 2, 1812
(Note: This regiment appears to have been from Otsego Co, NY. See notation below:)
The Story of Cooperstown by Ralph Birdsall: Col. Stranahan, was less conspicuous as a lawyer than as a soldier and politician. He was in command of a regiment throughout the War of 1812, and received official commendation for gallantry. On his record for military service and personal popularity he was elected senator, from what was then known as the Western District, in 1814, and again in 1823. During this period he became the recognized leader of the Otsego Democracy.

TOWN OF MILFORD TOWN MINUTES, 1815, March 15:
The following persons were chosen for town officers to wit:
Pathmaster:
Sir Wm Jnr Wickham: ward 10
John Wickham: ward 13
(Note: Milford is in Otsego Co, NY)

OH EARLY LAND OWNERSHIP RECORDS:
a "Wm. Wichham", residence NY, purchased 1 share of W. Sargent agency
(Note: Unsure if this is the same William Wickham.)

OH LAND RECORDS: a Wm Wickham purchased land in Washington Co, OH, near Marietta - Range 8, Twp 2, Sec 15, p 387 - no date listed.
(Note: Unsure if this is the correct William Wickham.)

1820 OH CENSUS, Morgan Co, Olive Twp.:
Wm. J. Wickham
4 m. under 10 (Asahel?, Ebenezer?, ____ & _____)
1 m. 10-16 (Salathiel?)
1 m. 26-45 (William) no occupation listed.
1 f. 10-16 (Diana?)
1 f. 26-45 (William's wife)

OH TAX RECORDS, 1800-1850:
Name: Wm Wickham
Residence: Rainbow, Washington, Ohio
Taxation Type: County Land
Year: 1821
Digital Folder Number: 4021667
Image Number: 00696
Film Number: 522501
8 acres, Lot #167
R2 T2 S15 from SE
640 acres, Lot #13
R11 T6 S13
262 acres, Lot #13
R11 T6 S14
(Note: Is this the correct Wm. Wickham?)

SALATHIEL WICKHAM'S MARRIAGE APPLICATION:
On Dec. 12, 1822, Sir William J. Wickham signed Salathiel Wickham's marriage application, granting permission for Salathiel, who was underage and of Morgan Co, to marry Mary Wilcox of York, Belmont Co, OH.

OH TAX RECORDS, 1800-1850:
Name: William Wickham
Residence: Decatur Township, Washington, Ohio
Taxation Type: County Land
Year: 1828
Page Number: 58
Digital Folder Number: 4021680
Image Number: 00064
Film Number: 534814
640 acres Lot #13 R11 T6 S13 Value: 106
Original proprietor: Wickham

1830 OH CENSUS, Muskingum Co, Washington Twp:
William "Workman" (Wrkham?)
1 m. under 5
2 m. 5-10
1 m. 10-15
1 m. 20-30 (Salathiel?)
1 m. 50-60 (William)
2 f. under 5
1 f. 20-30 (Diana?)
1 f. 50-60. (William's wife)
(Note: Unsure if this is the correct person, but no obvious listing for William Wickham. Hull & George Wickham, of a different Wickham branch, were listed in the 1830 census as "Workman" in Muskingum Co, Licking Twp.)
(Abram "Ackely" and Sarah "Workam" were listed nearby on the census.)

1840 OH CENSUS: no record of a William Wickham.

DEATH RECORD: none found.

1887 LETTER ABOUT THE DEVOLLD CEMETERY, Noble Co, OH:
It was listed in 1965 by a Mrs. Eynon, and at that time, these were the only ones read:
William Wickham, Rev. Soldier. This was a gov. issue stone with no dates.
By 1985, you could barely make out the name at all, so David Merry, a great-great-great grandson procured and placed a bronze marker from the Gov. which reads: William Wickham, Co. W. NY Militia, Revolutionary War 1735-1839
Also in the 1965 list are:
Milberry Wickham 1850-1851, son of Jeremiah & Esther
Benjamin Wickham 1767-1851
Elizabeth Wickham 1813-1845

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA HISTORICAL LIBRARY: Arthur Wickham's research files had a reference that a William Wickham lived Putnam, OH.
(Note: Putnam was a town located on the Muskingum River, just south of Zanesville, in Springfield Twp, Muskingum Co, OH. )

Historical Collections of Ohio, Henry Howe, 1851:
Further down the curve (from Zanesville), and separated from South Zanesville by a bluff, is the beautiful village of Putnam, containing about 10 or 1200 inhabitants.
Putnam is less dense in it's construction than Zanesville, and contains many beautiful gardens. It being principally settled by New Englanders, is in appearance a New England village. The town plat was owned, and the town laid out by Increase Mathews, Levi Whipple and Edwin Putnam. The latter two are dead; Dr. Mathews still resides in Putnam.
The town was originally called Springfield, but there being a Springfield in Clarke county, the name of the former was changed to Putnam.

History of Noble Co, OH, 1887, p. 549: "A school was taught by a man named Wickham in a cabin on Reasoners Run. At an early date a log schoolhouse was erected on the school section" per Jacob Miller.
(Note: Could this possibly have been William Wickham? William was not a farmer, according to the census.)

1895 LETTER WRITTEN BY NATHAN ROBINS WICKHAM: "William Wickham who lived at Zanesville, OH was an own Uncle of Father's (Bimeal Robins Wickham). William's son 'Asel' lived in Iowa upon the Iowa River in Hardin Co." " Old Uncle Benjamin, John and several others that I can't call to mind. They lived on Duck Creek or its water. I don't remember great-grandfathers name, but they all spring from New York Wickhams."

William married possibly Sarah (---) about 1805 in probably NY. (possibly Sarah (---) died perhaps Aft 1840.)