Welch, Duckworth & Rogers Family Tree (composed 1953) My family immigrated to this beautiful country in the late 1600’s. My ancestor, Thomas Welch arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1682. Some documents show that he was born in Wales, relocated to Scotland and then came to the what was then known as The Colonies. Family lore states that he lived in Scotland only. (Sometimes one really shouldn’t argue with one’s forebears). Thomas Welch’s great grandson, Richard, fought in the Revolutionary War in the Sumter District of South Carolina. Richard then made his way to Jones County, Mississippi to seek his own path. His children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren (and so on) would go on intermarry with other early immigrants that settled the Piney Woods area (Bynums, Collinses, Knights, Valentines, etc.). These early Welches also frequently married into the Rogers and Duckworth families. By the mid 1920’s, Estus Welch, former Jones County sheriff, pine logger and great great grandfather to me, had moved his family to the coastal area of Harrison County, Mississippi.
For more information about these early families and Jones County, Mississippi, Victoria Bynum’s book, The Free State of Jones, is considered one of the best (if not the best) books on the subject. It is also available as a movie.
Bynum also blogs about the South and the Civil War at Renegade South Histories of Unconventional Southerners.
Below is a copy of our family tree, as compiled by Houston Longino Welch in 1953. In no way should it be considered the final, complete and true document of these great families. It should serve only as a guide. Houston Longino Welch wrote in his letter to Bessie Lou Welch, “I don’t vouch for the accuracy of any of it, except the 3 (ineligible words) descending from the 3 Rogers daughters.” I view it the same way I would a Wikipedia article-a great place to start, but not something you want to hang your hat on. In any case, it is a treasured document in my family and many other branches of the Welch family.