Brief Life History of William B.
When William B. West was born in 1765, in St Martins Parish, Hanover, Virginia, United States, his father, Benjamin West, was 25 and his mother, Mary Tenham, was 21. He married Mary Shelton on 14 December 1790, in Louisa, Virginia, United States. They were the parents of at least 10 sons and 2 daughters. He died in April 1806, in Caswell, North Carolina, United States, at the age of 41.
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Family Time Line
Sources (2)
- William West, "Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940"
- William West, "Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901"
Spouse and Children
Children (12)
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Parents and Siblings
World Events (8)
1776
Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence endorsed by Congress. Colonies declare independence.
1776
North Carolina is the 12th state.
1780 · Richmond Becomes the Capital
On April 18, 1780 Richmond became the capital of Virginia. It was the temporary capital from 1780-1788.
Name Meaning
English and German: from Middle English, Middle High German west ‘west’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived to the west of a settlement, or a habitational name for someone who had migrated from further west.
Americanized form of Finnish Vesterinen: from the personal name Vesteri (a short form of Sylvester ) + the surname suffix -nen.
History: This name was brought to North America independently by many bearers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Thomas West, 12th Baron De La Warre, was captain general of Virginia in 1610–11. The state of DE is named for him. One of the earliest permanent settlers was Francis West (1606–92), who came to Duxbury, MA, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, in or before 1638.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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