William Spillman - PARENTS OF WILLIAM SPILLMAN WHO LEFT A WILL PROVED 29 APRIL 1760

There is a record for a Thomas Spilman who died intestate in Washington Parish, Westmoreland County, Virginia around 1740 as his inventory was returned in 1740 and it identifies Anne as his relict.

The Spillman Papers state, without providing any source, that:

"He is known to have had a son named William who many believe to be William of Westmoreland (d. 1760) Wm & Mary Quarterly I, Volo. 14, p. 179 - 180."

This would appear to rule out Elizabeth Dawson as a candidate for William Spilman's mother unless it is assumed that this Ann was a second wife or that Elizabeth Dawson was known as Ann.

This does not appear to be sufficient to establish this Thomas Spilman as the father of the William Spilman who left the Will in 1760.

First - What source exists that this Thomas Spilman had a son named William - how is this "generally known" other than a researcher saying it is generally known in order to connect this Thomas to the William Spilman who died in 1760?

Second - What source exists that this Thomas Spilman had a spouse named Elizabeth Dawson?

Third - Even if the above two items can confirm that this Thomas Spilman had a son named William who was the son of his spouse named Elizabeth Dawson, - a very big if - how is the William Spilman who left a will in 1760 confirmed as being the same person as this son William?

Based on the limited research I have done and the lack of source documents in Family Trees and research produced on the Spilman Family, there appears to be little more than wishful thinkingto support this connection and that should not be a sufficient basis for attaching these individuals as William Spilman's parents.

Are there any land records that this William Spilman owned land that was once owned by this Thomas Spilman?

Are there any church records for Washington Parish in Westmoreland County that establish that Thomas Spilman was married to Elizabeth Dawson or that they had a child named William?

Are there any bible records that support these people?

Are there any court records for these people?

Without supporting documentation no parents should be listed for this William Spilman.

This William Spilman is my 6XGGF so I am very interested in confirming who his parents were and their ancestors.

I would also like these connections to be supported by sources. Otherwise, how is there any confidence that the ancestor has been correctly identified?

The risk of an incorrect identification where there is no supporting documentation is too great. Establishing who the parents of William Spilman d. 1760 should be based on more than unsupported guesswork.