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Randolph Wren of Virginia - his parents, siblings, and extended family: correcting the record
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Dorothy F Napoli, Emeriti Professor, University of Cincinnati
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Abstract
Genealogical researchers have long sought a connection between Randolph Wren (b. 1766, Brunswick, Virginia, d. 23 June 1843, Itawamba, Mississippi), the prominent Virginia Randolph family, and Sir Christopher Wren, because of his name. After all, Thomas Jefferson was the great-grandson of the Randolph immigrant and Sir Christopher Wren was the famous English architect of the Wren Building on the campus of William and Mary College. On this account alone, Randolph may have changed his given name to acquire a greater degree of dignity and respectability as an adult. Searching for his parents to no avail, these researchers have resorted to fabrication, obviously defeating their purpose. This paper identifies his family of origin, including his siblings and his parents, who left them orphans, and his extended family, who raised them to adulthood in Virginia. It contradicts the widely circulated myth found on the Internet at such sites as Ancestry, FamilySearch, and WikiTree that proclaim without citation that Joseph and Sarah Wrenn were his parents. Clues for future research that might link his family to the family of Sir Christopher Wren are noted.
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Full text of article: PDF (1514 KB)
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Cite as: Dorothy F Napoli, "Randolph Wren of Virginia - his parents, siblings, and extended family: correcting the record," Annals of Genealogical Research Vol. 10, No. 1 (2014) at http://www.genlit.org/agr/viewarticle.php?id=58
Subject areas: Randolph Wren's family; Carrell; Whittington; Jarratt; Wren; Wrenn; Wren; Renn; Virginia - Sussex, Southampton, and Brunswick Counties
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