T h e   W I T H E R S P O O N   F a m i l y

      WITHERSPOON is a variant spelling of WEATHERSPOON, a Scotch-English family name which was derived from "dweller at or near the wether [sheep enclosure]"

      The  International  Genealogical  Index  [IGI]  has  many  WITHERSPOONs  [also  alternate spellings  WITHIRSPOONE,  WOTHERSPOON,  etc]  going  back  at  least to a JAMES WITHERSPOON who married Jean SMITHE 23 Feb 1623 in Lanark, Glasgow, Scotland.

      Two  branches  of  the WITHERSPOONs are known to have come to America [cousins], settling originally  in  South  Carolina and New Jersey.  Of the two, by far the more prominent was Rev. John  WITHERSPOON  who  became  president  of  the  College  of  New Jersey [which later became Princeton  University]  and  who  signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Our McKEE family connection  is  through  the  slightly  less  prominent  South  Carolina  branch that helped to establish  the  town  of Kingstree and Williamsburg Township [a royal grant to John WITHERSPOON according to one source].

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