When a name like “Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph” shows up in a family tree search, it tends to stop people in their tracks. The name is long, formal, and clearly deliberate. And once you start pulling on the thread, you quickly realize it connects to some of the most recognized names in early American history.
This article gives you a clear, grounded look at who Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph actually was his confirmed ancestry, his place in the Jefferson and Nicholas family lines, and where you can find reliable records if you are researching him yourself.
Who Was Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph?
Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph was born on October 25, 1834, at Edgehill in Albemarle County, Virginia. He died in 1907. His birth and death years, along with the “Dr.” title, are confirmed by sources including FamilySearch, Find A Grave, and Cvillepedia.
That title tells us he likely practiced medicine, though detailed records of his professional life are sparse. He is not a historical figure known for public achievements or political office. His significance today is almost entirely genealogical.
What makes him interesting is where he sits in the family tree. He stands at the intersection of two prominent Virginia families the Randolphs and the Nicholases both of which were closely tied to the founding era of the United States.
His Place in the Jefferson Family Tree
Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph was the great-grandson of President Thomas Jefferson. The line of descent is straightforward and confirmed across multiple genealogical sources.
- Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third President of the United States
- His daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph
- Her son, Thomas Jefferson Randolph (1792–1875), Jefferson’s eldest grandson
- Thomas Jefferson Randolph’s son, Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph (1834–1907)
That puts Dr. Randolph four generations removed from the president. The connection runs through his father’s side of the family. His Find A Grave memorial explicitly notes that he was the great-grandson of President Thomas Jefferson and the grandson of Governor Thomas Mann Randolph, who was Jefferson’s son-in-law.
If you have found Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph in your own family tree, that connection may point you toward the Jefferson line. However, confirming that link requires documented proof at every step of your own ancestry finding his name in a database is not by itself confirmation of a Jefferson connection.
Thomas Jefferson Randolph His Father’s Role After Jefferson’s Death
To understand the world Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph grew up in, it helps to know something about his father.
Thomas Jefferson Randolph (1792–1875) was Jefferson’s eldest grandson. After Jefferson died in 1826, he took on the demanding role of executor of the former president’s estate. Jefferson had died deeply in debt, and Thomas Jefferson Randolph worked to manage and settle those financial obligations a task that carried both personal and public weight.
He lived at Edgehill, near Monticello in Albemarle County the same property where his son Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph was born in 1834. The household was shaped by Jefferson’s legacy, both in name and in the ongoing responsibilities that came with it.
Thomas Jefferson Randolph was also well-connected in Virginia’s political and social circles, which meant his children grew up surrounded by the networks and names that defined the state’s ruling families for generations.
The Name Itself What “Wilson Cary Nicholas” Reveals
The full name “Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph” is not accidental. In prominent Virginia families of the 18th and 19th centuries, names were often chosen deliberately to honor a maternal line or a respected family connection. This name does exactly that.
His mother was Jane Hollins Nicholas, the daughter of Wilson Cary Nicholas (1761–1820). That means the “Wilson Cary Nicholas” in Dr. Randolph’s name is a direct tribute to his maternal grandfather a man of considerable standing in Virginia and national politics.
This naming pattern was common in elite Virginia households. A distinctive multi-part name like this is actually a useful clue for genealogists. When you see it, it signals an inter-family connection and points you toward a specific lineage worth tracing.
Governor Wilson Cary Nicholas The Maternal Grandfather
Wilson Cary Nicholas (1761–1820) was a significant figure in early American political life. He served as a U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1799 to 1804 and later as the 19th Governor of Virginia from 1814 to 1816.
He was born into one of Virginia’s First Families, the son of Robert Carter Nicholas and Ann Cary. He married Margaret “Peggy” Smith of Baltimore, and together they had several children. One of those children was Jane Hollins Nicholas, who would go on to marry Thomas Jefferson Randolph.
Nicholas was also a close political ally of Thomas Jefferson. That friendship, combined with the marriage between their respective children, bound the two families tightly together and it is part of why the Nicholas name was honored so explicitly in the next generation.
When Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph was born in 1834, he was therefore both:
- The great-grandson of President Thomas Jefferson (through his father’s line)
- The grandson of Governor Wilson Cary Nicholas (through his mother’s line)
Few names carry that kind of dual weight from two separate lines of Virginia history.
What We Know and What We Don’t
It is worth being straightforward about the limits of what is publicly documented about Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph as an individual.
His birth date, birthplace, parentage, the “Dr.” title, and death year are confirmed by genealogical records including FamilySearch, Find A Grave, Ancestry, and Cvillepedia. One genealogical database suggests he may have married a woman named Mary around 1855 and later lived in Charlottesville, but these details come from secondary genealogical sources and should be treated with appropriate caution until cross-checked against primary records.
There is no documented record of him holding public office, writing widely circulated works, or playing a notable role in national events. He lived during a significant period the Civil War years fell squarely within his lifetime but available records do not detail his role in those events.
He is, in the clearest terms, a figure known through his ancestry rather than his own public record.
Where to Find Records About Him
If you are researching Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph or trying to confirm a family connection, there are several reliable starting points.
Online Genealogical Databases
FamilySearch and Find A Grave both have entries for him that confirm his birth, parentage, and death year. Ancestry also holds corroborating records listing his October 25, 1834 birth in Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia. These are good starting points, but always cross-check across multiple sources.
University of Virginia Special Collections
The University of Virginia Library holds the Papers of the Randolph Family of Edgehill and Wilson Cary Nicholas, covering roughly 1765 to 1869. These collections include correspondence and documents related to both the Randolph and Nicholas families. While the papers center on earlier generations, they provide direct context for the household and social world that shaped Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph’s upbringing.
A Practical Research Path
A reasonable approach is to start with the Find A Grave entry to confirm basic details, then cross-check the birth date and parentage on FamilySearch. From there, the UVA Special Collections can provide deeper documentary context about his family’s activities and relationships. For coverage of related historical topics, resources like Daily Business Media also track stories about notable family legacies and historical profiles.
Why His Name Keeps Appearing in Family Trees
Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph appears regularly in online genealogy searches for a simple reason: he is a bridge figure. He connects two famous Virginia lines the Jeffersons and the Nicholases in one person.
When modern researchers trace their ancestry and encounter his name, they often realize they may be approaching a line that connects to President Thomas Jefferson or to the governor and senator who helped shape early Virginia politics. That makes him a natural point of interest even though he himself was not a public figure.
His full name is practically a genealogical road map. Every part of it Wilson, Cary, Nicholas, Randolph points to a specific family, a specific relationship, and a specific generation of Virginia history.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Wilson Cary Nicholas Randolph (1834–1907) was not famous in his own lifetime in the way his ancestors were. He did not serve as president, governor, or senator. What he represents, historically, is the continuation of two intertwined Virginia family lines into the mid-19th century.
His value for researchers today is precisely that position. He is a confirmed great-grandson of Thomas Jefferson, a confirmed grandson of Governor Wilson Cary Nicholas, and a son of the man who worked to settle Jefferson’s estate. If you encounter his name in your family research, you are touching a documented thread that runs directly back to some of the most prominent figures in early American history.
The key is following that thread carefully using confirmed records, not just online.
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