Williams Family

.William Williams.

	Written by Henry Philips Williams,  February 17, 1892,  at ‘Greenleaf,’ his farm at Guthrie,  Ky., about 15 miles north of  the Tennessee border.  Henry Williams was in his 64th year when he wrote this account, and he lived for another 10 years. He died at Greenleaf on Feb. 22, 1902.    Sometime about the year 1700 there came from Wales a man who was the father of your great-great-Grandfather.  I don't know his name but he settled in Pennsylvania and his son William Williams, in course of time moved to Caldwell County, North Carolina where he married a Miss Thomas. This was in or about 1742.  Several children were born of this marriage, his son Elisha being the second child.  Now this Elisha Williams was the father of your Grandpa Josiah Williams.  He was married in 1772 to Miss Josey and had three sons and one daughter.    Will Williams, born 1776 (father of cousin Jack); Aunt Betsey born in 1778, Elisha born in 1782 and your Grandpa born 1786.    The family moved to Tennessee in 1804 I think, and your Grandpa Josiah Williams married Margaretta Phillips in 1815 and had twelve children; James Williams, your father was one of the twelve.  Speaking of our family I should tell you that your great-Grandpa was highly educated and of quite a literary turn.  He was wealthy and gave all his children finished educations.  Cousin Jack's father was a graduate of Harvard University, Massachusetts and your grand-uncle Elisha and your Grandpa were graduated from Chappel Hill College, North Carolina.  Both read latin fluently and their handwrite was most excellent.  In mathematics he was superior to any of his boys.  I have heard him say that his father was one of the best read men in North Carolina, and that his Grandfather was highly educated.  Grandfather Phillips was a close personal friend of my Grandfather Williams and finally induced him to move out to Tennessee.  He selling his real estate and giving part to his daughter Elizabeth who married a wealthy man in North Carolina named Thomas Alston. You may not know it but my Father and my Uncle (Jack's Father) married sisters, Sally and Margaretta Phillips, and through Grandfathers Williams and Phillips all the fine real estate near Nashville was inherited by Cousin Jack's father which is now known as the William's Estate.

	The paragraph below was excerpted from the following:   History of Davidson County, Tennessee, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, by Prof. W. W. Clayton, J. W. Lewis & Co., Philadelphia, 1880, p. 72 RECOLLECTIONS OF NASHVILLE By Col. Willoughby Williams.   WILLOUGHBY WILLIAMS Born in the year 1798; now in my eighty-second year; mind and memory unimpaired by age.   On the Wharton road the first prominent man was Jesse Wharton, who married the daughter of Joseph Phillaps (sic) a retired lawyer, once member of Congress from the Nashville district, and candidate for Governor in opposition to Governor McMinn; also a magistrate of Davidson County.   On the Gallatin road lived Col. Robert Weakley, a very prominent citizen of the county.  Near him lived David Vaughn, a very wealthy man and the father of Michael ind Hiram Vaughn. Then Mr. William Williams, a retired lawyer and a man of fine intelligence, Josiah Williams, and Thomas Martin, all sons-in-law of Mr. Joseph Phillips, a leading wealthy citizen. Mrs. Martin is still living, in her eighty-seventh year, at her old home. Just beyond Mr. Williams lived Samuel Love, near Haysboro', which place was settled about the time Nashville was, and for some time there was great competition between tbe two places. This place was settled by Col. Robert Hays, who married the sister of Mrs. Jackson, and was the father of Col. Stockley P. Hays and the father-in-law of Dr. William E. Butler and Robert I. Chester, both of whom are now living at Jackson, Tenn.

	William Williams received a law degree from Harvard University.  Click on these links to read a letter from Harvard, his typed record, and his hand written record.  These records show that he was born in Warrenton NC on 15 April 1776 and died in 1862.  He received his AB degree in 1798 and his AM degree in 1801.   The following was excerpted from the book "Memories of Youth and Manhood" by Sidney Willard.   Click here to read the Google Book with a section about William Williams. William Williams of Warrington, North Carolina, was born April 15, 1776.  He was the only member of the class from a slave state, and thought no better of the institution of slavey than did his fellows.  I remember that, on one occasion, when it fell to him and to me to discuss on opposite sides some topic in the weekly meeting of the Society of the Phi Beta Kappa, we took the question, I believe of his choosing, whether slavery at the South or New England rum at the North were the greater evil.  I was reminded of this by the record of the Secretary, a year since, when looking over it for another purpose.   As Williams was a stranger to us all when he first came among us, and sat next to me in the recitation room, I immediately made his acquaintance, which became more and more intimate, and our friendship more and more confirmed, in consequence of his spending his vacations in Cambridge so that it was his home for four years.  He was an agreeable visitor at my father’s house, and he bade us farewell at the close of his college career, which we may now consider, though he still lives, to the final to the few survivors of the family.  He could teach me many things, but there was one kind of winter exercise and amusement of which he was ignorant and became a learner, namely, skating.  I can bear witness to the perseverance with which he pursued this exercise in company with me, and the intrepity with which he braved our Boreal blasts.  Indeed, it has seemed to me remarkable as a general fact, that the boys and young men who come hither from the South appear to be more fearless of the severest of our winter weather, and take fewer precautions to guard against it, than the youth of New England.  From the circumstances I have mentioned I became very intimate with my Southern friend, and used sometimes to vex him a little with boyish pranks.  But the hardest words he ever paid to me were, "If you don't be quiet, I'll knock you "; but he never did. Williams was a faithful and ambitious student. He aimed at distinction, and acquired it.  After the completion of his literary course, and the honors he obtained, there seemed to come over him a prestige of military distinction.  He donned his military beaver, and put on a soldierly air ; but I believe the illusion soon passed off.  He returned to his home, became a lawyer, and practised in that profession for some years in North Carolina, but changed his residence to a large landed estate, of which he became possessed, about four miles from the then village of Nashville. I heard nothing of him until the year 1836, when I received a letter from him dated " near Nashville," in which he recommended to my notice a young friend of his who entered the Law School of Harvard University.  "He will be remote from his relatives," said Williams, "and may need some counsel ; and I know of no one to whom I could more properly or cheerfully recommend him than to one by whose side I sat for four years at recitations, lectures, and prayers, in uninterrupted harmony. I take the more pleasure in introducing him to you from the belief that he is worthy, and from the recollection of the kindness I received from your venerated father.  "These tokens of remembrance, after thirty-eight years agone, were grateful to me, and by me reciprocated on the return of the gentleman whom he introduced to the place whence he came.  About the beginning of the spring of 185З, a very estimable friend and classmate * paid him a visit, and at my request gave me an account of it in writing, which, in some of its circumstances that I here introduce, may be interesting to every reader of these brief memorials.   This friend was traveling in the West, and says: — " In Cincinnati I met with two gentlemen from Nashville, who were acquainted with Williams, and who wished me to accompany them on their return, which I did, passing down the Ohio, about five hundred miles to the mouth of Cumberland River, and thence two hundred miles to Nashville (a neighborly call even for a backwoodsman).  On my arrival at Nashville I sent a note to Williams, informing him of the place at which I stopped, and he came in his carriage and took me to his home, about four miles from the city.  One of the gentlemen whom I accompanied to Nashville interested himself very much in our interview, and introduced him to me by another name, to see whether I should recognize him, which I did not, supposing him to be a gentleman of the city; but soon suspecting the plan, I eyed him more sharply, and, listening to his quick, decided manner of speaking, and catching the corresponding expression of his eye, I recognized our old friend Williams.  He could catch no trace of my early looks, and could be hardly made to believe in my identity.  But after a while he made up his mind that I was no impostor, and we talked, and looked, and felt as we did more than fifty years ago.  Until we met, he had seen no college classmate since he took his degree.    " In addition to the care of his large estate he presides over an important county or municipal court, and is interested and takes a part in the public institutions, and is a highly respected and influential citizen.  I always thought he would take part in public life ; but he would not condescend to the practices necessary to win public favor, and became indifferent to it."   • Humphrey DeTerenx, Esq., of Salem.

	From the family bible of William Williams (bn 15 Apr 1776) Larry Feldhaus 21 Jan 2008)   Page 2 – Marriages – Column 1   Elisha Williams & Sarah Josey were married in March 1775 Halifax Co. No. Car.  They had six children.    William born 15 April 1776 Elizabeth 1778 Josuah died young Elisha 21 Sep 1783 Josiah Feb 7 1786 Martha died young   Elisha Wms died Aug 1811.  Sarah his wife Feby 1851 at 95.    John W. Williams -> Martha daughter of Graves Pennington were married July 29 1852 Davidson Co. Tn.   Page 2 – Marriages – Column 2   William Williams & Salley Philips were married by the Rev. Tho B. Cartwright on the 11th day of February 1807 Davidson Co. Tn.   Evander McIver and Elizabeth Williams were married by the Rev Ben Herman (name hard to read) on the 16th Mar 1826 Davidson Co Tn.   Robert Porter -> Mary W. Williams were married by the Rev Dr. John T. Edgar on 4 Dec 1838 Davidson Co. Tn.   William Williams -> Lizzie, daughter D. S. Donaldson were married in Sumner County TN.   Page 2 – Marriages – Bottom of page   W. B. A. Ramsey & Charlotte P. Wiliams were married on the 25th of December 1860 by the Rev I. Thilman Kendrick. (name hard to read) .   Page 3 – Births – Column 1 Will & Salley Williams children   Betsey Norfleet born January 2nd in 1807 Patsey Hunter 29 of Novr in 1809 Charlotte Philips 22 Jany 1812 Henry Horne the 3rd of May 1814 Mary Wharton 28th of Octr 1816 William 25th of Feb 1819 John Wharton 5th Sept 1821 Joseph Philips 16 Feb 1825 Maria Graham 14 Oct 1826 Evander McIver 25th of May 1829   Salley Philips daughter of Joseph Philips & Milbrey Horne was borne 1st Aug 1788 Edgecomb Co. No Car   Page 3 – Births – Column 2   William B. A. Ramsey was born at Swan Pond in Knox County Tenn on the 4th day of February 1799   The following link is to Ancestry.com where several generations of Ramsey's ancestors are listed.   http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/pedigree.aspx?pid=11017842&st=1   Page 4 – Marriages – Column 1   William B. A. Ramsey & Eliza H. C. White were married at Knoxville Tenn on the 21st of October 1834.   William B. A. Ramsey and Susan P. Washington were married at Nashville Tenn on the 8th day of May 1842.   Page 5 – Deaths – Column 1   Betsey N.      March 24, 1826 Henry H.        July 14, 1826 Patsey H.      Nov 3, 1833 Mary W. P.    Mar 21, 1839 Joseph P.     Apr 14, 1846 Maria G.         Nov 19, 1853   William B. A. Ramsey departed this life on the 27th day of April, 1874   Page 5 – Deaths – Column 2   Elisha Williams        Augt 17 in 1811 62 yrs old Sarah Williams        26th Feby 1851             95 Sallie P. Williams    departed this life the 19th January 1859 William Williams      departed this life March 6, 1862   Evander M. Williams          December 29, 1853