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FIRST GENERATION 

            GARRETT (or Jarrett) WILLIAMS, was born in Virginia, Wales or Ireland about 1743. In about 1772 he married, first, Sarah (Sally) Lanier (or spelled Lenear). She was born in Brunswick County, Virginia about 1753, daughter of Lemuel and Mary (Molly) (Peebles) Lanier. Lemuel Lanier was a man of wealth and station, owning many slaves. Garrett and Sally had 12 children, six sons and six daughters. 
            Garrett was an officer in the Virginia militia. He was an officer in the war of the Revolution, being a First Lieutenant in the infantry. According to one record, Garrett came from Lynchburg, Virginia to the mouth of Marrowbone Creek, Kentucky in 1799. He had lived there since 1795 while patenting lands north of Burkesville, but had not settled. He was a mechanic and a noted builder of his day.
            Sally died in Virginia when her youngest daughter was still a child. 
            Children:

 Garrett married, second, Winifred Lanier, who was probably a relative of Sally’s but it is not yet known how they were related. Winifred was born possibly about 1775 in Virginia. They were married about June 2, 1808 (marriage bond was dated this). At some point, possibly around 1814, the family moved to Cumberland County, Kentucky, as his sons Osborn, Lemuel, and Ephraim had moved there previously.

Children:

            Garrett died July 25, 1824 at about age 82 in Cumberland County, Kentucky. There are many conflicting records regarding Garrett and some of his family members. I have attempted to use those that made the most logical sense, but the ones used may not be accurate. If anyone has any further documented information, please let me know.

SECOND GENERATION

 1.

            OSBORN (Ozburn) WILLIAMS, son of Garrett and Sally (Lanier) Williams, was born May 10, 1773 in Henry County, Virginia. He married Sally Wade about February 27, 1797 (marriage bonds were dated this) in Henry County, Virginia. Sally was born February 3, 1778. Osborn and his brother Lemuel at some point moved to Cumberland County, Kentucky, where they owned adjoining farms and were both slave owners. Later, their brother Ephraim also moved to Cumberland County. Osborn had a large family. He lived the remainder of his long life on his farm in Kentucky.
            Osborn died September 24, 1854; his wife, Sally died October 29, 1846; both died in Cumberland County, Kentucky and are buried in Williams Cemetery (on the John Stockton Farm), Leslie, Cumberland County, Kentucky. Also buried there are Osborn’s brother Lemuel and his wife Mary, and Osborn’s son Robert L. Williams.
            Children:

 4.

            LEMUEL WILLIAMS, son of Garrett and Sally (Lanier) Williams, was born on February 4, 1781 in Henry County, Virginia. On September 4, 1806, in Cumberland County, Kentucky, he married Mary Polly Ritchey, twin sister to Samuel Ritchey who married Lemuel’s sister Catherine (Kitty). Mary Polly was born January 3, 1789 in Virginia, daughter of William R. and Elizabeth (Scott) Ritchey, Sr. Lemuel and Mary were not able to have children. In 1809, Lemuel and his sister Sally (Sarah) rode on horseback from Virginia to Kentucky, a journey of about 500 miles. Lemuel and his brother Osborn built adjoining farms, and were both slave owners. Lemuel served in the Kentucky Legislature from 1819 – 1825.
            The following letter was written by Lemuel to his sister Sally (Williams) Scott. The spellings are faithful to the original letter: 

Pleasant Hill, Marribone  May 19^th 1845

 Dear Sister
      After a long delay I take my pen in hand to try to say something to you tho my hand is so stiff that it is with difficulty that I write at all. This is my reason for not writing oftner than I have Don. I can say to you through a kind providence My self and family are in Reasonable health as well as the greater portion of our friends in this Cuntry. Sister Smiley has been quite sickly this spring and is quite sick at this time but we hope she will recover. I suppose you heard that Hariet Ritchey went home with her sister Maryann Allen last fall. She did so and was taken sick soon after She got there and Remained so all the time she was there. Mr. M. Allen went for her in March. She was so fare recovered that she was Abel to come home in a carage and is at this Time in a very low state of health. I think her case a doubtful one. So fair as I know all your friends are well. Two or three weakes ago I saw J. H. Willmore. He was at My house he Requested me to say to you that his family was well, his wife only waid 190 lbs. He said all his children were still with him. He told me he saw Stephen Scott this spring at Prestary. He said that Stephen and family war all well and that he was living in …… on the same place and heard no talk of his moving to the Mo. He also said that Robert Ewing was well and family. Sister my desire to see you and all your children is great. I know not what would give me more pleasure in a Temporal point of view than to see you and All your children, but this is not to be Expected for I feel as tho my Eavening star is in the west and at most My Time in this world is short. And should we never Meet on Earth, my hearts Desire and prayer to God is that we should all meet in Heaven where we will meet to part no more forever.
      It is to be regretted that we have a very cold time hear in religion. There has been but few accessions to the church. During the last year the subject of national Afares seems to engross the attention of all most all. It is said hear that great Brittan has declared war against these united States. If so we dread the consequences.
      Dear sister, this letter must surfise for the present, for you and the children. Say to Perlina that I would like to have a long  Appissal from her and Mr. Provine informing me how they are getting along. How minny children they have and whether they are boys or girls, whether they are hansom or not, smart or not. Let her answer these questions in what way she may. Tell her she and Mr. Provine must cum and see me and bring their children with them and I will judge for myself.
      Say to Walton his letter of Dec was thankfully received and that I was happy to hear that he was enjoying a good portion of religion and if he has an impression that he has a call to the ministry for him not to resist that call. But to go fourth and proclaim the glad tiding of salvation to Dying Man.
      Tell Walton there are few of our friends married in this cuntry since he was hear. The Lady in Adair is still there and beside her we have lotts of girls in Cumberland that wants to mary. Give our Compliments to all your Children and receve for yourself our Best wishes.
      Say to Walton, Robert and Lemuel to write to me Frequently.

Yours Respectfully,
Lemuel Williams

             Lemuel died April 10, 1858 in Cumberland County, Kentucky. His wife, Mary Polly, died February 4, 1863 in Cumberland County, Kentucky. They are both buried in the Williams Cemetery (on the John Stockton farm), Leslie, Cumberland County, Kentucky.

 5.

            EPHRAIM WILLIAMS, son of Garrett and Sally (Lanier) Williams, was born April 4, 1783 in Henry County, Virginia. On October 4, 1806 in Henry County, Virginia, he married Sally Mae Hutchings. She was born November 10, 1786. They came to Cumberland County, Kentucky and had several children. 
            Ephraim died October 6, 1853. His wife, Sally, died May 14, 1856. Both are buried in the Pace Cemetery on the Rudolph Stover Farm, near Waterview, Cumberland County, Kentucky. 
            The following children were listed in Ephraim’s will abstract (Cumberland County, Kentucky Will Records, 1815 – 1912, compiled by Laura Lee Butler and Randolph N. Smith, p. 69) as needing guardians. I am assuming they are his.

            Children:

 10.

            SARAH (Sallie) WILLIAMS, daughter of Garrett and Sally (Lanier) Williams, was born October 23, 1791 in Henry County, Virginia. She was married in Cumberland County, Kentucky on December 24, 1811 to Martin Scott. He was born in South Carolina on February 9, 1788, the son of James and Nancy (Cassidy) Scott. In 1809, at about age 18, Sally and her brother, Lemuel Williams, traveled from Virginia to Cumberland County, Kentucky on horseback, a journey of about 500 miles. After Martin and Sally married, they lived in Adair County, Kentucky on the farm his family had built when they came from South Carolina. Though the family owned slaves, Martin early on became inbued with the idea that it was wrong to hold slaves. This made him very unpopular with his people, since so many of his relatives owned slaves. In 1835 Martin and Sally took their children to McDonough County, Illinois. 
            This being fairly new country, they suffered much sorrow and hardship for some years. Their son, Elbert, died not long after coming to Illinois on August 27, 1835 at age 22. Added to the trials of making a home on the frontier, came the scourge of smallpox. Sally, and two of their children, Sarah and Lemuel were away from home when her husband Martin and their son William (age 17) were stricken with the dreadful disease. Daughter Paulina (age 21) nursed her father and brother with only her young brother, Robert (age 13), to help her. Paulina told her children in later years of that terrible time – how the neighbors, none living very near, used to come to a point about 40 yards from the house, and she would go to perhaps 50 feet of them and call to them what supplies she needed. Later, the supplies would be delivered at that point, and she and Robert would go out and get them after everyone was gone. Martin, age 49, died of the disease on July 22, 1837, only two years after coming to Illinois.. The sons, Walton (age 15) and Robert had to make the plain coffin in which their father was buried. William recovered, but died less than three years later (age 20) at the home of his sister Paulina.
            Sally, left with a family of half-grown children, had a hard struggle. She told Paulina that she (Paulina) could spin and weave for her board, and if she had time beyond that she could use the loom to earn money for herself. The older sons worked at whatever jobs they could get that would help the family fortunes. Also, they educated themselves as well as they could. Robert, who learned the carpenter’s trade, later taught school during the winter months in Fulton County, Illinois. Sally, anxious to give her youngest son, Lemuel, what advantage she could, did much spinning and weaving for other families and was able to send Lemuel to school in Canton, Fulton County, Illinois, an unusual advantage to a boy in those days of pioneering. He, too, became a school teacher for a time.
            Sally (Williams) Scott died November 25, 1846 (age 55) in Illinois. She, Martin, Elbert and William are all buried in the Camp Creek Cemetery, McDonough County, Illinois. The tax list of 1840 lists Sarah Scott, widow of Martin; owned no real estate; had $175.00 worth of horses, $129.00 cattle, $10.00 clocks and watches, $75.00 wagons and $500.00 in other property; taxes were $4.45.
            For further information on the Scott family and their descendants, see “James and Nancy (Cassidy) Scott”.
            Children:

 11.

            CATHERINE (Kitty) WILLIAMS, daughter of Garrett and Sally (Lanier) Williams, was born November 22, 1795 in Henry County, Virginia. On December 29, 1814 in Burkesville, Cumberland County, Kentucky, she married Samuel Ritchey, twin brother to Mary Polly Ritchey who married Kitty’s brother, Lemuel. Samuel was born January 3, 1789 in Virginia, son of William R. and Elizabeth (Scott) Ritchie, Sr. They lived out their days in Cumberland County. 
            Samuel died August 6, 1839, leaving young children. After Samuel died, Kitty continued to live on the farm she and her husband had settled when they were married. She superintended the affairs of the farm and her home until about a year before she died, at the age of nearly ninety years.
            Kitty died June 27, 1885. She and Samuel are both are buried in the Ritchey Cemetery on Allen Grubb’s farm, Waterview, Cumberland County, Kentucky, along with their children Harriet, Samuel, and an infant daughter.
            Children:

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