Williams Family History
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Captain
Isaac Williams and His Grandchildren Pioneers
of Lawrence County, Indiana By
Ben & Alice Dixon
****
The Story of a Fighting Quaker
And
Three Generations
of Indiana Pioneers
****
Benjamin Franklin Junior Historical Series
A Bookshelf of American Genealogy
Ben F. and Alice L. Dixon
First edition, 150 copies
Second Edition 100 copies
June 1, 1967
****
FAMILY HISTORIANS
Privately Published
6008 Arosa Street
San Diego 15 California
June 1, 1963
________________
(This reproduction was
created in the year 2002 by scanning and converting the original
publication
into a Microsoft Word document on a desktop computer.
The editor then “proofed” the resulting translation, made some
minor adjustments in spacing, font size, etc while attempting to
maintain the
pagination, format, abbreviations, etc. of the original.
Some minor updates which are clearly
identified as editorial comments have been added. Roger
G. Williams whose linage is: Isaac Jr. >James Dixon
>Rufus >Otmar >Stanley >Roger)(Adapted to format for web
viewing by
Brad Manzenberger, 2002)
D E
D I
C A T I 0
N, 1 9 6 3
= =
= = = = =
= = = = = = =
To Pioneers
of three Generations:
ISAAC WILLIAMS
Valiant
Captain of the War of 1812;
His Son:
ELKANAH WILLIAMS
Eminent
Physician and Medical Pioneer
in the Field
of Eye Surgery;
His Grand-daughter:
AUNT CORNELIA JONES
who, at 83; still keeps
the home fires burning
in “The Big House”.
Dedicatory Note, 1967
=====================
Aunt Cornelia passed
away October 20, 1963, and now
sleeps the Long Sleep in
Mount Olive Cemetery, near
Williams, Indiana.
+++
Her sister,
Aunt Zipporah Smith, nearing 89, is
Captain Isaac’s only
surviving grandchild. Living with
her daughter at
Williams, Postmaster Becky Padgett, she
improves the hours with
the old-time hobby-craft of quilt
piecing. These Family Historians
had the honor and the
joy of meeting her,
October 31, 1965, on the occasion of
a family reception our
Hoosier Cousins gave us at Williams.
We salute her now, as
the family's Matriarch.
(Aunt
Zipporah Smith passed away__________. )
1963 POST
SCRIPTS AND PREFACE 1967
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
=
There were not enough copies of the 1963
edition Hence a
reprint is due, involving some additions and corrections to the
original
book. A majority of the 150 copies
published four years ago went to the Adamson Reunion Association of
Lawrence
County, Indiana, for distribution to interested descendants of Captain
Isaac,
his sister Rachel (Adamson) and his distinguished neighbor, Elder Abram
Kern,
with whose children his own intermarried.
We presented a goodly number to libraries and genealogical
societies;
but there were not enough to go around.
Since l963 we have had to disappoint many libraries and
relatives who
wanted copies.
A
number of corrections and additions have been made to the original
material. Cousin Beulah Thompson, of
Williams, Vice-Regent of her DAR Chapter in Lawrence County,
contributed
numerous pertinent dates and notes, which we have attempted to
integrate with
the original stencils.
The
marriage record of Immigrant Richard Williams was located among Quaker
documents at Swarthmore College, but was received too late for
inclusion in our
1963 book. It is inserted here as page
“1˝.” Other Guinedd notes documenting
relationships of Williams pioneers in Penn's Colony were sent by the
late Miss
Ethel McCorkindale of Ontario, California.
But
the marriage record of her own ancestor, William Williams, Jr. the
pioneer
preacher and youthful uncle of Captain Isaac, was found by Mrs. Thompson.
It was introduced as plate 4 of Lost Creek Memories
and is incorporated here as an important pioneer document of our Quaker
ancestry. Cousin Ethel, a retired
school teacher, devoted many years to the compilation of a family
history of
John and Mary which we published for her several months in the wake of
our own
Captain Issac book. She had made this
project a lifetime ambition. And about
six months after her book was published she joined her Quaker
fore-bears in the
Valley of the Great Beyond.
Our
answer to Query 1, (Where is Dr. Elkanah Williams buried?) was supplied
by Mrs.
Donald Wade of Cincinnati. The location
is Grave 138, Lot 46, Spring Grove Cemetery on Spring Grove Ave., in
Cincinnati. Mrs. Wade is the former
Esther Williams of Cedar Point, Kansas, daughter of the late Henry
Williams,
grandson of Pryor and a g-gr-son of Captain Isaac.
When Cincinnati's City Manager was unable to locate the record,
we broadcast a call for information.
Cousin Esther not only found the location and record, but she
also
contributed a beautiful color photo of Uncle Elkanah's memorial.
Descendants
of another Isaac Williams of Indiana have
claimed the signature on the 1816 Memorial to Congress (p. 17). Their claim may be valid.
There were at least, before 1820, in the
same general region of Southern Indiana, three apparently unrelated
pioneers
named Isaac Williams. To demonstrate
which of the three was the actual signer would involve meticulous
research in
chirography and pertinent documents. It
is not a matter of great moment. But we
believe that our Captain Isaac was the signer.
He is known to have been in the area for the purpose of locating
his
land, at the very time when the petition was being circulated. In as much as he was a distinguished officer
of the late Indian Wars, 1813-14, his signature certainly would have
carried
weight in Congress.
ERRATA,
ADDITIONS, & CORRECTIONS
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = ==
1–A Ethel McCorkindale's
additional notes on Williams of Guinedd
1˝
Insert: Marriage
Record of Richard
Wi11iams, 1717.
8/9 Insert: Preacher
Williams of Lost Creek
14. 1872 (not)
1875, was date of death of Emily Hammersley
17. Memorial
to Congress: See preface, --last paragraph
***
Soon after
the 1963
publication, Cousin Beulah Thompson sent these items of correction and
addition, which we have endeavored to incorporate in the 1967 printing.
Extra
copies of this list are available to 1963 book holders who may wish to
enter
the corrections.
***
39:
Garrett and Lucy are
buried at Mt. Olive Cemetery--not Old Union
Clarissa,
m. 11-11-1852
***
Louis
R.,
d. 9-12-1898
Celia,
d. 11- 3-1923
P. 70: Rufus
Williams, d 10-11-26
Cytha,
m. 2- 2-1853
at St.
Petersburg, Fla.
Emily d.
7-14-1921
Emily
Wms Kern d. 9-22-1926
Clarinda
d 10-11-1924
Giles
Williams d. 2-9-1849
Cyrena Wi11iams Sears --
40:
Susan, d. 7- 2-1934
died
at Cooperston, Okla.
Miscena
R. d. 5-29-1929
***
Wm.
M.
d. 7-21-1933
42: Jane K.
m.
3-22-1863
Lura
B. Hall, b. 11-28-1857; d.
8-8-1914;
m. Harvey Malott --
Who was b. 5-20-1850; d.
8-30-1920; both buried old Union
44: Cornelius
Kern d.
2-27-1896
Isaac,
b. 7-27-1834;
d. July 7, 1928
*Rebecca,
b.
3-14-1835; d. 11-16-59
*Abbie,
d. 5- 8-1856.
(*Both buried at Old Union)
Pryor
d. 5-?-99; buried at Green Hill
Cemetery, Bedford
Add
to this record: Melvina Kern Clark, d. 10-29-1916
45: Giles
Williams, b. 2-9-1849; m. Jan. 4, 1887
Rufus,
d. 10-11-1926; burial at St.Petersburg, Fla.
47: Bartimus,L. m.
Emily Hammersley, 9-11-1862
m. Rachel MacDonald 1875 (not 1873)
Bartimus
L. and Pearl Baker have issue.
49: Dr.
Elkanah Wil1iams: Interred at Spring Grove Cemetery, Cin.
0hio
66: Lewis R.
Wil1iams d. 9-12-1898
* * *
Emilia,
d. 7-14-1921
P. 71: only
one of Uncle Bart's
Clarinda,
d.
10-11-1924
children
left no issue.
Bartimus L. m. Pearl Baker
01evia
J. Williams m. James.
in
1883 and have a daughter Ruth
Leonard
(not Howard)
who
m. State Senator George Dye
Susan
d. 7- 2-1934
--with son Bart and
grandchild.
Miscena
R. d. 5-29-1929
--Beulah.
69: Cornelius
Kern d.
2-27-1896
Isaac,
b.7-27-1834; d.7-7-1228
m. 1861, Hanna Parr – b 1-19-1834; d. 3-5-1901
Pryor,
d. 5 - ?-189
Isaac Williams and His Grandchildren
Table
of Contents
Dedication
p.
iii
Table of Contents
p.
vi
Illustrations
p.
viii
Appreciation
p.
ix
Greeting
p.
x
Page numbers in (parenthesis) are original
document page numbers found in upper right of page; “p - # “ are
consecutive
center bottom page numbers in this document.
PART
I: QUAKER BEGINNING = = = = = = = =
(vii)
p. 0
"Richard the
First"
(1)
p. 1
Ancestral History
(2)
p. 2
Gwynedd; and the
Welsh Settlers
(3)
p. 3
Illus:
6a and 6b: The Gwynedd Quaker Meeting
p.
9,10
William Williams,
Sr.
(7)
p. 11
The Will of William
Williams
(8)
p. 12
A Quaker Preacher
Leads the Way
(9)
p. 14
Journal of the
Quaker Preacher
(10)
p. 15
The Lost Creek
Testimonial
(11)
p. 16
Isaac Wil1iams, Sr.
(12)
p. 17
PART
II: CAPTAIN ISAAC = = = = = = = = = = (13)
p.
18
Captain Isaac
Wi1liams, Jr.
(14)
p. 19
French Broad Country
(15)
p. 20
White River Country
(16)
P. 21
Illus:
(16a): Deed
to a Bedford Town Lot P. 22
(16b): Bounty Land
Certificate
P. 23
Memorial to Congress
(17)
P. 24
Kern Cousins
(18)
P. 25
Captain Isaac: Fighting Quaker
(19)
P. 26
Captain Isaac and the War of 1812
(20)
P. 27
Illus:
(24a):
Heroes of the Creek War P. 31
(24b):
Capt. Isaac and the War P. 32
The
Old Journal
(25
P. 34
Ration Return
(26)
P. 35
Equipment Return
(27)
P. 36
Stacking Arms in Sevier County
(28)
P. 37
Company Roll
(29)
p. 38
Public Office and Public Trust
(30)
p. 39
Official Records
(31)
p. 40
Military Department of Tennessee
(32)
p. 41
Captain Isaac Williams
(33)
p. 42
Company of Mounted Riflemen
(34)
p. 43
Company of Drafted Militia
(35)
p. 44
Company of Mounted
Gunmen
(36)
p. 45
PART III: CAPTAIN ISSAC'S
GRAND CHILDREN = = = (37) p. 48
These Left No Issue
(38)
p. 49
2.
Garrett
Gibson Williams (39)
p. 50
Illus: (39a):
Capt. Isaac's Grand Children
p. 51
(39b):
Uncle Bart's Family
p. 52
3.
Richard
Williams
(40)
p. 53
4.
Louisa
M. Williams=Rubottom
(41)
p. 54
5.
Pryor
L. Williams
(42)
P. 55
Illus: (42a):
Pryor Williams Family
P. 56
(42b):
Pryor Williams Grandchildren P. 57
American Ancestry of Pryor Williams:
Data Sheet
(43)
P. 58
6.
Mahala
Williams=Kern (44)
P. 59
8.
James
Dixon Williams (45)
P. 60
11.
Elkanah Williams
(46)
P. 62
12.
Bartimus Williams
(47)
P. 63
PART IV: DR. ELKANAH WILLIAMS = = =
= = = = (48)
P.
64
Dr. Elkanah
Williams: His Life and Works
(49)
p. 65
His
Obituary
(50)
p. 65
His
Biography
(51)
p. 66
Illus: Your Memorial to Dr. Williams = = = (54a)
p.
70
====== ==== ======== == == ========
A Cabinet of Private
Correspondence (Nine letters)
(54)
p. 71
PART
V: THE GRANDCHILD = = = = = = = = = = = (65)
p.
82
Uncle Garrett's
Families (66)
p. 83
Uncle Richard's
Sprouts (67) p. 84
Grandfather Pryor's
Children (68)
p. 85
Aunt Haley's Folks
and kinfolks (69)
p. 86
Uncle Dick's
Siblings
(70)p. 87
Uncle Bart's People
(71)
p. 88
+++++++
+FINIS+
+++++++
BIBLIOGRAPHY + + + +
+ + + + + + + + DISTRIBUTION
YOUR FAMILY
HISTORIANS======YOUR FAMILY RECORD
T
H E I L L U S T R A T I 0 N S
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
6a & B The
History of Gwynedd Meeting was lithographed
16a
Deed
to a Lot in Bedford. (Alice Dixon
document)
16b
Bounty
Land. Certificate. From
National Archives,
(Courtesy
of Jason: Adamson)
24a
Heroes
of the Creek War. From.
House of Ancaducros
Archives. Isaac Williams photo
loaned by Harry
Williams.
24b
Captain
Isaac and the Creek War
Maps
from archives, House of Ancaducros
39a )
O1d
Family Photos ----
39 )
Capt. Isaac's Grand Children.
) ==
Uncle
Bart's Family
42a
)
Pryor Williams Family
42b
)
Pryor W:illiams
Grandchildren
From
family collections in. Indiana, Kansas and
California
-- Alice Dixon, Nellie Emerson, Roxie
Hatfield,
Cornelia Jones, Zipporah Smith,
Beulah
Thompson, Harry Williams, et al
Also: 2nd Edition, 1967
Between Pages 8 and 9:
Plate
4 from "Lost Creek Memories"
--
"Preacher
Williams of Lost Creek"
A P P R E C I A T I O N
= = = = = = = = = = = =
A
work of this nature cannot be put together hastily or easily. It
requires
cooperation from a host of folk and the consecrated help of many. The records here set forth have come from
many sections of the country, contributed by numerous Adamson, Kern,
Sears and
Williams cousins, and others.
***
Some
of those we must thank individually are: Aunt Nelia Jones, Leone
Maegerlein,
Harry and Nettle Williams of Williams, Ind.; Roxie Hatfield of Bedford;
and
Mrs. Alice Ingalls and the ladies of
John Wallace Chapter, DAR; also Wm. B. Lindley of La Jolla, Calif.; and
the
Librarian of Swarthmore College for the history of Gwynedd.
***
Col.
A. F. Carden, Tennessee National Guard, Chief of War Records in the
Adjutant
General's Office at Nashville, contributed the
research which resulted in the historical sketch and rosters for
the
Creek Indian War.
***
Jason
Adamson of Turlock, Calif., who combines strains of the Adamson, Kern,
Sears
and Williams lines all in one bundle, has conducted a widespread
research in
family lines for several years, and lent himself whole-heartedly to our
project.
***
The
McCorkindales of Ontario, Calif. -- Miss Ethel, John, and Mrs. Maude
Bercich --
have given much information on the old Quaker Preacher, William
Williams, their
great-great-grandfather. And they have
graciously loaned us their precious copy of his Journal, published in
1828 in
Cincinnati, for background study.
***
Leading
co-compiler of these records has been Mrs. Hale Thompson (Beulah
Adamson) of
Williams. Besides carrying on her share
of the work on a busy farm, she has braved snow, sleet, floods,
tornadoes, and
the aches of arthritis to vitalize our book.
Family Bibles, journals, ancient letters, wayside cemeteries,
public records,
newspaper files, libraries -- all these have been made to pay tribute
to her
enthusiastic search.
In
his zeal to see the family history documented, Lisker Adamson her late
father,
must have inspired her in this work.
She carries the torch for him.
She is a graduate of Williams High and a member of the Alumni
Association. She carried a winter
course in home economics at Purdue. She
belongs to the John Wallace Chapter, DAR, the Williams Home
Demonstration Club
of Lawrence County, and the Williams Church of Christ.
Her husband, Hale Thompson, is a
great-great-grandson of Captain Isaac.
Beulah is a great-great-granddaughter of both Isaac Williams and
Rachel
Williams-Adamson.
**
The Cousinry owes her a tremendous vote of
thanks for her
interest and her consecrated endeavor. The
Family Historians can do no less than to lead the cheering -- not only
for her,
but for all the others who have worked with her and with us in creating
this
book.
--BEN
and ALICE DIXON
A GREETING
to
WILLIAMS COUSINS
This
book had its inception in 1925, before "Uncle Ben Dixon" was even an
in-law member of the family. In that
year occurred the event which started the ball rolling.
Frank Williams of Cedar Point, Kansas and
Zetty Reynolds of Williams, In., made a record of all of the
descendants --
that is, all they knew about-- of Isaac Williams and Abram Kern-- to
the
seventh generation.
It
is a manuscript catalogue of names only, with few dates, incidents or
anecdotes. But it is the basis of this
and other items of the Benjamin Franklin series covering Lawrence
County
pioneers. Two originals were made. One
of them is still in Indiana. The other
we presume, belongs to the family in Kansas.
It
was the copy which Frank Williams had which we borrowed in 1932, while
enroute
from Great Lakes, Ill. to San Diego, to make a typescript copy. Carbon copies were presented to the Library
of Congress and the Institute of American Genealogy.
Our copy (much worn and scribbled over with three decades of
use)
shows some sort of record of 296 families tracing their origin to Isaac
Williams, his sister Rachel Adamson, and Elder Abram Kern.
***
At
the Williams Reunion in Kansas, June 1962, Ben and Alice Dixon were
requested
to present a Williams History to the 1963 reunion.
It will be held on Sunday, June 9th, at James K. P. Williams's
old Marion County homestead near Florence.
This project we have endeavored to execute in such a way that it
will
supply the needs of the entire family instead of just the Kansas branch.
In
the time available it would be impossible to revamp the 1925
Williams-Kern
catalogue in anything like a comprehensive presentation. It would be
too costly
either for us to undertake or the Association to under write. We decided on a practical approach: We
therefore give you the history of Grandfather Isaac and his immediate
family.
By extending this study from his "Grand Children" to his
Grandchildren (two of whom still survive in Lawrence County) we bring
the
Williams history within the reach of any branch that may desire to
carry it further.
As
this work continues, we hope it will inspire research in other branches. Besides the Adamson Reunion in Indiana and
the Williams Reunion in Kansas, we are informed that the Embrees fore-
gather
every year at Bryantsville, Md. And we
are hopeful that renewed interest in the Bryant-Embree-Culbertson
family
history will bring about a reunion of descendants of David Culbertson
and Sarah
Bright.
***
We
have learned of numerous Williams descendants in California. An old
mountain
man named Isaac Williams was here in 1832, and be- came a leading
citizen. Another Isaac, son of Pryor and
grandson of
Capt. Isaac, came in the Gold Rush.
Descendants of the Quaker preacher and his sister Priscilla are
not too
distant "neighbor." We would feel rewarded indeed if the interest
generated by this book should stir up family zeal to organize a
Williams
Association in California.
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