Captain Isaac Williams and His Grandchildren

Williams Family History

PART V

THE GRANDCHILDREN

OF CAPTAIN WILLIAMS

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This book is now as complete as available time and facilities make possible prior to the June reunions of the families concerned at Florence, Kansas and Bedford, Indiana. The Williams Association of Kansas will meet at the old homestead of Uncle J. K. P. Williams on June 9th. Two weeks later the Adamson Family Reunion will occur at Bedford.

Part V., the logical next section of the book, will present the family records of thirty-four grandchildren of Captain Isaac Williams -- those who left known descendants. Much of this material has been assembled, thanks to the field cooperation of so many of the Adamson, Kern, Sears and Williams cousins. But it has not been completely edited or prepared for the tedious task of cutting the mimeograph stencils.

Because of the large amount of material discovered which had to be carefully edited for Captain Isaac's book-- and the limited time available for the purpose -- the work on the Adamson and Culbertson families had to be delayed until after the June reunions.

Three books on the Lawrence County Cousinry are now in the making, and we will turn them out with whatever speed, efficiency and economy we are capable of. The three brochures, on all of which a considerable amount of work has already been done, are:

ADAMSON: The Great-Grandchildren of Herschel Williams-Adamson

CULBERTSON: The Family of David Culbertson

WILLIAMS: The Grandchildren of Captain Isaac Williams.

The Williams brochure is encompassed by the forecast presented in the next six pages.

I. Uncle Garrett's Families

II. Uncle Richard's Sprouts

III. Grandfather Pryor's Children

IV. Aunt Haley's Folks and Kinfolks

V. Uncle Dick's Siblings

VI. Uncle Bart's People

11272

UNCLE GARRETT’S FAMILIES

Uncle Garrett bore, as his prenomen, the full name of his maternal grandfather, Garrett Gibson. The first we hear of him is as the head of a family in 1790 in Surry County, NC. He was a member of the Westfield Quaker Meeting; and on Feb. 15, 1800, he took a certificate to the Lost Creek Meeting in Jefferson county, Tenn. Two years later, May 22, 1802, he was chosen Overseer of the Lost Creek Meeting. Other members of his family evidently were not Quakers, as we find no reference to them in either Lost Creek or Westfield minutes.

A family Bible record shows the marriage of his daughter Amelia to Isaac Williams on May 1st, 1801, and the date of her birth to have been June 6, 1786. This places her nativity in Surry County, and her age at marriage at fifteen. When the family removed to Indiana in 1817 she was 32 years of age, and already the mother of eight children.

Lucy Kern, life partner of Uncle Garrett, was the daughter of Abram Kern and Susan Wilson. The family record precedes on p. 33. Of their fourteen children, eight married and left descendants. Uncle Garrett and Aunt Lucy may be seen in lithograph on a preceding page.

Six of their children left no issue: Celia, b. l833, married Mike Stipp as his second wife, without issue; three sons, Civil War Veterans-- Adam K., died of measles in service, Laban, killed in action at Gettysburg, and Daniel Boone, wounded in action, died in California in 1876; and two who died in infancy, Jackson, b. 1840, and Rebecca, 1849.

THOSE WHO LEFT DESCENDANTS

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112721. Clarissa Williams, b. May 11, l830 d. April 20, 1871

m 1) Pleasant Bowman, with issue

m: 2) George Phillips, with issue

112722. Lewis F. Williams, b. July 20, 183l d. Sept. 12, 1898

m 1) Sarah Hays, with issue

m..2) Sarah McDonald, with issue

112724. Cytha Williams, b. Oct. 8. 1834 d. May 17, 1880

m. Milton McKee, with issue

112727 Ambrose Williams, b. May 11, 1839 d. Sept. 19, 1881

m. Eliza Cox, with issue

11272.10 Emilia Williams, b. Nov. 1, 1844; d. 7-14- 1921

m. William Franklin Mitchell, with issue

11272.11 Zachary Taylor Williams,b. Feb. 8, 1847; d. Sept. 9,1906

m. Sarah J. Witsman, with issue

11272.13 Clarinda Williams, b. Aug. 20, 1851; d. October 11, 1924

m. Love Bossert, with issue

11272.14 Emmaline Williams, b. April 17, l853; d. Jan. 10, 1895

m. Theodore Short, with issue

11273

UNCLE RICHARD’S SPROUTS

Our Quaker ancestor’s name was carried down at least through four generations, in Virginia, North Caro1ina, Tennessee and Indiana. There were Richards in all generations. Captain Isaac was a great-grandson. He had an uncle Richard and a brother Richard. He named his third son Richard. The name has clung to all branches of the family through 500 years of the family's recorded history.

Uncle Richard married another of Elder Abram Kern's beautiful daughters. And some pioneer photographer of Lawrence county has preserved their likeness for our family archives. John E. Williams, a grandson, recorded some recollections for his own grandchildren, on January 1st, 1940:

"My grandfather Richard... lived across the river at what was known as Port Williams, a small town 1/2 mile west of Port Williams Church. Port Williams town, and a fort at one time, for protection from the Indians. Had a store and a few houses.. Richard built the brick house where the old fort stood. At one time he owned three good river bottom farms. Where the brick house stood, and across the river what was known as the Green farm, and he owned what is called Hopper's Bottom." The brick house, built before 1870, still stands in 1963. (Reprodution note, it is still standing and occupied in 2001.)

Six children left no issue: Mahalia, b. 1840 and Cornelia, 1846, first and second wives of A.D. Hinshaw; Olevia Jane, 1850, who married James Leonard, and whose child died in infancy; and three others that died in infancy: Asenath, 1852-3, and two sons, 1852 and 1856.

THOSE WHO LEFT DESCENDANTS

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112731. Ahinoam Williams, b. Jan. 27, 1830; d. Sept. 4, 1851

m. William Withers, with issue

112733. Commodore Perry Wi11iams, b. July 20, 1834; d. Jan. 14, 1898

m. Elizabeth S. Chase, with issue

112734. Canaan Williams, b. Oct. 31, 1836; d. Oct. 12, 1920

m. 1) Elizabeth Jane Hastings, with issue

m. 2) Miranda Mosier

112735. Susan Williams, b. Sept. 24, 1838; d. July 2, 1934

m. Hollis H. Chase, with issue

112737. Miscena Rebecca Williams, b. Dec. 31, 1842; d. May 29, 1929

m. Jacob Bossert, with issue

112739. Tilghman H. Williams, b. June 26, 1847; d. July 27, 1930

m. Josephine McClung, with issue

11273.12 William Mathes Williams, b. April 3(6), 1854; d. July 21, 1933

m. l) Flora I. Short, with issue

m. 2) Kate Williams of Salem

m. 3) Belle Pinic of Orange county.

11275

GRANDFATHER PRYOR'S CHILDREN

Of all of Grandfather Pryor's family, only Aunt Jane Reynolds did not go west after the Civil War. The Williams hegira even included Pryor's widow, Anne Kern -- widowed a second time with Hall's demise. She spent a lot of time in later years in the homes of C.C. and J.K.P. Williams and Lucy Crawford in Chase and Marion counties, Kansas. Uncle Abram was probably first to hit the trail. He studied medicine with Dr. Elkanah in the 50's, and then became, like his uncle, an eye specialist, and went to St. Louis to set up his practice.

Uncle Ike was a Gold-Rusher, with itchy feet. He put in several years in California and Oregon. He was a Blue Lodge Mason in California and in Oregon became Grand Master of the Royal Arch. Then he went to Texas, got into the big cattle drives, and landed up in Kansas where he met the railroad at Abilene and Dodge City.

Ike convinced his young brother James K. Polk that Kansas was God's Country. So in l87l Uncle Jim and Aunt Nette (Antoinette if you please) brought their three children to Marion county. In another ten years Kansas called to Christopher to come for his wife's health. He brought the family in '82, died in '85 -- and his wife survived him 30 years!

Lucy, the youngest girl, came also, and raised a large crop of Crawfords in Kansas. Elijah Crawford, her husband, was a brother to Samuel J., a civil War governor of Kansas. The brothers were born in Lawrence county, Ind., to William Crawford and Jane Morrow. They had come from North Carolina in 1815, in the same wave of migration that had brought Simon Rubottom. Samuel J. won fame and glory in the Ozarks with the Second Kansas Regiment. But he had to give up his military career in 1864 when nominated and elected to the governorship. Elijah made more fame, as far as the Williams family is concerned by siring eight healthy, husky great grandchildren of Captain Isaac.

Two of Pryor’s children left no issue: Rhoda (1832-1846) who died during youth; and Isaac, the Gold-Rusher, Grand Master and Texas-Kansas Cowpuncher.

THOSE WHO LEFT DESCENDANTS

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112753. Abraham Williams, b. Sept. 16, 1835; d. August 6, 1912

m. Belle Williams, with issue

112754. Christopher Columbus Williams, b. July 31, 1837; d. Jan. 29,

m. Elizabeth Anne Embree, with issue 1885

112755. Jane Kern Williams, b. Nov. 20, 1839; d. Jan. 28, 1938

m. Lewis M. Reynolds, with issue

112756. James K. Polk Williams, b. Jan. 28, 1844; d. Nov. 28, 1917

m. Antoinette Reed, with issue

112757. Lucy Williams, b. March 5, 1847; d. May 30, 191

m. Elijah Crawford, with issue

11276

AUNT HALEY'S FOLKS AND KINFOLKS

Three of Captain Isaac's boys married three of Elder Kern's girls. As we have seen, Garrett, Richard and Pryor teamed up with Lucy, Abby and Annie. And Elder Kern tied the knot good and tight in each case. We are fortunate indeed that pictures of these three pioneer Williams wives have been preserved for our family archives.

One of Captain Isaac's daughters (Aunt Mahala) found a man in the same family -- and the same preacher to tie the knot. She married Eli Kern, who came on the sled from Kentucky when he was three years old. They were married in 1832. She passed away in '53, and he followed he in 1856.

Uncle Eli and Aunt "Haley" both joined the Immortals over a century ago. Neither of them heard the bugle blasts for the War between the States. Memories and anecdotes of their twenty-one happy wedded years have been forgotten. Only three of their six children left descendants. But the Census Marshal of 1850 has left a robust and healthy picture of a happy family:

He found a farmer from Kentucky, with a farm worth $7000 and a family worth far more. His wife Mahala from Tennessee, was 39 years old. They had a farmer, John Fisher, 32, native of Kentucky, working for them. And they had six fine children: Cornelius, 18; Isaac1 16; Rebecca, 15; Abraham, 14; Prior, 12; and Abigail, 11. It is a good picture -- even without an ancient daguerreotype to prove it.

Three years later Uncle Jack left a sadder picture. He described Mahala’s passing in his letter to Elkanah in Paris:

“...Mahala, She is dead! She Died 1st of June; was as well as usual until the day before she died. She was unwell, and at night She took some Medicine and in the morning she thought she ought to take some oil; Eli fixed it and went to the bed to give it to her, and spoke to her and she said nothing, and in a minute he saw she was dying. He sent a boy to our house and I jumped on a horse and went up as soon as I could, and she lived about 3 minutes after I got there.”

Three children left no issue: Abraham, born 1836; Rebecca, 1835; and Abigail, 1839.

THOSE WHO LEFT DESCENDANTS

112761. Cornelius Kern, born January 14, 1833; died Feb.27, 1896

m. Melvina Sears, with issue

112763. Isaac Kern, born 7-27-1834; died Ju1 7, 1928; m. 1861

m. Hannah Parr, with issue; b. l-19-1834; d. 3-5-1901

112765. Pryor Kern, born circa 1838; died May ? 1899

m. Mary Frances Romine

11278

UNCLE DICK'S SIBLINGS

Isaac and Amelia named him “James Dixon”, but he was always known as Dick, or Uncle Dick. We have not identified the source of this name. It may be that Amelia's mother was a Dixon; or possibly they wanted to honor some other relative, friend or neighbor with a namesake.

He died April 28, 1856, making three deaths in the family in four months. Eli Kern’s was January 13th, and Captain Isaac's February 13th. “I feel sad this morning, beyond all Express” wrote young Doctor Elkanah. Uncle Dick was a prosperous farmer. He and Uncle Jack pooled resources and labor. When he died, Uncle Jack became the mainstay of his widow and orphans. Dixon’s wife was Cytha Cox, a noble pioneer Quaker girl of the North Carolina stock.

The Census Marshal of 1850 gives a glorious picture of the James Dixon Williams household. On the day he took the schedule there were sixteen people present. Besides Uncles Dick and Jack and Cytha, there were six children: Jacob 1, Emily 3, Minerva 5, Rufus 8, Louisa 9, and Eldridge 10. Cytha’s niece, Telitha Cox, 13, also lived with them. Three farm hands were present, George W. Richards, 23, Wi1liam Richard 20, and Samuel Ventis, 19. There must have been a big house or barn building program in progress, for there were three builders present also: George Bacon, 21, carpenter, with helpers Jacob Henry 21, and John Butler, 20. Wasn't that a good family for Cytha, 29, and Te1itha, 13, to cook and wash for? And there were still three children to come before the Grim Reaper had his day.

Two of Uncle Dick’s siblings left no issue: Eldridge, born 1839, went away to war, a happy patriotic recruit of 1861. He was badly wounded at Antietam, and died a few days later in a military hospital, under the watchful care of Dr. Elkanah and Aunt Sallie. Michael Elijah born 1853, married Mary A. Boyd, but left no issue.

THOSE WHO LEFT DESCENDANTS

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112782. Louisa Wi11iams, b. July 20, 1841; d. May 28, 1916

m. Wesley Rout, with issue

112783. Rufus Williams, b. March 9, 1843; d. Oct. 11, 1926,

m. Susan J. Kern, with issue St. Petersburg, Fla.

112784. Minerva Wil1iams, b. April 10, 1845; d. Feb. 16, 1913

m. George Kern, with issue

112785. Emily Williams, b. April 20, l847; d. Sept. 22, 1926

m. David L. Kern, with issue

112786. Jacob Giles W1illiams, b. Feb. 9. 1849; d. June 4, 1928

m. Alice Roark-Hendrickson, with issue

112787. Cyrena Williams, b. April 30, 1851; d. Cooperston, Okla.

m. David L. Sears, with issue

112789. Daniel Webster Williams, b. Feb. 26, 1856; d. Sept. 17,1888

m. Talitha Craig, with issue

1127.12

UNCLE BART'S PEOPLE

Uncle Bart's People were Children of Mount Olive. Mount Olive church was built in 1871 on land deeded for the purpose by Bartimus Williams and wife. Emily A. Williams, William N. Hinshaw, Arthur D. Hastings, Lewis R. Williams, Bartimus Williams and their successors were named trustees. The deed was dated Feb. 8, 1870, according to a memo in an ancient Williams ledger. Among the charter members were Bartimus Williams and wife, Canaan Williams and wife, Garrett Williams and wife, Richard Williams and wife, Tilghman Williams and wife, and Captain Hastings and Obed Lamb and their wives. The cemetery is a little Williams City, presided over by Uncle Bart and two of his wives.

Before Mt. Olive was built, the folks from north of the River used to go over to Port Williams, to the church erected there in 1850. John Williams, Richard's grandson, wrote in his memoirs: They surely had a wonderful congregation. Grandfathers Williams and Hastings, Bro. Killis Bex, Embrees, Bryants and others, when they would walk and come from Bryantsville and from across the river. Mt. Olive was built in 1871, all that had to cross the river to get to Port Williams quit. Several from our neighborhood went there to church, in spite of the handicap of crossing the river by ford or boat."

Of Uncle Bert's three marriages, the first to Rebecca Armstrong was childless. The second with Emily Angeline Hammersley produced another Isaac Williams. There were four children of the third marriage with Rachel McDonald.

One child of the latter marriage left no issue: Richard Garfield Williams (1880-1899) who died in youth; Bartimus L. Williams, born 1883, married Pearl Baker, with issue.

THOSE WHO LEFT DESCENDANTS

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1127.12.1 Isaac Williams, son of Bartimus and Angeline Hammersley

b. Jan. 2, 1870; d. Jan. 1, 1936.

m. Lola Kern, with issue

1127.12.2 Cornelia Williams, daughter of Bartimus and Rachel McDonald

b. Sept. 22, 1876: age 87 next September; d. 10-21-1963

m. Walter A. Jones, with issue (Burial, Mt. Olive.

1127.12.3 Zipporah Williams daughter of Bartimus and Rachel

b. July 15, l878: age 85 in July '63

m. Elza Smith, with issue.

1127.12.5 Bartimus, 1883-1961 m. Pearl Baker; issue

THESE TWO GRACIOUS LADIES

OF WILLIAMS, INDIANA

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ARE THE ONLY SURVIVING GRANDCHILDREN OF CAPTAIN ISAAC WILLIAMS

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June l 1967: How appropriate it is that theirs

We close this edition should be the last names mentioned

With a Grand Salute to a in this memorial book in his honor

Grand Lady, “Aunt Zippy" --

Capt. Isaac's only living Grandchild.

(72)

^oC a p t a i n

ISAAC WILLIAMS

This is one of six books dealing with

Quaker family history, which we have pub-

lished during the past eight years, as

genealogical items of

The Benjamin Fraank1in Junior

=== Historical Series ===

1. Adamson Source Book. 1942-60.

2. Ancestry of Pryor Williams. 1959.

3. Rachel Adamson's Hoosier Clan. 1961.

7. Captain Isaac Wil1iams. 1963. 1967.

8. John and Mary Williams. 1963.

14. Lost Creek Memories. 1966.

The books were published in a limited

number, for the Adamson and Williams re-

unions of Indiana and Kansas. They dea1

largely with the pioneer southern Indiana

families of Adamson, Kern and Williams.

During the past three decades we have

compiled a vast amount of fami1y history

on theses and many related families, among

which are Bright; Cox, Culbertson, McBride,

Rout, Rubottom, Sears, et al. We plan to

publish on these families also.

The reunions for which our; series has

been adapted are-usually held on the last

Sunday of June, as follows:

Adamson: At or near Bedford

Williams: At or near Marion, Kansas.

(The editor of this reproduction has written a history of the descendents of his great grandfather Rufus Williams [page 70 of this document]. He was assisted greatly in that effort by many Williams family relatives all across the USA. He lived in southern Indiana until 2001 and enjoyed several visits to the area around the town of Williams. Only a small portion of the original Williams holdings are still titled to family members.)

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