Williams Family History

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Captain Isaac Williams and His Grandchildren Pioneers of Lawrence County, Indiana By Ben & Alice Dixon

PART I

QUAKER BEGINNINGS

1. "RICHARD THE FIRST"

Gwynedd (North Wales), Philadelphia Co., Penna.

1717: 6 mo. 25 day. Richard Williams and Margaret Eaton, a widow, published their second declaration of intention to wed. Their marriage was reported properly conducted, 7th mo. 24th day.

It has been claimed that they were married 7th day of 10th mo.; that Margaret was the daughter of Humphrey Eaton; that Richard was an immigrant of 1705. If Margaret was a widow, her maiden name would not have been Eaton. Humphrey may have been the late husband, or even his father. If the above minutes are correct, the marriage might have taken place the 10th day of the 7th month, or July 10, 1719.

QUERY: Who were Richard's parents? brothers? sisters? children? Were Richard and Margaret immigrants? A partial answer is found in Cane Creek Quaker records: "William Williams, born 1719 in Philadelphia county, was the son of Richard Williams."

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"WE HAVE LOOKED IN EVERY STAR"

"and we cannot find him"

Thus raved the dope addict in the Shanghai den in the old play. After a long and fruitless search for the family identity of Richard Williams we feel "hopped up" too. Thus far we have researched every clue in vain. We have even checked old Baptist Roger of the Providence Plantations to see if by chance one of his 2nd, 3rd, or 4th generation children might have sired our Richard.

Without discovering a positive ancestor for Richard the First, Here is a string of negatives from his neighborhood in time and space:

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1690: George Williams. From Wales to Philadelphia, and soon thereafter to Prince George Co., Md. His son Richard married Prudence Beals and was a pillar at New Garden, NC.

1698: Lumly Williams. Casme to Philadelphia with a certificate from Radnorshire in Wales.

1700: Robert Williams. "King of Goshen". Friends met for worship at his house until the Goshen Meeting-House was completed in 1702.

1706: James Williams. Will, Philadelphia county. He came from Merionithshire, Wales. Married Anne Lewis, 1699, who remarried with Rowland Roberts and died at Gwynedd, 1749. She named "my children": William Williams, Daniel, James, Mary and Hannah.

1707: Jeremiah Williams. Arrived at Philadelphia with a certificate from Rhode Island Friends.

1717: Elder William Williams of the Welsh Tract. Helped to set up the Newcastle Presbytery, March 13, 1717.

1725: John Williams. Perquimans, North Carolina. Married the widow Sarah Sutton at the house of Thomas Pierce.

1729: William Williams, Gwynedd. Permission given to marry Hannah Carver.

1734: Thomas Williams. St. Austell, Cornwall. Died at Philadelphia, leaving sons Thomas, Joseph and Samuel.

1764: Joshua Williams. Presbyterian from Wales. Had two sons, born in Penna., old enough to be soldiers of the Revolution.

"JOHN WILLIAMS of BLOCKLEY"

Whi1e working with Miss Ethel McCorkindale of Ontario, Calif., on her family history for "John and Mary Williams" she gave us a batch of notes she had culled from research in Guinedd Quakerdom. She gave as her authorities for these data, the following:

"Early Families of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania"

"Jenkins Historical Collection relating to Gwynedd" and

"Philadelphia Wills, vol. II, p. 443"

We have not consulted any of the above, but submit Cousin Ethel's findings as leads for others who may wish to carry on this search for records of Williams ancestors.

JOHN WILLIAMS "of Blockley"

m. Catherine Morgan, 11-13-1707

Among the witnesses were:

Richard Williams

Ellin Williams

Sarah Williams

John Williams is shown to be related to William ap Edward, the father of the above Ellin and Sarah

JOHN WILLIAMS married --

(1) ll-l3-l7O7, Catherine, dau. of Owen Morgan

with issue: 1711, Elizabeth

1713, Jane

(2) 1714, Catherine Edwards

with issue: 1715, Owen

1718, Isabel

John Williams of Guinedd made his will 7-9-1726; it was probated 11-7-1726. It names his wife Catherine and his brother Richard.

***

RICHARD WILLIAMS

m. July 10, 1717, the widow Margaret Eaton

Among the witnesses were:

First, Jno Williams, followed by several Morgans; then

Later: Jno Wms

______ Williams (given name illegible)

Eliz Williams

Cath Williams

CONCLUSION: The foregoing notes, threadbare as they appear, demonstrate as conclusively as may be that John Williams of Blockey was an older brother of our Richard Williams of Guinedd.

[1999 Edition note: from Justin in 1999 support the thesis that Robert Williams & Gwen Cadwallader are the parents of John and Richard. Justin’s notes are appended to the end of this document.]

M A R R I A G E R E C O R D O F RICHARD WILLIAMS and MARGARET EATON

Gwynedd, Philadelphia County, Penns. July 10, 1717

We submit the following document as a sort of "postscript" to page (1) of "Captain Isaac Wi11iams." The original record was recently found in the ancient and faded marriage record book of the Gwynedd Monthly Meeting. We are indebted to Mrs. Marjory P. Jones, Wallingford, Penna., for a photo-copy of the original.

" W H E R E A S Richard Williams of Gwyneds in ye County "of Phila & Province of Pensilvania Bachelor and Margaret "Eaton of ye Township County & Province affors. Widow Haveing "Declared Their Intention of Marriage to Each Other before "ye Present Monthly Meeting of ye People Called Quakers held at "Gwyned According to ye Good Order Used among Them Whose Proceedings "Therein after ye Deliberate Consideration Thereof and haveing "Consent of Parties and Relations Concerned now by ye Said meeting "Left to their Liberty to Accomplish Their Said Intentions This "Tenth Day of the Seventh Month In ye Year of our Lord "One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventeen They The "Said Richd William and Margaret Eaton Appeared in "A Publick meeting of the Said People at Gwynedd Affors- "And Ye Said Rich Wil1iams Takeing the Said Margaret "Eatton by the Hand and in A Solemn Manner Openly "Declare yt He Took her to be his Wife promising Through "God's Acceptance To be Unto her a Faithfull and Loveing Husband "Till Death Should Seperate Them And then and There in ye "Said Assembly the Sd Margarett Eatton did Likewise Declare "She Took ye Said Richd Williams to be her husband in Like "Manner Promising to be Unto him a Faithfull and Loveing "Wife Till Death Should Seperate Them And Moreover ye "Said Richd Williams and Margarett She According to ye "Custom of Marriage Assuming ye Name of Her Husband "As a Farther Confirmation Thereof Did Then & There to "These Presents Set Their Hands and We Whose Hands are "hereunder Written Among Others Present at ye "Solemnization of ye Said Marriage & Subscription in "manner attestd As Witnesseth Thereunto have allso to These "now Set Our Hands ye Day and Year Above Written

his

" RICHD W WILLIAMS Jno Pugh(illeg) Williams

mark Robt Evan Eliz Williams

" her Thos Evan Cath Williams

" MAGARET M WILLIAMS Owen Evan Ellin Robert

" mark Ewd Evan Jane Nailor

" Jno Humphrey Mary Loyd

" Jno Williams Edwd Woe Jane Evan

" Edwd Morgan Jno Wms Gwinett Humphrey

" Wm Morgan Edwd Robert

" Jno Morgan Evan Pugh

" Dann Morgan Thos Foulke

" Morgan Morgan Thos Lvan

" Jno Robert Hugh Jones

Hugh Evan

ANCESTRAL HISTORY

Cousin Ethel McCorkindale of Ontario, Calif., a descendant of William Williams, the old Quaker Preacher -- youthful uncle of our Captain Isaac -- has contributed a brief introduction to the family's historical background.

Once when visiting an ancient cobwebby castle in Ireland, she came upon a quaintly familiar old portrait. "How in the world could this medieval battlement have a portrait of my Uncle John Williams"? she thought. On inquiring about it she was informed that she had been gazing on the likeness of Sir Oliver Cromwell, Protector of the Commonwealth. Then she learned that Sir Oliver was really a Williams!

The name Williams is derived from the Welch word "Gwylyn" meaning "sentinel". It has been used since the year AD 1086-- 20 years after the Conquest. As a family name it signifies "William's Son" and as a surname it dates back nearly five centuries. Not many variations are found anciently, the most common being Wilyams and Williamson.

Several genealogies exist for the early Welsh family of Williams. But all authorities agree that the surname was not in use in Wales previous to the time of Henry VIII (1509-1547). Welshmen did not use family names prior to that time, but referred to families as those of John, Owen, Morgan, Richard or William. Henry VIII himself is said to have urged the Welsh people to conform to the common practice of using surnames.

***

Burke's Peerage and Baronetage states that the Williams family is descended lineally from Marchundel of Gynn, the Lord of Aberglen of Denbigh, Denbighshire, who lived in the same time as Roderick Maur, the king of the Britons about AD 647. The pedigree of Marchudel is deduced from Brutus, King of the Ancient Britons.

Morgan Williams, of Glamorganshire, Wales, was the first ancestor to assume the surname Williams. He was the son of William (hence, William's son, or Williams), the son of Evan, the son of Thomas, a descendant of Brutus, BC 1199, To Morgan, a royal bailiff of King Henry VII (1485-1509), who married Catherine Cromwell, all present day members of the family owe their surname.

The family was represented in the early 16th Century by Sir Richard Williams (son of Morgan Williams and Catherine Cromwell), who was requested to take the name of Cromwell by Henry VIII. Sir Richard was a Member of Parliament in 1542. The name Richard thus is traditional from the very beginning of the family.

Oliver Cromwell, whose real name was Oliver Williams, was the son of Robert of Lancaster, the son of Sir Henry, the son of Sir Richard, the son of Morgan Williams. He assumed the name of Cromwell to please a parental uncle. Down through the reign of James I, the family styled themselves "Cromwell, alias Williams".

***

Williams Heraldry: The College of Heralds has made a field day of heraldic art for the various branches of this family. A number of interesting and striking coats of arms have been found. The following unique specimen is described in Burke’s Encyclopedia of Heraldry, but whether is belongs to Richard of Gwyned, we cannot say.

Arms: Sable, three horses' heads, erased, argent

Crest: A buck, statant, argent, collared, gold

GWYNEDD

The Friends Meeting at Gwynedd, Penna., was the church home not only for the ancestors of Captain Isaac Williams, but also for the (supposed) ancestors of the husband of his older sister, Rachel Williams-Adamson. To this meeting in 1726 came John Adamson and his wife Anne. Their first son Thomas, born Dec. 23, 1717, was but two years senior to Capt. Isaac's grandfather, William Williams.

Both families -- Williams and Adamson-- migrated down the Valley of Virginia to North Carolina enroute to Tennessee. From East Tennessee they removed in 1817 to southern Indiana. For the Williams family the Quaker records of North Carolina bear ample witness to this hegira. But for the Adamsons there is a long break in continuity

Simon was the youngest of the seven children of John and Anne Adamson. He was born in 1733, and his mother passed to immortality in bringing him into this world. On July 25th of that year, Swamp Friends contributed forty shillings toward the relief of Father John and his family. This is the last we hear of Simon Adamson for three quarters of a century -- a serious break in continuity indeed.

In 1810 Simon Adamson, Sr., was received "at his own request" at the Lost Creek Meeting in Jefferson County, Tenn. Simon, Jr., was already a member there. If Simon, Sr., of Lost Creek, is identical with Simon, the Infant of 1733, then our thesis must be complete: namely, that he is the father of Thomas Adamson, Rachel's "long lost” husband. He would then be the sire of the four other Quaker Adamsons of the North Carolina-Tennessee frontier -- John, Joseph, Jesse and Enos -- whom we believe to be brothers of "Old Tom".

This, of course, is a thesis only. It still remains to be proven. Many known facts support it. But if true, it will shatter some of Our age-old Adamson tradition -- but some of our old problems in family history will be smoothly solved. Much tradition has been evolved around the Welsh beginnings of the Adamson and Williams families. This seems to be a good place to look at some of the facts.

PENN'S CHARTER

The Charter to William Penn's proprietary province of Pennsylvania was granted by Charles II on March 4, 1681. Penn wanted to name the province "New Wales". But the King over-ruled him. King Charles wished to to honor the grantee’s father, Admiral Sir Thomas Penn, who had served him well.

In a letter to his friend Robert Turner, dated May 1, 1681, William Penn related, with some little personal feelings of embarrassment, the details of the naming:

"This day my country was confirmed to me under the Great Seal of England, with large powers and privileges, by the name of Pennsylvania; a name the King would give in honor of my father.

"I chose 'New Wales', being, as this, a pretty hilly country. But Penn, being We1sh for a head -- as Penmaumoire in Wales, and Penrith in Cumberland, and Penn in Buckinghamshire, the highest land in England -- they called this Pennsylvania, which is, the high, or head woodland.

"For I proposed, when the Secretary, a Welshman, refused to have it called New Wales, Sylvania, and they added Penn to it; and though I much opposed it, an went to the King to have it struck out and altered, he said it was passed, and would take it upon him; nor could twenty guineas move the under-secretary to vary the same---

Penn convened a Council in 1682 to set up the government. Three original counties were set up -- Bucks, Chester and Philadelphia. Subsequently, in 1784, Montgomery county was taken off of Philadelphia; and in 1789, Delaware was taken from Chester.

Although Penn was thwarted in his desire to call his Province "New Wales", he was not disappointed in the Welsh immigration. Several Welsh came with him in his own ship, the Welcome. Thereafter, they came in shiploads. Penn granted them a vast strip of land called the "Welsh Tract", lying in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. In the former the townships of Easttown, Goshen, Nantmeal, Uwchland, Whiteland and Willistown were all settled by We1sh; in Delaware, Haverford, Newtown and Radnor; in Montgomery, Merion and Gwynedd.

WELSH IMMIGRATI0N

Dr. William H. Egle, for many years the State Archivist, brought together in his "Centennial History of Pennsylvania" many interesting details of Welsh impetus in the settlement of the Welsh Tract and adjacent communities. Robert Townsend, an early settler of Germantown bore witness:

"In the year 1682 I found a concern on my mind to embark with my wife and child, and went aboard the ship Welcome, Robert Greenaway, Commander, in company with my worthy friend William Penn, whose good conversation was advantagious to all the company--- The country continually increasing, people began to spread themselves further back--- A place called North Wales was settled by many of the ancient Britons, an honestly-inclined people, although they had not then made a profession of the truth as held by us; yet in a little time a large convincement was among them, and divers meeting-houses were built.

Among the adventurers and settlers who arrived about this time, says Dr. Egle, were many from Wales, of those who are called "ancient Britons", mostly Quakers--- of the original stock of that Society here. They had early purchased of the Proprietary, in England, 40,000 acres of land--- extending across the lower end of Montgomery into Chester and Delaware counties.

They took up enough of it on the west side of Schuylkill to make three townships, Merion, Haverford and Radnor. In a few years their number was so much augmented as to settle three other townships of Newtown, Goshen and Uwchland. After this they continued still increasing and became a numerous and flourishing people.

These early We1sh settlers were persons of excellent and worthy character, and several were of a very good education, prominent family and prosperous estate -- chiefly Quakers. Many of them were either eminent preachers of the society, or otherwise qualified and disposed to do good. Some, however, were devout members of the Church of England. Episcopalians of Gwynedd met at the home of Robert Evans, where Cadwallader Evans read the Bible to them.

PROMINENT WELSH SETTLERS

"Rowland Ellis was a man of note among the We1sh settlers, from a place called Bryn-Mawr, near Dolgelly, in the county of Marioneth. In 1683 he sent Thomas Owen and his family over to make a settlement. This was the custom of the welsh at first -- to send persons over to take up the land for them, and to prepare it against their coming. Rowland Ellis first came over in 1686, bringing with him his eldest son, Rowland, then a boy. About 100 Welsh passengers came at the same time. They had a long passage -- suffered much for want of provisions -- touched at Barbados, etc.

Rowland Ellis, after remaining about nine months here, returned to Wales, leaving his son with his uncle John Humphrey. He returned to Pennsylvania in 1697, with his family, and about 100 other passengers, all from North Wales. He was then in his 45th year. He was a preacher among the Quakers, and an acceptable man in every station. He lived long to do good, and died in his 80th year, at his son-in-law's, John Evans' house, North Wales, now Gwynedd.

"Hugh Roberts was an eminent Quaker preacher; he removed from Wales to Pennsylvania about the year 1683, where he lived near eighteen years, to an advanced age. He had suffered much for his religion in his native country prior to his removal. On his return from a religious visit to Wa1es, in the service of preaching the gospel, in the year 1698, a number of the inhabitants of North Wales removed to Pennsylvania in company with him, where he arrived on the 7th of the 5th month

"Ellis Pugh, one of the early Welsh settlers who arrived in the Province in the year 1687, lived much of his time and died here, 1718. He was convinced of the Quakers' principles in Wales in the year 1674. He became a minister among them in 1680, in which capacity he continued until his death.

"In the latter end of 1698, William Jones, Thomas Evans, Robert Evans, Owen Evans, Cadwallader Evans, Hugh Griffith, John Hughes, Edward Foulke, John Humphrey, Robert Jones, and others, having purchased of Robert Turner 10,000 acres of land, began in the following year to improve and settle the same. They settled in Gwynedd township -- in English, North Wales. Of these original settlers, John Hughes and John Humphrey were Quakers. The others in general did not at first profess. But as the neighborhood increased, they, with many others joined in religious society with them.

THE FIRST CHUCHES

In the history of Montgomery County, the Centennial History recounts the establishment of the first churches:

"In 1683 a first-day meeting was established to be held at Takoney or Oxford. Another was also established at Poetquessing. And afterwards in the same year a monthly meeting was set up, to consist of these two meetings and that at Abbington, to be held by turns among them.

"The 24th of the 7th month, 1716, the meeting at Horsham was settled, at first only in the winter season; but Friends increasing. After some time a meeting house was built, and it was fixed there constantly -- and so continued.

"One of the venerable meeting houses, founded by the early Friends from Wales, is that in Lower Merion township, about two miles west of Manayunk. It was erected, as appears by a date on a tablet, in 1695, and is the oldest place of worship in the state.

"Among the early settlers of Merion were the Roberts family; Edward Jones, a man given to hospitality, and generally beloved by his acquaintances, who died in February 1737 at the advanced age of eighty-two; and Benjamin Humphrey, who came over in 1683, and died in November 1737, aged seventy-six. He was also remarked for his hospitality and was a useful member among the Quakers.

G w y n e d d

"A meeting house was built at North Wa1es (Gwynedd) in the year 1700, which was but two years after the arrival of the Welsh Friends at that place. Meetings were kept therein by the consent of the Haverford monthly meeting, unto which they had first joined themselves. Finding truth to prevail, and their numbers to increase, they found it necessary to build another meeting house in 1712; and on the 19th of the ninth month that year, the first meeting for worship was held therein.

"Their number still increasing, as well among themselves as by the union of many adjacent settlers, Friends belonging to North Wales or Gwynedd and Plymouth meetings, settled a monthly meeting for business among themselves, by the consent of the Haverford meeting aforesaid and the quarterly meeting of Philadelphia.

"The said monthly meeting was first held on the 2nd day of the twelfth month, 1714 or 1715, at Gwynedd meeting house and called the Gwynedd monthly meeting. Plymouth meeting house was built a considerable time before this, and a meeting for worship held there. The said meeting was in being the 4th of the first month, 1688-89, but how long before is not certain."

A sketch of the 1695 Merion Meeting House is shown by Egle at page 954, volume II, Centennial History of Pennsylvania. Dr. Egle also explains that the reason why the Village of Gwynedd has disappeared from the map is a question of terminology. The village was platted in 1867. And on August 20, 1869, it was incorporated as a full-fledged borough, under the name of "North Wales".