William Williams, Born In Mecklenburg County, NC
GAHUNTER
Hello all,
My name is Leon Brown and I'm brand new to this group, and to genealogy in general.
I got here at the suggestion of my daughter-in-law as she and I both have hit a dead end in researching my Mother's maiden name, Sara Williams. Her dad was Horace Rudolph Williams of Gwinnett County, GA, and his dad was Virgil Rufus Williams, also of Gwinnett County, GA, born in 1861. His dad was William Pittman Williams who was born in Oglethorpe County Georgia in 1814, and fathered 18 children.
Here's where it gets sticky. I've found several references to his dad being one William Williams, born in Mecklenburg County, NC circa 1780, and dying while serving in the U.S. Army during the war of 1812 in Chatham, County, GA (Savannah), on January 1, 1815. But that's it! There is nothing that I can find anywhere about his parentage. Mecklenburg County does not have birth records from that period in time.
Our family has a huge family reunion in Gwinnett County, GA every year for the descendants of William Pittman Williams (remember, this is my great, great grandfather who had 18 children). At that event, I found a program from the 1919 reunion that claimed that William Pittman Williams was the grandson of Col. James Henderson Williams, who was killed at the battle of Kings Mountain in 1781.
Problem is, James Henderson Williams had no son named William Williams, and his lineage is well researched and established all the way back the when the first Williams arrived in Virgiana from Wales in the 1650s.
So here I am, smashed up against a brick wall that I have not been able to breech for two years. I figure that with William Pittman Williams having 18 kids, his descendants must number in the thousands by now. Surely somebody among those thousands who is much smarter than me, has done a genealogy that bridges the gap.
Any suggestions?
by GAHUNTER
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GAHUNTER has been a Family Tree Circles member since Mar 2021.
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markav on 2021-03-20 12:33:54Hi, in the U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 the forms state William Williams was born Dec 1753 in North Carolina and was a private in the 2nd North Carolina Reg, Capt. John Ingles Company and was commanded by Col. John Patten. He enlisted 5th May 1776 for 2 1/2 years and fought in the battle of Kings Mountain. Discharged 1778 and died in Rutherford Co. 1812
wife was a Sarah landers and they married in Oglethorpe Georgia 18th Oct 1882 his father was
Richard Edward Williams
Born 1729 in Pitt, North Carolina
and died 25 AUG 1786 , St Peters Parish, Beaufort District, SC
and his mother a Mary P Franklin
his parents info were on a tree on Ancestry so may need to be verified
GAHUNTER on 2021-03-22 00:55:04Unfortunately, none of that jives with what we do know about our William Williams. We have documentation that he moved to Oglethorpe County, Ga in 1800 and married Martha Patsy Peters there in 1802. We also know that our William Williams was born circa 1780. BTW, the Battle of King's Mountain was fought on October 8, 1780, which is two years after he is listed as being discharged.
I it Possible that this William Williams had a son named William round about 1780-ish? I sure so. I'll do a little digging.
GAHUNTER on 2021-03-24 01:40:03I managed to find four applications for recognition of William Williams descendants to be members of the Son's of the American Revolution. This one was born in Rutherford County, NC in 1753, and died in same in 1812) The thing is, all four list William Williams to be the father of William Pittman Williams (My 3-great grandfather). Problem is this William Williams died exactly two years before the birth of William Pittman Williams.
Two of the applications to the SAR remedied this discrepancy by post-dating William Pittman Williams' birth three years to 1811 (It's well documented that his birth was in 1814). For some reason, all four applications went out of their way to skip over an additional ancestor in between the 1753 William Williams and William Pittman Williams. This would be the William Williams born in 1780 and died in 1815. All this information is supposed to be documented in a family bible (that I have not found).
The glaring nature of the omission now has me wondering if William Williams 1780 (possibly 1778) - 1815 might possibly be an illegitimate son of William Williams 1753-1812! It would make sense, as William Williams (1753) was in the NC Militia from 1776 until 1779, and was still associated with it in 1780, as the military record reports him as fighting in the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780.
The fact that the later William Williams pulled up roots from North Carolina and migrated to Georgia as soon as he became of age kinda supports this theory.
But it is just at theory!
markav on 2021-03-24 17:03:21Do you know where the name Pittman originates from? I found pension claimed by Martha
Soldier: William Williams
Widow: Martha
Military Service Location: Georgia
Pension Number - #1: Old War Wid File # 12085
Bounty Land Number - #1: 43777 80 50
Bounty Land Number - #2: 21822 80 55
Roll Number: 99
Archive Publication Number: M313
GAHUNTER on 2021-03-24 18:53:22No, I don't know were the name Pittman originates. Martha "Patsy" Peters married William Williams (the 1780 William) in 1802. She was born in Wilkes County, Ga in 1784. Her mother was Rebecca Martha Boone (father unknown).
She collected a pension because William Williams was killed (actually, he died of pleurisy) in the war of 1812. Sometime after his death, she migrated to Gwinnett County, GA, which is still the home territory of the many hundreds of descendants of William Pittman Williams.
Frawg on 2022-01-10 21:17:48Hello , I am currently researching my great grandfather Daniel Allen Williams born between 1875 and 1880. I have hit a dead end, although I do know that my mother has a bible said to have come from him upon his death that list a William Williams. Although I know that it is a very common name. There is a list that I have found that might help you. You can look at this and see if it helps:) This covers the decendents of Lodowick Williams. Hope it helps - it didnt for me !
https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/j/e/f/Charlotte-W-Jeffers/GENE27-0044.html