It was previously speculated by some researchers that he was adopted and that John Williams wasn't his actual birth name, but this turns out not to be the case. We have now established that Williams wasn't an "adopted" surname, but was his real name. John and his brother Jesse posted ads in the Sangamon County, Illinois newspaper in 1832, looking for information about their siblings. They said that they had left Ray (Rhea) County, Tennessee about 15 years earlier (about 1817), and that their father had moved to Arkansas and died there, and their siblings moved to various states.
SANGAMO JOURNAL (Springfield Illinois), April 5, 1832: Information Wanted. "The undersigned [Jesse Williams and John Williams] having left Ray [Rhea] county, in East Tennessee, about fifteen years ago, and not having seen or heard from any of their friends during that period, take this method of ascertaining in what part of the United States they live. Elizabeth Williams married John Henry, a son of Wm. Henry, of Ray [Rhea] County, East Tennessee. George Williams and his wife died in Arkansas. Said Henry and family were making preparations to move to Alabama, at the time we left Ray [Rhea] county. They have heard lately that a person of the name of Henry is living in Franklin county, East Tennessee; but cannot learn whether he is the person they are anxious to hear from. James McMolon married Anna Williams, and we do not know where they reside. Should this advertisement meet the eyes of any person, who from the above description, can give information respecting the said Henry and his wife, or the said McMolon and his wife, they will confer a favor by directing a letter to John or Jesse Williams, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, living on Lake Fork of Salt Creek." (signed) JESSE WILLIAMS. JOHN WILLIAMS.
SANGAMO JOURNAL (Springfield Illinois), July 5, 1832: Information Wanted. "The subscribers [Jesse Williams and John Williams] are anxious to hear from Absalom Williams, and his two sisters Unity Williams and Amanda Williams. ---They were living on Current river, at Hick's Ferry, in Lawrence county, Arkansas territory, eight years since. Letters will reach the subscribers, directed to Springfield Post office, Sangamo County, Illinois." JESSE WILLIAMS, JOHN WILLIAMS, Living on the Lake Fork, of Salt Creek. May 28 , 1832. >>> "The editor of the Arkansas Gazette will please publish the above three times, and his bill shall be paid."
John was born in 1808 or earlier, because he took out a land grant near Mt. Pulaski, Sangamon (now Logan) Co, Illinois in Dec. 1829, and by law would have to be at least 21 on that date. He married Marcy Jane Lucas 10 Feb 1831 in Sangamon Co., Illinois, and they became the parents of 6 children: Amanda Williams Clark, Sarah Angeline Williams Glenn, Polly Williams Davies or Davis, Elizabeth Williams Shurtz or Shirts, William George Williams, and Mary Ann Williams Lee.
His wife Marcy's gravestone says she was born 25 Dec 1802 and died 20 Mar 1886, but these dates are each off by 10 years.....she was actually born 25 Dec 1812 and died 20 Mar 1896. Perhaps the engraver couldn't read the order. The gravestone was made many years after her death.
SANGAMO JOURNAL (Springfield Illinois), April 5, 1832: Information Wanted. "The undersigned [Jesse Williams and John Williams] having left Ray [Rhea] county, in East Tennessee, about fifteen years ago, and not having seen or heard from any of their friends during that period, take this method of ascertaining in what part of the United States they live. Elizabeth Williams married John Henry, a son of Wm. Henry, of Ray [Rhea] County, East Tennessee. George Williams and his wife died in Arkansas. Said Henry and family were making preparations to move to Alabama, at the time we left Ray [Rhea] county. They have heard lately that a person of the name of Henry is living in Franklin county, East Tennessee; but cannot learn whether he is the person they are anxious to hear from. James McMolon married Anna Williams, and we do not know where they reside. Should this advertisement meet the eyes of any person, who from the above description, can give information respecting the said Henry and his wife, or the said McMolon and his wife, they will confer a favor by directing a letter to John or Jesse Williams, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, living on Lake Fork of Salt Creek." (signed) JESSE WILLIAMS. JOHN WILLIAMS.
SANGAMO JOURNAL (Springfield Illinois), July 5, 1832: Information Wanted. "The subscribers [Jesse Williams and John Williams] are anxious to hear from Absalom Williams, and his two sisters Unity Williams and Amanda Williams. ---They were living on Current river, at Hick's Ferry, in Lawrence county, Arkansas territory, eight years since. Letters will reach the subscribers, directed to Springfield Post office, Sangamo County, Illinois." JESSE WILLIAMS, JOHN WILLIAMS, Living on the Lake Fork, of Salt Creek. May 28 , 1832. >>> "The editor of the Arkansas Gazette will please publish the above three times, and his bill shall be paid."
John was born in 1808 or earlier, because he took out a land grant near Mt. Pulaski, Sangamon (now Logan) Co, Illinois in Dec. 1829, and by law would have to be at least 21 on that date. He married Marcy Jane Lucas 10 Feb 1831 in Sangamon Co., Illinois, and they became the parents of 6 children: Amanda Williams Clark, Sarah Angeline Williams Glenn, Polly Williams Davies or Davis, Elizabeth Williams Shurtz or Shirts, William George Williams, and Mary Ann Williams Lee.
His wife Marcy's gravestone says she was born 25 Dec 1802 and died 20 Mar 1886, but these dates are each off by 10 years.....she was actually born 25 Dec 1812 and died 20 Mar 1896. Perhaps the engraver couldn't read the order. The gravestone was made many years after her death.
It was previously speculated by some researchers that he was adopted and that John Williams wasn't his actual birth name, but this turns out not to be the case. We have now established that Williams wasn't an "adopted" surname, but was his real name. John and his brother Jesse posted ads in the Sangamon County, Illinois newspaper in 1832, looking for information about their siblings. They said that they had left Ray (Rhea) County, Tennessee about 15 years earlier (about 1817), and that their father had moved to Arkansas and died there, and their siblings moved to various states.
SANGAMO JOURNAL (Springfield Illinois), April 5, 1832: Information Wanted. "The undersigned [Jesse Williams and John Williams] having left Ray [Rhea] county, in East Tennessee, about fifteen years ago, and not having seen or heard from any of their friends during that period, take this method of ascertaining in what part of the United States they live. Elizabeth Williams married John Henry, a son of Wm. Henry, of Ray [Rhea] County, East Tennessee. George Williams and his wife died in Arkansas. Said Henry and family were making preparations to move to Alabama, at the time we left Ray [Rhea] county. They have heard lately that a person of the name of Henry is living in Franklin county, East Tennessee; but cannot learn whether he is the person they are anxious to hear from. James McMolon married Anna Williams, and we do not know where they reside. Should this advertisement meet the eyes of any person, who from the above description, can give information respecting the said Henry and his wife, or the said McMolon and his wife, they will confer a favor by directing a letter to John or Jesse Williams, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, living on Lake Fork of Salt Creek." (signed) JESSE WILLIAMS. JOHN WILLIAMS.
SANGAMO JOURNAL (Springfield Illinois), July 5, 1832: Information Wanted. "The subscribers [Jesse Williams and John Williams] are anxious to hear from Absalom Williams, and his two sisters Unity Williams and Amanda Williams. ---They were living on Current river, at Hick's Ferry, in Lawrence county, Arkansas territory, eight years since. Letters will reach the subscribers, directed to Springfield Post office, Sangamo County, Illinois." JESSE WILLIAMS, JOHN WILLIAMS, Living on the Lake Fork, of Salt Creek. May 28 , 1832. >>> "The editor of the Arkansas Gazette will please publish the above three times, and his bill shall be paid."
John was born in 1808 or earlier, because he took out a land grant near Mt. Pulaski, Sangamon (now Logan) Co, Illinois in Dec. 1829, and by law would have to be at least 21 on that date. He married Marcy Jane Lucas 10 Feb 1831 in Sangamon Co., Illinois, and they became the parents of 6 children: Amanda Williams Clark, Sarah Angeline Williams Glenn, Polly Williams Davies or Davis, Elizabeth Williams Shurtz or Shirts, William George Williams, and Mary Ann Williams Lee.
His wife Marcy's gravestone says she was born 25 Dec 1802 and died 20 Mar 1886, but these dates are each off by 10 years.....she was actually born 25 Dec 1812 and died 20 Mar 1896. Perhaps the engraver couldn't read the order. The gravestone was made many years after her death.
SANGAMO JOURNAL (Springfield Illinois), April 5, 1832: Information Wanted. "The undersigned [Jesse Williams and John Williams] having left Ray [Rhea] county, in East Tennessee, about fifteen years ago, and not having seen or heard from any of their friends during that period, take this method of ascertaining in what part of the United States they live. Elizabeth Williams married John Henry, a son of Wm. Henry, of Ray [Rhea] County, East Tennessee. George Williams and his wife died in Arkansas. Said Henry and family were making preparations to move to Alabama, at the time we left Ray [Rhea] county. They have heard lately that a person of the name of Henry is living in Franklin county, East Tennessee; but cannot learn whether he is the person they are anxious to hear from. James McMolon married Anna Williams, and we do not know where they reside. Should this advertisement meet the eyes of any person, who from the above description, can give information respecting the said Henry and his wife, or the said McMolon and his wife, they will confer a favor by directing a letter to John or Jesse Williams, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, living on Lake Fork of Salt Creek." (signed) JESSE WILLIAMS. JOHN WILLIAMS.
SANGAMO JOURNAL (Springfield Illinois), July 5, 1832: Information Wanted. "The subscribers [Jesse Williams and John Williams] are anxious to hear from Absalom Williams, and his two sisters Unity Williams and Amanda Williams. ---They were living on Current river, at Hick's Ferry, in Lawrence county, Arkansas territory, eight years since. Letters will reach the subscribers, directed to Springfield Post office, Sangamo County, Illinois." JESSE WILLIAMS, JOHN WILLIAMS, Living on the Lake Fork, of Salt Creek. May 28 , 1832. >>> "The editor of the Arkansas Gazette will please publish the above three times, and his bill shall be paid."
John was born in 1808 or earlier, because he took out a land grant near Mt. Pulaski, Sangamon (now Logan) Co, Illinois in Dec. 1829, and by law would have to be at least 21 on that date. He married Marcy Jane Lucas 10 Feb 1831 in Sangamon Co., Illinois, and they became the parents of 6 children: Amanda Williams Clark, Sarah Angeline Williams Glenn, Polly Williams Davies or Davis, Elizabeth Williams Shurtz or Shirts, William George Williams, and Mary Ann Williams Lee.
His wife Marcy's gravestone says she was born 25 Dec 1802 and died 20 Mar 1886, but these dates are each off by 10 years.....she was actually born 25 Dec 1812 and died 20 Mar 1896. Perhaps the engraver couldn't read the order. The gravestone was made many years after her death.
Inscription
Unless documentation has been located about John's burial in Carlyle Cemetery, it is in dispute.
Upon going to the Steenbergen Cemetery with the caretaker, Mr. Stan Buckles, there is documentation that John's 'probable' plot site is in this cemetery. Please see Family Search page for him; memories; photos and documents.
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