John W. Williams was born in 1787 in Tennessee, the oldest child of Thomas Williams and Maria Priscilla Brooks Williams. In about 1817, the family migrated from Weakley County, Tennessee, to the Missouri Territory and settled on the Jean Petit River in what is now Arkansas. In 1819 they crossed the Red River to Fort Towson in Oklahoma Territory, a US fort established to keep peace between the Indians. His father, Thomas Williams, is noted in military records as being a trader at Pecan Point on the Red River.
John William's name appears in Spanish records of the Mexican colony of Texas, often as "John Cherokee Williams".
1821 - "John Cherokee Williams came into the Texas colony from Pecan Point and passed through Nacodoches in Mexican Texas."
1822 - "Cherokee John Williams arrived on the Brazos River at crossing of Old San Antonio Road in company with W. B. Dewees and three or four other families on January 1st."
1827 - "John Williams was in Nacogdoches in May when Chief Bowles and Mush arrived to find out about title to the Cherokee Indian lands."
1828 - "John Williams was living on the west bank of the Neches River when he entertained Ramon Sanchez in June."
1829 - John Williams returned to the Brazos River area, purchased 1 1/2 leagues of land located on both sides of the river at the crossing of the Old San Antonio Road. he took the prescribed oath of allegiance to Mexico and registered his wife, Rebecca, age 28, two sons, four daughters and twelve other individuals believed to be slaves. (Five years later he was registered as a widower with seven children.)
1829 - "Ramon Musquiz wrote Stephen F. Austin that John Williams was selling arms to the Indians."
1830 - " The ayuntamiento at San Felipe adopted a resolution that Juan Williams was a man of bad character who harbored infamous persons, however, since he had made improvements on his land, he was to be given further trial and would not be allowed to reserve land and would be removed immediately if there were further reports of his wrong doing."
1832 - "John P. Coles wrote Austin in San Felipe that other colonists looked on John Williams as a dangerous man."
1834- "John Cherokee Williams was in trouble in Nacogdoches for selling stolen horses."
1835 - "James Bowie wrote Henry Rueg that he had been visiting in the village of Big Mush and that John Williams had been killed."
Note: John "Cherokee" Williams was killed July 11, 1835 at Techuacana Springs while serving in Robert M. Coleman's company of Texas Rangers that attacked the Tawakoni Indians in retaliation for alleged depredations against settlements on the Colorado River." - Jack Bryan Carter, in the HANDBOOK of TEXAS Online.
Spouse:
Rebecca (maiden name unknown) Williams
Children:
1. Nancy Jane Williams Sessom 1815-1845)
2. John Williams 1818-
3. Jonathan Williams 1819/21-
4. Sarah Williams Webb 1823-
5. Mary Williams Bryant 1825/26-
6. Priscilla Williams Bryant Blankenship 1828/29-
7. Eliza Williams 1830/32-
Note: Additional information provided by Jack Bryan Carter, direct descendant of John 'Cherokee' Williams
- Blanche Keating Collie, family researcher
John William's name appears in Spanish records of the Mexican colony of Texas, often as "John Cherokee Williams".
1821 - "John Cherokee Williams came into the Texas colony from Pecan Point and passed through Nacodoches in Mexican Texas."
1822 - "Cherokee John Williams arrived on the Brazos River at crossing of Old San Antonio Road in company with W. B. Dewees and three or four other families on January 1st."
1827 - "John Williams was in Nacogdoches in May when Chief Bowles and Mush arrived to find out about title to the Cherokee Indian lands."
1828 - "John Williams was living on the west bank of the Neches River when he entertained Ramon Sanchez in June."
1829 - John Williams returned to the Brazos River area, purchased 1 1/2 leagues of land located on both sides of the river at the crossing of the Old San Antonio Road. he took the prescribed oath of allegiance to Mexico and registered his wife, Rebecca, age 28, two sons, four daughters and twelve other individuals believed to be slaves. (Five years later he was registered as a widower with seven children.)
1829 - "Ramon Musquiz wrote Stephen F. Austin that John Williams was selling arms to the Indians."
1830 - " The ayuntamiento at San Felipe adopted a resolution that Juan Williams was a man of bad character who harbored infamous persons, however, since he had made improvements on his land, he was to be given further trial and would not be allowed to reserve land and would be removed immediately if there were further reports of his wrong doing."
1832 - "John P. Coles wrote Austin in San Felipe that other colonists looked on John Williams as a dangerous man."
1834- "John Cherokee Williams was in trouble in Nacogdoches for selling stolen horses."
1835 - "James Bowie wrote Henry Rueg that he had been visiting in the village of Big Mush and that John Williams had been killed."
Note: John "Cherokee" Williams was killed July 11, 1835 at Techuacana Springs while serving in Robert M. Coleman's company of Texas Rangers that attacked the Tawakoni Indians in retaliation for alleged depredations against settlements on the Colorado River." - Jack Bryan Carter, in the HANDBOOK of TEXAS Online.
Spouse:
Rebecca (maiden name unknown) Williams
Children:
1. Nancy Jane Williams Sessom 1815-1845)
2. John Williams 1818-
3. Jonathan Williams 1819/21-
4. Sarah Williams Webb 1823-
5. Mary Williams Bryant 1825/26-
6. Priscilla Williams Bryant Blankenship 1828/29-
7. Eliza Williams 1830/32-
Note: Additional information provided by Jack Bryan Carter, direct descendant of John 'Cherokee' Williams
- Blanche Keating Collie, family researcher
John W. Williams was born in 1787 in Tennessee, the oldest child of Thomas Williams and Maria Priscilla Brooks Williams. In about 1817, the family migrated from Weakley County, Tennessee, to the Missouri Territory and settled on the Jean Petit River in what is now Arkansas. In 1819 they crossed the Red River to Fort Towson in Oklahoma Territory, a US fort established to keep peace between the Indians. His father, Thomas Williams, is noted in military records as being a trader at Pecan Point on the Red River.
John William's name appears in Spanish records of the Mexican colony of Texas, often as "John Cherokee Williams".
1821 - "John Cherokee Williams came into the Texas colony from Pecan Point and passed through Nacodoches in Mexican Texas."
1822 - "Cherokee John Williams arrived on the Brazos River at crossing of Old San Antonio Road in company with W. B. Dewees and three or four other families on January 1st."
1827 - "John Williams was in Nacogdoches in May when Chief Bowles and Mush arrived to find out about title to the Cherokee Indian lands."
1828 - "John Williams was living on the west bank of the Neches River when he entertained Ramon Sanchez in June."
1829 - John Williams returned to the Brazos River area, purchased 1 1/2 leagues of land located on both sides of the river at the crossing of the Old San Antonio Road. he took the prescribed oath of allegiance to Mexico and registered his wife, Rebecca, age 28, two sons, four daughters and twelve other individuals believed to be slaves. (Five years later he was registered as a widower with seven children.)
1829 - "Ramon Musquiz wrote Stephen F. Austin that John Williams was selling arms to the Indians."
1830 - " The ayuntamiento at San Felipe adopted a resolution that Juan Williams was a man of bad character who harbored infamous persons, however, since he had made improvements on his land, he was to be given further trial and would not be allowed to reserve land and would be removed immediately if there were further reports of his wrong doing."
1832 - "John P. Coles wrote Austin in San Felipe that other colonists looked on John Williams as a dangerous man."
1834- "John Cherokee Williams was in trouble in Nacogdoches for selling stolen horses."
1835 - "James Bowie wrote Henry Rueg that he had been visiting in the village of Big Mush and that John Williams had been killed."
Note: John "Cherokee" Williams was killed July 11, 1835 at Techuacana Springs while serving in Robert M. Coleman's company of Texas Rangers that attacked the Tawakoni Indians in retaliation for alleged depredations against settlements on the Colorado River." - Jack Bryan Carter, in the HANDBOOK of TEXAS Online.
Spouse:
Rebecca (maiden name unknown) Williams
Children:
1. Nancy Jane Williams Sessom 1815-1845)
2. John Williams 1818-
3. Jonathan Williams 1819/21-
4. Sarah Williams Webb 1823-
5. Mary Williams Bryant 1825/26-
6. Priscilla Williams Bryant Blankenship 1828/29-
7. Eliza Williams 1830/32-
Note: Additional information provided by Jack Bryan Carter, direct descendant of John 'Cherokee' Williams
- Blanche Keating Collie, family researcher
John William's name appears in Spanish records of the Mexican colony of Texas, often as "John Cherokee Williams".
1821 - "John Cherokee Williams came into the Texas colony from Pecan Point and passed through Nacodoches in Mexican Texas."
1822 - "Cherokee John Williams arrived on the Brazos River at crossing of Old San Antonio Road in company with W. B. Dewees and three or four other families on January 1st."
1827 - "John Williams was in Nacogdoches in May when Chief Bowles and Mush arrived to find out about title to the Cherokee Indian lands."
1828 - "John Williams was living on the west bank of the Neches River when he entertained Ramon Sanchez in June."
1829 - John Williams returned to the Brazos River area, purchased 1 1/2 leagues of land located on both sides of the river at the crossing of the Old San Antonio Road. he took the prescribed oath of allegiance to Mexico and registered his wife, Rebecca, age 28, two sons, four daughters and twelve other individuals believed to be slaves. (Five years later he was registered as a widower with seven children.)
1829 - "Ramon Musquiz wrote Stephen F. Austin that John Williams was selling arms to the Indians."
1830 - " The ayuntamiento at San Felipe adopted a resolution that Juan Williams was a man of bad character who harbored infamous persons, however, since he had made improvements on his land, he was to be given further trial and would not be allowed to reserve land and would be removed immediately if there were further reports of his wrong doing."
1832 - "John P. Coles wrote Austin in San Felipe that other colonists looked on John Williams as a dangerous man."
1834- "John Cherokee Williams was in trouble in Nacogdoches for selling stolen horses."
1835 - "James Bowie wrote Henry Rueg that he had been visiting in the village of Big Mush and that John Williams had been killed."
Note: John "Cherokee" Williams was killed July 11, 1835 at Techuacana Springs while serving in Robert M. Coleman's company of Texas Rangers that attacked the Tawakoni Indians in retaliation for alleged depredations against settlements on the Colorado River." - Jack Bryan Carter, in the HANDBOOK of TEXAS Online.
Spouse:
Rebecca (maiden name unknown) Williams
Children:
1. Nancy Jane Williams Sessom 1815-1845)
2. John Williams 1818-
3. Jonathan Williams 1819/21-
4. Sarah Williams Webb 1823-
5. Mary Williams Bryant 1825/26-
6. Priscilla Williams Bryant Blankenship 1828/29-
7. Eliza Williams 1830/32-
Note: Additional information provided by Jack Bryan Carter, direct descendant of John 'Cherokee' Williams
- Blanche Keating Collie, family researcher
Family Members
Siblings
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