William Stovall - First Stovall in Forsyth County
Posted 24 Feb 2008 by Ladiej37

William Stovall has been selected as the number one progenitor of the Stovall family enumerated in this compilation. William Stovall, son of George M. and Susannah Stovall, was the father of Lewis Stovall, and grandfather of William Richard Stovall. William Stovall is believed to have been born in North Carolina around 1800, and came to Franklin County, Georgia, where his father moved before 1806. William Stovall married Mary Burgess on 24 Jan. 1822, probably in Franklin County. William Stovall lived in Henry County, Georgia, having moved there around 1821, and where his sons, Lewis and John Martin, and several daughters were born, prior to the Stovall family moving to Forsyth County, Ga. William was a Justice of Peace in Forsyth County and handled some land transactions for his younger brother, Wilkins, as early as 1837. When William and his family first came to Forsyth, he became a member of Bethel Baptist Church (est. 1836). William, his wife Mary, and daughter Betsy Ann, were charter members of Salem Church. His son, Lewis was the 3rd Clerk, 1847-57, and was a member of the Committee set up on Aug. 4 1849, to choose a place for burying ground for Salem. William’s son, George W. Stovall, was Church Clerk for 50 years, 1865-1915.

William Stovall died on 16 March 1844 at an early age. His widow, Mary, died in Forsyth County in the 1880’s. All of William Stovall’s children were not born in Forsyth County, Ga., since he brought a growing family there when he moved from Henry County, but three or four of his children were born in Forsyth County. All of his children are believed to have been married in Forsyth except Patrick Stovall, who was killed in Mississippi in 1863. Many of his grandchildren, and great grandchildren, were born, raised, married, and some died in this same County. However, only a small percentage of the several hundred known living descendants of William live in Forsyth County at the present time. The unknown descendants of his daughters could raise this percentage , as well the total number of his descendants.