Most information for this sketch was found in "Word Family Heritage" by Dick Waits and Wynette Barton, 2009, online census records, and a visit to Peete cemetery by the author in 2014.
William Word Sr. was born July 29, 1771 in Laurens County, South Carolina, in the Duncan creek area near the town of Clinton. He was the fourth child of Col. Thomas Word and Frances Dickerson and grew up on the family farm. Col. Thomas Word was from Virginia and a veteran of the French/Indian War as well as the American Revolution.
Young William Sr. was 9 years old when his father and uncles fought and died at Kings Mountain, 10 when his father Col Thomas Word returned from Yorktown, and barely 12 when the Revolutionary War ended with the Treaty of Paris. He must have grown up surrounded by stories of his family's service in the war, and excitement with the birth of the United States.
William Sr. and his family lived in a frontier environment, as the hills and forests of South Carolina were wild and sparsely populated in the late 18th century. He married Janette Fairbain on January 12, 1791 at the age of 19 1/2. She was just shy of 18. The couple had 13 children, the first two named for Janette's parents, Alexander and Catherine.
Alexander (1791-1876)
Catherine (1794-1826)
Ann (1795-1847)
Samuel (1799-1878)
Charles (1801-1858)
Thomas (1803-1886)
Jane (1804-1866)
William Jr. (1806-1866)
Mary (1808-1847)
James (1810-1847)
Benjamin (1813-1888)
Robert (1815-1818)
John (1818-1818)
The two youngest boys died within days of each other in 1818, likely due to contagious disease. Ann, Mary, and James also died within weeks of each other in the spring of 1847, again most likely from disease.
In the 1800 US Census for Laurens County, South Carolina, William Word Sr.'s household contained 2 males under 10, 2 females under 10, one male 26-45, and one female 26-45. This would have been William Sr., Janette, and their four oldest children Alexander, Samuel, Catherine, and Ann.
In 1816 William Sr. and Janette moved the family from South Carolina to Madison County in Northern Alabama, joining a tide of new settlers into the area after the Cherokee Indians had been forced out. The Words had been married for 25 years at the time of the move, and brought along at least 10 of their children. Catherine was the only one who was married at the time, having married Samuel Crawford in 1814.
William Sr. and Janette stayed in Madison County for many years, living north of the town of Huntsville near the present day town of New Market. They prospered and moved up the social ladder, with one son, Charles, doing exceptionally well. Most of their children stayed in the area, two moved to Mississippi, one child, William Jr., ended up in Arkansas where he was murdered in 1868.
William Sr. and Janette moved a few miles southwest to Limestone County in the 1840's, living not far from the village of Mooresville. Their son William Jr. and son-in-law Benjamin Bennett worked as overseers for the largest landholders in the area, the Peete family.
William and Janette were buried together, along with many of their children, in the Peete family cemetery just northeast of Mooresville in Limestone County.
Contributor: Rob Bennett (47739657)
William Word Sr. was born July 29, 1771 in Laurens County, South Carolina, in the Duncan creek area near the town of Clinton. He was the fourth child of Col. Thomas Word and Frances Dickerson and grew up on the family farm. Col. Thomas Word was from Virginia and a veteran of the French/Indian War as well as the American Revolution.
Young William Sr. was 9 years old when his father and uncles fought and died at Kings Mountain, 10 when his father Col Thomas Word returned from Yorktown, and barely 12 when the Revolutionary War ended with the Treaty of Paris. He must have grown up surrounded by stories of his family's service in the war, and excitement with the birth of the United States.
William Sr. and his family lived in a frontier environment, as the hills and forests of South Carolina were wild and sparsely populated in the late 18th century. He married Janette Fairbain on January 12, 1791 at the age of 19 1/2. She was just shy of 18. The couple had 13 children, the first two named for Janette's parents, Alexander and Catherine.
Alexander (1791-1876)
Catherine (1794-1826)
Ann (1795-1847)
Samuel (1799-1878)
Charles (1801-1858)
Thomas (1803-1886)
Jane (1804-1866)
William Jr. (1806-1866)
Mary (1808-1847)
James (1810-1847)
Benjamin (1813-1888)
Robert (1815-1818)
John (1818-1818)
The two youngest boys died within days of each other in 1818, likely due to contagious disease. Ann, Mary, and James also died within weeks of each other in the spring of 1847, again most likely from disease.
In the 1800 US Census for Laurens County, South Carolina, William Word Sr.'s household contained 2 males under 10, 2 females under 10, one male 26-45, and one female 26-45. This would have been William Sr., Janette, and their four oldest children Alexander, Samuel, Catherine, and Ann.
In 1816 William Sr. and Janette moved the family from South Carolina to Madison County in Northern Alabama, joining a tide of new settlers into the area after the Cherokee Indians had been forced out. The Words had been married for 25 years at the time of the move, and brought along at least 10 of their children. Catherine was the only one who was married at the time, having married Samuel Crawford in 1814.
William Sr. and Janette stayed in Madison County for many years, living north of the town of Huntsville near the present day town of New Market. They prospered and moved up the social ladder, with one son, Charles, doing exceptionally well. Most of their children stayed in the area, two moved to Mississippi, one child, William Jr., ended up in Arkansas where he was murdered in 1868.
William Sr. and Janette moved a few miles southwest to Limestone County in the 1840's, living not far from the village of Mooresville. Their son William Jr. and son-in-law Benjamin Bennett worked as overseers for the largest landholders in the area, the Peete family.
William and Janette were buried together, along with many of their children, in the Peete family cemetery just northeast of Mooresville in Limestone County.
Contributor: Rob Bennett (47739657)
Most information for this sketch was found in "Word Family Heritage" by Dick Waits and Wynette Barton, 2009, online census records, and a visit to Peete cemetery by the author in 2014.
William Word Sr. was born July 29, 1771 in Laurens County, South Carolina, in the Duncan creek area near the town of Clinton. He was the fourth child of Col. Thomas Word and Frances Dickerson and grew up on the family farm. Col. Thomas Word was from Virginia and a veteran of the French/Indian War as well as the American Revolution.
Young William Sr. was 9 years old when his father and uncles fought and died at Kings Mountain, 10 when his father Col Thomas Word returned from Yorktown, and barely 12 when the Revolutionary War ended with the Treaty of Paris. He must have grown up surrounded by stories of his family's service in the war, and excitement with the birth of the United States.
William Sr. and his family lived in a frontier environment, as the hills and forests of South Carolina were wild and sparsely populated in the late 18th century. He married Janette Fairbain on January 12, 1791 at the age of 19 1/2. She was just shy of 18. The couple had 13 children, the first two named for Janette's parents, Alexander and Catherine.
Alexander (1791-1876)
Catherine (1794-1826)
Ann (1795-1847)
Samuel (1799-1878)
Charles (1801-1858)
Thomas (1803-1886)
Jane (1804-1866)
William Jr. (1806-1866)
Mary (1808-1847)
James (1810-1847)
Benjamin (1813-1888)
Robert (1815-1818)
John (1818-1818)
The two youngest boys died within days of each other in 1818, likely due to contagious disease. Ann, Mary, and James also died within weeks of each other in the spring of 1847, again most likely from disease.
In the 1800 US Census for Laurens County, South Carolina, William Word Sr.'s household contained 2 males under 10, 2 females under 10, one male 26-45, and one female 26-45. This would have been William Sr., Janette, and their four oldest children Alexander, Samuel, Catherine, and Ann.
In 1816 William Sr. and Janette moved the family from South Carolina to Madison County in Northern Alabama, joining a tide of new settlers into the area after the Cherokee Indians had been forced out. The Words had been married for 25 years at the time of the move, and brought along at least 10 of their children. Catherine was the only one who was married at the time, having married Samuel Crawford in 1814.
William Sr. and Janette stayed in Madison County for many years, living north of the town of Huntsville near the present day town of New Market. They prospered and moved up the social ladder, with one son, Charles, doing exceptionally well. Most of their children stayed in the area, two moved to Mississippi, one child, William Jr., ended up in Arkansas where he was murdered in 1868.
William Sr. and Janette moved a few miles southwest to Limestone County in the 1840's, living not far from the village of Mooresville. Their son William Jr. and son-in-law Benjamin Bennett worked as overseers for the largest landholders in the area, the Peete family.
William and Janette were buried together, along with many of their children, in the Peete family cemetery just northeast of Mooresville in Limestone County.
Contributor: Rob Bennett (47739657)
William Word Sr. was born July 29, 1771 in Laurens County, South Carolina, in the Duncan creek area near the town of Clinton. He was the fourth child of Col. Thomas Word and Frances Dickerson and grew up on the family farm. Col. Thomas Word was from Virginia and a veteran of the French/Indian War as well as the American Revolution.
Young William Sr. was 9 years old when his father and uncles fought and died at Kings Mountain, 10 when his father Col Thomas Word returned from Yorktown, and barely 12 when the Revolutionary War ended with the Treaty of Paris. He must have grown up surrounded by stories of his family's service in the war, and excitement with the birth of the United States.
William Sr. and his family lived in a frontier environment, as the hills and forests of South Carolina were wild and sparsely populated in the late 18th century. He married Janette Fairbain on January 12, 1791 at the age of 19 1/2. She was just shy of 18. The couple had 13 children, the first two named for Janette's parents, Alexander and Catherine.
Alexander (1791-1876)
Catherine (1794-1826)
Ann (1795-1847)
Samuel (1799-1878)
Charles (1801-1858)
Thomas (1803-1886)
Jane (1804-1866)
William Jr. (1806-1866)
Mary (1808-1847)
James (1810-1847)
Benjamin (1813-1888)
Robert (1815-1818)
John (1818-1818)
The two youngest boys died within days of each other in 1818, likely due to contagious disease. Ann, Mary, and James also died within weeks of each other in the spring of 1847, again most likely from disease.
In the 1800 US Census for Laurens County, South Carolina, William Word Sr.'s household contained 2 males under 10, 2 females under 10, one male 26-45, and one female 26-45. This would have been William Sr., Janette, and their four oldest children Alexander, Samuel, Catherine, and Ann.
In 1816 William Sr. and Janette moved the family from South Carolina to Madison County in Northern Alabama, joining a tide of new settlers into the area after the Cherokee Indians had been forced out. The Words had been married for 25 years at the time of the move, and brought along at least 10 of their children. Catherine was the only one who was married at the time, having married Samuel Crawford in 1814.
William Sr. and Janette stayed in Madison County for many years, living north of the town of Huntsville near the present day town of New Market. They prospered and moved up the social ladder, with one son, Charles, doing exceptionally well. Most of their children stayed in the area, two moved to Mississippi, one child, William Jr., ended up in Arkansas where he was murdered in 1868.
William Sr. and Janette moved a few miles southwest to Limestone County in the 1840's, living not far from the village of Mooresville. Their son William Jr. and son-in-law Benjamin Bennett worked as overseers for the largest landholders in the area, the Peete family.
William and Janette were buried together, along with many of their children, in the Peete family cemetery just northeast of Mooresville in Limestone County.
Contributor: Rob Bennett (47739657)
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