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DESCENDENTS OF JAMES(1) WILLIAMSBy Charles E. Workman, Jr.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Williams was among the most common in the English speaking world. For that reason it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to accurately trace ancestors with that name. And it is suspected that many early DAR applications tended to attach unsupported ancestors to known Revolutionary War veterans' families in order to gain membership in that organization. Those applications were then copied by subsequent generations of DAR applicants, mostly without proper sources or documented proof! Such was the case of our early Williams ancestors.
For generations Williams descendants have heard the story of five Williams brothers (some say as many as 10 brothers and 2 sisters) who departed Wales and settled in South Carolina. Their names were said to be Jarrett, Phillip, Mark, James, and Hardin Unfortunately no verifiable proof of all these five brothers has been found. Such proof would include family bibles, letters, census records, pension applications, etc. For that reason our genealogy will focus only on our known and verified ancestors, James(1) Williams and his sons Philip, James(2), and Hardin(1). (Note to genealogists: I have assigned the name 'James(1) Williamsî to our earliest known ancestor so as to differentiate between all the James Williams' that follow.)
The book Sam Williams: Printerís Devil (edited by Mary Medearis and published by the Etter Printing Company of Hope Arkansas in 1979) is a compendium of newspaper articles written during the long journalistic career of Samuel Hardin Williams, grandson of James(2) Williams. Born in Kentucky and raised in Hempstead County, Arkansas, Sam Williams had many conversations with his grandfather. During the War Between The States he enlisted in the 1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment, CSA and served from the summer of 1861 until May 1865. After the war he became a newspaperman and pursued that career for the rest of his life. This book (SWPD) is composed of his columns, many of which refer to his grandfather and other family members. Although Sam wrote those articles about his family from memory, they are the closest to documentation that is available on the early Williams family history.
 Special thanks to Lynda Rangeley of Corpus Christi, TX and Bonnie Parker of Augusta, GA for sharing their family research and helping prepare this paper. ©Copyright Charles E. Workman, Jr., 2001. Permission to use portions of this paper may be granted providing proper credit is given. Contact the author at ceworkman@ktis.net 
Below are links to the Williams Family History submitted by Chuck Workman. Part one is the Introduction; part two focuses on James (1); part three on Phillip; part 4 on James(2); and part five on Hardin. Also there are links to the Verbiage of the 3rd Declaration of Hardin Williams dated 20 Jan 1835 and to an 1825 Marion County, TN deed connected with Hardin Williams. 
 
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This site last updated May 2, 2002
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