Enslaved Community of John W Williams, Sr., Jones County GA

On June 26, 2023 I wrote about the enslaved people (possible family members) in the Will of John W. Williams, Sr -- the man who is also my 3rd great-grandfather. The Will named: Spencer, Virgil, Clark, Issac, Noel, Daniel, Henry, Jack, Bill, Snipe, Jim, Hilliard, Matilda, Maria, Ann, Betsy, Mary Charity, Malinda, Rose, Amanda and Jerry -- and then there was mention of the unnamed with the phrase:, "All the residue of my negro property I wish equally divided among my daughters  Mittisiss Barnard, Nancy Manderville, Katharine Bartlett".

To date I have seen documentation of John W. Williams, Sr. as an enslaver as early as the 1830 and 1840 U. S. census records. Unfortunately these records have no names attached to them.

The 1830 census of Jones County, Georgia indicates that the household of John W. Williams, Sr. includes his free white family John Sr., 55; (and most probably) his wife Mary, 55; sons: John Jr, 19; Thomas, 15; and either Henry or Samuel; daughters either Catherine, Nancy, or Mittisis. 

He also had 14 enslaved people.

                              Slaves - Males - Under 10           4

                              Slaves - Females - Under 10       2

                              Slaves - Females - 10 thru23       6

                              Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35      1

                              Slaves - Females - 36 thru 54      1

Year: 1830; Census Place: Jones, Georgia; Series: M19; Roll: 18; Family History Library Film: 0007038

In the 1840 census the household of John W. Williams, Sr. included him and his wife, three of his sons and none of his daughters.

He also had increased his holdings of enslaved to 46 people: ranging in age from children under ten years old to adults between the ages of 36-54.

                              Slaves - Males - Under 10         11

                              Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23         7

                              Slaves - Males - 24 thru 35         7

                              Slaves - Males - 36 thru 54         1

                              Slaves - Females - Under 10     11

                              Slaves - Females - 10 thru 23      6

                              Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35      3

Year: 1840; Census Place: Jones, Georgia; Roll: 44; Page: 139; Family History Library Film: 0007045

At the 2024 RootsTech conference, FamilySearch introduced full-text searching -- these are records that are not yet indexed but can be search using key words. During this experimentation stage, the records that can be accessed are limited to US Land and Probate Records, Mexico Notary Records, Australia Land and Probate Records, New Zealand Land and Probate Records, and US Plantation Records. In the following weeks, I poured over documents using the search term "John Williams" and filtered results to Jones County, Georgia prior to 1865.

I was able to find six (6) records from Jones County (GA) Deeds 1839-1846, 1846-1853, Mortgages 1839-1845, 1846-1853 where the "residue of negro property" are named.

"Jones, Georgia, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLX-RQ2Q-T?view=explore : Mar 27, 2024), image 486 of 608

(1)

We have received unto our possession of John Williams, Thomas J Williams executors of John Williams late of Jones County deceased the following negroes to wit Edmond, Sarah, Jesse, Lee, Nancy, Abram and Samson which said negroes we have received of said Executors as our portion of the negroes will by said Deceased to Catherine Bartlett and which we hold agreeable to the 6th Item of the Will of said deceased and hold them subject to the control of said Executors as directed by said Will this 10 February 1850.

Catherine Bartlett (her mark)

Blake Bartlett

Recorded 5 May 1850

G E Thippen

(2)

We have received unto our possession of John Williams and Thomas J Williams Executors of John Williams late of Jones County deceased the following negroes to wit Joe, Izaiah, George, Elen which said negroes we have received of said Executors as our portion of the negroes Willed by said deceased to the issue of Elizabeth Sawyer and which we hold agreeable to the 6th Item of the Will of said deceased. March 13th, 1850

William Sawyer

Francis M Sawyer

Levi Cooper

John Sawyer

Albert Hobbs

Thomas Sawyer

Recorded 6 May 1850 

Gilbert E Thippen

(3)

I have received into my possessions as guardian of the minor children of Elizabeth Sawyer of John Williams and Thomas J Williams Executors of John Williams late of Jones County deceased the following undivided negroes to wit Joe, Izaiah, George, Elen which said negroes I have received of said Executors as there portion of the negroes Willed  by said deceased to the issue of Elizabeth Sawyer and which we hold agreeable to the 6th Item of the Will of said deceased. March 13th 1850

Jacob (?) Sawyer, guardian

Recorded 6 May 1850

G E Thippen

    Documents numbered (2) and (3) have the same enslaved individuals.

(4)

We have received into our possession of John Williams and Thomas J Williams late of Jones County deceased the following negroes to wit Penny, Anderson, Enoch(?), Catharine which said negroes we have received of said Executors as our portion of the negroes Willed by said deceased to Millisip Barnard which we held agreeable to the 6th Item of the Will of said decease this the 29th January 1850.

Test William M Barnard

Millisip Barnard (her mark)

Jesse Barnard

Recorded 6 May 1850

Gilbert E Thippen

(5)

We have received into our possessions of John Williams and Thomas J Williams Executors of John Williams late of Jones County deceased the following negroes to wit Andrew, Eli, Charity, Esther and child Levi which said negroes we have received of said Executors as out portion of the negroes Willed to said deceased to Nancy Mandeville and which we hold agreeable to the 6th Item of the Will of said deceased. March 13th 1850

Nancy Manderville

Charles G Manderville

Recorded 6 May 1850

Gilbert E Thippen

(6)

I have received into my possession of John Williams and Thomas Williams Executors of John Williams late of Jones County deceased the following negroes to wit Jack, Henry, Bill, James and Betsy which said negroes Willed by said deceased to Samuel K Williams which we hold agreeable to the 4th Item of the Will of said deceased. March 20th 1850

Samuel Williams

Recorded 6 May 1850

Gilbert E Thippen

Also, another provision for his grandchildren.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLX-RQ2X-2?view=fullText&keywords=John%20Williams&groupId=TH-909-73345-124019-96

Georgia Jones County

     Know all men by their presents that I John Williams Senior of the county and State aforementioned for the natural love and affection that I have for my two grandchildren William H and Martha Elezabeth Deusler I do hereby give to them a negro girl named Clarressa about four years of age; also a good bed, (?), of furniture each. Said property to belong to them upon my death.

     In witness whereof I do hereby set my hand and seal this the 4th day of May 1849.

     Signed sealed and acknowledged in presence of 

W D Ethridge 

Thomas Williams JP

Recorded 28th Dec 1849

Gilbert E Thippen

    I put together the following chart to show which enslaved individuals went to which family members of John W Williams, Sr. While the enslaved may or may not be my biological family, I claim them as family. Their names reside in my heart. Now the hard work begins . . . 

Copyright © 2024 by Sandra Williams Bush, Ancestor Callings: Georgia and Mississippi Roots. All Rights Reserved.

Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Me

In July 2022, I started putting my family history information on WikiTree as one of the ways to validate my research and share my research with distant family.

WikiTree is a collaborative world tree with the Mission "to grow an accurate single family tree that connects us all and is freely accessible to us all, forever." The WikiTree site further explains its Vision as balancing "privacy and collaboration so that living people can connect on one world tree to common ancestors. . .  Collaboration on deep ancestors is between distant cousins who are serious about genealogical research, careful about sources, and willing to see their research validated or invalidated with DNA."  (www.WikiTree.com)

I was drawn to WikiTree because of the emphasis on documenting genealogy through sources. Also, important to me was the ability and encouragement to connect enslaved with enslavers -- whether it's a biological connection or not.

Once a week members get a WT News email with updates along with a "Featured Connections" to famous people. This week, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, was among my 12 connections. When I looked at the connection, it was through a marriage in my paternal line. I recognized the surname immediately -- Adair -- but the surname is connected to my maternal line.

Ms. O'Connor's third great-grandfather's brother, John Brooks, married Jane Adair who was the daughter of Whitmill Harrington Adair, who was the son of Bozeman Adair who was the enslaver of a branch of my maternal Washington family line (July 11, 2020 blog). Also, Whitmill's sister, Judith Adair married Elijah Williams who is the brother of John W. Williams, Jr. who is an enslaver in my paternal Williams line. John W. Williams, Jr. is the father of my great-grandfather, William Turner Williams. My blog of June 26, 2023 chronicles my paternal Williams enslavement.

So for me, WikiTree has proved it's point that we are all connected in some way or other. Below is the graphic of my connection to Sandra Day O'Connor.

Copyright © 2023 by Sandra Williams Bush, Ancestor Callings: Georgia and Mississippi Roots. All Rights Reserved.

Family Death Records: Organization

More than once I have "found" the death record of a family member after sending (and paying) for the record I thought I didn't have. While I knew I had to organize what I have, I couldn't wrap my head around how to do it. It seems the universe was guiding me when I attended two separate virtual events within months of one another. At a Zoom meeting of the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society - Chicago (AAGHSC) member Alvin Blakes presented his Death Certificate database that he had created in a Google Docs format. Alvin has a family history blog, Almost Disappeared. Months later I attended a webinar of Robyn Smith who presented, "Putting It All Together", showing how she created a table format for her death records. Robyn has a genealogy blog, Reclaiming Kin. 

I decided to use Google Docs/Sheets so I can have the information readily available for research trips. I merged and tweaked both of their forms to include headings that work for me. My spreadsheet has been very helpful in allowing me to compare and see what family members were serviced by the same undertaker, are buried in the same cemetery or area. More importantly, I have death records in one place, and I can easily add more as my research uncovers the information or I "happen to find" documents in my genealogy files.

While I present the spreadsheet headings here to accommodate the page, it's actually one continual form with cells from A to Q. 

Death Records Spreadsheet Headings

Surname

First/Middle Name

Maiden Name

(Death) Certificate #

Date of Death

Place

Date of Birth

Place

Parents

Marital Status

Spouse

Informant (on death certificate)

Cause of Death

Cemetery

Date of Burial

Undertaker

Comments

    

In the Comments section I put whether the record is a death certificate, obituary, or funeral program.  I also list where I physically have the record, as well as the source for newspaper obituaries and death certificates.

Copyright © 2023 by Sandra Williams Bush, Ancestor Callings: Georgia and Mississippi Roots. All Rights Reserved.