Ancestor Callings: Georgia and Mississippi Roots

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

(A) Marshall's Sale of Enslaved: Raymond, Hinds, Mississippi, 1841

I came across this article from a local newspaper in Raymond, Mississippi when researching a family surname of STAMPS. In addition to the surname catching my eye, the location is an area where my Ancestors have lived -- to date I have documented ancestral family from Holmes, Rankin, and Simpson counties in Mississippi.

The city of Raymond is in Hinds County, Mississippi and it is one of two county seats, the other being Jackson, Mississippi. Directly to the east of Hinds County is Rankin County where my STAMPS family is from and it seems they continue to live.

At this point I don't know if I am connected to the enslaver(s) or the enslaved. Named are 36 men, women, and children who are being publicly sold in 1841.This is a time period when enslaved people were most often only named as property being bought, sold, or given in Wills,

A Marshall's Sale was a public auction held by a court-appointed Marshall to settle debts, legal judgments, or estates.

From the article . . . the following named negroes to wit: Rachael, Louisa, Rindah, Charles, Fanny, and one child (Ann,) George, Sally and one child Hubbard, Tom, Abram, Clarisa, and three children (William, Amorica and Manual,) Ben, Harriet, Anderson, Diannah, Anthony, Patrick, Phil, Isaac, Calvin, Melton, Shack, Aberdeen, Gilpin, Milly, Rosanna, John, Robert, Peter, Franky and two children (July and Peter,) . . .

I call their names and keep them in my heart.

South-Western Farmer, The Raymond Times

Raymond, Mississippi, February 12. 1841, page 2

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

My 16 Great Great-Grandparents: 1870 Representation

I consider myself fortunate that I have been able to confirm the names of my sixteen great-grandparents, especially since many 15 of the 16 were born and lived enslaved. The one ancestor who wasn't enslaved was an enslaver and his family is well documented. There is still a lot of research to be done in order to fill out their lives and tell their stories. Here are some basic statics on their lives -- except for landownership and marriages, information is from the 18780 census records.

Paternal Maternal

John W. Williams, Jr. (enslaver) William Barrett, abt 1847

Annie (enslaved) Luraney Raney, abt 1846

Austin Clark, b 1825 Ned Washington, b 1822

Martha Pound, abt 1835 Darkas ? abt 1823

Henry Button, abt 1815 Simon Stamps, abt1845

Nancy Lane, abt 1830 Olly Haley, abt 1845

Asa Carrington, b 1839 Willis Brown, b 1843

Henrietta Davis, abt 1850 Amy ?, abt 1842

Birthplaces Deaths

Virginia - 2 Georgia - 1 (enslaver)

Georgia - 8 Mississippi - 3

Mississippi - 6 Unknown - 12

Marriages (8 couples)

Couples - 5

Unmarried - 1

Enslaved / enslaver - 1

Unknown - 1

Landowners - 2 Occupations (1870 census records)

Farmers - 3

Farm Laborers - 5

Day Laborer - 1

Keeping House - 6

Unknown, enslaved in 1860

Born before the Civil War - 16

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Evelyn Orthelia Brown Williams: Her Final Chapter

Circa 1970s

My beautiful mother made transition on Monday, December 22, 2025. Evelyn Orthelia Brown Williams is now with the Ancestors. I call her name. I will miss her earthly presence more than I can express.

As I entered her information on the Find A Grave site and connected her to immediate family, I felt a sense of peace.

I lovingly wrote her obituary which, of course, only tells a small fraction of her story.

Evelyn Orthelia Williams was born November 30, 1931 in Buffalo, New York to Lucy and Noah Brown. From their union were born three other children -- Verlie, Arthur, and Vivian -- who all preceded Evelyn in death.

During her youth, Evelyn was actively involved in the Sunday School program and other activities at Saints Home Church of God in Christ. She lived her entire life in Buffalo and was a product of the public school system, attending School #31 and Fosdick Masten High School. While in high school, she was president of the Lambda Chi Hi-Y and president of Alpha Pi Eta Sigma Sorority. She worked briefly as secretary at the historic Michigan Avenue YMCA, where she met her future husband.

On September 26, 1952, she and Willis B. Williams were married in the home of the bride's mother. Their marriage lasted 58 years only ending with the transition of her husband in 2011.

The couple became the proud parents of five children: Sandra Ann, Richard Lamonte, Steven Arthur, Willis Barry, and Raymond Louis. And later, they became the loving grandparents of Elizabeth Orthelia.

Evelyn's hobbies have included bowling and painting. She was passionate about her garden, looking forward to planting a wide variety of vegetables every year.

Evelyn was the ultimate mother, opening her home to her children's friends; some of whom continue to call her Mom. She happily called Rickey Butler and Andrew King her sons throughout her life.

Evelyn Orthelia Williams was called home on Monday, December 22, 2025. She leaves to uplift her memory: daughter, Sandra Bush; sons, Steven (Mary) Williams, Willis (Barbara) Williams, Raymond Williams; granddaughter, Elizabeth Orthelia Bonds; dear cousins, Elizabeth Miller, Melvena Tyus and Ohio family; nephew, John Craddock; niece, Heidi Williams and a host of family and friends.