Our  Williams of:  Laurens Co. SC, Carroll Co. GA, and Winston Co. AL

[ Mutts (main) Home Page | Section (Williams) Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page |

Descendants of Thomas Barnes Williams

Generation No. 1

1. Thomas Barnes¹ Williams was born Abt. 1790 in South Carolina (Source: 1850 Census Carroll Co., Georgia.), and died Abt. 1856 in Carroll Co. Ga. (Source: Estate papers of Thomas Barnes Williams on microfilm at the Georgia State Archives.). He married Hannah Pinson December 18, 1813 in South Carolina (Source: per Gerry Williams Williams Family researcher), daughter of Isaac Pinson. She was born Abt. 1795 in South Carolina (Source: Census Records of Carroll Co. and Laurens Co..), and died Abt. 1861 in Carroll Co. Ga. (Source: Reesearch of Robert Williams.). For more on Hannah Pinson Williams see the Descendants of Aaron Pinson.  He was her grandfather.

Notes for Thomas Barnes Williams:
Earliest known record of our Williams line, (to this author as of July 1997) show Thomas Barnes Williams purchasing land in Laurens Co., South Carolina on Sept 30, 1813. (1) He bought 100 (at least the original record appears to be 100) acres for $80.00 from Moses Pinson. On Dec. 18 of that same year (per Sherelle Williams) Thomas B. weds Hannah Pinson. (daughter of Isaac Pinson, granddaughter of Rev. Aaron Pinson and niece of "A" Moses Pinson.)

According to Census records Thomas B. was born about 1790, somewhere in South Carolina. For Hannah's birth the date is 1795 and Laurens Co., South Carolina the place.

There are a few more mentions of Thomas B. in Laurens Co., including a record of him having sold 21 of the aforementioned acres, on Feb. 5, 1816 to John Burton for $44.00.(2) But there are no records to date (July 1997) that show conclusively who his parents were. Six descendants that I know of are working on the puzzle of Thomas B.'s parentage. (see Intro) Also a professional genealogy firm has been hired to pursue the quest. The mystery continues...

From Census and deed records it can be concluded that Thomas B. and Hannah probably left South Carolina for Carroll Co., Georgia about 1831-1832. Robert K. Williams, a descendant of Thomas B.'s and the earliest known family historian recorded in a manuscript dated 1937:(3)
" after the death of their seventh child Pollyann in 1831 and following a long interest in the opening of the Creek Indian land to settlement in NW Georgia, the family moved to Carroll Co., west of the Chatthoochee River."

Thomas B.'s earliest land purchase in Carroll Co., that this author is aware of, can be found in Carroll Co. Deed Book B, page 313, dated Sept. 27, 1832. "Barney", as he seems to have been known in Carroll Co., bought 202 1/2 acres for $90.00. (Notice the difference in per acre price between populated S.C. and frontier Georgia.) It is located on land lot #179, 5th district, Carroll Co. An interesting piece of trivia, this same piece of land was recorded as being owned by Thomas B.'s son James H. in 1840. The transfer of ownership to James H. is not recorded. What is recorded, in1840, is this piece of property and an additional 303 1/2 acres owned by Thomas B. being sold to satisfy a lawsuit. Gerald F. Williams researched this lawsuit and apparently Thomas B. had borrowed some money using this land as collateral and failed to pay it back. However, it was connecting Thomas B. and James H. both to this transaction that lead this author to the parentage of James Henry. Family mysteries are sometimes answered in very round about ways.[4]

From the few hard facts known to date about Thomas B. we can safely surmise at least this much. He was a farmer by occupation, a Primitive Baptist by belief, and a distiller of corn whiskey by choice!!!

As a farmer his land ownership throughout Carroll Co. appears to be extensive, a family tradition apparently continued by his sons Henry Roland and Joel Casper Williams. As a religious man, he was an apparant leader in the original Old Concord Primitive Baptist Church, since his name is listed as one of the trustees for land donated to be used as a cemetary for that church (and where his son Moses and believed daughter Sallie are buried). He was later, along with Hannah, a charter member of the Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church, known in 1937 as Old Carrollton located on Hwy 61 at Sand Hill. Although his abilities as a distiller are not quantifiable, they are varifiable. Elihu M., one of Thomas B.'s sons, is recorded having bought "two old whiskey Tubs" (5) from his father's estate sale and held on to them as they showed up againin Elihu's own estate sale. Another son of Barney, Henry Roland was noted (6) as being a distiller of Peach Brandy and brewing corn whiskey in a "Government Still" as a side occupation. I guess the acorn truly DOESN'T fall far from the tree.

Thomas B. died intestate. Estate records(7) indicate his death some time before Jan. 19, 1856 and that his occupation was Farmer.  Thomas B's eldest son James H. Williams and son-in-law John J. Hinesley were administrators of the estate. In the 1860 Census and tax rolls Hannah is shown, with her daughter Barbara Martha Jane, and living close to some of her children. In 1861 she disappears from the tax rolls. Of Hannah, Robert K. reports:
"Hannah wife of Barnes Williams... was described by James W. , son of Elihu) as being a small "pore" woman. She outlived him by many years because Susie Williams Boatwright, daughter of Joel (Casper), remembers going to see "grandma Hannah" many times but didn't see her grandfather to remember him."(8)

They are believed to be buried "on the wooded knoll" (again from Robert) known as Williams Cemetary, located in land lot 118, district 5, Carroll Co., Georgia on land still owned by the Jordan family, descendants of Thomas B. and Hannah, through their son Joel Casper Williams.

(1)ABSTRACTS OF EARLY RECORDS OF LAURENS CO. SOUTH CAROLINA 1785-1820, from Deed Book K, Page 120. by Sarah Nash
(2)ABSTRACTS OF EARLY RECORDS OF LAURENS CO., SOUTH CAROLINA 1785-1820, from Deed Book K, Page 175.
(3)From the works of Robert K. Williams, (see introduction) as recorded in the summer of 1937 and passed on by Sherelle Williams.
(4)Carroll Co., Ga., Deed Book B, Vol. 1, 1827-1836 abstracted by Florence Arthur Word
(5)Research originally done by Robert K. and passed on to me by Nancy Elisabeth Williams, family researcher.(see introduction). Originally found in Carroll Co. Deed Book 1, page 425 and Estates 1800, page 274 respectively.
(6)Same as (3) above.
(7)Estate Book AA page 98 (on microfilm at the Georgia State Archives)
(8)Same as (3) above

Children of Thomas Williams and Hannah Pinson Williams are:

[ Mutts (main) Home Page | Section (Williams) Home Page | First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page |