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John Williams was born in 1765 in Orange County, New York. We have no supportable information regarding his parents.
In June 1781, John Williams volunteered to serve in the Revolutionary War as part of a Company of Rangers commanded by Captain Outwater. In his application for a pension, John Williams stated that his service was with a New York Company of Rangers. Historical records indicate that the unit was actually a New Jersey unit situated in Bergen County. At that time, Orange County, New York and Bergen County, New Jersey had common borders.
After the War, John Williams resided in Rockbridge County, Virginia until 1787. No information has been found regarding his residency in this area.
In 1787 he moved to Rowan County, North Carolina, an area where he would remain until 1797. There is a marriage bond issued January 28, 1788 in Rowan between John Williams and Mary (or Marey) Donnelson (or Donaldson). The bond was signed by a James Donnelson.
John & Mary had a son, William Williams born on September 21, 1791 in North Carolina. The only known references to Mary is the marriage bond and William Williams eldest daughter, was reportedly named "Mary Donnelson Williams." Presumably Mary died sometime after the birth of their son and then John Williams married Rebecca (last name unknown). No date or location has been found for this marriage.
In June 1781, John Williams volunteered to serve in the Revolutionary War as part of a Company of Rangers commanded by Captain Outwater. In his application for a pension, John Williams stated that his service was with a New York Company of Rangers. Historical records indicate that the unit was actually a New Jersey unit situated in Bergen County. At that time, Orange County, New York and Bergen County, New Jersey had common borders.
After the War, John Williams resided in Rockbridge County, Virginia until 1787. No information has been found regarding his residency in this area.
In 1787 he moved to Rowan County, North Carolina, an area where he would remain until 1797. There is a marriage bond issued January 28, 1788 in Rowan between John Williams and Mary (or Marey) Donnelson (or Donaldson). The bond was signed by a James Donnelson.
John & Mary had a son, William Williams born on September 21, 1791 in North Carolina. The only known references to Mary is the marriage bond and William Williams eldest daughter, was reportedly named "Mary Donnelson Williams." Presumably Mary died sometime after the birth of their son and then John Williams married Rebecca (last name unknown). No date or location has been found for this marriage.
John Williams moved to Knox County, Tennessee in 1797. No information has been found regarding his residency in this area.
In 1800, John Williams moved to Cumberland County, Kentucky where he stayed for about ten years. On the 1810 census for Cumberland County appear four households headed by a John Williams. Three of house entries can be ruled out as being our John Williams. The fourth entry is possible as there is a male and female in correct age brackets to be John & Rebecca. This is also a male of the correct age bracket to be William. There is also another female who could be a daughter to either John or Rebecca or both. During the period in Cumberland County, there is a land survey done by a John Williams and it appears to be our John Williams based on a comparison of signatures.
In 1811, John Williams moved to Clark County, Indiana. Most researchers of John Williams had concluded that he stayed in the Clark, Floyd & Harrison County areas until his death in 1844. This assumption was possibly due to the information from the pension file, however, there is considerable evidence that this assessment was not accurate.
On March 16, 1815, John Williams purchased the north east and southeast quarters of Section 12, Township 5 South, Range 2 East. This property is situated near the newly founded town of New Amsterdam in Washington Township, Harrison County, Indiana. According to the land office records, "John Williams of Breckenridge County, Kentucky" purchased this land. Three years later on March 13, 1818, "John Williams and Rebecca Williams his wife of Harrison County" sold this land.
No further information has been found regarding John Williams and Breckenridge County. It is not known if he ever resided there.
From the date of the sale of the land Harrison County land until January 1821, no mentions have been found for John Williams. This includes his absence from the 1820 census. This absence could be explained by living in someone else's household, moving to an area where the census was either not taken or the record have been lost or moving from one place before the census was taken and arriving at a new location after the census was taken.
During the 1820's there are several land transactions involving John Williams in the Floyd County Indiana area. However, there is a period from October 1828 until August 1831 in which no mentions can be found for John Williams in Floyd, Clark or Harrison Counties. This includes his absence from the 1830 census in that area.
On the 1830 census for Tazewell County, Illinois is an entry for a John Williams. That entry has a male and female in the correct age brackets to be John & Rebecca Williams. One line above this entry is a Joseph Williams (John is believed to have a brother named Joseph) and one below is John Wolfer. The entry for John Wolfer has a male and female in the correct age brackets to be John & Lucinda Wolfer.
It appears likely that John & Rebecca Williams left Indiana, moved to Illinois and then returned to the Floyd County, Indiana area before 1834. This conclusion is based on the relationship of the Williams and Wolfer families, which is the topic of another article in this blog.
In 1834, John Williams applies for his Revolutionary War pension and then in 1836, he purchased a 72 acres parcel of land in Blue River Township in Harrison County. This is where he is shown as residing on both the 1840 census and the 1840 census of pensioners.
On April 18, 1844, John Williams died in Harrison County. He is buried in the Breedlove (aka Goldsberry) cemetery, which is located near the site of his property. The date and location of death are confirmed by information in the pension file.
On the 1850 census, his widow, Rebecca Williams appears to be listed as "Recter" Williams who was a member of the household of Lucinda Woolford.
