Excerpts from G Williams Family Bible
Williams Wills by County
CHOWAN
1712 - William - (wife - Mary) 1- Samuel; 2- John; 3- Steven
witnesses: Tredell Keefe, Luis Williams, Robert Lanier.*
[William is listed as "Albemarle"; Witness Robt. Lanier places him as probably Chowan Precinct.]
*see Chowan deed - Anthony Williams to Robert Lanier, SS/Chowan R., 1715.
1714 - Edward - (wife - Mary)....."Prodigall & disobedient son", (1) John.
witnesses: John Bryan, Lawrence Mague
1717 - Lewis - (wife - Mary) "Land at Catawatsky";
1- Anthony; 2- Priscilla West ("Land on Katherine's Ck.)
Grandsons - Lewis Williams ("Poplar Swamp"), Charles Sowell, & Joshua Patchett.
Witnesses: William Cransford & Grissie Littleson.
[See below the will of Anthony Williams - Chowan 1718; Priscilla West is witness to his will.
See also the Chowan deeds cited, and the POA from Martha Williams (wife of Anthony) to Lewis.)
1718 - Anthony - (wife - Martha) 1- Lewis; 2- William; 3- John; 4- Anthony ("Beach Swamp");
5- Sarah; 6- Mary; 7- Ellinore;
Father-In-Law John Early
Other Devisee - James Corlee.
Witnesses: William Cranford, Peter West, Priscilla West [Sister of Anthony]
[Chowan deed B 1 p69-70: Anthony Williams & Martha his wife to Robt. Lanier, SS/Chowan R.,
1715.]
[Chowan deed bk 1, p69: Martha Williams to Lewis Williams; P O A; "I do appoint my
Father-In-Law Lewis Williams to acknowledge in open CT on my behalf...my Interest in the
Land ......unto Robt. Lanier.]
1732 - William - (wife - Frances) 1- William; 2- Thomas; 3- Sarah; 4- Elizabeth
Witnesses: James Bremen, John Richards, John Matthews
[Edenton, Chowan Precinct]
DUPLIN
1752 - Anthony - (wife - Mary) 1- Stephen; 2- Benjamin (Plantation Anthony lives on, "Beaverdam
Neck".)
3- Mary (wife of Moses Powell); 4- Penellipy Williams; 5- Pheribe Williams; 6- Easter
Williams;
7- Sivility Williams
cousin - Anthony Bevely; Other Devisee: Edward Carter
Executors: Job Brookes & William Hairs.
Witnesses: Samuell Jones, George Smith, John Williams.
[See below the will of Joanna Williams - Bertie Precinct, 1748/1756, which names a granddaughter,
Penelope Williams. Joanna may have been the widowed mother of Anthony Williams.]
BERTIE
1736 - Samuel - (no wife named.)
Legatees are children of his brother, George: Elizabeth & Samuel Williams.
Executor: Brother, George Williams
Witnesses: John Simpson, Edward Herrin, Walter Pitts
1737 - James - (wife - Elizabeth) 1- Ezekiel; 2- Feribe; 3- Jerusha
executor: Brother, Theophilus Williams
Witnesses: Robert Hines, William Standley, George Price.
1739 - Arthur - (no wife named.) 1- Arthur ("water mills"); 2- Robert (Land on Potecasi Ck.,
Wildcat Swamp, "Walnut Fields on Mahering [Meherrin] R., land: "Goose Pond"; 3- John
(homesite & land on Reedy Branch); 4- Moab (land on Pottecasi Ck., "Roundabout"). 5- William
(executor)
Witnesses: Abraham Burton, Nicholas Boone, Nicholas Boone, Jr.
[Chowan Deed Bk 1, p445: Richard Washington to Arthur Williams "of Virginia", in the County of
Albemarle, 100 A, part of patent for 550 A which I purchased from Henry Wheeler on SS Meherrin
R., at the mouth of the Run of the Grag Br.....4-26-1717. Witnesses: Henry Wheeler, John
Williams, Elizabeth Williams.]
[Chowan Deed Bk 1, p444: Henry Wheeler to Arthur Williams of Virginia ....120 A purchased of
Thos. Kirby.....granted to him by patent....SS Meherrin R. upon Kirby's Ck .......Poplar Neck Br.....
to the Old Mill. 7-13-1717. Witnesses: John Naim & Richard Washington.]
[See the will of John Williams - Albemarle 1728]
1756 - Joanna - 1- Richard; 2- Thomas; 3- Eliza Smith
Grandchildren - Simon Williams, Arthur Brown, Mary Smith, **Penelopy Williams, Mary
Harrell.
Witnesses: John Harrell, Easther Chittam
[Will dated 1748, not probated until 1756.]
[**Penelopy Williams -- See the Will of Anthony Williams -- Duplin Co., 1752 -- which names
daughter, 'Penellipy' Williams; See also the will of Eliza Williams -- Perquimans 1745 --which
also names a daughter, Penelope Williams.]
1758 - John - (wife - Ann) 1- Isaac; 2- Arthur; 3- Theophilus; 4- Ann Herring; 5- Sarah Castelaw;
Grandson - John Williams
Witnesses: William Byrd, John Moore, Thomas Castellow
[Will dated 1745, not probated until January 1758.]
[See the will of James Williams above - Bertie 1737 -- Note James' brother is 'Theophilus'; James
may have been the deceased son of John and Ann. See also the wills of Arthur Williams - 1739
Bertie, and of John Williams - 1758 ]
EDGECOMBE
1737 - John - (wife - Ann) 1- John; 2- Joshua; 3- Mary
Witnesses: Henry Tanton & Thomas Carta [sic].
1748 - Samuel - (wife - Jane) 1- Sampson; 2- William; 3- Jacob; 4- George; 5- Samuel;
6- Creese Williams (daughter).
Witnesses: John Pope, John Crudup, Mourning Crudup
1754 - Samuel - (wife - Elizabeth) 1- William; 2- Soloman; 3- Samuel; 4- Joseph John
Grandson - Samuel Williams
Executors - Philip Alston & Benjamin Wynns
Witnesses: Thos. & Edmund Kearny, James Alston.
1755 - Elisha - (no wife named.) Legatees are brothers: Solomon, George, Daniel, Joshua, & John.
Nephew - Richard Williams (son of John).
Sisters - Mary Car & Elizabeth Daughtry.
Executor - Joshua Williams.
Witnesses - James Smith, Drew Smith, & George Bell
1759 - George - (Wife - Priscilla) 1- George; 2- Samuel ("Deer Ck" bought from Wm. Whitehead)
3- daughter Cloe
Deceased sister - **Lucretia Williams
Witnesses: George Crudup, Moses Baker, John Norwood.
[See the will of Samuel - 1748 Bertie -- Samuel names daughter, 'Creese' Williams, which is most
likely this Lucretia Williams, the deceased sister named by George. George is most likely the 4th
son of Samuel and Jane, named in Samuel's will. Note the Crudup name as witness for both
Samuel and George.]
NORTHAMPTON
1750 - George - (Wife - Sarah) 1- Robert; 2- George (land bought from Mathew Kinchen);
3- Samuel;
4- Jacob; 5- William (land on Hopkin Howell's Spring Br. & Kirby's Ck.); 6- Sarah;
7- Ann;
8- Meldred.
Other Devisees: Ethel [sic - must be Etheldred] Taylor & James Turner, Jr.
Witnesses:John Simpson, Eth'd Taylor, Nicholas & William Monger.
1752 - Moab - (Wife - Sarah) "Lands on Potecasi Ck. called "Roundabout", and "Lands bought of
Robt. Edwards."
1- Denton (a Mill)
"Father of my wife" - James Denton
witnesses: John Brown, Anne Williams, John Thorn.
[Moab inherited his plantation, "Roundabout" from his father, Arthur Williams. See Arthur's will -
Bertie 1739.]
1754 - Rowland - (wife - Phelis) 1- John ("all my lands in North Carolina"); 2- Casiah Ball; 3-
Martha;
4- (dau.) Lewsy Williams
Witnesses: Wm. Armistead, James Wallace, and Francis Jones.
[This Rowland is most likely the Grandson of the original Rowland/Roland Williams, whose
non-cupative will was proven in Isle Of Wight, VA in March of 1678. This Rowland provided for
the care of two children, daughter Mary and son, George Williams. Charles Baker married Mary,
the only daughter of Rowland, and requested administration of his estate in 1689. The will of
Rowland's son, George Williams, was dated 8-26-1737, and proven 2-25-1744 in Isle Of Wight.
It names sons George, Thomas, Roland, and grandson Thomas Clark, as well as wife, Elizabeth.
Roland, son of George, I believe to be the legator above. Another Roland, most likely a
descendant of this same branch of Isle Of Wight Williamses, became a resident of Anson County,
NC well before the Revolution.]
1758 - Nathan - (wife - Rebecca) 1- Eley; 2- Nathan (land on Plumtree & Cyprus Br);
3- Thomas;
4- Martha Williams; 5-6-7-8- "four other daughters".
Witnesses: Chaplin Williams & John Fordham
PASQUOTANK
1739 - Edward - (wife - Elisebeth) 1- Lemand; 2- Josiah; 3- Lodwick; 4- Joseph; 5- Sarah
Witnesses: Daniel Sawyer & B. Morgan.
PERQUIMANS
1745 - Eliza - sons 1- John and 2- Anthony Hatch; 3- Penelope Williams
Other Devisees - Benjamin Baptist & Bryan Fossett
Executors: McRora Scarborough & Edmund Hatch (Brother).
Witnesses: - Samuel Snowden, Sarah Snowden, and Francis Layden.
[Chowan Court Records: 11-1-1744: "Summons for Tulle Williams, Christian Reed, McRora
Scarborough, Esq., and Elizabeth his wife, all of Perquimans Precinct, to appear & testify in a
suit between Julius Cesar Parke & Anthony Hatch." This suit involved charges that Anthony Hatch
had harbored a runaway slave belonging to Parke.]
[The surnames in this will are puzzling: John and Anthony appear to be named "Hatch", with
daughter Penelope named "Williams". Eliza's brother and executor is Edmund Hatch, so we
assume her maiden name was Hatch. Though it's possible she at some time married a cousin
by the Hatch name, John and Anthony may have been born out of wedlock. The appearance of
her executor, McRora Scarborough, and her son Anthony Hatch in the Chowan record cited
above make me wonder if another husband -- father of Penelope Williams -- might not have been
Tulle Williams, who is summoned as a witness in that same case.]
1772 - Joseph - (wife Frances) 1- James; 2- Joseph (Plantation where the legator lives, between
Garrgut and the Mill Swamp); 3- William; 4- Nathaniel; 5- Elizabeth; 6- Mary; 7- Ann
Williams
Witnesses: William Skinner, Robt. Haines, Nicholas Brainer.
CURRITUCK
1725 - William - (wife - Mary) 1- Thomas (land on Tull's Ck); 2- Stephen (mouth of Tull's Ck);
3- Tulle (land bought of Wm. Swann); 4- Jane Brent; 5- Abigail Phillips
granddaughter - Mary Brent; grandson - Jonathon Brent
witnesses: Wm. Davis, Charles Brent, Robert Ervin
Additional land to sons Thos., Stephen, & Tulle: "Long Leet".
Additional land to sons Tulle & Stephen - "Gibses Island"
[see the Chowan Court Record listed under Eliza Williams which names "Tulle Williams" of
Perquimans.]
1732 - Thomas - (wife - Mary) 1- Samuel ("New Desire"); 2- Joseph (land on Sand Banks); 3-
Mary.
witnesses: Margaret Norton & Charly Norton
CARTERET
1770 - James - (wife - Sarah) 1- Brice (land in Duplin co. on Stewart's Ck.);
2- Benjamin and 3- James - (the plantation the legator lived on.)
4- Christian Nixon; 5- Sarah Hatch; 6- Cassandra; 7- Mary; 8- Clarissica
Executor: Lemuel Hatch
Witnesses: Stephen Ball, Stephen Yeats, Charles Mackland.
ONSLOW
1757 - Lott - (no wife named.) 1- Benjamin; 2- Ann
Executors: Jesse & Obediah Williams
Witnesses: Benjamin Williams, Moses Cox, Jr., and **Uz Williams
[This unusual name, "Uz Williams", shows up in early deeds of Anson County, NC.]
1773 - Jesse - (wife - Anne) 1- Lot (NW Br/New River, Dr. Carruthers, Gerald's Neck)
2- Jesy; 3- Hill (land adj. Mathew Gregory and New River) 4- Sarah; 5- Esther;
6- Hannah Williams.
Executors: Brothers Obed. & Uz Williams
Witnesses - Moses Cox, Mathew Gregory, Benjamin Williams.
[From the similarity in names in these two Onslow wills, it would certainly seem that Lott and
Jesse are closely related, and possibly Lott, Jesse, Obediah, and Uz are all brothers. Benjamin,
who witnesses the wills of both, may be another brother.]
BEAUFORT
1753 - Thomas - (wife - Elizabeth) "Southwark Parish in Co. of Surry"; Will probated in Beaufort.
Wife's children: Mary Williams, Wm. Flake, Arthur Flake, Elizabeth Flake, and Robert
Flake.
Witnesses: Chas. Binns, Wm. Clark, James Clark, John Williams, Robt. Flake.
1758 - Thomas - (wife - Ann) "Estate in England & Wales ordered divided" between his wife and
children.
1- Thomas (ES of mouth of Bath Town Ck., bought from Wm. Baker, and lot #39 in Bath.
2- Charles and 3- John - (Land in the fork of Cuckolds Ck.)
4- Robert; 5- Temperance; 6- Ann; 7- Mary; 8- Sarah; 9- Hannah Williams
10- Elizabeth Pritchard.
additional land to Charles - Land in the fork of Nevil's Ck.
Executors: Wyriatt Ormand, James Ellison, Coleman Roe, Thomas Williams
Witnesses: Wm. Dowd, Jacob Nevil, Jr., Moses Nevil
ALBEMARLE
1684 - Lodwick - (wife - Hannah) 1- Edward
Witnesses: Thomas French & John Jones
1693 - Joseph - (Transcribed by Cary) (wife - Mary);
"Administration of the estate of Edward Harrison, my deceased father-in-law,
I leave to my mother Hannah Harrison."
1712 - William - (wife - Mary) 1- Samuel; 2- John (land on the black Water, called "Littel Town");
3- Steven
Witnesses: Tredell Keefe, Luis Williams, Robert Lanier
[See also Wiliam's will under Chowan; See also court Records of Chowan cited under Anthony
Williams - Chowan 1718. See also Chowan Deed - Anthony Williams to Robt. Lanier - 1715.]
1728 - John - (wife Sarah) 1- Mary
Brother - Nathaniel (his plantation)
Witnesses: Thomas & Mary Peirce, Charles Cenman.
UNNAMED COUNTIES
1722 - John - Legators are brothers Theophilus, James, Isaac, and Arthur Williams
"Lands at Runaroy" left to his brothers.
cousins - John Williams & Anthony Herring.
Witnesses: John & Ann Williams, Mary Monds.
Proven before Thomas. Pollock, Sr.
[Researchers of the Arthur Williams line say that the above legator is the son of John Williams
(see his will: 1758 Bertie) and grandson of Arthur Williams Sr. and wife Mary -- see will of Arthur
Williams - 1739 Bertie. Witnesses John & Ann (Page) Williams are parents of the Legator, John,
who died unmarried and names several brothers, all of whom are named in the will of their father
John, except for the 2nd brother, James -- who had predeceased his father. See the will of James
Williams - Bertie 1737.
This is a Virginia line of Williams, said to have come out of Isle Of Wight.
I can in no way vouch for the accuracy of the lineage mentioned above, aside from the content
of the wills listed here.
Arthur moved south into what became Bertie Precinct, most likely around the time of his
purchase of lands on the south side of the Meherrin River in 1717. See the Chowan Deeds listed
under the will of Arthur Williams - Bertie 1739.
A John Williams who acquired land at about the same time could possibly be Arthur's son,
John -- more needs to be learned about the location:
Chowan Deeds Book - B1, p141 - "Laurence Larson to John Williams.....for 2 barrels of pitch,
a tract of land in Chowan Precinct, Adj. Thomas Jones' land in Bear Swamp......to the Upper
Beaver Dam....220 Acres. July 19, 1715."
Chowan Deeds Book - B 1, p18 - Nicholas Sessome to John Williams - 16 Lbs Sterling.......
In Chowan......at the mouth of the Black Haw Branch.....to the main Swamp. 80 Acres more or
less.
July 20, 1719".
The above grantor, Laurence Larson, figures into another Chowan Court Record involving Anthony
Hatch -- Laurence Larson Vs. Anthony Hatch involved a suit charging that Hatch had used a slave
belonging to Larsen without his permission. Anthony Hatch and his connections seem to be
located in Perquimans -- see previous records, under the will of Eliza Williams - 1745 Perquimans.]
Excerpts from G Williams Family Bible
Back to Duplin County Family Photos