Participant Info

Slaveholder

James Williams

Locations

Cole County, Missouri (SH) Maries County, Missouri (EPs after manumission) Phelps County, Missouri (EPs after manumission)

Researcher

Frena Williams Hokans

Researcher's E-mail

abhokans AT comcast.net

Researcher Location

Comments

James Williams of Cole County, Missouri. He died in about June of 1851 and left in his Will a request for manumission of his EPs. His executor, his brother John W. Williams, failed to do so. His widow, Mary, filed a lawsuit in Circuit Court in Cole County, Missouri on behalf of herself and EP Godfrey, demanding the immediate return of Godfrey's family and their immediate manumission. (Case files no. 1487, Parsons, M.M. v. Williams, James, 1852) There is an absolutely wonderful letter in the Circuit Court case file, written by Mary's attorney, M.M. Parsons, on behalf of Godfrey, demanding the immediate return of his wife and children, and it is signed "Godfrey a Man of Color." I created a tree on Ancestry to discover the outcome of the lawsuit and Godfrey's family was returned to him. Godfrey took the surname Williams, as did the children that I have been able to locate -- however, I don't know if some of the older children actually took that surname, and I have not been able to locate them. I was able to trace some of his descendants, especially the younger ones born after manumission, which appears to have been in abt. 1852. Godfrey and his family were living in Johnson, Maries County, MO on the 1860 census. On 17 Aug 1866 Godfrey purchased property in Spring Creek, Maries County, MO and he lived there the rest of his life. Found many of his adult children living in Rolla, Phelps, MO. I believe all known children were b. in Missouri, according to the slave schedules. Enslaved persons: Godfrey Williams, b. abt. 1795 in Virginia; and his wife, Eliza, b. abt. 1797 in Kentucky -- she died 21 Apr 1887 in Rolla, Phelps, MO. Children: Will Godfrey, b. abt. 1834; Martha Jane, b. abt. 1836; Lorenzo, b. abt. 1837; Joseph b. abt. 1839, d. 13 May 1862, St. Louis County, MO; Mary b. abt. 1841; Lucinda Williams Vickers b. abt. 1844; Daniel Williams, b. abt 1846, d. 15 Jan 1924, Rolla, Phelps County, MO; Julia Ann, b. abt. 1847; Harriet W. Williams Warner, b. abt. 1850; Abraham b. abt. 1856; George, b. abt. 1863; Eliza Ann, b. abt. 1866; Burnside b. abt. 1866, Adolph J., b. unknown. Feel free to contact me for more information and for all sources I have found for this family, and the slaveholder family. It might be of importance to note here that James Williams was the son of Joseph Williams & Sarah Musick -- a quite famous Missouri family who lived in Rutherford County, NC in 1790 with many of their family members. They traveled from NC to Missouri in about 1794 to 1797, travelling through Kentucky and settling in Missouri in about 1797. James Williams brother was William Sherley Williams, a famous mountain man and pioneer who abandoned white civilization to live with the Osage tribe in Missouri. Many books have been written about the family, and there are many sources, that might be helpful in tracing Godfrey & Eliza's ancestry.

On-line Tree or Website

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/168858965/person/152190039394/facts I put a link to the SH's tree on Godfrey Williams' tree in Ancestry.

Join mailing list?

Yes

Beyond Kin Researcher?

1