Thomas Williams

WILLIAMS, THOMAS (1757–1835).Thomas Williams, frontier settler, was born in 1757, probably in North Carolina. He lived in Tennessee as late as 1803, and by 1818 he and his family had migrated into Missouri Territory (present Arkansas). Thomas and his wife, Maria Priscilla Williams, and their six children, including John, Leonard, and William, crossed the Red River into Texas at Pecan Point about 1819. According to the 1821 Mexican census Thomas and Priscilla were living in Nacogdoches District. Thomas Williams, his four sons, and two sons-in-law served in the 1826 Fredonian Rebellion. Thomas enlisted with the title of colonel in the company raised by Col. Peter Ellis Bean. According to Bean's testimony, Williams accompanied him in his chase of fugitives to the Sabine River. For his services, Thomas received a Mexican land grant dated March 24, 1829, for one league on the Angelina River in what is now Rusk County. He settled his family and cultivated land there; the area became known as Williams Settlement. According to an 1835 census Thomas and his grandson William were living in Williams Settlement. Thomas was listed as a laborer, and the family was of the Catholic faith. Priscilla died on July 7, 1834, and Thomas died on July 3, 1835.

Thomas Williams I
BIRTH 1757
Tennessee, USA
DEATH 3 Jul 1835 (aged 77–78)
Rusk County, Texas, USA
BURIAL
Williams's Settlement
Laneville, Rusk County, Texas, USA
MEMORIAL ID 117468316 · View Source
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 0
FLOWERS 5
Thomas Williams married Maria Priscilla Brooks in Tennessee in about 1786 and their children were born in Tennessee. In about 1817, Thomas, wife, Maria Priscilla and their family left Weakley County, Tennessee, and settled in Missouri Territory on the Jean Petit River (now Arkansas). They did not acquire clear title but made improvements and were seeking "pre-emptive rights" reimbursement on the land years later. A tribe of Cherokee Indians under Chief Richard Fields and Chief Bowles, migrated from Tennessee and settled in the same area. In time, two sons, Leonard and William took sisters for wives, who were half Cherokee and nieces of Chief Richard Fields.
1819 - Thomas Williams family moved into Louisiana, crossed the Red River to Fort Towson in Oklahoma Territory, a US fort built to keep peace between the different Indian tribes. Thomas was a trader at Pecan Point on the Red River when trouble began the next year. The Osage Indians were not friendly and kept bothering and pilfering from the Cherokee who complained to the U.S. Commander at the fort. The army kept ignoring their complaints and finally the Cherokee decided to take care of the problem. Settlers from the States sided with the Cherokee and at least two of Thomas's sons joined in the big raid. The Osage were nearly wiped out and the army finally took action - against the Cherokee and U. S. settlers. The settlers slipped across the Red River into Mexican held Texas and moved back and forth evading U.S. soldiers on the north side and Mexican soldiers on the south.
1821 - Thomas Williams and family were noted in Mexican Records (in Spanish) as passing through Nacogdoches, Texas.
1831 - Thomas Williams and family on LIst of Foreigners In Nacogdoches District, April 18th. (Thomas and family settled in area called William's Settlement, near present day Lanesville, Rusk County, Texas.
1833 NACOGDOCHES DISTRICT CENSUS, Texas (in Spanish) - Thomas Williams, married, laborer, age 76; Ma Priscilla Williams, wife, age 75; William Williams aggreg, child, age 6.
1834 NACOGDOCHES DISTRICT CENSUS, Texas, June 30 (in Spanish) - Thomas Williams, age 77; Ma Priscilla Williams, age 76; Williams Williams, age 7. (believed to be grandson, child of daughter, Mary Polly, and a Robert Fields. As an adult, he went by name, William Fields).
Maria Priscilla died on July 7th after the 1834 census was taken.
The pioneer patriarch Thomas Williams, died a year later, July 3, 1835, in Williams' Settlement, Nacogdoches District, near present Lanesville, Rusk County, Texas.
- Blanche Keating Collie, my GGGG grandfather

Children:
1. John W. Williams "Cherokee John" 1787-1835
2. Brooks Williams 1791-1836
3. Leonard Williams(Sr) 1793-1854
4. Naomi Williams Ware Bradshaw Burton 1795-1834
5. Mary "Polly" Williams Elliott 1799-af1860
6. William "Bill" Williams 1803-1894

Family Members
Parents
Jane Jeanne Williams
1725–1806

Spouse
Maria Priscilla Brooks Williams
1757–1834 (m. 1786)

Siblings
Photo
Matthias Williams
1755–1840

Children
John W. Williams
1787–1835

Brooks Williams
1791–1836

Leonard Williams
1793–1854

Naomi Williams Ware-Bradshaw-Burton
1795–1848

Photo
William Williams
1803–1894

Mary Polly Williams Elliott
1805–1886

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117468316/thomas-williams

Thomas Williams, frontier settler, was born in 1757, probably in North Carolina. He lived in Tennessee as late as 1803, and by 1818 he and his family had migrated into Missouri Territory (present Arkansas). Thomas and his wife, Maria Priscilla Williams, and their six children, including John, Leonard, and William, crossed the Red River into Texas at Pecan Point about 1819. According to the 1821 Mexican census Thomas and Priscilla were living in Nacogdoches District. Thomas Williams, his four sons, and two sons-in-law served in the 1826 Fredonian Rebellion. Thomas enlisted with the title of colonel in the company raised by Col. Peter Ellis Bean. According to Bean's testimony, Williams accompanied him in his chase of fugitives to the Sabine River. For his services, Thomas received a Mexican land grant dated March 24, 1829, for one league on the Angelina River in what is now Rusk County. He settled his family and cultivated land there; the area became known as Williams Settlement. According to an 1835 census Thomas and his grandson William were living in Williams Settlement. Thomas was listed as a laborer, and the family was of the Catholic faith. Priscilla died on July 7, 1834, and Thomas died on July 3, 1835.

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 15 2019, 2:02:24 UTC

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 15 2019, 2:02:24 UTC

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• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Apr 15 2019, 1:59:05 UTC

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 15 2019, 2:02:24 UTC