John Benton Williford (abt. 1800 - 1859)

Born about 1800 in North Carolina

Husband of Celia (Unknown) Williford — married 1820 in Tennessee, USA

Husband of Louisanna (Pierson) Williford — married 1851 in Illinois

Descendants

Died 7 Sep 1859 at about age 59 in Saline County, Illinois

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Biography

John B Williford was born about 1800 in North Carolina. He MAY be the son of Abner Williford and Martha Jenkins, but this is unproven.

John married (1) Celia (surname unproven) about 1820. The exact date and place of their marriage is not known. Census records for John's children list their place of birth as either Kentucky, Tennessee or Illinois. However, some of these birth locations conflict in different census. They were parents of the following:

1. Elmira (1824-1855) married John HAMILTON
2. John Leroy (1825-1897) married Catherine LEDFORD
3. Rebecca (1827-1890) married William FERGUSON
4. Martha Jane (1830-1879) married Wilson HUDDLESTON
5. Catherine Emaline (1835-1860) married Roy GASKIN
6. Mary Caroline (1838-1885) William D RUSSELL
7. George Wesley (1840- )

Following the death of his first wife, John married (2) Louisiana Pearson, also known as Lucy Ann or Louisa, 4 Nov 1851 in Saline County, Illinois. She was the widow of Timothy P Ledford, with whom she had one daughter and four sons.^[1] John and Lucy had one child together:

1. Harrison Wilson Williford (1852-1936) married Alice May WILSON

Events:

1840 Monroe, Gallatin, IL
Males: 1<5, 1<15, 1<50; Females: 1<5, 1<10, 2<15, 1<50.^[2]

3 Mar 1843 Saline, IL: Land Purchase
John B Williford of Gallatin County, 40 Acres; Sec 30 9S 6E ^[3][4]

1 Mar 1848 Saline, IL: Land Purchase
John B Williford of Gallatin County, 40 Acres; Sec 31 9S 6E ^[5]

1850 Monroe, Gallatin, IL
John (50), Celia (51), Catherine E (15), Mary C (12), Geo W (10). Also listed in the household is John W Kane (Cain).^[6]

Death & Probate:

He made his will 29 Dec 1856 in Saline County. It was proved 19 Sep 1859. In it he names wife Louisiana as well as his children and children from her first marriage: Harrison Wilson and John L WILLIFORD, Solomon and James PK LEDFORD, Martha J HUDDLESTON, Elmira HAMILTON, Rebecca FERGUSON, Mary Caroline RUSSELL, Elizabeth NORMAN, and Catherine E GASKINS.^[7] John B Williford died 7 Sep 1859 in Saline, Illinois.^[8][9]

Research Notes

CIVIL SUIT: 26 MAY 1849, Saline County, Illinois^[10]

BOX A-29    Filed May 26, 1849        Tresspass on case, Slander

THOMAS HAMILTON AND WIFE VS JOHN B. WILLIFORD

     Thomas Hamilton and Susan Hamilton, his wife....complains of John B. Williford...of a plea of trespass on this case for slander.....the said Susan Hamilton is a good true, honest, chaste and virtuous resident of this State, always behaved and conducted herself and until the committing of the several grievances by the said John B. Williford ......Thomas states she was in anywise known to be a person of good name, fame and credit.....and the said Susan Hamilton hath not ever been guilty or never been guilty of adultery, as therefore stated to have been charged.....or any other such crime....She has obtained the good opinion and credit of all her neighbors, and other good and worthy citizens of this state.....Yet the said John B. Williford knowing the premises, but greatly enveying the happy state and condition of the said Susan Hamilton and contriving and wickedly and mailiaiously intending to injure the said Susan Hamilton in her good name, fame and credit....and to bring her into public scandal infaming and disgrace with and amongst all her neighbors....and to cause it to be believed and suspected by those neighbors and citizens.....John B. Williford states that Susan Hamilton had been and was guilty of adultery....It is agreed by the parties above that this suit is to be dismissed each party to pay his own costs this 13th day June, 1849.  Summoned:  May Dempsey, Martha Feasel, Angaline Aarnahan, George W. Barker, Wm. Furgason, Duncan Matingly, Geo. P. Dunning, Jacob Weaver and Jacob Cummins.

DEED: 31 MAY 1857; Saline County, Illinois^[10]

BOX  C-13     Filed 31 May, 1857      Conveyance of Deed

JOHN B. WILLIFORD VS. JOHN L. WILLIFORD AND OTHERS

       ......Your Orator, John B. williford, of Saline county, Illinois, that on the 1st day of Nov., 1851, your Orator ___________ and seized in fee simple of the following described tract or lots of lands to wit:  E1/2 SE1/4 and W 1/2 SE1/4 Sec 19 T 9 R 6E all lying and being in the County of Saline and State of Illinois, Your Orator would further represent that he had _________ to convey 120 acres of said land to his son, George Wesley Williford then and infant of tender years. and 40 acres of said land to Rebecca Furguson, his daughter (her husband being William Furguson) ....Your Orator would further show that it was his intention so to convey the said for 40 acres of land to said Rebecca Furguson, as to affectually put it out of the power of her husband, William Furguson.  ....Your Orator states he is a Widower, and intending to marry his second and present wife on the next day thereafter....Your Orator would further represents, that he made executed and delivered unto his son, John L. Williford and Catherine Williford, his wife, a deed of conveyance for the premises aforesaid.... Your Orator would further show that one year after date of deed, the said son, George Wesley Williford, departed this life at the age of eleven years of age.... that your Orator may nominate and appoint a commissioner to execute a deed of conveyance.... signed by John L. Williford, Catherine L. Williford, John Hamilton, Elenor Hamilton, Wilson Furguson, Leroy Gaskins, Emeline Gaskins, Martha Jane Huddleston, Mary C. Williford and Wison Huddleston, of Franklin, County.....

The following records may be associated with this John Williford:

1 Dec 1830 Scott, IL land purchase

John B Williford of Morgan County, IL 83 Acres; Sec 31 14N 12W ^[11][12]

1830 Schuyler, IL census

John B Williford Males: 1<10, 1<40; Females: 2<5, 1<10, 1<40 ^[13]

Montogomery County, Tennessee, census and land records relate to John Williford, the husband of Jane Mallory.

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage: "Illinois, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1851-1900"
   Jordan Dodd and Liahona Research, comp.. Illinois, Marriages, 1851-1900. Index compiled from county marriage records on microfilm located at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah by Jordan Dodd of Liahona Research (P.O. Box 740, Orem, Utah 84059). Specific source information is listed with each entry
   Ancestry Record 7857 #638881 (accessed 24 March 2023)
   John B Williford marriage to Lucy Ann Ledford on 4 Nov 1851.
2. ↑ Illinois > Gallatin > Monroe: "1840 United States Federal Census"
   Illinois > Gallatin > Monroe > image 3 of 16
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 24 March 2023)
   John Williford.
3. ↑ 1843 Legal Record: "U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015"
   Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Washington D.C., USA; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1246 #394739 (accessed 20 August 2023)
   Name: John B Williford; Issue Date: 3 Mar 1843; Place: Saline, Illinois, USA; Land Office: Shawneetown; Meridian: 3rd PM; Township: 9-S; Range: 6-E; Section: 30; Accession Number: IL0100__.373; Document Number: 9005; Original URL: http://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=IL0100__.373&docClass=STA&sid=2cckzyvi.zin.
4. ↑ "United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KDX-43C3 : 16 June 2023), John B Williford, 1840.
5. ↑ 1848 Legal Record: "U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015"
   Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Washington D.C., USA; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1246 #482009 (accessed 20 August 2023)
   Name: John B Williford; Issue Date: 1 Mar 1848; Place: Saline, Illinois, USA; Land Office: Shawneetown; Meridian: 3rd PM; Township: 9-S; Range: 6-E; Section: 31; Accession Number: IL1780__.420; Document Number: 11016; Original URL: http://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=IL1780__.420&docClass=STA&sid=2cckzyvi.zin.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTY7-FPY?cc=1401638&wc=95R3-FM8%3A1031317001%2C1031435301%2C1031522601 : 9 April 2016), Illinois > Saline > Monroe > image 15 of 18; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
7. ↑ Saline Illinois Probate , Will Bk 1-3, 1947-1922, p.62-65 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C95J-69MP-8?i=49&cat=261329
8. ↑ "Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89H9-XTM9?cc=2334599&wc=W2BL-FMS%3A1592612477 : 31 October 2017), 007283673 > image 213 of 659; citing NARA microfilm publications T1133 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
9. ↑ Williford Family Bible of Harrison Wilson Williford - provided through the research of Mary Hosna, Nov 2017
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Originally posted on Ancestry.com by Ancestry user: alloucka
11. ↑ 1830 Legal Record: "U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015"
    Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Washington D.C., USA; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1246 #415156 (accessed 20 August 2023)
    Name: John B Williford; Issue Date: 1 Dec 1830; Place: Scott, Illinois, USA; Land Office: Springfield; Meridian: 3rd PM; Township: 14-N; Range: 12-W; Section: 31; Accession Number: IL0500__.176; Document Number: 3239; Original URL: http://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=IL0500__.176&docClass=STA&sid=2cckzyvi.zin.
12. ↑ "United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6VBQ-GS52 : 10 March 2023), John B Williford, 1829.
13. ↑ "United States Census, 1830", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPY-N1Y : Thu Jul 20 14:50:40 UTC 2023), Entry for John B Willford, 1830.