Elijah Williams (1732 - 1815)

Born 15 Nov 1732 in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Died 9 Jun 1815 at age 82 in Stockbridge, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States

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Biography

Elijah was born 15 November 1732 in Newton. He is the son of Ephraim Williams and Abigail Jones. ^[1] Elijah, son of Ephraim and Abigail, born in Newton, Massachusetts, Nov 15, 1732.^[2]

Elijah was often a selectman in Stockbridge, and a colonel in the Revolution.

The Williams family held many important and powerful positions in early Stockbridge.

In 1761 Elijah was made sheriff.^[3]

Elijah Williams was elected as representative to the General Court in 1763 by "bringing in strangers from out of town to vote for him". The Stockbridge Mohicans stated that he "[endeavored] to get not only all power but all our lands".^[4]

He founded an ironworks west of Stockbridge, and in 1774 obtained its incorporation as West Stockbridge.^[5]

Mary Willson

Elijah Williams had a relationship with Mary (Stower) Willson in 1763 resulting in a child out of wedlock who was named after his reputed father:

1. Elijah Williams, b. 14 April 1764 at Stockbridge^[6]

This case is also mentioned in Stockbridge: 1739-1939; A Chronicle.^[7]

Mary, described as a "single woman", sued Elijah for child support. The case was held at the the Court of General Sessions of the Peace at Great Barrington on the first Tuesday of September 1764. Elijah Williams "wholly refuses to contribute anything to the support of the same child... and says he is not guilty", and "sundry witnesses are sworn and examined touching the veracity and chastity of the said Mary". It met again on the 4 December 1764, though Elijah petitioned for more time to answer the complaint, which was granted. On 13 April 1765 it met again and the court found that "Elijah Williams Esq. [to] be the reputed father of the said bastard child... ordered that he stand charged with the maintenance of the said child together with the assistance of the said Mary Willson". He was ordered to pay £0-2-6 a week for the child's maintenance, starting from the birth of the child.^[6]

On 22 September 1766 Mary, as an "unhappy petitioner", stated that Elijah had not paid anything towards the maintenance of the child since the last court decision, and that she was served noticed at sunset to attend a the Superior Court hearing in Springfield. Without sufficient time to prepare or travel to Springfield, she petitioned that it be continued to the next term so that she could present her case then.^[8]

Later, in the 1818 probate proceedings for Mary (Stower) (Willson) Hickox, witnesses testified that "Elijah Williams was generally reputed a bastard son of the said Mary Hickox and one Colonel Williams formerly of the town of Stockbridge in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts".^[9]

Family

He married Sophia Partridge. They had:

1. William H.

Death and Probate

Elijah Williams of Stockbridge made his will 12 November 1814. He named his wife Sophia and son William H. Williams, and appointed Henry Williams Dwight and Charles Sedgewick as executors.^[10]

Elijah died 9 June 1815, and is buried at Stockbridge Cemetery.^[11]

Inventory of his moveable estate was taken 19 July 1815 and was valued at $631.39.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/historyofdeerfie02shel/page/n6 A History of Deerfield, Massachusetts Vol II] the times when the people by whom it was settled, unsettled and resettled, by Sheldon, George. Deerfield, Mass. [Greenfield, Mass., Press of E.A. Hall & co, 1895-6. Page: 378-379
2. ↑ Newton - Births - Massachusetts Vital Records Project Online database of images and transcriptions courtesy of John Slaughter.
3. ↑ Stockbridge: 1739-1939; A Chronicle, p. 105.
4. ↑ Stockbridge: 1739-1939; A Chronicle, p. 89.
5. ↑ Stockbridge: 1739-1939; A Chronicle, p. 106.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Suffolk County Court Files, volume 1153 "Hampshire and Berkshire Counties", no. 157399 "Mary Willson vs. Elijah Williams", summary of court proceedings.
7. ↑ Stockbridge: 1739-1939; A Chronicle, p. 109.
8. ↑ Suffolk County Court Files, volume 1153 "Hampshire and Berkshire Counties", no. 157399 "Mary Willson vs. Elijah Williams", 1766 petition of Mary Willson.
9. ↑ Ontario County, New York Surrogate's Court. Probate Records. Volume 11, pp. 119-123 "Wanton Joslin and Elijah Williams, re: Estate of Mary Hickox". Digital images of microfilm. FamilySearch. DGS film 005116108..
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Probate File Papers. File no. 3345 "Williams, Elijah - Stockbridge - 1815". Digital images of microfilm. Berkshire County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1761-1917. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org)
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/189683585/elijah-williams: accessed 19 January 2023), memorial page for COL Elijah Williams (15 Nov 1732–9 Jun 1815), Find A Grave: Memorial #189683585, citing Stockbridge Cemetery, Stockbridge, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by nancy robison (contributor 47058011).

• Sedgewick, Sarah Cabot and Christina Marquand. Stockbridge: 1739-1939; A Chronicle. (The Berkshire Courier, Great Barrington, Mass., 1939).
• Suffolk County, Massachusetts Court File and Early Records 1629-1799. County Court Files "Miscellaneous Papers including probate, orphan, vital, allegiance oaths, bastard proceedings, etc.", volume 1153 "Hampshire and Berkshire Counties", no. 157399 "Mary Willson vs. Elijah Williams". Digital images of microfilm. FamilySearch. DGS film 008297108.