Mary Williams (abt. 1850 - 1936)

Born about Apr 1850 in Lee, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Biography

Mary "Polly" Williams was born in March of 1850, the daughter of Blackstone and Naomi "Oma" (Thompson) Williams ^[1].

She went by her nickname, "Polly"

She never learned to read or write - 1910 census

She was born in either Lee County, Virginia or Claiborne Coutny Tennessee. Between 1851 and 1853, the Williams family moved to Tazewell in Claibrorne County, Tennessee. Polly may have been the first of their children to be born in Tennessee ^[2].

Polly was the mother of nine children ^[3], but as far as we know, she was never married ^[4]. Family history handed down says that Hugh Claxton, Sr. is the father of her nine children. ^[5]. By 1900, Polly was the head of her household. living in a rented farmhouse in Hancock County, Tennessee.

Her children were ^[6]:

1. Issac (b.1877) married Nealie _____ and moved to Ewing, Virginia ^[7]
2. Peter "Pete" (b.1884)
3. James (b.1884) more probably 1886
4. Winton (b.1888)
5. Dosia (b.1891)

The following children are as of yet sourced:

1. Percie (1891)
2. Blackstone
3. Cornelia
4. Dock ^[8]
5. Martha

Polly lived alone with her son Pete in 1910 ^[3], but by 1920, Pete had married and had six children of his own. Pete's mother, Pollie, and his brother, "PeePie" ( a nickname for Dock Williams) also lived with them ^[9] Mary died 24 April 1936 ^[4] and is burid in the Coleman Cemetery, Hancock Co. Tennessee. ^[10]

Research Notes

• Mary was possibly born in April of 1850. The 1850 census for Lee County, Virginia, lists her as Mary, the daughter of Blackstone and Oma Williams, age 4/12. Polly was a common nickname for Mary at that period in time.
• The family of Blackstone Willilams was in Virgina for the 1850 Census. According to the 1860 Census of Claiborne County, Mary was the first of their children to be born in Tennessee, but she was born in 1850, in time to be included in the 1850 Lee Coounty, Virginia census, That means that Martha (b.1857) was actually the first child born in Tennesee, unless the Williams were already in the process of moving too Tennessee in 1850, where Mary was born. Nevertheless, they moved to Claiborne County, Tennessee some time between 1850 and 1853. THe 1900 census says TN, the 1910say Va.
• The father of her children was born in Tennessee. allthough never married, 1900 single 1910 Widoweed,

Lawson-10040 17:52, 26 September 2021 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6SD9-GS3?cc=1401638&wc=95R6-YWB%3A1031351901%2C1031864901%2C1032548101 : 9 April 2016), Virginia > Lee > Lee county > image 109 of 228.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBSH-PGR?cc=1473181&wc=7QMS-C55%3A1589422383%2C1589428043%2C1589436264 : 24 March 2017), Tennessee > Claiborne > 6th Subdivision > image 20 of 24.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GT85-Z8R?cc=1727033&wc=QZZH-8FP%3A133640301%2C135367201%2C133688001%2C1589088850 : 24 June 2017), Tennessee > Hancock > Civil District 8 > ED 101 > image 3 of 16.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D4J5-Q9?cc=1417505&wc=34DS-GP8%3A1580584801 : 11 October 2018), 004184446 > image 674 of 3025; Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.
5. ↑ Information collaborated by two independent family sources, Frank Williams and Billie Sue (Hopkins) Seal
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6564-PL?cc=1325221&wc=9B76-KXC%3A1030551301%2C1031126501%2C1034706701 : 5 August 2014), Tennessee > Hancock > ED 71 Civil Districts 8, 9 > image 9 of 24.
7. ↑ "Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99D2-P26H?cc=1417505&wc=348B-168%3A1580612201 : 11 October 2018), 007552489 > image 1324 of 2510; Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.
8. ↑ Photograph of Dock Williams, inscribed on back, Dock Williams, (Uncle Pee-pee) age ? This is Pete Williams' brother, photograph among the possessions of Billie (Hopkins) Seal ]
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRJ1-GCQ?cc=1488411&wc=QZJB-31D%3A1036996801%2C1037132601%2C1036953401%2C1589332619 : 14 September 2019), Tennessee > Hancock > Civil District 8 > ED 102 > image 17 of 18.
10. ↑ Memorial page for Polly Williams (1843–1936), Find A Grave: Memorial #6173440, citing Coleman Cemetery, Hancock County, Tennessee,

Acknowledgment

• Profile created by Frank Williams based on family stories passed down.