My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lawrence County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

Samuel Williams was born in Lawrence County, in 1845, and was reared in the same county. He is the son of James and Sally (Rose) Williams, also natives of this State. Mr. Williams lost his mother when still very young, and his father died in the year 1883, leaving two children to survive them: Samuel Williams, and his sister Leah, the wife of George W. Goodwin, but now deceased. The father married again after the death of his first wife, his second bride being a sister to the first. This union gave them five children — three of them now dead, and those living are Margaret and Nancy, who are both married. Mr. Williams reached his maturity in this county, and, in fact, has resided here ever since. He is a man of liberal ideas, and has traveled extensively through the South, but, in the face of all his wanderings, still believes there is no place like home. He was a gallant soldier during the war, and did some excellent work in Coleman’s regiment, which, as the advance guard, always brought on the engagement. He escaped without injury, the closest call he ever had being at Kansas City, where his horse was shot from under him. He surrendered at Jacksonport, June, 1865, and then returned home, where he commenced farming and trading in stock. In 1872 he was married to Miss Sally Brandon, of Tennessee, who came to Arkansas, a girl of eight years, with her parents. Mr. Williams and his wife have had eight children, three of them now dead. Those living are: Rebecca, Ashley, Clay, Roxien, William. The children who have died are Addie, George, and James Lacy. He and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, and are strong adherents to its teachings. Mr. Williams has eighty acres of fine land under cultivation which is the work of his own hands, besides 180 acres of timbered land, in all 260 acres. He is a Democrat.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 111 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lawrence County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Lawrence County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Lawrence County, Arkansas family biographies here: Lawrence County, Arkansas Biographies

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.