Key Facts

Parents:	76Joseph P. Williams 77Elizabeth Stokes
Born:	circa 1852 Georgia
Died:	unknown
Buried:	unknown

38George Williams was the focus of a difficult, longstanding research brick-wall. Fortunately, I eventually was able to solve the brick-wall, identify 38George in some earlier records, and place him among his family. My report is rather lengthy, so I've moved it to a separate page, but my main conclusions are:

(1)	38George was also known by the name 38Josiah.
(2)	He was born circa 1852 in Georgia.
(3)	His parents are 76Joseph P. Williams and 77Elizabeth Stokes.

The 1860 census shows 38George (as "Josiah") with his parents and siblings in Johnson County, Georgia.1

1860: 38George's family in Johnson County, Georgia. Full page.1

38George is missing from the 1870 census, but tax records show him in militia district 1202 in 1873 and district 1203 in 1875 (map of districts).2,3 (There's also an 1874 tax record that very likely shows 38George simply as "J. Williams," 4 but the record is slightly questionable, so I haven't copied it here.)

He married 39Elizabeth Norris in Johnson County on 8 January 1874.5 Her brothers6,7 S. M. Norris and John F. Norris were the pastor and a groomsman, respectively.5

1874: 38Josiah marries 39Elizabeth Norris. Full page.5

1874: The county copy of 38Josiah's and 39Elizabeth's marriage license. Bigger copy.8

On 6 August 1879, "J. S. Williams" sold to "Elizabeth Williams" (his mother) 33⅓ acres in militia district 1201 "known as a part of the Joseph P Williams tract of land and wheron lived when he died." 9 Nearby deeds recorded in the same book show that 38Josiah's brothers Nathaniel and (via a re-sale to someone else first) John E. Williams also sold other parts of 76Joseph's land to 77Elizabeth. How 38George acquired this land and why it's not mentioned in the available tax records, I don't know.

1879: 38Josiah sells part of his deceased father's former land to his mother. Full page.9

38George appears in a few later records: "Josiah" or "Josiah S." Williams appears in tax digests for 1880,10 1885,11 and 188612 in militia district 55 (map).* His change in militia district is somewhat expected since his father-in-law 78Jordan Norris appears in a new district nearby around the same time.

Footnote:

*

These later tax digests consistently show 38Josiah as an agent for his wife's 150 acres,10-12 yet a "Mrs. Williams, wife of Mr. Geo. Williams" had died in this area on 26 April 1879.13 If this decedent is 39Elizabeth, why did 38Josiah continue so long as an agent (for the estate) rather than the responsible taxpayer in his own right, and why have I found no record that 38Josiah/George was appointed as administrator for the estate? If this decedent is not 39Elizabeth, who is she?

Sources Cited:

1: 1860 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Johnson County, Georgia. Page 40 or 484, dwelling 269, family 252, J. P. Williams household. NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 128. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBT-7GK?i=39&cc=1473181>.

2: Johnson County, Georgia. Tax digest book for the years 1873-1881, section for the year 1873, militia district 1202, entry for Geo. Williams. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Johnson / 1873-1881 / images 30 and 31 of 788).

3: Johnson County, Georgia. Tax digest book for the years 1873-1881, section for the year 1875, militia district 1203, entry for George Williams. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Johnson / 1873-1881 / images 198 and 199 of 788), accessed 2 June 2024.

4: Johnson County, Georgia. Tax digest book for the years 1873-1881, section for the year 1874, militia district 1202, entry for J. Williams. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Johnson / 1873-1881 / images 108 and 109 of 788).

5: The Sandersville Herald (Sandersville, Georgia), 16 January 1874, page 2, column 5, near the bottom of the page. Georgia Historic Newspapers, <https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn85034106/1874-01-16/ed-1/seq-2/>.

6: "DEATH OF AN AGED MINISTER: Rev. Norris, Well Known Throughout Section," The Montgomery Monitor (Montgomery, Georgia), Thursday 26 August 1915, page 1. Georgia Historic Newspapers, <https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn89053231/1915-08-26/ed-1/seq-1/>. This record proves that S. M. Norris was a brother to 39Elizabeth Norris.

7: 1910 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Lothair, Montomgery County, Georgia. Enumeration district 138, sheet 7B, dwelling 12, family 12, Jorden Norris household. NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 201. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RJZ-45S?i=1>. This record proves that John F. Norris was a brother to 39Elizabeth Norris.

8: Johnson County, Georgia. Superior Court. Loose marriages, 1873-1876, marriage license of Josiah Williams and Elizabeth Norris. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BZX-JG5?i=34&cc=1927197>.

9: Johnson County, Georgia. Deeds book D, pages 409-410. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-PSHJ-Q?i=239&cat=260087>.

10: Johnson County, Georgia. Tax digest book for the years 1873-1881, section for the year 1880, militia district 55, entry for Josiah S. Williams. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Johnson / 1873-1881 / images 634 and 635 of 788).

11: Johnson County, Georgia. Tax digest book for the years 1882-1887, section for the year 1885, militia district 55, entry for Josiah Williams. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Johnson / 1882-1887 / images 452 and 453 of 812).

12: Johnson County, Georgia. Tax digest book for the years 1882-1887, section for the year 1886, militia district 55, entry for Josiah S. Williams. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Johnson / 1882-1887 / images 452 and 453 of 812).

13: The Sandersville Herald (Sandersville, Georgia), 1 May 1879, page 3, column 2, a little over halfway down the page. Georgia Historic Newspapers, <https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn85034106/1879-05-01/ed-1/seq-3/>