Key Facts

Parents:	unknown
Born:	December 1834 Georgia
Died:	22 July 1911 maybe Johnson County, Georgia
Buried:	Williams family cemetery, Johnson County, Georgia Coordinates: N32.702896 W82.796289

77Elizabeth Stokes was born December 18341 in Georgia.2-5 I haven't identified her parents, but they were born in Virginia.4,5

The 1850 census shows 77Elizabeth living with a few other people (relatives, presumably?). She was next door to her soon-to-be husband, 76Joseph Williams.2

1850: 77Elizabeth in Laurens County, Georgia. Full page.2

77Elizabeth married 76Joseph P. Williams in Laurens County on 30 January 1851.6

1851: 77Elizabeth marries 76Joseph P. Williams in Laurens County. Full page.6

77Elizabeth's family was still in Laurens County as of April 1854.7 By 1860 the family was settled in the recently created Johnson County.8 76Joseph's 1860 farm schedule listing (pages 11 and 12) shows what kinds of crops and livestock they raised,8 although you may need a template to help you read it.

1860: 77Elizabeth's family in Johnson County, Georgia. Full page.3

After her first husband's sudden death during the Civil War,9 77Elizabeth married her second husband Samuel R. Williams in Johnson County on 13 July 1866.10

1866: 77Elizabeth marries her second husband, Samuel R. Williams, in Johnson County. Full page.10

Over the late 1870's and early 1880's 77Elizabeth gradually bought back some of the land that her sons (from her first marriage) had inherited after 76Joseph's death. The deeds describe the land as lying in militia district 1201 (map).11 Tax digests12 and the 1880 census4 corroborate 77Elizabeth's residence in district 1201 around this period.

1880: 77Elizabeth's family still in militia district 1201, Johnson County. Full page.4

Samuel (her second husband) died in 1890,13 and accordingly the 1900 census shows 77Elizabeth as a widow living alone, still in Johnson County's "Wrightsville district" (i.e., district 1201).5 As of 1890 she owned 208 acres, considerable livestock, and some farming equipment.14

1900: 77Elizabeth is a widow and lives alone, still in Johnson County. Full page.5

I've been unable to find 77Elizabeth in the 1910 census.*

77Elizabeth died on 22 July 1911 and is buried in the small Williams family cemetery at coordinates N32.702896 W82.796289 next to Samuel. Below are a few photos of her grave.1

Footnote:

*

Johnson County's 1910 census does include an entry for Elyzabeth Williams, age 72, but this census shows that she only had six children, whereas earlier censuses collectively suggest that our 77Elizabeth had ten children.3-5 Thus, I think this 1910 census entry is for Elizabeth G. Williams, who was born around the same time and lived in the same area as our 77Elizabeth; her FindAGrave entry is here.

Sources Cited:

1: Tombstone of Elizabeth Williams (wife of Samuel R. Williams), Williams family cemetery, Johnson County, Georgia at coordinates N32.702896 W82.796289. Photographed by 1Bryant Knight on 16 June 2024.

2: 1850 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Laurens County, Georgia. Page 242 (stamped) or 485 (handwritten), dwelling 193, family 193, Benjamin Grinto household, entry for Elizabeth Stokes. NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 75. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-64KQ-P4K?i=27&cc=1401638>.

3: 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>.

4: 1880 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Militia district 1201, Johnson County, Georgia. Page 18B, dwelling 152, family 152, Samuel R. Williams household. NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 154. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYY-5Y5?i=17>.

5: 1900 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Wrightsville district, Johnson County, Georgia. Sheet 21B, dwelling 382, family 402, Elizabeth Williams household. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1K9-Z69?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM3J8-8B5&action=view>.

6: Laurens County, Georgia. Marriages book G (1809-1855), page 270. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BZF-LFL?i=488&cc=1927197>.

7: Laurens County, Georgia. Superior court minutes book H (1853-1859), page 41, petit jury #2, juror #10 Joseph B. Williams. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-993B-SNT2?i=30&cc=1999178&cat=246368>.

8: 1860 U.S. Federal Census (Agriculture Schedule). Johnson County, Georgia. Pages 11 and 12, entry 8, J. P. Williams farm. NARA microfilm publication T1137, roll 5. Ancestry.com ("U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880" / Georgia / Johnson / 1860 / Johnson / District 83 / images 6 and 7 of 7), accessed 21 June 2024. The NARA provides a helpful template.

9: Compiled Confederate service record of Private Joseph P. Williams of Company H, 63rd Georgia Infantry. NARA microfilm publication M266, roll 567. National Archives Catalog, <https://catalog.archives.gov/id/79168721>, accessed 14 June 2024.

10: Johnson County, Georgia. Marriages book A, page 62. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BZN-H9?i=81&cc=1927197>.

11: Johnson County, Georgia. Deeds book D, pages 407-410. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-PSH1-1?i=238&cat=260087>.

12: Johnson County, Georgia. Tax digest book for the years 1873-1881, section for the year 1881, section for militia district 1201, entries for Samuel R. Williams and his wife. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Johnson / 1873-1881 / images 706 and 707 of 788), accessed 25 June 2024. There are other, similar entries from the late 1870's that I didn't bother to copy.

13: Tombstone of Samuel R. Williams, Williams family cemetery, Johnson County, Georgia at coordinates N32.702896 W82.796289. FindAGrave, <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106898813/samuel-rowan-williams>

12: Johnson County, Georgia. Tax digest book for the year 1890, section for militia district 1201, entry for Elizabeth Williams. Ancestry.com ("Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" / Johnson / 1890 / images 27 and 28 of 142), accessed 25 June 2024. The abovementioned woman named Elizabeth G. Williams (See the footnote above.) also appears elsewhere in this tax digest under the name "Elizabeth G. Williams," so we can be confident that the entry I've cited does indeed pertain to our 77Elizabeth.