Looking for parents and descendants of the Rev. William Stone Williams and his wife, Frances Birde Winn who are listed in the 1850, 1860 & 1870 Census of Forsyth Co., GA. Ch. were Howard M., Jefferson Pierce, Thomas C., George A., Mary E., Rev. William R., Martha A., Willis B. and Bascom Williams

Hi Susan

I wrote you a long message only to have been cut off by AOL and it was all for naught. Would very much like to exchange information with you. My records show the Rev. Wm. S. Williams is buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Forsyth Co., GA. Have copy of his Will which was filed in Hall Co., GA and old letters from his sons written to my husband's grandmother, Martha Jefferson "Jeffie" Williams, dau of Martha Eveline Massengale and Jefferson Pierce Williams. He is said to have been killed in the Battle of New Orleans during the Civil War.

Parents of Frances Birde, according to article in Hall Co. GA "This 'N That" were Richard Winn, son of Thomas Winn/Wynne of Lunenburg Co., GA, who married Susan P. Matthews, dau of William Matthews of Prince Edward Co., VA, Nov. 1810. Their ch were:
1) Sarah E. Winn b Dec 12, 18ll marr John P. Winn
2) Frances B. Winn b Aug 2, 1813 marr Wm. S. Williams
3) William T. Winn b Nov l, 1815 marr Catherine A Shields
4) Abner M. Winn b Dec 11, 1817 died Sep 12, 1818
5) Susan C.M. Winn b Feb 26, 1820 died Apr 23, 1821
6) Richard W.P.Winn b Dec 04, 1822 marr Mary F. Sturivant
7) Lavinia A. Winn b Nov 5, 1824 marr Albert A. Winn
8) Martha L. Winn b Jul 11, 1828 marr Robert Young, Jr.
9) George M. Winn b May 1, 1831 died Nov 10, 1833
10) Mary M. Winn b Dec 20, 1838 marr Clinton I. Brown

Susan P. Matthews died Apr 17, 1837. Richard marr a second wife, Lucinda Sturivant, widow of Edward - no ch
Richard Winn died May 6, 1847 at age 68 yrs "suddenly and without struggle". Richard became owner and operator of Vann's Ferry and Tavern.
My information on Williams Family is posted in Hall Co. GA under Winn. I have nothing on your Mary Elizabeth except the names of her husbands.

Peggy Taylor

Hello Peggy,

I am a relative of William S. Williams & Frances Winn. There daughter Mary Elizabeth Williams Mahaffey Cantrell was my gg-Grandmother. She was married 2nd to Wilson Decatur Cantrell and their daughter Mattie Anna Virginia Cantrell was my g-grandmother. William S. had a nick name "Buck". (in case you didn't know) You seem to have much more information than I do. I really appreciate your posting. I have a picture of his tombstone at Flat Creek Cemetary in Forsyth Co., GA . The stone was large & knocked over on the ground. My uncle who took the picture said Frances' may have been on the other side of it. He didn't find hers. Do you know anything about her? Or her parents? Thank you, Susan Lowe Jones

Donna - Thank you for your response. We were in the library in Gainesville in 1987 and Sybil McRay and a lady, who just happened be in the Library at that time, gave us directions to the Mt. Zion Cemetery. Still have her directions in my file. We were eternally grateful for this help as we would never have found it otherwise. Hope someone has taken time to cut the weeds!

Peggy Taylor

From Cemeteries of Forsyth County by Donna Parrish

Mt. Zion
Rev. William S. Williams 25 Feb 1807 - 19 Mar 1875
William L. Williams son of W. H. and E. J. 15 Jul 1863 - 21 Oct 1865
Susane Williams d. 15 Jul 1888 ages 88 years

Mt. Zion is located between the Vann Tavern Road and 369 in northeast Forsyth County.

The Richard Winn family is covered in Sybil McRay's Hall County History This N That

Richard Winn operated Winn's Ferry on the east bank of the Chattahoochee in Hall County where the Federal Road ran into Forsyth.
Vann's Ferry was on the west bank in the Cherokee Nation East at the same place.

There were many legal disputes between Winn and whoever was operating the Vann ferry under lease from the Cherokees for several years. This was covered pretty thoroughly in Don Shadburn's book Unhallowed Intrusion.

I did a small piece on one of the lawsuits and it appeared in the Northwest Georgia quarterly in the late 70's or early 80's. I will try to post that.

Sybil McRay was helping someone with the Williams family in the late 70's and I remember her calling me about the Mt. Zion grave and for directions. If anyone has access to her files in the Chestatee Regional Library, I am sure there is more than is in the book.

Donna

Peggy - I do not have any information on members listed in your query. Sorry I could not be of help!

Peggy Taylor

I am especially interested in the "Overby" name in Forsyth County, Ga. A Christina Overby is listed in the Forsyth County 1840-1850 census (1850-#767) with a housefull of children of which my g-grandfather was one. Jefferson Overby. Was this lady widowed,? were the children orphans,? OR did she have all these children out of wedlock??
All of the names that I'm researching were in Georgia at one point and time coming to Mississippi from N.C. Any help would be appreciated.

WOW?! On the Guion Miller Roll. 223(NWCTB-75-P1163E589-INDEX)of Applications Submitted for the Eastern Cherokee Roll of 1909, there is a Lewis Overbey b. NC and Hugh Lawson T. b. GA with Mary A. and W.A. Overby. Wonder???

My grandmother said that "somebody" (which I never listened well?) was a full-blooded cherokee! Do you recon??

Also how do I sign up for the Forsyth Co. mailing list?? I'm pretty new at this net thing??

Again Your the Best thing that come to me, since I ran across the Aaron's page in Walker County Ala!

I Much, Much, appreciate this Forsyth County site. Though I like to have NEVER found anyone!?

Peggy

Our best guess is that Freeman Overby was her father.
If the father was Cherokee, they might have just skipped him. If you look at the Hall County 1830, there seem to be an excessive number of widows or widowers, but when you put the families together from other sources you will see they skipped Indian mothers and their children or Indian fathers. I will try to post some examples of those. OR

That wouldn't necessarily explain the last name. It may be that she didn't want to get married. Same as today. OR

In a couple of cases, I have found relationships of polygamy.

Thanks so much for the Answer to my query on the Overby's, Donna! This is information I've been looking for for years! My grandmother always told me the Overby's were from Georgia, I then began to scan the census records,(in books not on the Net) and WHAM! there it was in Forsyth co. Georgia. I do appreciate your help so much, along with all the other information on Forsyth County, GA.

One thing that's still a puzzle? as to whether these children's father is dead, if they were orphans, or out of wedlock children?? I had found Freeman Overby and thought he might be their father but have no proof. I can't tell if she was widowed on the census or at least not on my copy of it? Does anyone have that information? Christina(Tilda, who later married an Obiadiah Screws Layfette Co. MS)is listed as Jefferson Overby's mother on his death certificate, but it says "father unknown"? Jefferson Overby married Margarette Rebecca (Beck)Bland in Layfette Co. Mississippi and then lived his life out in Calhoun County, MS.