Dear Researchers of Early Virginia Williams Families, Although Frederick A. Virkus's compilation called The Compendium of American Genealogy is largely discredited by serious genealogists, still, one who is stumped about early Williams ancestor with the same first names for generations might give it a once-over, particularly if your Williamses were early in the US or in the southern colonies. These old Virkus volumes are found in many older public libraries in the reference section--along with the Who's Who volumes. If you don't find this compilation (many volumes) in your public library, ask your public librarian to do a computer or telephone search of nearby libraries and see where you can find it. Take a photocopy of appropriate Virkus pages at your library and go home and study and study and see if it makes sense, date-wise, and genealogy-wise. The dates in Virkus may be more appropriate than the ones you may have estimated for your colonial ancestors--at least, I find that so in the case of the Williams families I am studying--and trying to make sense of!!! For example, I recently was having a discussion (argument?) with a webpage master about her entries for one Nathaniel Williams, stating that she had combined two Nathaniel Williamses--father and son. I could not convince her that her submissions were incorrect. Her retort was that she did not have time to research in libraries, etc. I guess there is the need to see one's handiwork on the internet, imperfect as it is. Digging through my multitude of photocopies in my clutter room, I recently relocated some pages from Virkus, Vol. V, pages 689-690, the genealogy of one Owen, Thomas McAdory, Jr. (10 Apr 1894). He had Williams ancestors from colonial Virginia, along the James River. Among Owen's ancestors were two Nathaniel Williamses and their progenitor, one John Williams. His entry mentions some wives's maiden names and other offspring of these Williamses. (Don't get excited--these folks were from the South! The asterisks are to my added notes at the bottom.) To quote from page 689: 8 - John Williams (b. 1679) from Wales to Hanover Co., VA, ca 1738* 7 - Nathaniel (b. 1712) of Hanover and Bedford Cos., VA** 6 - Nathaniel (1741-1805) del. [delegate] Provincial Congress of NC, 1775; m. 1765 Mary Ann Williamson (b. 1745); their son Robert, was gov. of Miss. Ty [Mississippi Territory], 1805-09 5 - Judge Marmaduke (1774-1850), mem. NC Senate, 1803; mem. Congress, 1803-09; removed to Miss. Ty. ca. 1810; mem. Ala. Constl. Conv. 1819; judge Tuscaloosa Co. Cts.; mem. Ala. Legislature, 1821-40; m. Agnes (Payne) Harris (1775-1850; Robert Payne [6]; Josiah [7] [his son, John , was father of Dolly, who m. Pres. Madison]; George [8]; William [9]) *** Use these with caution, but those of us with common surnames, such as Williams, Harris, et al, need all the clues we can find. If certain persons in Virkus, as in the case of Judge Marmaduke Williams and his predecessors served in a prominent public office, there may be additional or augmenting information in the online Political Graveyard. Use <A HREF="www.google.com"> www.google.com</A> to find Political Graveyard. Then try to check more original sources than Virkus, who took the word of the submitter that the information was more or less correct. Folks, some of these genealogies are made-up, as frequently applicants to lineage societies are now finding out!!!! * The few remaining court records of Hanover Co., VA for this period verify that a John Williams (probably the father whom people claim came from Wales, a guesstimate at best), and probable sons: a Joseph Williams, a Nathaniel Williams, and a Daniel Williams with his wife Ursley who were residing in that county and at least witnessing documents. John Williams, the apparent father, died intestate (administration bond filed 5 June 1735). Source for info: Rosalie Edith Davis, Hanover County, Virginia Court Records 1733-1735: Deeds, Wills and Inventories [Manchester, MO], 1979, p. 64. Also refer to ca 1730 land patents, two of them, for John Williams in Hanover Co. as abstracted and indexed in Nugent's Cavaliers and Pioneers, I believe, Vol. 3. This John Williams is frequently confused with his son of the same name, who lived in the 1730s in Goochland Co. near Tuckahoe Creek and later migrated to Granville Co., NC. ** My research of Bedford Co. to date has failed to show this Nathaniel Williams. Has anyone located him? He is my elusive collateral!!! When last seen, his land was located in Louisa Co. on or near Mychunk or Mechunk Creek; Louisa had been formed from Hanover Co. ca 1742. As indicated, some, if not all, his sons went to North Carolina--the area of Surry Co. and Rockingham Co. *** The information in brackets pertains to the lineage of Agnes Payne Harris, widow of Robert Harris, who was son of Tyree Harris of Caswell Co., NC, formerly of Orange Co., NC, Louisa Co., VA, perhaps Albemarle Co., VA. For more information on Marmaduke Williams (not to be confused with another man called Duke Williams in Caswell Co.), refer to Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume 1607-1896 [Chicago, IL: Marquis Who's Who, 1967], p. 656) Also BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF U. S. CONGRESS, p. 2059 I hope this information helps you in your continuing research of your early Virginia Williams families, clustered around the James River and later in Southside Virginia, and then spreading to North Carolina and areas south, north to Kentucky, and on west!!! Virkus is no better and no worse than some of the stuff on the internet, and in most cases, is probably more reliable, as somebody must have proofread that work before publication. E.W.Wallace