Table of Contents
Williams Family Papers
A Guide to the Williams Family Papers at the Connecticut Historical Society
Collection Overview |
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| Repository : | Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut |
| Creator : | Williams Family |
| Title : | Williams Family Papers. |
| Dates : | 1700 -- 1903 |
| Extent : | 2.5 linear feet (5 boxes) |
| Abstract : | Collection consists primarily of Williams family correspondence; also included are letters relating to William Williams' activities during the Revolutionary War, his personal notes, and some accounts. |
| Location: | Ms Willw1811 |
| Language: | English |
Biographical Sketch
Although these papers relate to the Williams family, we have little biographical information on any of the major correspondents other than William Williams. He was born on April 8, 1731 in Lebanon, Connecticut to Solomon Williams, pastor of the town's First Congregational Church and Mary (Porter) Williams. William received his early education at Nathan Tisdale's school and graduated from Harvard in 1751. After this he began studying theology under his father.
In 1755, Williams entered military service as a surgeon under his cousin, Colonel Ephraim Williams, who was contributing to the French and Indian War effort at Lake George. When the war ended, Williams returned to Lebanon, Connecticut and set up business.
Williams served in a number of local political roles, including that of Town Treasurer, Town Selectman, Town Clerk, and Justice of the Peace for Connecticut Colony. In 1757 he served on the General Assembly of Connecticut, and in 1766 he became Clerk of the House. This role landed him several other duties, including that of assisting and advising Governor Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. in his preparation of an address to His Majesty on the Stamp Act.
Williams increased his ties with the Trumbull family and thereby improved his political standing on February 14, 1771, when he married Jonathan Trumbull's daughter, Mary. A few years later, in October 1774, he achieved executive powers second only to his father-in-law when he was appointed Speaker of the House.
Like Jonathan Trumbull, William Williams was very active in Revolutionary activities. In April 1775 he was part of a group who secretly took money from the treasury, in exchange for their promissory notes, to finance the surprise attack on Fort Ticonderoga. In October of that same year, Williams was appointed as an alternate to the Continental Congress, though it is said he wished to avoid joining that body. Nonetheless, he joined the Continental Congress in time to sign the Declaration of Independence and to help frame the Articles of Confederation.
Williams also had a lengthy legal career, serving as judge of the Windham County Court from 1776 to 1805 and as probate judge for the Windham District from 1775 to 1809. Williams died in Lebanon, Connecticut on August 2, 1811.
What we know about other significant contributors to this collection is sparse, limited to birth and death dates in most cases. The other members of the Williams family who have a major presence in these folders include four children of Ezekiel Williams's son, John Williams and his second wife, Mary Dyer Silliman: Thomas Scott Williams, Sophia Williams, Mary Dyer Williams, and Elizabeth Byrne Williams. Thomas Williams was born on November 20, 1818 and graduated from Yale College in 1838 and studied law in Hartford under his uncle, also named Thomas Scott Williams, and at Harvard. He had only just begun his career when he died on September 18, 1842 at the age of twenty-four. Esther Sophia Williams was born on May 19, 1820. She never married and died of tuberculosis on March 18, 1847. Mary Dyer Williams was born to John and Mary (Dyer) Williams on February 10, 1822. She married Rev. Charles Backus McLean on July 9, 1845 but had no children. She died on November 21, 1905. Elizabeth Byrne Williams was born on March 10, 1828. On July 21, 1858 she married William Watson Andrews; this was his second marriage. Together they had five children, the eldest, Mary Williams Andrews, being born on May 29, 1860 and the youngest, Elizabeth Parkhill Andrews being born on September 9, 1868. Elizabeth Williams Andrews died on December 4, 1906. Another correspondent was John Williams's daughter from his previous marriage to Sophia Worthington, Hannah Hopkins Williams. She was born on February 3, 1805 and was an active correspondent with her half-sisters from the 1830s until her death on February 26, 1846.
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Scope and Content
This collection consists largely of Williams family correspondence, much of which is personal in nature. It was originally titled the William Williams Papers, and in the first two boxes there are several letters to and from William Williams relating external affairs: politics, the goings-on of Congress, and military logistics such as provision of pork and horses. Some of the later William Williams letters relate to his position as a probate judge and contain discussions of debt and other matters. Such correspondence is arranged chronologically. The collection of family correspondence extends nearly one hundred years beyond William Williams's death, until 1903. Most of these later letters were written between Ezekiel Williams's granddaughters: Hannah, Sophia, Mary, and Elizabeth. The last decades of correspondence in this collection are dominated by letters between Elizabeth Williams Andrews and her daughters, Mary Williams Andrews and Elizabeth Parkhill Andrews. Also notable are several signatures of a day book, mostly religious in nature, that William Williams kept from 1776 until shortly before his death in 1811. There is one folder of accounts kept by William Williams. The primary correspondents in this collection include: William Williams, Solomon Williams, Ezekiel Williams, Thomas Williams, John Williams, Mary Williams, Joseph Trumbull, and Jonathan Trumbull, Sr.
Arrangement
Materials are organized into three series based largely on form.
Series I: Correspondence consists of correspondence written by and to William Williams, some of which relates to his activities during the American Revolution. A great part of this correspondence belongs to the Williams family more generally -- Sophia, Mary, and Elizabeth Williams in particular -- and continues as such for nearly one hundred years past William Williams' death.
Series II: Personal Notes consists of notes taken by William Williams, spanning from the Revolutionary period until his death in 1811. Most of the notes are of a religious nature.
Series III: Accounts consists of accounts kept by William Williams from 1775 until 1799, as well as some undated papers.
Collection is arranged chronologically within in each series.
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Restrictions
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions on access to the collection.
Use Restrictions
Use of the material requires compliance with the Connecticut Historical Society's Research Center regulations.
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Subject Headings
Personal Names
Geographic Names
Genre Forms
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Item, Collection Title, Collection number (Box #, Folder #). Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut.
Processing Details
Original EAD instance compiled by NHPRC project staff in August, 1999. Updated to EAD 2002 in December 2010.
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Related Material
An index of catalog cards is available to aid access to this collection and material in other collections. Access is through writer, recipient and date. The card catalog is located in the Research Center reading room.
Microfilm copy available.
Contents:
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Return to the Table of Contents I. Correspondence |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Solomon Williams, Ephraim Williams, Roger Billing, and George Whitefield. 1700-1750 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Solomon Williams, Jonathan Trumbull, Abiel Walley, and Elisha Williams. 1751-1759 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Thomas Williams, John Alden, and Joseph Trumbull. 1760-1763 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Jonathan Trumbull, Nathaniel Cushman, Joseph Trumbull, and Thomas Martin. 1764-1767 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Josiah Thacher, Thomas Williams, and Elizur Smith; includes a journal begun in October 1770. 1768-1770 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Giles Wolcott, Seth Wright, William Sprague, and Nathaniel Cushman. 1771-1774 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Ezekiel Williams, Israel Putnam, Joseph Warren, and John Hancock. 1775 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Richard Salter, Solomon Williams, and John Hancock. January - May 1776 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Ezekiel Williams, Joseph Trumbull, Jonathan Trumbull, Silas Deane, and Mary Williams. June - December 1776 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as James Wadsworth, Samuel Russell, Jonathan Trumbull, and Oliver Ellsworth. January - August 1777 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Silas Deane, Roger Sherman, Jabez Huntington, and Jonathan Trumbull. September - December 1777 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Solomon Williams, Joseph Williams, Ebenezer Ledyard, Jonathan Trumbull, and Jedediah Huntington. 1778 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Thomas Williams, Oliver Ellsworth, and Noah Atwater. 1779 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John Williams, Noah Atwater, and Ezekiel Williams. 1780 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Ezekiel Williams, William Franklin, Mary Williams, and Samuel Holden; includes a printed copy of the laws of Yale College. January - June 1781 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Ezekiel Williams, Nathaniel Niles, and John Worthington. July - December 1781 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John Williams, Ezekiel Williams, Timothy Green, and Oliver Ellsworth. 1782 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Ezekiel Williams, John Williams, Jonathan Trumbull, and Mary Williams. 1783 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Thomas Williams, Jonathan Trumbull, and Matthew Griswold. 1784 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Matthew Griswold, Ezekiel Williams, Elias Bowditch, Oliver Wolcott, and Solomon Williams. 1785 | |||||||||
| 2 | 3 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Mary Williams, Oliver Wolcott, Samuel Huntington, and Sarah Freeman. 1784 | |||||||||
| 2 | 4 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Josiah Thacher, Mary Williams, Andrew Adams, and James Haughton. 1789-1790 | |||||||||
| 2 | 5 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Roger Sherman, Ezekiel Williams, Josiah Bartlett, and Faith Williams. 1791 | |||||||||
| 2 | 6 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Elkanah Tisdale, Andrew Adams, Ezra Stiles, and Josiah Bartlett. 1792-1793 | |||||||||
| 2 | 7 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Solomon Williams, Benjamin Trumbull, Oliver Peabody, Elisha Babcock, and William Hillhouse. 1794-1795 | |||||||||
| 2 | 8 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Elkanah Tisdale, James Hillhouse, Oliver Peabody, and Abraham Bradley, Jr. 1796-1797 | |||||||||
| 2 | 9 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Ezekiel Williams, Asher Robbins, John McClellan, and Sally Lord. 1798-1799 | |||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John Williams, Thomas Hubbard, Benjamin Sumner, and John McClellan. 1800-1802 | |||||||||
| Note: Transcript available | |||||||||||
| 2 | 11 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Ezekiel Williams, Joseph Cooke, and John McClellan. 1803-1804 | |||||||||
| 2 | 12 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Samuel Williams, John McClellan, Jedediah Huntington, and James Lanman. 1805-1806 | |||||||||
| 2 | 13 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Mary Williams, John McClellan, Solomon Williams, and Joseph Trumbull. 1807 | |||||||||
| 2 | 14 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Solomon Williams, Samuel Gray, Jonathan Moseley, and John Chester. 1808-1809 | |||||||||
| 2 | 15 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Timothy Stone, Ezekiel Williams, Samuel Whiting. 1810 | |||||||||
| 2 | 16 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John Robinson, Charles Lathrop, and Thomas Williams. 1811 | |||||||||
| 2 | 17 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Abner Mowley, Timothy Green, William Smith, and "Amicus Patriae"; includes a short essay on the government of the United States. 1750 - 1811 | |||||||||
| 2 | 18 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as William Lamnau, Eliphalet Dyer, and C. Goddard. 1750 - 1811 | |||||||||
| 2 | 19 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John McClellan, Harriet Williams, and Solomon Williams; includes a survey of Solomon Williams' farm. 1750 - 1811 | |||||||||
| 2 | 20 | Correspondence; signatures from William Williams' letters. 1750-1811 | |||||||||
| 2 | 21 | Correspondence; signatures from William Williams' letters. 1750-1811 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Thomas Dwight, Thomas Williams, Thomas Tucker, and George Hoadley. 1812-1815 | |||||||||
| 3 | 2 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Elisha Williams, Thomas Dwight, and John McClellan. 1816-1817 | |||||||||
| 3 | 3 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John Williams, Prudence Williams, Thomas Williams, and Jonathan Little. 1818 | |||||||||
| 3 | 4 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John Howard, Mary Williams, and John McClellan. 1819-1820 | |||||||||
| 3 | 5 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John Johnson, Elisha Williams, and Simon House. 1821-1823 | |||||||||
| 3 | 6 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Roger Bailey, William Cleaveland, and Simon Backus. 1824-1825 | |||||||||
| 3 | 7 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Elizur Goodrich, George Goddard, and Stephen Thacher. 1826-1829 | |||||||||
| 3 | 8 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John Williams, Williams Andrews, and John Howard. 1830-1831 | |||||||||
| 3 | 9 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as William Andrews. 1832-1833 | |||||||||
| 3 | 10 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Hannah Williams, John McClellan, Thomas Williams, and Mary Williams. January - May 1834 | |||||||||
| 3 | 11 | Correspondence between Williams family members: John Williams, Mary Williams, Thomas Williams, and Elizabeth Williams. June - December 1834 | |||||||||
| 3 | 12 | Correspondence between Williams family members: John Williams, Thomas Williams, and Hannah Williams. January - June 1835 | |||||||||
| 3 | 13 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Thomas Williams, Elizabeth Williams, and Sophia Williams. July - December 1835 | |||||||||
| 3 | 14 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Samuel Wood, Sophia Williams, and Thomas Williams. 1836 | |||||||||
| 3 | 15 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as John McClellan, Thomas Williams, and Sophia Williams; includes a catalogue of John Williams's library. 1837 | |||||||||
| 3 | 16 | Correspondence between Williams family members: John Williams, Thomas Williams, and Sophia Williams. 1838 | |||||||||
| 3 | 17 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Hannah Williams, Sophia Williams, and John Williams. 1839 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Thomas Williams, Mary Williams, and Sophia Williams. 1840 | |||||||||
| 4 | 2 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Hannah Williams, Mary Williams, and Thomas Williams. January - August 1841 | |||||||||
| 4 | 3 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Hannah Williams, Thomas Williams, and Elizabeth Williams. September - December 1841 | |||||||||
| 4 | 4 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Elizabeth Williams, Mary Williams, Sophia Williams, and Thomas Williams. 1842 | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. January - September 1843 | |||||||||
| 4 | 6 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Mary Williams, Sophia Williams, and Elizabeth Williams. October 1843 | |||||||||
| 4 | 7 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. November 1843 | |||||||||
| 4 | 8 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Mary Williams, Elizabeth Williams, and Sophia Williams. December 1843 | |||||||||
| 4 | 9 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. January - February 1844 | |||||||||
| 4 | 10 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. March - May 1844 | |||||||||
| 4 | 11 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Mary Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Sophia Williams, and Hannah Williams. June - September 1844 | |||||||||
| 4 | 12 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. October - November 1844 | |||||||||
| 4 | 13 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Mary Williams, Elizabeth Williams, and Sophia Williams. December 1844 | |||||||||
| 4 | 14 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. January - June 1845 | |||||||||
| Note: Transcripts available | |||||||||||
| 4 | 15 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. July - September 1845 | |||||||||
| 4 | 16 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. October 1845 | |||||||||
| 4 | 17 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. November 1844 | |||||||||
| 4 | 18 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. December 1845 | |||||||||
| 4 | 19 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Hannah Williams, and Mary Williams. January - March 1846 | |||||||||
| 4 | 20 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, and Mary Williams. April - May 1846 | |||||||||
| 4 | 21 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, and Mary Williams. June - August 1846 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, and Mary Williams. September - October 1846 | |||||||||
| 5 | 2 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, and Mary Williams. November - December 1846 | |||||||||
| 5 | 3 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Sophia Williams, Elizabeth Williams, and Mary Williams; also included is a letter from Thomas Williams to John McClellan. 1847 | |||||||||
| 5 | 4 | Correspondence , mostly between Elizabeth Williams and Mary Williams; also included is a letter from Daniel Webster and one from Thomas Williams to John McClellan. 1848 - 1850 | |||||||||
| 5 | 5 | Correspondence, mostly between Elizabeth Williams and Mary Williams; also included is a letter from Thomas Williams to Benjamin Silliman. 1852 - 1853 | |||||||||
| 5 | 6 | Correspondence, mostly between Elizabeth Williams and Mary Williams; also included are two letters from Thomas Williams to Joseph McClellan. 1854 - 1862 | |||||||||
| 5 | 7 | Correspondence; includes several letters to Mary Williams written from Canada by her sister, Elizabeth Williams, and two letters to "Mama" from "Mamie" (Mary Williams Andrews to Elizabeth Williams Andrews). 1867 - 1875 | |||||||||
| 5 | 8 | Correspondence; includes letters to Mary Williams from her sister, Elizabeth Williams, and some from "Mamie" to "Mama" (Mary Williams Andrews to Elizabeth Williams Andrews). 1867 - 1875 | |||||||||
| 5 | 9 | Correspondence from "Mamie" to "Mama" (Mary Williams Andrews to Elizabeth Williams Andrews). 1880 - 1883 | |||||||||
| 5 | 10 | Correspondence from "Mamie" to "Mama" (Mary Williams Andrews to Elizabeth Williams Andrews). 1885 | |||||||||
| 5 | 11 | Correspondence from "Mamie" to "Mama" (Mary Williams Andrews to Elizabeth Williams Andrews) and from "Mama" to "Bessie" (Elizabeth Williams Andrews to Elizabeth Parkhill Andrews). 1886 | |||||||||
| 5 | 12 | Correspondence from Elizabeth Williams Andrews to "Bessie" (Elizabeth Parkhill Andrews). 1888 | |||||||||
| 5 | 13 | Correspondence from Elizabeth Williams Andrews to her daughter, Elizabeth Parkhill Andrews; William Watson Andrews to his wife, Elizabeth Williams Andrews; and from Sherman Adams to Mary Williams McLean. 1890 - 1903 | |||||||||
| 5 | 14 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Thomas Williams and Elias Potter. 1811 - 1903 | |||||||||
| 5 | 15 | Correspondence between Williams family members: Mary Williams, Sophia Williams, and Elizabeth Williams. 1811 - 1903 | |||||||||
| 5 | 16 | Correspondence from "Mamie" to "Mama" (Mary Williams Andrews to Elizabeth Williams Andrews) and from "Mama" to "Betsy" (Elizabeth Williams Andrews to Elizabeth Parkhill Andrews. 1811 - 1903 | |||||||||
| 5 | 17 | Copies of correspondence concerning such individuals as George Pitkin Clerk, Joseph Warren, and Joseph Trumbull. 1763-1903 | |||||||||
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Return to the Table of Contents II. Personal Notes |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 18 | Day book; religious notes. February 1776 - February 1795 | |||||||||
| 5 | 19 | Day book; religious notes. February 1795 - April 1805 | |||||||||
| 5 | 20 | Day book; religious notes. April 1805 - May 1811 | |||||||||
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Return to the Table of Contents III. Accounts |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 21 | Accounts kept by William Williams. 1775-1811 | |||||||||