Life History

Notes

• Family genealogies often report one wife of Thomas J WIlliams, named Elizabeth Poteet.  A couple have the name as Elizabeth Porter.  All seem to reference the same marriage record, with the date 8 or 9 December 1880.  And a memorial on Find a Grave reports her burial in Walters Oklahoma in 1919.   Most genealogies have only one wife for Thomas.  A few have Lizzie Pritchard as a second wife, but are uncertain which wife the children go under.
  
  However, Thomas' daughter Beulah was born in January 1880.  The marriage record is recorded in Thomas in Madison County, Mississippi in December 1880, with the bride's name as Lizzy V Pritchard.  It could be that Pritchard was a first married name.  And it could be enumerator error on the maiden name.
  
  In earlier censuses in Madison County, both Poteets and Pritchards live nearby, though no Porters.  The 1870 and 1880 censues, however, offer only a Poteet family with a daughter to match Ellizabeth/Lizzie of an age matching Lizzie Pritchard or Elizabeth Porter in later records.  But then we still have the problem of Beulah's birth 11 months before the marriage.
  
  Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935
  T J Williams
  Lizzie V Pritchard
  Marriage 8 Dec 1880 Madison County
  
  In 1900 Thomas' wife was reported as Elizabeth Williams, and reported they had been married 20 years, matching the Mississippi marriage record for Lizzie (Elizabeth) Pritchard.  In 1900 they were living in Grandview, Texas, southwest of Ft Worth.  Birth of all the reported children in Mississippi would tell us they moved to Texas some time after Frank's birth in April 1888, assuming the birth year is correct on the census.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Johnson County, Texas, 13 June, Grandview, District 64, page 12A (scan 290A), Hse/Fam #204
  Williams, Thomas J Head  W M May 1845  55 Married 20 yrs England England England Farmer Owns
  Williams, Elizabeth  Wife W F Aug 1847  32 Married 20 yrs 4 chidlren/4 living MS MS MS
  Williams, Mary L  Dau W F Sept 1883 16 MS England MS
  Williams, Tomaline Dau W M Mar 1886  14 MS England MS
  Williams, Frank Son W M Apr 1888  12 MS England MS
  
  The 1910 census, if it is correct, offers to settle the question of the numer of wives for Thomas.  This census reports that both Thomas and LIzzie had been married only once.  They had been married for 30 years, according to this report.  This would make them married about 1880, matching the two reports of marriage: one Mississippi marriage record of 8 December 1880, and Elizabeth Porter's obituary with the marriage date of 9 December 1880.
  
  Several genealogies report her maiden name as Poteet, but her obituary has the name Porter.  The three different maiden names, Poteet, Porter and Pritchard, are still a mystery.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Comanche County, Oklahoma, 19 April, Walters, Strauss Township, District 65, page 11B, Hse/Fam #207
  Williams, Thomas J Head  M W  67  Married 30 yrs England England England Naturalized 1862 No Occupation Owns
  Williams, Lizzie Wife F W 61 Married 30 yrs 4 children/4 living Mississippi Tennessee Alabama
  Williams, Frank W Son M W 22 Single Texas England Mississippi
  
  Elizabeth Porter Williams
  BIRTH 1 Aug 1848 Neshoba County, Mississippi, USA
  DEATH 1 Jul 1919 Walters, Cotton County, Oklahoma, USA
  BURIAL Walters Cemetery, Walters, Cotton County, Oklahoma, USA
  The Cotton County Democrat, July 3, 1919 - Elizabeth Williams died at her home in Walters July 1, 1919.  She was born Elizabeth Porter in Neshoba Co, Miss, Aug 1, 1848.  On Dec 9, 1880 she married T J Williams.  They had 4 children, Mrs R C Brinkley, Mrs M S Ezel, Mrs C H Payne and F E, all of in or near Walters.  She was a member of the Baptist church then joined the Christian church 32 years ago.  Burial was in the Walters Cemetery.
  Created by Rick Miller 13 Jan 2010
  --  Find A Grave Memorial 46629671, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46629671/Elizabeth-Williams
  
  The name in the obit here is Porter, but most genealogies have Poteet.  The children and other facts match reports for Thomas J Williams and Elizabeth Poteet.  We refer above to a marriage record for T J Williams in Madison County, Mississippi, on 8 December 1880, one day different from the date reported in the obituary here for Elizabeth Poteet.  That is close enough; the 8th could be for the license issuance and the 9th for the actual ceremony.  Still, the only marriage record referenced has the bride as Lizzie V Pritchard.
  
  But this late date of marriage clashes with the birth date of Thomas' daughter Beulah Mae 11 months earlier in January 1880.  This discrepancy has not been resolved.

Sources

• 1. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 2. 1910 Federal Census, Comanche County, Oklahoma
  • 19 April, Walters, Strauss Township, District 65, page 11B, Hse/Fam #207
• 3. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2000
• 4. Obituary of Robert Clarence Brinkley
• 5. Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935
• 6. 1900 Federal Census, Johnson County, Texas
  • 13 June, Grandview, District 64, page 12A (scan 290A), Hse/Fam #204
• 7. 1930 Federal Census, Cotton County, Oklahoma
  • 25 April, Jackson Township, District 7, page 12A, Hse/Fam #244
• 8. Ancestry Trees
  • Williams/Brinkley/Mason/Vaughn, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/49994/person/-779861868?ssrc=&ftm=1
• 9. Email Sources