.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Our Williamson Family's Origins Solved! Charles Williamson Proven Wrong. Our Williamson Ancestors didn't Arrive in Virginia by Crashed Flying Saucer

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons.
For three years I've searched high and low for the holy grail of our family's history - the parentage of Mathew Williamson, father our Great Great Grandfather George Mathew Williamson, Grandfather to our Great Grandfather William Jonathan Williamson. Many of you regular reader's have traveled beside me along this path and remember my frustrations at trying to divine facts from nearly silent sources. It's like coercing water from a rock. Everything I've posted to date has been circumstantial - until today.

I believe I've found the missing link. I believe I have the evidence necessary to state without doubt the parentage of our GGG Grandfather Mathew Williamson.
Mathew Williamson was married to Selina Dandridge Jeffries. Their only child was George Mathew Williamson. The Relationship Chart below shows the ancestral line to us:


The Family of George Mathew Williamson and Margaret Ann Willis. Our
GG Grandfather William is first on the left of the back row.

William Jonathan Williamson and Effie Helen Victor's family in Sundance Montana.

My theory on the parents of Matthew Williamson is outlined in this extensive post. You may want to reread it to trace the path of logic I've used to date.

When all was said and done, my theory linking us to Cutbirth Williamson was just that - a theory based on all available evidence - a theory that couldn't be proved.

The Breakthrough

This afternoon I found the last wills and testaments of Susanna White Williamson and Cutbirth Williamson, recorded in the Charlotte County Virginia Courthouse.

I draw your attention to a quote from Susanna's White Williamson's Will.
".... to my Grand Son George M. Williamson the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars..."
And there it is, the tie linking our GG Grandfather George Mathew Williamson to his grandparents Susanna White Williamson and Cutbirth Williamson. I wondered why Susanna White Williamson left $150.00 to our GG Grandfather George M. Williamson (that gift in today's money would be roughly $4000.00). Then I remembered my theory from the "extensive post" mentioned in the paragraph above. I believe Mathew Williamson died when George was a young boy. I believe George and his mother Selina had very little. Susanna knew of their circumstances and left the money to help her grandson find his way to adulthood.

Below you'll see a small section of our family tree taken from my Ancestry.com account. You'll see our Williamson line extending back into the 1600's.




On the same Virginia web site I found the last wills and testaments of other Great Grandparents along the Williamson line (below). Please use the family tree above to see your relation.


I'm hoping you find this information helpful in understanding the rich history of our Williamson name.

I believe I deserve a long rest........

Simply,
Victor