Rebecca Jane (Britton) Williams (1850 - 1927)

Born 14 Feb 1850 in Shiloh Battlefield, Hardin County, Tennessee, USA

Wife of Thomas Henry Williams Jr. — married 30 May 1869 in McNairy, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 20 Sep 1927 at age 77 in Sherman, Grayson County, Texas, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Katrina Miller [send private message]

Biography

Rebecca was born on a plantation on February 14, 1850, in Shiloh, Tennessee, to William and Mary Anne Britton. As a small girl, she remembers the Battle of Shiloh literally in her backyard, and a cannonball crashing through the yard. The Brittons supposedly hid their money at the bottom of a barrel of pecans. Another story is that the family helped hide a Confederate soldier in the house under the bed. He died, and they buried him. A bloodstain was left on the floorboard, and they could never fully clean it up. Both of these stories were passed down from Rebecca herself, and we don't know if they're fully true.

Rebecca married Thomas Henry Williams Jr. on May 30, 1869, in McNairy, Tennessee, USA.^[1][2][3]

He had been a drummer boy for the Confederate Army. They signed a marriage contract. It is also said that the first time Rebecca had to brush her hair herself was after she married Thomas. She always had a servant growing up who did these things for her. Into this marriage, ten children were born.

Around 1893, the family moved to Manuta, Collin County, Texas, USA. The town was located in between Anna, and Van Alstyne. It is now a luxury housing complex. Thomas was a peddler and farmer. According to Census records (1900 & 1910), the family had two live-in cooks: Charlie Poole and Charlie Ford.

Rebecca passed away on September 20, 1927, in Sherman, Grayson, Texas from a gastrointestinal disorder.^[4] According to her obit, she was buried the following day at the Van Alstyne Cemetery beside her son, George, who had passed away at a young age.^[5]

Family Search

Family Search #LV46-PQ7

Census

1850

1860^[6]

1870

1880^[7]

1890 - destroyed

1900^[8]

1910^[9]

1920^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ "Tennessee Marriages, 1796-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XD7Q-8QP : 16 March 2020), Rebecca J. Brittan in entry for Thomas H. Williams, 1869.
2. ↑ "Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNDL-8FJ : 4 December 2014), Thomas H (Unknown) Williams and Rebecca J Britton, 30 May 1869; from "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing p. 324, McNairy, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.
3. ↑ "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKHM-67QL : 10 March 2021), Thomas H Williams and Rebecca J Britton, 30 May 1869; citing McNairy, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 983,068.
4. ↑ "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3Q2-KTM : 20 February 2021), Rebecca Williams, 20 Sep 1927; citing certificate number 30484, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,114,334.
5. ↑ Page 4 of The Van Alstyne Leader, published in Van Alstyne, Texas on Thursday, September 22nd, 1927
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TD-DRF : 18 February 2021), Rebecca J Britton in entry for Wm Britton, 1860.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD76-9RC : 20 February 2021), Rebecca Williams in household of Thomas T Williams, District 10, Hardin, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district ED 49, sheet 102C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,260.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3L3-LJB : accessed 18 August 2021), Rebeca Williams in household of Thomas H Williams, Justice Precinct 3 (east & north part), Collin, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 12, sheet 13B, family 238, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,621.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M29Q-Z28 : accessed 18 August 2021), Bekak William in household of Thomas H William, Justice Precinct 4, Grayson, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 98, sheet 2B, family 31, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1557; FHL microfilm 1,375,570.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHYM-PX2 : 3 February 2021), Rebecca Williams in entry for Andrew Rockford, 1920.

• *Van Alstyne Cemetery, Van Alstyne, Grayson County, Texas, USA. Williams, Rebecca B. (1850-1927)

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 06 March 2019), memorial page for Rebecca Jane Britton Williams (14 Feb 1850–20 Sep 1927), Find A Grave Memorial no. 40252154, citing Van Alstyne Cemetery, Van Alstyne, Grayson County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by rhondajo (contributor 47044794) .