William Gilliam (abt. 1773 - aft. 1815)

Born about 1773 in Granville County, Province of North Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Mason (Tarver) Gilliam — married 11 Aug 1809 in Wilkes, Georgia, United States

Biography

William was born about 1773 in Granville County, NC to Harris Gilliam and Elizabeth Jordan. Elizabeth Jordan was the daughter of George Jordan, Jr and Sarah Hunt. Mason Tarver, whom William will marry was the daughter of Elizabeth Jordan and John Tarver. John Tarver's wife Elizabeth, was the daughter of George Jordan and Hannah Smith. George Jordan, Jr, is not the son of George Jordan and Hannah Smith, but another George Jordan.

William Gilliam is shown as the husband of Mason Tarver in a lawsuit over the estate of Mason's father, John Tarver.

Estate of John Tarver, Wilkes Co., GA ^[1]

1815 - Receipts of Elizabeth Tarver, Wm. Gibson, Samuel Tarver and Wm. Gilliam in part of their legacies.

Jan 1815 - Elizabeth Tarver, wid, vs. Richard, Samuel, Benj., and Andrew Tarver and Wm. Gibson, Wm. Gilliam, and Jas Jordan. Bill in equity for dower in real estate, slaves Jesse and Hannah and Hannah’s children.

Richard Tarver in his answer says while Elizabeth was living with his father as his wife, Richard owned land etc. and that Hannah was loaned to his mother by the will of Geo. Jordan, and that Jim was given to said Richard and Hannah’s other children are younger than Jim.

The petition of Elizabeth Tarver in this suit was dated 18 Apr 1814. Says she married John Tarver, dec’d, Sept 5, 1795. Apr. 26, 1808 - John Tarver signed his will, in which he named his children, Richard Tarver, Patience Gibson (then and now the wife of Wm. Gibson), Mason Tarver (then the wife of Robt. Tarver and since intermarried with Wm. Gilliam), Charlotte Tarver (then and now the wife of Samuel Tarver), Benj. and Andrew Tarver, all of Wilkes Co., except Charlotte and Samuel who reside in Burke Co.

John Tarver died Sept. 6, 1810. He app. David Bates, now dec’d and Jas. Jordan now of Oglethorpe Co., excrs.

John purchased of Wm. Gibson in 1806 or 1807, 25 acres of land being Williams part of a tract he and his brother Geo. Gibson bought of Wm. Digby.

The slave Hannah and her children were given to the first wife by a Mr. Jordan.

July 1818 - Dower in land awarded.

Timeline

Birth
abt 1773 • Granville County, NC

Tax
1799 • Jefferson County, GA
Tax List of 1799 William Gillam Tarver District, Jefferson County Jeffery, Alice. ^[2]

Tax List
1802 • Jefferson County, GA

Marriage
bef 1803
William was married prior to his marriage to Mason Tarver
"I give and bequeath to my son William Gillum and his heirs the bed and furniture he had of me at his marriage . . ."

Will of Harris Gilliam
18 Oct 1803 • Wake County, NC
I give and bequeath to my son William Gillum and his heirs the bed and furniture he had of me at his marriage, one negro boy called Davy, one negro man named America one walnut desk one gun and all my ammunition and my silver shoe and knee buckle

Marriage
9 Aug 1809 • Wilkes, Georgia
Mason TARVER

Guardian
5 Mar 1810 • Wilkes County, GA
Page 417--William Gillum appointed guardian of Mariah Tarver, now two years old, orphan of Robert Tarver, dec'd of Burke Co., whose widow William Gillum has since married.

Research

Caution should be taken when researching the William Gilliams of early Georgia as there were several:

• William Gilliam of Albemarle County, VA who married Elizabeth Ellis. William left an estate in Wilkes County, GA in 1798.
• William Gilliam who married Fanny Walton on 28 May 1807 in Lincoln County, GA. This William died in the Alabama Territory in 1826, in that part that became the Mississippi Territory per estate papers administered by his widow and Robert Walton in Madison County, AL
• William Gilliam who married Ephiah Ford on 8 Dec 1807 in Hancock County, GA. Little is known about this William.
• William Gilliam who married Mason Tarver, the widow of Robert Tarver, on 9 Aug 1809 in Wilkes County, GA. William Gilliam may have died before 1819 when Richard Tarver makes his will remembering sister Gilliam and makes provision for the education of John Gilliam.
• William Gilliam, son of Burrell Gilliam of Northampton County, NC. Per administration papers of Adams and Burrell Gilliam, 1815, Northampton County granted Power of Attorney to son-in-law, Elias Hodges. Power of Attorney stated that both William Gilliam and Elias Hodges are of Jefferson County, GA.
• William Gilliam who married Miss Harris the daughter of Edward Harris who left an estate about 1826 in Greene County, GA mentioning son Gilliam Harris. William Gilliam and Miss Harris married before 1818. This William is the father of William Harris Gilliam who married Lucinda Fambrough per deed: Harris Heirs to William H Gilliam dated 22 Oct 1847 in Greene County. Amy, Sarah & Polly Harris gave land in Greene and Oglethorpe Counties, GA to William Harris Gilliam. They had inherited this land from their father, Edward Harris. Living on an adjacent tract was their brother, Gilliam Harris.
• William Gilliam, son of Devereaux Gilliam and Edith Ellis, married Jean Smith about 1791. She was the daughter of William Smith who left a will dated 1815 in Patrick County, VA mentioning daughter Jean Gilliam and grandchildren Nancy E Gilliam and Susanna Gilliam. This William died before December 1826 in Alabama per probate records in Oglethorpe County, GA which state William was "late of Alabama." His administrator was son-in-law Mark Smith. (This William Gilliam is the nephew of the William Gilliam of Albemarle County, VA above.)

Both of the Williams that died in Alabama both died about 1826, making it difficult not to co-mingled their lines. Fortunately, both left estates one in Madison County, AL and, the other, in Oglethorpe County, GA.

In the 1827 Land Lottery, "the orphans [plural] of William Gillum, decd" received one draw of land: Section 3, District 5, Lot 44. Since two William Gilliams died about 1826 it is difficult to determine who was awarded the Lottery Land.

Sources

1. ↑ Davidson, Grace Gillam, “Early Records of Georgia: Wilkes County,” originally published, Macon, GA, 1933; reprinted 1968 and 1992, Southern Historical Press, Inc., Greenville, SC, Vol. 2, pp. 301-302.
2. ↑ Georgia Tax Index, 1789-1799 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1998.

• Davidson, Grace Gillam, Early Records of Georgia: Wilkes County, originally published, Macon, GA, 1933; reprinted 1968 and 1992, Southern Historical Press, Inc., Greenville, SC, Vol. 2, p. 302.
• Ancestry.com. Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: County Marriage Records, 1828–1978. The Georgia Archives, Morrow, Georgia.