James Edward Williamson (1842 - 1915)

Born 26 Jan 1842 in Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Died 12 Feb 1915 at age 73 in Davidson, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

James Edward^[1] Williamson was born on 26 Jan 1842^[2] in Tennessee^[3][4][5][2] to John Newton Williamson (1810-1887) and Sarah P. (Fentress) Williamson (1813-1898)^[3][4][5][2].  He was a confederate soldier^[1], a farmer^[5], a gardiner^[6] and later a salesman^[2].

James married Mary L. Sayers on 6 May 1884 in Davidson County, Tennessee^[7].  The couple had no known children.

James died on 12 Feb 1915 in Davidson County, Tennessee^[2] and was buried in the family plot in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee^[8].

Research Notes

1. James' wife Mary MAY have been married prior to her marriage to James (unsourced from the FindAGrave memorial^[8]) in which case "Sayers" may not have been her maiden name.
2. The informant for the death certificate^[2] would have been James' younger brother.

References

1850 Census^[3]

1860 Census^[4]

1870 Census^[5]

1884 Marriage^[7]

1910 Census^[6]

1915 Death^[2]

1915 Burial^[8]

1915 Obituary^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} A newspaper obituary from the 13 Feb 1915 edition of the "Nashville Tennessean" is transcribed in the FindAGrave memorial cited above.  This reads :
   "James E Williamson
   James Edward Williamson, aged 73 years, a Confederate veteran, died yesterday afternoon at 1 o'clock.  He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary Baine Williamson; one brother, Geo. W and two sisters, Misses Susie and Jennie Williamson.  Funeral services will be conducted from the Wiles chapel [funeral home: Wiles Bros. & Co., J. H. Wiles] this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock by Rev. James I Vance, and the interment will follow at Mt. Olivet."
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966, FamilySearch (11 Mar 2024), entry for James E. Williamson and John N. Williamson, 1915.  This shows that "James E. Williamson" (age 73, born on 26 Jan 1842 in Tennessee, salesman, father="John N. Williamson", mother="Sarah P. Fentress - born Tennessee") died on 12 Feb 1915 in the Davidson County Asylum, Davidson County, Tennessee, United States.  Cause of death general ... insanity.  Informant was George W. Williamson of 314 Hancock Street.  Burial was on 13 Feb 1915 in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} United States Census, 1850 database with images, FamilySearch (12 April 2016), John Williamson, Davidson County, part of, Davidson, Tennessee, United States; citing family 583, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).  This shows :

   "John Williamson" (Male, age 40, born Tennessee, occupation laborer)

   "Sarah Williamson" (Female, age 36, born Tennessee)

   "Susan Williamson" (Female, age 14, born Tennessee)

   "Mary Williamson" (Female, age 12, born Tennessee)

   "Catharine Williamson" (Female, age 10, born Tennessee)

   "James Williamson" (Male, age 8, born Tennessee)

   "Francis Williamson" (Male, age 6, born Tennessee)

   "George Williamson" (Male, age 4, born Tennessee)

   "Cynthia Williamson" (Female, age 4 months, born Tennessee).

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} United States Census, 1860 database with images, FamilySearch (12 December 2017), S A Williamson in entry for J N Williamson, 1860.  This source is speculative due to use of initials only but the initials and ages roughly match the John N. Williamson and Sallie Sarah P. Fentress family.  This was enumerated on 6 Jun 1860 and shows that the family had moved north to the Western Division of Robertson County (post office Coopertown) and consisted of :

   "J N Williamson" (Male, age 51, born Tennessee, occupation farmer, value of real estate $700, other assets $165)

   "S P Williamson" (Female, age 46, born Tennessee)

   "S A Williamson" (Female, age 21, born Tennessee)

   "Jas Williamson" (Male, age 18, born Tennessee)

   "Geo Williamson" (Male, age 13, born Tennessee).
   

   Note that the family is listed on images 18 and 19 of the census.  Also on image 19, in the nearby household of J. H. Holmes, are "Smitha Ventress" (Female, age 71, born Virginia), "Mary Ventress" (Female, age 38, born Tennessee), "S Ventress" (Female, born 35, born Tennessee), "A J Ventress" (Male, age 22, born Tennessee), "Isalla Ventress" (Female, age 18, born Tennessee), "Geo Ventress" (Male, age 8, born Tennessee).  It is likely that "Smitha Ventress" is Sallie's mother, "Mary Ventress", "S Ventress" and "A J Ventress" are Sallie's siblings, "Isalla Ventress" is A. J. Fentress's wife and "Geo Ventress" is S. Fentress's son.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} United States Census, 1870, FamilySearch (5 Mar 2024), Entry for J N Williamson and Sarah Williamson, 1870.  This was enumerated on 20 Aug 1870 in Civil District 13, Robertson County, Tennessee, United States (post office Cedar Hill) and shows :

   "J N Williamson" (Head, M, age 60, born Tennessee, occupation farmer}

   "Sarah Williamson" (F, age 56, born Tennessee}

   "James Williamson" (M, age 27, born Tennessee, occupation farming}

   "G W Williamson" (M, age 22, born Tennessee, occupation farming}.

6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} United States Census, 1910, FamilySearch (10 Mar 2024), Entry for James E Williamson, 1910.  This was enumerated on 21 Apr 1910 in Nashville, Ward 24, Davidson County, Tennessee, United States and shows :

   "James E Williamson" (Male, age 66, Married 30 years, first marriage, born Tennessee, parents born Tennessee, occupation landscape gardiner, illiterate)

   "Mary L Williamson" (Wife, age 72, Married 30 years, first marriage, born Tennessee, parents born Tennessee, literate).

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950, FamilySearch (9 Mar 2024), Entry for Jas E Williamson and Mary L Sayers, 6 May 1884.  This shows that "Jas E Williamson" married "Mary L Sayers" on 6 May 1884 in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States.  Celebrant was G. A. Trenhalm, minister.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Find A Grave: Memorial #81501618 for James Edward Williamson (accessed 28 Apr 2024).
   The gravestone is depicted on the Williamson family gravestone and reads "JAM?? E., 18?2 - 1915".
   The entry says "James Edward Williamson, Birth 26 Jan 1842, Tennessee, Death 12 Feb 1915 (aged 73), Davidson County, Tennessee, Burial Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA, Plot Section 13, Lot 21".
   Links to memorials for both parents, spouse and five siblings are provided.
   Additional text reads: "Son of John Newton (1810-1887) and Sarah P. (Fentress) (1813-1898) Williamson.  The information for James is engraved on the side of the Williamson Family tombstone.
   Siblings:
   Catharine (1840-1854)
   Francis M (1844-1854) male
   Cynthia (1850-1851)
   Susie A. Williamson
   George W. Williamson
   Jennie M. Williamson
   James' wife, Mary Louise (Bain), was 1st married in 1870 to A C Sayer.  Mary was the daughter of Rev. John Ramsey Bain and wife, Sarah Elliott Crockett.  Although they had no children, Mary remembered her step daughter from her 1st marriage, Cora Sayer (memorial ID 200734884), in her will.  She also gave in her will her date of birth and her father's name, something unusual but much appreciated."
   There is also a newspaper obituary from the 13 Feb 1915 edition of the "Nashville Tennessean" - cited here separately.