William Gilliam (1749 - abt. 1816)

Born 1 Oct 1749 in Albemarle Parish, Surry County, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Ephiah (Ford) Gilliam — married 8 Dec 1807 in Hancock, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died about 1816 at about age 66 in Jefferson, Georgia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Greg Gilliam [send private message]

Biography

William was born in 1749. He was the son of Burwell Gilliam and Ann Johnson. He passed away about 1816.

Per the Estate of Burwell Gilliam, William and his family removed to Jefferson County, GA. Found there are several Gilliams including a Miles, presumably named after his deceased uncle.

It has been mistakenly stated that this William married secondly Sophia Ford. The original marriage record clearly reads Ephiah Foard.

Timeline

Birth
1 Oct 1749 • Albemarle Parish, Surry County, VA

Marriage
abt 1785
Miss Unknown

Will of Burrell Gilliam
13 Nov 1799 • Northampton County, NC
money divided between my sd. wife and Patty Folks, Franky Gale, William and Moses Gillam, Nancy Norwood, Rebecca Alley, Wiatt Gillam and my grandson Burrell Gillam, the son of Wiatt Gillam.

Tax List
1799 • Jefferson County, GA
William Gillam Tarver District, 13 slaves. Jefferson County ^[1]

Tax List
1801 • Jefferson County, GA
William Gilliam, 16 slaves

Tax List
1802 • Jefferson County, GA
William Gillam, 17 slaves

Tax List
1805 • Jefferson County, GA
William Gilliam, 100 acres, one poll, 21 slaves, adjacent D. Thomas and Rockey Comfort Creek

Tax List
1806 • Jefferson County, GA
William Gilliam, 100 acres, 22 slaves, adjacent D. Thomas and Rockey Comfort Creek

Marriage
8 Dec 1807 • Hancock County, GA
by John Daniel, Justice of the Peace
Ephiah FORD
(1788–)

Tax List
1807 • Jefferson County, GA
William Gilliam, 100 acres, 22 slaves, adjacent D. Thomas and Rockey Comfort Creek

Tax List
1808 • Jefferson County, GA
William Gilliam, 100 acres, 22 slaves, adjacent D. Thomas and Rockey Comfort Creek

Deed: William Gilliam of Jefferson and Margaret, his wife to Benjamin Gobert
6 Feb 1809 • Jefferson County, GA
one hundred and twenty three acres be the same more or less bounded Northwardly by Rees’ Land, Westwardly by Bowdress[?] Land, southwardly by Daniel Thomases Land and Eastwardly by said Gobert’s Land being part of a tract of land containing two hundred acres originally granted to Daniel Thomas the nineteenth day of March One thousand seven hundred and six.^[2]

Tax List
1809 • Jefferson County, GA
William Gillam, 100 acres, 23 slaves, adjacent Gobert on Reedy Branch [Miles makes his first appearance in Tax List in 1809]

Administration of Adams and Burrell Gilliam"
28 Jan 1815 • Northampton, North Carolina, USA
Administration of Adams and Burrell Gilliam, 1815. Power of Attorney of William Gilliam of Jefferson County, GA. ^[3]

Post Office
1816 • Jefferson County, GA
Thursday, February 22, 1816: A LIST OF LETTERS - In The Post Office at Louisville, on the 1st day of January, 1816: William Gilliam

Death
abt 1818 • Jefferson County, GA

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 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. This William married secondly Ephiah Ford on 8 Dec 1807 in Hancock County, GA. William's son Miles is guardian for William and Ephiah's son James P Gillum, Miles' half-brother.
• 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 orphan [singular in original] 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. ↑ Jeffery, Alice. Georgia Tax Index, 1789-1799 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1998.
2. ↑ Jefferson. Deeds 1874–1877, Mortgages 1874–1877, Image 165 of 344
3. ↑ Northampton Estate Record, 1766-1911, Image 46868

• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/50409290/person/26123180210/facts