Several articles have been written about Peter Willliamson, his ancestors and his descendants in the past. However, based on records that have been found regarding his service in St. Clair’s War and in Fairfield Co. and Licking Co., OH some of the statements in earlier articles seem to be questionable.
In the 1850 Monroe Township, Licking Co., OH census Peter was listed as 86 years old and born in VA. This gives him a birth date of about 1764. However, it is not known where he was born in VA if that is, indeed, his birth state.
Both Peter Williamson, Sr. and Jr. paid taxes in Berkeley, Co., VA in 1782. Only one Peter Williamson was in the 1787 tax list. There was a Peter Williamson family from New Jersey in Berkeley Co. at that time. Our Peter Williamson was too young to have been in the 1782 tax list so it is difficult to know just who the Peter Williamson might have been in the 1787 tax list.
One of our Peter ‘s applications for bounty land was made 19 Apr 1851 before Justice of the Peace James Johnson in Licking Co., OH. Peter was listed as 86 years old giving him a birth date of 1764 or 1765. He tesitfied that he was an Orderly Sergeant in the company commanded by Captain William Lewis in the regiment of United States Troops commanded by Colonel Dark in the war of the United States against the Indians in the year 1791 under General St. Clair. He said he enlisted in Hagerstown, MD on or about the 16th of May 1791 for a term of six months and remained in active service until on or about the 4th day of Nov 1791 and was present at the engagement with the Indians. He was wounded in the right leg so severely that he was confined at the hospital at Fort Washington for thirty days and at the end of the time, still being unable to travel, he remained that winter in Kentucky until, in March 1792 (when he was able to travel), he started for his home where he arrived in April 1792. Unfortunately he didn’t say where “home” was. Fort Washington was present Cincinnati., OH.
Peter received 80 acres of land in IN as a result of this application. Warrant 33.418. This land is in Newton Co., IN and was assigned to Joseph Evans in May 1853. (Joseph was a son of Jonah Evans who had once lived in Monroe Twp., Licking Co., OH but had moved his family to Noble Co., IN by the time this land was sold.
Peter appeared before the mayor of Johnstown, Monroe Twp., Licking Co., OH 11 Jan 1858 to apply for more bounty land. His age is listed as 94 years, again this gives him a birth date in 1764. He gave the same information that he gave in the earlier application regarding those who were his officers in St Clair’s War. He gave the same day of enlistment but it appears that he said he enlisted in Harisburg, Maryland rather than Hagerstown. He said he was discharged at Fort Washington in Nov or Dec 1791. He had an honorable discharge which had been lost. He was making this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the Bounty land to which he might be entitled under the Act, granting Bounty land to certain officers and soldiers who were engaged in the Military Service of the United States passed Sept 28, 1850. He declared that he received a warrant for 80 acres of land which he disposed of and could not now control and had not received any other or made application.>p> Apparently no bounty land was issued as a result of this application. Perhaps he was not entitled to more or perhaps Peter died before it could be acted on. See page 441 of The GREEN Tree” by Robert M. Green.
Jonathan Williamson, a grandson of Peter, indicated that Peter and John Williamson had served in the War of 1776. Nothing has been found to date to prove this statement. Jonathan stated that Peter’s father John was born about 1735 but he does not say where John was born. He indicated that John was a brother of Hugh Williamson who was in command at the massacre at Gnadenhutten in 1782. However, it was David Williamson who was in command there and his father’s name was John Willamson, son of Samuel Williamson. This family was in PA. No relationship has been found between this family and that of our Peter Williamson or his father.
Jonathan Williamson said that Peter’s father John married Peggy Aunen, dau. of Gen. Joseph Aunen of Ireland. He mentioned that they had 3 sons, Charles, John and our Peter. Nothing has been found to prove this. However, Peter named on of his sons Joseph Annin Williamson which would SEEM to point to some relationship to a Joseph Annin/Aunen.
On 29 Jul 1801 Peter Williamson married Rebecca Green, dau. of Regnal Green, in Fairfield Co., OH. A Peter Williamson was a Justice of the Peace in Fairfield Co. in 1810 and 1811 for he performed some marriages during that time. A Peter Williamson, b. 1768 from Berkeley Co., VA was living in Fairfield Co. from about 1806 to Jan 1812 (when he died) so it is assumed he was called Peter Jr. and our Peter Williamson b 1764 , was called Peter Sr. When Peter Jr. died in 1812 Peter Williamson, Sr. witnessed his Will along with Ann Cross in Fairfield Co., OH. It is ASSUMED that the Peter Sr. was our Peter Williamson.
Jonathan Williamson’s article said that Peter brought his family from VA to Johnstown, Licking Co., OH in 1812. However, it appears that Peter was in Fairfield Co., OH in 1812 not in VA. In an article about Joseph A. Williamson that appeared in the Newark Advocate newspaper (Newark, Licking Co., OH) in 1883, it said that Peter move his family to Monroe Twp., Licking Co., OH 1818 when Joseph was 14 years old. This may be true for Peter Williamson paid taxes on several parcels of land in Fairfield Co., until 1819. We may never know the actual date they arriived in Licking Co.but we do know they were living there by the 1820 census. A John Williamson family was living next to them at that time and it is possible that this was John and Deborah Green Williamson and their family. It is not known who this John Williamson was. If he was Peter’s son, Peter apparently had an earlier wife we are unaware of or It may be that John Williamson was a son of Peter’s supposed brother Charles. John moved on to Franklin Co. by the next census.
In 1820 Peter and Rebecca’s family consisted of 2 males under 10 (namely James b. 1812 and Jacob b. ca 1814/15) , one male 10-16 (namely Joseph Annin, b Aug 1804), and one who was listed as 16-18 and also in the 16-26 category. The latter one would have been George b Dec 1802. There were also three females in the family other than Rebecca Green Williamson. They were all in the 10-16 category. We know daughter Sidney was born in1808 so she would have been one of those females. However we do not know who the others might have been. Jonathan Williamson said there was a daughter Sallie who was the wife of William Green and the mother of William Warren Green b 1818. If this is correct she would have been gone from the home by 1820 census. Peter and Rebecca are said to have had a daughter Rebecca also but if she is the female named Rebecca age 28 living with Peter in the 1850 census she was born about 1822 (after the 1820 census).
A history of the Williamson family written by Judd Williamson., another descendant of Peter’s, says Peter and Rebecca had 4 daughters but he doesn’t name a Sallie. He says they were Siddie (Sidney), Cynthia, Becky, and Mary. Judd made many errors in other families in his history so one cannot assume that these names are correct but they are possibilities. However, nothing is known about a Cynthia or a Mary Williamson.
Because the Licking County Courthouse was destroyed by fire in April 1875 many marriage records that would prove useful in researching the Williamson family were burned.
From deeds we learn that Peter Williamson of Monroe Twp., Licking Co. bought land in that township 30 Aug 1827 from the heirs of Oliver Bigelow for $155. His purchase contained 89 acres more or less and was on the border of Monroe and Jersey Townships south of Johnstown. It is described as being in Range fifteen, Township three, Section four in Licking Co., in United States Military Lands. It being lot number seven in the second range of lots in said section. Witness to the sale were Jacob Green and Morgan (Vol. R pg. 3)
In February 1838 Peter sold part of that land (20 and a half acres) to his son James for $100. Both Peter and Rebecca signed the deed and it was witnessed by Rebecca Williamson (Presumably their daughter. This would indicate that she was old enough to be a witness and hence would have been born before 1822.) and B. S. Cross. (Vol. GG pg. 146). In Nov 1843 Peter and Rebecca sold more of their land (14 acres) to their son James for $50. Rebecca signed her name Becca Willliamson in this deed. It was witnessed by B.S. Cross and Rees McClelland. (Vol. PP pg. 105-196) In Feb 1849 only Peter signed the deed when he sold six acres to son James Williamson for $150. (Vol. 54 pg. 534) This indicates that Rebecca must have died between Nov 1843 and Feb 1849.
On Jun 6 1850 Peter sold 10 acres to Annon Williamson for $20 (Vol. 57 pg. 440) and on 25 Jun he sold sixteen and a half acres to James Williamson for $245 which the deed indicates was the residue of Peter’s 89 acres except for 10 acres which had been sold to Anon Williamson, 6 acres to B.S. Cross, and fifty six and a half acres to James Williamson (Vol. 57 pg. 211) There was no deed for the six acres to B.S. Cross prior to that time but in March 1856 Peter sold 6 acres to Lucinda Cross, B. S. Cross’ widow, for $75. (Vol. 71 pg. 538)
Peter and Rebecca are said to be buried on their property along with 21 other members of their family in unmarked graves.
Of interest is the deed for Rebecca Williamson from James Q. Hughes in Mar 1851. This is presumably Peter Williamson’s daughter. She paid $ 175 for twenty five acres of land in Jersey Twp. This land would have been south of the land owned by James Williamson at that time. James Williamson was a witness to that deed along with James Johnston. A Rebecca Williamson b 1833, d. 1853 is buried in Jersey Twp., Licking Co. If this is Peter’s daughter Rebecca the birth date has either not been copied correctly or is in error on the tombstone.
Known children of Peter and Rebecca Green Williamson were:
George b. Dec 1802 d. Feb 1880 m. Sena Cross and Mary Evans
Joseph b. Aug 1804 d 1899 m. Hopie Randolph and Rachel Hartsock
Sidney b 1808 d. 1885 m Ebenezer Williams
James b 1813 d 1896 m. Malinda Green
Jacob b ca 1814or 15 d unknown m. Nancy Hartsock
Rebecca b possibly 1822 or earlier. d. possibly 1853
Compiled by:
Vivian Bishop Boerger
Shelton, WA.
VBoerg@aol.com
Dec 1995
