The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
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State of Service: NC
Qualifying Service: Patriotic Service
No record for this Patriot found in Find-A-Grave April 2022
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Author: Lt Col Gary Owen Green
Williams, Joseph (b. 1734-5 – d. after 1788) He married 8 Aug 1746 to Mary Hicks (b. about 1725, Brunswick County, VA; d. 1790, Duplin County, NC) Joseph Williams was given his father's patent in Johnson County, NC in 1745, and sold this patent to Robert Lee, March 31, 1752. About this time, it is likely that Joseph Williams and his family moved to Duplin County, NC, in the western part of the county, near Turkey, NC. His home place on Turkey Branch was purchased from Henry McCullough, and in later years was known as the Courthouse Plantation, because Joseph gave one acre of land for the Duplin Courthouse location. During the year 1752, he was elected sheriff to succeed Captain William McRae, Jr., serving for a period of five years. From the years 1762 to 1769, he was an officer in the colonial militia and was generally known as Col. Joseph Williams. In some accounts, Joseph is noted as a merchant, tavern keeper, miller and planter, but in a deed of gift to his children, May 10, 1763, he lists himself as Joseph Williams of the Parish of St. Gabriel’s, County of Duplin and of Province of NC, tavern keeper. The nearest thing found for a will for Joseph Williams are three deeds of gifts to several of his children. These deeds appear on page 1 of the Duplin County Court Records. [Sampson Co Deed Book 4, p. 120, 10 May 1763: Joseph Williams Deed of Howe Gift. His children: Daniel, Theophilus, Frances, and Easther. Wife: Mary.] The names of his daughters, Hester and Mary, were not mentioned in the deeds of gift, but Joseph had probably already provided for them earlier, as was the custom in those days. About the year 1787, Captain Williams and his wife were living on a plantation of 100 acres near the head of Bear Swamp in Duplin County. He is buried in Duplin County. Service: Private in Captain Moore’s Company, NC; served three years and imprisoned Apr 14, 1779. (NSDAR 1914-15 Report; Lucien Rising, Ancestry.com,
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