Chris and Nancy

17. Harriet Isabelle Maywood Williams Nichols #52ancestors

Harriet Isabelle Maywood Williams was the wife of Ezekiel H. Nichols and the daughter of James Henry Williams and Clarissa Richards.

She was the mother of at least ten children including my great grandfather James Ira Nichols.    

She was born in 1852 and died in 1905 and she is buried next to her husband in Franklin County, Virginia. Her father died of fever while serving Virginia in the Civil War. Her husband Zeke died of acute influenza in 1920.

LINKS

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=129141217

http://www.geni.com/people/Harriet-Nichols/6000000020071594282

http://www.hodges-hodge-society.org/db/getperson.php?personID=I561&tree=37

34. James Henry Williams CSA POW #52ancestors #WednesdaysWall

Private James Henry "Bill" Williams was a farmer and a gambler who served Virginia in the Civil War. Legend says, he was captured by the union army and died a Prisoner of War. His wife, Clarissa Richards Williams also lost 5 brothers in the war and so she hid one of her sons to keep him from being hanged by Homeland Security, oops, I mean the "Home Guard."              

Bill Williams father is unknown and so he is my Wednesdays Wall. His mother's name was Malinda Smith Williams. He was the father of my ancestor Isabelle Williams Nichols and he is my 3rd great grandfather....

LINKS

http://www.hodges-hodge-society.org/db/getperson.php?personID=I557&tree=37   
http://www.geni.com/people/James-Henry-Williams-CSA-POW/6000000011016399097   

16. Ezekiel H. Nichols AKA Zeke #52ancestors

This seems like a good time to write about my 2nd great grandfather Ezekiel H. Nichols as my cousin recently took a picture of his grave and his wife Isabelle's too. Zeke was born probably about 1844 in
Franklin, Virginia and died in 1920 at the age of 76 from Influenza. He is buried in Franklin County, Virginia. My cousin Kathie recently went to his grave to take photos and she created a Find A Grave profile for him too...

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=129141101                           

Although his tombstone says he died in April, his Death Certificate says he died in May. And while all other known records say his father was named John his Death Certificate says he is the son of Ezekiel.

http://www.geni.com/people/Ezekiel-H-Nichols/6000000010935258011

Zeke was the father of James Ira Nichols and the grandfather of my grandfather Rufus. He married Isabelle Williams the daughter of James Williams and Clarissa Richards, His mother was Martha Jones, daughter of Ezekiel Jones and Elizabeth Prindle.          

Here he is pictured with his wife Isabelle and 3 sons the one on the right is my great grandfather James....

L-R Emanuel Hankin Nichols, Ezekiel Hankin Nichols, George Haden Nichols, Isabelle Maywood Williams Nichols, James Ira Nichols.

70. Christopher Richards, Sr. (1802- 1892) Lost 5 sons in the war. #52ancestors

Found a memorial to my ancestor Christopher Richards, Sr. on FindAGrave.com by my cousin Harold G. Richards. It reads....

Christopher was the son of Waitman Richards and Sarah "Sally" Hodges. Waitman's family lived about 6 miles south east of Rocky Mount in Franklin County Virginia [between Sydnorsville and Sontag]. Waitman's father had established a large plantation there in 1758.
Christopher married Nancy Adeline Moore, daughter of Jacob Moore and Frances Shuffield; on February 9 1826 in Franklin County, and raised their family there.
Children I know of: 1. Clarissa Betty [1827] +James Henry Williams 2. Hamilton Wade [1834] +Mary Jane King 3. Robert E. [1835] +Sarah Jane Shilling 4. Christopher Jr. [1836] +Hannah Adeline Gearhart 5. Aly Anne +James B. Maxey 6. William [1838] +Sarah Jane Moore 7. Samuel M. [1840] 8. Sarah F. [1844] died at age 14 9. Louisa Abigail [1846] +Bruce Everett Maxey 10. Octavia [1847] +Robert Jackson 11. Lewis P. [1850] 12. Mary H. [1858]
1860 census South West Dist, Franklin Co VA Christo [sic] no family listed
Christopher had 5 sons serve and give their lives in the Civil War. Company "B", 42nd Virginia Infantry Regiment Roster RICHARDS: Christopher Jr., Hamilton Wade, Robert E., Samuel M., and William.
1880 census Maggodee Dist, Franklin Co VA Chris Richards 80 wife Nancy Richards 68 grandson Sam Mcd Richards 13 grandson Wm. C. Richards 15
LINEAGE: Waitman RICHARDS [1765] Franklin Co VA Edward RICHARDS [1731] MD/ Franklin Co VA Benjamin RICHARDS [1710] MD/old Lunenburg & Franklin Co VA Edward RICHARDS [1678] Manchester, Lancashire England/MD
Family links: Parents: Waitman Richards (1765 - 1845) Sarah Hodges Richards (1775 - 1830)
Children: Hamilton Wade Richards (1834 - 1862)* Christopher Richards (1834 - 1862)* Robert E. Richards (1835 - 1862)* William Richards (1838 - ____)* Samuel M. Richards (1840 - 1862)* Sarah F. Richards (1844 - 1858)* Louisa Abigail Richards Maxey (1845 - 1929)*

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=424577&GRid=93128960&

Harold has extensive records on the Richards line that we come from and I am glad to have found him and friended him on FindAGrave. The Richards line goes back to Lancashire England.
#52ancestors

35. Clarissa "Betty" Richards Williams #52ancestors

My third great grandmother, Clarissa A. Richards Williams AKA Betty. Ancestor 35.

http://www.hodges-hodge-society.org/db/getperson.php?personID=I466&tree=37
http://www.geni.com/people/Clarissa-Betty-Williams/6000000011016399093
http://records.ancestry.com/Clarissa_Betty_Richards_records.ashx?pid=126138363

Born in Franklin, Virginia, USA on May 1827 to Christopher Richards and Nancy Moore. Clarissa Betty married James Henry Williams and had at least 2 children. She passed away on 1910 in Virginia, USA. 


Betty's husband was a professional gambler and was a CSA private in the Civil War and died as prisoner of war June 1, 1862. After Betty's husband and five of her brothers died during the Civil War, Clarissa hid one of her boys in a cave, to keep him from being drafted or caught and hanged by the "Home Guard."

Sometimes Isabelle would go with her to take him food. They would walk down a stream bed, so they couldn't be tracked. After the war, Clarissa went with her daughter and son-in-law, who was a minister, to Bluefield, West Virginia. She owned a large amount of land in Franklin County, bought with her husband's gambling winnings (but we have not yet located the land records).

 In 1910 at age 85, she was living with her son Noah H. "Hank" Williams in Montgomery County, Virginia. *
 * This is taken from the book of John Marchel Reed and Anne Cora Nichols Reed by Nancy Mae Little Randers-Pehrson and Glenn Randers-Pherson