This story begins in Wales prior to 1770, where 2 generations of the Washington Williams lineage lived (both patriarchs were named Thomas Williams). They came to America in the 1770’s. Thomas Williams (1775-9/1853) who was born in North Carolina. He married Hannah Hibbard (2/10/1882-11/11/1853) on August 11, 1800, in Grainger, Tennessee. He was 25 and she was 18. They had six children. They had settled in Jackson County, Missouri. In 1853, Albert and Hannah traveled west by wagon train with their son Jedediah and his family. He died in route to California. He was 78. She died the same year upon their arrival in Vacaville CA at age 71.
Jedediah Williams (5/18/1804-3/20/1878) was born in Knox, Kentucky. He married Mary Grant Polly Lewis on November 13, 1825, in Independence, Missouri. He was 21 and she was 18. Mary Grant Lewis is related to both Daniel Boone and Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame. (See family tree in Museum file).
They had ten children as follows:
- Jefferson Williams (9/28/1826-4/16/1908) died in Santa Ana, Orange Co CA at age 81
- Rosella Williams Rogers (4/1/1829 -12/22/1860) died in Vacaville, Solano Co CA at age 31
- Franklin Williams (2/22/1830-10/14/1909) died in Berkley, Alameda Co CA at age 79
- Washington Williams (12/24/1831-1/7/1911) died in Pasadena, Los Angeles CA at age 79
- Marshall Layfette Williams (1/11/1834-1/24/1906) died in Modesto CA at age 72
- Perry Williams (1836-4/15/1866) died in Mexico at age 30
- Mary Ann Williams Rogers (7/5/1838-6/4/1865) died in Vacaville, Solano Co CA at age 26
- Thomas Stuart Williams (3/22/1841-7/7/1882) died in Suisun Ca at age 41
- Harriett Miranda Williams (5/1846-11/5/1919) died in San Francisco CA at age 73
- Jedediah Williams Jr. (10/22/1849-1/1/1872) died in Vacaville, Solano Co CA at age 22
Coming to California over the Oregon Trail, Jedediah was a farmer. He died in Vacaville, California, at the age of 73. He was preceded in death by his wife who died at age 67. They are buried in Vacaville. Jedediah’s sons, Jefferson and Washington, settled in Tustin CA.
Jefferson Williams (9/2801826-4/16/1908) was born in Sibley, Missouri. He left Vacaville, seeking his fortune as a miner traveling in various part of California, Oregon and Idaho. In 1876, he joined his brother in Tustin Township. For many years he was a Beekeeper in Trabuco Canyon. He never married. He died at age 82 at the home of his nephew, Albert C Williams and is buried in Santa Ana Cemetery.
Washington Williams (12/24/1831-1/7/1911) was born in Sibley, Missouri. He married Elizabeth C Martin (4/2/1840-1/8/1914) on December 6, 1857, in Vacaville, California. He was 25 and she was 17. In 1874, traveling from Healdsburg California by oxen team, It took them 22 days to travel to Tustin Township. They were accompanied on this trip be Elizabeth’s brother William Washington Martin and his family who lived with them upon arrival. Prior to 1900 the Martin’s relocated to Ventura County CA.
They settled 20 acres on what became known as Williams St (south of Main St). They build temporary housing and finished their home two years later. Washington also acquired 24 acres in Delhi where he raised grain and stock animals. The Williams were neighbors of pioneers P.T. Adams and Hiram Snow.
Prior to 1910, Washington and Elizabeth moved to Pasadena, California and lived with their daughter Henrietta. He died in Pasadena at age 79 years, and buried in Altadena, California. Elizabeth died in Pasadena at age 73.
Washington and Elizabeth had one son and four daughters as follows:
Albert Colwell Williams (10/15/1858-11/6/1943) in Healdsburg, California (Near Vacaville). He married Fatima Caroline (Callie) England (2/10/1865-6/25/1946) on November 6, 1889, in Reedley, Fresno Co, California. He was 31 and she was 24. They had three children. (See separate family profile for Albert and Fatima’s story).
Mary Ella Williams (2/8/1862-8/13/1912) was born in California. She married Wilburn C Smith (11/1851-7/13/1909) on June 10, 1877, in Tustin Township. He was 25 and she was 15. He was raised in Petaluma, Sonoma Co. He was listed as a teacher in the 1880 census and as a farmer in the 1900 census. They owned their property. She died in Orange, California, at the age of 50, leaving an estate of $20,000. Wilburn preceded her in death by two years at age 57.
Mary Ella and Wilburn had two children, Ellis (6/23/1879-6/20/1915) and Chester (2/15/1882-12/18/1951. Ellis married Emily Lieffer. They had two children. They lived on his grandparent’s property on Williams Street. He was a farmer and in Auto Sales. He died at age 35. Mary Ella went to live with her other son Chester until her death in San Gabriel Los Angeles. Chester. an attorney, married and relocated to Tustin then to Laguna Beach.
Henrietta “Etta” Williams (7/17/1863-6/4/1935) was born in Salinas, California. She died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 71. She never married. At age 36 she still lived with her parents. In 1920 she lived in Los Angeles caring for her sisters two daughters (Elizabeth Copeland 17 and Frances Copeland 12).
Ada W Williams (4/20/1869-2/5/1934) was born in Vacaville, California. She married Wylie Lee Gaines on June 20, 1894, in Orange, California. She was 25 and he was 29. They had one child during their marriage. They settled in Long Beach CA and owned their own home. She died on in Long Beach, California, at the age of 64.
Lulu Williams (1/21/1876-5/5/1948) was born in Santa Ana, California. She married John Arthur Copeland in 1899 in Yavapai, Arizona. She was 23 and he was 31. John Arthur Copeland (4/28/1868-10/17/1942) was born in Iowa. He died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 74. She died in Glendale, California, at the age of 72. They had two girls who both became music teachers.
Created: 10/4/2021. Researched by Janis Parks (Great Granddaughter of Washington Williams) and Vicki Gray.
