For several years I’ve shared Greene County ancestor sketches on a local history Facebook page. In late September 2025, SaSan Mullins messaged me after reading one of my posts. She told me how much she enjoyed the stories and asked whether I knew anything about Martha Williams, because her husband descends from a Greene County Williams line. That simple question led us into a much deeper collaboration.
SaSan explained that her husband descends from Julia Ann Williams, the illegitimate daughter of Nancy Williams, and that she had spent years trying to untangle the many Williams families in Greene County. She shared what she knew: Nancy was the daughter of Elizabeth Williams; she later married Samuel Baldwin, inherited considerable property after his death, and then married William N. Williams—with a 19th‑century prenuptial agreement to keep her estate separate. She had also noticed that Baldwin land bordered Wilson land, suggesting our families lived near one another.
We began exchanging research, and SaSan’s enthusiasm was immediate. She told me she stayed up past midnight reading my first findings and couldn’t turn her mind off afterward. As we compared notes, neither of us felt particularly comfortable with the character of Nancy or William N. Williams—especially after reading testimony describing Nancy urging William to shoot a man. In the estate papers of Arthur Lovins, where Nancy and her sisters Susan and Milly were paid for sewing, Nancy was the only one able to sign her name; the others made their mark.
The biggest breakthrough came from SaSan’s earlier work at the Clayton Genealogical Library in Houston. She had found a Greene County land lottery entry from around 1820 that read: “Julia Ann Williams, illegitimate daughter of Nancy Williams, entered by her Grandmother Elizabeth Williams.” That single line confirmed Nancy as Julia’s mother, identified Elizabeth as Nancy’s mother, and revealed that Elizabeth was the widow of a Revolutionary War soldier.
More pieces fell into place when I located the Charlotte County, Virginia marriage bond for Matthew Williams and Elizabeth Traynum, and then the will of William Traynum, naming daughters Elizabeth and Patsey. Patsey married John Malone, settled in Greene County, and later married Arthur Lovins. SaSan had long suspected that Patsey and Elizabeth were sisters, and this finally tied the Williams, Traynum, Malone, and Mullins families together.
One challenge was sorting out the two men named Matthew Williams in Virginia. Most records refer to Matthew Jouette Williams, a well‑documented man who lived in Virginia and later in Wilkes and Elbert counties, Georgia. He is not the same man as our Matthew Williams, who married Elizabeth Traynum and later settled in Greene County. SaSan shared an exhaustive study confirming they were entirely different individuals.
As I told her, she will have to help me keep the families straight—I’d hate to spend hours researching the wrong Matthew. But with her years of notes and our combined discoveries, we are finally beginning to untangle the Williams–Traynum–Malone–Mullins connections.
Origins in Virginia
Nancy Williams, daughter of Matthew Williams and Elizabeth Traynum, was born January 25, 1796, in Charlotte County, Virginia. She had at least two sisters—Susannah “Susan” A. Williams, born about 1803, and Parmelia “Milly” Williams. Nancy is the step-second great‑grandmother of my grandfather, Carroll Harvey Lankford; we share no blood relationship.
Families like Nancy’s were part of a broad wave of Virginians who moved southward at the turn of the 19th century, following well‑traveled migration routes into the newly opened lands of Georgia. Around 1800, the Williams family left Virginia, joining many others seeking fresh farmland as soil exhaustion and shifting economies pushed people out of the older Tidewater and Piedmont counties. They settled in Greene County, one of Georgia’s early interior counties shaped heavily by migrants from Virginia and the Carolinas.
Within five years of their arrival, Nancy’s father purchased a 50‑acre tract on the waters of Town Creek. By 1810, he had expanded his holdings to 130 acres on Town and Fishing Creeks. At some point, Matthew needed ready cash—perhaps due to crop failure, debts coming due, taxes, legal fees, or to finance additional land or enslaved laborers—and used his property as collateral in a conditional sale. When he was unable to repay the debt by the deadline, he lost ownership of the land in April 1813.
Nancy’s daughter, Julia Ann Williams, was born illegitimate on December 29, 1816, in Captain William Robinson’s Militia District 146 of Greene County. Her father is unknown, and he and Nancy never married.
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Greene County land lottery registrant record listing Nancy Williams
and her illegitimate daughter, Julia Ann Williams |
By 1822, Nancy’s mother Elizabeth was paying taxes on land in the Town Creek community of District 146, suggesting that Matthew had died sometime earlier. Elizabeth herself died in 1826, and her will was proven in open court that year.
On November 29, 1826, Nancy acknowledged a debt of $2.50 from the estate of Arthur Lovins for sewing work, including making pantaloons and sewing a coat. She appeared before a justice and confirmed the account’s validity under oath. Two years later, on November 2, 1828, Nancy’s sister Susan married William Nickelson in Greene County.
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Authur Lovins probate estate record for Nancy’s debt |
The 1830 census likely captures Nancy living with her sister Milly in a small, female‑headed household after their mother’s death. The ages in the record fit this arrangement well: two adult women in their 30s (Nancy and Milly), one girl aged 10–14 (Nancy’s daughter Julia, born 1816), one girl aged 5–9 (Milly’s daughter Martha, born 1822), and one enslaved woman in mid‑life. The census also shows a man named Samuel Baldwin living just six households away, a neighbor whose presence would become more significant in Nancy’s life a few years later.
The Baldwin Years
Nancy married Samuel Riley Baldwin on February 7, 1833, in Greene County, in a ceremony performed by Billington M. Sanders—a respected minister, teacher, first president of Mercer University, and early Penfield pioneer. Like Nancy, Samuel had Virginia roots. Born January 1, 1766, in Prince Edward County, he made a similar migration southward and arrived in Greene County in the early 1800s.
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Marriage license/certificate for Nancy and Samuel Baldwin |
On May 4, 1833, just a few months after the wedding, Samuel and Susan Nickelson jointly sold a 35‑acre tract along Old Town Creek to Nancy and Susan’s sister, Parmelia “Milly” Williams, for $60.
Nancy’s daughter Julia married John K. Mullins in Greene County on September 2, 1836, in another ceremony officiated by Billington M. Sanders, the Baptist educator who helped shape the early Mercer Institute in Penfield.
By 1840, Nancy was living as Samuel’s wife in a household that reflected his status as an older, established planter in Greene County. The census shows only two free white adults—Samuel, then in his 60s, and Nancy, in her 40s—at the center of a large agricultural operation. Surrounding them were 26 enslaved men, women, and children whose forced labor sustained the farm, with 12 people counted as working in agriculture. The age spread of the enslaved community—from small children to elders—suggests a multigenerational group living and laboring on the property.
Widowhood and the 1841 Estate Division
Samuel Baldwin wrote his Last Will and Testament on April 26, 1840, outlining how his estate was to be divided. He left half of his entire estate—including land, personal property, money, and accounts—to Nancy, giving her the right to choose which half she preferred. The remaining half was designated for the heirs of his brothers and extended family. He also made a specific bequest of an enslaved girl named Viney (and her future children) to the children of Nancy’s daughter, Julia Ann (Williams) Mullins.
Samuel died at home in Greene County on January 10, 1841, and was buried at Old Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery in Penfield. His first wife, Judith, rests there as well.
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Nancy listed in the Shiloh Baptist Church members list |
Following his death, the will was presented for probate on January 22, 1841. The court recognized Nancy’s right to her designated portion, and on February 4, 1841, the will was proved in open court after testimony from three witnesses—Susan Nickelson, William Nickelson, and John Wilson—who affirmed that Samuel had signed the document while of sound mind. That same day, William Porter and James M. Porter were appointed executors. One of their first duties was to appoint five commissioners—Thomas Stocks, Absalom Janes, William O. Cheney, John Wilson, and Thompson Malone—to divide and set apart Nancy’s share of the estate. (As a side note, Absalom Janes was my third great‑grandfather, and I always find it interesting to see interactions among my ancestors.)
On March 15, 1841, Nancy’s widow’s portion was formally assigned by Stocks, Janes, and Wilson. She received the east half of the home tract where Samuel had lived, as shown in the survey.
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February 1841 survey of Samuel’s land performed and
documented by John G. Holtzclaw |
Nancy was also awarded 13 enslaved individuals: Bob, Amy, Peter, Willis, Jack, Mark, Alfred, Alley and her two youngest children Augustus and Randle, Lizzy, Sillah, and Charity. She additionally received an elderly woman named Rachel, with $100 allocated for Rachel’s support and maintenance. Her portion also included livestock (oxen, cattle, hogs, sheep), crops (corn, rye, oats, peas, wheat, cotton), farming tools (ploughs, axes, hoes, harrows), household goods (tables, chairs, clock, crockery, silver spoons, furniture), and miscellaneous items (bee gums, loom, candle stand, trunks). The total value of her share was appraised at $3,400.
That same day, Nancy formally acknowledged receipt of the items assigned to her. Her statement, witnessed by Stocks and Wilson, confirmed that she accepted her widow’s portion but had not yet received her share of the remaining estate. That remaining half—owed to her under the will—would be distributed only after debts and expenses were settled.
On September 6, 1841, the Greene County Court granted the executors’ request to sell Samuel’s land and enslaved individuals so the estate could be divided according to the will.
In December 1841, Nancy appeared before the members of Shiloh Baptist Church during a conference meeting where several congregants sought to “give the church satisfaction,” a phrase used when members addressed concerns or misunderstandings affecting their standing. Nancy came forward with her sister, Susan Nickelson, and brother‑in‑law, William Nickelson, and all three were unanimously restored to full fellowship. The record does not specify the issue, but the church’s acceptance shows that whatever concern had arisen was resolved.
When Samuel’s estate was finally put up for sale on January 4, 1842, Nancy stood among the bidders as the pieces of her household were offered for public purchase. The sale included the 380 acres Samuel had farmed and several enslaved people who had lived and labored on that land. Rather than let these parts of her world pass to others, Nancy stepped forward and bought back some of the property herself for $1,000, along with purchasing a man named Cain for $515. Although she had already received her widow’s portion, Georgia law required that all remaining property be sold at public auction so debts could be paid and the rest divided among the heirs. The sale was conducted on credit, with payment due by December 1842, and the court later approved the proceedings after executor James M. Porter swore that everything had been handled properly. The total raised was $5,381—a substantial sum for the time. Nancy’s participation in the sale shows her determination to protect her household and preserve stability after Samuel’s death.
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Record of January 1842 estate sale showing what Nancy purchased |
On January 18, 1842, Nancy transferred ownership of Cain, the 35‑year‑old man she had purchased, to Thomas Stocks in trust for her daughter Julia (Williams) Mullins, “out of love and affection.” The arrangement ensured that Cain would remain in Julia’s possession for her lifetime and then pass to her biological heirs. Nancy also specified that Cain was to be held separate from Julia’s husband, John Mullins, ensuring that control of Cain remained with Julia alone.
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Deed transferring Cain to Julia |
On June 26, 1842, the Shiloh Baptist Church Conference met for the benefit of the Black members. When the moderator opened the door for reception of members, Nancy’s servant Rachel came forward, related an experience of grace, and was received into the fellowship of the church. Rachel was the elderly woman Nancy had been awarded in Samuel’s estate.
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Shiloh Baptist Church minutes for June 26, 1852 conference |
On July 6, 1842, Nancy legally acquired a 310‑acre tract on Beaverdam Creek, originally promised by Samuel to William Nickelson via a bond for title dated May 8, 1839. William, husband of Nancy’s sister Susan, assigned the bond to Nancy after Samuel’s death, making her the rightful claimant. Because Samuel had died, his executor, James Porter, was legally obligated to complete the transfer. The court recognized Nancy’s claim and ordered the executor to finalize the title, which he did on August 2, 1842.
On January 1, 1843, Nancy received $141.46 for her share of commissions and expenses related to Samuel’s estate, plus $12.88 in interest. She also received $16.15 for a bill of expenses. On February 1, she was paid $1,239.45 for invoice number 19.
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Invoice number 19 from Samuel’s estate signed by Nancy |
Marriage to William N. Williams
Two years after Samuel’s death, on June 11, 1843, Nancy and William N. Williams entered into a formal marriage contract and property settlement. To ensure their intentions were legally binding, they agreed that all property Nancy currently owned—including land, enslaved persons, livestock, household and kitchen furnishings, notes, money, and other assets—would be transferred to her trustee and maternal first cousin, Doctor R. Malone of Greene County. This property was to be held and managed solely for Nancy’s benefit and for the joint support of both parties during their lifetimes.
Upon Nancy’s death, Doctor Malone would dispose of the property according to her instructions. If she died without additional children, he would follow her written directives; if she had children by William, she retained the right to direct him to divide the property among her daughter Julia (Williams) Mullins and any future children as she saw fit. William agreed to have no claim or interest in Nancy’s property, which would remain entirely separate from him as if no marriage had taken place. Likewise, Nancy relinquished any claim to William’s property. Doctor Malone accepted the trusteeship, and in the event of his death before Nancy, the Judge of the Superior Court would appoint a successor. Nancy and William were married in Greene County later that same day.
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Nancy and William’s marriage contract and property settlement (January 11, 1843) |
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Marriage license/certificate for Nancy and William Williams |
Their son, William S. Williams, was born in Greene County about 1844.
Legal Disputes Over Nancy’s Trust Property
In 1854, Nancy’s trustee, Doctor Malone, filed a claim in Greene County Court reporting that several enslaved people belonging to Nancy’s marriage trust had gone missing from his possession. Sylla, a young woman of about 22 with a yellow complexion; Randal, a 16‑year‑old dark‑complexioned boy; Oliver, a small child; and Sue, a 10‑year‑old girl, had all disappeared between 1853 and 1854 and were later found in the hands of Nancy’s son‑in‑law, John Mullins. When Mullins refused to return them, Doctor Malone filed a formal suit in early 1855, valuing Sylla at $900, Randal at $700, Oliver at $200, and Sue at $500, with additional yearly hire values assigned to each. The petition accused Mullins of knowingly keeping and converting the four individuals to his own use, causing an estimated $5,000 in damage to Nancy’s trust estate. Although the case was dismissed later that year, it underscores how vulnerable Nancy’s property remained and how the protections created in her 1843 marriage contract continued to shape her life more than a decade later.
At the same time, Nancy’s husband William filed his own civil action against John Mullins, alleging the wrongful possession and conversion of a 15‑year‑old enslaved boy named Aller, whom William had lawfully owned since March 14, 1848. Aller, valued at $680 with an estimated annual hire value of $80, came into Mullins’s possession on that same day, despite Mullins allegedly knowing that the boy belonged to William. Mullins was accused of refusing to return Aller and fraudulently converting him to his own use, causing financial damages totaling $1,200. William filed his petition during the March Term 1855, and Mullins was served with a writ on February 21, 1855, by Sheriff T. F. Foster. The case moved through the March and September terms of court, with Mullins required to appear and answer the charges.
Family Connections and Property Transfers
Nancy’s sister Parmelia “Milly” Williams married Daniel Duncan in Greene County on January 16, 1844. Like Nancy, Milly and Daniel entered a marriage contract to protect her property, with Doctor Malone also appointed as her trustee.
On November 1, 1850, Nancy, William, and their son William were living in District 161 (likely Penfield) of Greene County. Their real estate was valued at $6,000, and six‑year‑old William was attending school. On November 3, 1851, William applied for letters of guardianship for Mary E. McWhorter, a minor and orphan of Moses McWhorter.
On October 10, 1852, William transferred a tract of approximately 100 acres in Greene County to Doctor Malone, acting as trustee for the children of Nancy’s sister Susan (Williams) Nickelson. The land had originally been purchased by William from Thomas Little, guardian of the orphan of John Gregory, in 1845. William conveyed the property in fee simple, free of encumbrances, as a gift for the benefit of Susan’s children.
Nancy’s sister Susan died in Greene County on May 11, 1857, at age 59, after suffering from consumption for several years. Although no burial record survives, she was likely buried at Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery, where she had been a member for 32 years.
A later court case in 1868–69 confirmed the long‑term impact of Nancy’s decisions decades earlier. In 1842, as Nancy Baldwin, she had conveyed roughly 300 acres to her cousin and trustee, Doctor Malone, to hold in trust for her sister Susan for Susan’s lifetime and then divide equally among her children. A second deed in 1852 from Nancy’s husband, William N. Williams, added another 100 acres to the same trust. When Susan died, her four adult children petitioned the Greene County Superior Court to partition the land, and the court affirmed that the property had passed exactly as Nancy intended.
Later Years in Greene County
In December 1857, William purchased a 131-acre tract of land in Greene County for $125, located along the waters of Fishing and Town Creeks. He held the property for only 15 months before selling it to William A. Lankford for $825 in March 1859, making a considerable profit. William Lankford was likely the brother of my 3rd great grandfather, James Meriweather Lankford.
On June 5, 1860, Nancy and her family were living in Penfield. William was farming and held real estate valued at $11,000 and a personal estate valued at $18,000. Their son William, now 16, was attending school. Mary McWhorter, age 20, was living in the household and was unable to read or write. Their neighbors included Nathan A. Hobbs and his wife Harriet, as well as the family of Oliver P. Wilson—my 3rd great grandfather. Oliver’s daughter Mary Ann Wilson later married James C. Lankford, my 2nd great grandparents. The 1860 U.S. Federal Slave Schedule recorded 33 enslaved people—9 men, 9 women, and 15 children—working on the Williams farm.
Civil War and Reconstruction
On April 24, 1861, Nancy’s son William enlisted as a private in Company C of the Third Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Dawson’s Grays) at Penfield to serve the Confederacy. He mustered into service at Augusta on May 3, 1861, but was discharged just three months later, on August 5, 1861, due to physical disability.
Around this same time, Doctor R. Malone—Nancy’s cousin and longtime trustee—died sometime between February 12 and August 5, 1861, when his will was proven in open court. He left behind several minor children.
Tension also entered the Williams household that year. On August 31, 1861, Nancy’s husband, William N. Williams, was formally charged with assault and battery for allegedly participating in a violent attack on Isaac Harmon in Greene County. A Grand Jury issued a “True Bill,” meaning the case would proceed to trial. William was one of three men indicted; charges against the others were dismissed (“No Bill”). The indictment exposed him to potential criminal prosecution and reflected the seriousness of the alleged breach of public peace.
Two years after his discharge from the Dawson Grays, Nancy’s son William enlisted again—this time on August 4, 1863—in Captain James F. Geer’s Company D, part of Lieutenant Colonel Linton Stephens’s Battalion Cavalry of the Georgia State Guards. This unit served for six months within Georgia’s 5th, 6th, and 8th Congressional Districts, providing local defense during the later years of the war.
On December 23, 1863, Nancy’s son-in-law, John Mullins, consented to the marriage of his daughter Anna Josephine to Lemuel L. Callaway in Greene County. Anna later became the mother-in-law of my great grandmother, Alice Beman Lankford, through her son, Robert Dawson Callaway, who was my step‑great‑grandfather rather than a blood relative.
Nancy’s son William married Sarah Frances “Fannie” Wright on April 27, 1864, in Pike County, Georgia. They gave Nancy three grandchildren: William A. Williams (born 1864), Clarence E. Williams (born 1867), and Nellie “Nannie” Eleanor Williams (born 1869).
On October 9, 1868, William was admitted to the Georgia Lunatic Asylum in Milledgeville. He suffered from epilepsy, excessive drinking, and episodes of violence. He was discharged on January 4, 1869.
By June 22, 1870, Nancy and her husband William were living in Penfield. The value of their real and personal estates had dropped sharply since the Civil War—now listed at $4,000 and $1,500. Nancy, age 74, maintained the household. Their son William lived two doors away with his wife Fannie and their children William, Clarence, and Nannie; he farmed while Fannie kept house.
Next door lived Mary McWhorter—recorded as 23 but almost certainly the same Mary for whom William had been appointed guardian in 1851—now working as a domestic servant and able to read and write. Beside Mary lived Willis Williams and his family.
Willis had been enslaved by Nancy’s first husband, Samuel Baldwin, and worked on Baldwin’s Greene County plantation. When Samuel died in 1841, Nancy was awarded a substantial portion of the enslaved individuals he owned, including Willis, who was valued at $600. Willis was likely born on Baldwin’s plantation around 1810 and remained on or near the property into Reconstruction. Some modern online trees incorrectly list Nancy’s second husband, William N. Williams, as Willis’s biological father, but no historical evidence supports that claim; William did not enter Willis’s life until his marriage to Nancy in 1843.
A respected preacher within the enslaved community, Willis and his wife Lucretia raised their children in Greene County, including Adam Daniel Williams, who later became a prominent Baptist minister in Atlanta. Adam’s daughter, Alberta Williams, married Martin Luther King Sr., making Willis—the man who once lived and labored on the Baldwin/Williams farms—the great‑great‑grandfather of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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March 15, 1841 probate record showing Willis was awarded to
Nancy in her deceased husband’s estate |
Final Years and Legacy
In June 1872, near the end of her life, Nancy set her affairs in order with a will that reflects both her faith and her deep concern for her family’s stability. She directed that she be buried in a Christian manner and that her debts be paid promptly, but the heart of her will centers on her only surviving son, William S. Williams, and his children.
Nancy left her entire estate—real, personal, and mixed—to William and his children, but she did so through a trust rather than giving the property outright. The trust was designed to support William throughout his lifetime, ensuring his maintenance and that of his family. After William’s death, each of his children would receive their share of the estate as they reached adulthood or married. If any child died without descendants, that child’s portion would be redistributed among the surviving siblings.
To carry out these plans, Nancy appointed her grandson, William Kelso Mullins, as both trustee and executor, giving him full responsibility for managing the estate and distributing it according to her wishes. The will was signed and witnessed on June 11, 1872, and entrusted to James L. Brown for safekeeping until her death.
In November 1873, the Greene County sheriff advertised more than 500 acres of land belonging to Nancy’s husband, William, for public sale. The land was being seized to settle an old debt from 1861 tied to a court judgment against James M. Lankford, with William listed as security. James was my third great‑grandfather, and when the debt went unpaid, the creditor came after William’s property. The land Nancy likely depended on was caught in the fallout. It is no coincidence that Nancy had placed her own estate into a trust just a year earlier—she was protecting what she could for her son and grandchildren, knowing her husband’s financial troubles and the tangled obligations between the Williams and Lankford families could put everything at risk.
In April 1874, Nancy added a brief codicil to her will, making two personal bequests. She left $500 to her daughter Julia, directing that the money be placed under the trusteeship of William K. Mullins and invested according to Julia’s wishes, with only the yearly income to be used. She also left $400 to her grandson William K. Mullins. These additions did not alter the structure of her main will but reflected her desire to acknowledge two trusted family members with modest gifts. The codicil was signed and witnessed on April 8, 1874.
In 1876, Nancy faced yet another financial blow tied not to her own actions but to the legal risks her husband continued to take. That September, William was held liable as surety for Waldemar Moody, who failed to appear in Greene County Superior Court to face charges of assault with intent to murder. William had signed Moody’s $3,000 bond, and when Moody defaulted, the court moved to enforce the forfeiture. A new state law reduced the penalty to $1,000 once costs were paid, but the judgment still fell directly on William.
The impact became unmistakable two months later. On November 10, 1876, the Greene County sheriff advertised 660 acres of William’s land for sale to satisfy the fi fa issued in the Moody case—a fi fa being a court order authorizing the sheriff to seize and sell a person’s property to collect a judgment. The tract, adjoining the lands of Johnson Boswell, Jack Mullins, Moncrief, and others, was scheduled to be sold on the first Tuesday in December. Once again, William’s decision to stand security for another man resulted in the forced sale of a large portion of his land, adding yet another layer of financial instability to Nancy’s already difficult decade.
Around this time, Nancy’s son William apparently divorced his wife Fannie. He married Alma Kate Bynum on December 20, 1876, in Greene County. Fannie lived until 1938, which strongly suggests a divorce rather than widowhood. William and Alma gave Nancy seven additional grandchildren: Julia R. Williams, Alma Kate Williams, Newell McWhorter Williams, William “Wallace” S. Williams, Lucy E. Williams, Alice Lee Williams, and Bertha Alma Williams. Alma filed for divorce from William in September 1878.
Nancy’s health declined in early 1877. She required a medical visit from Dr. M. G. Broome in March and died three months later, on the evening of June 15, 1877, at the age of 81. Her obituary does not specify a burial location, but she was almost certainly buried at Old Shiloh Church Cemetery, where she had been a member for nearly 40 years. She appears in church records as both Nancy Baldwin and Mrs. Nancy Williams. Although she is not listed in E. H. Armor’s The Cemeteries of Greene County, Georgia, both Samuel and her daughter Julia are buried at Shiloh, and the cemetery contains many unmarked graves—likely including hers.
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Female members of Shiloh Church with Nancy recorded as “Nancy Baldwin”
and “Mrs. Nancy Williams” |
On August 6, 1877, her executor, William K. Mullins, formally petitioned the Court of Ordinary to probate her will and codicil, confirming her death and presenting the documents she had executed in 1872 and 1874. The court admitted both to record, issued Letters Testamentary to Mullins, and ordered a formal appraisal of her estate.
In August 1877, two of the subscribing witnesses—William Morgan and Thomas W. Landrum—appeared in open court and swore that they had seen Nancy sign and declare the documents as her true will, acting freely and with full mental capacity. They affirmed that they, along with Charles A. Davis, James L. Brown, Robert L. McWhorter, and Margaret L. Hailes, had witnessed the will and codicil in Nancy’s presence and in the presence of one another. The probate was recorded on August 8, 1877.
On September 7, 1877, an official inventory and appraisement was conducted for Nancy’s estate. It included household furnishings such as a bureau, sideboard, tables, chairs, silver spoons, a feather bed, livestock, and 750 acres of land valued at $2,250. The total appraised value was $2,292.75. The appraisal was certified by four appointed appraisers and sworn before a notary public. Executor William K. Mullins affirmed the accuracy of the inventory under oath, and the record was filed on November 8, 1877.
Nancy’s death did not bring stability to her household. In the months that followed, her husband William became entangled in both civil and criminal proceedings. In November 1877, he was sued for the cost of medical care provided to Nat Lewis after a gunshot wound. Almost simultaneously, he was indicted for assault with intent to murder for the shooting itself. A Greene County jury found him guilty of unlawfully shooting Lewis and, though they recommended mercy, the verdict stood. His attorneys sought a new trial, citing his advanced age, poor eyesight, and limited ability to defend himself, but the court upheld the conviction. By early December, newspapers reported that the judge had sentenced the 88‑year‑old William to a fine and 12 months’ imprisonment—though the governor remitted the jail term after physicians testified that confinement would likely be fatal. The case formally concluded in March 1878, when William withdrew his appeal and the Superior Court finalized his sentence: a $100 fine and court costs.
In March 1878, executor William K. Mullins petitioned the Court of Ordinary to be released from his duties. A public notice appeared announcing that he would be discharged on April 1, 1878. Responsibility for the remaining unadministered portion of Nancy’s estate passed to Isaac R. Hall, Clerk of the Inferior Court, who was appointed administrator de bonis non—the official responsible for completing whatever parts of the estate had not yet been settled.
On April 9, 1878, Dr. Thomas W. Landrum received $185 from Nancy’s estate as payment for medical visits and medicines provided during her final illness.
Hall continued the work of settling Nancy’s affairs. On April 24, 1878, he submitted a sworn appraisement of the remaining property, which the court approved and recorded on June 6, 1878. Later that year, on October 7, 1878, Hall petitioned for permission to sell the small amount of personal property still belonging to the estate and to rent Nancy’s land for 1879 to pay outstanding debts. The court granted his request, and the perishable property was sold at public auction on October 24, 1878. A formal return of the sale was recorded on December 4, 1878.
Nancy’s husband William died at home on June 11, 1879, near Penfield.
A legal notice in The Greensboro Herald announced that, by order of the Court of Ordinary, 362 acres belonging to Nancy’s estate would be sold at public auction on the first Tuesday in November 1879. The land was offered in two tracts: a 283½ acre parcel with cultivated bottomland, oak and hickory timber, and improvements, and a second 78½ acre parcel with a frame dwelling and tenant houses. Interested buyers were directed to contact her son W. S. Williams. The notice was signed by administrator Isaac R. Hall on September 22, 1879.
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The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro,
Georgia, October 9, 1879 |
Around the same time, the administrators of William N. Williams petitioned the court for permission to sell his personal property and 470 acres of land to satisfy outstanding debts. The filing noted that William’s land adjoined the estate of Nancy Williams, confirming that the two tracts lay side by side.
On October 30, 1879, Hall petitioned for permission to rent out a portion of the estate’s land known as the Hine Tract for the coming year. The court approved his request.
Multiple receipts survive in Nancy’s estate papers, including payment to Dr. Miles G. Broome for an $8.89 visit on March 7, 1877—paid two years late.
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Claim of Dr. M. G. Broome for medical visit, sworn August 9, 1879 |
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Receipt from Miles G. Broome for $8.89 |
Another receipt, dated October 31, 1879, documented payment for Nancy’s coffin, purchased on June 15, 1877, from McCall Copeland Co. for $50, with interest accruing until the estate was settled.
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Receipt for Nancy’s casket from her estate settlement |
Other receipts include $9 paid to J. F. Wright for surveying Nancy’s land and $7.50 to C. C. Norton for selling it. A portion of Nancy’s property—283.5 acres—was sold to Matilda J. Colclough at the November 1879 auction for $666.22, though the Return of Sale lists William A. Colclough as the purchaser.
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Survey of the Estate of Mrs. Nancy Williams, conducted
September 18, 1879 by J. F. Wright |
Nancy’s daughter Julia and her grandson William K. Mullins both received legacy payments as heirs of the estate. William also received compensation for his service as trustee for the children of Nancy’s son, William S. Williams.
On November 4, 1879, attorney Joel F. Thornton submitted a final receipt for legal services rendered during the settlement of Nancy’s estate. The $45.25 total covered certified copies of Nancy’s will, deed preparation, public notices, and the recording of land sale returns. This receipt marked the administrative close of the estate. Isaac Hall filed a Letter of Dismission in November 1879, and the court granted his request in March 1880.
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Receipt for legal services from Joel F. Thornton, Attorney—final
estate filings and land sale documentation, November 4, 1879 |
In 1881, Nancy’s estate continued to generate income. Her son William S. Williams leased a tract known as the Baldwin place, agreeing to pay 1,800 pounds of middling lint cotton and to repair fencing and outbuildings. His payment was recorded in full on November 4, 1881.
Over time, some of Nancy’s family and heirs left Greene County, settling in other Georgia counties, Florida, and Mississippi. In 1898 and 1900, her son William S. Williams spent time in the Georgia Lunatic Asylum for treatment of epilepsy, excessive drinking, and homicidal tendencies. He died there on October 17, 1902, and was buried at Cedar Lane Cemetery at Central State Hospital. Her daughter Julia Ann (Williams) Mullins died March 9, 1899, and was buried at Old Shiloh Cemetery.
By 1904, nearly 30 years after Nancy’s death, the 411 acres she had left in trust for the descendants of her son William were still being held together as the “Nancy Williams place” near Penfield. On July 19, 1904, trustee William K. Mullins petitioned the Greene County Superior Court for permission to sell the land and divide the proceeds among Nancy’s intended beneficiaries.
The petition laid out a complex family structure. William S. Williams had three children by his first wife, Fannie: William A. Williams, Clarence E. Williams, and Nellie E. Williams. By 1904, William A. had died, leaving three children by his first wife, Minnie—Carrie, Nellie, and Francis Williams—and a fourth child, Willie Kate Williams, by his second wife, Kate Stephens. Willie Kate was represented by her guardian, F. M. Stephens. Clarence E. Williams and Nellie E. Williams (now Mrs. W. N. Kimbrough) also acknowledged service and consented to the sale.
The petition further listed the seven children of William S. Williams by his second marriage, most living in Jacksonville, Florida, with Alma K. Williams acting as guardian for the minors. All adult heirs and guardians signed documents acknowledging service and agreeing that the land could be sold and the proceeds divided according to Nancy’s will.
On October 4, 1904, the court appointed Philip Robinson as guardian ad litem for all minor heirs. That same day, Judge J. G. Lewis granted Mullins authority to sell the 411‑acre Nancy Williams place at public sale—either as a whole or subdivided—after proper advertisement. The order was recorded on November 10, 1904, bringing Nancy’s long‑held trust one step closer to its final settlement.
Closing Reflection
Nancy Williams left behind more than land, court records, and a carefully structured will—she left a legacy shaped by resilience, foresight, and a lifetime spent navigating loss, shifting fortunes, and the complicated legal world of 19th‑century Georgia. Her final estate plan reveals a woman who understood instability all too well and who used the tools available to her to protect her son and grandchildren with the same deliberate care that had once been used to safeguard her own property. Nearly 30 years after her death, the land she placed in trust was still known locally as the “Nancy Williams place,” a testament to the enduring impact of her decisions. This sketch would not exist without the generosity and insight of SaSan Mullins, whose research, questions, and shared discoveries helped illuminate Nancy’s world and guided my own work at every step.
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