RALSTON WILLIAMS. The history of a nation may be read in the biographies of its people, which saying implies that the individual who has a pedigree to record and perpetuate in the pages of biography serves his country well. The following carefully compiled genealogical record of the Williams family is taken almost verbatim from the original manuscript: PEDIGREE OF WILLIAMS FAMILY. "Josiah Williams, our great-great-grandfather, was of Welsh descent. He married Phoebe Rodgers, a descendant of 'John Rodgers the martyr' who was burned at the stake, and left a wife with nine small children and one at the breast. Their children were: Ezekiel Williams, born October 4, 1733; Elizabeth Williams, born June 14, 1736; David Williams, born September 10, 1739; John Williams, born May 21, 1743; Phebe Williams, born September 3, 1746; Ichabod Williams, born January 14, 1749, and Aaron Williams, born May 2, 1753, in Sussex county, N. J. He, the seventh child, came to Pennsylvania a pioneer; he had many trials and difficulties from the Indians. [See History of Western Pennsylvania.] The family were often pursued by the Indians, and fled from their home on Turtle creek, Westmoreland Co., Penn. Had their houses burned. They then moved to Peters creek, Washington Co., Penn., where they spent the remainder of their days. "Aaron, this seventh child of Josiah Williams, was a millwright by trade, and was a noted hewer; he hewed the timbers for the first fort ever erected at Wheeling. Va., to defend themselves from the Indians. He also was one of the men who took possession of Fort Duquesne, or Fort Pitt, as it was called at the point where Pittsburgh now stands. He erected a mill on Peters creek, Washington Co., Penn., one of the first in that country. He was married June 5, 1780, to Elizabeth Coe, born March 9, 1761, near Elizabeth, New Jersey. She was the youngest of fourteen children, and she was noted for her fervent piety. She was very much concerned in the time of the Revolutionary war. Two of her brothers were in arms and in battle; some of her friends were taken prisoners by the Indians. This devoted sister and mother would go out in the evening and spend the whole night in prayer for the success of our army, and would return to the house in the morning and say with a grateful countenance: 'The Americans will prevail yet.' Of her the exclamation was made: 'The chariot of the American army and the horseman thereof.' She always had a place for secret prayer to which she constantly resorted, and spent much time praying there, even to the close of her life, which ended June 19, 1847, when she was aged eighty-six. Her husband, Aaron, and herself were laid to rest in the little cemetery of the Presbyterian Church of Mingo, Washington Co., Penn. Of the remainder of Josiah Williams' and Phebe Rodgers' children we have no particular history. Ichabod, the sixth child, went down the Ohio river with eight children. The eldest was seventeen. It was about the year 1766 or 1767 they went down the Ohio river. "Aaron Williams, the aforesaid seventh child, and his wife Elizabeth (Coe) had two children; they were Phebe Williams, born April 9, 1781, died 1855; Benjamin Williams, born February 3, 1783, died September 2, 1869, aged seventy-seven. Phebe married William McDonald, and lived at Logstown, opposite Economy, Penn., eighteen miles below Pittsburgh. Their children were: (1) Elizabeth (called Betsey); (2) Matilda; (3) Pattie (Martha); (4) John; (5)Aaron William R McDonald; (6) Polly (Mary) married Douds; (7) Alexander; (8) William, married Miss Shane; (9) Peggy (Margaret) married J. C. Richie; (10) one dead. The aforesaid William McDonald, Sr., husband of Phebe Williams, was a great trader in cattle, etc., became involved in debt, and at length became deranged. "Benjamin Williams, brother of the aforesaid Phebe (Williams) McDonald, and the son of Aaron W. and Elizabeth (Coe) Williams, was, as aforesaid, born February 3, 1783, at Peters creek, Washington Co., Penn., married Elizabeth Reid; died September 2, 1860, aged seventy-seven years. He was a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church at Mingo, a trustee of Jefferson College at Canonsburg, Penn., and a director of Western Theological Seminary at Allegheny, Penn. He contributed much to benevolent purposes, and his residence on Peters creek, Washington Co., Penn., was a great resort for preachers, and hence was called 'The Preacher's Home.' His wife, Elizabeth Reid, was born near Winchester, Va. When James Hair, a physician, moved from east of the mountains with his family, she came with them to Pigeon creek, Penn. She was noted for her piety. She lost her mother at nine years of age. She was brought up in the family of a friend, William Wilson, Esq., a merchant of Jarretstown, Va. She was a woman of eminent piety, and took a special interest in educating young men for the ministry, being a member of a society of women organized for the purpose of assisting in the education of poor and pious young men at Jefferson College. Her father, Reid, was once sheriff of the county in which he lived in Virginia. He had three daughters and one son, Joseph. After the death of his wife Mr. Reid broke up housekeeping and placed his daughters with friends, but took Joseph, the youngest child, with him, and went to live with a brother. He seems to have led a wandering life, as he came only occasionally to see his daughter, Mrs. Benjamin Williams (the Elizabeth Reid aforesaid), at Peters creek. His son Joseph Reid (old Uncle Joe) resided sometimes in the family of Benjamin Williams, and afterward went to his sister's (Mrs. Mounts) at Hillsboro, Ohio. He finally died at the home of another sister, Jane, at New Albany, Ind. He was never married. "The children of the aforesaid Benjamin Williams, and his wife Elizabeth Reid, were Aaron Williams, born November 20, 1807, died December 31, 1878, aged seventy-one (he was a graduate of Jefferson College, was an eminent scholar and teacher and preacher; had charge of Ohio University at Athens, Ohio; was principal of the Edgeworth Female Seminary; he wrote a history of the Economites [vid.]; also author of 'Woman In The Bible,' a commentary; he married Jane Herron, daughter of the Rev. Francis Herron, D. D., who was for forty years pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Penn.; Aaron Williams' children were: Elizabeth, Addie, Francis, Mary Herron, Luther Halsey, and Harriet Preble). The other children of Benjamin Williams and Elizabeth Reid were (2) Joseph, born October 17, 1809, who died in infancy; (3) Moses Allen Williams, born September 26, 1811, who was twice married but had no children; (4) Samuel Ralston, born October 8, 1813, who died June 13, 1869, at Lexington, Ky. (he married Mary Louisa Chapelle; he was a professor of natural sciences in Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Penn., afterward principal of Sayre Female Institute, Lexington, Ky. His children were: Kate, Lizzie, Charles, Newton, Lulu and Ella); (5) Eliza Williams, born November 23, 1815, died February 25, 1877 (she married Hugh H. Morgan, of Bridgeville, Allegheny Co., Penn.); (6) James B. Williams, born February 21, 1818, married Lucinda Philips, who died September 6, 1848; he again married Martha Pollock. His children were Lucinda Mary, William Allen, John Kiddoo, Laura Belle, Benjamin Howard, Harlan Reid and Elmer Tower; (7) Mary Jane Williams, born October 23, 1820, married Rev. S. J. Reid, and died of yellow fever at Horn Lake, Miss., October 4, 1878 (her four children all died young of diphtheria in Mississippi); (8) Maria R. Williams, born March 18, 1823, married William Wilson, of Snowden township, Allegheny Co., Penn.; her children were: Lewis Benjamin Williams, Sarah Lorena, Ada Mary, Fremont Samuel. "The other children of Benjamin Williams and his second wife, Sarah Ralston, were: (1) Benjamin Williams, Jr., died in childhood; (2) Rachel Ferguson Williams, married William Reese Craighead (her only child was Clara Belle Ashton Craighead); (3) Ralston Williams, married Sarah Gaston November 18, 1857; (4) Joseph Hamilton Williams, married July 30, 1868, to Helen M. Barrett; (5) Sarah Margaret Williams; (6) Martha Ralston Williams, and (7) Isabel Reid, who died in young womanhood." Ralston Williams was born in Nottingham township, Washington Co., Penn., where he was reared. His education was received at the public school of the district held in a dilapidated little log cabin, the text books used therein being of a very primitive nature, and the attendance thereat limited to about three months in the depth of winter. In Nottingham township he remained till 1854, in which year he removed with his parents to Carroll township, in the same county, to a farm now owned by Capt. Gibson. Here Ralston remained until the death of his father, when he moved to Union township, adjoining Carroll to the north, making his residence there for some seven years. From Union township, at the end of that time, he proceeded to Cumberland township, Greene county, whence, after two years' sojourn there, he came to Monongahela, where he has since resided. Prior to coming to Monongahela City Mr. Williams was engaged in farming and stock raising, and after leaving the farm he engaged as an insurance solicitor, which vocation he followed some years, when he was appointed agent. He enjoys an extensive and safe business in both fire and life insurance, as representative of the following companies: Armenia, of Pittsburgh; AEtna, of Hartford; American, of Philadelphia; Farmers, of York; German American, of New York; Fire Association, of New York; Niagara, of New York; National, of Hartford, and Mutual Life Insurance Company, of New York. He also conducts a real estate business, and in all his transactions enjoys the confidence of his patrons. On November 18, 1857, Mr. Williams was married to Sarah H., daughter of Joseph Gaston, of Gastonville, Penn., and the children born of this union were H. H., Margaret L., Jane M., Belle M., Charles G. (a minister and pastor of Cross Creek Presbyterian Church, of Washington county, Penn.) and Sarah (deceased). The mother of this family died November 29, 1868, and Mr. Williams married, June 28, 1871, Orpha L. Carroll, of California, Washington Co., Penn.; she was a teacher in the normal school. By this last marriage one child, Samuel R., was born, but died at the age of seven years. Mr. Williams is a stanch Republican, and a Presbyterian, of which church he has been a member since sixteen years of age, and an elder in the same about twenty years.

Text taken from page 67 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed April 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]