I am trying to extend my Williford family line beyond Lewis Dillard Williford and Parthenia Meadows Williford. I spent yesterday in the Oxford Library trying to find some connection to LDW’s parents. My earlier research found that Parthenia is the daughter of Jesse Meadows and Orpha Tippett. Parthenia also has a brother, Henderson.

Where did you find the connection to the John Dillard family? I have suspected that Lewis’s mother was a Dillard but have never found anything to back it up.

Are you related to the Buster Williford family?

Please contact me with information related to the LDW family. You can contact me directly at jwilliford4@att.net

Louis Jesse Williford, Jr. aka jesse

Good to hear from you again!

The Fentress County, Tenn., connection you describe is fascinating, especially because of its Civil War guerrilla activity. I am familiar with Champ Ferguson because historian Brian McKnight has a new book on Ferguson that’s just out.

I will email you privately so that you have my email address.

Vikki

On another note, “Wow!” I stumbled on here while googling Mary “Polly” Gooch. There’s some really cool stuff here.

As mentioned above, Mary Gooch married Moody Fowler. Moody’s borther, William Fowler, moved his family from Granville County, NC to Fentress County, Tennessee in about 1835.

Do you know about Fentress County, TN? Sgt. York of World War I fame is from there. Anyways, during the Civil War, nearly all the men of Fentress County, Tennessee fought for the Union. Three of William Fowler’s sons served in Co. I of the 13th Kentucky Cav. Most of the mean in the 13th Ky Cav were from Tennessee. These men all mustered in at Columbia, Ky. Fentress County sits on the Cumberland at the KY/TN border. This was a hot bed for guerilla activity on both sides – mainly between “Tinker” Dave Beaty and Champ Ferguson – both from Fentress Co., TN area. They both ravaged the civilian population, killing at will. The men of the 13th Ky Cav ended up at the battle of Saltsville which is where Champ Ferguson committed the murders he was convicted of – referred to as “The Massacre at Saltsville.” I believe the killings were prompted by personal grudges from back home. There is a rumor that one of the men that champ killed was his own brother who was a union man. The likelihood the killings at Saltsville related back to Fentress County is very strong.

Oh yeah, please let me know how I can send you the word file for Mary Harris.

Thanks for filling in more of Mary Harris’s life–and what an interesting life it was! Mary’s personal history reminds us of how important it is to stop and look at individual stories, which often contradict our stereotypes about “the way things were.”

Would love to read the Arnom Harris paper that you mention.

Vikki

Mary Gooch married Tyree Harris on August 2, 1790 in Granville County, NC with Benjamin Fowler serving as bondsman. I find this interesting since Mary later married Moody Fowler on September 7, 1830. Almost all records we have of Moody Fowler suggest he was born in 1793. Mary was at least close to 20 years his senior.

Yes, she was married yet it is true nearly all 12 of her children were possibly born out of wedlock.

Amos Gooch was her first cousin.

I have a paper written by Arnom Harris that you might find interesting.

Thank you for the read.
Kirk

I’m excited to hear from you, as Susan Williford and Parthenia Melton were fascinating women to research. Moreover, I did not know that Parthenia was a Williford, and would like to know more about her connections to Lewis Williford (a marriage, I assume?).

Hope to hear from you again. In the meantime, I will check my own files for more info once I get them set up. I have just moved from Texas to Missouri, so all is in flux right now. I hope to change that soon, and get back to digging.

Thanks for commenting!

Vikki

I am so excited to find your book: Unruly Women, as I believe that Elizabeth and Susan Williford may be family members of mine. The family tree was traced back to Lewis and Parthenia (Meadows/Milton?) Williford, but seemed to end there.

With this new lead, we will hopefully trace back farther! I knew that my paternal grandfather, John Dillard (JD) Williford’s, family came from the Berea, Moriah, and Tally Ho areas of Granville Co. NC. Andrew Williford and Lillian Coleman-Williford were my great grandparents.

I ordered it today!

Thank you!

Cynthia Williford Young
Oxford, NC

Thanks for visiting Renegade South! I’m pleased that you have enjoyed my guest bloggers, including Yvonne Bivins and Dr. G (aka Gregg Andrews.) We’ll continue to do our best to keep it interesting.

Vikki

Mary Harris. Indeed interesting! But then everytime I log on to your blog I find new things of interest. Enjoyed reading Yvonne Bivins’s family history and also looking at her family pictures.

Eager for your latest book to arrive. And learning more about the continuing saga of the Knight and their allied families.

As indicated oreviously, I throughly enjoyed reading ‘The Free State of Jones’. And continue to enjoy Dr G and the Mud Cats. Love the story telling mixed with the twangy blue grass sounds. A win win.

My thanks to everyone who posts here. All new information is a treat.

Warmest regards,

Vikky (Wilburn) Anders