Born: 5 Mar 1778 in Halifax County NC
Died: 31 Jan 1864 in Halifax County NC

Married First:	John Joseph Williams Feb 1797 in Halifax County NC Born: 1775 in Halifax County NC Died: 18 Sep 1808 in Halifax County NC
Married Second:	Lemuel James Alston 3 Feb 1818 in Halifax County NC Born: 1760 in Bertie County NC Died: Dec 1836 in Clarke County AL

	This is the original kitchen used by the slaves to feed the inhabitants of the White Rock house close by.  Picture taken in 2013. Thomas C. Williams restored the home in 1915 and is buried on the property.

White Rock Plantation Add Doc FINAL1-2

President James K. Polk and wife Sarah Childress Polk

William Hawkins Polk brother of the President and husband of Lucy Eugenia Williams

Wm H Polk at UNC.pdf by Larry Feldhaus

DESCENDANTS OF ELISABETH “BETSEY’ NORFLEET HUNTER WILLIAMS

ELISABETH "BETSEY" NORFLEET HUNTER1 WILLIAMS was born on 05 Mar 1778 in Halifax County, North Carolina, USA. She died on 31 Jan 1864 in Halifax County, North Carolina, USA. She married (1) JOSEPH JOHN WILLIAMS JR., son of Col. Joseph John Williams and Elizabeth Matilda Alston, in Feb 1797 in NC. He was born in 1775. He died in 1808. She married (2) LEMUEL JAMES ALSTON. He was born in 1760 in Bertie County, North Carolina, USA. He died in 1836 in Clarke County, Alabama, USA.

The bible record also says she married the Col Samuel James Alston as his second wife and they had no issue.  The names Lemuel and Samuel could be easily confused.

Joseph John Williams jr. and Elisabeth "Betsey" Norfleet Hunter WILLIAMS had the following children:

1. JAMES CONNER2 WILLAMS was born on 01 Jan 1798 in Warren County, North Carolina, USA. He died in 1813 in Warren County, North Carolina, USA.

2. JOSEPH JOHN "JACK" WILLAMS was born on 19 Aug 1800 in Halifax County, North Carolina, USA. He died on 13 Apr 1833 in Halifax County, North Carolina, USA. He married Mary Kearney Davis, daughter of Archibald Davis and Elizabeth Hilliard, on 09 Feb 1820 in Halifax, NC. She was born on 13 Dec 1802 in Franklin, North Carolina, USA. She died on 27 Feb 1887 in Warren, North Carolina, USA.

   Joseph John "Jack" WILLAMS and Mary Kearney Davis had the following children:

1. MARY ELIZABETH3 WILLAMS was born on 13 Nov 1822 in White Rock, Halifax, NC. She died on 25 Oct 1867. She married PETER M. HAWKINS.

2. JOSEPH JOHN WILLAMS was born on 27 Aug 1824 in White Rock, Halifax, NC. He died on 15 Mar 1843 in Randolph Macon College.

3. LUCY EUGENIA WILLAMS was born on 11 Oct 1826 in White Rock, Halifax, NC. She died on 11 Jan 1906 in Columbia, TN. She married William Hawkins Polk, son of Samuel Edwin Polk and Jane Knox, on 14 Jul 1854. He was born on 24 May 1815 in Maury County, Tennessee, USA. He died on 16 Dec 1862 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, USA.

William Hawkins Polk and Lucy Eugenia WILLAMS had the following children:

1. WILLIAM4 POLK was born about 1845.

2. JAMES K. POLK was born on 07 Nov 1849. He died on 05 Nov 1912.

3. WILLIAM H. POLK was born on 14 Aug 1855 in Columbia, TN. He died on 17 Oct 1886 in Bir-mingham, AL.

   Notes for William H. Polk:

   http://www.ncgenweb.us/ncwarren/warrenton/chap37.htm    William H. Polk, son of William H. Polk, of Tennessee, was born in Columbia, Tennessee, in 1855. Up-on the death of his father in 1862, his mother, born Miss Lucy Williams, brought him and his brother, Tasker, to Warrenton, her old home. He practiced his profes-sion in Warrenton during the years 1882-1886. He then went to Birmingham, Ala-bama, where he died a short time thereafter.

4. TASKER POLK was born on 24 Mar 1861 in Columbia, TN. He died on 05 Jul 1928 in North Carolina, USA. He married Elizabeth "Lillie" Tannahill Jones, daugh-ter of Charles Johnston Jones and Alice Harvey Tannahill, on 24 Jan 1895 in War-ren, North Carolina, USA. She was born on 04 Mar 1869 in Granville, North Caro-lina, USA. She died on 16 Oct 1939 in Warrenton, Warren, North Carolina.

   http://www.ncgenweb.us/ncwarren/warrenton/chap37.htm    Tasker Polk, the brother of William, was born in Columbia, Tennessee, in 1860. He was licensed to practice law in 1880 and is still engaged in the extensive practice of his profession at Warrenton. He was a member of the Sen-ate of North Carolina in 1915.

   Tasker Polk and Elizabeth "Lillie" Tannahill Jones had the following children:

   1. WILLIAM TANNAHILL5 POLK was born on 12 Mar 1896 in Warrenton, Warren, North Carolina. He died on 16 Oct 1955 in Orange Cove, Fresno, California.

   2. MARY TASKER POLK was born on 15 Dec 1898 in Warrenton, Warren, North Carolina. She died on 21 Nov 1980 in Warren, North Carolina.

   3. LUCY FAIRFAX POLK was born on 03 Dec 1901 in Warrenton, Warren, North Carolina. She died on 09 Jul 1999 in Tarboro, Edgecombe, North Carolina.

   4. JAMES KNOX POLK was born on 04 May 1904 in Warren, North Carolina. He died on 17 Jun 1966 in Roanoke Rapids, Halifax, North Carolina.

1. THOMAS CALVIN WILLAMS was born on 30 Dec 1828 in White Rock, Halifax, NC. He died on 27 Nov 1858 in White Rock, Halifax, NC. He married VIRGINIA PRYOR BOYD JR..

Thomas Calvin WILLAMS and Virginia Pryor Boyd Jr. had the following children:

1. THOMAS CALVIN4 WILLAMS was born on 27 Jan 1857. He died on 12 Apr 1925. He married (1) SALLIE GILLAM. He married (2) ALICE FAULCON.

2. LUCY ELLEN WILLAMS.

3. MARY BOYD WILLAMS.  She married THOMAS TILLERY.

1. ELIZABETH ALSTON WILLAMS was born on 06 Sep 1803 in Warren County, North Carolina, USA. She married (1) HENRY "HARRY" HILL THORNE on 29 Sep 1823. She married (2) DR. NICHOLAS JOHN DRAKE on 29 Sep 1828. She died on 02 Mar 1830. Her death was during the birth of her son John Joseph Williams Drake.

	Warrenton, Warren County, NC   Mary K. Williams town house Green-Polk-McAuslan House Also known as "The Polk House" From The Warren Record   Posted: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 8:23 am | Updated: 8:26 am, Wed Mar 28, 2012. ObservationsBy Edwina Rookervancnews.com The Preservation Warrenton 2012 Spring Homes Tour will be held Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 29 from 1 to 5 p.m. The theme is “Architectural Reflections: Building Styles in Warren County, NC.” Among the 14 homes and churches on the tour is the Green-Polk-McAuslan House. It is located on North Main Street, across the street from The Ivy. It is a rare example of a brick Jacob Holt house. Planter Nathaniel Green purchased the land in 1850 and began work on the structure. The bricks were made on the construction site. Holt used large eight-over-eight windows on this Greek Revival house. According to Lizzie Montgomery in “Sketches of Old Warrenton North Carolina,” Major Green was a very hospitable man. He built two houses as guesthouses for his guests. One that he built was across North Main Street from his residence. His guests had their sleeping apartments there and came over to his house for meals. In the 20th century, the Tarwater family owned it and resided there. He also built a house on the corner of North Main Street and Academy Street that he used to house additional guests. In the 20th century, Dr. and Mrs. P.J. Macon resided there. Later, John Bruce Bell and his wife Ann Crinkley Bell purchased it and lived there. Mrs. Montgomery also wrote that Nat Green was a free-spending man and soon had many debts. In 1856, the house was sold to Mary Kearney Davis Williams (widow of John Joseph Williams), owner of Montmorenci, a large plantation and house in Warren County. The Warrenton house became the family’s town house. Montmorenci was a plantation between Lickskillet and Highway 401 in the Shocco community. It was built by General William “Pretty Billy” Williams in 1822. Family history claims that General Lafayette stayed at Montmorenci during his 1825 tour of the United States. After her husband, John Joseph Williams, died, Mary Kearney Davis Williams moved into town. Montmorenci no longer exists. It was dismantled with portions of the house, including its spectacular staircase, placed in the Dupont family museum, Winterthur, in Wilmington, Del. A large stone from Montmorenci is in the back yard of the Polk House. It was used to hold up a column at Montmorenci. Mary Kearney Davis Williams’ daughter Lucy Eugenia married Major William Hawkins Polk of Tennessee, brother of President James Knox Polk. When Major Polk died in the Civil War, Lucy moved into Warrenton with her mother. She brought her two children, William and Tasker, with her. Mrs. Montgomery wrote: “Lucy was very pretty as a young woman, with charming manners, and was much admired. She was a fine conversationalist. Having been much impressed and influenced by a mother who was loyal and devoted to the tenets of the Methodist Church, she never danced, but on occasions of dances and balls, you would see her surrounded by young men, quite as eager to enjoy her society as others were to engage in the dance.” Her son Tasker and his wife, Lilie Jones Polk, were the next generation to live in the Green-Polk_McAuslan house. He was a poet, a prominent attorney, and North Carolina State Senator for several consecutive terms. Tasker’s two sons also lived in the Green-Polk-McAuslan house. The first was William (Bill), an attorney and writer. He also was mayor of Warrenton. His friendship with Thomas Wolfe lasted after both attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard. Wolfe visited him in the Polk House. He had two daughters, Catherine and Marion, or Marnie. When William left Warrenton to become editor of The Greensboro Daily News, his younger brother James Knox, a Warrenton merchant, and his family moved into the house. He and his wife, Anne Hunter Fishel of Vaughan, had two children, Tasker and Anne Knox. Tasker also had two daughters. One was Fairfax, who married John Mitchell, a Warrenton banker. The other, Mary, wrote in her memoir, “The Way We Were,” about marrying attorney Frank Gibbs in the Polk house. Today, Mary’s nephew, Tasker Polk of New Bern, and the British crown colony of Gibraltar, plans to follow in the footsteps of his aunt Mary. He will marry Katherine Robinson of New Bern, and Charleston, S.C., in the Green-Polk-McAuslan House on May 19. The current owner of the house is Mary Tasker Polk Gibbs McAuslan, Tasker Polk’s granddaughter. She will be joined on the homes tour by other grandchildren, all former residents of the home. The house was open for the 1995 Jacob Holt House Foundation Homes Tour, but this is the first time it has been open for a Preservation Warrenton Homes Tour. I am indebted to Tasker Polk and Noel Robertson who contributed to this article. Advance tickets for the tour only on Saturday and Sunday are $20. Tickets are available the day of the tour for $25 at the Jacob Holt House on South Bragg Street in Warrenton. Advance tickets for the tour and lunch at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church on the corner of North Main Street and Church Street in Warrenton held on Saturday only are $32.

	The below reference is to Betsy's daughter, Elizabeth Alston Williams, whose portrait also appears below.  The General William "Pretty Boy" Williams was the brother of Betsy's first husband, Joseph John Williams.  He built the mansion in Shocco Springs NC, Montmorenci, which passed to the widow of Betsy's son, Joseph John Williams. We find Betsy living there in the 1860 federal census with her daughter-in-law Mary Kearney Davis Williams.  Charles Willson Peale with Patron and Populace. A Supplement to "Portraits and Miniatures by Charles Willson     Peale". With a Survey of His Work in Other Genres.  By Charles Coleman Sellers; Charles Willson Peale, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Ser., Vol. 59, No. 3. (1969), pp. 1-146.  WILLIAMS, ELIZABETH ALSTON Correction, PGM, 871. SP 146, 83. The staff of the Frick Art Reference Library, to whom the author of this work and its predecessor is so largely indebted, has identified Peale's portrait of "Miss Eliza Williams," niece of "Gen. Williams," not as Elizabeth Cook Williams (1813-1890) who married Richard Cooke Tilghman, but as Elizabeth Alston Williams (1803-1830), a girl of nineteen at the time of the painting. She is a daughter of Joseph John Williams, I1 (1775-1808), and Elizabeth Norfleet Hunter Williams (1778-1864)) who by a second marriage became the wife of Lemuel James Alston.  Elizabeth herself, in her short life, was twice married, first to Harry Thorne, and second to Nicholas Drake. Her uncle, the General Williams with whom she was traveling through Philadelphia in the summer of 1822, was not Otho Holland Williams (q.v., P&M 985-987), but General William Williams of "Montmorenci," Warren Co., N.C., remembered by the engaging soubriquet of "Pretty Billy." Peale's letters confirm this identification by a reference to the family "in Carolina." The painting had been "nearly finished" on June 9, and "just finished" on the fourteenth. 1822. Canvas, 283 X 234. Half length. Brown hair with a tortoise shell comb. Brown eyes. Light blue dress, ruffled lace collar and gold necklace. Basket of cherries under her hand. Brown chair, on which is draped a rose-red scarf with a border of roses and green leaves. Brown background with a column at the left. Mrs. Frank H. Gibbs, Warrenton, N. C. (Desc.)"

Montmorenci appears on the map at this link close to Schocco Creek. Click on this link to open the map.

Whitsome (the Coleman-White House) is a rare surviving example of the unique “montmorenci" school" of Federal style architecture renowned in Warren and Halifax counties. It stands on a spacious and attractive lot in the historic small town of  Warrenton.   Built between 1821 and 1824, the elegant, livable, and beautifully preserved house displays the hallmarks of the regional style named after the famous lost plantation house,  Montmorenci—the premier example whose stair and other woodwork are in the Winterthur Museum in Delaware.    Whitsome's front façade features the only surviving Montmorenci-style windows—a distinctive Palladian-inspired design with decorative blind arches and pilasters separating the central and flanking window elements. The Palladian theme also defines the central doorways at both levels, which are enriched with fanlights and intricate carved moldings typical of the Montmorenci school.

Inside, the central hall and flanking rooms continue the Federal style elegance. Complementing the simply treated stair, the woodwork of mantels, wainscoting, chair rails, and door frames features reeding and gougework rosettes, garlands, and cable moldings. Most striking is the ornate plaster work in the hall and main parlor, with central medallions and cornices featuring rich acanthus, modillions, and floral designs.  In excellent condition, Whitsome has been meticulously maintained for comfortable living and offers a broad rear porch and full basement.

	Mrs. Mary K. Williams is the owner of the Montmorenci in 1858 according to Wharton Jackson Green's book, and it seems likely she is the same one living with Betsy N.H. Williams Alston in the 1860 census. Mary Kearney Williams was the wife of Betsy's son John Joseph Williams, Jr.and General "Pretty Billy" Williams was the brother of Betsy's first husband, John Joseph Williams.   William "Pretty Billy" Williams married 4 times. Not sure when he died, but he was born in 1771 and married the last time in 1826 at the age of 55. He was probably dead by 1860. He was willed the following as a young man: WILL-EXECUTOR: NCHAL-WL1 p. 139; brother, Joseph John Williams, Jr. dated 2 Aug. 1807, ALSO: brother-in-law, James Harris. WILL LEGATEE: NCHAL-WL1 pp. 165-166; father, Joseph John Williams dated 15 Feb 1816, given 800-900 acres of land joining Sharrod Bobbet, Moseley and Butterwood Swamp, father's plantation, other lands in Halifax and Warren Counties, furniture, slaves and other items.   According to the book The County of Warren North Carolina 1586-1917 :   "Pretty Billy" Williams built Montmorenci in 1825 and it was located half way between Shocco Springs and Jones Red and White Sulfur Springs. Both springs are shown in the 1874 Warren County map below, one on each side of Shocco Creek.   The Manly Wade Wellman book shows:   "#38 is labeled as the site of the old Shocco Springs Hotel (1815-1875). #36 is labeled as the site of the Jones' White Sulphur Springs Hotel (1810-1875)."   "these locations are not far from what is known today as the "Vicksboro" Community which is found right on the Vance/Warren line - southeastern Vance/southwestern Warren. You'll see Shocco Creek near" Notice on the map below that the Shocco Creek runs just above Vicksboro to the right.   "Shocco Springs: former health resort in south Warren County on Shocco Creek. Located approx. 9 mi. south of the city of Warrenton, it was famous in the nineteenth century as a social, recreational, and health resort built around mineral springs. Shocco Male Academy was located here. Neither is in existence any longer. Shocco Springs had a post office from 1832 until 1866"   In the Wharton Jackson Green's book:   he says "I found a letter, however, directing me to join them at the North Carolina "White Sulphur," or famous old "Shocco."", obviously speaking of the two hotels above. From the map below you can see that Vicksboro is near Shocco Creek which crosses highway 410 about 9 miles south of Warrenton as indicated above. I have always thought that Elisha Williams lived in the area of the yellow line in the map below where Shocco Creek forms the border between Franklin and Warrenton counties, primarily because he owned land in both counties and lived on Shocco Creek. His family is recorded in Franklin County in the 1800 federal census and that is the only part of the Shocco Creek that borders Franklin County.   Wharton Jackson Green goes on to say "After the summer season was over, my father engaged the famous old Montmorenci, belonging to a particular friend, Mrs. Mary K. Williams, where the intervening cold seasons were passed until my wedding day rolled around on the 4th of May, 1858."   The Treasure House of Early American Rooms book:   says "Montmorenci, a famous house built at Shocco Springs, near Warrenton, North Carolina, about 1822 by General William Williams" and puts the location of Montmorenci in Shocco Springs. Other references indicate it is located SW of Warrenton. The book goes on to say:   "The graceful free-hanging staircase dominating the Montmorenci Stair Hall was formerly the outstanding feature of Montmorcnci, a famous house built at Shocco Springs, near Warrenton, North Carolina about 1822 by General William Williams. Lafayette, on his tour of the United States in 1824 to 1825, was entertained at Montmorenci, and here a later owner's daughter, Lucy Williams, was married to the brother of President James Knox Polk. The staircase was probably made by a North Carolina craftsman, but whether it was designed by a professional architect is not known. It resembles the design for an "elliptical stairs" illustrated in Peter Nicholson's The Carpenter's New Guide, a builder's handbook first published in London in 1792 and widely used in America during the first half of the nineteenth century. Gouge carving and finely molded plasterwork, probably made in Philadelphia and bearing a resemblance to the work of Robert Wellford, reflect the refined taste of the Federal period. Augmenting the architectural splendor is furniture by skilled craftsmen of the early Republic. The mahogany and satinwood chairs and settees, upholstered in old green silk, represent the product of John Seymour and his son Thomas, who worked in Boston from 1796 into the early years of the nineteenth century. The octagonal sewing table between the side chairs is a further example of the Seymour furniture, which is unmatched for its delicacy of form and exquisitely detailed inlay. Also in the room, and illustrative of the French influence on American decorative art at this time, is a mahogany and satinwood pier table, bearing the label of Charles Honore Lannuier, a French emigre cabinetmaker who worked at 6o Broad Street, New York, from 1805 until 1819. Looking glasses, gilded and embellished with delicate foliage motifs popular in the Federal period, reflect the light of candles held in late-eighteenth-century candelabra and sconces of cut glass. Chinese export porcelain, imported in quantities in Amcrican ships, is represented by punch bowls on the side tables and pistol-handled urns elsewhere in the room. A portrait of Catherine Browne, of New York, sometimes called the "tragic Kate Browne," hangs above the settee. On the floor are Persian Feraghan carpets dating from the early nineteenth century. The spindles of the stair railing and the soft moldings of the soft moldings of the plaster cornice cast numerous shadows around the room. Mahogany paneled doors from Montmorenci contrast with the ivory-colored walls. In the Montmarenci Stair Hall are porcelain punch bowls and ornamental urns made in China for export to the West. Among them is a pistol handled urn patterned after a model first executed at the Marieherg factory in Sweden and representative of many made for the American market."

The Treasurehouse of Early American Rooms book contains this picture of the staircase in the Montmorenci house and the items described in the last paragraph above are shown in the picture.

	CHAPTER XXV THE HOMES OF OLD WARRENTON THE HOME OF MAJOR "NAT" GREEN The home of Tasker Polk, one of the handsomest and most attractive places in the old town, was built by Major Green, brother of General Jeff Green, about 1850. He moved from his "Nut Bush" plan­tation into the town to secure better educational ad­vantages for his three sons and one daughter, Fanny. Major Green had two marriages, the first with Miss Katherine Somerville, and the second with Miss Lucy Alston, sister of Dr. "Jim" Alston, of Warren County. There were two daughters by the last marriage. Dr. Solomon Green married his cousin, gate Au­brey Somerville, of Tennessee. He lived in Mem­phis and practiced medicine some years. The other sons lost their lives in the Confederate service by fever and wounds. Major Green moved to Memphis to live just be­fore the War Between the States. In, 1863 Miss Fanny came through the lines to Warrenton and lived in the home of her cousins, the family of Mr. John Somerville, until this home was broken up by the death of Mrs. Somerville, when she was invited to make her home at Esmeralda the country place of Colonel Wharton Green, her first cousin. While living there she married her cousin, James B. Somer­ville. Some few years after her marriage they moved to Warrenton, and bought the William Eaton, Jr., home, where they resided until they died, he in 1898, and she five years later. Mrs. Somerville, "Miss Fanny," in her early young ladyhood, was perhaps the best known and the most popular woman in the town and county, her manner springing from a kind heart, and was so genial and sympathetic that she drew man, woman and child to her with warm affection. She was a delightful talker and most charming companion. She had the won­derful, and rare gift, of remembering every family connection in the county, and she could always set you straight as to your "kin-folks.". She was of medium height, very slender and graceful figure, a perfect brunette, and in her young days she was considered the most graceful dancer of her social set. Her entire life was spent in cheerful and brave service for others. She was a consistent and devoted member of the Episcopal Church. Major Green was a man of large means but very much in debt. He was a most hospitable gentleman. His home, a large brick house, was too small to ac­commodate his guests and so he built the house across the street, known as the Parker Place, where his friends had their sleeping apartments; they came over to the main residence for meals. As might have been foreseen, Major Green's financial affairs came to a crisis several years before the war. His removal to Memphis to live soon followed. What was left of his estate of negroes, goods, and chattels, he sent by wagon to one of his plantations in Arkansas, un­der the care of a former overseer. In Memphis his agent and overseer made over a good deal of the property entrusted to his care to a commission mer­chant of that city, the transaction being alleged by Major Green as fraudulent. At that time, for lack of proof of fraud, no attempt was made by law to recover the property or its value. More than twenty years after the transaction, the overseer, on his death-bed, sent for Dr. Sol Green, the oldest son of the Major, a practicing physician in Memphis, and made a full confession of his fraudulent conduct and furnished documentary evidence concerning the transaction. Major Green, in 1874, in Memphis, commenced an action against the commission mer­chant for the recovery of the value of the property. He was introduced as a witness in the case and had testified, while introducing the documentary evidence, to matters making clear the liability of the defendant, when a telegram was received by him to the effect that his married daughter, living a few miles in the country, was extremely sick and his presence was needed. The Judge adjourned the court until the next morning, to give the witness an opportunity to visit his daughter. After he left the railway and was on his way to the home of the sick daughter in a buggy, the horse took fright and he was thrown out, receiving such injuries as to cause his death in a few hours. That tragic event put an end to the suit, as the Major had not been cross-examined and there was no living witness to supply the necessary facts. After Major Green went to Tennessee to live, Mrs. Mary K. Williams bought the house and moved there to live in the early fifties. She had resided at a beautiful country home some ten miles from War­renton, called "Montmorenci." As all three of her children had married, Thomas Williams, Mrs. Peter Hawkins, and Mrs. W. H. Polk, she and her mother-­in-law, Mrs. Williams, then a very old lady, lived there alone, except in the sessions of the schools when her grandchildren, Mollie and Lucy Hawkins, and Joe and Mollie Boyd Williams, and some of her nieces and nephews, came in and became a part of her household. Her daughter, Lucy, had married Major William H. Polk, brother of President James K. Polk, and they resided in Columbia, Tennessee. He died in 1559, and then she came with her two young children, William and Tasker, and made her home permanently with her mother. Mrs. Polk was very pretty as a young woman, with charming manners, and was much admired. She was a fine conversationalist. Having been much im­pressed and influenced by a mother who was loyal and devoted to the tenets of the Methodist Church, she never danced, but on occasions of dances and balls, you would see her surrounded by young men, quite as eager to enjoy her society as others were to engage in the dance. She was all through life a loyal friend and a most devoted mother. Hon. Tasker Polk, with his family, Mrs. Polk, (Miss Lilie Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jones, of Warren County) and their two sons now reside in this place. Their two daughters, Mary and Lucy, have married. The oldest son, William, is a practicing lawyer and associated with his father, who has been a prominent and successful lawyer in the old town for nearly forty years. Mr. Polk has also faithfully and ably represented his county in the State Senate for successive terms. The youngest son, James, is a student at the State Uni­versity. CHAPTER XXXVII PROFESSIONAL MEN OF WARRENTON LAWYERS William H. Polk, son of William H. Polk, of Tennessee, was born in Columbia, Tennessee, in 1855. Upon the death of his father in 1862, his mother, born Miss Lucy Williams, brought him and his brother, Tasker, to Warrenton, her old home. He practiced his profession in Warrenton during the years 1882-1886. He then went to Birmingham, Alabama, where he died a short time thereafter. Tasker Polk, the brother of William, was born in Columbia, Tennessee, in 1860. He was licensed to practice law in 1880 and is still engaged in the ex­tensive practice of his profession at Warrenton. He was a member of the Senate of North Carolina in 1915.

	There were many marriages between the Williams, Alstons, Davis' and Kearneys in Warren and Franklin Counties NC in the 1800s.  The house below is still standing, as are all the others shown below.  It belonged to Robert Webb Williams and his wife Heartwell H. Davis.  Robert is a second cousin of the Joseph John Williams who was married to Elizabeth Norfleet Hunter Williams.  Vine Hill Plantation Franklin County NC   Ruina Temporance Williams was the daughter of Robert Webb Williams (1792-1822) and Hartwell Hodges Davis (1793-1868) the owners of Vine Hill Plantation in Franklin County. Robert W. Williams was the son of William Williams (1760-1838) and Elizabeth Kinchen Kearney (1769-1863). William Williams was the son of Solomon Williams (ca 1723-1794) and Temporance Boddie (d. May 11, 1784). Solomon Williams was the son of Samuel Williams (ca 1695-1753) and Elizabeth Alston (ca 1700-aft 1792). Ruina's brother, was Robert Edgar Williams, owner of Myrtle Lawn Plantation. Ruina's aunt, Marina P. Williams, was married to George Washington Alston and was the owner of Cherry Hill Plantation. Marina Priscilla Williams is a brother of Robert Webb Williams above and married George Washington Alston.  They built the house below known as Cherry Hill.  It's located in Warren County NC. Cherry Hill Plantation Located at: 2740 NC Highway 58 Warrenton, North Carolina Built in 1858 by John A. Waddell, the house is a part of the National Register of Historic Places Cherry Hill Plantation was the property of George Washington Alston (1801-1849)who left the land to his wife's care when he died. His wife, Marina P. Williams- Alston (1810-1897), whom he had married February 14, 1829 in Warren County, took over the operation of the plantation and built a new plantation home, which is still standing today in Warren County. George W. Alston was the son of Philip Guston Alston (1762-1820) & Mary Williams Harris, married ca. 1784; Philip G. Alston was the son of Philip Alston (ca.1706-1784) & Winefred Whitmel (1729-1795)married ca. 1745; Philip Alston was the son of John Alston (1670-1758) & Mary (ca. 1700) who had lived in Chowan Co, NC. Marina P. Williams was the daughter of William Williams (1760 -1838) & his 2nd wife, Elizabeth Kearney (1769-1863) who married December 4, 1790; William Williams was the son of Solomon Williams (ca. 1723 -d. July 29, 1794) & Temperance Boddie (d. May 11, 1784),who married June 23, 1757; Solomon Williams was the son of Samuel Williams (ca.1698-1754) & Elizabeth Alston (ca. 1711-aft.1792) who had lived in Edgecombe Co.,NC. The owners of this plantation were also associated with the following plantations along with the surnames of their owners: Myrtle Lawn (WILLIAMS) and Tusculum (ALSTON) in Warren County; Linwood Farms (DAVIS), Rocky Hill (THORN) and Vine Hill (DAVIS) in Franklin County. The daughter of Robert Webb Williams married Samuel Thomas Alston and they built the Tusculum Plantation house in Warren County NC. Tusculum Plantation Located at: Arcola, Warren County Built 1830 Tusculum Plantation was owned by Samuel Thomas Alston (1806-1860)and his wife Ruina Temporance Williams (1814-1897) of Warren County, North Carolina. They were married on September 1, 1831, and a few years earlier, in 1825, the ruins of an ancient city had been discovered near Rome, Italy, situated on the edge of an ancient volcano. The city was called Tusculum, which at one time, had been a place favored by wealth Romans and had ben populated with many large villas. No doubt, Samuel had been influenced by the discovery when it came to naming his own plantation, as had several other landowners throughout the South at that time. Samuel Thomas Alston was the son of Samuel Alston (1770-1807) and Elizabeth Faulcon (1775-1848); Samuel Alston was the youngest son of Philip Alston (1706-1784) and Winifred Whitmel (1729-1795); Philip Alston was the son of John Alston (ca 1670-1758) and Mary Clark (?)(ca 1700). Ruina Thomas Williams' brother, Robert Edgar Williams, built Myrtle Wood Plantation in Warren County NC.  All of these houses are still standing in 2012. Myrtle Lawn Plantation Warren County, North Carolina Located at: Inez, Fork Township Built ca. 1858 Owned by Dr. Robert Edgar Williams (b. Sept. 16, 1817 -d. March 7, 1904) who first lived in Franklin County, NC on land left to him by his grandfather, William Williams (1760-1838), land that had previously been owned by his deceased father, Robert Webb Williams (b. Feb.27-1792-d. Nov. 15, 1822);by 1860, Robert E. had moved to Warren County to be near his widowed grandmother, Elizabeth Kearney Williams (b. May 20-1769 - d. May 22, 1863). It was during this time period that he had the plantation known as Myrtle Lawn constructed, which became his lifetime home. Robert Edgar Williams was the son of Robert Webb Williams (1792-1822) & Harty Hodges Davis (1793-1868), who had married on October 1812. He married on October 20, 1841 in Warren Co., to Valeria Virginia Kearney (b. Dec. 7, 1822-d. Nov. 7, 1907),the daughter of William Kinchen Kearney (1785-1869) & Mariah Hardy Alston (1793-1883) who had married July 22, 1810. Robert W. Williams was the son of William Williams (1760-1838) & Elizabeth Kearney (1769- 1863): William Williams was the son of Solomon Williams (d.July 28, 1794) & Temporance Boddie (d.May 11, 1784), who married June 23, 1757, the family lived in Halifax Co., NC. Solomon Williams was the son of Samuel Williams (ca.1698-1754) & Elizabeth Alston (ca.1700-1792/1805),who married ca. 1718; they lived in Bertie Co., and later in Edgecombe. Elizabeth Alston was the daughter of John Alston (ca.1670-1758) & his wife, Mary (b.ca.1680). After the death of Samuel in 1754 Edgecombe County, Elizabeth married on Sept. 17, 1765 to Richard Burt, their long-time neighbor, who was also a widower; Elizabeth & Richard Burt lived in Halifax Co., where he died in 1805.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Norfleet Hunter Williams died in Warren County North Carolina in January 1856 and her will was filed with the Warren County Clerk at that time. Below is a copy of the will from Ancestry.com.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Norfleet Hunter Williams 1856 Will by Larry Feldhaus on Scribd

	The complete test of the bible is included here for reference.  This copy came from web page http://www.ncgenweb.us/ncwarren/bibles/bible-williams.htm#will_polk_davis   Williams-Polk-Davis Bible Bible printed in 1832 Joseph John Williams Senior August 1775 Betsy N. H. Williams 6th March 1778 Jos. Jon. Williams and Betsey N. H. Williams was married the 11th of February 1797 James Conner Williams son of J. J. Williams and Betsy his wife was born Jan. 1st 1798 Jos. Jon Jun was born the 19th of August 1800 Elizabeth Alston Williams was born 6th of Sept. 1803 Jos Jon Williams Senior departed this life in his 34th year Sunday Eve 11 oclock 18th Sept. 1808 James C. Williams departed this life in 1813 Elizabeth Alston Williams Drake departed this life Dec. 2nd 1830 Joseph John Williams son of Jos John Williams & Betsey N. H. Williams departed this life in April 1833 in the 33rd year of his age. Elisha Williams & Sarah Josy were married March 24th 1775 – children were William, Elisha, Josiah, Elizabeth --- Hunter Williams my grandmother Jos John Williams Jr. son of Jos John Williams Senior & Betsey N. H. Williams was born the 19th day of August 1800 Mary Kearney Davis daughter of Archibald & Elizabeth Davis born the 13th of Dec. 1802 Jos John Williams and Mary H. Davis were married the 9th of February 1820 Mary Elizabeth Williams daughter of Jos John and Mary (light) Williams was born on Wednesday 13th of November 1822 Joseph John Williams was born on Friday August 27th 1824 Lucy Eugenia Williams born Tuesday the 11th of Oct. 1826 Thomas Calvin Williams born Tuesday morning 1 oclock 30th of Dec. 1828 William H. Polk and Lucy Eugenia Williams were married the 14th of July 1854 by the Rev. Philmon W. Archer William H. Polk son of William H. Polk & Suey E. Polk was born in Columbia Tennessee the night of Aug. the 14th about 1 oclock 1855 Tasker Polk son of William H. Polk & Suey Polk was born in Columbia Tennessee March 24th 1861 Archibald Davis was born April 4th 1766 Elizabeth J. Hilliard born 1769 Thomas C. Williams departed this life Tuesday Apr. 27th 1 oclock 1855 Mrs. B. N. H. Alston departed this life on Sunday morning the 31st of January on her 87 year of age 1864 Mrs. Mary E. Hawkins departed this life Friday Oct. 25 at 20 minutes of 11 o’clock at night in her 45 year 1867 William H. Polk son of William H. Polk & Lucy C. Polk departed this life Oct. 17 about 9 o’ck p.m. at Birmingham Ala. in the 31st year of his age 1886 Mary K. Williams departed this life on Sunday Evening about 9 o’ck February 27 in the 85th year of her age 1887 Lucy E. Polk, widow of William H. Polk, departed this life January 11th 1906 at half past two o’clock a.m. at her house in Warrenton N. C. in the 90th year of her age. Col Joseph John Williams 1st youngest son of Samuel Williams and Elizabeth Alston (daughter of Judge John Alston of England) was a member of the Provincial Congress that met at Halifax April 4th 1776 and May 11th 1776. Appointed one of the commuter of safety for the State and was a member of the Legislature from Halifax County in 1777. He died in 1818. His will dated Feb. 15, 1816 was 1st married to who bore him; 1. Martha Williams= 1st Henry Hill 2d Dr. Samuel T. Thorne 2. Joseph John Williams Jr= Elizabeth Norfleet Hunter Williams 3. Henry Williams (no other record) 4. Elizabeth Williams (no other record) 5. Rosanna Conner Williams= md Dr. Jessie N. Faulcon Col Joseph John Williams 2nd wife was Elizabeth Alston (daughter of Phillip Alston and Elizabeth Whitmel) who bore him: 1. Wineford Whitmel Williams= 1st James Harris no child 2nd James Harris (cousin of the above) 2. Catherine Williams= Heath (no further record) 3. William Williams (Pretty Billy)= 4 times Elizabeth Williams = Hon Lemuel James Alston (1st wife) son of Solomon Alston Jr. & wife Sarah Elisha Williams of Roanoke= Sarah Josie children – William, Josiah, Elisha and Elizabeth who married Joseph John Williams Jr. who born him three children. James Conner Williams died. Elizabeth Alston Williams 1st – Harry Thorne 2nd Dr. Nicholas Drake one child died in infancy Joseph John Williams After the death of Joseph John Williams 2nd his widow married Hon Lemuel James Alston as his 2nd wife (no issue) Joseph John Williams= Mary Kearney Davis (daughter of Archibald Davis & Elizabeth Crafford Hilliard) Issue Mary Elizabeth Williams= Dr. Peter Hawkins, Joseph John Williams= died unmarried, Lucy Eugenia Williams= Maj. William H. Polk Tenn., Thomas Caboin Williams= Virginia Poyer Boyd Samuel Williams & Elizabeth Alston he died in 1753 children: 1. William Williams= Mrs. Thomas Blount 2. Solomon Williams= Tempie Boddie 3. Samuel Williams 4. Joseph John Williams= Rosannah Conner Col Joseph John Williams died in 1813 1st married Rosannah Conner 2. Line Joseph John Williams 2d. 3. Line Married Elizabeth Norfleet Hunter Williams (daughter of Cleoha Williams & Sarah Josie Joseph John Williams 3rd 4. line married Mary Kearney Davis Archibald Davis & Elizabeth Hilliard were married 1789 Ann Mana Davis born Sept. 30, 1790 Elizabeth Crawford Davis born Jan 21st 1792 Harty Hodge Davis born Apr 27, 1793 Leah Hilliard Davis born Aug. 27, 1795 James H. Davis was born July 21, 1797 Archibald H. Davis born June 3d 1799 Martha H. Davis born Feb. 22, 1801 Mary Kearney Davis born Dec. 13th 1802 Temperance W. Davis born Sept. 26, 1804 Thomas Davis born April 3rd 1806 John Calvin Davis born June 19, 1808 Lucy H. Davis was born Oct. 11th 1811 Archibald Davis departed this life Feb. 22, 1822 Elizabeth Hilliard Davis died Aug. 25, 1814 Ann Maria Condup died March 18, 1822 Elizabeth Crawford Alston died Jan. 17, 1872 Harty Hodge Williams died Leah Hilliard Davis died James H. Davis died 1798 Archibald H. Davis died Nov. 18, 1854 Martha H. Alston died May 20, 1875 Mary K. Williams died Feb. 27, 1887 Temperance W. Thorne died Aug. 5th 1854 Thomas Davis died Nov. 3, 1862 John Calvin Davis died Jos. John Williams Sen. departed this life on Saturday the 13th of April in his 33rd year 1833 Jos. John Williams Jun. son of Jos. J. Williams Sr. departed this life at Randolph Macon College Wednesday the 15th of March 1843 Williams & Polk Family Bible Brought in by Mrs. John Mitchell in 1975, Warrenton, N. C. No pub. date Births: Jos John Williams Senior Aug. 1775 Betsy N. H. Williams Mar. 6, 1778 James Conner Williams, son of J. J. Williams & Betsy Jan. 1, 1798 Jos John Williams Junior, son of Jos John & Betsy N. H. Williams Aug. 19, 1800 Elizabeth Alston Williams Sept. 5, 1803 Archibald Davis Apr. 4, 1766 Elizabeth J. Hilliard 1769 Ann Maria Davis Sept. 30, 1790 Elizabeth Crawford Davis Jan 21, 1792 Harley Codge [Harty Hodge] Davis Aug. 27, 1795 James H. Davis July 21, 1797 Archibald H. Davis June 3, 1799 Martha N. Davis Feb. 22, 1801 Mary Kearney Davis, dau. of Archibald & Elizabeth Davis Dec. 13, 1802 Temperance W. Davis Sept. 26, 1804 Thomas Davis Apr. 3, 1806 John Calvin Davis June 19, 1808 Lucy H. Davis Oct. 11, 1811 Jos John Williams Jr, son of Jos John Williams Senior Aug. 19, 1800 Mary Elizabeth Williams, dau. of Jos John & Mary K. Williams Nov. 13, 1822 Joseph John Williams Aug. 27, 1824 Lucy Eugenia Williams Oct. 11, 1826 Thomas Calvin Williams Dec. 30, 1828 William H. Polk son of William H. Polk and Lucy E. Polk Aug. 14, 1855 in Columbia, Tennessee Tasker Polk Polk son of William H. Polk and Lucy E. Polk Mar 24, 1861 in Columbia, Tennessee Marriages: Elisha Williams & Sarah Josey Mar. 24, 1775 (their children were William, Elisha, Josiah, and Elizabeth Norfleet Hunter Williams) Jos John Williams & Betsey N. H. Williams Feb. 14, 1797 Archibald Davis & Elizabeth Hilliard 1789 William H. Polk & Lucy Eugenia Williams July 14, 1854 by Rev. Philmen W. Archer Jos John Williams & Mary K. Davis Feb. 9, 1820 Deaths: Jos Jon Williams Senior Sept. 18, 1808 James C. Williams 1813 Elizabeth Alston Williams Daeke [Drake] Dec. 2, 1830 Joseph John Williams, son of Jos John Williams & Betsy N. H. Williams Apr. 1833 Archibald Davis Feb. 22, 1822 Elizabeth Hilliard Davis Aug. 25, 1814 Ann Maria Gondup Mar. 18, 1822 Elizabeth Crawford Alston Jan. 17, 1872 Harty Hodge Williams Leah Hilliard Davis James H. Davis 1798 Archibald H. Davis Nov. 18, 1854 Martha H. Alston May 20, 1875 Mary K. Williams Feb. 27, 1887 Temperance W. Thorne Aug 6, 1854 Thomas Davis Nov. 3, 1862 John Calvin Davis Jos John Williams Sen. Apr. 13, 1833 Jos John Williams Jun. Mar. 19, 1843 Thomas C. Williams Nov. 27, 1855 Mrs. B. N. H. Alston Jan. 31, 1864 Mrs. Mary E. Hawkins Oct. 25, 1867 William H. Polk Oct. 17, 1886

	Following is a short biography of William H. Polk, brother of President James K. Polk and husband of Betsy's grandaughter Lucy Eugenia Williams.  He was the daughter of Joseph John Williams and his wife Mary Kearney Davis Williams. Bibliography Bergeron, Paul H. “My Brother’s Keeper: William H. Polk Goes to School.” North Carolina Historical Review 44 (Spring 1967): 188-204.   POLK, William Hawkins, (1815 - 1862) POLK, William Hawkins, (brother of President James Knox Polk), a Representative from Tennessee; born in Maury County, Tenn., May 24, 1815; attended the city schools, Columbia, Tenn., and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1832 and 1833; was graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1839 and commenced practice in Columbia, Tenn.; member of the State house of representatives 1842-1845; Minister to the Kingdom of Naples and served from March 13, 1845, to August 31, 1847; served as major of the Third Dragoons in the Mexican War in 1847 and 1848; elected as an Independent Democrat to the Thirty-second Congress (March 4, 1851-March 3, 1853); resumed the practice of law; died in Nashville, Tenn., December 16, 1862; interment in Greenwood Cemetery, Columbia, Tenn.