Robert Williams (Mississippi politician)

Robert Williams
Robert Williams
4th Adjutant General of North Carolina
	In office; 1812–1821
Appointed by	William Hawkins
Preceded by	Calvin Jones
Succeeded by	Beverly Daniel
Grand Master of the; Grand Lodge of North Carolina and Tennessee
	In office; November 29, 1811 – November 26, 1814
Preceded by	Benjamin Smith
Succeeded by	John L. Taylor (as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina)
3rd Governor of the Mississippi Territory
	In office; March 1, 1805 – March 7, 1809
President	Thomas Jefferson
Preceded by	William C. C. Claiborne
Succeeded by	David Holmes
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; from North Carolina's 3rd district
	In office; March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803
Preceded by	Jesse Franklin
Succeeded by	William Kennedy
Personal details
Born	July 12, 1773; Surry County, North Carolina, US
Died	January 25, 1836 (aged 62); Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, US
Resting place	Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, US
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse	Elizabeth Winston (m. 1790; died 1814)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	North Carolina Militia
Rank	Brigadier-General
Wars	War of 1812

Robert Williams (July 12, 1773 – January 25, 1836) was an American politician who served as the fourth adjutant general of North Carolina from 1812 to 1821. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he previously served as the third governor of Mississippi Territory from 1805 to 1809 under President Thomas Jefferson and represented North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1797 to 1803.

Early life and education

Robert Williams was born was born on July 12, 1773, in Surry County, North Carolina, where his family had significant political power. Since no public schools existed at the time, he received a private education appropriate to his class. He read law, and was admitted to the North Carolina bar.^[1]

Early career

In 1796, although barely legal age, Williams was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives, and he served three terms, 1797 to 1803.^[2] In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson appointed Williams to the federal commission empowered to determine the legitimacy of land claims in the recently acquired Mississippi Territory.^[3] In May 1805 Jefferson appointed him governor, and he served until the end of Jefferson's term in March 1809. During the War of 1812, he served in the militia as the adjutant general of North Carolina.

Later life and death

After the 1814 death of his wife in Washington, Mississippi, Williams moved to a plantation near Monroe, Louisiana, which he called Bon Aire. He operated Bon Aire until his death in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, on January 25, 1836.^[4] He was buried at Bon Aire, but the exact location of the grave is not known. It is the present-day site of the Baptist Children's Home and Sellers Baptist Maternity Home in Monroe.^[5]

Personal life

Williams' brother Lewis served as a Congressman from North Carolina, and his brother John served in the United States Senate from Tennessee. His cousin Marmaduke Williams also represented North Carolina in the U.S. House.

References

^ Rowland, Dunbar (1912). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi. Nashville, TN: Brandon Printing Company. p. 22.
^ Rowland, Dunbar (1907). Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Volume 2. Atlanta, GA: Southern Historical Publishing Company. p. 973.
^ Niles, Hezekiah (August 19, 1826). "Members of Congress, Appointed to Office". Niles' Weekly Register. Washington, DC. p. 427.
^ Sumners, Cecil (1980). The Governors of Mississippi. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 9780882892375.
^ Sierichs, Bill (March 29, 1983). "Tombstones Shed Light on Past". Monroe-West Monroe News-Star (via Ancestry.com). Monroe, LA.

External links

Media related to Robert Williams at Wikimedia Commons
Robert Williams at The Political Graveyard

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Jesse Franklin	Member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina's 3rd congressional district 1797–1803	Succeeded by William Kennedy
Political offices
Preceded by William C. C. Claiborne	Governor of Mississippi Territory 1805–1809	Succeeded by David Holmes
Masonic offices
Preceded by Benjamin Smith	Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina and Tennessee 1811–1814	Succeeded by John L. Taylor as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina
Military offices
Preceded by Calvin Jones	Adjutant General of North Carolina 1812–1821	Succeeded by Beverly Daniel

[1] Rowland, Dunbar (1912). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi. Nashville, TN: Brandon Printing Company. p. 22.

[2] Rowland, Dunbar (1907). Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Volume 2. Atlanta, GA: Southern Historical Publishing Company. p. 973.

[3] Niles, Hezekiah (August 19, 1826). "Members of Congress, Appointed to Office". Niles' Weekly Register. Washington, DC. p. 427.

[4] Sumners, Cecil (1980). The Governors of Mississippi. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 9780882892375.

[5] Sierichs, Bill (March 29, 1983). "Tombstones Shed Light on Past". Monroe-West Monroe News-Star (via Ancestry.com). Monroe, LA.

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v t e Governors of Mississippi
Territory (1798–1817)	Sargent Claiborne R. Williams Holmes
State (since 1817)	Holmes Poindexter Leake Brandon Holmes Brandon Scott Lynch Runnels Quitman Lynch McNutt Tucker Brown Matthews Quitman Guion J. Whitfield Foote Pettus McRae McWillie Pettus Clark Sharkey Humphreys Ames Alcorn Powers Ames Stone Lowry Stone McLaurin Longino Vardaman Noel Brewer Bilbo Russell H. Whitfield Murphree Bilbo Conner White Johnson Sr. Murphree Bailey Wright White Coleman Barnett Johnson Jr. J. Williams Waller Finch Winter Allain Mabus Fordice Musgrove Barbour Bryant Reeves

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