Item 1: SUBJECT: Samuel McWilliams (1766-1817)
Samuel McWilliams came to Harrisonburg likely as a schoolmaster. He testified as a witness for the defendant in the case of Cravens Vs Lanahan: I taught school in Harrisonburg in the dyer 1787, at the time Denis Lanahan subscribed for two scholars…remembers James Cravens as a pupil, does not remember Peggy Cravens as a pupil, but supposes she might have been there. Says he rode sheriff with Robert Cravens about 1792, under Andrew Shanklin, etc. (Houston Harrison in his "Long Gray Trail", page 394)
In 1792 he married Edith Harrison, daughter of Col. Benjamin Harrison, surety Joseph Cravens (Strickler’s "Rockingham County Marriages", page 83)
A short time after his marriage, he was appointed Clerk of the Rockingham County Court. He was the third to so qualify, and served twenty-five years. In a brief notice regarding him, Johnson, in his "Memorials of Old Virginia Clerks", states Samuel McWilliams was appointed to succeed Mr. Henry Ewing in July, 1792 and continued to hold the office until his death, in February, 1817. Mr. McWilliams married Edith Harrison, a daughter of Col. Benjamin Harrison, January 16, 1792, and resided on what is now known as Watemamo Farm, northeast of Harrisonburg. His death was caused by a fall from a wagon. Mr. McWilliams’ family has disappeared from the county, and nothing can now be gathered of his history. (Johnson, "Memorials of Old Virginia Clerks", page 346.
In the Act of Assembly, December 1797, authorizing the addition of 23 ½ acres of land to the town of Harrisonburg, the first trustees of the town were appointed among whom were Samuel McWilliams and Asher Waterman, gentlemen.
Samuel McWilliams is presumed to have been a brother of Gordon McWilliams, who came to Harrisonburg in May 1797. In 1790, Samuel signed as juror of Rockingham, along with William Cravens and others, in declaring a tract of land on Linville Creek escheatable, formerly belonging to the Rev. Thomas Jackson. An Act of Assembly concerning Escheators at the Court House of Rockingham County" was later passed July 26, 1796 as a result, to terminate the proceedings. (Chalkley, vol. 1, page 481).
Resided the farm known as Watemamo, Samuel McWilliams owned pieces of Real Estate in the town of Harrisonburg. These properties, and also the farm, were sold by the Executors. One of these town lots is located at the corner of what is now North High and Elizabeth Streets on the Northwest corner. At that time High Street was knows as West Street.
In April 1819, the farm place was sold to William Sites, in two conveyances, one of 50 acres, a part of a larger tract of 104 acres, the second tract of 246 acres less 17 acres sold previously. From what I can gather from the records, I am inclined to think that all of this farm is now included in the corporate limits of Harrisonburg, tho I am not positively certain that it is. It may be that the old home is still standing, the none now living seem to know anything about the place and can therefore, give me no information in regard to it. I should like to have traced it down, and to that end searched very carefully the records. Mr. McWilliams was prominent in the affairs of the town and the community, highly respected; a good Clerk of the Court, holding that office for twenty-five years, and no doubt would have continued in that office for years longer but for his death in 1817. Following his death, his family removed to Christian County, Kentucky likely in company with some of his wife’s brothers and their families.
The children of Samuel McWilliams and wife Edith were: Peachy, Ashbury, Agatha who married Alexander Logan, Nancy who married Resin Hammond and Mary.
Item 8: Sources of Information:
Houston Harrison in his "Long Gray Trail"; Court House Records.
February 13, 1937 Geo. W. Fetzer