Work by Chad Williams

By Chad Williams March 16, 2009 at 07:47:52 I am a descendant of Solomon Newsom I and Solomon Newsom II through Solomon II’s son John. I for years anxiously awaited the publication of Dr. George Newsome’s book on the family and as a result did little research on the family, but he unfortunately passed away before he was able to publish the book.Therefore over the past few years I have begun researching this family.The Newsom(e)’s were a prominent family in the founding of this country and in the development of the state of Georgia, so there are a lot of records out there on them, especially the many Solomon’s. I have found that on the internet the facts and assumptions are often molded together and a lot of copying and pasting takes place.Though I still have lots of work to do and am by no means a professional genealogist (I too in the past have neglected citing my work, therefore I am sure some of my database is incorrect), I hope that everyone will keep in mind that the internet lacks facts and that unless you have seen the actual source you can’t validate a record. Since this is such an exciting family (Solomon II was captured by the Indians in 1779 and held captive for nine days; he also served under Elijah Clark in the Revolutionary War, and produced a family that would become some of the wealthiest in Antebellum Georgia). I would like to print a few things that I have found to be erroneous and hopefully get them corrected for others: • Solomon Newsom II died between Jan and Feb 1803 instead of Oct 17, 1803. Oct 17, 1803 (a date often found as his date of death on the internet) was actually the date that a bond was made on the estate of “Solomon Newsom, deceased”.The first information on Solomon’s estate is found when on Feb 16, 1803 letters of administration were applied for.The last record I have found that proves Solomon was alive was on Jan 5, 1801, when Solomon Newsom II and III (at this point known as Solomon Sr and Solomon Jr because Solomon Newsom I was deceased) were recorded as selling land in Warren County, which means that he died between Jan 5, 1801 and Feb 16, 1803.Most likely though with letters of administration being applied for in Feb 1803, Solomon died very shortly prior to this. • I haven’t found any record to indicate that Solomon Newsom II was married to a woman named Ruth. There is a SC court record from 1772 which states, “Leroy Hammond and James Jackson vs. Solomon Newsom and Jane, his wife, administrix of John Plowman White. (Judgment Rolls, Court of Common Pleas, Series S136002, Box 94A, Item 244A).” There are other estate records on John Ploughman White, but I haven’t been able to abstract them yet, though they do make me question whether Jane White was his widow or daughter.Further evidence will need to determine what the relationship is. • The second wife of Solomon Newsom II has been listed as being Elizabeth Stone.Though we know her name was Elizabeth (Warren Co deed records in 1798 and 1799 state that “Solomon Newsom and his wife Elizabeth” sold land.I haven’t found any record to indicate a maiden name. She is also listed as being Elizabeth Mitchell, but it should be noted that she was Mrs. Elizabeth Mitchell when she married Solomon Newsom II as she was recently widowed from a Mr. Mitchell. • We know that Solomon Newsom II was born in Nottoway Parish, Isle of Wight County, VA because Solomon Newsom I is listed numerous times in the parish and county records. • Several website list children that aren’t actually the children of Solomon I and Solomon II and some list the same children under both wives of Solomon II, as well as some where Elizabeth Newsom, wife of Solomon Newsom II had children long after he died or when she was in an far advanced age.I have found nothing to indicate that a Henry, Lucy, or Elizabeth were children of Solomon Newsom I. Children of Solomon Newsom I The following are known to be children of Solomon Newsom I: • Solomon Newsom II (deed record in 1765 Granville, NC; court records from Charleston 1772, 1773; and in 1774 a gift of “love, goodwill, and affection” for his son Solomon Newsom”) • Mary Newsom Pace (1773 record states that Solomon gave to his daughter a slave) • David Newsom (1774 gift of “love, goodwill, and affection” for his son Solomon Newsom”) • Ann Newsom (A deed from 1792 in Wilkes Co, GA states “Samuel Wilson and Ann Wilson, now wife of said Samuel Wilson, formerly Ann Burkhalter, daughter of Solomon Newsom”) The following are probably children of Solomon Newsom I: • Sarah Newsom Golden (Solomon Newsom II was the co-executor on the estate of Sarah’s husband Henry Golden and owned land adjoining Sarah) The following are possibly children of Solomon Newsom I: • Hardy Newsom (Listed in various records with Solomon Newsom and his family, but could just as well be a nephew or cousin; note that he died after 1805 (instead of 1795 as some internet postings show) because he and his son both paid taxes in Warren County in 1805) • Claiborn (sic) Newsom (Is listed in various records with the Newsom family including several land transactions where he bought and sold land with Solomon Newsom II.Like Hardy though he could be a nephew or cousin) • John Newsom (Is listed as executor of the estate of Solomon Newsom (actual will has been lost).One would think that he would be the son of Solomon, but one would wonder why Solomon or David weren’t listed as at least co-executors, which makes me wonder if Solomon Newsom I wanted a non-heir, such as a nephew or cousin, who could probate the will in a non biased manner?) • Carter Newsom (Listed in various records with Solomon Newsom and his family, but could just as well be a nephew or cousin) • Joseph Newsom (Listed as being a witness along with Solomon Newsom to a deed transaction between Joshua Coe and Carter Newsom in 1791) Children of Solomon Newsom II The following are known to be children of Solomon Newsom II and Jane White: • John Newsom (Listed in deeds as being the son of Solomon Newsom and also as applying for letters of administration on the estate of Solomon Newsom) • Frederick Newsom (listed in the estate records of Solomon Newsom as his son and also applied for letters of administration on the estate of Solomon) • David Newsom (listed in the estate records of Solomon Newsom as his son and also served as administrator on the estate of Solomon until his death) • Joeday Newsom (listed in the estate records of Solomon Newsom as his son and also applied for letters of administration on the estate of Solomon) • Solomon Newsom III (listed in the estate records of Solomon Newsom as his son and also applied for letters of administration on the estate of Solomon) • Asa Newsom (listed in the estate records of Solomon Newsom as his son and also served as administrator on the estate of Solomon after the death of his brother David). • William Newsom (Joday Newsom was appointed guardian of William after the death of his father Solomon) The following are known to be children of Solomon Newsom II and Elizabeth: • Joshua Newsom (paid taxes for Elizabeth Mitchell Newsom in 1818, owned land adjoining Joday Newsom; was involved in a law suit with Asa Newsom regarding the estate of Solomon Newsom II and was listed as an heir) • Linney Newsom (Father’s estate records list her) • Alecy Newsom (Jeremiah Burkhalter was appointed guardian of Alecy Newsom, daughter of the late Solomon Newsom) • Martha Newsom (Jeremiah Burkhalter was appointed guardian of Martha Newsom, daughter of the late Solomon Newsom) • Elizabeth Newsom (Jeremiah Burkhalter was appointed guardian of Elizabeth Newsom, daughter of the late Solomon Newsom) The following are probably children of Solomon Newsom II and Jane White: • Olive Newsom (Solomon Newsom witnessed the will of Samuel Moon, husband of Olive and Joday Newsom was co-executor with Olive) The following are probably children of Solomon Newsom II and Jane White: • Sarah Newsom (The only record I have on Sarah Newsom is that she married Edward Harris in Warren County, Oct 19, 1817) •I have no evidence that the following are children of Solomon Newsom II • Nancy Newsom (Researchers speculate that Nancy Newsom, wife of William Goza, was a daughter of Solomon Newsom II.As of now I have no evidence to support this.The only record the puts William Goza with Solomon Newsom is a deed where Solomon and Elizabeth Newsom sold land to Goza in 1798.I haven’t found anything to state that William’s wife was Nancy or that she was a Newsom) • Narcissa Newsom (Researchers speculate that Narcissa Newsom, wife of William Hogan, was a daughter of Solomon Newsom II.As of now I have no evidence to support this.I have no records to show a connection between William Hogan and his wife Narcissa with the Newsom’s.In fact the Narcissa, who is the wife of William Hogan was probably a Goza.In an affidavit by Narcissa for a bounty land grant she stated that her husband William Hogan died in 1856, she married him in Washington County in 1807 and that prior to her marriage she was Narcissa Goza.) • Rhoda Newsom (Peter Newsom married Rhoda, but I have no record to state that Solomon II had a Rhoda) • Martha Frances Newsom (No record of this at all) The following are some other things that I have seen on the internet: • Ann Newsom Burkhalter Wilson, the daughter of Solomon Newsom I is said to have died in Sumter County, Alabama prior to 1814.Present day Sumter County was part of the Choctaw Nation until 1832 and had very little settlement prior to that with the exception to Fort Tombecbee.It is possible that Ann died in the area now known as Sumter County, but I haven’t seen anything that proves that. • Solomon Newsom I has been listed as dieing in 1795, but he most likely died around 1780, since the last record found for him was in Aug 1779 when he was appointed to the grand jury of Wilkes County.The next record found is in 1790 when an appraisal of his estate was recorded.Considering that Solomon Newsom I was listed in Wilkes County records several times in the 1770’s it would be strange for him to have just slipped off the radar throughout the 1780’s, unless he of course died. Unfortunately his estate records are lost, so a true answer for this will probably never be known, but we do know he died between 1779 and 1790. • One website showed Sarah Harp, wife of John Newsom (son of Solomon II) died in 1794 in LA, but she was known to have been alive as late as 1830 and is said to have died c1854, though no records have been found to substantiate that). • Silas Newsom, son of John and Sarah Harp Newsom didn’t die in 1855 as one website stated, instead died between 1860 and 1870.He was last found on the 1860 census, while his wife was listed in the house hold of her son Thomas Newsom in 1870. • A site has shown that Silas Newsom’s wife was Nancy Lavinia Peebles, but I have found no records to indicate that her name was Nancy. • One site states that Silas Newsom’s son Henry J. Newsom (my 4th ggf) died inNeshoba, MS. His CSA record shows he died at Camp Camp, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio.He also wasn’t born in Coweta County as one website stated, but instead was born in Muscogee County, GA (his father was in the 1830 census there and drew land in 1832 land lottery of Georgia while living in Muscogee Co). • A site showed Penelope Newsom, daughter of John Newsom Sr. as dieing in 1860, but we know she was alive after 1864 because she received part of her brother (Gideon’s) estate, per the probate of his will in Taylor Co, GA. If you would like to use this in your work, please just make sure you cite me with my contact information so others can get in touch with me if they have any questions, corrections, or additions.Finally, anyone who would like to correspond on this group or has any questions, corrections, or additions of their own please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Chad S. Williams 486 Hurt Road SW Smyrna, GA 30082 tw5@bellsouth.net