KATRANA (CATHERINE) "Katie" JACKSON b. 13 Dec. 1781; d. bef. 14 Feb. 1860 pr Harrison Co.,
(W)V; bur. prob Historic Jackson Cemetery; m. ca 26 August 1800 Harrison
County, WV, by Rev. George Towers (note
this date has been disputed): DR.
William WILLIAMS; b. 26 Mar, 1765 Reading, PA(DAR records): d. 27 Apr. 1850
85yr1m1d: bur: prob. Historic Jackson Cemetery (this was Dr. Williams second marriage – see below)
In 1850
Catherine was age 68, living next to the Lurty family with a young black girl,
Alice age 6.
Notes from
David Houchin, Waldmore Library, Clarksburg, WV:
On December 16th of that
year (1850)Dr. Williams received a deed from George Arnold for a lot at the
foot of Pike Street, on its north side, formerly a brickyard. Later deeds identify this as his home
site.
In 1801 and 1804 Williams bought two Main Street lots from his
brother-in-law, John G. Jackson; one of these was presumably the office
location. As a son-in-law, Williams received
a part of George Jackson's Limestone Creek tract (now just outside the city
limits) and later owned the Jackson mill property in Clarksburg.
The general picture we have of early Clarksburg seems to
establish Dr. Williams and the Rev. Towers as the leading figures in what
intellectual life there was in the town.
Henry Haymond published a recollection by the Rev. John Scripps of his
time as an apprentice at the local tannery from 1803 to 1808, which has little
to say about the tanner's trade but a lot to tell about the social
climate. Because of his natural gifts
Scripps was taken up by Rev. Towers and his wife: "They gave me access to
their large and select library."
Scripps also says that Dr. Williams, "the most literary man in the
community, found me out and often visited me." "I left the place against the strongest remonstrances of my
friends...for I had a gratuitous induction into either of the three professions
of law, medicine or divinity."
In the year Scripps left Clarksburg James McCally arrived, who
had trained elsewhere to be a maker of beaver hats. He was similarly recruited, married Dr. Williams's daughter, and
became first a lawyer and later a doctor.
If Towers and Williams were holding open the door to divinity
and medicine, it should have been the Jackson family--with whom both were
closely allied--who recruited men to be attorneys. But there's something unclear in this.
Dorothy Davis in her life of John George Jackson speculates that
his father, George, may have qualified as an attorney in the county of
Monongalia before the formation of Harrison--the Monongalia records being lost
and the question hard to settle. Named
to be a magistrate in the new county in 1784, George Jackson would have been
prohibited from practicing law in Harrison's court, but not in the other courts
of the region, and a paper may someday surface proving he did. Until such evidence appears I want to
propose an alternative: George Towers, Oxford graduate, was the best-educated
man in the village and had a large library.
Might he have been the one to tutor likely candidates, even in the
law? John George Jackson was the first
of the county's homegrown attorneys, and he held Towers in high regard.
Roy Bird Cook collection: A & M 1561; Vol 53-56;
p. 12 Vol. 56:
"Dr. William Williams d. April 27, 1850 Clarksburg,
age 85yrs. one month, one day, early physician and oldest person in
community ... came from Pennsylvania. Made
his 1st real estate purchase Dec. 16, 1800, lot from George
Arnold ...married Catherine, d/o George Jackson 26 Aug. 1800. She died prior to the appraisement of her
personal estate Feb. 14, 1860. Dr.
William was the father of at least 3 children: George I., John W. and
Catherine, w/o Beverly W. Lurty."
Obit taken from unknown collection:
Died in Clarksburg, Virginia, on the 27th
day of April 1850
"DR. WILLIAM WILLIAMS, aged 85 years, 1 month and 1
day. He emigrated here from
Pennsylvania whilst the thin and ???? population of North Western Virginia was
still trembling from the horrors of a recent border warfare – whilst the
Indians knife and fire were yet familiar themes at its hearthstones. Dr. Williams was a man of deep and
philosophic mind – of bold and original views of nature and of human life. Could all the abstruse speculations which
passed through his brain in all the years of his inactive old age – after the
vigorous intellect had been withdrawn from the affairs of this world – have
been embodied in form, there is but little doubt that his survivors might have
been amazed by his strength of his conclusions and benefited by their truth.
Affectionate and gentle, harmless and good as he has been useful and industrious, successful and learned in his noble profession, it is not his family and relatives alone who feel his loss, or in whose hearts his memory will be cherished. He has gone from our sight like a hoary tree which falls before the breeze in the night-time. Our eyes will long look in vain for his familiar form and turn to the place made vacant to learn at last the reality of Death and decay. His death-bed was the death-bed of a philosopher, the death-bed of a Christian. The flame of his life had consumed its clay, he had lived his allotted time and bowed meekly to the mandate of his God, not repining but grateful for the Divine mercy which had permitted him to see his children’s children even unto the third generation.
As
the star which sinks beneath the Ocean’s horizon is neither darkened or
destroyed but gone only from our vision to illumine another sphere, the
relatives of the deceased have consolation in the sublime faith that the soul
of the departed husband, father, friend, is even now expanding in that region
“fairer than prophets ever told” – is rejoicing on those solemn shores “where
mortal footsteps hath not been.”
History of Medicine in Harrison County, Hess, Alice Jo says that Dr. Williams came to
Clarksburg in 1791 and is “credited with being the first physician to locate
permanently in Clarksburg to practice his profession”. He would have been 26 at
the time. (Houchin, David, 24 July, 2002 communication to Nancy Jackson)
1.
Catherine E. b. 1814 (death record); d. 2 Jan. 1897, age
83y (Harrison BK:1{Hickman, Harrison Death
Records 1853-1903, p. 143}); bur. IOOF
Cemetery, Clarksburg, WV: m. 7 July 1830 Harrison Co., WV Beverly H. Lurty b.
ca 1811; (occupation: merchant/farmer, member of the Constitutional Convention
of West Virginia in 1872, and subsequently the Legislature. )
In 1850 there was on black servant living with the
family, David age 55, and in 1860 there were four black servants: Allen Williams age 12 , b. VA; Jenny
Butler age 106, b. VA; Susan Jones age 55, b. VA and Benjamin
Banyon age 65, b. VA. In the 1870
census Beverly is a farmer...living with the family are Alley 23
b. VA - black, and Edward age b. WV - mulatto. Alley is possibly Alice who was living with Katrana Jackson
Williams in 1850.
a) George W. Lurty
b. ca 1831 (age 19 in 1850) was listed as a lawyer in this census.
Civil War Records on Ancestry.com:
George W. Lurty, Capt. Lurty’s Company VA Horse
Artillery, Pvt., Confederate.
George W. Lurty, Com C. 31 VA Inf. Pvt –induction;
Pvt- discharge; Confederate
George Washington Lurty (Attorney) enlisted 21 May 1861
VA
b) Robert Dexter
Lurty b. 3 Apr. 1837 Harrison Co. ; d. 1 Aug 1918 Weston, WV; 81y4m27d;
m. 28 Sept. 1872, Barbara Ann Collins b. 1855 Harrison Co., d. 13 Mar. 1829 Weston; 73y7m3d; (died of
bronchial asthma/invalid); d/o Maxwell and Pricilla Collins. Robert was
a civil engineer in the 1850 census for Harrison Co. Dexter was age 30 and a laborer in the 1870 census of Harrison
Co.WV (1st Lt. Va Horse Arty. CSA.)
both bur. Machpelah Cemetery, Weston, Lewis Co., WV.
Robert D. Lurty; Com E 20 VA Cal. 1st Lt-induction; 1st
Lt.- discharge, Confederate
Robert D. Lurty; Capt Lurty’s Company VA Horse
Artillery, 1st Lt-induction; 1st Lt.- discharge;
Confederate. Note: Alias: Jorty R. Dexter
1. Robert J. Lurty b. ca 1874 - (age 6 -
1880 Harrison Co.)
2. Pauline Lurty b. ca 1876 - (age 4 -
1880)
3. Sallie E. Lurty b. ca 1878 - (age 2 -
1880)
4. William D. Lurty b. ca 1880 - (age 5/12 -
1880)
5. Georgia Lurty d. 9 Oct 1895 age
3m15d; Harrison Co.; d/o R.D. and Barbara
c) Warren S.
Lurty b. ca 1840 (age 10- 1850 & 21 in 1860, p. 756 Clarksburg) was a
lawyer in 1850. He was appointed by General Grant as US District Attorney of
Virginia. Weston Democrat, April 19,
1890.)
Warren S. Lurty: 19th VA Cav. Adjt – induction; Adjt – discharge Confederate
Warren S. Lurty: Capt Garbers Co. VA Lt Art. ; Pvt – induction; Pvt-discharge Confederate
1870 Census Index Rockingham Co., Harrisonburg Twp.,
p. 171: there is a Warren Lurty listed.
d) Amanda Lurty b. ca 1841 was age 9 in 1850.
She was not in the 1860 census.
e) Sarah M. “Sallie” Lurty b. ca 1848 (age 2-1850 & 11-1860) m. Dr. Frank
L. Harris b. ca 1849 s/o Alanson L. and Sophia Harris, m. 14 May
1872 Harrison Co., WV. He was 23, she
22. One known child: Lurty Harris
who m. a Miss Compton.
f) William B.
Lurty was b. ca 1852...he was age 8 in 1860; age 19, laborer in 1870.
g) Jackson S.
Lurty was b. ca 1855 (age 5
-1860 & 15-1870, laborer) he m. Minnie Maxwell on 24 May 1882, d/o Theodore and Minnie
Maxwell. Jackson was 24 and Minnie
was 19.
1920
Census Ohio Co., WV, Wheeling City, Triadelphia Twp., Pct 3; 3 Jan.
103/35/38 Lurty N or K Harris – renting on Oak Avenue
age 45 VA VA VA
Helen? C. 40 WV ? WV
Frank C son 14 WV WV VA
Katherine N dau 13 WV WV VA
Can’t read dau
8 WV WV VA
°°°
2. Mary Jackson Williams b. ca 1800; d. aft 1828 –bef. 1832; m. 21 Sept.
1824 Dr. Michael Dorsey Gittings b. 21 Feb. 1796; bur. IOOF Cem.,
Clarksburg.
a) Mary Ellen
Williams b. 27 Mar. 1828; d. 10 Apr 1883. She was a lawyer. She was age 42 in the 1870 census. She m. 5 Mar. 1846 in Harrison Co., (W)V Hon.
John S. Carlile b. 16 Dec 1817; d. 24 Oct 1878; both ; bur. IOOF Cemetery,
Clarksburg.
1. Mary E. Carlile
b. 1848 in Philippi (age 3 - 1850 Barbour Co.) m. 6 June 1872 in Harrison Co., WV, at age 24 to Charles W. Walters, age
26 of Lewistown, PA, s/o H. J. and M. P. Walters.; A Mary E. McCelland d/o John Carlile is
bur. IOOF Cem. b. 4 Feb. 1849; d. 5
Feb. 1906 )
2. William D.
Carlile b. 1851 (age 19 -1870)
3. Lillian B. Carlile b. ca 1853 (age 7 - 1860) she may be Lettie C. who was b. 1853 (age 17-1870) and
married Samuel M. Strader. Lettie
C. was born in Clarksburg according to DAR Record Lineage Book, p.
341. She had a son Carlile Srader.
Other lineage records on record are #19094, 21931,
37996, 38760.
4. John S.
Carlile b. 10 Mar. 1856 {HB}(age 14 in 1870); d. 14 Feb. 1886; bur. IOOF
Cem.
5. Lucinda Carlile b. 1860 (age 2/12 in 1860)
6. Allan Douglas Carlile (Rev.) 1860-1913/14 m. Margaret E. Weyer. Children: Eleanor W. Carlile b.
in Easton, PA. (DAR Record). John S.
Carlile of NYC in 1938 production manager of Columbia Broadcasting Co.
(HB), Douglas of Philadelphia (1938) {HB}. Miss Eleanor W. Carlile b.
in Easton, d/o Allan and Margaret; applied for D.A.R.
°°°
“Michael Dorsey Gittings, M. D. was born on February 21, 1796 in Montgomery
County, MD. He studied medicine in Hagerstown, MD and was graduated from the U
of MD, Baltimore. The doctor began the
practice of his profession in Greensburg, PA in 1819; subsequently, he
practiced in Morgantown, VA, now WV, and in 1828 he moved to Clarksburg, WV.
On September 21, 1824 Michael D. Gittings was
united in marriage with Mary Williams, a daughter of Dr. William and
Katherine (Jackson) Williams of Clarksburg, VA, now WV. Dr. Williams was also a practicing
physician in Harrison County. Following the death of Mary Williams Gittings,
the doctor married, second, on February 2, 1832 to Sophia C. Jackson...a
niece of Katherine (Jackson) Williams.
On September 24, 1829, Dr. Gittings purchased
the” George Jackson Mill” in Clarksburg from his father-in-law, Dr.
Williams. During the twenty-four
years in which Dr. Gittings owned the establishment, he made
improvements by converting from water to steam poser, and in 1853 he sold the
mill to John S. Carlile (his son-in-law) at a considerable profit. The mill was built in 1784 on Elk Creek,
about one hundred feet south of the present East Main Street bridge, by George
Jackson, the father of Katherine (Jackson) Williams.
About 1847 Dr. Gittings moved to Zanesville, OH
and remained there until 1864, when he moved to Marietta, OH and lived there
for three years. In 1867 the doctor
returned to Clarksburg, WV.
Michael D. Gittings, MD died on February 24, 1877 at eighty-one years of age. His wife, Sophia C. (Jackson) Gittings
died on May 8, 1882. Both are buried in
the Old Fellows Cemetery, Chestnut Street, Clarksburg, WV.”
History
of Medicine in Harrison County 1784-1977 p. 368-69
Edward
Brake Jackson, Catherine Williams’ brother, left a suit of clothes to George J/I Williams in his will
and named him executor. It is unclear who he was related to the
Williams family. He may have been
George Jackson Williams and may have been a child of Catherine and Dr.
Williams.
The
Weston Democrat, April 19, 1890, article on the
Jackson famil , says that Catherine and Dr. Williams had two sons, George J.
Williams and William D. Williams "were gentleman of classical acquirements and
extraordinary speaking talents. George
was elected to the General Assembly of Virginia a number of times and William
D. Williams was an able criminal lawyer.
They both died young and unmarried."
Another possible child may be a John Williams
Dr. Williams first
wife was Rachel Woodruff. DAR record
say they were married in Greensburg, PA where he had studied medicine, and that
Rachel died in 1798.
Their daughter, Penelope b. 1795 m.
Dr. James McCally. Dr. McCally
is said to have assisted at the birth of Stonewall Jackson. They had eight children:
1.
William James b. 21 Dec. 1814; d. 14 Jun 1877; physician practicing
in Ritchie Co., WV
2.
Alcinda m. M. William Armstrong
3.
Rachel Penelope b. 1818 m. Thomas Ramage b. 1810; d. 1895
4.
***Virginia d. 1873/4 m. Judge George Hay Lee, of
Clarksburg;. Their daughter, Maude
Lee, m. James Jackson Duncan, of Clarksburg, whose granddaughter, Maude
Lee Duncan, daughter of George Lee and Gertrude (Smith) Duncan m.
James M. Jarvis, son of Dr. Cecil C. Jarvis of Clarksburg.
***Note: James Jackson Duncan was the son of Columbia M. Jackson and her
first husband, James A. Duncan.
Columbia was the d/o John George Jackson and Mary Sophia
Meigs Jackson.
5.
John was a doctor; m. and had two daughter, Lelia
and Nellie
6.
Ann b. 13 Dec. 1827; d. 6 Sept 1854; m. 3 Mar 1846;
Joseph McCartney
7.
Helen b. 1832 m. Mr. Pitkin
8.
Charles a civil engineer with the B & O RR, moved to
Kansas City, MO in 1855 and during the CW fought with the Confederate army
under the command of Longstreet.
*HB - indicates Hunter Bennett’s Papers
Compiled by Linda B. Meyers
Revised August 15, 2002