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ADAM "CHUCKALUCK" WILLIAMS
1849 - 1933

 

"Chuckaluck" Williams, a Ridgeway, North Carolina, ex-slave, blacksmith, and farmer, was born around 1848 or 1849 in Warren  County. His marriage license indicated that his parents were Mary and Moses Davis. He was married in December 1874 to Maranda Edwards Hawkins in Ridgeway by Reverend Boshammer. He and his parents were probably the slaves of Peter R. Davis. Adam and Miranda lived in Ridgeway on a lot adjoining his blacksmith shop. The lots were described as lot numbers two, three, and five, measuring 100 by 200 feet. These lots were described as part of six lots divided by the Ridgeway Company to G.S.H. Applegett.

Maranda Edwards Hawkins was previously married to Robert Hawkins and the union resulted in the birth of four children. The children from the marriage to Robert Hawkins were one son, Jefferson Hawkins, born in February of 1864 and three daughters named Mary Hawkins born in February of 1865, Ella Hawkins born in September of 1870, and Lucy Hawkins born in 1871. It is not known what happened  to or with Robert Hawkins that caused Miranda Edwards Hawkins to marry Adam Williams in 1874. Adam and Maranda Williams' union produced seven children, five sons and two daughters; Lena Williams, year of birth unknown, but died at the young age of seventeen; Moses Williams, born in 1876; James Williams, born in 1877; John H. Williams (the minister), born in February of 1883; Robert G. Williams born in 1878; Annie Williams, born in April of 1880; and the youngest, Marmaduke Williams born in June of 1884.

From 1882 to 1901, approximately twenty years, he and his wife Maranda acquired numerous pieces of property (in excess of 500 acres) from such people as S. P. Arrington, John Graham, John Darden, and M. J. Hawkins to name a few.

Adam was a very industrious individual; he had several farms, a blacksmithing business, and the mail contract to deliver mail from Ridgeway to St. Tammany, now known as Bracey, Virginia.  He was also known to have had a lot of fruit trees - apple, fig, grape and peach.

In 1905 his wife Maranda died and was buried in the Ridgeway Baptist Church cemetery located off US 1 near the present-day Soul City, North Carolina.

Adam and Maranda's youngest son, Marmaduke Williams, married Mabel Skipwith (Skipper) on May 12, 1908. They were married by Marmaduke's brother, Reverend John H. Williams, at the Ridgeway Baptist Church in Ridgeway. Marmaduke and Mabel Williams had five children, one boy and four girls: Maranda Williams Crews Moore (1910 - ), Rebecca Williams Brodie (1912-1994), Lucy Williams Hodge Simmons (1914-1976), John Adam Williams (1919-1969), and Willie B. Williams Jones (1926 - ). Marmaduke and Mabel's surviving children at this writing are Maranda Williams Crews Moore and Willie Bea Williams Jones. Maranda Williams Crews Moore now lives in Mansfield, Ohio. Willie Bea Williams Jones lives in New York City.

Note: Living generations omitted for reasons of privacy of living individuals.

Marmaduke and Mabel had separated long before her death in 1959.  Marmaduke lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where he died in 19XX. Marmaduke and Mabel Williams only son, John Adam Williams (1919-1969), lived with his mother Mabel Williams until her death in 1959.  Mabel S. Williams was buried in Ridgeway Baptist Church Cemetery in Warren County, North Carolina.

Adam died in 1933 after spending some time at the County Home.  An article was written by Ed Petar and was told to Howard Jones.  The article was entitled "Ex-Slave Rises to Riches and Dies in Poverty."  This article appeared in the Warren Record on Friday, December 8, 1933.
 


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