Jackson County GaArchives Photo Place.....John And Winney Williamson Tombstone-Williamson Cemetery 1980s
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Larry Knowles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00012.html#0002854 December 30, 2005, 12:37 am

Source: Williamson Cemetery
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/jackson/photos/tombstones/williamson/johnandw7953gph.jpg
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John and Winney Williamson-Williamson Cemetery, Jackson County Georgia

This homemade aluminum plaque was placed by an unknown descendant at the base 
of two identical "brick burial mounds" in the Williamson Family Cemetery. When 
I first visited the site in the Fall of 1998, and cleared the cemetery in early 
1999, it was completely hidden! I learned of it through correspondance with Mr. 
B. Lamar Williamson, who supplied this photo. On my next visit, I found the 
marker completely buried, and separated from its disintigrated concrete base
(shown here). I then positioned it in place on several loose bricks with the 
intention of eventually re-doing the base. To date that has not been done.

Research into John Williamson Jr.'s estate revealed an extensive legal battle. 
His supposed will was contested by several older sons and sons-in-law, who were 
slighted in favor of the widow Winney, son Micajah Williamson, and the younger 
children. The will was thrown out in Jackson County Superior Court in August 
1853, and the Georgia Supreme Court upheld that decision in October 1853. The 
legal fight, however, did not end. It continued in Jackson County Superior 
Court with a Court of Equity case. Ultimately, it was settled by arbitration in 
late 1857, and distributions were evidently concluded in early 1858.

Among the many legal pages generated by this case are the Jackson County Court 
Records, the so-called "loose papers", which have survived and are preserved in 
the Hargrett Library, UGA Library-Athens, GA(manuscript-MS 68). Most notable 
among these are the many depositions regarding the case. One from a nephew, 
John W. Moon, which describes an 1838 visit to the family cemetery, seems to 
question the placement of this marker. Together, with John Moon's statements, 
and a good examination of the cemetery, I have decided that whoever placed the 
marker was "guessing" based on the age of the "burial mounds". It is far more 
likely that John and Winney Williamson are buried nearer their bachelor son, 
Micajah(fenced enclosure). The two matching, totally obscured, machined stones 
beside his grave(one out of place)were likely positioned by Micajah himself 
sometime after his mother's death in 1873! Further, it appears probable that 
the three burial mounds are the graves of Sarah Moon, wife of Bolar(and mother 
of John W. Moon)-her bachelor brother, William Williamson(d.1834); and their 
mother, family matriarch, Margret(Lesley)Mitchell Williamson(d.1828).

Additional Comments:
See additional cemetery photos, and the summary "Williamson Kin". See also the 
despositions of John W. Moon and Dr. Crawford W. Long.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/jackson/photos/tombstones/williamson/johnandw7953gph.txt

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