William Williams

A historical black and white portrait of a man with dark, curly hair, wearing formal dark clothing, looking sideways.

BORN – April 23, 1731, in Lebanon, CT. Parents (English and Welsh ancestry) – Solomon Williams (b1700-d1776) and Mary Porter Williams (b1703-d1787). Fifteen Children – Eliphalet Williams (b1727-d1803), William Williams (b1731-d1811), Thomas Williams (b1735-d1819).

DIED - August 2, 1811(1811-08-02) (aged 80), in Lebanon, CT, 35 years to the day that he signed the Declaration. Religion – Congregationalist (Puritan). Buried – Old (Trumbull) Cemetery, Lebanon, CT.

APPEARANCE - Medium build, erect and well proportioned. Dark brown eyes and black hair. Normally he was a man self-controlled and discrete, but upon occasion, his strong feelings led him to “violence of language.”

FAMILY – Married – Mary Trumbull (b1745-d1831) in 1771. Mary’s brother, John Trumbull, became famous as a painter of the Revolution. Three Children – Solomon Williams (b1772-d1810), Faith Williams McClellan (b1774-d1838), William Trumbull Williams (b1777-d1839).

OCCUPATION – SOLDIER, MERCHANT, LEGISLATOR, JUDGE. Graduated from Harvard College (now Harvard University) in 1751, majoring in theology. Served in the French and Indian War. He returned home feeling contempt for the British officers who were haughty and openly regarded the colonists as inferior men. Served as a Colonel in the Connecticut Militia from 1773 to 1775. Member of the Continental Congress representing Connecticut on and off from 1776 to 1778. Judge of Windham County Court from 1776 to 1805 and Probate Judge for the Windham District from 1775 to 1809.

AT SIGNING – Age 45 at signing. Was appointed as a substitute for Oliver Wolcott who had to leave the Congress for a period of time due to illness.

AFTER SIGNING – Continued to serve in Congress in Philadelphia until 1778. Purchased supplies for the army with his own money, and went from door to door raising funds and collecting blankets for the army. Opened their home to American and French soldiers.

HISTORIC SITES

Lebanon Home – William Williams House, Lebanon, CT (1748). Located at 876 Trumbull Highway, Lebanon, CT 06249. Home of William Williams from 1755 until his death in 1811. Privately owned.

Birthplace – Williams Birthplace, Lebanon, CT (1712). Located 921 Trumbull Highway, Lebanon, CT 06264. Birthplace of William Williams and home until 1755 (age 24). Privately owned.

Gravesite - Old (Trumbull) Cemetery, Lebanon, CT. (1702), Located on CT Route 207 (Exeter Road), Lebanon, CT 06264‎, one mile east of town. Phone 860-642-6100.

Museums – Lebanon Museums. Located on the Green, Lebanon, CT. Lebanon was the center of Connecticut’s contributions to the American Revolution. Local museums include – Lebanon Historical Museum and Visitors Center, Governor Trumbull House, War Office, Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House, Dr. William Beaumont Birthplace. Connecticut 97USCTScotland06264

A classic two-story house with blue siding, white trim, and multiple windows. It has a brick chimney, a small front porch, and is surrounded by a grassy yard with bushes.

Home of William Williams, Lebanon, CT (1748).

Located at 876 Trumbull Highway, Lebanon, CT 06249. Privately owned.

The house was the home of William Williams from 1755 until his death in 1811. It is on the route of General Rochambeau's French Army in 1781 and/or 1782, on the way from Newport, RI to Yorktown, VA and the Siege of Yorktown.