John Williams immigrated in 1783 to Wilmington, North Carolina.

John brought his second wife and three children from his first wife to North Carolina in 1783. Legend holds that John left London soon after John and his father had a bitter quarrel concerning John's second marriage. That quarrel was so bitter that John supposedly would not allow his wife to tell their children of the identity of their grandfather.⁽⁶⁾ John was the resident lawyer of Chatham County, North Carolina. He was often called "London John" to distinguish him from another lawyer later on in that area.

Was it Williams or Barbour?

"Have you heard the tale about immigrant John Williams choosing not to use his father's surname (Barbour), preferring his mother's surname (Williams)? We have the story in the family papers. The ancestral line is Barbour."
— Lon A. Speer, June 5, 2000

The line for John's wife, Philadelphia Hosier, is uncertain. According to one source, she was the daughter of Admiral Francis Hosier.⁽¹⁾ Another correspondent⁽³⁾ indicates that she was daughter of John and Martha Hosier and baptized 10 Feb 1759 at Standlake, Oxon, England

Arguments Against Descent from Admiral Hosier

"As I remember it, the Admiral either had no progeny or only one son who had none... I am certain that Admiral Hozier was not her father....  The admiral came from a family in the western portion of England, Blakemere perhaps... Philadelphia Hosier... came from Oxfordshire and there was a prenuptual agreement for the marriage... I believe the Admiral's first name was Francis and that he was burried in Gravesend or Plymouth and that the church was badly damaged by the Germans in W.W.II."
--Scott F. Hosier Jr., June 7-23, 2000

"Hosier died intestate and without issue, his estate passing to his nephew, Richard Hosier."
--Dictionary of National Biography ⁽⁴⁾

Admiral Hosier's Intriguing Life

"The admiral was the commander of Jamaica Station for two years; that is now called Port Royal. He was involved in the ongoing naval conflicts between the English and the Spanish in the West Indies. He built a grand mansion [Ranger's House] in Greenwich, which still stands [a museum]. He died about 1727-29 of yellow fever in the Indies. His body was shipped back to England for burial in a vat of rum. His funeral was a matter of importance at the time. His death inspired three poems concerning the Ghost of Admiral Hosier"
--A. Speer, June 16, 2000

1850 Federal Census, Beech Creek, Ashley County, Arkansas ⁽⁷⁾

• Benjamin Williams, head of household, male, age 40, b. North Carolina
• Mildred Williams, female, age 32, b. North Carolina
• Della Williams, female, age 13, b. Alabama
• Godinah Williams, female, age 11, b. Alabama
• Sophia Williams, female, age 9, b. Alabama
• Mildred Williams, female, age 6, b. Alabama
• Sarah Williams, female, age 2, b. Mississippi

1860 Federal Census, Beech Creek, Ashley County, Arkansas ⁽⁸⁾

• Benjamine Williams, head of household, male, age 58, b. North Carolina, teacher of school
• Mildred Williams, female, age 42, b. North Carolina
• Sophia Williams, female, age 18, b. Alabama
• Meldred Williams, female, age 16, b. Alabama
• Sarah Williams, female, age 12, b. Mississippi
• Walter Williams, male, age 9, b. Arkansas
• Willam Williams, male, age 6, b. Arkansas
• Margaret Williams, female, age 2/12, b. Arkansas

1870 Federal Census, Beech Creek, Ashley County, Arkansas ⁽⁹⁾

• Mildred Williams, female, age 57, b. Alabama
• Sopha Williams, female, age 35, b. Alabama
• Mildred Williams, female, age 25, b. Alabama
• Sallie Williams, female, age 18, b. Alabama
• Willie Williams, male, age 17, b. Alabama
• Minnie Williams, female, age 10, b. Alabama