Williams, William, 1731-1811

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William Williams (April 8, 1731 – August 2, 1811) was an American Founding Father, merchant, a delegate for Connecticut to the Continental Congress in 1776, and a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence.

Born in Lebanon, Connecticut, Williams attained a common school education before studying theology and law at Harvard College, graduating in 1751. He continued preparing for the ministry for a year but then joined the militia to fight in the French and Indian War. After the war, he opened a store in Lebanon, which he called The Williams Inc., and also took a job as town clerk of Lebanon, a position he held for forty-four years. Williams was a Selectman for twenty-five years, served the provincial and later state Legislature for nearly forty years-during which time he was councilor, member, and Speaker of the House.

Williams was elected to the Continental Congress on July 11, 1776, the day Connecticut received official word of the independence vote of July 2, to replace Oliver Wolcott. Though he arrived at Congress on July 28, much too late to vote for the Declaration of Independence, he did sign the formal copy as a representative of Connecticut. Williams represented Lebanon, Connecticut, at the state's Constitutional ratifying convention in January 1788. Though Williams had largely opposed the Confederation government, most notably Congress's 1782 agreement to provide five years of full pay and three months of back pay to army officers but not regular soldiers, he ignored instructions from his constituents to vote against ratification. Williams spent his remaining years as a County Court judge.

Upon his death, Williams was buried in Lebanon's Old Cemetery.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Pepperell, Sir William, 1696-1759. Letter, 1756 August 31, Kittery, to Governor Wentworth. Dartmouth College Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. William Williams travel and expense diary, 1775, 1776. Connecticut Historical Society
referencedIn Letters and documents of signers of the Declaration of Independence, 1750-1933. Houghton Library
creatorOf Woodward, Joseph G. (Joseph Gurley),. Woodward collection, 1728-1776. Florence Griswold Museum
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Letter to Jabez Huntington and portrait, 1776 September 30. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. Papers, 1774-1794. New Hampshire Newspaper Project
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. ADS, 1777 February 28 : Lebanon, to the Committee of Pay Table. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Williams family. Papers, 1721-1908. Trinity College Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. William Williams diary, 1774-1778. Library of Congress
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. ALS, 1776 Mar. 17, Lebanon, Conn.[?], to Jabez Huntington. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Legal document, 1764 July 16. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Connecticut. Council of Safety. Order, 1776 July 4, Hartford, Conn., to the Committee of Pay Table. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Wendell family papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Bamberger, Louis, 1855-1944,. Autograph collection, 1683-1929. New Jersey Historical Society Library
creatorOf Connecticut. General Assembly. House of Representatives. Resolution : establishing a Committee of Correspondence, 1773 May 21. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Hoadley, Charles J., 1828-1900, and Hoadley, George E.,1837-1922. Autograph collection, 1648-1925 Connecticut Historical Society
creatorOf Wolcott, Giles, 1734-. Letter, 1771 December 7, East Windsor, Conn., to William Williams, Lebanon, Conn. Connecticut Historical Society
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Autograph letter signed : to Gov. Trumbull, 1777 Nov. 28. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. William Williams account books, 1752-1826. Connecticut Historical Society
creatorOf Trumbull, Jonathan, 1740-1809. Papers, 1753-1832. Connecticut Historical Society
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Lebanon (Conn.) Treasurer's account book, 1759-1773. Connecticut Historical Society
referencedIn Washington, George, 1732-1799. George Washington microfilm collection, 1775-1814 [microform]. U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center
creatorOf Trumbull, Jonathan, 1710-1785. Letter, 1774 September 17, Lebanon, Conn., to William Murdock, Lebanon, Conn. Connecticut Historical Society
creatorOf Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952,. Signers of the Declaration of Independence autograph collection, 1756-1818. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Autograph letter : Lebanon, to Maj. Gen. Huntington, 1/2 past 6 p. m., 1778 Sept. 3. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Autograph letter signed : Lebanon, to Mr. Andrew Huntington, 1785 Apr. 4. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Trumbull, David, 1751-1822. Papers, 1773-1823. Connecticut Historical Society
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. ADS, 1776 July 3 : Lebanon, to the Committee of Pay Table. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Connecticut. Court of Probate. (District of Windham). [Letters testamentary] 1785 September 27 / Wm. Williams. Texas Tech University Libraries, Academic Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Autograph letter signed : to his wife, 1783 May 31. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Gwathmey collection, 1708-1852 University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Johnson, William Samuel, 1727-1819. Papers, 1753-1802. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Papers of William Williams, 1774-1785. Library of Congress
creatorOf William Williams family papers, 1754-1938 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Washington, George, 1732-1799. George Washington microfilm collection, 1775-1814 (inclusive), [microform]. Yale University Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. Letter, 1775 May 16, Hartford, Conn. to Thomas Williams, Lebanon, Conn. Connecticut Historical Society
referencedIn Ellsworth, Oliver, 1745-1807. DS, 1776 July 22, Hartford, to unknown. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. William Williams family papers, 1754-1938 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn Henry A. Willard II Collection, 1743-1888, (bulk 1770-1840) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Phelps, Jonathan, b. 1779. Writ of attachment served on Jonathan Phelps on complaint of Simeon Haley, 1811 May 3. New London County Historical Society
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. List of members of Continental Congress, 1775 Sept., no day. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Williams, William, 1731-1811. William Williams letter, 1781 July 10, to Wales & Elderkin. Connecticut Historical Society
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Albert H. Small Declaration of Independence Collection (University of Virginia) corporateBody
associatedWith Bamberger, Louis, 1855-1944, person
associatedWith Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795. person
associatedWith Committee of Pay Table. corporateBody
associatedWith Committee of Pay Tables. corporateBody
associatedWith Connecticut. Council of Safety. corporateBody
associatedWith Connecticut. Court of Probate. (District of Windham) corporateBody
memberOf Connecticut. General Assembly. House of Representatives. corporateBody
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Ellsworth, Oliver, 1745-1807. person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
associatedWith Gray, Simeon, 1733-1777. person
associatedWith Hall, Henry Bryan, fl. 1850-1900. person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Harvard University corporateBody
associatedWith Hoadley, Charles J. (Charles Jeremy), 1828-1900. person
associatedWith Howe, Richard Howe, Earl, 1726-1799. person
associatedWith Hubbard, John, collector. person
associatedWith Huntington, person
associatedWith Huntington, Andrew, person
associatedWith Huntington, Benjamin, 1736-1800. person
associatedWith Huntington, Jabez, 1719-1786. person
associatedWith Huntington, Samuel, 1731-1796. person
associatedWith Johnson, William Samuel, 1727-1819. person
associatedWith Niles, Peleg, 1758-1828. person
associatedWith Pepperell, Sir William, 1696-1759. person
associatedWith Phelps, Jonathan, b. 1779. person
associatedWith Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945. person
associatedWith Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. person
associatedWith Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952, person
associatedWith Sherman, Roger, 1721-1793. person
associatedWith Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930. person
associatedWith Trumbull, David. person
sibling-in-law of Trumbull, David, 1751-1822. person
child-in-law of Trumbull, Jonathan, 1710-1785, person
sibling-in-law of Trumbull, Jonathan, 1740-1809. person
associatedWith United States. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Continental Army. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Continental Congress. corporateBody
associatedWith Wales & Elderkin. corporateBody
associatedWith Washington, George, 1732-1799. person
correspondedWith Wendell family. family
associatedWith Willard, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1902- person
memberOf Williams family. family
associatedWith Williams, Thomas Wheeler, 1789-1874. person
associatedWith Williams, William, 1862-1947. person
associatedWith Wolcott, Giles, 1734- person
associatedWith Woodward, Joseph G. (Joseph Gurley), person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Lebanon CT US
Cambridge MA US
Lebanon CT US
Subject
Travel
Business
Emigration and immigration
Families
Farms
Local finance
Merchants
Money
Politicians
Weavers
Occupation
Businessmen
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Jurists
Lawyers
Legislators
Local government officials
Merchants
Politicians
Activity

Person

Birth 1731-04-23

Death 1811-08-02

Male

Americans,

Britons

English

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