HISTORY OF THE ORANGES, NEW JERSEY
MATTHEW WILLIAMS TO JESSE WILLIAMS
When Jesse Williams, a great-great-grandson of Matthew (2) Williams, the founder of the family in Orange, New
Jersey, and son of Matthew (1) Williams, the American ancestor of the family, died in 1885, he was survived by his
two daughters, Julia and Mary. The last named died four years later, and the care of the estate then devolved on
Julia Williams, who most ably met the responsibilities of the position and capably managed the estate, the old
homestead, Washington and Day streets, Orange, yet her home. There she and the other children were born, there
her father was born, lived and died, as did her grandfather, and her great-grandfather, Captain Thomas Williams,
who inherited the property at the corner of Washington and Day streets, Orange, from his father, Matthew (3)
Williams, who undoubtedly inherited it from his father, Matthew (2) Williams. Miss Williams is now an octogenarian,
her years, eighty-four, having been spent in Orange, where Williams is a name honored and respected since
Matthew (2) Williams settled in what is now Orange, about 1688.
The name Williams can be traced so far into the past that it seems impossible that a true record could have been
found, one record going back eleven hundred years, B.c., and another to Roderic, the great king of Wales, who
succeeded to the throne in 843 A.D. The first to use the name Williams as a surname was Roger Williams of
Monmouthshire, England, there also being a Roger Williams of Flint, Wales, from whom came the first Matthew
Williams. The Welsh family bore arms as follows:
Arms-Sable, a lion rampant, argent, armed and langued gules.
Crest-A Moorcock or partridge.
Motto-(Welsh translated) "What God willeth will be."
Matthew (1) Williams, American ancestor of the Orange branch, was from the south of Wales, came to England, and
for a time was of Watertown, Massachusetts, but in 1642 settled in, Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he died in
1679. He married, about 1644, Susanna Cole, of English birth. The Orange branch descends through Matthew (2),
the third son of Matthew (1) and Susanna (Cole) Williams.
Matthew (2) Williams was born in Wethersfield, - Connecticut, May 14, 1651, died in that part of Newark (now
Orange), New Jersey, November 12, 1732. He came to Newark about 1680, and to the Orange section in
1688. His first home was on the tract of land, now Washington and Day streets, and there his son, Matthew (3)
Williams, was born, in 1694. In 1695 he built a house on the south side of Eagle Rock road, near where the mountain
stream unites with Wigwam Brook, a house that stood until 1822, when it was torn down and replaced with a modern
frame house. Matthew (2) Williams married Ruth Wheeler, daughter of Lieutenant Thomas Wheeler, and they were
the parents of nine children, including a son, Matthew (3) Williams.
Matthew (3) Williams was born on the first homestead farm of his father, in the vicinity of Washington and, Day
streets, Orange, in 1694, died at the old homestead near Day and Park streets, June 22, 1772. He inherited this
homestead and moved there from the second homestead farm at Wigwam Brook, after the death of his father.
Matthew (3) Williams married Abigail Nutman, and was succeeded at the homestead by his youngest child, Captain
Thomas Williams.
Captain Thomas Williams was born at the homestead erected by his father at the corner of Washington and Day
streets, Orange, in 1740, died there July 12, 1830. He was a captain in the second Essex county
regiment, and was an ardent patriot. He inherited the property at the corner of Washington and Day streets; a
gristmill then standing on the property, was later owned by Jesse Williams. Captain "Tom" Williams married Dorcas
Harrison, and their gravestones are yet seen in the old Presbyterian burying ground on Scotland Street, Orange.
They were the parents of nine children, the seventh a son, Matthew (4).
Matthew( 4) Williams was born in the homestead, at the corner of Washington and Day streets, in 1774, was baptized
in the First
Presbyterian Church, November 26, 1775, died at the homestead in 1830, at nearly the same time as his father,
Captain Thomas Williams, passed away. He married (first)' Phoebe Williams, daughter of Governor Benjamin and
Phoebe (Crane) Williams (a relative), and had three children: Phoebe, Philip, and Sarah; he married (second)
Elizabeth Leonard, and had four children: John; Jesse, of whom further; Abbie, and Arnzi.
Jesse Williams, of the sixth American generation of his family, and of the fifth Orange generation, was born at the
homestead, corner of Washington and Day streets, Orange, April 29, 1810, and died there in December, 1885. He
learned the hatter's trade, which he followed until the age of twenty-one, when he inherited the homestead farm. The
gristmill on the property he purchased with his cousin, William Brown Williams, he owning one share, his cousin three
shares. For ten years they operated the mill together, Jesse running it one week and receiving the revenue, William
B. then running it for three weeks. Later on, Jesse bought the mill and operated it as sole proprietor. Jesse Williams
was also the owner of several parcels of land, one at the foot of Mt. Vernon avenue. He was one of the incorporators
of the Orange Savings Bank and held various offices of trust conferred' by his fellowmen, serving them as justice of
the peace for fifteen years and for one term as judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
He was a Whig in politics until the forming of the Republican party, then became an ardent supporter of that party. In
addition to the offices named, he was for two terms director of the Board of Freeholders of Essex county, and for two
years he was a major of militia, and was a past
master of Union Lodge, No. 11, Free and Accepted Masons. He was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church,
and an outspoken advocate of the temperance cause. He was fond of books, and from boyhood was a great reader.
His thirst for books grew with the years, and being able to retain the principal facts from the books he read, his mind
became a vast storehouse of knowledge. Thus, by the aid of a retentive memory, a quick wit, a keen sense of humor
and a vein of sarcasm, he made a most formidable opponent in debate. But he was kind-hearted and generous, and
went to his grave honored and respected.
Jesse Williams married, November 2, 1832, Mary Williams, born in Orange, July 4, 1809, died there, December 23,
1892, daughter of Governor Benjamin and Joanna (Williams) Williams. To them were born six children: Joanna, born
February 24, 1834, died April 17, 1834; Matthew, born June 19, 1835, died November 19, 1835; Julia, born
September 19, 1837, the last survivor of the family, and living at the old homestead (January, 1922); Mary, born
January 25, 1840, died March 5, 1889; Jesse (2), born December 13, 1842, died November 14, 1859; and Matthew,
born April 17, 1845, died April 19, 1857.
MATTHEW WILLIAMS TO JESSE WILLIAMS
When Jesse Williams, a great-great-grandson of Matthew (2) Williams, the founder of the family in Orange, New
Jersey, and son of Matthew (1) Williams, the American ancestor of the family, died in 1885, he was survived by his
two daughters, Julia and Mary. The last named died four years later, and the care of the estate then devolved on
Julia Williams, who most ably met the responsibilities of the position and capably managed the estate, the old
homestead, Washington and Day streets, Orange, yet her home. There she and the other children were born, there
her father was born, lived and died, as did her grandfather, and her great-grandfather, Captain Thomas Williams,
who inherited the property at the corner of Washington and Day streets, Orange, from his father, Matthew (3)
Williams, who undoubtedly inherited it from his father, Matthew (2) Williams. Miss Williams is now an octogenarian,
her years, eighty-four, having been spent in Orange, where Williams is a name honored and respected since
Matthew (2) Williams settled in what is now Orange, about 1688.
The name Williams can be traced so far into the past that it seems impossible that a true record could have been
found, one record going back eleven hundred years, B.c., and another to Roderic, the great king of Wales, who
succeeded to the throne in 843 A.D. The first to use the name Williams as a surname was Roger Williams of
Monmouthshire, England, there also being a Roger Williams of Flint, Wales, from whom came the first Matthew
Williams. The Welsh family bore arms as follows:
Arms-Sable, a lion rampant, argent, armed and langued gules.
Crest-A Moorcock or partridge.
Motto-(Welsh translated) "What God willeth will be."
Matthew (1) Williams, American ancestor of the Orange branch, was from the south of Wales, came to England, and
for a time was of Watertown, Massachusetts, but in 1642 settled in, Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he died in
1679. He married, about 1644, Susanna Cole, of English birth. The Orange branch descends through Matthew (2),
the third son of Matthew (1) and Susanna (Cole) Williams.
Matthew (2) Williams was born in Wethersfield, - Connecticut, May 14, 1651, died in that part of Newark (now
Orange), New Jersey, November 12, 1732. He came to Newark about 1680, and to the Orange section in
1688. His first home was on the tract of land, now Washington and Day streets, and there his son, Matthew (3)
Williams, was born, in 1694. In 1695 he built a house on the south side of Eagle Rock road, near where the mountain
stream unites with Wigwam Brook, a house that stood until 1822, when it was torn down and replaced with a modern
frame house. Matthew (2) Williams married Ruth Wheeler, daughter of Lieutenant Thomas Wheeler, and they were
the parents of nine children, including a son, Matthew (3) Williams.
Matthew (3) Williams was born on the first homestead farm of his father, in the vicinity of Washington and, Day
streets, Orange, in 1694, died at the old homestead near Day and Park streets, June 22, 1772. He inherited this
homestead and moved there from the second homestead farm at Wigwam Brook, after the death of his father.
Matthew (3) Williams married Abigail Nutman, and was succeeded at the homestead by his youngest child, Captain
Thomas Williams.
Captain Thomas Williams was born at the homestead erected by his father at the corner of Washington and Day
streets, Orange, in 1740, died there July 12, 1830. He was a captain in the second Essex county
regiment, and was an ardent patriot. He inherited the property at the corner of Washington and Day streets; a
gristmill then standing on the property, was later owned by Jesse Williams. Captain "Tom" Williams married Dorcas
Harrison, and their gravestones are yet seen in the old Presbyterian burying ground on Scotland Street, Orange.
They were the parents of nine children, the seventh a son, Matthew (4).
Matthew( 4) Williams was born in the homestead, at the corner of Washington and Day streets, in 1774, was baptized
in the First
Presbyterian Church, November 26, 1775, died at the homestead in 1830, at nearly the same time as his father,
Captain Thomas Williams, passed away. He married (first)' Phoebe Williams, daughter of Governor Benjamin and
Phoebe (Crane) Williams (a relative), and had three children: Phoebe, Philip, and Sarah; he married (second)
Elizabeth Leonard, and had four children: John; Jesse, of whom further; Abbie, and Arnzi.
Jesse Williams, of the sixth American generation of his family, and of the fifth Orange generation, was born at the
homestead, corner of Washington and Day streets, Orange, April 29, 1810, and died there in December, 1885. He
learned the hatter's trade, which he followed until the age of twenty-one, when he inherited the homestead farm. The
gristmill on the property he purchased with his cousin, William Brown Williams, he owning one share, his cousin three
shares. For ten years they operated the mill together, Jesse running it one week and receiving the revenue, William
B. then running it for three weeks. Later on, Jesse bought the mill and operated it as sole proprietor. Jesse Williams
was also the owner of several parcels of land, one at the foot of Mt. Vernon avenue. He was one of the incorporators
of the Orange Savings Bank and held various offices of trust conferred' by his fellowmen, serving them as justice of
the peace for fifteen years and for one term as judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
He was a Whig in politics until the forming of the Republican party, then became an ardent supporter of that party. In
addition to the offices named, he was for two terms director of the Board of Freeholders of Essex county, and for two
years he was a major of militia, and was a past
master of Union Lodge, No. 11, Free and Accepted Masons. He was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church,
and an outspoken advocate of the temperance cause. He was fond of books, and from boyhood was a great reader.
His thirst for books grew with the years, and being able to retain the principal facts from the books he read, his mind
became a vast storehouse of knowledge. Thus, by the aid of a retentive memory, a quick wit, a keen sense of humor
and a vein of sarcasm, he made a most formidable opponent in debate. But he was kind-hearted and generous, and
went to his grave honored and respected.
Jesse Williams married, November 2, 1832, Mary Williams, born in Orange, July 4, 1809, died there, December 23,
1892, daughter of Governor Benjamin and Joanna (Williams) Williams. To them were born six children: Joanna, born
February 24, 1834, died April 17, 1834; Matthew, born June 19, 1835, died November 19, 1835; Julia, born
September 19, 1837, the last survivor of the family, and living at the old homestead (January, 1922); Mary, born
January 25, 1840, died March 5, 1889; Jesse (2), born December 13, 1842, died November 14, 1859; and Matthew,
born April 17, 1845, died April 19, 1857.
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