THOMAS (TOMAS) WILLIAMS was born March 01, 1821 in Pecan Point, Coahuila, Texas, Mexico, and died March 29, 1889 in Ranger, Eastland County, Texas.  He is buried in the Merriman Cemetery, Eastland County, Texas.  He married MARY ELIZABETH DAVIS October 22, 1839 in Houston, Republic of Texas, daughter of WILLIAM DAVIS.  She was born June 13, 1820 in Bayou Beth, Lafourche, Louisiana, and died November 24, 1888 in Ranger, Eastland County, Texas.  She is buried at Merriman Cemetery, Eastland County, Texas.

 Notes for THOMAS (TOMAS) WILLIAMS:

 TAKEN FROM OLD NORTHWEST TEXAS, HISTORICAL-STATISTICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL, NAVARRO COUNTY, TEXAS, 1846-1860 COMPILED BY NANCY SAMUELS AND BARBARA KNOX, PUBLISHED BY FORT WORTH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

 "Three censuses indicate that Thomas Williams was born in Texas; his tombstone so states.  Below is an artist's sketch (done from a photograph) of a double tombstone of Thomas and Mary E. Williams in the Merriman Cemetery.  Thomas' birthdate clearly indicates that he was born some months prior to the birth of Mary James Long (born December 21, 1821, daughter of Jane Long) credited by historians as being the first American-born child in Texas.

 In 1870, one Leonard Crabtree, born about 1853 in Texas, lived in the household of Thomas Williams; in Hill County December 5, 1877 Leonard H. Crabtree married Fredonia Estes (see p. 421)."

 WILLIAMS-WARE  IS THE FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN TEXAS BURIED IN MERRIMAN CEMETERY?   BY NANCY TIMMONS SAMUELS FROM THE EASTLAND COUNTY HISTORY BOOK, 1989

 “History books state that Mary James Long, daughter of Jane Long ("the Mother of Texas"), was the first white child born in Texas, on 21 December 1821.  However, there is conclusive evidence that Thomas Williams, who is buried in the Merriman Cemetery, in Eastland County, deserves the honor of such a claim, if indeed such claims should be made.

 Thomas Williams was born 01 March 1821, in the Williams Settlement, on the Angelina River, in that part of the Mexican Municipality of Nacogdoches which is now Rusk County.  He was the eldest son of Leonard H. and Nancy Isaacks Williams, and the grandson of Thomas and Priscilla Williams.  This Williams clan came from Tennessee and were in Texas as early as 1819, first in Red River County, then in Nacogdoches County.

 Leonard H. Williams was a well known Indian commissioner, Indian agent, interpreter and supplier, who served Texas during the days of the Republic.  His first appointment was by Sam Houston in 1842.  As an Indian commissioner, he was present at the signing of a treaty at Boggy Depot in the Chickasaw Nation (September 1842).  He was also present at the Treaty of Bird's Fort (September 1843) in present Tarrant County, and at the treaty at Tehuacana Creek (October 1844) near Waco.  From 1844 until 1846, he served as resident Indian agent at Torrey's Trading Post No. 2, below the Waco Village.  His places of residence in Texas were Nacogdoches, Cherokee, Houston, McLennan, Limestone, Navarro and Hill Counties, his final home being located near present Mt. Calm, Hill County.

 Leonard H. Williams was twice married, first to Nancy Isaacks and second to Jane Ware.  He had 8 children by Nancy and 3 by Jane.  Several of his children lived in Eastland County at various times.  Besides his son, Thomas, another son is buried in the Merriman Cemetery, and several grandchildren are also buried in the county.  The Leonard H. Williams family appears on the Mexican census of Nacogdoches Municipality, the oldest son, Thomas, listed as age 15.

 Thomas Williams married Mary E. Ware about 1840.  They are on the censuses of Navarro County in 1850, Hill County in 1860 and 1870, and they came to Eastland County after 1880.  Every census indicates that Thomas Williams was born in 1821.  His tombstone states that he was born in Texas on 01 March 1821.

 No doubt, history books will continue to state that Jane Long's daughter was the first American-born child in Texas for we are reminded of a quote from Schopenhauer:  "It is not so difficult a task to plant new truths as to root out old errors, for there is this paradox in men; they run after that which is new, but are prejudiced in favor of that which is old".  .    

 Notes for MARY ELIZABETH DAVIS:

 TAKEN FROM A HANDBOOK OF WACO AND McLENNAN COUNTY, TEXAS EDITED BY DAYTON KELLEY IN 1972 AND PUBLISHED BY THE TEXIAN PRESS IN WACO

 "Mary Elizabeth Davis was born at Bayou Beth, Louisiana, in 1820, the daughter of William Davis.  Sometime before 1830, the family migrated to Texas and settled in present Houston County.  Mary Davis married a man named Ware and was widowed before 1830 (obviously an error as she would have been no more than 10) when she received a league and labor of land from the Republic of Texas.  The following year she married Thomas Williams at Crockett.  They had nine children but only two survived to maturity.

 They moved to Central Texas in 1847 and settled on the Mary Ware league and labor on the east side of the Brazos River in present McLennan County near Dripping Springs.  During the Civil War, she sold nine hundred acres of her land to R.B. Talley and H. Peters for twelve dollars to pay the Confederate war tax of four dollars.  Sometime after the war, Thomas and Mary Williams sold the remainder of the survey and moved west.  She died in Eastland County on November 21, 1886, and was buried at Ranger, Texas.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Bounty Records (M.S., General Land Office); Houston County Records; McLennan County Records.  By Dan Williams"