Williams Family
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.Couer de Lion Thoroughbred.

Elisha Williams owned Thoroughbred breeding stallions while He lived in NC and later in TN.  In 1801 when Elisha lived just outside of Louisburg NC he wrote the below letter to his good friend Joseph Philips who lived 6 miles north of Nashville TN on the Dickinson (later Dickerson) Pike.  I appears that W. Gill is the person who gets mail from NC to TN as their was no government postal service at that time.
 
This letter is important for several reasons. 
 
First, it establishes for a fact that Elisha and Joseph were friends before Elisha moved to TN in the fall of1805 (See July 1805 newspaper ad by Elisha below)
 
Second, it gives some insight into the process that Elisha used to purchase the Evans grant about 4 miles north of Nashville on what is now Gallatin Road.
 
Third, it lets us know that three years prior to moving to TN, Elisha was communicating to Joseph his desire to make the move.

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From the Raleigh Register Newspaper
23 May 1802

Advertisement for Coeur de Lion Stud Service in Warren County NC by the then current owners. (click to read)

23 Mar 1802, Weekly Raleigh Register, Raleigh, NC/>

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To Philips

 

Joseph,

 

I wrote you a few days past by W. Gill, at that time I had not mentioned any amount from the owners of Courdeleon(sic). Since then I received a letter, from one of the owners, that they would sell the horse. Their price is two thousand dollars, one half paid down, the other half six months after the first payment -- I want your determination, if you are disposed you may have the whole of the horse, provided you may let me become a partner, should I move to Tennessee, this depends on your purchasing for me, W. Evans lands, or my getting other lands in the state -- I have write you fully on that head by W. Gill, Should W. Evans agree to sell on my terms, I can pay for the horse here, & you pay the money there -- There is no time to be let slip, least the horse may be sold – I have a great fancy to the horse. I believe he would suit your country far more than any horse I have seen in competition. Please write me immediately by post & a safe head.

 

Your friend Elisha Williams

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The above letter was enclosed in an envelope with the following information on the front:

 

Louisburg NC

24th Sept.

 

                         Joseph Phillips, Esq.

Attention of

W Black            Tennessee

                         Nashville

 

 

I obtained the above copies of the microfilmed letter and envelope from the Tennessee State Library and Archives.  It is filed in the Manuscript files at MS 72-151 and is part of the Margaret (Warner) White (1889-1961) papers from California and covers the period 1777 to 1962. 
 
The papers were processed by Margaret Warner Frazer, Archival Technical Services, Accession Number: 72-151, 77-009, 91-011, 91-201; Date Completed: May 15, 1973; May 30, 1991; Location: VIII-F-3; Microfilm Accession Number: 1239 .
 
 

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The below information was copied from Making the American Thoroughbred: Especially in Tennessee, 1800-1845 by James Douglas Anderson

Coeur de Lion - Bred by Mr. Turner and imported into Virginia by Colonel John Hoomes in 1800. His stud was Highflyer and he was out of Dido by O'Kelly's Eclipse.  He was fouled in 1789.  Owned by Elisha Williams, and then by his son Judge William Williams. He stood in Virginia and North Carolina in 1801 and 1802, then was sent to Tennesse, where in 1807 and 1808 he stood at Joseph Phillips' farm near Nashville. He died in Tennessee in 1809, aged 20 years.

William Williams, of Davidson County, was, in his own words, "an occasional breeder on a small scale," and always kept a few brood mares of the richest blood. As late as 1830 Williams and other members of the family had descendants of a horse and mare owned by their father, Elisha Williams, of Scotland Neck, Halifax County, North Carolina, between 1786 and 1791. The horse was the famous Harris' Eclipse Fearnought the mare by imp Janus.  A noted brood mare of her time owned by Williams was Fanny Foster, by Symmes' Wildair, dam by old Partner.

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Advertisement of stud service leads to discovery of Elisha Williams' North Carolina home prior to moving to the Nashville area.

I found the following article in the TN State Archives electronic files on 7 Dec 2010.  It is an advertisement placed in the Raleigh Register by Elisha Williams in 1803 offering stud service for his stallion Coeur de Lion.  His place of residence and the location of the stallion is listed as being two and one half miles east of Louisburg NC.  This is the only reference I have been able to find regarding the residence of Elisha Williams prior to his move to the Nashville TN area in 1804.

 

You can read the advertisement if you click on the "full screen" menu item at the top left of the window below and then click on the "+" menu item at the bottom left of the full page window that is then open.  To close the window simply press the "Esc" key on your keyboard and you will return to this page.

Coeur de Lion Article 1803 by Larry Feldhaus

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From the Raleigh Minerva Newspaper
14 March 1803

Advertisement for Coeur de Lion Stud Service in Louisburg NC by Elisha Williams

Note:  This advertisement uses "f" to mean "s" as was common over the years in historical documents. 

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From the Raleigh Register Newspaper
2 May 1804

Advertisement for Coeur de Lion Stud Service in Louisburg NC by Elisha Williams

Note:  This advertisement uses "f" to mean "s" as was common over the years in historical documents. 

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From the Raleigh Register Newspaper
22 April 1805

Advertisement for Coeur de Lion Stud Service in Louisburg NC by Elisha Williams

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From the Raleigh Minerva Newspaper
(Raleigh NC)
Monday 17 September 1804

Advertisement for Coeur de Lion Standing at Stud at Elisha Williams.

Note:  This advertisement uses "f" to mean "s" as was common over the years in historical documents.   So don't misinterpret the words in the ad.

"I will enfure a Colt to fland and fuck for 40 dollars" should be read
"I will ensure a Colt to stand and suck for 40 dollars".

In other words, I'll guarantee that the mare will have a colt and the colt will be born alive and at least stand and suck from its mother.

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From the Weekly Raleigh Register
(Raleigh NC)
dated 19 Aug 1805

Notice

I intend to remove, this fall, with Coeur de Lion, to Tennessee.  Those who have claims against me will need to make them known, and those who owe me will need to pay, I hope, in whole or part, by the 9th of September, and those who are indebted to me by open Account, if unable to pay, will, I trust, send in their Notes.  After the expiration of the Season, Coeur de Lion will be let to Mares until the Date above, at $(illegible) Insurance, payable at March Count 1806.  There will be no prospect of his return to this State.

ELISHA WILLIAMS
Franklin County, July 4th, 1805

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The interactive Google map below shows the approximate location of Elisha Williams' home in 1803 as described in the ad he ran in the Raliegh Register advertising stud service for his stallion Coeur de Lion.

 

Click on the blue teardrop for more information on Elisha's home.  Click on any of the green teardrops to read about property he pruchased in 1804.  Click on any of the red pins to read the name of the location noted on the deed. 


View Elisha Williams Franklin Co. Land 1804 in a larger map