My family lived in New Bern for a time and I'm interested in having it
included in your "Craven Families."
My 3x great Grandfather was William Joseph Williams 1759-1823. He lived
his last years in New Bern and is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery
William Joseph Williams came to New Bern from Charleston, S.C. around
1804. He'd been a regular visitor to New Bern for about 25 years before
that.
He was born in New York City the Son of William Williams 1727-1791
(Artist, Musician, Author of the first American novel, "Penrose", friend
of Benjamin Franklin, tutor of Benjamin West,etc.) and Mary Mare (Sister
of John Mare, Jr. 1738-1804, Artist, Merchant, moved to Edenton, member
of first North Carolina Cabinet with Governor Caswell, co-founder of
UNC, organized NC Masons, etc.).
He served as a Lieutenant in the British Army occupying New York City
and during that time taught Art (to among others Samuel Dunlap, author
of "the Rise of the Arts, etc. in America" 1826). Thereafter he painted
the portraits of George Washington (to whom he was recommended by his
friend and patron, Richard Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, who was
Governor of Virginia at the time), John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and
other Revolutionary figures. His paintings are partially listed in SIRIS
at the Smithsonian and are found in private collections and in museums
including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, The Adams National
Historic Site, The Rockefeller Museum at Williamsburg, The DuPont Museum
at Winterthur and The Museum of Southern Decorative Arts at Old Salem.
He lived in Philadelphia, Georgetown and Charleston before settling in
New Bern. While living in New Bern (roughly 1804-1823) he returned to
New York for a while and served as an Quartermaster Officer in the
United States Sea-Fensibles during the War of 1812.
His Son, Joseph Augustus Williams was a New Bern Merchant. His Son,
David published a Newspaper in New Bern.
His painting of the "Crucifixion" hangs over the altar at Old St. Pauls
Roman Catholic Church in New Bern. The painting was gifted to the Church
by my family and was recently restored by the Conservators of the North
Carolina Museum of Art.
He had been an Episcopal Clergyman and converted to Roman Catholicism.
He was instrumental in founding St. Pauls.
Joseph Augustus Williams took his family to Charlotte during the Union
bombardment of New Bern in the Spring of 1862.
I'm hoping that a listing in your "Craven Families" will spark interest
and bring forward others who can add to the information I have. I'm
particularly interested in learning where my 3x great Grandmother,
Isabella Moore Williams, is buried. Other things that would interest me
would be anything about the family businesses, locating any other
Williams paintings that may be in the County and so forth.