My Genealogy Hound

J. F. Williamson, one of Crittenden County’s prosperous young planters, has reached a prominence and popularity that would do credit to many of more advanced years and wider experience. He owes his nativity to Mississippi, his birth occurring in De Soto County, in 1863, he being the third in order of birth in a family of nine children born to F. H. and Mary E. (McGraw) Williamson, of whom only six are now living: Mary E. (wife of Dr. W. P. Conner, residing in Mississippi), J. F., Artinatia T., Robert M., Ellen and Hal. F. H. Williamson went to Memphis, Tenn., from Virginia, in 1840, and engaged in merchandising, the firm name being Franseoli & Williamson, dealers in queens-ware. After successfully conducting that business for twenty years, he moved to De Soto County, and there carried on farming, but in 1886 he returned to Memphis, and has retired from active business life. He served as captain of a company in the late war (on the Confederate side) from 1861 to 1865, and participated in a number of important battles, among them being that of Shiloh. While in Mississippi he received a severe wound in the shoulder, and was taken prisoner at Memphis, but only retained a short time. Though Mr. Williamson is in his seventy-first year he enjoys excellent health and takes an active interest in the progressive ideas of the day. Mrs. Williamson is fifty-two years of age, and a member of the Baptist Church. J. F. was reared and educated in DeSoto County, Miss., and when twenty-five years old accepted the position as manager in the mercantile house of Conner Bros., at Scanlan’s Landing. At the expiration of one year he was made a member of that firm. In 1888 Mr. Williamson led to the hymeneal altar Miss Louisia Earle, daughter of J. F. and L. R. (Richards) Earle, natives of Arkansas. After his marriage he assumed the management of his mother-in-law’s plantation, which consists of 600 acres. He raises about 400 bales of cotton, and does all his own ginning, having a steam-gin on his farm. He is one of the most successful farmers of this county, and takes great interest in and lends his support to all public improvements for the good and benefit of the county and its residents. Mrs. Williamson’s father, J. F. Earle, came to this portion of the county with his parents when, about fourteen years old. They were from England, and the paternal great-grandfather was lost at sea. The grandfather was a sea captain, and controlled an interest in a line of steamships. Mr. Earle suffered considerable loss through disasters at sea, having owned at one time a large estate in this county. He was a soldier in the War with Mexico, and a major in the Confederate States service, serving through the entire war, and later, held with distinction the offices of circuit and county clerk. Subsequent to the war he served as county and circuit clerk of this county, and was one of its progressive and influential citizens. When Mr. Earle came here he had very little on which to build a fortune, but at the date of his demise, was the owner of 1,600 acres of valuable land, with 600 acres under cultivation, which, as before stated, is now under the efficient management of Mr. Williamson. Mrs. Earle’s father (Mr. Richards) was one of the first settlers of Crittenden County, and his brother was city register for about thirty years of the city of Memphis, Tenn., holding and discharging the duties of that office with entire satisfaction to all concerned.