My Genealogy Hound

William A. Williamson, a banker and farmer residing at Somerville, Tenn., and one of the most influential citizens of the town, was born in Person County, N. C., March 7, 1814, and is the son of James and Susan (Paine) Williamson. James Williamson emigrated from Scotland to America and located in North Carolina in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and was a very prominent citizen of that State for many years; he represented Person County in the Legislature, and died in 1832. The mother died in 1828. William A. Williamson was raised on a farm, and educated at Hillsboro, N. C. In early life he was in the mercantile business, and in 1838 moved to Tennessee, locating in Somerville, and was in no regular business until 1845, when he purchased a very large tract of land and gave his time to farming, which he has since been extensively engaged in, owning now over 4,000 acres of land well improved and very valuable; he has given a great deal of attention to the raising of fine stock. Mr. Williamson was president of the State Bank at Somerville until the war, and since then has been connected with the Union & Planter’s Bank at Memphis, having been vice-president of it since its organization. October 3, 1844, he was married to Ann Brown, a daughter of Dr. Thomas and Eliza (Lewis) Brown, of Columbia, Tenn., and by this marriage had seven children: Cordelia, Mildred, Orlando, Thomas, Susie, Robert and Alexander. Mildred, Robert and Alexander are dead. The family belong to the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Williamson is a F. & A. M., and in politics a Democrat. He is a kind-hearted, generous man and possesses fine business capacity and is well known all over West Tennessee, and has done much to advance the interests of his town and county, where he has the friendship and confidence of every one.