From left to right, Preston Williams,(Sharrie Williams grandfather,) Eva, Tom Lyle, Mabel, Noel, Susan and TJ Williams. The line stated in a letter to Tom Lyle's son Tom Jr. comes through Thomas Jefferson (TJ'.) Taken in Chicago, 1916. Read more about this remarkable family in The Maybelline Story.
Excerpt from The William's family genealogy, written in a letter to Tom Lyle's son Tom Jr. by Tom Lyle's lifetime partner Emery Shaver in 1932.
Dear Tom Jr.
We must perforce to be content to begin the Williams family with Robert of Boston and his wife Margery. I have not been able to discover Margery’s maiden name nor anything else about her except that she was his wife, members in good standing in the First Church of Boston.
This Speaks highly of them, because in those days of severe religious observance, a man had to be of the highest moral character to be admitted into the church, and of course, the same was true for his wife.
It is interesting to note that the church of that day was so strict that, in the event that if the husband or wife did not come right up to the high standard set by the elders, when a child was born, only the parent who was admitted to membership in the church was recorded as parent of the infant.
How curious some of the old records look when the baptismal record gives only the name of the father or of the mother! Unless one knew of the conditions existing at the time, one would be apt to suspect illegitimacy of a child from such recording. I hasten to assure you that in the case of Robert and Margery Williams’ children, both parents are recorded!
They had Martha, Jonathan, James, Jacob, Elizabeth, Robert (died young), Hephzibah, and again another Robert. Of these Jonathan Williams born September twenty second sixteen seventy-five was your direct ancestor. Jonathan Williams grew up to be Deacon of the First Church of Boston.
Love, Uncle Dutch, (Emery Shaver.)
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