Person:William George (46)

COMM: sold land to John Chisum in Nacogdoches County, Texas, while he was a resident of Rusk County

There is a William George who was in the War of 1812 and served under Captain John Prentiss in Tennessee and fought in the Battle of Talledega. Our William? More likely, our William George is the William George who served in the Indian a Militia during the war.

William received headwright certificate #506 dated March 2, 1836, but was a resident of Texas by 1832. C. H. Sims signed a document on 05 Sep 1835 certifying that William George was a Christian man of good character with a family and that he had entered the municipality of Nacogdoches by 1832. (Document # 621, Texas State Archives. See also White, "Character Certificates in the General Land Office of Texas," cert. # 749, pg 72; Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985).

According to Mrs. Malcom Balmer (a very good gene alogist who died in Gotebo, OK, about 1991), Delilah Crittenden married William George. According to Marva Jean Burke, 514 S. Colgate Street, Perryton Texas 79070, Delilah Bailey married William George. I (Valita) had just Delilah (poss ibly Crittendon, possibly Bailey), who was born about 1788 in South Carolina. Almost every researcher has one of Delilah Crittenden's husbands listed as William George--but the Delilah George who died in Oklahoma and had three other husbands was not our Delilah--even though the Indian expert at the National Archives said it was 99% sure that she was. We do know that Delilah was a Cherokee Indian, as her grandchildren had her papers proving her Cherokee citizenship--u ntil one of them got drunk and lost them on the way to apply for membership in the tribe!

Jackye Plummer says that Polly Thomas (Linda had her listed as the first child of William) was not a William George descendent, that she was ins tead the daughter of John Chandler of Cumberland County, Kentucky, and Lawrence County, Indiana. She married Josiah Thomas in Lawrence County Indiana on 10 A ug 1824. (Some people say that Josiah was possibly an illegitimate son of William George, as he signed the estate papers for the sale of William George's lan d in Cherokee County, Texas, and William George was not a youngster when he married Delilah.) Jackye has the children of Polly and Josiah listed as William, Lewis, Louise, Elizabeth, Josiah, Elisa, and John C.--from the 1850 Cherokee County, Texas census. Jackye also said that the David that Linda had listed at one time as a son (born 1830) was not a part of the estate settlement. She believes he was a cousin maybe who came with them from Indiana. He settled up near the Red River in Lamar County, but she can't tie him in at all.

On 06 Sep 1851 Elijah Chisum, William's son-in-law, petitioned to be appointed administrator of his estate as follows: "State of Texas ) In Probate Court " Cherokee County ) Estate of William George Decd. "The petition of Elijah Chisum who is a resident of said County of Cherokee and State aforesaid would s how unto the Chief Justice of Said County that William George late of said County departed this life on the Sixth day of February A.D. 1851 Intestate and that this petitioner is the Son in law of said George and this his widow and sons have declined to take the letters of administration upon said estate but desire s petitioner to do so. He would state that the whole value of Decedents Estate both real and personal will not exceed the Sum of Fifteen hundred and fifty Dollars as applicant believes. Your petitioner therefore prays that letters of administration may be granted to him at the next Term of this Court, and that the advertisements required by law may be put up to _____ as in duty bound he will pay. Elijah Chisum. By Ererets & Davis his attys."

"Order Book pg 4, dep. 2/51. UPON PETITION and it appearing to the Court that the legal notice had been given it is adjudged ordered and decreed by the Court that Elijah Chisum be and he is hereby appointed Administrator of the Estate of William George deceased upon condition that the said Elijah Chisum gi

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Cherokee County, Texas, Probate Court. Estate of William George, Dec'd. (Cherokee County, TX, 06 Sep 1851)
   Vol. C-2 pg. 259 et seq.
2. ↑ Texas Land Office. Original character certificates in Spanish.
3. ↑ White. Character Certificates in the General Land Office of Texas. (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. (1985))
   Certificate # 749, page 72.
4. ↑ U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1850 U.S. Census, Texas, Cherokee County. (Ancestry.com)
   Ancestry.com Image 22 of 120, D/F 150, line 21.

   He is shown in the 1850 census as age 66, born VA, with his wife Delilah, age 62, born SC, in the household of E. Chisum (age 34, born TN), Delilah Chisum (30 IN), Mary E. Chisum (7 TX), William E. Chisum (5 TX), John Madison Chisum (3TX), and Judia J.