E. W. Williams was born in Carroll County, five miles east of Huntingdon, April 17, 1832. He is the sixth of seven children—six sons and one daughter—born to Rowland and Mary (Mills) Williams. His father was born in North Carolina, where he was raised and married, and soon after this he moved to Tennessee and settled in Carroll County, where his family was reared. He died at his home in 1836. The mother of our subject was born in North Carolina, and died at the homestead in 1841. Mr. Williams was raised on the farm, having the benefit of the schools in the county, and has made farming his business.
He served as constable of his district in 1865, and also served as deputy sheriff of the county from 1866 to 1870. He was in this year, after the expiration of his deputyship, elected as magistrate for six years, but resigned to accept the office of sheriff, tendered him by the voters of the county. He served as sheriff three terms, which is the constitutional limit. In 1881 he was elected notary public by the county court, and has served in that capacity ever since; he is also magistrate of his district, and has served three years in this office.
Mr. Williams was married in Carroll County July 30, 1850, to Miss W. J. Edwards, daughter of Nathaniel Edwards, a farmer. From this union were nine children, of whom eight are living: Sarah A. (Rogers), William A., John B., James N., Elizabeth J., Washington H., Loruza M. and Ella Alpine. Rowland N. died July 30, 1880. The mother of this family was born in Carroll County in 1829. Mr. Williams is a firm Republican, a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is exceedingly popular in his county, possessing the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens, being a man of liberal ideas and correct principles. He has 360 acres of land on which he raises cotton and tobacco and large quantities of the cereals. The farm is two miles east of Hollow Rock, and with its comfortable dwelling house is a desirable home. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, as does his wife and all of the children, except one.
Transcribed by David Donahue
Source: History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present: Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Carroll, Henry and Benton Counties, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Reminiscences, Etc., Etc. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978.