Person Page - 1073

     Thomas was born circa 1843 at Cherokee Co., Georgia.¹ He was the son of George M. Wiley and Rachel McCoy.

     Thomas M. Wiley was born circa 1879 at Hall Co., Georgia.¹ He was the son of William Wilkerson Wiley and Sarah C. Head.

     William was born circa 1782 at Halifax Co., Virginia.² He was the son of George Wiley and Frances Stanfield. He married Mary (--?--), , circa 1802 at Oglethorpe Co., Georgia. William died before 1860 at Franklin Co., Georgia.
     William's occupation: Farmer.
Biography of William Wiley:

The earliest record we have found on William Wiley is his listing in the household of his father, Geo. Wiley in the 1800 Census of Oglethorpe Co. Georgia as a male, age 16-25. (Warren- 1800 Census of Oglethorpe Co. GA)

     We next find him listed in the 3 Feb 1804 Oglethorpe Co Georgia Land Lottery - William Wily received 2 draws and George Wily, listed with William also received 2 draws. (Houston -Land Lottery List or Oglethorpe 1804 and Hancock Co. GA 1806) The two draws means he was a male with a wife and/or child, who had lived in Georgia for at least a year and was a US citizen. This and the 1800 Oglethorpe Census record suggests he was married between 1800 and 1804 in Oglethorpe Co. Georgia.

     William is named as the first of George Wiley's children in George's Will of 10 Nov 1805 in Greene Co. Georgia. Will proved 1 Feb 1806 (Greene Co Ga WB A&B p. 372-3)

     A William Wiley is named on the 1810 Jackson Co. Georgia Tax List. This could be William Wiley (1782) as William Wiley appears in Hall Co. in the 1820 Census. (Taylor - Index to GA Tax Digests 1809-1811)

     On 2 Sep 1816 Jackson Co. GA. William Wiley is granted Letters of Administration on estate of George Payner in Jackson Co. Georgia. ( Jackson Co. GA early Court Records - Minutes of Court of Ordinary, 1800-1822) This could also be William (1782) and this might suggest that George Payner maybe a relative (father-in-law?) of William.

     A William Wiley is named on the 1817 Jackson Co. Georgia Tax List. (Taylor - Index to GA Tax Digests 1814-1817) This could be William (1782)

     The 1820 Hall Co. Georgia Census shows Wm. Wylie, age 25-45 as as head of household in Tanner's Dist. A female age 16-25 , 2 males and one female all under 10 are also listed. A Washington Wilie, his brother, is also listed in in Buffington's district of Hall County. (Families of Hall Count 1817-1849 by Robert S. Davis, Jr. 1991)
     
We next find William Wiley age 40-50 listed as head of household in the 1830 Census of Hall County, Georgia. There ar 2 males under 5, 1 male 5-10, 1male 10-15, and 2 females 10-15, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 20-30, and 1 female age 40-50. [1830 Census of Hall Co. Ga. p.119.]

     We next find a William Wiley age 50-60 living in Franklin Co. Georgia in 1840. We believe this is William (1782). He has a female age 50-60, one male age 20-30 and 2 females age 10-15. There is also a George W. Wiley (age 30-40) family next to him which very likely is his son.

     We find in the 1850 Franklin Co. Georgia Census a William Wiley, age 68, born Virginia, listed with Mary Wiley, age 68 born Virginia and Harriett Wiley, age 22 born Georgia. (NARA Microfilm M-432 Reel 70, p246.) The age and place of birth closely matchs what we know of William Wiley (1782). A search of the the 1860 Franklin County, Georgia Census did not reveal a William Wiley. Based on this he likely died before the 1860 Census.

     Based on the above 1830-1850 Census entries as well as marriage and later census records an attempt was made to identify the children of William Wiley The suggested composition of this family as suggested by those Census records is shown below.

     William was born in 1734. He married Eleanor (--?--), , circa 1755.¹ William died in June 1783 at Halifax Co., Virginia.
     
Biography of William Wiley:

The parentage of William Wiley is not known at this time. Early deeds of Halifax County, Virginia indicate William Wiley, of Amelia County, bought 1160 acres of land on Licking Creek and Big Bottom Creek and 840 acres of land in the Coleman's Creek and Weldon Creek area south of present day South Boston. He bought these lands from William Byrd and appears to have been living in Amelia County, Virginia at that time and likely moved into Halifax County shortly thereafter. [Halifax Co. Virginia Deed 3, p. 305-306] On 21 Mar 1771 he deeded 240 acres to Roger Atkinson [Halifax County Deed Book 6 p. 155]. On 18 May 1775 he gave 309 of these acres to his son George Wiley [Halifax County Deed Book 9, p. 431-432].

      William began operating a tavern as an ordinary by January, 1771. This tavern, known as Wiley's Tavern, "was the headquarters of Earl Cornwallis", Commander of the British Forces, "from the afternoon of 15 February 1781 until the morning of 17 February". Cornwallis with twenty-five hundred of the finest troops in the British Army was in pursuit of nineteen hundred men of the American Army under General Nathaniel Greene. Green and his forces were in retreat and had crossed the Dan River at Irwin Ferry and Boyd's Ferry at South Boston on the 14 and 15 of February. Cornwallis was unable to cross the river in pursuit of Greene due to the river being in flood and the ferries being unavailable. This "deprived Cornwallis of his opportunity to crush the American Army". Within 10 days Greene was able to turn his retreat into a pursuit by recrossing the Dan and forcing Cornwallis into the costly battle of Guilford Court House on March 15. Wiley's tavern "was also the headquarters of General Greene on the twenty-third of February - the day he re-crossed the Dan and reversed the attitude of the two armies." Greene's "Retreat to the Dan" is viewed by some as the turning point of the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War that eventually ended with the surrender of the British Army under Cornwallis at Yorktown in October of that same year. [The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. XLIV - No. 5, July, 1935 p. 207-222.] This tavern was destroyed in 1950.

      William Wiley of Halifax County, Virginia is certified as a patriot of the American Revolution by the Daughter of the American Revolution due to his supplying of oats and renting his tavern to the Militia during the war.

      William died in June 1783 based on the date his will was recorded and proved in Halifax County, Virginia. His will dated 5 May 1782 reads as follows:

      In the Name of Good, Amen, the 5th day of May in the year of our Lord Christ, one thousand seven hundred and eighty two. I, William Wily of Halifax County, being sick and weak of Body, but of perfect mind and memory, Thanks be to God, therefore calling to mind the Mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make, constitute and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say, after all my Legal Debts and funeral charges are justly paid, I give and dispose of in the following manner and form, Imprimis. I give and bequeath unto my Son John Wiley, Two hundred acres of Land, being the upper part of my land joining Walton's Road and Licking Creek and after the decease of my Wife, my desire is that he shall have all the remainder of my land to himself and his heirs forevor. My further will and desire is that after the death of my wife, Eleanor Wily, all my whole estate consisting of everything I now enjoy and possess (Land excepted) shall be equally divided between my sons George and John Wily and Roy Boyd, son of David Boyd and Elizabeth Boyd and I further desire that if the said Roy Boyd's part falls to him before he comes of years to taketh into his own lands that it way be put out upon Interest until he comes of age. And whereas at present Two children is now living with me of the names of Mary Cloudas and Wily Spencer Cloudas. I desire if they continue to live with my family until they marry or come of age if either one or both of them shall have of my estate a good horse, saddle and bridle and if my said wife should die before Wily Spencer Cloudas come of age that my son Geo. Wily shall have the bringing him up and the said Mary Cloudas may chose which she pleases of my children to live with. And I do hereby constitute and appoint my two sons Geo. and John Wily and my friend James Coleman Executors of this my last Will and Testament, utterly revoking and disavowing all other wills by me made. Confirming this and no other to be my last will and Testament. In witness where of I have here unto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written.

     Signed: William Wily L. S.

     Signed and Acknowledged in Presence of Wm Powell, Jno. Dickie John Sills

      At a Court held for Halifax County the 19th day of June 1783. This Last will and Testament of Wm. Wily, Deceased was Exhibited in Court by George Wily, one of the executors herein named and the same was proved by oaths of two of the subscribing witnesses hereto and orderd to be recorded and on the motion of the said executor who made oath hereto according to Law, certificate was granted him for obtaining probate hereof in dire form, he giving security, where upon he together with James Coleman and John Irvine, his securities, enter into and acknowledged Bond for the same according to Law.

     Test. Geo. Garrington, Att. [Halifax Co. Virginia, Will Book 2, p. 15-16]

      William is presumed to be buried in Halifax County near his land south of present day South Boston.

     William was born circa 1840 at Cherokee Co., Georgia.¹ He was the son of Adolphus Erwin Wiley and Frances C. (--?--).

     William was born circa 1851 at Cherokee Co., Georgia.¹ He was the son of George M. Wiley and Rachel McCoy. He married Kindness Light Holden, daughter of Miles N. Holden and Nancy L. (--?--), on 16 November 1890 at Cherokee Co., Georgia.²

     William was born circa 1869 at Cherokee Co., Georgia.¹ He was the son of George W. Wiley and Mary G. (--?--).

     William was born circa 1848 at Hall Co., Georgia.¹ He was the son of George Wiley and Mary Ann Bearden.

     William was born circa 1835 at Hall Co., Georgia. He was the son of George Washington Wiley and C. (--?--). He married Elizabeth McCoy, daughter of John McCoy and Nancy Wiley, on 1 August 1852 at Cherokee Co., Georgia.¹

     William was born in May 1895 at Cherokee Co., Georgia.¹ He was the son of William A. Wiley and Kindness Light Holden.