Chesley Williams led an active life. His store was the anchor of his ventures, and managing the local toll roads was a long-term endeavor. And he became involved in a number of fiduciary relationships that must have taken a considerable amount of his time after 1860. These were personal estates where he was appointed administrator and executor, and guardian to a number of adolescents.

Chesley’s records were informal at best by today’s standards, and he occasionally used them as a diary. Accounts were recorded in journals and estate books. New accounts were started wherever blank pages were available. When available pages were filled, the activity was continued elsewhere in the same volume or in a new one.

One estate book began recorded some activities and was followed by a few pages of an account payable dealing with the Williams Store. That was followed by entries of another estate, and then that was followed by a poem presumably written by Chesley, “The Voices of the Brook.” One day as I was rambling in the woods, I came near a little stream that was just bubbling by. As I came nearer and nearer I could hear it ripple over the rocks.

Two times he documented Eagleville weather conditions. A “very severe” snow storm occurred April 1, 1881, and the cold temperature caused water buckets to freeze. He recorded the winter weather of 1886. On February 2 Eagleville received 12 inches of snow, and on February 6 the temperature fell to 8^o below zero.

He also recorded a dream that puzzled him. On the night of the 13^th & 14^th of December 1872 while on my bed and sleeping, I dreamed that I was busy engaged laying down the foundation for a large building and while engaged in the work that I saw a number of laborers passing by with their mattocks, spades, picks. Of what the interpretation of this is I cannot tell. Chesley Williams.

Records of Chesley’s work as administrator and executor of estates were recorded in a similar fashion as the rest of his records. A chart showing the estates where Chesley recorded activity is nearby. It suggests that he worked on settling as many as six estates at one time. That would take considerable time since each estate typically required an inventory and disposition of assets, payment of debts, collection of monies owed, and operating the farm or business through probate.

Chesley’s estate records give genealogists supplements to the respective wills recorded in local county archives. A cursory search of Rutherford County cemetery lists and census records helped to produce the following thumbnail sketches.

The first record of Chesley being appointed as an administrator of an estate was in 1856 and was a family connection. Johnson Jordan, Jr. was likely a relative of Chesley’s wife Elizabeth since he lived in Triune. It was also possible that he was likely infirm since Chesley’s tenure began long before Johnson’s death. He was listed in the 1860 census as 52 years of age, so his death had to follow that date. The value of the estate was $26,256, and Chesley was paid a fee of $1,314 in 1868.

Similarly, Chesley records activity for the Joshua Johnson estate beginning in 1857. This was another family connection since Mr. Johnson was married to Minerva Jordan. While Joshua was born in 1815 in Rutherford County, he died and was buried in Williamson County.

Entries were made in the estate of Susan A.E. Manire beginning in 1858. But cemetery records show that her death was February 19, 1862.

The largest estate settled by Chesley was that of his brother in law Williamson Jordan. It was the longest and most complex because Williamson died intestate (had no will). Chesley had to work under the supervision of the probate court to settle the estate as prescribed by law, which required a number of court hearings.

Williamson died in August 1861, but the estate was not settled until 1878. According to the 1860 census Williamson had assets that totaled more than $50,000. Disposition of those assets are well documented in Chesley’s papers during the years 1866 through 1868. Besides furnishings, tools and livestock, there were 20 parcels of land. Three different sales were required to dispose of Williamson’s considerable acreage.

Because of the amount of time Chesley spent on James Garrett’s estate, it is likely that he also died intestate. Moreover, Mr. Garrett was also a resident of Bedford County.

Evidence shows that Thomas Carlton and Stephen Wood were also residents of Bedford County. Elijah Rupell’s estate was valued at $9,665 in 1872, and Chesley was paid fees of $250 and $760 in 1870 and 1872, respectively.

Susan Wood was an Eagleville resident and died in 1875. A sale of her assets was held in December 1878, which had a value of $2,250. Absolom Scales was also a well know citizen who died in July 1878. Likewise, Greenberry Owens was a friend and associate of Chesley Williams.

No information on Mary J. Womack and W.D. Shelton was found outside Chesley’s records. While Chesley listed B.M. Hatcher and Rufus Johnson in his estate books, no entries were found for these estates.

Some of Chesley’s estate books did not survive. Court records show Chesley was administrator of the estate of William McDowell, Williamson County, who died intestate in 1864. The number of estates for which Chesley’s records did not survive can only be determined by examining the wills filed in local county archives.

In the administration of various estates Chesley was made guardian of several adolescents. His records show information on three teenaged girls.

In 1871 Chesley became guardian of Laura C. Jordan, aged 17. Laura was the daughter of Johnson and Margaret Jordan of Williamson County. She was likely Chesley’s and Elizabeth’s niece. The 1860 census shows Laura had four older sisters – Ann, Fannie, Annie and Mary – but they are not mentioned in Chesley’s records. The guardianship apparently lasted until 1876.

1871 was also the year Chesley became the guardian of Charlotte Scales. She was probably the daughter of Absolom and Martha Scales. The guardianship was short-lived since Charlotte married John Knox Womack in 1873.

Jane Williamson was put under Chesley’s guardianship in 1875 at the age of 18. The 1870 census shows that she was living with Thomas and Jane Williams and their two children Thomas and Ema in Rutherford County.

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Adding to his busy schedule, Chesley Williams was appointed School Director of the Eighth School District of Rutherford County in August 1875 by A.H. Brandon, and in a meeting with J.H. Cromer and W.F. Ogilvie he was elected Clerk and Treasurer. He was bonded as Treasurer in August 1876, and James M. Taylor was elected School Director, replacing W.F. Ogilvie. The three directors were then Cromer, Williams and Taylor.

In August 1877 the Eighth District of Rutherford County had six schools. Total enrollment was 414 students. There were 132 white males, 103 white females, 95 colored males and 84 colored females. By regulation any school whose enrollment fell below 15 students had to shut down.

School was taught at Mount Vernon by J.W. Christopher, and he was paid $175 for the session. The Eagleville Male & Female High School hired Prof. J.J. Finny for $175. Half the enrollment of Greenwood School was from Bedford and Marshall Counties, so only half of that school’s budget was paid by Eighth District taxpayers.

In the fall 1877 a new school was built near the home of W.H. Simmons on the site of the present Rocky Glade Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In addition, there were two colored schools – Burnt Hill School and Beech Grove School – that were housed in their respective church buildings on land that Chesley had given them. Mr. James Overton, a black teacher, was hired to teach in the school of his choice.

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In 1876 an effort was made to get Chesley Williams to run for political office. He received an endorsement from the Rutherford Herald newspaper that stated “Mr. Williams is one of our oldest and most intelligent citizens, is above the shadow of suspicion, is competent, and is in thorough accord with the democratic party of the State.” A group of citizens of Unionville, Bedford County and vicinity, urged him to run for State Senate, “believing that sobriety, business qualifications, indefatigable industry, integrity, and unquestionable financial ability, are indispensable requisites.”

Chesley reluctantly considered the draft and indicated that if he were the choice of the people, his time, talent and energy would be devoted to their interest with honesty and integrity. He apparently did not run or win because he is not in the Biographical Directory of the Tennessee General Assembly that lists all those that have served in the state legislature. Little wonder, he had enough to do without entering politics.