Administrative Information

Access

No restrictions on access.

Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

The Reverend Henry Williams Papers, 1945-4, Special Collections and Archives, Johnston Memorial Library, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA.

Biographical/Historical Information

The Rev. Mr. Henry Williams was born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia on October 13, 1831. Although Virginia born he grew to an adult in Ohio. As a youth Mr. Williams became interested in becoming a minister. His formal education was limited to schools located in his neighborhood and never attended college or Divinity School.

Sometime before the Civil War Mr. Williams (new minister) traveled to West Africa where he worked as a missionary. He didn't remain very long returning. He did not remain very long returning to the United States to do missionary work during the Civil War. At the end of the Civil War and while on a missionary tour he came to the city of Petersburg During his stay he met with and talked with a number of people from the Gillsfield Baptist church. The church was looking for a minister and extended to him an offer to preach a guest sermon. Much to his surprise the church extended to him a call to become their minister. He was the African American minister at Gillsfield during the Nat Turner Rebellion in 1831.

With this sermon, The Rev. Mr. Williams was offered the position of Pastor. He would continue in that position until his death in 1900.

Henry Williams was more than Pastor of Gillfield Baptist Church. He was very active in Church Politics around the Commonwealth. In 1890 he established the Bethany Baptist Sunday School Association, which still exist today.

Scope and Content Information

The Henry Williams papers consist of some business and personal correspondence. There are several speeches, which one calls for the employment of black teachers in the cities segregated school system. The Scrapbook contains numerous clipping from state newspapers.

Series Description

Series I. Correspondence Container: 1 Letters, mostly concerned with personal matters, arranged chronologically 1873-1901.

Series II. Financial Container: 1 Local and Tax receipts for the 1870's-1890's

Series III. Speeches Container: 1 Several speeches, most updated. However, one speech dated 1856 appears to have been written as an anti-slavery presentation, another speech dates from 1875, and is an appeal to the citizens of Petersburg to have black teachers for black students.

Series IV. Printed Container: 1 1889 Political Broadside, Republicans or Democrats.

Series V. Notes Container: 1 Note concerning some church business

Series VI. Photos Container: 1

Series VII. Scrapbook Container: 2