Re: William Granville Hilliard- West TN area

Kenneth, I am your second cousin.William Granville Hilliard was my great grandfather also.My grandfather was Hershel Gray Hilliard (your grandfather’s brother) and my father was James Granville Hilliard (your father’s first cousin).I was also given the Granville middle name.Most of Granville’s children were with his first wife, Ara Ann Bradford, but both of our grandfathers were sons of Idella Elizabeth Dodd from Henderson County, Tennnessee.

William Granville Hilliard's mother was Mary Hilliard who died August 28, 1895.She is buried in the Hilliard Cemetery where William Granville Hilliard is also buried.His grave marker has it spelled "Granvel" but I think that was an error.His date of birth on the marker is also incorrect.It says 1844, but the correct date was about 1854.Mary Hilliard never married but had three sons.Gipson and James were the other two.She had a sister Sarah.One odd thing is that Mary is always listed first on the census records even though Sarah is usually listed as being older.

The first record of them that I have found in my 20 years of research is the 1850 census where they are living with Moses and Mary Ritter.It is my belief, though far from proven, that they were her maternal grandparents.Based on census records they had at least three daughters, but I can only account for one of them; Elizabeth Ritter, who married Isham Autry.Elizabeth is living with Mary Hilliard in the 1870 census and living with her brother Everett Ritter in 1880.She is most likely Mary's aunt, but it is possible she could be her mother and a young widow since she would be the right age and her oldest Autry child is a few years younger than Mary.

Rightman Hilliard had daughters named Mary and Sarah, but they are not the same people.If our Hilliards are related to the Rightman Hilliard family, I think it is as cousins and not direct descendents.I hope that helps.Please let me know if you find anything else.