John R. Williams
| John R. Williams | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Mayor of Detroit | |
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In office 1824–1825 |
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| Preceded by | New Title |
| Succeeded by | Henry Jackson Hunt |
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In office 1830–1830 |
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| Preceded by | Jonathan Kearsley |
| Succeeded by | Marshall Chapin |
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In office 1844–1847 |
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| Preceded by | Zina Pitcher |
| Succeeded by | James A. Van Dyke |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 4, 1782 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died |
October 20, 1854 (aged 72) Detroit, Michigan |
John R. Williams (May 4, 1782 – October 20, 1854) was an American soldier, merchant, and politician who is most well known for serving as the first mayor of Detroit, Michigan. In total, he served as Detroit's mayor for five other terms. He also was a brigadier general in the United States Army during the Black Hawk War.
Born in Detroit, he was baptized as John Williams (he later adopted the ‘R’ in his name to distinguish himself from another John Williams who was living in Detroit at the time). His parents were Thomas Williams and Cecile Campeau, of Detroit's Campau family. His father, who had been active in civic and political affairs, died before December 12, 1785, at which time Joseph Campeau (which he generally spelled Campau) leased a house to Cecile (widow of Thomas Williams) that was located north of the Detroit River and adjacent to Joseph Campau's property. His mother married Jaques Leson in 1790 and lived in what is now St. Clair County, Michigan. Cecile died on June 24, 1805 and was buried in the St. Anne's church cemetery. Raised in his mother's French Canadian community, he spoke and wrote fluently in both French and English.
Williams married Mary Mott, one of his cousins, in 1804. She was the daughter of Gershom Mott, who served during the Revolutionary War, and Elizabeth Williams, who was the sister of Thomas Williams from Albany. The couple had ten children together. One of them, Union General Thomas Williams, was killed in action during the Civil War at the Battle of Baton Rouge (1862).
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