Thomas Williams (pioneer)

Thomas Williams (died November 30, 1785), originally from Albany, New York, settled in Detroit, Michigan in 1765. He married Cecile Chapeau from a prominent French-Canadian family that had settled in Michigan in 1710. Williams was a merchant, landowner, and was active in civic and political affairs. Goods were transported to Detroit from Albany via canoe, which could take a number of months for a round-trip. He petitioned for equitable opportunities to engage in trade at Fort Niagara and Detroit. In his role as justice of the peace, he was charged to uphold the law and punish those who were deemed to have broken the law. As notary, he executed legal documents for the settlement. He was also town crier and took the 1782 census. He married Cecile Campeau from a prominent family of French heritage who had come to Michigan about 1710. Cecile's brother, Joseph, was the state's first millionaire. Their son, John R. Williams, was the first mayor of Detroit.

Williams was born in Albany, New York, where his ancestors settled in 1690. He served in the New York militia as an officer. Williams settled in Detroit in 1765.

Williams was a trader and licensed merchant, who brought goods to Detroit from Albany via canoe. The round-trip could many months. In 1768, he made the round-trip with George Meldrum from Schenectady. His partner was John Casety.

Williams signed a number of petitions against British regulation to sell goods at posts. The political climate was difficult between the British, who had taken rule of Detroit in 1760 and the French, with whom they were still at war in 1762. The French and the Indians attacked the British in May 1763 in what was called the Siege of Fort Detroit. Traders coming to Fort Detroit were killed or captured. Civil unrest continued, particularly regarding the restriction of trading to the posts by the British and a monopoly that William Rutherford held at Fort Niagara. Williams signed a number of petitions against the regulations in 1766 and 1767. In 1766, he was one of the merchants allowed to trade at Fort Niagara. Indians, on their way to Fort Niagara, were often met by people on the lake who sold them their wares, which drove down business at the fort. The British rules also favored the French who were given the fur trade, allowed to winter with the Indians and trade in the process, and got around rules for trading rum by selling on credit. Many of the traders in the region that signed the petitions were from Albany, many of the Albany Dutch.

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