William COLLEY

1773 - 1857  (84 years)

• Name	William COLLEY  [1]
  Birth	1773	North Carolina, USA
  Gender	Male
  Death	22 Feb 1857	Leary, Calhoun, Georgia, USA   [2]
  Burial	Calhoun County, Georgia, United States of America   [2]
  Person ID	I2052	Jennifer's Family Tree - All Lines 5-29-26
  Last Modified	30 May 2026

  
  

  Father	Roderick "Roger" CAULEY,   b. 1740, Ireland d. 1810 (Age 70 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Alcey Herring-Mary DOVE,   b. Bef 1755   d. Yes, date unknown
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	Bef 1771
  Family ID	F718	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	MARY,   b. 1778, South Carolina, USA d. 11 Apr 1854, Calhoun County, Georgia, USA (Age 76 years)
  Marriage	Bef 1804
  Children	1. Catherine COLLEY,   b. Abt 1816, Wilkinson County, Georgia, USA d. Yes, date unknown  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. John COLLEY,   b. 29 Dec 1809, Wilkinson County, Georgia, USA d. 28 Jan 1892, Leary, Calhoun, Georgia, USA (Age 82 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Unknown COLLEY,   b. Between 1811 and 1820   d. Yes, date unknown  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. Peggy Ann COLLEY,   b. Between 1811 and 1820   d. Yes, date unknown  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. Matilda Lisha COLLEY,   b. Abt 1814, Georgia, USA d. 2 Jun 1887 (Age 73 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   6. George W. COLLEY,   b. 22 Aug 1822, Wilkinson County, Georgia, USA d. 9 Mar 1902, Smiley, Gonzales County, Texas, USA (Age 79 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   7. Nancy COLLEY,   b. Abt 1805, Wilkinson County, Georgia, USA d. Aft 1870 (Age > 66 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   8. Ailcy "Elsey" COLLEY,   b. Abt 1808, Georgia d. Yes, date unknown  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   9. Elizabeth COLLEY,   b. Abt 1804, South Carolina, USA d. Bef 1830 (Age < 25 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F717	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	30 May 2026

  
  

• Photos

  WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEY2

  
  

• Notes

  This message from George Colley (gwcolley@earthlink.net) Jennifer, Wish I knew for sure the name of Catherine Colley's mother. The following is where I am now on William Colley's marriages: "2.0 Marriage(s) Was William Colley married more then once? I have no evidence that he was married more then once. He was certainly married to Mary for many - many years. However, since earlier researches have suggested that Jane Davis and Nancy Thompson as possible wives they are included in this discussion. (Similar names in the same area may have confused early researchers or maybe he did have more then one wife.) 2.1 Mary Mary (Surname unknown) was married to William Colley. When they were married is unknown. Mary was born in South Carolina in 1778 and died 11 April 1854. She is buried next to William Colley in a Cemetery near Leary in Calhoun Co., Georgia. Their tombstone lists them as husband and wife and gives their dates of birth and dates of death. Mary was married to William Colley before 1820 and was with him until her death. The 1820, 1830 and 1840 censuses list a female that I believe is Mary. Mary is specified by name in the 1850 census. William and Mary lived in Wilkinson County Georgia for a number of years. The family then moved to a part of Baker Co. (was Early County) that became part of Calhoun Co., Georgia. This is where William obtained large tracks of land from which he created his Plantations. 2.2 Nancy (Thompson) Cauley and Jane (Davis) Cauley I do not believe Nancy Thompson was a wife of the William Colley of this story. However, more information is needed to say for sure that this is true. Records show that Nancy Thompson was the wife of a William Cawley. The Freeman family has said that Nancy (Thompson) and William Cauley were the parents of Elizabeth Jane Cauley who married John Freeman. William Colley of this story did have a daughter named Elizabeth Colley who married Sparkman Bowen. Elizabeth Jane (Cauley) Freeman and Elizabeth (Colley) Bowen were both having children about the same time. Elizabeth (Colley) Bowen and her children are listed in William Colley?s Will. Elizabeth Jane (Cauley) Freeman and her children were not in William Colley?s Will. The Will was very carefully drawn and withstood strong legal challenges. Old researchers seem to have mixed two families. Elizabeth Jane (Cauley) Freeman was the daughter of Nancy (Thompson) and William Cauley/Cawley. Elizabeth (Colley) Bowen is the daughter of William Colley. The surnames Cauley, Cawley and Colley have been used in various documents for the same families and individuals. Some descendants of William Colley today use the surname spelled Cauley. Jane Davis was the wife of a William B. Cauley/Cawley who I believe was the son of Nancy (Thompson) and William Cauley/Cawley. She was not a wife of the William Colley in this story. [William B. Cauley and Jane Davis were married on 1/10/1845, in Wilkinson County GA, by William Garrott, J.P.]" This message from George Colley (gwcolley@earthlink.net) Jennifer, Wish I knew for sure the name of Catherine Colley's mother. The following is where I am now on William Colley's marriages: "2.0 Marriage(s) Was William Colley married more then once? I have no evidence that he was married more then once. He was certainly married to Mary for many - many years. However, since earlier researches have suggested that Jane Davis and Nancy Thompson as possible wives they are included in this discussion. (Similar names in the same area may have confused early researchers or maybe he did have more then one wife.) 2.1 Mary Mary (Surname unknown) was married to William Colley. When they were married is unknown. Mary was born in South Carolina in 1778 and died 11 April 1854. She is buried next to William Colley in a Cemetery near Leary in Calhoun Co., Georgia. Their tombstone lists them as husband and wife and gives their dates of birth and dates of death. Mary was married to William Colley before 1820 and was with him until her death. The 1820, 1830 and 1840 censuses list a female that I believe is Mary. Mary is specified by name in the 1850 census. William and Mary lived in Wilkinson County Georgia for a number of years. The family then moved to a part of Baker Co. (was Early County) that became part of Calhoun Co., Georgia. This is where William obtained large tracks of land from which he created his Plantations. 2.2 Nancy (Thompson) Cauley and Jane (Davis) Cauley I do not believe Nancy Thompson was a wife of the William Colley of this story. However, more information is needed to say for sure that this is true. Records show that Nancy Thompson was the wife of a William Cawley. The Freeman family has said that Nancy (Thompson) and William Cauley were the parents of Elizabeth Jane Cauley who married John Freeman. William Colley of this story did have a daughter named Elizabeth Colley who married Sparkman Bowen. Elizabeth Jane (Cauley) Freeman and Elizabeth (Colley) Bowen were both having children about the same time. Elizabeth (Colley) Bowen and her children are listed in William Colley?s Will. Elizabeth Jane (Cauley) Freeman and her children were not in William Colley?s Will. The Will was very carefully drawn and withstood strong legal challenges. Old researchers seem to have mixed two families. Elizabeth Jane (Cauley) Freeman was the daughter of Nancy (Thompson) and William Cauley/Cawley. Elizabeth (Colley) Bowen is the daughter of William Colley. The surnames Cauley, Cawley and Colley have been used in various documents for the same families and individuals. Some descendants of William Colley today use the surname spelled Cauley. Jane Davis was the wife of a William B. Cauley/Cawley who I believe was the son of Nancy (Thompson) and William Cauley/Cawley. She was not a wife of the William Colley in this story. [William B. Cauley and Jane Davis were married on 1/10/1845, in Wilkinson County GA, by William Garrott, J.P.]"

  
  

• Sources

  [S169] Ancestry.com, Georgia, Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015;), Author: Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Calhoun County); Probate Place: Calhoun, Georgia. Georgia, Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992 [S164] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;).