The history we learn is written through the lens of the rich, famous and powerful. Unfortunately, these people are only partially relateable. They may

But there is another, more compeling view of history, seen through the rich tapestry of the lives of everyday common people. The challenge with telling this story is the facts are scarce and hard to uncover.

This blog seeks to discover, document and elucidate the origins of William Iiams, a colonial settler in the Province of Maryland in British America in the mid-17th century. The first record we have of William is his marriage to Elizabeth Cheyney in 1671 at All Hallow’s Parish located along the banks of the South River in Anne Arundel, Maryland approximately 6 miles to the west of Annapolis. William, like most setters of area, was a tobacco farmer. There is no record of how, or when William arrived in the New World, or where he came from. Family lore from a diverse group of descendants describes the family as being of Welsh origin.

William and Elizabeth raised six childen who are the direct ancestors (either genetically or for descendants of slaves, through historical affiliation) of virtually every Iiams, Ijams, Iams, Ijames, Iiames in America, as well as many Imes. This blog traces the lives of these descendants, detailing their lives.