mothers doing crazy genealogy research again because my paternal grandmother (a Williford) sent her "our" pedigree.
We apparently go back to this guy

Sir Thomas Wilsford. He was a knight and shiznit who had powers to execute people and other shiznit..who then had a son named Sir Thomas Wilsford II who was the Sheriff of London town and was executed during the parliament civil war for supporting the king...but only after having a son named Captain Thomas Wilsford who moved to Virginia and was sent to the gallows after some other rebellion. The new name Williford came from Captains Wilsfords son.
super fascinating! especially cause the Willifords in TN were poor as all shiznit.