Thanks in large part to the legacy he built during his lifetime, few people remain unaware of the importance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the Civil Rights Movement. His life and contributions are commemorated each year on the third Monday of January. Far fewer people, however, are familiar with his family history and ancestral origins. With that in mind, this article examines records connected to several of Dr. King's ancestors to explore what they reveal about his family's past.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on 15 January 1929 at his family's home at 501 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia, under the name Michael King. The house was located just two-tenths of a mile from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where his father and grandfather served as preachers—and where Dr. King himself would later preach. His parents were Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Christine Williams.
The Parents of Dr. King
Martin Luther King Sr. was born on 19 December 1899 in Stockbridge, Henry County, Georgia, under the name Michael King. In 1934, he changed both his own name and his son's to Martin Luther King. Less than a year after her birth, the King family was living in Ellenwood, a suburb of Atlanta founded by freed slaves in 1830. By 1910, the family had returned to Stockbridge, where Michael was working as a farm laborer at just ten years old.
On Thanksgiving day in 1926, Michael King married Alberta Christine Williams at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved into the home of Alberta's parents at 501 Auburn Avenue. By 1930, Michael was working as a Baptist preacher at the same church where he had married and where his father-in-law also served as minister.
Records from the 1940 census reflect the success Martin Luther King Sr. achieved during his lifetime. His annual salary was recorded as $2,500—equivalent to approximately $56,000 today—while many of his neighbors, employed as cooks, laborers, and shoeshiners, earned less than $1,000 per year. Census records also note that he worked approximately sixty hours per week, suggesting his earnings were well deserved. Martin Luther King Sr. died in November 1984, having outlived his wife and two or his three children.
Alberta Christine Williams was born on 13 September 1904 in Atlanta, Georgia, to Rev. Adam Daniel Williams and Jennie Celeste (Parks) Williams. Tragically, she was killed on 30 June 1974 at Ebenezer Baptist Church—the same church where her father, husband, and sons had all preached.
The home that Martin Luther King Jr. was born and lived in for 12 years.
The Grandparents of Dr. King
It is well established that Martin Luther King Sr. was the son of James Albert King and Delia (Linsey) King. The origins of James A. King, however, are far less certain. Census records indicate he was likely born around December 1864, but his reported birthplace varied widely. In the 1870 and 1880 censuses, he listed Georgia as his birthplace; in 1900 and 1910, Ohio; and in 1920 and 1930, Georgia once again. His consistent presence in Georgia from an early age, combined with the frequency with which he cited Georgia as his birthplace, suggests it was most likely where he was born. What can be confirmed is that James A. King married Delia Linsey on 20 August 1895 in Henry County, Georgia.
Records strongly suggest that James was the son of Nathan King and a woman named Malinde, who had been enslaved. Even less is known about Nathan King's origins. Census records variously list his birthplace as Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Ireland. In 1870 and 1880, he was recorded as having been born in Georgia; in 1900, James reported his father was born in Pennsylvania; and in 1910, he stated Ireland. Once again, later censuses reverted to Georgia.
DNA testing of Dr. King's descendants indicated some Irish ancestry, and it is possible that Nathan King was the source. However, given that census records identify Nathan King as Black—a relative rarity in Ireland at the time—it is also possible that Nathan was not the biological father of James A. King, and that James's father was instead an Irish-American enslaver. Virtually nothing is known about the origins of James's mother, Malinde.
Delia (Linsey) King was reportedly born in July 1875 in Henry County, Georgia, to Jim Long (born in Virginia) and Jane Linsey (born in Henry County). Delia first appears in records in the 1880 census, living with her mother, Jane Linsey, who was listed as single. Delia appears to have taken her mother's surname, suggesting her parents may not have been married. Her father does not appear in any records in which Delia is listed; his name and birthplace are known only from Delia's death record and therefore cannot be fully verified.
Interestingly, a married man named James Long—born around 1844 in Georgia—was living very near Jane Linsey's family in 1880. Complicating matters further, the informant on Delia's death certificate was either her husband or her son (both named James, with no relationship specified). While Delia's father's name was recorded, her own date of birth was not, suggesting that her paternal identity may have been widely known despite the absence of formal documentation. Delia (Linsey) King died on 27 Mary 1924 in Stockbridge, Georgia.
Maternal Grandparents
Dr. King's maternal grandfather was Rev. Adam Daniel Williams, also a preacher at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Adam was born on 2 January 1863 in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. In 1880, he was living in Skull Shoals, Greene County, and working as a laborer and servant. Between 1896 and 1897, he relocated to Atlanta, where he first appears in the 1897 city directory as Rev. Adam D. Williams, boarding at 33 Randolph Street.
On 29 October 1899, he married Jennie Celeste Parks in Fulton County. In 1900, the couple lived at 18 Randolph Street, and Adam was listed as a clergyman. Over the following years, the family moved several times within Atlanta. Notably, in 1906, Adam was briefly listed as a grocer. By 1910, the family had settled at 383 Auburn Avenue, where Adam would remain until his death on 21 March 1931. His death record names his parents as Willis and Lucretia Williams, also Lucretia maiden name—sometimes recorded as Daniels or "Creasy"—remains unverified. Records indicate a significant age gap between Adan's parents, with his father born around 1810 and his mother around 1840.
Jennie Celeste Parks was born on 17 May 1875 in Georgia, the daughter of Louisa Parks, who was born on 28 October 1850 in Meriwether County, Georgia, and died on 18 May 1941 in Atlanta. Louisa was the daughter of Raleigh Parks, born between 1806 and 1812 in either South Carolina or Virginia, and Lucy Parks, born between 1825 and 1831 in Virginia, Georgia, or South Carolina. Raleigh and Lucy were likely married around 1846. Raleigh is believed to have died between 1900 and 1910, after which Lucy was recorded as a widow.
The importance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in American history is immeasurable. His ancestors—whose lives span enslavement, Reconstruction, migration, faith, and community leadership—played a vital role in shaping the man he became. On this important day of remembrance, they too deserve to be acknowledged.
