Research Concerning the Estate of James Sims,
By Kenneth O. Sims
The purpose of this
research is to pursue the search for the parents of Beverly
Hutson Sims, (c. 1824-1884) called Hutson, Hudson, Hutt or Uncle Hutt, great grandfather of the writer.
Background:
According to the 1850
U.S. Census entry for Hudson (sic) Sims (pg.303 fam. 521, Benton, (now Calhoun) County, AL) he was born in
South Carolina in 1824. He lived with
his wife L.F. (Griffin) who he had married in May of
that year. Nancy, obviously his mother,
who was in the household, was born ca. 1783 in South Carolina. His brother Henry G .Sims (father of
Elizabeth Anna Sims, the second wife of Thomas Benton Sims, the son of Beverly Hutson) lived next door.
The children of Thomas Benton Sims by his second marriage knew that
their parents were first cousins and that their grandfathers were
brothers.
Henry G. Sims was
born in South Carolina ca. 1814. He
married Elizabeth Chambers, the daughter of James Chambers who was a brother of
Samuel Chambers who died childless in Benton County. Henry married Elizabeth Chambers between
January 8, 1846 when she was listed as Elizabeth Chambers in the estate records
of her uncle Samuel and November 20, 1847 when she was listed in the same
estate records as Elizabeth A. Simms and husband Henry Simms, child and heir of
James Chambers. This marriage is not in
the published marriage record index of Benton County (nor are any of our Sims’
except B.H.).
The Chambers family was in Benton as early as 1834 when the processing
of the estate of William, the father of James and the grandfather of Elizabeth
was begun.
Land Records:
The earliest records
of this Sims family in Benton County appear to be purchases of land in Section
32, T12 South R10 east from the U.S. Government beginning in 1843. In June, 1843, Henry Sims purchased 80 acres
in Section 32, being fractions 11 and 14 (Cert. 7655). On June 28, 1844, Hutson Sims purchased 80 acres, being fractions 10
and 15 joining Henry’s land (Cert 8127).
Land joining this Sims land was purchased as follows:
Richard Boles - Fractions 5-8 and Fraction
Fraction
12 which joins Fraction 5 – 1849
George L. Sims - Fraction 9 -1847
William M Michael - Fraction 16
Benjamin Bridges - Fraction 18
William P Neeley - Fractions 19 and
20
Garrison Sims - Fraction 13 – Feb. 10, 1845
Cert. 8436
Benjamin Bridges had
a son named Bailus who died in Ohio Feb. 4th
1865, evidently in the Civil War. Hutson Sims named a son John Bailus
(grandfather of the writer) in 1858. It
would seem that the Bridge’s and Sims’ were close friends as well as neighbors.
Various research
reveals the following on Richard R. Boles next door neighbor of Hudson Sims in
1850:
Richard R. Boles lived next door to Spencer Morgan, his father-in-law
in 1840 north of Cross Plains (now Piedmont) Benton County. Richard stayed there when the Morgan’s moved
to Nance’s Creek Valley. Richard Boles is buried in Goshen Cemetery (just
across the county line into Cherokee County) in an unmarked grave. Richard Boles came to Benton County from Franklin
County, Tennessee in 1833-34.
In 1860 B.H. Sims’ post office was given as Cross Plains. Henry’s was given as Ladiga. Both Cross Plains and Ladiga
were in the very most upper N.E. corner of Benton County. Cross Plains was a small settlement on the
intersection of roads from Ladiga and White Plains
and Jacksonville. Goshen was north of
Cross Plains. The Goshen Cemetery is across the county line in Cherokee. This is the closest cemetery on the map and
therefore is possibly where the Sims’ were buried.
These land records
seem to connect Henry and Hutson to Garrison and
George Sims.
The Estate of James Sims,
Benton County, AL.
From The Estate of
James Sims, Box 153, Benton County (Calhoun) Estate Records
March 10, 1843. Inventory appraisal
(marked out). Moses Whiteside, Leonard
Brock and Albert Alexander certify correct June 5, 1843. An examination of this appraisal shows that
Henry, Hudson and what looks W. participated.
April 12, 1843. Sale of
property of James Sims, deceased, by Administrator, R.S.
Porter. Total only $6.00. Buyers were:
Mrs.
Sims (widow) Ira Webb Talbot Sims
Henry
Sims A.
Wilkins Garrison Sims
William
Sims ______
Whitlock
September 20, 1849. Notice to
Robert S. Porter, Administrator “exofficio” of the
estate of James Sims, late of Benton County, Alabama, deceased, to file
accounts and vouchers for final settlement.
Folder cover names Nancy Sims.
November 16, 1849. Robert S.
Porter, Administrator of the estate of James Sims, responds in writing that
there was nothing to account for and that he was appointed Administrator as
Sheriff of Benton county, Alabama for the purpose of being made a party to an
intended suit that was never brought and that he only realized $3.00 as
Administrator and that this $3.00 was paid to M.M.
Hinton, former clerk.
Research on the above
listed buyers:
Henry Sims - Obviously
our Henry, born in S.C. ca 1813. First
son named Marion, second son named James H.
William Sims - No conclusion. Possibly the W. of the James Sims
appraisal. If so, indicates he is a son
of James.
Ira Webb - Born in Tennessee, March 24,
1811; married Sara Roberts; died May 29, 1887; lived in Cherokee, County;Sarah Roberts was born in
_______ Whitlock -
No conclusion.
Talbot Sims - Born in S.C. ca. 1806; lived in
Garrison Sims - Born in S.C. ca 1817; lived in Cherokee Co.
Hutson
Sims would have been 19 at the time of the 1843 sale.
The Sims land purchases
in Section 32 began within two months after the estate sale of James Sims.
Conclusion:
It appears that James
(of 1843 estate) and Nancy of 1850 and 1860 censuses of Benton County, and of
1849 transactions of James Sims estate where the parents of at least Henry, Hutson, and William (W. of the inventory appraisal ?) and
possibly Talbot, and Garrison, and George who owned adjoining land.
Return
to Blount Families site.