Dear Bottoms List, I am descended from the eldest child, James M., son of Malachi Reaves Sims and Frances Bottoms. James was my great grandfather and Malachi and Frances my great great grand parents. I am extremely anxious to corruspond with any of you to see if we might have "anything" to share. I have not found the parents or family of either Malachi or Frances. This is my lineage and what I have. Malachi Reaves Sims I b. 1823 in GA and died in 1869 and buried near Newton, AL. Malachi Reaves Sims II and Malachi Reaves Sims III as well as other family members are all buried in the same cemetary. Malachi married Frances (B?) Bottoms in Pike Co. GA on Dec 22 1842 (I have a copy of the marriage record). According to an 1850 Barbour AL census, she was born in SC, he in GA. She was born 1824 and died abt. 1852 in Barbour Co. AL within a year of the birth of her last child. He was a carpenter (census) and they lived in Midway, Barbour Co. at the time. It took me quite alot of time determining this as there are 7 Midways in AL. The area in which they lived is now on or near the border of Bullock Co. and Barbour Co. AL because the county lines changed. This has made it nearly impossible to locate any specific records there. I have yet to find Frances' grave site, which has been a major search for me. She is said to have been buried in or near Midway. Their children were: (1) James M. Sims, born July 2, 1844-5 in Pike Co. GA. He served in the Confederacy in the Civil War in the 15th AL Regiment. His Civil War Roll Cards and Hospital record give this specific info. James married on 1-23-18?? in Butler Co. AL, Frances Viola Vinson, b. 1844 in Butler Co. AL, d. 4-10- 1901 Both are buried in Oakwood Cemetary in Georgianna, AL, Butler Co. Their children were: (1) Laura Sims b. 1873 Butler Co. AL m. Pascal - daughters Marie and Louise (2) May Sims b. 1876 Butler Co. AL - never married (3) Charles Lee Sims b. Jan 15, 1878 Butler Co. AL, d.Aug 21 1931 - killed in the line of duty as Deputy Sherrif of Butler Co. Charles married Maude Carlene Sims (not related) on July 24, 1901 in Butler Springs AL. Charles' children were: (1) Frances Adelia Sims (2) Charles "Son" Sims (3) James R. Sims (4) Carlton Sims (5) Harold Hilson Sims (my father) m. Sybil Janice Bradberry (6) Hilda Coleen Sims (2) Mark W. Sims, b. 1846 d. in Selma, AL fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. He did not have a chance to marry or have children. (3) Mary Ann Sims b. 1847-8 and married Thomas E. Atkinson. They had children. (4) John M. Sims b. Feb 1, 1850 in Midway, Barbour Co. AL m. Mary Adams, dau. of James Adams. Their children were: (1) Louis J. Sims (2) Exa Sims (3) John M. Sims (5) infant died young - Frances last child, a female. Malachi remarried Elizabeth Carter not long after Frances' death. I don't have too many details of Malachi Sr's marriage to Elizabeth Carter. She is buried in Newton Cem. with Malachi. Her dates 1833-1921. Apparently she remarried a West after his death, hence her nickname, "Ma West". In the 1850 Barbour Co. census there is living a woman named Mary A. Bottoms, aged 32. I believe she is Frances older sister and the namesake for her daughter Mary A. Sims. She is also listed as being born in SC. Also the justice of the peace that married them was a Hartsfield in Pike Co. GA. There are other Sims living in the immediate vicinity of Pike Co. GA that had business and land dealings with Hartsfields, including the donation of land for a church pastored by a Hartsfield. Interestingly, but maybe by sheer coincidence, these same Sims sold and bought land from an Atkinson (the same last name as the man, Malachi's grnaddaughter, Mary Ann married.) I have not been able to connect my Malachi Sims with any of these Sims, but the Sims Hartsfields and Bottoms seem to be closely associated in that area so I have a strong feeling that this is the SIms and Bottoms group they are connected to. There were also some Bottoms men living close to Malachi and Frances (in their age range) when they lived in Barbour Co. I have a copy of a power of attorney from James Bottoms (who was in Texas at the time), giving his "destitute" brother, Burrell Bottoms and his family use and rights to his land and property in his absence. When Malachi remarried after Frances death he migrated to Dale Co. near Newton where a Dr. James Bottoms, father of the very Bottoms brothers of Barbour Co. He was a very early settler in the area. I feel that these Bottoms brothers (Burrel and James), were somehow related to Frances and Mary (brothers or cousins?) and that when she died Malachi went to live near his inlaws. All of this is conjecture. If anyone has anything that mentions a Malachi Sims or M.R. Sims (his mifddle name was Reeves/Reaves) in relation to a Bottoms or has a combination of daughters Frances and Mary I would like to corruspond. This has been a 20 year search with no results as yet. Please reply! Sincerely, Cynthia SIMS Kirkland -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Need a Genealogy or Family Web site? A Business or E-Commerce Web Site? Then check out ArSites - Solutions For Web Based Marketing - Web Site Design, Creation and Hosting. FREE Estimates! No Obligation! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY: Ask about ArtSites unique opportunity as an Internet Consultant - no experience necessary. Requirements: A computer and access to the Internet. BE YOUR OWN BOSS, make your own hours. GENEROUS COMMISSIONS. contact: ckirkland@artsites.com or kblack@artsites.com ArtSites: http://www.ArtSites.com