Hi List, The following I received from a lovely lady named Eve, who wrote "I haven't been actively participating in the discussion on the Fayette list because I have nothing concrete to connect me with William Johnson and Amy Nelson, but if you want to share the following with the list, feel free." The information was found in a file for Virginia Bondurant Johnson's application in the DAR and forwarded to Eve by her (Eve's) cousin. I believe this will interest many of you on the list. ************************* (Excerpts from [typewritten] letter of Willard E. Simms of Cozaddale, O., R.F.D. 1, to John T. Simms, Charleston, W.Va.--June 8, 1947) "Atty John Reynolds filed suit in 1848 in the circuit supreme court of law and chancery for Nicholas County, Geo. H. Lee being judge; seeking to have the court provide for the sale of the 125 acre farm near Beech Glen, I believe, which was left by James Sims when he died in 1836. The bill of complaint represented that William, Martin, John, James, Dryden, Charles, Washington Sims; Joseph Darlington and Jane (Sims) Darlington, his wife; Joel Settle and Mildred (Sims) Settle, his wife; and Nancy (Sims) Johnson respectfully represent that James Sims, the father of your orators and oratresses departed this life on the ___day of ___1836 intestate and leaving no widow and leaving besides your orators and oratresses to survive him the following heirs at law to-wit: the children of Jeremiah Sims, dec'd (he having died 1824 near Springfield O.) who live in the western country, the names of whom are unknown; also the children of Elizabeth Johnson, dec'd, formerly Elizabeth Sims: to-wit, John Johnson, Wm. Johnson, Harrison Johnson, James Johnson, James Settle and Rachel his wife; William H(?)ale and Amy his wife, John Backhouse and Phoebe his wife; ______Montgomery and Elizabeth his wife; Sarah Hyphy, John Kincaid and Mary his wife; also the children of Mary Hughes, formerly Mary Sims, to-wit, Tazewell Hughes, Andrew Hughes, Nelson Johnson and Elizabeth his wife; Johnson Foster and Mary his wife; also the children of Margaret Hughes, formerly Margaret Sims, to-wit, Matthew Kincaid and Susan his wife; Ann Hughes, Robert Hughes, John Hughes, the last three are infants; also the children of Sarah Foster, formerly Sarah Sims, to-wit, Jordan Hickson and Mariah his wife; James Foster, Peyton Foster, Charles Foster, and Milton Sims, the last three but one are infants, and the same James Sims, the father of your orators and oratresses died seized of a tract of land containing 125 acres in Nicholas county, on the Gauley river, etc., etc. "The matter was finally settled in the spring term of court 1853. It sold for $183 and the costs approximated $160, thus leaving about $22.50 to be distributed." (Notes by W.H. Maginnis): As several persons named James Sims were recorded in Culpeper County, Va., between 1768 and 1808, I took note of the names of their wives and after some study came to the conclusion that the James Sims whose wife was named Phoebe was the one who moved to Bath County and later, after Phoebe was drowned, to Gauley river in what is now Nicholas county, W.Va. because the James Sims who married Jane Towles was still in Culpeper in 1803, and James Sims, Jr., and his wife Ann were there still later. James Sims, son of Thomas, Sr., died in Culpeper. James Sims, son of William and grandson of Thomas, Sr., has been traced to Kentucky. He was an orphan infant in 1769) In Deed Book H, page 475, Culpeper, Va., in deed dated Dec. 17, 1779, 11 years after the date of Jeremiah Sims's will, James Sims and his wife Phoebe, conveyed to Martin Nalle 118 acres of land in Bromfield parish, in the Great Fork of the Rappahannock river. The land had been left to James Sims "by my father." The wife of Jeremiah Sims (will 1768) was Agatha, daughter of John Nalle of Culpeper county. She later married Russell Hill. (Footnote) Willard Sims in copying record from Nicholas county wrote Joel and Mildred Suttle, instead of Settle. I do not know if that were his mistake or the court's. (Signed) W.H. Maginnis Now List I know that you will be asking who is Phoebe and what about Elizabeth Sims. I received the following from a Sims researcher who claims to have a copy of the Coroner's Inquest Report dated 1794. He wrote: "First, James never married his cousin Elizabeth. This has been family lore forever, but is not correct. He married first, Phoebe Nalle, who DID fall off her horse and drown in the Jackson River after tending a sick friend all night. I have the Coroner's Inquest Report dated 1794. There was some controversy about this, as her son was accused of causing the accident, but was not charged." I have asked him about this document and how he found it but he has not answered my questions. He is working on his database and plans to put the updated information online so I believe that he does not want to share until he has his data online. Note: I have seen on several sites that Nancy Cotton, the second wife, has been referred to as Elizabeth "Nancy" Cotton which may explain why we have seen Elizabeth Sims listed as the mother of Mildred Sims Settle. Note to Terry W. Johnson: The above document shows that Nancy (Sims) Johnson was still living in 1848 which disproves that she died during the 1845 epidemic as did her husband William Johnson Jr. Cathy

Wow, Cathy, thanks for this information. More puzzle pieces and more documentation to try to find and confirm! Gotta love it! Best wishes, June At 03:32 PM 7/5/2001 +0200, you wrote: >Hi List, > >The following I received from a lovely lady named Eve, who wrote "I haven't >been actively participating in the discussion on the Fayette list because I >have nothing concrete to connect me with William Johnson and Amy Nelson, but >if you want to share the following with the list, feel free." The >information was found in a file for Virginia Bondurant Johnson's application >in the DAR and forwarded to Eve by her (Eve's) cousin. I believe this will >interest many of you on the list. > > > ************************* >(Excerpts from [typewritten] letter of Willard E. Simms of Cozaddale, O., >R.F.D. 1, to John T. Simms, Charleston, W.Va.--June 8, 1947) > >"Atty John Reynolds filed suit in 1848 in the circuit supreme court of law >and chancery for Nicholas County, Geo. H. Lee being judge; seeking to have >the court provide for the sale of the 125 acre farm near Beech Glen, I >believe, which was left by James Sims when he died in 1836. The bill of >complaint represented that William, Martin, John, James, Dryden, Charles, >Washington Sims; Joseph Darlington and Jane (Sims) Darlington, his wife; >Joel >Settle and Mildred (Sims) Settle, his wife; and Nancy (Sims) Johnson >respectfully represent that James Sims, the father of your orators and >oratresses departed this life on the ___day of ___1836 intestate and leaving >no widow and leaving besides your orators and oratresses to survive him the >following heirs at law to-wit: the children of Jeremiah Sims, dec'd (he >having died 1824 near Springfield O.) who live in the western country, the >names of whom are unknown; also the children of Elizabeth Johnson, dec'd, >formerly Elizabeth Sims: to-wit, John Johnson, Wm. Johnson, Harrison >Johnson, >James Johnson, James Settle and Rachel his wife; William H(?)ale and Amy his >wife, John Backhouse and Phoebe his wife; ______Montgomery and Elizabeth his >wife; Sarah Hyphy, John Kincaid and Mary his wife; also the children of Mary >Hughes, formerly Mary Sims, to-wit, Tazewell Hughes, Andrew Hughes, Nelson >Johnson and Elizabeth his wife; Johnson Foster and Mary his wife; also the >children of Margaret Hughes, formerly Margaret Sims, to-wit, Matthew >Kincaid >and Susan his wife; Ann Hughes, Robert Hughes, John Hughes, the last three >are infants; also the children of Sarah Foster, formerly Sarah Sims, to-wit, >Jordan Hickson and Mariah his wife; James Foster, Peyton Foster, Charles >Foster, and Milton Sims, the last three but one are infants, and the same >James Sims, the father of your orators and oratresses died seized of a tract >of land containing 125 acres in Nicholas county, on the Gauley river, etc., >etc. >"The matter was finally settled in the spring term of court 1853. It sold >for $183 and the costs approximated $160, thus leaving about $22.50 to be >distributed." > >(Notes by W.H. Maginnis): As several persons named James Sims were recorded >in Culpeper County, Va., between 1768 and 1808, I took note of the names of >their wives and after some study came to the conclusion that the James Sims >whose wife was named Phoebe was the one who moved to Bath County and later, >after Phoebe was drowned, to Gauley river in what is now Nicholas county, >W.Va. because the James Sims who married Jane Towles was still in Culpeper >in >1803, and James Sims, Jr., and his wife Ann were there still later. James >Sims, son of Thomas, Sr., died in Culpeper. James Sims, son of William and >grandson of Thomas, Sr., has been traced to Kentucky. He was an orphan >infant in 1769) >In Deed Book H, page 475, Culpeper, Va., in deed dated Dec. 17, 1779, 11 >years after the date of Jeremiah Sims's will, James Sims and his wife >Phoebe, >conveyed to Martin Nalle 118 acres of land in Bromfield parish, in the Great >Fork of the Rappahannock river. The land had been left to James Sims "by my >father." >The wife of Jeremiah Sims (will 1768) was Agatha, daughter of John Nalle of >Culpeper county. She later married Russell Hill. > >(Footnote) Willard Sims in copying record from Nicholas county wrote Joel >and >Mildred Suttle, instead of Settle. I do not know if that were his mistake >or >the court's. (Signed) W.H. Maginnis > >Now List I know that you will be asking who is Phoebe and what about >Elizabeth Sims. I received the following from a Sims researcher who claims >to have a copy of the Coroner's Inquest Report dated 1794. He wrote: > >"First, James never married his cousin Elizabeth. This has been family lore >forever, but is not correct. He married first, Phoebe Nalle, who DID fall >off her horse and drown in the Jackson River after tending a sick friend all >night. I have the Coroner's Inquest Report dated 1794. There was some >controversy about this, as her son was accused of causing the accident, but >was not charged." > >I have asked him about this document and how he found it but he has not >answered my questions. He is working on his database and plans to put the >updated information online so I believe that he does not want to share until >he has his data online. > >Note: I have seen on several sites that Nancy Cotton, the second wife, has >been referred to as Elizabeth "Nancy" Cotton which may explain why we have >seen Elizabeth Sims listed as the mother of Mildred Sims Settle. > >Note to Terry W. Johnson: The above document shows that Nancy (Sims) Johnson >was still living in 1848 which disproves that she died during the 1845 >epidemic as did her husband William Johnson Jr. > >Cathy > > >==== WVFAYETT Mailing List ==== > > > >============================== >Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 >Source for Family History Online. Go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > >