William Sims (1728 - 1769)

Born 1728 in Bromfield Parish, Culpeper, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Ryan) Sims — married about 1759 in Culpeper, Virginia

Descendants

Died 1769 at about age 41 in Culpeper, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Mark Shernick [send private message], Bob Carson [send private message], Marty Ormond [send private message], and Crystal Sanders [send private message]

Biography

William Sims was born 1728 in Brumfield Parish, Richmond County, Virginia. Culpeper County was later formed out of Richmond County, so some records list his birthplace as Culpeper County. William was the son of Thomas M. Sims Sr. and Rebecca (Petty) Sims.

He was raised in a very large family; William was one of more than a dozen siblings.

William Sims passed away in 1769, and much of what we know about his children is information taken from his Will, cited below.

Family

William married firstly, about 1746, to Elizabeth Howard, the daughter of John and Mary Howard. They had two children: # Hannah Sims, b. about 1748 in Rockingham County, Virginia, who married Isaac Smith; and

1. William Sims Jr., b. about 1750 in Culpeper County.

William married to Martha (Ryan) Sims, about 1755. They had at least five children:

1. Mary Jane ("Polly") Sims, b. ca. 1756, and
2. William Sims II, b. ca. 1760.
3. Mary
4. Sarah Sims
5. Amey Sims
6. James Sims

Will and Probate

In the name of God Amen the 29th day of May in the year of our Lord 1768. William Sims of the County of Culpeper being and low in body but in perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God... [omitted for brevity] I lend to my well beloved wife, Mathew Sims all my worldly goods and chattles both within my house as well as w/ out Exception during hir natural life or widowhood for to raise my children on till they all come of age. My wife now w/ child, if it lives to have an equal part. After my Children comes of age it is my Desire that my whole Estate shall be Equally divided between my wife and Children. If my wife marries before my children comes of age, I appoint Thomas Sims and James executors.

Wm Sims

Wit:
James Sims
Ela. Sims
Jos. Steward
At a Court held for the County of Culpeper on Thursday the 18th of May 1769
The Last Will & Testament of William Sims, dec'd was Exhibited to the court by Thomas Sims one of the Executors therein named & was proved by the oath of Elijah Sims & Joseph Steward two of the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded And on the motion of the Exor. therein Certificate is granted him for obtaining a probat thereof in due form he having sworn to the same & given Bond & security according to Law. James Sims the other executor refused to take upon himself the burthen of the exor. thereof. Test. Roger Dixon, Clr.

Martha is named as the widow of William Sims after becoming guardian to their minor children. She first submitted an accounting as guardian of the orphan's of William Sims to the Culpeper Court recorded 20 August 1770. This accounting also may indicate William's land was being sold to his brother James.^[1] It appears there may have been five children of Martha and William Sims yet minors when his father Thomas Sims made his will dated 21 April 1784. The elder Sims stipulated therein his son Thomas Sims, Jr. was to pay 30 pounds silver or gold to the children of his deceased son William, six pounds to each as they came of age.^[2] The later administration of the estate of his brother James Sims in 1803, who was an administrator of their father, notes a legacy due Amey Sims, orphan of William Sims, dec'd.^[3]

Will of William Sims

Diemer, Darryl J. Response to [Ancestry.com] post Isaac Smtih, Hannah Sims, 6 February 1999 at this link: [4]

The following information is offered to link Isaac Smith & wife Margaret Rucker to their son, Isaac Smith & wife Hannah Sims and to Isaac & Hannah's son Isaac Smith, Jr. & his wife Susannah Smith:

From the Will of William Sims dated July 17, 1777 - "All my wearing cloaths I leave to my Gran sun Isaac Smith Junr." (Culpeper Co., VA Will Book B, page 224) This proves that William Sims' daughter (name not given) married a Smith and had a son named Isaac.

From the Will of of Benjamin Smith dated March 12, 1796 - "Item. I lend in trust to Henry Fry for the use and benifit of Isaac Smith Senr. & wife during their natural lives one negro lad named Lewis and after their decease absolve the said Fry from said trust and devise the said negro Lewis to Isaac Smith alias Simms Jr. to him and his heirs forever" (Madison Co., VA Will Book 1, pages 342-343) Now some have speculated that the "alias Simms" refers to Isaac Smith, whose wife was Hannah Sims. Others have said that "alias Simms" refers to Isaac Smith, Jr. whose wife was Susannah Smith and whose mother was Hannah Sims. Whichever version you believe, the "alias Simms" reference ties all three Isaacs together.

One additional piece of evidence is offered. The family Bible of Isaac Smith, Jr., who died in Oldham County, KY in 1848, lists his fourth child as "Nancy Sims Smith".

Sources

1. ↑ [1] Guardian's Accounting of Martha Sims, orphans of Wm. Sims dec'd. Rec: 20 Aug 1770. Culpeper Will Book B, p. 6.
2. ↑ [2] Will of Thomas Sims, Sr. Culpeper Wills Book C, pp. 129-131.
3. ↑ [3]Edward Sims Exec. Accounting of James Sims, dec'd. Culpeper Will Book F, p. 283-284

See also:

• Hager, Joel. "William Sims (1728 - 1769)" Page, Joel Hager's Southwest Virginia Research, Rootsweb Family Trees
• "William Sims (1728 - 1769) Page, Fitch Family Tree, Ancestry.com at this link: [5]
• Sims, Henry Upton. The Genealogy of the Sims Family of Virginia, the Carolinas, and the Gulf States (Kansas City, MO: E.L. Mendenhall, Inc., 1940)
• Annals of the Family of John Sims-Family of Joseph Shepherd Allen pg 8-10 C. N. Sims, published 1893, Hunt & Eaton, NY, NY
• "William Sims (1734 - )," Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/william-sims_16490440
• Ancestry Family Trees, http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=555902&pid=-906809602
• Ancestry Family Trees, http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=555902&pid=620824297
• Ancestry Records, http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=worldmarr_ga&h=1104705&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt
• Ancestry Family Trees Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=17913036&pid=692422056

Marriage:

Date: 30 Nov 1725

Place: , Richmond, Virginia, USA

Text: Birth Date: 1702 Birth Place: VA Marriage Date: Dec Marriage Place: VA

• Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Individual Records [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Birth year: 1724; Birth city: Culpeper Co; Birth state: VA. The Family Data Collection - Individual Records database was created while gathering genealogical data for use in the study of human genetics and disease

Name: William Sims

Spouse: Martha Ryan

Parents: Thomas Sim M Sim, Rebecca Petty Patty Paty

Birth Place: Culpeper Co, VA

Birth Date: 1724

Marriage Place: Culpeper Co, VA

Marriage Date: 1761

Death Place: Culpeper Co, VA

Death Date: 15 Jun 1769

• Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Source number: 72.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: JBW, This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was derived from an array of materials including pedigree charts, family history articles, queries.

Name: William Sims

Gender: Male

Birth Place: VA

Birth Year: 1724

Spouse Name: Martha Ryan

Marriage

Year: 1761

Marriage State: VA

Number Pages: 1