James Symes (1645 - 1687)

Born 1645 in Somerset, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1687 at about age 42 in Isle of Wight, Colony of Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Kickemjenny Thornton [send private message], Bill Bowling [send private message], Julieann Simms [send private message], and Carl Horner [send private message]

Biography

James was born about 1645. He passed away before 1684.

Research Notes

From The Genealogy of the Sims family of Virginia, ^[1] speculates that there were two brothers, John and Robert whom were the sons of James Symes. However, Richard and Robert are named in the probate snippet for John Thornton [married widow Sims].

The book goes on to say James Symes, d. between 1674-78 (maybe b. 1650?).

Thus; John b. abt. 1671, died after Robert Robert b. abt. 1673-1729 in Bertie NC. Richard b. abt 1675

“Whereas I James Symes [Sims in the Index] of Isle of Wight, planter, do owe unto Wm. Body of afsd. place, planter, 3200 lbs. of good tob. Etc. I James Symes do make over to sd. Wm. Body my crop of tobacco, etc. Oct. 22, 1674 James Sims. Wits: James Peddlin, Thos. Roberts. Rec. Jan. 9, 1674 [5  ?].”^[2]

“At an Orphants Court held for the Isle of Wight the _of May 1678 ordered that John Sims do live with Robert Smith until he be 18 years of age, whom the court do not judge to be 6-1/2 years of age…if it shall so happen that Eady the now wife of the sd. Robert Smith should dye before the sd John Sims attained to ye age of 18 years afsd that he shall have the liberty of chusing his guardian.”^[3] There is no mention of John Sims in Robert Smiths will of Aug. 1678.

Further; In 1694 a Robert Sims owned 250 acres in Nansemond County under a patent dated April 20, 1694 ^[4].

Robert was probably born in 1672/73. Later he moved 50-75 miles southward into Bertie County, NC where he died 1729 ^[5] and names his sons, Robert, Thomas and James and made his brother John Sims his executor, no mention of wifes name, leaving three children, Robert, named for his father, Thomas, named probably for her father and James for his grandfather James Symes of IOW.

Comments

There have been postings that before Willmuth (unknown) Thornton married John Thornton she was married to a James Sims (or Simms/Symes), and her sons Richard Glinn and Robert Glinn bore the last name, Sims. There has been no supporting facts to the claims of the last name being, Sims, as well as being married to a James Sims.

My suspicion as to why "Sims" developed to be the last name was because, the probate record^[6] "extracted from microfilmed copies of the original Will Book" was transcribed as "Richard and Robert Sims (?)." The question "?" mark being ignored by those of us (I'm guilty) using this certain information.

Granted, the last name of Richard and Robert was not clear in the wiil of John Thornton^[7]. But, an indenture on 21 Jan 1723^[8] between Richard Glinn and William Thornton describes a “certain tract or parcel of land in the lower parish of Isle of Wight County being a patent granted unto John Thornton bearing Date the 20th of April 1682 by estimation containing 190 acres given by John Thornton by his last will & testament unto the aforesaid Richard Glinn & Robert Glinn whom the said Richard survived.”

Therefore, John Thornton married the widow Willmuth Glinn who had two sons, Richard and Robert Glinn. Robert Glinn died before 1723.

Jame was born in 1645. He passed away in 1687.

Sources

1. ↑ The genealogy of the Sims family of Virginia, the Carolinas and the Gulf States, Sims, Henry Upson, 1873- [pub. 1794]
2. ↑ From, Isle of Wight County Wills and Deeds, Book 1, p. 324
3. ↑ Isle of Wight Deed Book 2, p. 160:
4. ↑ [VA land records Book 25, p. 21; Nansemond County records, Vol. 8, p. 343]
5. ↑ prob. At Feb court in Bertie 1729, will book for 1729, now kept in Raleigh, and abstracted in Grimms Abstract of NC Wills, p. 340
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. Wills and Administrations of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, 1647-1800 [database on-line].
7. ↑ FHL Film # 007645159; Mixed records, Vol. 2 1661-1719 Mixed records, Vol. 3 1726-1734; image 134/605 (actual page 274). Isle of Wight Circuit Court 17000 Josiah Parker circle Isle of Wight VA USA 23397.
8. ↑ FHL Film 007645141, image 324/492; Deeds and wills Vol. 2(2nd vol.) 1715-1726.

• Posted on Ancestry. The second son, James Symes (Sims) born in 1645, immigrated to Isles Wright, Virginia in 1669. where he married Elizabeth Willmouth, born in 1652 at Isles Wright, Virginia, in 1670. Their first child was born 1671, name of John. They had two other children, thereafter, Robert Symes born in 1674 and Richard Symes born in 1676. James Sims died in 1687. His wife, "Elizabeth" Willmuth (Unknown) Thornton, died in February, 1729 in Isle Wight, Virginia.
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