ELIZA SIMS AND TWO LIBRARIES
By Clinton F. Cross
4. The Sims Family in England
Nicolas P. Sims was probably descended from two interesting
personalities in English history, Sir John Popham, and Sir John
Horner.
Nicholas Sims’ ancestor, John Clark Symes, married Amy Horner.
Sir John Popham (1533-1607), Amy Horner’s maternal grandfather, was
Royal Chief Justice during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King
James. As Chief Justice he presided over the trial of Mary Queen of
Scots (1587), the Jesuit Robert Southwell 1595), Sir Walter Raleigh
(1603), and Guy Fawkes (1606). The Raleigh case popularized the rule
against hearsay evidence (Herasimchuk 14-17). His efforts led
to the establishment of the first English colony in New England
(Rice, 231-260).
Sir John Horner (1520-1587), Amy Horner’s paternal grandfather, was
the celebrated personage in the literature of the nursery rhyme
about little Jack Horner who sat in a corner.
5. The Sims Family in America
The early history of the Sims family in America is somewhat unclear.
Some claim a William Symes was the first immigrant, and settled in
James City County, Virginia. He allegedly fathered six children,
including William. It is claimed William was Bruster Sims’ father.
Some claim Bruster Sims migrated from Wales to America; others report
that he migrated from Germany. The confusion could be the result of
his career as a sailing ship captain.
Bruster settled near Richmond, Virginia. Bruster (or one of
Bruster’s very close relatives) was William Sims’ father.
In any case, William Sims the second (1757-1813) is without a doubt
Eliza’s grandfather, as well as Nicholas P. Sims’ grandfather.
On August 9th, 1773 William Sims the second (henceforth, just
‘William Sims’) married Judith Cross, daughter of Joseph Cross and
Elizabeth Burke. They had the following children: Jane, born 1774;
John, born 1775—who was Nicholas Sims’ father; Elizabeth, born
1777-Eliza’s Mother; Mary, born 1778; Mildred, born 1780; William
born, 1783; Martha, born 1787; Susannah, born 1789; Thomas, born,
1791; Sarah, born 1793; and Frances, born 1796-who, recently
widowed, moved to Dallas in 1848 with her eight children.
William Sims fought in the American Revolution. Some of his
descendants claimed he was a colonel.
There were three levels of military participation for Virginians
during the war: the Continental Line, which was composed of
full-time troops; the Virginia Line, a state organization, also
composed of full-time troops; and the county militias. Sims was
probably in the militia.
Sims was captured by the British and forced to march up and down a
line following his Negro servant Kit, who beat a drum as Sims
marched behind.
William and Judy Cross Sims and their children moved to Maury
County, Tennessee in 1807. His wife’s brother, Oliver Cross, would
soon follow. Both Sims and Cross settled near Mount Pleasant. Elijah
Harlan also moved to Mount Pleasant at the same time.
In 1811, Elizabeth Sims Tinsley, William and Judy’s daughter,
married Elijah Harlan. It was a second marriage for both Elijah and
Elizabeth--Elijah having been married to a Christiana Harlan (#865, daughter of George Harlan—#220--and Catherine Pope)(A. Harlan 108), who died in 1808; and Elizabeth, having been
married to a William Tinsley. Eliza, their first child, was born in
1814.
William Sims died in 1814 (the year Eliza, his grand-daughter, was
born). He wrote two wills, one in 1812 and one in 1813. In his 1813
will Sims conveyed 150 acres of property to his son William Sims,
Jr. In that document he indicates that one acre of land is to be
reserved forever for the purpose of a graveyard. The will states
that “on this 28th day of September of the year 1836 between Thomas
Sims executor of the estate of William Sims, deceased, of the one
part, to William Sims of the other, both of Maury County in the
state of Tennessee, and that for and in consideration the sum of
$235 to me said executor paid by the said William Sims, receipt
hereof is hereby acknowledged, do convey to said William Sims 50
acres of land in said state and county in conformity of the
provisions of the last will and testament of said William Sims.” And
there follows a description of a property and then it states:
Out of this property which I reserve in conformity with the
provisions of said will, one acre for a burying ground beginning at
a point north 50 degrees, west 15 chains and 18 lengths from the
southwest corner of said 51 acres and northeast for compliment and I
the said Thomas Sims executor does warrant and defend the above
described premises against the legal equitable claim of any person
whomsoever to the said William Sims his heirs and assigns forever;
Thomas Sims, executor.
Eliza’s mother, Elizabeth, her first husband, Joseph Oliver Cross,
and a daughter, Elizabeth, are buried on that piece of property.
The property can be located by taking Cross Bridges Road from Mount
Pleasant, Tennessee, and going two miles to a point where the road
turns sharp left. The cemetery is just beyond this turn in a pasture
on Road Place. The cemetery is located on private property.
Thanks to Jim Tinsley, a descendant of Joseph Oliver Cross and his
son Jehu Cross, we have photographs of the “Cross” graveyard.
Sims/Cross Cemetery, Maury County, Tennessee
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