Simms Surname – Access Genealogy

Brown Genealogy

In 1895, Cyrus Henry Brown began collecting family records of the Brown family, initially with the intention of only going back to his great-grandfathers. As others became interested in the project, they decided to trace the family lineage back to Thomas Brown and his wife Mary Newhall, both born in the early 1600s in Lynn, Massachusetts. Thomas, John, and Eleazer, three of their sons, later moved to Stonington, Connecticut around 1688. When North Stonington was established in 1807, the three brothers were living in the southern part of the town. Wheeler’s “History of Stonington” contains 400 records of early descendants of the Brown family, taken from the town records of Stonington. However, many others remain unidentified, as they are not recorded in the Stonington town records. For around a century, the descendants of the three brothers lived in Stonington before eventually migrating to other towns in Connecticut and New York State, which was then mostly undeveloped. He would eventually write this second volume of his Brown Genealogy adding to and correcting the previous edition. This book is free to search, read, and/or download.

Slave Narrative of Andrew Simms

Person Interviewed: Andrew Simms Location: Sapulpa, Oklahoma Age: 80 My parents come over on a slave ship from Africa about twenty year before I was born on the William Driver plantation down in Florida. My folks didn’t know each other in Africa but my old Mammy told me she was captured by Negro slave hunters over there and brought to some coast town where the white buyers took her and carried her to America. She was kinder a young gal then and was sold to some white folks when the boat landed here. Dunno who they was. The same thing … Read more

Biography of John A. Simms

John A. Simms, one of the early settlers of the Riverside colony, ranks among the leading horticulturists and nursery men of Southern California. He came to Riverside in 1875, without capital other than young and vigorous manhood, energetic disposition and industrious habits. Having been reared in agricultural pursuits, he sought work among the orchardists and found employment with Mr. P. S. Russell, one of the pioneer nurserymen of the city. He was employed with him for the next three years, and during that time became skilled in the business, and in 1878 established a nursery in Brockton square, upon a … Read more

Slave Narrative of Dennis Simms

Interviewer: Stansbury Person Interviewed: Dennis Simms Date of Interview: September 19, 1937 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Place of Birth: Contee, Prince Georges County, Maryland Date of Birth: June 17, 1841 Place of Residence: 629 Mosher St., Baltimore, Maryland Reference: Personal interview with Dennis Simms, ex-slave, September 19, 1937, at his home, 629 Mosher St., Baltimore. Born on a tobacco plantation at Contee, Prince Georges County, Maryland, June 17, 1841, Dennis Simms, Negro ex-slave, 628 Mosher Street, Baltimore, Maryland, is still working and expects to live to be a hundred years old. He has one brother living, George Simms, of South River, … Read more

Slave Narrative of Andrew Simms

Biography of Franklin Barry Simms

Franklin Barry Simms. During a residence of thirty years or more in Topeka, a thoroughly public spirited citizenship had been one of the chief characteristics of Franklin Barry Simms. He had also administered his private affairs with success, had built up and made a name and repntation for one of the largest laundries and eleaning houses in the city, and had devoted himself with utmost unselfishness to the welfare of the community. He started life as a printer and it was in that capacity that he was first known in Kansas. He was born at Alton, Madison County, Illinois, April … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Rudd

Interviewer: Lauana Creel Person Interviewed: John Rudd Location: Evansville, Indiana Place of Birth: Springfield, Kentucky Date of Birth: December 25, 1854 Age: 83 Ex-Slave Stories District #5 Vanderburgh County Lauana Creel TOLD BY JOHN RUDD, AN EX-SLAVE “Yes, I was a slave,” said John Rudd, “And I’ll say this to the whole world, Slavery was the worst curse ever visited on the people of the United States.” John Rudd is a negro, dark and swarthy as to complexion but his nose is straight and aqualine, for his mother-was half Indian. The memory of his mother, Liza Rudd, is sacred to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James A. Simms

James A. Simms, deceased, was born in the state of Georgia. When he arrived at his majority he married Miss Emily Jane Hansom, a daughter of a prominent slave holder and planter in the same neighborhood in which he was raised. He moved into Hopkins County in the year 1853, where he settled and raised a large and interesting family. Jonathan Simms, was his eldest child. The others were Uca C., Tom K., Amanda, J. M. Simms, Jr., Britton B., Bianca, and Kendrick,D. three of these children are living in the county. Uca C. is now Mrs. Shugart, a prosperous … Read more

Wintergreen Cemetery, Port Gibson, Mississippi

This survey of Wintergreen Cemetery, Port Gibson, Mississippi, was completed in 1956 by Mr. Gordon M. Wells and published by Joyce Bridges the same year. It contains the cemetery readings Mr. Wells was able to obtain at that date. It is highly likely that not all of the gravestones had survived up to that point, and it is even more likely that a large portion of interred individuals never had a gravestone.

Wistar Family: A Genealogy of the Descendants of Caspar Wistar, Emigrant in 1717

The book “Wistar Family: A Genealogy of the Descendants of Caspar Wistar, Emigrant in 1717” delves into the fascinating history of the Wistar family, tracing its roots back to Caspar Wistar, who was born on February 3, 1696, to Hans Caspar and Anna Catharina Wüster in Hilspach, near Heidelberg in the Electorate of the Rhenish Palatinate. Caspar’s father served as a huntsman or forester for the Prince Palatine, a position that was hereditary in their family.

Rough Riders

Compiled military service records for 1,235 Rough Riders, including Teddy Roosevelt have been digitized. The records include individual jackets which give the name, organization, and rank of each soldier. They contain cards on which information from original records relating to the military service of the individual has been copied. Included in the main jacket are carded medical records, other documents which give personal information, and the description of the record from which the information was obtained.

Marriage records of Liberty County Georgia, 1785-1895

These marriage records were abstracted from unbound marriage bonds and licenses in the Liberty County Courthouse, Hinesville, Georgia. The names were copied as they were spelled on the bonds, often barely legible and often spelled differently on the same bond. Sometimes the marriages were performed before the licenses were issued. The first date given in the abstracts is the date of the license or bond; the second is the date of marriage. The following abbreviations are used in these abstracts with the meaning indicated:

Biographical Sketch of James Durrett Simms

The subject of this sketch was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, January 6, 1880, his parents being James M. and Mary Durrett Simms. While a child his parents moved to Missouri and his education was received in the schools of that state. In September, 1900, he went to St. Louis, studied shorthand there, accepted a position in a law office in February, 1901, and took up the study of law, attending the lectures of the Benton College of Law at night. In June, 1902, he was admitted to the bar in the city of St. Louis. He resided in St. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jack Simms

G. Monroe Dist. 4 Jefferson County Interviewer: G. Monroe Person Interviewed: Jack Simms Location: Madison, Indiana Place of Birth: Kentucky SLAVE STORY MR. JACK SIMMS’ STORY Personal Interview Mr. Simms was born and raised on Mill Creek Kentucky, and now lives in Madison Indiana on Poplar Street diagonally North West of the hospital. He was so young he did no remember very much about how the slaves were treated, but seemed to regret very much that he had been denied the privilege of an education. Mr. Simms remembers seeing the lines of soldiers on the Campbellsburg road, but referred to … Read more

Biography of T. L. Simms

Jesse M. Simms, deceased, was born in the state of Georgia in the year 1813. At the age of twenty-two years he married Miss E. G. White in an adjacent county. In the year 1857 he moved with his family to Hopkins County, Texas. They were the parents of three children-two girls and one boy. The eldest, Miss Martha, married John P. Orr, a distant relative, and raised a large and respectable family in Hopkins County. The youngest, Miss Penelope, married Rev. James Christian, a Baptist preacher and a splendid gentleman. T. L. Simms married Miss Minter at the age … Read more

Indians in Mason County Michigan 1880 Census

Mason County 1880 Census Reel 0594, page 475

These 355 people were identified as Indians (I) in column 4 (color) of the 1880 census for Mason County Michigan. In order to have been enumerated they are believed to either have renounced tribal rule, and under state law, exercised their rights as citizens; or because they “mingled” with the white population of these Michigan towns were enumerated under the expanded definitions.

Weymouth ways and Weymouth people

Edward Hunt’s “Weymouth ways and Weymouth people: Reminiscences” takes the reader back in Weymouth Massachusetts past to the 1830s through the 1880s as he provides glimpses into the people of the community. These reminiscences were mostly printed in the Weymouth Gazette and provide a fair example of early New England village life as it occurred in the mid 1800s. Of specific interest to the genealogist will be the Hunt material scattered throughout, but most specifically 286-295, and of course, those lucky enough to have had somebody “remembered” by Edward.

Simms, Harry Lester – Obituary

Harry Lester Simms, resident of Wallowa county for 48 years, died at Enterprise March 17, aged 50 years. He crossed the plains at the age of two years with his parents, who settled on a homestead on Hurricane creek. Deceased is survived by his wife, one brother and three sisters, one of the latter being Mrs. Meade Ballard of Union. The Weekly Eastern Oregon Republican, March 25, 1932 Contributed by: Holly Vonderohe