WILLIAM JAMES FAMILY 

Contributed 3 Jul 2006
by jimmy james

My name is Jimmy James from Wolfe City, Texas and I thought I would send you information that I've gathered on my Grandfather's family(s) that were in Colbert county.

On the 1850 Franklin County census, there was an Isaac James & his wife Elizabeth, shown to be from Virginia. I have not been able to determine if they are my Great, Great, Great Grandparents, but their ages are correct for them to be.

Then on the 1860 census, there were 2 William James families, 1, age 43, located in Tuscumbia (this one's wife was shown as age 34) and 1 the other William, age 45, located in Russellville, his wife shows to be 37. Both men were shown to be machinist.

Here is an interesting fact about both families. Both families show all family member birth locations as Virginia, both men's wives were named Susan, each had a son named James W., both boys were 14, each had 2 daughters.

My family descends from the family in Tuscumbia. I determined the correct family by the age of the Mother. On the 1870 census, the son, James Washington, is shown on the census as Washington, married with his wife named Lucinda and his mother is living with them ( age shown as 44). Apparently, William, the father, had died during that 10 year period.

Lucinda was the daughter of Joshua Smith & Lucinda Smith. This family is shown on the 1850 census but on the 1860 census only 2 of the sons are shown, then Lucinda, the mother and some of the children reappear on the 1870 census. Apparently, Joshua had died.

On the 1880 census for Colbert County, Lucinda James is living with her brother Sidney Smith and is shown as a "widow". She is shown as Jenny James. I can only surmise that her full name was Lucinda Virginia and she used the nickname Jenny. Apparently Washington james had died during this period. Shown with Jenny are 4 children, 1 being my Grandfather ,William Curtis, born 1875. His brother was born 1877 so Washington apparently died between 1876 & 1880.

William Curtis migrated to Hillsboro, Texas around 1895-1900, married my Grandmother in 1902 (his second marriage). They had 8 children. The 1st born, Velma, is the only one still alive and will be 98 this year.

Hope this can add to Colbert County history.

Best Regards,

Jimmy James

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