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In my search for relatives of my Joseph "Jose" Sims of 1820 Feliciana Parish, I reviewed the LDS Film 0364675 of Feliciana Parish Probate Court proceedings. The film is indexed as probate records for West Feliciana Parish, which was formed with East Feliciana in 1824 by splitting the parent Parish of Feliciana. Please contact me if you are related to the Sims of Feliciana and East Feliciana Parish.
Here is my own abstract of the will of John Sims found on pages 188 & 189 of West Feliciana Parish Probate Records, Vol. 1, 1811-1819. John resided at Thompsons (sic) Creek in the Parish of "New Feliciana" and bequeathed the rest of his property, real & personal, to his wife Rebecca Sims after leaving a slave to Elizabeth Sims, his "wife's granddaughter". No other relatives are identified. Executrix: Rebecca Sims. Executor: John Murdock. Signed 19 Jul 1815. Witnesses: James Young, John Arick, Thomas Otter, John Carson, Thomas Carnell, Benjamin Sims, William Sims (his mark). Proved 2 May 1816 by James Young, John Arick, William Sims (others absent). John Murdock & Rebecca Sims granted Letters Testamentary on 3 May 1816.
Since Rebecca Sims had a granddaughter in 1815 that apparently was not John's granddaughter, John was likely Rebecca's 2nd husband and she was over age 50 (b. BEF 1765) when John wrote his will.
John Sims was probably old enough to be at least a sibling of my Joseph Sims (b. 1778) and Jesse Sims, both early settlers in Feliciana Parish. From the 1820 census USGenWeb transcription, Thompson Creek is in Feliciana Parish but there are no Sims listed there. Benjamin Sims is listed near my John Kent at Sandy Creek, per my reading of the 1820 census film, but they're both missed in the USGenWeb transcription. Jose (Joseph) Sims was at Red Wood Creek. No Rebecca Sims or Jesse Sims was found in 1820 Feliciana. Jose Sims' family is in the 1830 East Feliciana census, but Benjamin is not listed. I found no William Sims there in either 1820 Feliciana or 1830 East Feliciana. Thompson Creek, which flows north-to-south into the Mississippi River, forms the boundary between East & West Feliciana Parishes.
Early land claims on Federal Public Lands in Greensburg District, LA, have John Sims claiming 637.24 acres (surveyed 1813) in Section 49 of T5SR2E, on the Amite River. Leonard L.S. Sims claimed 50.36 acres (surveyed 1813) in Section 62 of T5SR2E, on Beaver Pond Bayou off of Little Sandy Creek. Leonard Sims may be the father of Rebecca Sims' granddaughter, Elizabeth Sims. Benjamin and William Sims, who witnessed John Sims' will, may be John's siblings or sons because Benjamin Sims of 1820 Feliciana (on Sandy Creek) is given as age 26-44 (b. 1776-1794). I found in the American State Papers, Vol. 3 on Public Lands, that both John Sims and Leonard L. S. Sims claimed land they had each settled on in August 1802 and 1803, respectively. Surprisingly, the land was situated in Baton Rouge Parish, just south of Feliciana Parish, which had relatively few claimants listed. Apparently, by the time of John Sims' will in 1815, his residence then fell in or he had moved to Feliciana Parish.
There appears to be another John Sims who claimed 640.35 acres (surveyed 1813) in Section 56 of T7SR7E, on the Ponchatoula River in St. Helena Parish, just east of Feliciana Parish. The above referenced American State Papers lists this John Sims as claiming land in St. Helena Parish by purchase in 1803, along with Philip Sims who settled on land there in 1810. There is a Samuel Sims and a widow (Sarah?) Sims there in the 1820 St. Helena census. Sarah Sims, Samuel Sims, and William Sims are there in 1830.
I have a few more Sims that are listed as having notes and ledger accounts listed in the 17 Jun 1824 East Feliciana Parish inventory for the estate of my ancestor, John Kent, who owned a general store outside present-day Clinton, East Feliciana Parish, LA. They are Jose Sims (my ancestor), Sarah Sims (Jose's wife), Simeon Sims (unknown), and Benj. Sims (the above Benjamin?).
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