Moses Waters Simmons

portrait
Contents

Personal and Family Information

Moses was born on 23 Feb 1801 in Wilkes County, Georgia, the son of John W. Simmons and Ann Freeman.

He died on 26 Sep 1868 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.2

His wife was Harriet Renfro, who he married in EST 1828. The place has not been found. Their nine known children were Ann (1831-1869), Nathaniel Hawthorne (1834-1889), Jane (1835-1900), James (c1838-1885), Holman Freeman (1842->1900), Martha (1842-1921), Moses W (1846-1902), Elisha (1849-1881) and Elijah (1849-1850).

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)


 

Moses Waters Simmons
(1801-1868)

  

John W. Simmons
(1761-1834)

  

James Simmons
(1733-1823)

    
 		 
     
 		 
   

Assume Mary Waters
(c1735-c1830)

    
 		 
     
 		 
   

Ann Freeman
(1761->1850)

  

Holman Freeman
(c1714-c1783)

  

George Freeman
(1684-<1736)

  
   

Jane Holman
(1689->1735)

  
   

Sally Ann Cox
(c1715->1784)

  

John Cox
(c1690-?)

  
     
 		 

Events

EventDateDetailsSourceMultimediaNotes
Birth23 FEB 1801
Place: Wilkes County, Georgia
Death26 SEP 1868
Place: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
 See Note 2
Census1840
Place: Talladega County, Alabama
Address: Sheet 16, Moses W Simmons FWM 30-39=1, FWM 20-29=1 (brother John jr?) FWM under 5=3 FWF 30-39=1 (wife Harriet?) FWF under 5=2 Same page James B Simmons FWM 40-50=1, FWM 10-16=1, FWM 5-10=1, FWM under 5=, FWF 20-29=, FWF 5-10=1, FWF under 5=2
 Census-1840,Alabama, Talladega page16
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Census7 DEC 1850
Place: Talladega, Talladega, Alabama
Age: 49
Address: family 1590 Moses Simmons 49 Ga, Harriet 44 S Carolina, 8 children 19 to 6 months, Ann Simmons 89 born S Carolina family 1588 Francis A Simmons 29 Ga with four children 9 to 5 yrs
 Census 1850 Alabama, Talladega County
Source: Census 1850 Alabama, Talladega County
Date: DEC 1850
Publisher: US Federal Census

 Census-1850Alabama,Talladega 1346
media

Census19 JUL 1860
Place: Talladega County, Alabama
Age: 59
Address: Bluff Springs Post Office, dwelling 764 family 780 Moses W Simmons, age 59 m farmer, $1500, $12,000, born Ga Harriet age 54 f SC, Jane Trimble, age 25 f Ga, Holman Simmons age 20 m Laborer born Ala, Martha “ age 17 f Ala, Moses “ age 15 m Ala, Elisha “ age 11m Ala (grandchild next page 112) Selita Trimble age 5 f born Ala Dwelling 761 family 777, John T Baird age 40 m blacksmith, $500, $200, born SC Samh “ age 36 f born Tenn, Nancy 11af Ala, Mary 10 f Ala, William 8m Ala, Elizabeth age 6 f Ala, John 2 m Ala, Charles 1m Ala
 Census-1860Alabama,Talladega-111
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Census-1860,Alabama,Talladega-112
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Burial1868
Place: Millerville, Clay County, Alabama
Address: Simmons Cemetery - Moses Waters Simmons GPS (lat/lon): 33.2197, -85.9808 Find A Grave Memorial# 107488969
See Note 2
WILL6 JAN 1830
Place: Elbert County Georgia
Address: my two sons Holman F Simmons and Moses W Simmons, Executor
 Will - Simmons, John, Senr 1835 signed Jan 6, 1830. probated Jan 20, 1835 Elbert County, Ga
Source: Will - Simmons, John, Senr 1835 signed Jan 6, 1830. probated Jan 20, 1835 Elbert County, Ga
Date: 20 JAN 1835
Publisher: Will Book 1830-1835 pages 483-484 Ordinary's Office Elberton, Elbert County, Georgia

 Will - Simmons John 1835
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WILL20 MAR 1846
Place: Talladega County, Alabama
Address: signed 20 March 1846, Talladega County Estate File 78, box 51, file 18 of 56, 2 folders, Simmons, John 1846-1867, Names wife and four children, two brothers Executors begins image 141 and ends image 666 of 1051
 Will-Simmons,John-1846 Transcribed
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WILLSEP 1856
Place: Rutherford, North Carolina
Address: North Carolina Archives Volume CR 086.314.1 Rutherford County, N.C. Equity orders and Decrees 1839-1838, pp 170-180 Charles Simmons Estate, abstracted by Miles Philbeck , Jr
 Will-Simmons, Charles 1856 abstract of estate
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OTHER EVENT19 APR 1839
Place: Talladega County, Alabama
Address: Holman F Simmons appointed guardian of Moses W Simmons, lunatic Brother to Hf Simmons
 Guardian-Simmons, HolmanF to Moses W
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See Note 2

Multimedia

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Bio-George F...		 media
Rutherford C...		 media
DeathCert-Go...

Notes

Note 1

Estate of Charles Simmons in the Fall of 1856, Rutherford County, North Carolina names and dates Charles Simmons 1777 Va-1850 and his wife Didama 1780 NC who died between 1850 and 1856.

The abstract I have names 12 siblings of Charles Simmons. Of the 6 thought to be alive their place of residence is stated. Of five of six deceased siblings, their living children and state are named.

My confidence in this abstact of the estate is based on

(1) 1850 census Rutherford NC dwelling 497, fam 508 Charles Simmons 73 va and Didama 70 NC

(2) Marriage of Charles and Didama recorded 1 FEb 1807 Rutherford NC

(3) census confirms the 7 of first 8 siblings listed in the abstract

(4) three sons, and daugher Susanah Richardson of sibling #8 John Simmons are a unique set of names, that I know well.

These names, dates, and places match those found in the Moses Simmons Family Bible 1733-1923 transcribed by Sallie Taylor Simmons in 1925. The Bible ties these 8 sibling together and to father James with this entry "James Simmons died 9 of February 1823 not lost but gone before in his 91 years of age my old farther. Moses Simmons"

A second tie to father James who died 1823 is found in records of James Jr Simmons born 10 July 1757 in Virginia and died 1851 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Amherst County Virginia, in the Revolution, Lost Record book - " Gave his discharge to his father who lived in Rutherford Co, N.C."

Microfilm Frame #1096 "DISTANT CROSSROADS" APRIL 1992"Amherst County, Virginia, In the Revolution, Lost Order Book, 1773--1782" Lists James Simmons who moved to Hawkins Co., Tenn., dated Aug. 1818: b. 10 July 1758: enlisted Jan. 1777: under Ensign William Powell, Capt. James Franklin, 10th Va. Regt., Gen Weedon's Brig. Gave his discharge to his father who lived in Rutherford Co., N.C. Placed on Pension Roll Sept. 30, 1819.

Third tie to father James who died 1823 is page 262 GENEALOGY OF THE LEWIS FAMILY……….. E 3. Mary Lewis, daughter of Charles C., Sr., was born in 1791 in Rutherford, N. C. S.....In 1811 she married Moses Simmons, son of James and brother -page 263-of Joshua. Moses was also a member of the Methodist church. They lived some three miles below Island Ford on Broad river, in Rutherford county, North Carolina., where he died very suddenly in 1856. Mary, his wife, died in 1877.

July 2020 -ancestry.com thru lines have 81 Matches via James S Simmons 1733-1823, 5th great grandfather, hints are thru 12 children.

and 73 matches via Mary Waters

Note 2

Fran Preston <fesfsu1@aol.com> On Jan 15, 2014, at 10:58 PM, wrote:

Hi there! I am working on a little project that I hope pans out and may give you another document for the database. I found out yesterday that Moses Waters Simmons did not die in Talladega, he died at The Alabama State Hospital for the Insane in Tuscaloosa. He was there for about a week and then died and his body was taken back to Millerville. I'm trying to get the records, the HIPAA laws are holding me up. I found a cousin who shared the basic info with me- she confirmed it with the hospital before they had to follow HIPAA and never ordered the actual file. I'm trying to get the hospital to follow the law as it is written, that it protects the person for 50 years after their death, and at that point records can be released for historical purposes. So cool right!?! I'm so curious why he would have died a week into his stay. The history of the hospital is pretty cool, it was a pretty forward thinking progressive hospital when he was a patient. Then around the 1950's it appears to have taken a turn for the worse and became a nightmare......

I also have in my possession a very hard to read copy of some of the legal paperwork regarding his commitment. The only really cool thing I could read in them was that Moses' son in law, Isaac Baird (married to Ann Simmons) took care of him and it looks like Moses may have lived in their home when he was really bad. I'm willing to bed Isaac brought him back to the family cemetery. The cousin says that Moses is buried in the way back under a tall pile of rocks, otherwise un marked. We both wish we knew for sure!

The cousin I spoke with was a great great grandchild of Isaac and Ann (Simmons) Baird. They think they might have their wedding picture. I told them about your database- they were excited! 

Hopefully more to share soon!

Fran Simmons Preston 

Sources

  1. Will - Simmons, John, Senr 1835 signed Jan 6, 1830. probated Jan 20, 1835 Elbert County, Ga
    Source: Will - Simmons, John, Senr 1835 signed Jan 6, 1830. probated Jan 20, 1835 Elbert County, Ga
    Date: 20 JAN 1835
    Publisher: Will Book 1830-1835 pages 483-484 Ordinary's Office Elberton, Elbert County, Georgia
  2. Census 1850 Alabama, Talladega County
    Source: Census 1850 Alabama, Talladega County
    Date: DEC 1850
    Publisher: US Federal Census