James Freeman

Personal and Family Information

James was born about 1750 in probably Virginia, the son of Holman Freeman and Sally Ann Cox.

He died about 1819. The place is not known.

His wife was Rhoda Watson. They were married, but the date and place have not been found. Their three known children were Franklin (1792-<1860), Claborne (1796-c1859) and Littleberry (1804-1847).

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Event	Date	Details	Source	Multimedia	Notes
Birth	ABT 1750	Place: probably Virginia Address: just a guess
Death	ABT 1819			Doc-Simmons - Hillyer Memoirs
Residence	1815	Place: near Malloryville, Wilkes Cty, Georgia Address: Malloryville, Georgia

Multimedia

Bio-George F...

Doc-Simmons ...

Roster of Re...

Notes

Note 1

"Elbert county Will Book K page 83 with returns on page 228-231"

and the following abstract, the body of which is widely attested to and accurate I think:

"James Freeman of Franklin co.

To John Simmons 350 acres of land on which he now lives.

To Holeman Simmons 260 acres on Freeman's creek.

To William and James Wheeler, 250 acres on north fork of Broad river.

To James Pressel, 250 acres remainder of said tract.

To Wiot Cleveland 120 acres on Freeman's creek.

To James Simmons 200 acres in Elbert Co., at the mouth of Coldwater creek.

Slaves to be sold and money divided amongst my four sisters, Temperance Cleveland, Mary Wheeler, Susannah Pressel and Ann Simmons, also 450 acres in Abbeville Co., SC.

John Simmons and Robt. Barnwell, Excrs.

Signed Oct. 21, 1810. Probated May 2, 1814. E. L. Thomas, Joseph Dobbins, Berry Page, Test."

I called the Elbert county probate clerk's office and she confirmed the reference and that they do have the record of this will. If after further searching I cannot find my copy, I will obtain another copy of the will which I will put up on my web-site and give you the link.

This will is an important document because it appears to essentially contradict Junius Hillyer's recollection that John Simmon's wife Ann Freeman was Junius' mother's aunt. Ann's brother James (of this will) could not possibly be the "Uncle Jimmy" whom Hillyer rememberred meeting in 1815, whose wife was Roda and who died in 1819 since Ann's brother James Freeman died in 1814 according to probate records! Hillyer's "Uncle Jimmy" was the James Freeman who was proven to be a descendant of Holman by DNA evidence which I cited in my GenForum article. According to a descendant with whom I corresponded, this James married Roda Watson, they had 7 children and he died in 1819-- this matches Hillyer's recollections.

If Ann was the daughter of Holman Sr's brother John as I think the evidence persuades, then perhaps some folks in those days may have called such a first-cousin "aunt" which explains the discrepancy and removes the contradiction.

From: RL3@samuell.com (R L Samuell) Date: February 18, 2010 10:13:23 AM CST

To: afbowie@cox.net (Arthur Bowie)

Sources

1. Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, Volume 1 This book is said to have caused more problems ……because "all that stuff cannot be proven and much of it can be shown to be false …."

   Source:	Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, Volume 1 This book is said to have caused more problems ……because "all that stuff cannot be proven and much of it can be shown to be false …."
   Authors:	Mrs. Howard H McCall, DAR
   Date:	1969
   Publisher:	Genealogical Pub. Co. Baltimore Vol. 1 originally published 1941, 1969, 1996, 2004. problems…known errors in Simmons families …. < - 2013 Fayetteville AR Library has all 3 volumes of this book, 1969 edition Gen 973.3458 extracts attached>

2. Georgia's Roster of the Revolution. Containing a list of the State's defenders; Officier and Men........under Authority of the Legislature....

   Source:	Georgia's Roster of the Revolution. Containing a list of the State's defenders; Officier and Men........under Authority of the Legislature....
   Authors:	Lucian Larmar Knight, LL. D, F.R.S. State Historian and Director of the Department of Archives and HIstory
   Date:	1920
   Publisher:	Atlanta, Ga. Index Printing Co https://archive.org/details/georgiasrosterrev00knigrich

3. Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, Volume 1 This book is said to have caused more problems ……because "all that stuff cannot be proven and much of it can be shown to be false …."

   Source:	Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, Volume 1 This book is said to have caused more problems ……because "all that stuff cannot be proven and much of it can be shown to be false …."
   Authors:	Mrs. Howard H McCall, DAR
   Date:	1969
   Publisher:	Genealogical Pub. Co. Baltimore Vol. 1 originally published 1941, 1969, 1996, 2004. problems…known errors in Simmons families …. < - 2013 Fayetteville AR Library has all 3 volumes of this book, 1969 edition Gen 973.3458 extracts attached>

4. Memorial record of Alabama : a concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people Vol 1 personal memoirs

   Source:	Memorial record of Alabama : a concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people Vol 1 personal memoirs
   Authors:	Brant & Fuller Madison Wis 1893
   Date:	1893
   Publisher:	ancestry.com

5. Georgia's Roster of the Revolution. Containing a list of the State's defenders; Officier and Men........under Authority of the Legislature....

   Source:	Georgia's Roster of the Revolution. Containing a list of the State's defenders; Officier and Men........under Authority of the Legislature....
   Authors:	Lucian Larmar Knight, LL. D, F.R.S. State Historian and Director of the Department of Archives and HIstory
   Date:	1920
   Publisher:	Atlanta, Ga. Index Printing Co https://archive.org/details/georgiasrosterrev00knigrich