Abraham Martin Sims, (Uncle Mart) eighth child and youngest son of Robert Simms and Frances Merritt, gave me the following sketch of the f family:
     "Father and mother were poor. Their wealth was their children. Mother lived to see all her children grown and what was wealth to her all had a clean record. Father had a fair common school education, mother had no school advantages.
     "We were raised in the country, had the benefits of a loghouse school about three months in the year. We grew what we ate, wore clothes made at hone. Generally our shoes were made at hone, leather tanned in a trough.
     "My grand-father (Pariss Henry) and mother are buried in Giles County, Tenn. (They died there between 1825 and 1830). I never saw but one uncle of grand-father's family (this was Martin who settled in Bedford County).
     "There had been two of my nephews medical doctors, one brother studied law (Robert W.) and one nephew studied law and was a politician. (This was T. W. Sims Congressman from West Tennessee in U. S. Congress for a number of years.)
     "Father, Robert Sims, was born May 14, 1783 - Died March 24, 1842. Married Frances (Franky) H. Merritt, born March 1797 - Died Nov. 28, 1871. They were married Feb. 16, 1813. Both were born in North Carolina, where they married and where three of their children were born. They migrated to Giles County, Tennessee, and lived there until seven children were born when they moved to Wayne County, about 1833 and settled on Bear Creek. Bought a place owned by John Lawson, deceased. Having trouble in the courts (over neighbor's dog breaking into milk house) sold and bought on Hardin's Creek in what is known as the Hutton Hollow, (this Hollow opens into Hardin's Creek a mile or more below the Philadelphia Baptist Church) where he died March 24, 1842 and is buried on a side of the hill overlooking the road just below the old Brown place in what is known as the Brown granveyard.
     "Mother bought on this Creek (Indian) a farm known as the Bud Scott place which joined the Frank Parker farm near the old Indian Creek (Providence) Baptist church. She sold this and bought the J. D. Copeland place on Dry Greek where she died in 1871. I owned that place for a time. I have changed from J. D. Copeland place to present home" (Located at forks of Indian Creek and the prong composed of Fall Creek and Dry Creek at Three Churches, on hill opposite (west), now owned by Marion Lindsey.)

Sallye Martin Sims, born Jan. 9. 1814, died April 27, 1885
Matthew Joseph Sims, born June 9, 1816, died Jan. 16, 1890
Robert William Sims, born July 8, 1819, died Dec. 10, 1905
Abby Carolyn Sims, born July 3, 1822, died Aug. 14, 1886
Franky Jane Sims, born March 2, 1825, died March 28, 1851
Peggy Ann Sims, born Oct. 19, 1827, died June 29, 1901
George Washington Sims, born Feb. 22, 1831, died April 9, 1894
Abraham Martin Sims, born June 13, 1834, Died Sept. 29, 1913
Martha M. Sims, born March 11, 1839, died Aug. 11, 1914.

     SALLYE MARTIN SIMS, born in North Carolina, Jan. 9, 1814, married C. M. Lawson in Wayne County Tennessee March 21, 1839. They had 4 children. One died in infancy, the others Mordicia, Amos and Martin Jane Lawson lived and died at Muskogee, Oklahoma.
     MATTHEW JOSEPH SIMS, great grandfather of the writers born in North Carolina, June 9. 1816, married Dorothy "Turley" Greeson, daughter of Henry Greeson, and Betsy Cook, both from Germany to Bedford County, thence to Wayne County., Tenn. He was a farmer, school teachers merchant in Waynesboro after the Civil War and Circuit Court Clerk of Wayne County from 1865 to 1875. He also owned a large farm and operated a tannery on Green River, near Waynesboro. See family history later in this History.
     ROBERT SIMS, born in North Carolina, July 8, 1819, died at Humbolt, Tenn., Gibson County, December 10, 1905; married three times; had nine children, but only have record of three sons, Emit, Teene, and H. K. who lived in Jackson a few years ago, also a daughter Belle. Some of his grandsons live at Humbolt in Gibson County. He was a merchant at old Carrolville below Clifton, on the Tennessee River; moved from there to Gadsden, Crockett County, Tennessee, where he practiced law and farmed, and at one time had slaves. He married his first wife, Margaret Green in 1843. See Letter elsewhere in this History.
     ABBY CAROLYN SIMS, born in Giles County, Tenn., July 3, 1822, married Joseph (Joe) Sutherland, grand-father of Dr. W. H. Sutherland of the Sutherland Clinic. Booneville, Miss.,Nov. 6, 1842. They moved to Warsaw, Mo., where two sons, Mark now 90, and James 94, are still living. Another brother, father of Dr. W. H. Sutherland, I do not have his name, moved to Boonville, Miss., where he was a doctor. I understand he died there about 1906 at the age of 92 leaving several grandchildren in that area,
     FRANCES (FRANKY) JANE SIMS, born in Giles County, March 1825, died March 28, 1851; she never married and she is buried in the King graveyard on the King farm, joining the Shields Sims farm, on Fall Creek, not far from the Sims graveyard. Some say she married a Williams and moved to Arkansas to return in a few months.
     PEGGY ANN SIMS, born in Giles County, October 1827, married John William Youngblood. They moved to Arkansas where he died; the family returned to Wayne County and his body was later brought back. He was the father of Joe and Matt Youngblood, leading merchants of Clifton for many years, also Jim and other children.
     GEORGE WASHINGTON SIMS, born in Giles County, February 22, 1831; died April 9, 1894; was one of the first photographers in Wayne County, lived on Indian Creek and in Hardin County where he married Sarah Jane Whitson, July 6, 1851. They had one son, Congressman Thetus Willrette Sims, born April 25, 1852. George moved to North Texas about 1877-78 and settled near Benham, Fairview County, where his wife died. It is my understanding that he married again, and a few years before his death, moved to Mineral Wells, 40 miles West of Forth Worth, Texas, where he died. I do not have the names of any children except Thetus, but understand he had some by his second wife.

     Kent, the oldest lives at Indianola, Liss., lawyer and plantation owner. Married ______________ . Children, one son - perhaps other children.
     Paul, lives in New York City. I have no further data on him.
     Elizabeth, who married Louis Brownlow, Journalist, public official, first City Manager of Knoxville, Tennessee 1924-26. Louis is a son of Robert Sims and Ruth Amis Brownlow who moved from Giles County, Tennessee to Buffalo, Missouri, in an early day. I am of the opinion that Robert was a son of Joseph Brownlow and Judith Sims (daughter of Pariss Sims. See history of his family)
     Enid, is another one of the daughters. Do not know names of other two. One of the daughters lives in Chicago, the other in Washington, D.C.

     Congressman Sims, died December 17, 1939 at the home of one of his daughters in Washington, and is buried there in Rock Creek Cemetery.

     ABRAHAM MARTIN SIMS, (Uncle Mart) was born in Wayne County, June 13, 1834; died Sept. 29, 1913; married Hannah Stooksberry, practices law, farmer, established Sims, Tenn.,Post Office on Indian Creek at Three Churches, near forks of Indian Creek and Dry Creek, where he owned a large farm and raised a family of six children, three boys (one died young) and three daughters. See record of family in this History.
     MARTHA M. SIMS, born in Wayne County, March 1839; died in Lawrence County in August 1914; never married.

     James and Mark Sutherland, of Warsaw, Mo., sons of Abby Carolyn Sims, and Joe and Robert Sims and their sister, Zella Sims Bromley, are the oldest living grandchildren of Robert and Franky Merritt Sims.
     Matthew Josiah (M.J.) Sims, my father now 80 and William Clay (Willie) Sims of Waynesboro, now 86, are the oldest great-grandchildren now living, August 1948

     Abraham Martin Sims (Uncle Mart), born in Wayne County, Tennessee, June 13, 1834; died September 29, 1913; married Hannah Stooksberry who came from Anderson County, in 1875; practiced law; prosperous farmer; established Sims, Tenn., Post Office on Indian Creek, near three Churches at forks of Indian and Dry Creeks where he owned a large farm; raised a family of children as follows:
     JOE SIMS, married Ora E. King, daughter of John King; teacher, county superintendent of schools, principal of Lawrence County High School, Lawrenceburg; Post Master, Lawrenceburg; County Judge of Lawrence County for a number of years; member of the house of representatives., Tennessee State Legislature; Chairman Lawrence County Republican Committee, able speaker and leader in the Baptist Church; moved to Prescott, Arizona., 1948.

Alva Merritt Married Inez Frost of Knoxville, Tenn., Superintendent of Mails, Post Office, Prescott, Ariz.
               Six children:
               John Lewis married __________
               Edith Alva married __________
               Karl
               Phil Gene
               Mary Joe
               Patty
Clara married Dr. H. L. Stutts; live near Florence, Ala.
Ruth married Jimmie Hart; two boys, Jimmy and Billy; Hart died and she is now a nurse in Veterans Hospital, Prescott, Ariz.
Joe, Jr. married Lora Clayton; worked for TVA; now in California; one son, Joe Edwin.
Horace unmarried and lives with parents.
William Gilmore Captain, 30 Division Army, World War Two, now bank teller, Prescott, Ariz.

    ROBERT MARTIN SIMS married Neomi Sudduth of Harriman, Tenn., lawyer at Florence, Ala., District attorney for several years. Children:

Hubert, who died in 1940
Thetus married _________ Morrison of Florence, Ala.,
               they have one daughter and Perhaps other children.
               The live at Cincinnati, Ohio and is a radio operator in Government Service.
Clara Roberta married __________ lives in Florence, Ala., and has a son.

     MARY SIMS, died in 1901
     ZELLA SIMS, married Jap Bromley. They live at Iron City, Tenn., have four children, two boys and two girls.
     FRANCES JANE SIMS, an invalid who died several years ago.

     HARTSELL EBENEZER JOHN SHIELDS SIMS. (He signed his name So Sims), born December 18, 1838; died February 26, 1927; married Edith Melinda Caroline Youngblood, daughter of Josiah Youngblood and Mary Horton in 1859; joined Grant's Union Army in 1863, first sergeant, Company H. Second Tennessee Mounted infantry; returning from the war in 1865 he resumed farming and soon established a tanyard on the head of Indian Creek; in 1875 he purchased a 290 acre farm on Fall Branch, a prong of Indian Creek, where he raised a family of seven children; two sons and five daughters. See record of family later in history.
     ELIZABETH SIMS, married William G. Youngblood, and after his his death Jim McWilliams. She was the mother of Tom, Jake, Wheeler, Poney and Lina Youngblood. Poney married Bud King and Lina married Houston Owens. She also had a McWilliams, daughter Dorothy, who married Pugh Lindsey.
     ZACHARY TAYLOR SIMS, moved to Choctaw City, Oklahoma, soon after he grew up, where he was in the hardware business for many years. He died about 1935, age 94. He married Sally Phillips., had three sons and three daughters. One son died young the other two boys were Welch and Frank. Welch was a contractor and builder in Oklahoma City; Frank was a railroad man. I understand he had three daughters, one living in Choctaw.
     HENRY CLAY SIMS, married Catharine Copeland, a sister of my grandmother, Mrs. J. N. (Bud) Davis, on my mother's mother's side. They had three daughters: May, Mrs. Ed Parker; Dorothy (Dinah) Mrs. Joe Lawson (mother of Sims Lawson of Florence, Ala) Mahulda (Babe) Mrs. William Robeson. H. C. owned the farm formerly owned by his father, Matthew J. Sims, on Dry Creek, prong of Fall Branch and Indian Creeks. He was County Judge and Trustee of Wayne County at different periods; died in 1928.
     MATTHEW JOSEPH SIMS, JR, married Lidia Youngblood, sister of my grandmother Sims. He was -a farmer on Indian Creek, owning what was later the Jim Nowlin place, not far below Three Churches at the Old Sims Post Office. They had two sons:

          William Clay (Willie) who married Mary King, a sister of John King who married Virginia Copeland, a sister of the wife of H. C. Sims, and my grandmother Davis. W. C. a progressive farmer on Hardin's Creek in Hardin County now lives at Waynesboro and is in good health at the ripe age of 86. His wife died a few years ago. One son Lester operates Sims Cafe in Waynesboro with his son - believe his name is Clifford. I believe W. C. had a son by the name of Clifford, who died during World War One and some daughters which I have no record.
          Matthew Josiah (Matt) married Mary Horton and had one son, William. Matt died while a young man and I understand his son William lives or did live on Hardin's Creek. I have no record of his family.

     WINFIELD SCOTT (SAM) SIMS married Mary Horton, a relative of Matt's wife and a sister of Cousin Zack Horton whose mother was a Youngblood. He was a farmer and merchant. Moved to Texas but soon returned to Wayne County for a time., after which he moved to Dyer County, near Dyersburg, Tenn., where his first wife died and he later married again. He had six children - two girls and four boys: Jim, Wayne, Will and Fred. I have no records on heir families but understand some of them are living in Dyer County.
     DOROTHY A. (SIS) SIMS, married John Turman, a merchant in Waynesboro for a number of years. They had several children but do not have their names.
     MAHULDA (HULDA) SIMS, married Joe Youngblood, son of John William Youngblood and Peggy Ann Sims. Joe and his twin brother Matt were leading drygoods merchants at Clifton, Tenn., for many years. Their children are Roscoe, who is in business at Clifton, Elsie and Joe Youngblood.
     MELINDA (CRICKET) SIMS, married Frank Helton. After his death she married a Pulley and lived, until her death several years ago, on upper Hardin's Creek across from the Leatherwood Church and School.

     JEANNETTE JOSEPHINE (JOSIE) SIMS married W. T. (Billy) Nowlin and lived and famed on Indian Creek where they raised the following children:

Fannie married Charley Downing and moved to Longview, Washington State, where they have a family.
Roxie married Henry Martin, moved to West Tennessee and have a family.
Mallie, married Luther Middleton and moved to Missouri and I understand are both dead. I do not know about their family.
Ethel married Jay Yeiser, cashier of the Bank of Waynesboro. They have a family of boys and girls and some grand-children.
Floyd is living in Waynesboro but I do not know who he married nor about his children.
Carl, married ________ Olds and lives in Detroit. I do not have a record of his family.
Lemma married ______ Morris and lives on Indian Creek on the farm owned by the father when he died, near the Memorial Church and School.
Clemma, (she and Lem are twins) went to Washington State where I understand she married.

     MARY MELINDA SIMS, married James (Jim) Nowlin, brother of Billy, He farmed and had a store on Indian Creek near Three Churches (The farm once owned by Matthew J. Sims, Jr) Later moved to Collinwood where he and his wife and where some of the children still live. The children were:

Clyde, married Dona Townsend, lives in Collinwood, where he is in business. They have several children.
Walter married Paralee Shelton and they, I believe live in Collinwood and have a family.
Beulah married _________ Bromley. I do not know about their family.
Lulu married Eldred Bryant and I have no information on the family.
Lester was killed in an accident a number of rears ago.
Pearl married Robert Scott, Wayne County, Road Commissioner.
Nina married Don Parker, son of Ed Parker and May Sims Parker and I understand are living in California.
Ruth married ___________ .

     DOROTHY SIMS married Tom Johnston of Factory Creek, Wayne County and had a farm at the forks of Fall Branch and Dry Creek above Three Churches, They had the following children:

Zella married Willie Townsend and I believe live at or near Florence, Ala. I have no record of their children.
Eldred married ________ Rinks I believe and lives at Iron City. They have one boy Ralph and other children I do not know.
Pearl married ________ Martin but I have no further record.
Roy married _____________, died leaving no children.

     MATTHEW JOSIAH (M.J.) SIMS, married Camilla E. Davis, October 7, 1891. Parents of the writer. (My mother was a daughter of J. N. (Bud) Davis and Nancy Copeland Davis, and a grand-daughter of Rev. David H. Davis who established several Baptist Churches in Wayne, Lawrence and Hardin counties before and after the Civil War.) See family record of this History.
     SARAH ELIZABETH (BESSIE) SIMS married James B. (Jim) Davis, nephew of my grand-father J. N. Davis. They moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma where be was Deputy U. S. Marshall for number of years. After his death Bessie went to Denver, Colo., where she married _________ Morrison and where she lived after his death until 1948, when she went to Kansas City to live with her son Cecil Davis and his family. Gladys Davis, her daughter married ________ Conway and also lives in Kansas City, according to the information which I have - 1948.
     JOHN SHIELDS SIMS married Sophronia Beckham of Hardin County. They had one son Homer, and a daughter who died in infancy. Sophronia died and Uncle John later married Ethel Williams and now owns and lives at the old home place of his father on Fall Creek. He was tax assessor of Wayne County for several years and is a successful farmer. His son:

Homer married Gladys Lindsey, daughter of Marion Lindsey who now owns the Abraham Martin Sims farm at Three Churches and site of the Sims Post Office before rural route days. Homer is County tax Assessor, having been elected to his third term in August 1948. He and his wife and daughter Catherine, live at Collinwood, Tenn., where he is engaged in lumber, trucking and mercantile business.

     FRANCES (FANNY) SIMS married John F. (Frank) Davis, a brother of my mother, and they had two daughters, Rubby and Nancy, before her death in 1908. Rubby married ________ and lives at Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Nancy is unmarried and lives in Nashville.

     Matthew Josiah (E. J.) Sims, born July 22, 1868, married Camilla E. Davis, born August 23, 1873, in Wayne County, October 7, 1891. They celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary at the home of their oldest son, Almon James Sims, the writer, in Knoxville, Tenn., in October 1941. They have lived in Knoxville since 1925, are now in reasonable health -- Mother, 75 and Father, 80. He owned and farmed several different farms on Indian Creek in Wayne County; operated a store at Sims Post Office for a time; taught school; farmed in Oklahoma, near Tecumseh for a year; returned to Tennessee to purchase and farm my Great Grandfather Copeland's farm of 240 acres on Indiana Creek which had been in the family for over 100 years; sold to move to Lawrence County and buy the Col. Nixon Farm near Lawenceburg to give their children an opportunity to attend High School, there being none in Wayne County at that time. He was a successful, progressive livestock producer and farmer. Upon retiring because of his health, he moved to Knoxville as stated above. Children:

     ALMON JAMES (A. J.) SIMS born August 12, 1892, married Sammie Clark, born November 20, 1890, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., April 11, 1917. See family record later in this history.

     MERGIE ELLIN SIMS, born Nov. 11, 1893, married Sam M. Carson of Manchester, Tenn. June 25, 1920 at Knoxville, Tenn. He is a newspaper man, having worked on the Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee, and Louisville, Ky., daily papers for many years; now employed as assistant editor of the University of Tennessee Extension Service, with headquarters at Nashville, Tenn., where they live.

Jean married William (Bill) Appleton, Nashville architect.
Sam Joe engineering student, Vanderbilt University
Catherine high school student

     RAYMOND SIMS born Nov. 25, 1895, married Lena Foster of Nashville, Tenn. June 1, 1921. They have lived at Mount Pleasant, Tenn., for a number of years where he manages the Sims-Hewett Department Store in which he has a large interest. They have two sons:

Marvin Raymond (Ray) Sims married Fay Parsons of Virginia, March 16, 1947 at Knoxville, Tenn., while a student in the University of Tennessee.
Robert Dudley Sims high school student

     WILBUR SHIELDS SIMS, born March 7, 1901, died Oct. 21, 1918.
     VERNON WAKEFIELD SIMS, born April 2, 1908, married Mary Cochran of Washington County, Tenn., June 23, 1936. He was assistant county agent in the county until 1946 when he moved to Johnson County, Mountain City, to become county agent in that county. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee in Agriculture. They have one son:

Bill Joe Sims

     Almon James Sims, born in Wayne County, Tenn., August 12, 1892, married Sammie Clark, born November 20, 1890, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., April 11, 1917; farmed with father; student in journalism, University of Missouri; part owner and editor Lawrence Democrat, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, 1916; editorial staff and farm editor, Nashville Tennessean, 1917-1920; Extension Editor, Agricultural Extension Service, University of Tennessee, 1920 to present time - 28 years; writer of numerous articles for leading farm journals and editor of more than 300 farm bulletins issued by the University in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture; now extension editor and chief of the Department of Information, College of Agriculture, University of Tennessee. Children:
     ALMON JAMES (JAY) SIMS, JR., born March 11, 1918, Nashville, Tem., married Eunice Carter of Newport, Tenn., April 30, 1939, student University of Tennessee, 2nd. Lt - Air Corps, second World War, 1942-1945; civil engineer with construction Company, Knoxville, Tenn., Children;

Almon James, 3rd. born Feb. 21, 1940     (7th Generation)
Vivian Ann, born Sept. 27, 1943           " "
Richard Carter, born Feb. 18, 1947           " "

     ANNIE FAIN SIMS born Feb. 1, 1920, married Albert Hobt of Knoxville, Tenn., June 13, 1944; with Sims Esso Service Stations of Knoxville.
     JOSEPH WILBUR SIMS, born May 6, 1922; married Katherine Annie Sitton of Knoxville, Tenn., June 21, 1943. He is manager, Sims Esso Service Stations, Knoxville; Sergeant in Air Corps. World War Two, 1943-1945. They have one child:

Sue Ellen, born Nov. 16, 1947          (7th. Generation)

     FRANK CLARK SIMS, born Jan. 21, 1927; postal clerk petty Officer in Navy in World War Two; now employed by Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
     MARY ALICE SIMS, born Jan. 25, 1931: High School student
     JANE CAMILLA SIMS, born Sept. 21, 1939 in school

     This completes the principal information which I have on the seven generations of Pariss (Parish) Sims (Simms) of Belfast Ireland, about 1750; Revolutionary War soldier with General George Washington's Body Guard Company, 1775-1782, settler at Winston Salem, N. C. 1783 -1806; pioneer and founder of Simms Settlement on Elk River, Limestone County, Alabama, near Tennessee line, 1806; settler on Lynn Creek, Giles County, Tennessee, 1807 where he and others made clearings and grew corn in 1808 -- died there between 1825 and 1830 and is buried in a grave I have not yet been able to locate.
     No doubt there are errors, which the writer hopes those who discover them will call to his attention. Many family lines, names and dates are incomplete. Families are asked to assist in making these complete by sending records to the writer in order that a more complete and accurate History may be published at some future date.
This History has required many hours of hard work and years of research. Any assistance you may give in making it more complete will be deeply appreciated
     Address information to:

Almon J. Sims,
11 West Fifth Ave.,
Fountain City
Knoxville., Tenn.

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