Drury Sims and Elizabeth Hitt

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Husband Drury Sims

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           Born: Abt 1800 - South Carolina
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Drury Sims (1750/1755-Abt 1839)
         Mother: 

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       Marriage: Abt 1812

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Wife Elizabeth Hitt

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           Born: Abt 1806 - South Carolina (Laurens Co.)
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Jesse Hitt (1774/1780-1816/1826)
         Mother: Nancy Hamilton (1780/1784-1840/1850)

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Children

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1 F Sarah M. Sims

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           Born: Mar 1822 - Greene Co., Alabama
     Christened: 
           Died: 16 Aug 1859 - Smith Co., Mississippi
         Buried: 

         Spouse: James A. Hitt (1820-1902) 1 2
           Marr: 6 Jan 1841 - Sumter Co., Alabama 3 4

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General Notes: Husband - Drury Sims

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Drury Sims is mentioned in the 1832 will of his father Drury Sims. In the 1810 census there are 13 Sims households in Laurens Co., South Carolina. The Drury Sims who married Elizabeth Hitt may or may not be the son of the Drury Sims of the 1832 will.

CENSUS:

<pre>1820 Laurens Co., South Carolina
Drewy Sims Jun'r 300010 -- 10100; 1 in agriculture; no slaves
3 <10 1
10-16
16-18
16-26 1
1 26-45
>45 </pre>

<pre>1830 Greene Co., Alabama; pg 6
Drury Sims 212101 -- 011001; no slaves
male female
2 < 5
1 5-10 1
2 10-15 1
1 15-20
20-30
1 30-40 1
40-50 </pre>

He is next to Ephraim Banks.

In Sumter Co., Alabama in 1840 there are two census entries for Drury Sims. They might be for the same person, but probably not since they are significantly different. The two Drury Sims are probably first cousins or at least very closely related. One of them is married to Elizabeth Hitt, daughter of Jesse Hitt, and the wife of the other one is also Elizabeth. By 1850 one of the Drury Sims has moved to Marion Co., Alabama. His wife Elizabeth was born about 1806. The other Drury Sims has presumably died because in 1850 his wife Elizabeth is a head of household in Newton Co., Mississippi. She was born in about 1796. In 1860 she is living with her daughter in Franklin Parish, Louisiana.

The following 3 entries probably represent Drury Sims married to young Elizabeth even though her age is wrong in 1840. The children match well. This Elizabeth is probably Elizabeth Hitt, daughter of Jesse Hitt.

<pre>1840 Sumter Co., Alabama; pg 76; image 176/179
Drury Sims 0211001 -- 2011001; no slaves
male female
< 5 2
2 5-10
1 10-15 1
1 15-20 1
20-30
30-40
1 40-50 1 </pre>

He is in the sequence David Hill, Ephraim L. Banks, x, Marshall Hitt, x, Nancy Hitt, Drury Sims, 9x, John Altman, 4x, John Hitt, Laz Hitt, Aswell Hitt, Alford Hitt, Willis Ball, Moore Stephens, x, x, Henry Hitt, Benj'n Hitt, 6x, Richard Hitt.

<pre>1850 Marion Co., Alabama, Beat No 4; Dec 2; pg 216
131/134
Drury W. Simms 49 M SC Mechanic
Elisabeth " 44 F SC
Richard A. " 19 M Al Mechanic
Nancy A. " 14 F Al
Menerva S. " 11 F Al
James E. " 9 M Al
Marion P. " 6 M Al
John " 4 M Al </pre>

<pre>1860 Marion Co., Alabama, the Eastern District; July 15; pg 71
481/494
D. W. Sims 60 MW SC $500/$500 Farmer
Elisabeth " 54 FW SC Doms
Mary L. " 21 FW Al Doms
James D. " 19 MW Al Farm lbr
Marion P. " 16 MW Al Farm lbr
John D. " 15 MW Al Farm lbr </pre>

The following 3 entries probably represent Drury Sims and old Elizabeth.

<pre>1840 Sumter Co., Alabama; pg 74; image 172/179
Drury Sims 0031101 -- 1001001; no slaves
male female
< 5 1
5-10
3 10-15
1 15-20 1
1 20-30
30-40
1 40-50 1 </pre>

He is one entry away from John Sims.

<pre>1850 Newton Co., Mississippi; Aug 13,14; pg 323
96/96
Elizabeth Sims 55 F SC $300 Farmer
Clovis " 21 M SC Farmer
Missianne " 12 F SC
Nancy " 10 F SC </pre>

Michael Sims (31, SC) is at 95/95. Benjamin Sims (25, SC) lives at 101/101.

In 1860 Elizabeth Sims (64, SC) is living in Franklin Parish, Louisiana in the household of B. J. Thorn (23, Al, farmer) and Martha A. Thorn (23, Al).

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General Notes: Wife - Elizabeth Hitt

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Drury Sims and his wife Elizabeth are mentioned in the 1840 petition asking for a partition of a tract of land that once belonged to Lazarus Hitt. Elizabeth is a granddaughter of Lazarus, and Jesse Hitt is her father. See notes under Lazarus.

There are two Drury Sims of about the same age in the census. They are probably closely related, and both are married to an Elizabeth. One Elizabeth was born in about 1796, and the other one was born in about 1806. It is not entirely obvious which Elizabeth is Jesse Hitt's daughter. Elizabeth's birth year is important relative to the issue of who Marshall Hitt's father was. In order for Jesse Hitt to be his father, we need to assume that the Drury Sims married to Jesse Hitt's daughter is the one with the younger wife. They are in Marion Co., Alabama in 1850 and in 1860.

1 Smith County Genealogical Society, Smith County Mississippi Cemeteries, 1999, pg 353. Repository: Clayton Library, Houston, Texas.

2 Smith County Genealogical Society, "Smith County Mississippi and its Families," 2003 Vol 1; 2006 Vol 2, Vol 1, pg 186. Repository: Clayton Library, Houston, Texas.

3 "Sumter County, Alabama Marriage Records," LDS microfilm 1293884, 885, Vol 1, pg 157.

4 "Familysearch.org," "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2D3-NYSP), James A Hitt and Sarah M Sims, 06 Jan 1841; citing Sumter, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,293,883.