The above photo was taken in Pogo, Alabama, circa 1899-1900. I was told this is Amos James' barn but I can't verify that. These are relatives and friends of the James family that resided in Pogo. Strangely Amos' father, Elias or mother do not seem to be present. The fourth man from the left has been identified as Amos James (William Amos James) who was Elias' eldest son. The second girl from the men in the back row is Leethia James. According to a caption recorded in 1992, some of the people recognized are Nancy Etta James, Mattie James, Ada James, Cynthia James, Jenny James, and Mollie James. Some other people (which may be related) are Amos Malone, Andrew Barnett, Sally Russell and Willie Parrish (barefoot boy with head down in front row, 2nd from right). One of the girls next to Willie Parrish is his sister, Nara Parrish.
Breaking News!! See DNA Results Below.
NOTE: Background tune:, the traditional Welsh tune, "Liwyn On" (The Ash Grove) MIDI file sequenced by Barry Taylor. If you prefer to turn off sound click the stop button on browser (after all the pictures and text load) OR scroll to bottom of page to turn off MIDI player.
The Franklin County, Alabama Elias James family
I. Elias James (b. 1770-1780) had 7-8 daughters, and three sons, only the name of one son, Thomas A. James is known. Elias had settled in Franklin County, Alabama prior to 1820.
II. Thomas A. James (b. ca 1803 either in Tennessee or Georgia), married and Mary "Polly" Bonds* (b. ca. 1807) lived along Bull Mountain Creek, near Vina and had the following children: Thomas, (b. about 1830); Elizabeth (b. abt. 1833); Elias (b. Feb 4, 1836); William (b. abt 1837); Rachael (b. abt. 1840); David (b. abt. 1842); Andrew Jackson (b. 23 Aug 1844, d. Nov. 8, 1902); Enoch (b. abt. 1846), Mary (b. abt. 1848), Jefferson, and John, [It is reported that there were two other sons, Jordan and Amos, but these may be middle names for two of the above children]. *Mary is believed to be the sister of A.T. "Andy" Bonds, who was a store owner/postmaster at the Blue Lick Post Office.
Children of Thomas A. James (that we have information about):
Enoch James: We have a surviving photo of Enoch James (who served in the Confederate Army with his older brother, Elias.) Enoch would have been underage, enlisting at age 16 in 1862. Enoch married Adeline Spruel and had at least one daughter, Jinnie (or Ginnie) Burton James that married her first cousin, Thomas Enoch James (son of Elias).
William James (b. abt 1837) married Bett Elliot. Nothing is known of any children.
Andrew Jackson James (b. 23 Aug 1844; d. Nov 8, 1902) married Martha "Mat" Ann Britnell and they had ten or eleven children (Arthur Lee, Nora "Myrtle", George, Cynthia, Lillie, Willie, Jennie Beulah, Elias Hugh, Edward N., and Eugene).
Elias James, born Feb. 4, 1836, enlisted in Co E, 4th Alabama "Roddey’s" Cavalry, CSA. His younger brother, Enoch, also served in this same unit. Elias was severely wounded on Dec 24th 1864, in a skirmish North of Decatur, Alabama. The day they brought him home, it was very cold, and the blood was frozen in his hair. A piece of his skull was shot out and covered with a metal plate by a surgeon. J. A. Taylor, of the same unit, was one of the men who carried Elias home from the battlefield.
Elias James and Cynthia (nee Richardson)
Elias James married Cynthia McGary Richardson, b. 4 Mar 1847, d. 18 May 1915. They settled at Pogo, just West of Pleasant Site, where they resided in a log cabin that had a "beautiful cold water spring" and a "milk house where milk was kept cool in the running water". This is at the base of the Freedom Hills, overlooking the beautiful valley. The buildings are now gone but the James cemetery is still there, hidden in the woods above where the cabin once stood.
Cynthia was the daughter of John Richardson (b. 14 Jan
1796 GA, d. 12 Jan 1876) and Nancy Hester, (b. Oct 11 1808, d. Jan 26 1853). At
least two of Cynthia’s brothers served in the Confederate Army and fought at the
Battle of Shiloh. Cynthia’s maternal grandparents were William H. "Buck" Hester
and Amy Malone. Amy was the daughter of John Malone and Anne Blackwell of
Granville Co., NC. "Buck" and Amy Hester came to Franklin County in 1818.
Elias and Cynthia James had 13 children:
William Amos (b. Oct 27, 1860, d. Sept.
24, 1923, buried in James Cemetery, Pogo, AL), married 19 Sept. 1883 to Marthey Melisey Culligan, they had eleven
children;
Robert David (b. June 16, 1862) married Annie ___, they had two
children;
John Andrew (b. July 27, 1864, d. Sept. 17, 1922,
buried in Crooked Oak Cemetery, AL) married 29 Dec 1887
to Sarah Louvenia Grissom, they had twelve children;
Thomas Enoch (b. Aug. 17,
1866, d. June 19, 1954, buried in Belmont City Cemetery, Mississippi) married 24 Feb 1892 to Jennie Burton James (daughter of
Elias’s brother, Enoch ), they had ten children;
Daniel Jonson (b. Mar 16, 1868,
died 1897 or 1898, buried at Winchester Cemetery, Pleasant Site.),
Alfred Clark (b. Jan 8, 1870, d. Feb 4, 1936,
buried at Ridge Cemetery, Miss.) married 5 Aug 1891 to Cammie Rachaeline George, they had ten children;
Elias Walter (b. Jan 1, 1872, died
May 18, 1921, buried at City Cemetery, Florence, AL) married Lula Thomas, they had ten children;
Nancy Catherine "Kate"
(b. Jan 9, 1875, d. Dec 28 1938, buried at New Bethel Cem., Colbert Co., AL) married 23 Aug 1894 to Cullin C. "Cub" Grissom,
they had atleast five children and resided on Caine Creek in Tuscumbia, Colbert
County;
Mary Etta (b. Feb 26, 1876, d. June 5 1908) married Jim M. George, they
had six children;
Joe Gardner (b. May 23 1878, d. Nov 16, 1902,
buried at Winchester Cem, Pleasant Site, AL),
Neoma Samantha
"Dobe" ( b. Mar 25, 1880, d. May 25 1933) married David Lee George, they had
three children;
Modena Alice (b. Jan 25, 1883, d. 24 Jun 1969,
buried at Belmont City Cem., Mississippi.) married James T.
Vaughn, they had four children; and Jim A. (b. May 28, 1885, d. Aug 6, 1886).
Jim A.
(b. 28 May 1885, d. 6 Aug 1886, buried
probably James Cemetery, Pogo, AL)
Elias James' cabin at Pleasant Site, Alabama. Back Row left to right: Daniel James holding rifle, Joe Gardner James, Nancy Catherine "Kate" Grissom (nee James), Neoma Samantha "Dobe" George (nee James), Marthie Melisey "Mattie" James (nee Culligan), "Lula" James (nee Thomas), Jennie Burton James (Enoch James's daughter), Lula James (nee Grissom).
Front Row left to right: Modena Alice "Dena" Vaughn (nee James), Elias holding unidentified grandson, Cynthia Richardson, Cynthia (behind), Nannie, Amos James holding Elmer, Letha James (back), Mollie James (front), Elias "Shug" James, Tom (Thomas Enoch) James holding Floy James, Edna James, John James holding Myrtle James, Lillie James and Bertha James.
Above identifications made by Joe Clark James (1896-1985), son of "Ab" Alfred Clark James (son of Elias and Cynthia, not pictured in above photo)
Back row standing, left to right: Daniel, Joe C., Lula. Front: Alfred C. holding John E.; Robert (standing in center); Cammie holding Lela.
IV. Alfred Clark "Ab" James (b. 8 Jan 1870 Franklin Co., Alabama; d. 4 Feb 1937 Golden, Tishomingo Co., Mississippi) and Cammie Rachaeline George (b. 28 May 1877, Alabama; d. 20 Feb 1965 Tishomingo Co., MS) consisted of the following children: Daniel A.; Lula Modena; Joe Clark; Robert A.; John Earl; Lela Burton; Claudius E.; Edna Lucille; Bonnie Mae; and Alice Beatrice. "Ab" and Cammie married, 5 Aug 1891, at the home of her parents, John George/Elizabeth Crowell, then living in Lee Co., Mississippi.
According to Alfred C. James' son, Joe Clark James (1896-1985) they "were poor, yet we were happy, and content with our lot. My birth place was a one room log cabin in the well known Freedom Hills. It was located at the foot of a mountain which broke into a beautiful plain in order to give space for the big Cedar Creek that carried the water from the many hills and springs to the Alabama River. This home was near that of grandmother and grandfather’s…When I was not fishing or playing I would grout [the cabin] and help grandfather make boards. When quiet young I was taken from these pleasures, the rocky hills and mountains, …clear flowing springs, mountain breeze, and brought to Union County, Mississippi. …We settled down on a little place, papa sold his mule and wagon, and made three crops on halves. He then bought a horse and managed to pay for it. After this we moved to Lee County, where we have gained through hard labor, what little property we now possess."
The family a few years older with eight children posing.
Alfred Clark James family with all ten
children. Left to right standing: Alfred
C.; Cammie, Lula, Robert, Beatrice, Joe C., Bonnie Mae, Lela, Lucille, Claudius.
Sitting left to right: Daniel, and John.
Joe Clark James off to the Navy in World War I. First he attended radio school at Harvard, then served on the U.S.S. Mississippi and U.S.S. Idaho battleships. All the way to 1985 (when he died), grandpa used the radio skills he learned in the Navy. He was a HAM radio operator. His radio call designator was W5NDO. He communicated with his old ship buddies from his rural Mississippi home and just about anyone else whether they be in Hawaii or South America. He could pound out code at a record rate when communicating with those not using the voice frequencies. On one occasion, grandpa told me he communicated with Admiral Bird when he was making his historical crossing by air of Antarctica. (By the way, it was Joe's son, Joe M. James, is the family member that participated in the James DNA Surname project. Joe M. James graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and spent a career in the U.S. Navy. He now lives in near Mt. Solon, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.)
Nancy "Kate" Catherine James and family (married C.C. Grissom)
Neoma "Dobe" Samantha James and family (married Lee George)
Modena Alice "Dena" James and family (married James T. Vaughn)
Aunt Kate's (Nancy Catherine James--daughter of Elias James) and "Cub" Grissom's home on Caine Creek near Tuscumbia, Alabama. Kate and Cub Grissom had pictured during a visit by Aunt "Dobe's" family (Neoma "Dobe"Samantha James--daughter of Elias James), and Aunt "Dena's" family (Modena Alice "Dena" James--daughter of Elias James). Adults left to right: Lee George (husband of Aunt Dobe), "Dobe", C. C. "Cub" Grissom (kneeling man in center), Kate, Dena (standing), J.T. Vaughn.
Aunt Kate's Place (enlargement of the above photo)
Exact annotation on back of image: "1st Row: Uncle Lee George, Aunt Dobe, ? Bob Grissom, Mae Grissom, C.C. Grissom, Oma Grissom, Aunt Kate, James (whit) in Aunt Kate's lap, Tulon Vaughn, J. T. Vaughn, Aunt Dena Vaughn."
"2nd Row: Grady George, Oscar Grissom, Lawrence George."
" in Aunt Dobe's lap is Curtis George."
"Uncle Cub and Aunt Kate lived on Cain Creek, Tuscumbia, Alabama."
Cullen C. and Kate Grissom Portrait (Nancy "Kate" Catherine, nee James). Married Aug 23, 1894.
Albert, Cynthia, C.C. "Cub", Nancy Catharine "Kate" holding Oma, Daniel "Oscar" (standing)
Photo caption reads: Oma, Kate, C.C. Grissom, Dexter, and Amos Taylor. I think this is the order from left to right, with Dexter being the child and Amos Taylor at the wheel.
Lee George and Family (and 2nd wife, Naoma Samanthy "Dobe", nee James)
Only the boy in the middle is named: Luther (from Lee George's 1st marriage). They may be Grady and Curtis George but that is a guess.
The Y-Chromosome DNA test has revealed a family relationship (100% match of 25 markers) to verified descendants of David James (b. 1669, probably in Wales – d. 1739 Chester Co., PA).
The following are known children: (Not listed by age)
Evan, d 1794 Delaware Co., PA. Married Margaret Jones.
Isaac
Thomas, b. abt 1690 PA, d. 1753 Philadelphia Co., PA. Married Sarah Henderson. Children moved to Virginia (Bedford & Botetourt counties). He had the following sons: Enoch, Elias, Daniel and Jonathan. Enoch, married Rachel Richards in 1762. --This Enoch may be the father of our Elias, born 1770-1780.)
Leah
-------------------------------
Ancient Origins
Other information gleaned from the DNA results: Our James line is classified as belonging to the R1b haplogroup, which tells something of its ancient origins. The people belonging to R1b are believed to be the original inhabitants of western Europe. Arriving in Paleolithic (stone-age times), before the last ice-age. The cave art found in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain and France are believed to be the works of R1b people. The R1b is the most common genetic haplogroup in modern day Spain, Ireland, England, and adjacent areas. The language they spoke probably was more similar to modern day Basque than English. Sometime after the ice-age, our group of R1b's crossed over into the British Isles. They lived in Europe before the arrival of the late comers, the "Indo-European" tribes of the Steppes. Of the Indo-European tribes, the Celts were the first to enter Europe. For this reason many R1b's adopted the Celtic lifestyle (which included the use of the horse, chariots, farming, iron smelting, besides new trade goods.) It was probably advantageous in commerce to learn the Celtic language which resulted in an apparently peaceful blending of cultures in the British Isles. This was not the case with the arrival of the Romans, and the Anglo-Saxon conquests.
--------------------------
At least four brothers migrated to the county in the 1830's. These were Abner, Abraham, Daniel, and Isaac James. This family appears to have come from Virginia, moved to Pendelton District, South Carolina, then went West to Bedford County, Tennessee before arriving in Franklin County, Alabama. What is needed ? A living male James surnamed member needs to participate in the James Surname DNA project (see link below), in order to learn the origins of this family and to determine if it is related to the Elias James family.
Abner James
Abraham James . b. abt 1790 married Lucretia Haygood. At least seven children, most prominent was Thomas James, b. 21 Aug 1815. Married 1st: Mary Fielder, one child,: William Anderson James; Married 2nd, Elizabeth James (daughter of Thomas' uncle, Abner James)
Daniel James, b. 1789, married Ruth Haygood
Isaac James (was living with Abraham in South Carolina)
Willie James, living in Franklin County in 1820. (Unknown relationship)
James Surname DNA Project (FamilyTreeDNA site) Join and order your test here.
James Surname DNA Project (James DNA Surname Project Study Site. See Results matched here)
My Related Websites:
4th Alabama "Roddey's" Cavalry, CSA (one of the Civil War units from north Alabama)
Contact Me
If you have any information or photos that tell about the early generations of the above Elias James family or related James lines, please contact Scott K. Williams. I am also interested in any new participants of the James Surname DNA project that come from other Franklin County James families. We need to sort these clans out and determine if they are related in some way. My email address is: Showmemule"at"earthlink.net (replace "at" with the @ symbol). Sorry about this inconvenience but spam harvesting software collects email addresses on webpages--hopefully this will outsmart them.
The traditional Welsh tune, "Liwyn On" (The Ash Grove) MIDI file sequenced by Barry Taylor.
