James A. Eddins/Edins who married Nancy Ann Hendrix/Hendricks

This is 95% of what I know is true about James A. Eddins/Edins. There are lots of incorrect statements floating in the genealogy ozone about him, most of them unsupported. The article below is a little dry, but it's where the paper trail leads. These are the facts with their sources. I know there's more information available in Tallapoosa County, but I didn't get that far this year. Next year. (Yay!)

James A. had a pretty dry life. He was a regular guy, a man of his times. Indeed there are only two odd things in his life that I could find: 

• No documented kids in the first five years of his marriage.

• He was awarded a land grant after he died.


YOUTH

James A. Eddins was born about 1794 in the Saluda area of Orangeburgh District (later Lexington), South Carolina. His father was  John Eddins, as documented by the widow's 1828 ad in the South Carolina State Journal. (See earlier post at ALRoots2) His mother was Zilpha Unknown, as documented by the 1816 SC court case. Here's part of the text:

"Know all men by these presents that I, Zilpha Eddins, of Lexington District, in the state aforesaid, widow woman, for and in consideration of the natural affection and love which I have for and do bear towards my two sons, James A. Eddins and William D. Eddins..."

https://books.google.com/books?id=Zt0zAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=%22james+a.+eddins%22+sc&source=bl&ots=yQvLrSLk8m&sig=WG1eym28B0plShtK_pRUanVjBbY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAmoVChMIwtilo8iSxgIVBB-sCh3JFQB8#v=onepage&q=%22james%20a.%20eddins%22%20sc&f=false

James was likely the youngest or next youngest, but that's speculation based on the one Census that details his age and the position of his name in lists of Eddins children. 

He makes his first appearance in the 1800 U.S. Census for SC:

In the 1800 US Census for Orangeburgh, SC, Selvia Eddins (John having died around 1795) is head of household. In the household are two males under 10 (William D. & James A., 6ish), two males 10 - 15 (John S. & Ephraim), questionable 1 male 26 - 44—looks like it said one then was changed to zero. There are also one female under 10 (Unknown Female), two females 10 - 15, and one female 26 - 44 (Zilpha). Neighbors include Muntz, Peter Sea or Lea, Elizabeth Kelly, William Kelley, Samuel Kelley, Roof (Ross?), Blakeley, Turner, Borman, Senn, Carter, Hydle, Smith, Lipheart, Charles Corley, Lites (Lightsey), John Weisinger, William Daniel (brother to Frederick Daniel who married Susanah Hendrix?), Busby, John Ricord (Rickard), Geiger, Sanders, Evans, Christian Wingard.

http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=7590&path=South+Carolina.Orangeburg+District.Lexington.26&fn=Selvia&ln=Eddins&st=r&pid=495483&rc=&zp=75

Second appearance in the 1810 U.S. Census for SC:

In the 1810 US Census for SC, Widow Edins is in Lexington County. In the household are one male 10 - 15, two males 16 - 25 (James A., 17ish and William D., 19ish), one male 26 - 44 (Blakely, 30, or David Winchell?). Also in the household are one female under 10 (Unknown), one female 16 - 25, two females 26 - 45 (must be DIL's) and one female 45 and over (Widow Eddins). Nearby neighbors are George, John, Henry Windgard (brothers of Benjamin, husband of Elizabeth?),  Rambo, Furney, Busby, Jumper, Martin, Hendrix, Oaks, Johnston, Bookman, Oliver, Oswalt, Keixer, Busbee, Rall, Boozer, Gibson. Neighbor David King surveyed a plat for Zilpha in 1817. 

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=view&r=0&dbid=7613&iid=4433429_00136&fn=Widow&ln=Edins&st=r&ssrc=&pid=582582

James A. served in the War of 1812 as outlined by wife Nancy in her application for pension in 1875. James was drafted into Capt. John Quattlebaum's Company in Col. John Bates's Regiment of the SC Militia on May 1, 1813. He was honorably discharged on November 1, 1813, in Charleston, SC. 

http://www.fold3.com/image/310512376/

YOUNG ADULTHOOD

James A. married Nancy Ann Hendrix on November 9, 1813, a week after he got out of the SC Militia. He would have been about 20; she, about 18. Dr. Frankloe married them, "there being  no legal barrier to such marriage." Indeed, Dr. Franklow lived in the Orangeburgh District from at least 1810 (Census) to 1814.

From Page 30 of Nancy’s Application for War of 1812 Pension: “The afficiant further states that there was no public or private record kept of said marriage, and it is impossible to obtain the affadavit of the clergyman who solemnized the marriage.”

http://www.fold3.com/image/310512368/

What's really odd is that there is no record of children born between 1813 (James's marriage) and Peter R., born 1818. You'd think that two young, healthy adults in their 20's and using no birth control would have at least two kids within five years. But there's no record of it...so far.

Indeed, the next time we see James Eddings, he's in Columbia, Richland County, SC, in 1820. Maybe. There's one male and one female, which is weird, because son Peter and daughter Sarah were born before 1820. Richland County, SC, has a finger in the Lexington County area, so it's likely to be James and Nancy, but we can't be sure. The only other James Edins in SC has many family members and many slaves; not likely to be our James, as there is no record that he ever had slaves.


MIDDLE AGE

By 1830 James A. was in Wilcox County, AL, about age 36:

In the 1830 US Census for AL, James A. Edens is listed in Wilcox County, no town listed. In the household there are one male under 5 (Blakely, 8, ?), one male five to ten (Hiram, 9), one male 10 - 15 (Peter, 12), and one male 30 - 40 (James, 38). There are two females under five (Zilpha, 4, and Elizabeth, 1), two females five to 10 (Rebecca, 8, and Ann Susannah, 7), one female 10 - 15 (Sarah, 11), and one female 30 - 40 (Nancy, 34). Neighbors: Jones, Linan, Kickenson, Bonner, Rivers, Smith, Tiffs, Foster, Wait, Haris, Christian, Bird, Eads, Matthews, Cragh, Hudson, Marion, Sheffield, Dods.

1840; James about 46:

In the 1840 US Census for AL there is a J.A. Eddings in an unknown township in Tallapoosa, AL. In the household are four males and 4 females. 1 male between 5 & 9 (James, 5), 1 male 10 - 14 (Blakely?) , 1 male 15 - 19 (Hiram, 19), 1 male between 40 & 49 (James). Two females between 10 & 14 (Zilpha, 14, and Elizabeth, 11), one 15 to 19 (Rebecca, 18), one 40 - 49 (Nancy). Neighbors include P.R. Eddings (son), Coleman, Yarborough, Hightower, Rope, Thornton, John Davis, Rowell, Ward, Moore, Ray, Rogers, H. J. Rix, married to daughter Ann Susannah.

These names and ages correspond to James A., Nancy, Hiram, Rebecca, Blakely, Zilpha, Elizabeth, and James.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/8057/4411216_00987/1357450?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3d1840usfedcenancestry%26gss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3deddings%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msrpn__ftp%3dtallapoosa%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dwy5%26pcat%3d35%26fh%3d0%26h%3d1357450%26recoff%3d8%26ml_rpos%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

About 1841 James F. Edins, Sr., obtained 39.55 acres near Tallassee in Tallapoosa County through the Bureau of Land Management. Twp 19N, Range 22E, Section 21, NW1/4NW1/4. As there were no other Edinses of legal age in the area, this is most likely our James A.

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=AL4330__.294&docClass=STA&sid=lqfua42i.csh

1850:

In the 1850 U.S. Census for AL, James A. Eddins is 56, has $150, a farmer, born in SC, cannot read or write. Also in the household are (Nancy) Ann, 54, and son James T (or F), 15.  Neighbors: Rise/Rix--Daughter Ann is married to H. J.), Ables, Glover, Weeks, Stringfellow, Webster, Wilkinson, Loyd, Evans, Ellis, Harrel, King, Lovelady, Sarah Eddins (DIL), Falk, Johnson, Simmons, Vinson, Jackson.

http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/View.aspx?dbid=8054&path=Alabama.Tallapoosa.Township+19.11

James A. Edders is also listed as a farmer in the 1850 Federal Agriculture Schedule for Tallapoosa County, along with others related or connected to him: Rix, Freeman, Rogers, Glover, Harrell, Lovelady, Vickery. You can read about his crops here:

http://interactive.ancestry.com/1276/32786_1220706416_0028-00826/6268610?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dNonPopCensus%26gss%3dsfs28_ms_db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dedders%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msrpn__ftp%3dTallapoosa%2bCounty%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d2853%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c2853%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

Two entries for 1855:

a) On 13 April 1855 James A. Edins appeared in court in Tallapoosa County to obtain the land warrant he felt he was owed as part of his War of 1812 service. He was 61 years old. 

http://www.fold3.com/image/310512384/

If he was 61 in 1855, then he was born in 1794. 

b) In the 1855 State Census for AL, James A. Eddins is in Tallapoosa County on Beat #6. There is one male under 21 (James T or F.), one male over 21 (James A.), one female under 21 (?) and one female over 21 (Nancy Ann).

http://interactive.ancestry.com/1576/31075_174425-00613/256150?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dAlabamaCensus%26gss%3dsfs28_ms_db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3deddins%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msrpn__ftp%3dTallapoosa%2bCounty%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d2853%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c2853%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26_83004002_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults


DEATH

Two entries for 1858:

1. Nancy Ann Hendrix Edins's War of 1812 Pension Application states that her husband died on January 27, 1858. 

http://interactive.ancestry.com/1133/miusa1814_114131-00820/34692?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dWarof1812_Pension%26h%3d34692%26indiv%3dtry%26o_cvc%3dImage%3aOtherRecord&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

2. The BLM GLO records state that James A. Edins bought a piece of property in Tallassee, Tallapoosa County on March 1, 1858. After he died, apparently. Weird. 

Twp 19N, Range 22E, Section 17, NE1/4SE1/4

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=AL4430__.187&docClass=STA&sid=morcu12g.2os


CHILDREN

To the best of my knowledge, James and Nancy had nine children:

• Peter Rusel, born 1818

• Sarah, born 1819 (don't know anything more about her)

• Hiram E., born 1821

• Zilpha Elender Emily, born about 1822 (delightful; see earlier posts)

• Rebecca Ann, born about 1822

• Blakely A., born about 1822

• Ann Susannah, born 1823

• Elizabeth, born 1829

• James T. or F., born about 1835


There are a few other documents where James A. shows his mug, but they're not significant in outlining his life. 

So there you have his life from the evidence I can produce. A dry life, but hopefully a satisfying one.