Hello, all! I'm new here, Sherry from America.
I can prove my ancestry back to William Syms/later Sims, who immigrated to Virginia in 1658, wrote his will in 1710 and died as a very old man in 1725 in New Kent County, Virginia. He owned land in both James City County and New Kent County. His will (which is only available because of a law suit in Louisa County, where the early records weren't destroyed) verifies that he is the father of my John Sims.
I've been trying to find out where in England William Syms came from.
From another site, I've found a William Syms who was baptised January 6, 1642, at Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire, England, the son of a Williams Syms. This birth date would have been about right for my William. Most of the immigrants to Virginia in the 17th century were from southwestern England, so I'm looking there first. This is strictly a stab in the dark, but does anyone have any information on this William Syms?
There are numerous wills of Sims' in Wiltshire listed on another site from the 17th century. Does anyone live in Wiltshire and have easy access to them? Most list Sims alias Shipman or Shipman alias Sims. In Virginia and South Carolina in colonial days, the term 'alias' was used, but it appeared to relate only to illegitimacy. For example, my husband has an ancestor who arrived in S. Carolina in 1725 and lived in the backwoods. He eventually took up with Elizabeth Hains, didn't marry her in the Church of England, but when proper clergy was available, he did so. The birth of their son and their marriage certificate from The Register Book for the Parish Prince Frederick Winyaw reads -
Godbold, John (alias John Hains) natural son of John Godbold and Elizabeth Hains born July 24th, 1739. Baptized April 24th, 1740. The said Godbold and Hains married the same day.
So, it's interesting to see 'alias' used in relation to a 'hold' on people. Were these Sims/Shipmans the children of a man named Sims or Shipman? Were they named Sims, but someone named Shipman sort of 'owned' them?
By the way, my brother's Y-DNA shows he's in the R-M269 group.
I would love to hear from anyone who has anything to share about the Sims/Shipmans of Wiltshire.
Thank you,
Sherry
