help finding HOPKIN SIMS 1777?

[silver.frame]

Hello, Its been years since I did any rsearch on the Sims (Simms, Syms) and had all but given up on them. So receiving your mail may generate me again!!

Hopkin Sims is my GGG grandfather on my fathers side. His father Hopkin George Bevan b 1879 had Mary AC Sims b. 1856 as his mother.

Mary.s parents were Hopkin Sims b1814 and Gwenllian Davies b.1815. Hopkin was the brother of your David (I believe). David born 1817 in Lower Llansamlet, near Swansea, Wales!!

Their father, Hopkin b.1777 was married 4 times. Margaret David being the third, baptised 1780, married 1820 and died 1820?? Her father may have been John David.

I seem to remember that records of baptisms etc in Wales are sketchy, at best, especially in 18th century.

I hope this information is of use and fits with what you have researched and will look forward to any info that you can send me.

Regards,

David

[pedroparker]

Hello Michael,

It has been quite a while since my last visit on here and I haven't picked up the family tree this side for a while but your post has got my curiosity for it again, so went through what I have and have found.

Firstly welcome to rootschat (I see it's your first post). The members on here are fantastic and the research and help you receive from these very kind people is brilliant.

I have a wealth of information on this line and know the areas and church records like the back of my hand trying to solve and research.

Hopkin Sims is my G.G.G.G Grandfather and the reason I started to delve was due to my father. He knows lots of old stories and was close to a few in the line when he was a boy.

Ok, i'm going to try and work out and help as much as possible.
So your line is:

Hopkin 1777
-- David (by Margaret David)
---John (by unknown)
----Rosanna (by Abigail __)
-----Your mother (by __Myers)
------Yourself (Michael Sims Myers)

I'm sorry to suggest, but my first thought is how sure are you that your David in the above lineage, is the right David, son of Hopkin 1777?
May I ask what record or other you have that can prove or disprove this?

I ask this because of my findings of church and official records point to your David Sims possibly not being the son of Hopkin Sims 1777.

I'll try and explain a little:
Hopkin Sims (b1777) and Margaret David did have a son call David Sims (b1817) and 4 other known siblings. The problem we have is that David' we know died I believe in a colliery accident at the age of 26 and is buried locally. He never married or had children as far as records and family stories go and show. And we also know what happened to the other siblings and father Hopkin (1777) later in life.

If you can offer anything to challenge this, or shed any light on anything unknown I would be very  interested in what you have.

I do understand that some of the some family did indeed go to America.

I'm not sure if this helps but from my research there is also another David Sims from this area that is a distant cousin of this David Sims born roughly of the same age.

I haven't heard or found of any Irish connection as of yet. The furthest back connection I can find before Hopkin is that there is possibly a connection to Carmarthen in Wales and possibly a connection to northern England through 4 Sims' sailing brothers who settled down this way.

Very interested to know what research you have or can offer. And if I can help in any way i'd be glad to.

[silver.frame]

Hello, I have David Sims (penciled in) that he died in 1842, which means I am unsure but seems to back up what Pedro says about him being killed.

The only other David is the son of Gwenllian, sister of David b 1817 but I am pretty sure he is not who you are looking for.

Would anyone know who Hopkins 1777 parents are?

Good Luck

David Bevan

[hanes teulu]

Hopkin is consistent with his PoB in the '51 and '61 Census - Llansamlet.

I've rechecked the Glamorgan Index and the actual Parish register but no sign. I checked the surrounding parishes when I looked into this some years ago - might possibly expand search?

Did wonder if he might be Nonconformist.

David Sims, age 25 is living with Hopkin Sims on the '41 Census. His address fits the "abode" recorded against the David Sims, died 1842.

[Michael Sims Myers]

Thank all of you for this information.  It turns out that I was one generation off in my calculations.  My daughter-in-law is the one doing this research and I had to wait for them to visit from Phoenix to move forward.
 
Hopkin Sims (B-circa 1777) had, I believe, a son also named Hopkin (B-1814) in addition to four other siblings.  This Hopkin Junior had a son by Gwenllian Davies named David (B-1841).  This David, not to be confused with his uncle David, Married a Mary A. Winters and they had a son named John Cavassa Sims.  John was born in 1858, married Alice Walters and must have been the one who immigrated to the U.S.  We are still looking for records of that.  John and Alice were my mother’s grandparents.  My mother turns 100 next Wednesday and will be delighted with all this.

Again, thank you.

Michael Sims Myers

[silver.frame]

On my tree I have David 1814 marrying Gwenllian Davies and indeed having a son David b.1842

I believe this David married Prudence Jenkins in 1866.

David 

[hanes teulu]

A David Sims, 24, Engine man, address Havod married Prudence John, 20, address Havod on 24th July 1866 at the Parish Church of St. Johns, Swansea.

Fathers - Hopkin Sims, Driftman and George John, Copper refiner.

[silver.frame]

You are spot on. I do not know where Jenkins came from!!

[hanes teulu]

There's an item in a couple of Welsh language newspapers, 1907, about the visit to Llansamlet of two former residents "Mr Hopkin & Mrs Gweni Sims, Troy, Illinois" - parents "Tomos and Mari" (Sims) and "Twmi Dafydd and Beti" (Thomas). I've been checking back from there and revisiting the Llansamlet records.

Michael,
A warm welcome to Rootschat.

Re the "John, born 1858, son of David and Mary .... the one who immigrated to the US" -

There's a baptism (transcription) for a John Sims, 3 Aug 1858, Llansamlet, parents David and Mary, abode "Pentre Dwr". There's a marriage for David Sims, Jun Qtr, Neath, 11a 683 - on the same page Mary Jenkins and Mary Beddows.

A 3yr old John + brother David 7 mths, with parents David 29 and Mary 24 can be found on the 1861 Census - address "Old Halfway". Either side of this address is "Pentre Dwr" (the Halfway House pub was in Pentre Dwr). I think this John can be tracked through to the 1911 Census - he didn't marry.