I’ve always wanted an Uncle “Judy” and now I’ve found him, although I doubt seriously that anyone ever called him that during his lifetime. Uncle “Judy” was Judith Sims, my 4th great granduncle, one of the newly-discovered Sims-of-Montgomery-County,-Tennessee relatives who now hangs from my family tree.
“Judith” was certainly not a common name for boys in the 19th century but it was also not unheard of. But, boy, did it throw me for a loop when I first came across it. In 1822, Judith Sims and Thomas Travis purchased the land that she, Judith, and her Sims siblings bought for the use of the their mother in 1806. At the time I mistakenly thought that Judith perhaps was betrothed to Thomas (wrong) and was purchasing the land using her maiden name (also wrong) although for the life of me I couldn’t understand why she‘d be doing that. Single women under the age of 30 just didn’t do that kind of thing very often in those days. Several trees on Ancestry.com, which is known for its accuracy, depicted Judith as the wife of Thomas Travis (wrong, wrong, wrong). These folks fell into the same trap that I did initially assuming Judith was a woman!
Thankfully, in 1854, Judith gifted part of the land he and Thomas Travis purchased to two of his three daughters. Next to “his” signature were the words “his mark” which was used to indicated that Judith, who likely could not read or write, sealed the deal so to speak. “His mark!” Ah HA! Judith was a man!
Thomas Travis, I have learned, was not Judith’s husband. My goodness, that would have been a progressive county in those days had that been the case. Instead, Thomas turned out to be Judith’s stepfather, which was revealed in another court case when Mary Thomas, the former Mary Sims, widow of John Sims, gave her permission for Thomas to sell some of John’s possessions.
If you’re following along, good for you. It’s making my head hurt just writing it.
Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relationship: 4th great granduncle
Common ancestors: Judith Sims’ parents, John and Mary (Hambleton) Sims, are my 5th great grandparents