William Sims 1760s… who IS this guy?
I’ve chronicled several SIMS guys who seem to have removed from the early Granville County (now Franklin or Johnston) and wound up on the Cape Fear River…
This map shows the area … roughly. Note in particular the neighbor Benjamin Cooper… this pretty much proves the location. Cooper also witnessed the deed in my notes below.
Below are my “notes” on this guy. The deed of William Sims selling land to one James McDaniel reveals some interesting details…
He married the daughter of William Gray Junr. … was this the son of the Surveyor General of NC?
Is this the same William Sims who was the Deputy Surveyor in 1766?
Wm Sims seems to have removed to Craven County South Carolina?
Again, who IS this guy?
Andersons of Colonial N. Carolina 
William Sims;
Plat For 100 Acres In Craven County. Date: 10/10/1761.
Land Grant For 100 Acres In Craven County. Date: 2/11/1762.
Memorial For 100 Acres On Santee River, Craven County. Date: 2/20/1762.
Plat For 100 Acres In Craven County. Date: 6/12/1764.
Memorial For 100 Acres In Craven County. Date: 2/28/1765.
Plat For 100 Acres In Craven County. Date: 11/24/1769; https://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/ArchivesImages/S213184/S21318400190047403/images/S21318400190047403.jpg
Sims, Robert, Plat For 150 Acres In Craven County. Date: 4/8/1769; https://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/ArchivesImages/S213184/S21318400190047402/images/S21318400190047402.jpg
Sims, Benjamin, Plat For 100 Acres In Craven County. Date: 10/10/1771; https://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/ArchivesImages/S213184/S21318400190047203/images/S21318400190047203.jpg
Williamson, William, Plat For 250 Acres In Craven County. Date: 7/26/1772; https://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/ArchivesImages/S213184/S21318400210049902/images/S21318400210049902.jpg
The 28 Jan 1767 Will of William Williamson, of the Parish of Prince Frederick in Craven county SC. He leaves son Thomas Williamson the plantation called his in ye fork of Bear Creek in North Carolina. Will proved 2 Oct 1767. Wife, Mary. Sons, John, William, Thomas, Benjamin, James.
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PogMoThointon
December 20, 2022 at 10:20 am
Excellent stuff! The William Williamson Plat is pure gold. The patent you sent mentions William Sims… who is who I suspect is the same Sims whose family was murdered by Indians and the report sent to James Millikin at Oconeechee Neck, NC.
The will of Williamson (1767) leads to the exact patent (in ye fork of Bear Creek in NC) which is first rate proof which blows me away!
I am awash in NC Indian Traders who wound up trading with the Catabas and Cherokees of SC.
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I have not arrived at a theory of why these Oconeechee Neck traders sojourned the 50 miles or so from their stomping grounds near Halifax town (modern day) to the area of Louisburg (modern day) in early Grandville “Precinct”?
It is becoming abundantly clear that they were running packhorse caravans to Saxe Gotha and Ninety Six… and then to the Cherokee towns some miles west and over the mountains, seemingly, when necessary.
Do you have a link to the complete will of Williamson?
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anderson1951
December 20, 2022 at 11:54 am
Will of Williamson sent via email.
I suspect, as you have also, that the generations continued to party hardy since IOW. The name Edward Boykin appears in a 1750 Craven land grant as does William Sims beginning in 1761.
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PogMoThointon
December 20, 2022 at 6:35 pm
Hmmm… haven’t seen any Boykins. I have however, ran across a John Bryan[t] who may have traded at one of the Cherokee towns. Seems he had a brother who was a marriner out of Chowan River. I’ll have to work up a new post or page. These folks are First Families.
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anderson1951
December 20, 2022 at 6:40 pm