(George Sims – John W. Sims – Joseph Freeman Sims – Cameron Joseph Sims – James Hubert Sims)

**NOTE: Sims/Simms/Syms/Simes are often used interchangeably throughout the historical record. I’ve chosen to use Sims for the sake of simplicity.

George SIMS was born in Maryland c. 1790. He married Maria Hanna BROWN on 20 Jul 1816 at All Saints Anglican Church in Granville, Annapolis. [This information comes from proceedings of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia (R. v. Smith, 2012 NSPC 84 (CanLII)), where a claimant’s ancestry was in question over Indigenous hunting rights.] Maria’s estimated DOB was 1790 in Nova Scotia.

**An interesting historical tidbit: All Saints Anglican Church stood in Granville for 200 years until it was disassembled and moved to Abita Springs in Louisiana, where it was reborn as a Baptist church. The rebuilders speculate that the wood from the structure is older and may have been salvaged from a French fort. Read more HERE **

In the wake of the American War of Independence, a wave of United Empire Loyalists came to Nova Scotia seeking refuge, and there were several thousand Black Loyalists among the newcomers. There were former slaves who had either bought their freedom or earned it through service to the British during the war, those born free, and those still in slavery or indentured service to white settlers. There was a community of Black Loyalists in Granville that grew throughout the 1800s, and a similar community developed nearby in Delap’s Cove. It’s likely that George may have come to Nova Scotia as part of this group.

According to the Provincial Court, the couple had twelve children, but I have only been able to find records for six:

1. John W. SIMS* (1821-bef. 1910) m. Margaret Ann FRANCIS*
2. Louisa SIMS (1824-1891) m. George JACKSON
3. Amanella SIMS (1825-1880) m. STEVENS
4. Arthurland SIMS (1831-1909) m. William PETERS
5. Jacob Henry SIMS (1836- ) m. (1) Maria Bertha FOWLER (2) Cynthia (CUFF) JACKSON
6. Johanna SIMS (1837-1907)

1. John W. SIMS* born 25 Feb 1821 in Annapolis County. [According to R. v. Smith, John was their third son.] He married Margaret Ann FRANCIS*. In 1871, the couple was living with their children in Broad Cove, and John was working as a farmer. Their religion is listed as Calvinist Baptist. John’s origin is listed as African (Black) and Margaret’s as Irish. In 1881 and 1891, John was working as a carpenter. In 1901, John was living in the household of his son Robert in Marshalltown, Digby. He likely died sometime before 1910. John and Margaret had children:

• William Henry SIMS born 3 May 1841 in Granville, Annapolis. He married Elizabeth NELSON (last name comes from certain children’s birth certificates – have also seen it transcribed as Wilson). In 1871, he was living with his family in Broad Cove and making a living as a farmer. He continued to farm through 1881 and 1891 in Granville. In 1901, he and Elizabeth were living in the household of his daughter Sarah and her husband Benson Clements. In 1911, he was living with his son Benson and assorted young grandchildren in Inglewood, and in 1921, the couple was retired in Inglewood. They had children:
  • Sarah Ann SIMS born c. 1865 in Nova Scotia. Married Benson CLEMENTS, a farmer, on 1 Aug 1883 in Granville Ferry. Through 1891 and 1901, they lived in the area, later with Sarah’s parents. Benson accidentally burned to death in 1909, and Sarah remarried the following year to Henry JACKSON, a widowed farmer, on 8 Dec 1910 in Bridgetown. They lived in Inglewood (1911, 1921). Sarah and Benson appear to have had a daughter, Henrietta CLEMENTS, born 1892, who is listed on the 1901 census.
  • Adelia (Odenia or Delia) SIMS born c. 1866 or 1869. Listed on the 1871 census as Odenia Sims. On the 1881 census is reads as Adenia or Denia (difficult to decipher). She married John L. DIXON, a labourer, on 5 Sep 1885 in Bridgetown (as Delia Sims). In 1891, they were living in Bridgetown with a daughter, Eva DIXON (born 1890). The timeline gets a bit confusing after this. Adelia later remarried to Elijah TYLER, a widowed farmer, on 7 May 1917 in Bridgetown. However, as early as 1901 and 1911, they are living together in Granville as Elijah and Adelia Tyler along with an infant son, Charles TYLER (born 1899) in 1901. As to what happened to Adelia’s first husband, in 1911, there is a John Dixon working as a labourer in the household of a John and Augusta Tyler, which could be a match. It’s possible John and Adelia split up, but Adelia was only able to remarry once John had died (Adelia is listed as a widow on the second marriage certificate). This is all speculation.
  • Margaret E. SIMS born c. 1868 in Nova Scotia.
  • Mary Ann SIMS born c. 1870 in Nova Scotia. Does not appear with the family in the 1881 census.
  • Hannah M. SIMS born c. 1872 in Nova Scotia.
  • Mary Eliza SIMS born c. 1874 in Nova Scotia. Married Fletcher JACKSON, a farmer, on 23 Aug 1896 in Bridgetown. I could not find Mary or their children on the 1901 census, but Fletcher appears as a farm servant in the household of a Mary Pratt in Bridgetown. Fletcher died of tuberculosis in 1909, and Mary remarried to James Thomas FRANCIS, a widowed labourer, on 24 Oct 1909 in Bridgetown. He died shortly after, also of tuberculosis, on 28 Nov 1910. On the 1911 census, Mary is listed in Inglewood as a widow with three of her children. She later married for a third time to Willis Pennel DAVID, a widowed cooper, on 3 Jun 1916 in Bridgetown. Willis died in 1950 in Hammond’s Plains, Halifax, and he is listed as a widower on his death certificate, so Mary must have died sometime before that. Mary and her first husband Fletcher had children:
    • Robert (Robie) Benjamin JACKSON born 30 Sep 1897 in Bridgetown. In 1911, he seems to have been supporting his widowed mother and siblings by working as a courier (at the age of 14). In September 1916, he enlisted to serve in the First World War. He was a member of the Canadian Overseas Railway Construction Corps (No. 2 Construction Company) and served in France and Belgium. After the war, he married Margaret MITCHELL on 29 Aug 1919 in Annapolis Royal. Robert died in 1973 according to his military service file.
    • Lawrence Robert JACKSON born 3 Jun 1898 in Bridgetown. He also served in the First World War, in the same unit as his brother Robert (Canadian Overseas Railway Construction Corps, No. 2 Construction Company). Lawrence seems to have gotten into a good deal of trouble during his wartime service, forfeiting pay and suffering other discipline for a variety of offences: making away with rations, being absent from work on a number of occasions, trafficking goods, commandeering a truck to visit a nearby village without permission, stealing others’ money and personal property, etc. In Sep 1919, he was tried and found guilty of various thefts and was sentenced to one year of imprisonment with hard labour. He married Ethel Elnoria JOHNSON on 28 Nov 1934 in Middleton. On his marriage certificate, his occupation is listed as a farmer. Lawrence died 20 Dec 1971 according to his military service file.
    • Sarah JACKSON born 1903 in Nova Scotia.
    • Benjamin JACKSON born 1907, died 10 May 1909 in Granville of tuberculosis.
  • Lizzie SIMS born c. 1878 in Delap’s Cove. Married Stephen JEHU, a farmer, on 27 Apr 1901 in Bridgetown. Died 21 Nov 1913 in Bear River.
  • Emma SIMS born 22 Jun 1878 in Delap’s Cove. Married Arthur FRANCIS, a labourer and fisherman, around 1897. They lived in Bridgetown and Delap’s Cove (1901, 1911). Emma died 14 Jun 1918 in Delap’s Cove. She and Arthur had children:
    • Gladys FRANCIS born 1 Feb 1898.
    • Sadie May FRANCIS born 15 Nov 1899 in Bridgetown. Married Moses Edward STEVENSON, a farmer, on 24 May 1919. In 1921, they were living in Canard, Kings County. Sadie died in 1956.
    • Levinia FRANCIS born Nov 1901. Died 5 Apr 1921 in Delap’s Cove.
    • Myrtle FRANCIS born 4 Dec 1902 in Delap’s Cove. Died 28 Feb 1976 in Acaciaville. According to her obituary, she had two daughters.
    • Arthur Wilfred FRANCIS born 6 Dec 1904 in Delap’s Cove. He worked as a labourer and also served during the Second World War. Married Nellie Mae BUTLER, a maid, on 24 Mar 1943 in Acaciaville. Died 22 Aug 1975 in Middleton.
    • Charles Wilfred FRANCIS born 6 Dec 1904. Married Abbie OGDEN on 3 Nov 1925 in Upper Canard, Kings County. Died 28 Nov 1988.
    • Clifford FRANCIS born 30 Oct 1909. He was a fisherman. Married Ruth Marion BUTLER on 28 Feb 1927 in Granville Ferry. Died 21 Sep 1985.
    • Arlene FRANCIS born 8 Oct 1911 in Delap’s Cove. Married Ainsley Hathaway FRANCIS on 26 Jan 1931 in Acaciaville. Died in 1997.
    • Dorothy FRANCIS born 9 Mar 1916 in Delap’s Cove. Married Arthur JOHNSON on 23 Feb 1934 in Digby.
    • Preston Louis FRANCIS born 22 Mar 1917. Died 6 Aug 1939 in Brickton, Annapolis.
  • Charles William SIMS born 1 Jul 1879 in Bridgetown. He was a labourer and a sailor. He married Ida May MOREHOUSE on 21 Jul 1904 in Bridgetown. In July 1918, he appears to have been mistakenly arrested as a “defaulter” (someone trying to dodge conscription in the First World War), but he was never actually called up due to his age (“overage” being those outside the age bracket for service).
  • Benson SIMS born 20 Oct 1882 in Delap’s Cove. He was a farmer. He married firstly unknown wife (listed as a widower on 2nd marriage certificate) and secondly Clara Eliza LAURENCE on 3 Jul 1932 in Inglewood.
  • Inez SIMS born 1891. In 1921, she was working as a kitchen servant. Inez died 9 Mar 1923 in Bridgetown. She had two children (with no father listed on the birth records), and two more unknown children born before John (as per info on Mary’s birth certificate):
    • John SIMS born 10 Jan 1917 in Bridgetown. He appears on the 1921 census.
    • Mary SIMS born 6 May 1919 in Bridgetown.

• Joseph Freeman SIMS* born 14 May 1843 in Granville Lower, Annapolis. Married Lucy Hall JOHNSON*, the daughter of Zebediah JOHNSON* and Eunice ANDERSON*, sometime around 1867. He was a fisherman. Joseph died sometime before 1899, when Lucy remarried to Laurence Joseph SIMMS on 28 Dec 1899 in Delap’s Cove. Lucy married a third time to James Edward BROTHERS on 28 Nov 1929 in Granville, Annapolis. Lucy died 8 Jun 1941 in Marshalltown, Digby. She and Joseph had eight children:
  • John SIMMS born 25 June 1868 in Delap’s Cove. He was a mariner and fisherman. Married Serena HATFIELD 12 Feb 1891 in Digby. Died 2 Jan 1959 in Yarmouth. He and Serena had five children:
    • Joseph Clifford SIMS born 1 Apr 1892 in Digby. He immigrated to the United States in 1911. Married Marion Gertrude GRAHAM sometime around 1915. In 1916, they were living in Lynn, Massachusetts, where he was working as a machinist. By 1930 he was worker a the foreman in a garage. Joseph married secondly Elsie FANCY on 28 Jun 1936 in Northwood, New Hampshire, and in 1940, the couple was living in Massachusetts. Joseph died Nov 1972. He and Marion had two children:
      • Gertrude Ellen SIMMS born 26 Dec 1914 in Boston. She worked as a telephone operator. Married Paul BELIVEAU, a truck driver, on 11 Nov 1936 in Greenville, New Hampshire. Married secondly Donald F. SMITH. Died 2009.
      • Marion Louise SIMMS born 1917.
    • Orbin Kitchener SIMS born 27 Sep 1893 in Digby. He immigrated to the United States in 1912. Married Madeline Jeanette SMITH in 1918 in Lynn, Massachusetts. He was an elevator mechanic (1920, 1930) and later a chauffeur (1940). Died Sep 1986 in Lynn.
    • Lucy or Laura SIMS born 1895. In 1920, she was living in Lynn, Massachusetts with her widowed mother. The census records her as being divorced.
    • Gertrude SIMS born Feb 1899. Was living with her widowed mother and sister in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1920. Married firstly William J. ROURKE and secondly Frank CAMPANO. Gertrude died 1976 in Boston.
    • John Wilfred SIMS born 29 May 1903 in Digby. Like his siblings, he immigrated to the Unite States. Married Marguerite Tucker HOPPER on 2 Jun 1933 in Ayer, Massachusetts. He served in the US Navy during WWII. Died 6 Feb 2000.
  • Charles Thomas SIMS born 1870. He was a fisherman. Married Eleanor “Ella” HOLLIS, and they lived in Digby. Died 15 Dec 1940 in Digby. Charles and Ella had issue:
    • Robert Roy SIMS born 15 Sep 1895. He was a fisherman and sailor. Married Jennie CALLAHAN on 30 Jun 1920 in Yarmouth.
    • Lena SIMS born Jun 1898.
    • Beatrice SIMS born 10 Aug 1900. Married William ROBINSON, a longshoreman, on 6 Nov 1919 in Digby. Died 4 May 1933 in Digby. They had issue:
      • Dorothy ROBINSON born 1920. Married Victor RICE.
      • Marjorie Muriel ROBINSON born 10 Oct 1925. Died 31 Jan 1926 in Digby.
      • Baby Boy ROBINSON born/died 4 May 1933 in Digby.
    • Lola May SIMS born 29 Apr 1903 in Delap’s Cove. Married Alton TIDD, a fisherman, on 6 Feb 1930 in Digby. Died 10 Apr 2005 in Digby.
    • Ella Rosalie SIMS born Jul 1906. Married Norman David COOK, a brakeman for the Canadian Pacific Railway, on 26 Jun 1925 in Toronto.
    • Muriel SIMS born Jan 1910. Worked as a waitress in Halifax. Married John Arthur FARROW, who at the time was serving as an able seaman in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, on 6 Mar 1941 in Halifax.
    • Florence SIMS born 1914
  • Mary SIMS born 1871. Married Walter PETERS, a seaman, on 12 Dec 1888 in Parker’s Cove, Annapolis. Died sometime between 1891 and 1896, when Walter remarried to Ida SAVARY.
  • William Edgar SIMS born 8 Mar 1873 in Delap’s Cove. He was a fisherman. Married Caroline Edith SIBLEY, and they lived in Marshalltown, Digby. Died 12 Sep 1951 in Marshalltown. They had issue:
    • Evangeline Grace SIMS born Aug 1893 in Marshalltown. Married Roland Seaforth JOLLYMORE, a waiter, in Halifax on 27 Aug 1919.
    • Alma Edith SIMS born 19 Jun 1895 in Marshalltown.
    • Lillian Mary SIMS born Dec 1899. Married Stanley Preston SMITH, a railway brakeman, on 12 May 1924 in St. Johns, New Brunswick.
    • Harold William SIMS born 23 Nov 1905 in Digby. He was a farmer. Married Awilda Marie ROBINSON on 30 Jan 1943 in Annapolis Royal. Died 6 Jun 1991 in Digby.
  • Hannah “Hessie” Lucretia SIMS born 29 Jul 1874 in Deep Brook, Annapolis. Married David Thomas SIBLEY, a sailor, on 30 Jan 1895 in Digby. In 1921, she and her daughter Grace were working as servants in the home of Charles VYE in Middleton. Hannah died in 31 Dec 1963 in Digby. She and David had issue:
    • Ada May SIBLEY born 31 Mar 1896 in Marshalltown. She worked as a maid. Married Bowling Ashton TINKER on 2 Jun 1923 in Digby. Died 1979 in Digby.
    • John William SIBLEY born 2 Sep 1897 in Marshalltown. He was a farmer. He served in the First World War, joining up in 1916 and going overseas with the 25th Battalion, CEF (the Nova Scotia Rifles). He was wounded and suffered from shell shock. After the war, he married Catherine Charlotte GOLDEN on 19 Nov 1924 in Yarmouth. They had issue. He died 6 Jan 1981.
    • Ralph SIBLEY born 5 Sep 1897 in Marshalltown. He was a farmer. He also served in the First World War as part of the Canadian Labour Pool. He died of pneumonia at No. 46 Station Hospital in Etaples, France on 8 Nov 1918.
    • James Arthur SIBLEY born 10 Aug 1899 (his attestation papers list his DOB as 10 Aug 1898, but he may have lied about his age in order to serve.) He signed up to serve in April 1918. Died 16 Aug 1980 and is buried with his sister Dorothy in Saint Paul’s Cemetery in Marshalltown.
    • William SIBLEY born Sep 1900. Alive on the 1911 census.
    • Grace Helen SIBLEY born 23 Jun 1905. In 1923, at the age of 16, she sailed from Yarmouth to Boston. In 1930, she was working as a domestic in Boston, and she and her sister Olive were both lodged at the same residence on West Concord St. Grace married Harold R. PERRY on 6 Oct 1954 in Seattle. She died 5 Jan 1988 in Seattle.
    • David SIBLEY born Sep 1905. Was married and living in Marshalltown in 1949.
    • Nina Mildred SIBLEY born Jul 1908. Married Theodore Allan SANFORD, a farmer, on 24 Nov 1942 in Newport, Hants.
    • Hilda Belle SIBLEY born 19 Feb 1909 in Marshalltown.
    • Cameron Joseph SIBLEY born 1906 in Marshalltown. Married Laura Viola EISNOR on 9 Dec 1933 in Digby. Died 9 Feb 1939 in Halifax.
    • Freeman Edgar SIBLEY born 1912 in Conway, Digby. Married Laura SIBLEY on 18 Jun 1943 in Digby.
    • Olive SIBLEY born 1914. She moved to the United States in 1927. In 1930, she was working as a domestic in Boston and lodging in the same residence as her sister Grace.
    • Dorothy Seaton SIBLEY born 10 May 1915 in Marshalltown. In 1965, she was living in Digby and working as a housekeeper. Died 12 Jun 1985 and is buried in Marshalltown with her brother Arthur.
    • Rena SIBLEY born 1919.
  • Joseph Freeman SIMS born 1876 or 1878. He was a seaman. Married Mary Teresa MOFFATT on 4 Sep 1900 in Plympton, Digby. They had issue:
    • Leta M. SIMS born 1903.
    • Vera Edwina SIMS born 25 Mar 1908 in Smith’s Cove. Married Patrick Henry JUDD, a store manager, on 27 Mar 1934 in Toronto.
    • Hubert Emerson SIMS born 22 Jan 1911 in Joggin Bridge. He was a painter. Married Christina GEATER on 9 Aug 1932 in Toronto.
  • James Edward SIMS born 25 Nov 1880 at Granville Ferry. He was a fisherman. Married Bertha RYAN on 14 Jul 1899 in Digby. On his death certificate, his wife is listed as Lena SIBLEY, so he must have remarried at some point. Died 5 Nov 1965 in Marshalltown.
  • Cameron Joseph SIMS* born 3 Jan 1882 in Delap’s Cove. (*According to the 1901 census. Marriage records put his DOB at 1884 or 1889.) He was a fisherman. Married Virginie (Janie or Jennie) MUISE* , the daughter of Cyril* and Elisabeth MUISE*, on 19 Apr 1907 in Yarmouth. They had three children.
    
    At some point between 1911 and 1918, their marriage ended. On the 1911 census, Janie is the head of the household consisting of herself, her three children, her mother, and her brother Levi, though she is still listed as married. She was working as a mill hand in a cotton mill. On their son James’ (born in 1911) birth certificate, Cameron’s residence is listed as the USA at the time.
    
    According to the 1920 United States census, Janie and her mother moved to America in 1915 or 1917 (conflicting records), leaving her children behind. John, the eldest, was adopted by a family in Pictou, Helen seems to have died in a Halifax orphanage, and I could not find what became of James in the years before his marriage (see more below). In 1920, Janie is listed as divorced and living with her mother and her mother’s new husband, Simon CLEMENT in Reading, Massachusetts.
    
    By 1930, Janie was remarried to Jacques (James) COLLIN, and the couple lived in Wakefield, Mass. James was also from Yarmouth originally and came to the US in 1905. He worked as a finisher in a furniture business. Janie died 1 Feb 1976 in Reading.
    
    Meanwhile, Cameron remarried to Evelyn Evangeline FRANCIS on 15 Jul 1918 in Liverpool, Queens. They had children. Cameron died in 1966 and is buried in Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Liverpool.
    
    Children of Cameron and Janie:
    • John Melvin SIMS born Sep 1906 or 1907 in Yarmouth. By 1921, he had been adopted by Robert and Annie MACDONALD of Bailey’s Brook, Pictou. He worked in the lumber industry. Married Margaret MCGILLIVRAY on 21 Nov 1939 in Pictou.
    • Helen SIMS born Sep 1908 in Yarmouth. A Helen Sims from Yarmouth of the correct age died in the Roman Catholic orphanage in Halifax at the age of nine on 18 Mar 1918. Her parents are not listed, but this could be a match.
    • James Hubert SIMS* born 11 Feb 1911 in Yarmouth. Married Ada Constance CROOKS* on 24 Jul 1937 in Drum Head. At the time of his marriage, he was living in Goldboro and working as a miner. The Voters Lists of 1957 and 1962 show him living in Victoria Mines and his occupation is listed as a miner. By 1975, he was living in Woodstock, Ontario, and had retired on a disability pension. James died in 1987.

• Ellen SIMS born 1849 in Lower Granville, Annapolis. Married Joseph FRANCIS and had issue:
  • Hannah Dora FRANCIS born 24 Apr 1875 in Brooklyn, Queens (Nova Scotia). Married Grant SHEEHAN. Died 8 Sep 1908 in Lynn, Massachusetts.
  • Laura FRANCIS born 1877 in Liverpool, Queens. Married Granville SCHAWM, a waiter, on 19 Sep 1904 in Lynn, Massachusetts.

• John Whitman SIMS born 12 May 1852 in Granville, Annapolis. Was alive on the 1871 census, living with his family in Broad Cove and working as a fisherman.

• Charles SIMS born 1855. There is a Charles Sims of his age who appears on the Muster Roll of the “Coloured” Members of #2 Company of the Annapolis Militia (dated 13 February 1872), which could be a match. Charles died 26 Mary 1876 of consumption.

• Robert Ingalls SIMS born 1861. He was a farmer before leaving for the United States in 1885. Married Clara Belle KIMBER on 10 Jul 1886 in Lynn, Massachusetts. On the 1891 census, he is back with his parents in Lower Granville, perhaps visiting. In 1901, his household is living in Marshalltown, Digby, where he is listed as a fisherman. 1910 and 1920 see the family back in Lynn, where Robert is working as a teamster. By 1930 he owned a home worth $4000 as well as a radio set, and he and his wife took in a number of lodgers. Robert died in 1953 in Boston. He and Clara had issue:
  • Ruby SIMS born 23 Apr 1893 in Lynn, Massachusetts. Married Thomas E. HOLLAND, a radio electrician, on 21 Apr 1920 in Boston. Died 1925 in Lynn.
  • Blanche SIMS born 13 Jan 1897 in Lynn. Married Ralph TOWNSEND in 1916. Blanche worked as a stitcher and buckler in a shoe shop, and Ralph worked as a cook in a restaurant and later as a chauffeur and janitor. Blanche died 4 Nov 1983 in Salem. She and Ralph had children:
    • Robert TOWNSEND born 1918 in Lynn
    • Lois Juanita TOWNSEND born 18 Mar 1919 in Lynn. Married John SACHERSKI. Died 5 May 1988 in Lynn.
    • Evelyn TOWNSEND born 1921 in Lynn.
    • Muriel Blanche TOWNSEND born 9 Jul 1923 in Lynn. Died 27 Jul 1998.
    • Ralph Clyde TOWNSEND born 31 Oct 1925 in Lynn. Served in the navy in WWII and later worked as a machinist. Died 15 Mar 2009.
  • Leonard Randolph SIMS born 15 Jun 1900 in Digby. In 1920, he was living with his parents in Lynn, Mass. and working as a dye caster in a machine shop. In 1940, he was living with his father, his brother Earl, his widowed brother-in-law Thomas Holland, and Thomas’ children. He is listed as married, but his wife is not present on the census. Leonard died 18 Jan 1966 in Lynn. According to his Find a Grave page, he was married to Helen Whalen, worked at Vernon Plastics Co. and was a professional piano player.
  • Earl R. SIMS born 13 Jan 1908 in Lynn. In 1930, he was living with his parents and his occupation is listed as “shoe worker.” In 1940, he was living with his family and working as a buffer. He enlisted in the army in the summer of 1942 and served until the end of 1945. Earl died 15 Dec 1990 in Plymouth.
  • Doris SIMS born 25 Oct 1910 in Lynn. Married Joseph Adolphus CALDWELL and had issue. Died 4 Jun 1992 in Waltham, Mass.

• Dorothy Ann SIMS born 1871 in Nova Scotia. Does not appear on the 1881 census, so likely died young.

• Howard SIMS born 1872. He married Lydia James PETERS around 1891. They had children:
  • George Stafford SIMS born 1892. Married Ada JACKSON on 3 Aug 1912 in St. John, New Brunswick.
  • Robert Randolf SIMS born 6 Aug 1896 in Granville Ferry. Married Nellie Angeline ROBINSON on 27 Dec 1916 in Annapolis Royal. At the time of his marriage, he was working as a labourer in St. John, New Brunswick. In 1917, he enlisted to serve in the First World War, and his attestation papers list his occupation as a seaman. He was part of the No. 2 Construction Battalion. He went AWOL on 24 Jan 1917, was declared illegally absent on 13 March, and was struck off strength as a deserter, forfeiting 56 days worth of pay. Robert appears to have gone to the US after going AWOL, as he travelled to Boston via St. John, NB late Jan/early Feb 1917. He listed his father’s residence in Lynn, Mass. as his destination.
  • John Freeman SIMS born 1 Jan 1898 in Delap’s Cove. He enlisted to serve in the First World War in Feb 1916. John joined the 112th Overseas Battalion of the CEF and served in France and Belgium. The unit changed it’s designation partway through the war and became the 2nd Battalion of Canadian Railway Troops, and John stayed in service until demobilization in 1919. He married Eudevilla OWENS on 11 Oct 1923 in Bridgetown.
  • Harry De Mille SIMS born 1899. Married Luella May TYLER on 1 Mar 1924 in Bridgetown. His occupation is listed as a mariner on his marriage certificate.

2. Louisa J. SIMS born 1824 in Bridgetown, Annapolis. She married George JACKSON. In 1870, Louisa was widowed and living in Salem, Mass. with her children. She died 5 May 1891 in Salem. Louisa and George had four children:

• Robert JACKSON born 1852 in Bridgetown, Annapolis. In 1870, he was living with his parents in Salem and his occupation is listed as “works currying.” Died 7 Nov 1896 in Beverly, Mass.

• Maria JACKSON born either 1854 or 1862 (census and marriage records differ) in Bridgetown, Annapolis. Married Christian ISROOMY, a labourer from St. Croix, West Indies.

• Charles F. JACKSON born 1860 in Nova Scotia. In 1880, he was living with his aunt and uncle Athalenda (Sims) and William PETERS in Salem and apprenticing as a carpenter. Married Elizabeth FREEMAN on 26 Nov 1881 in Gloucester, Mass. In 1900, he was living with his family in Salem and working as a teamster with an ice team. His wife Elizabeth died sometime before 1910, as he is listed as a widow on the census. His occupation is listed as a hostler. On 11 Mar 1912 he remarried to Elizabeth SIMMON in Lynn. He and his first wife had five children:
  • Louisa F. JACKSON born 1882 in Massachusetts. Married Richard Arthur DORSEY, a steward, on 16 Jan 1900 in Salem. In 1910, Louisa was living with her family in Salem, where Richard was working as a porter in the furniture industry. Their children:
    • Joseph Walter DORSEY born 30 Nov 1901 in Salem. Married Beatrice and had issue. Died 1 Jan 1999 in Easton, Pennsylvania.
    • Julia E. DORSEY born 1904 in Salem. In 1920, she was working as a servant in the home of the Grady family.
    • Earlston (Earl) DORSEY born 16 Feb 1906 in Salem. Married Florence. He worked in construction and bricklaying and served in WWII from 1943-45 in the 3302nd QM Truck Company. He died 13 Dec 1960 in Easton, Pennsylvania.
  • Athelinda (Addie) JACKSON born 18 Mar 1884 in Salem. Married Emile BARBIER, a teamster, on 3 May 1904 in Salem. Died 29 Jan 1907 in Salem.
  • Charles Edward JACKSON born 13 Jan 1887 in Salem. He was a teamster. Married Carrie Louise HULL on 5 Jun 1912 in Salem and had issue.
  • Grace Jackson born 10 Jan 1893 in Salem. She was a nurse at the time of her marriage. Married Charles E. RANDOLPH, a coachman, on 9 Sep 1911 in Salem and had issue. Died 3 Mar 1984 in Lawrence, Mass.
  • George JACKSON born 8 Nov 1895 in Salem. Married Christalia RICHARDSON in 1916 in Salem and had issue. He was a truck driver. Died 28 Aug 1949 in Salem.

• William H. JACKSON born 31 Mar 1861 in Annapolis, Nova Scotia. He worked as a hostler and a teamster. Married Emma J. JACKSON on 8 Feb 1882 in Salem. Died 6 Apr 1901 in Beverly, Mass. He and Emma had seven children:
  • Marie Victorine JACKSON born 1884 in Salem. Married George Singleton FULLER, a steward, on 1 Feb 1900 in Beverly Mass. Had children:
    • George Freemont FULLER born 5 Jun 1900 in Beverly, Mass. Served in the United States Naval Reserve Force (USNRF) during WWI. Died 22 Sep 1926.
    • Dorothy FULLER born 28 Jul 1902 in Beverly, Mass. Died 29 Oct 1921 in Beverly.
  • Zella A. JACKSON born 21 Apr 1885 in Salem. Married Owen HILL, a farm labourer, on 16 May 1909 in Salem. They had a daughter:
    • Ruth HILL born 1906. In 1930, she was living with her parents and working as a servant in a private household.
  • Bertha M. JACKSON born 5 Jan 1887 in Salem. Married Moses T. BRUCE, an iron riveter, on 14 Jul 1907 in Boston. Married secondly George DOUGLAS. In 1940, the couple was living in Boston, and Bertha was working as a domestic for a private family. She died 7 Mar 1984 in Boston.
  • Shellie S. JACKSON born 25 Jun 1888 in Mass. Married James GUY, who worked in shoe machinery manufacturing. In 1930, she was widowed and living with her brother William.
  • Esther Black JACKSON born 6 Oct 1890 in Beverly, Mass.
  • William Alfred JACKSON born 7 Oct 1892 in Beverly, Mass. He worked as a teamster and a cleaner. During the First World War, he served as a corporal with the 550th Engineers Service Battalion. Married Mary. Died 19 Apr 1967.
  • Charles Dolphus JACKSON born 10 May 1895 in Beverly. He served as a corporal during WWI in the 367th Infantry Regiment. In 1930, he was living as a lodger in the household of Jane Florence WATKIN in Boston, and they are both listed as musicians with the Cotton Pickers Co. In 1940, they are listed as musicians with their workplace as a cafe, with the addition of another musician, Hubert KING, to their household. “Cotton Pickers” was a generic band name used by Brunswick records for a number of small jazz recordings made by black musicians in the ’20s, so it would be interesting to know more about his musical career and if there was any connection. Charles later worked at the Connecticut College for Women in New London. He married Marjorie (?). Died 1958 in New London, Connecticut.
  • Rita JACKSON born 21 Sep 1896 in Beverly. Married Frank N. McCOY JR. on 21 Oct 1919 in Cuyahoga, Ohio. At the time of their marriage, Rita was working as a manicurist, and Frank was working as a doorman. In 1920, they were living in Cleveland, and Frank was working as a barber. By 1940, Rita had remarried to Casper GOULD, a waiter at a country club, and they lived in Boston. She died 20 Feb 1988 in Boston.
  • Ruth Manila Black JACKSON born 27 Jul 1898 in Beverly. Died 29 Sep 1898 in Beverly.

3. Amanella SIMS born 1825 in Nova Scotia. In 1860, she was living in Lynn, Mass. with her sister, Athalenda PETERS. She is recorded as being a pauper at the time. Married STEVENS. Died 14 Mar 1880 in Salem.

4. Arthurland (or Athelinda or Adeline) SIMS born 1831 in Bridgetown, Annapolis. Married William PETERS, a carpenter, sometime before 1860. In 1880, they were living in Salem with their nephew, Charles JACKSON, who was apprenticing, possibly with William, to be a carpenter. She died 22 Oct 1909 in Lynn.

5. Jacob Henry SIMS born 1836 in Nova Scotia. He was a farmer and a labourer. Married Maria Bertha FOWLER on 8 Jan 1862 in Granville, Annapolis. They had children. Maria died sometime before 1909, perhaps in the same outbreak of tuberculosis that killed others in the community during that time. Jacob married secondly a widow, Cynthia (CUFF) JACKSON, on 30 Aug 1909. Children of Jacob and Maria:

• Fannie Eliza SIMS born 1864 in Weymouth Falls, Digby. (Weymouth Falls was a Black settlement originally built in the 1780s outside of the village of Weymouth.) Married Solomon LANGFORD, a farmer, on 12 Oct 1895 in Weymouth. Solomon had three sons from his first marriage to Elizabeth PLEASANT, who became Fannie’s stepsons.
  • Henry Lloyd LANGFORD born 1891 in Weymouth Falls. Died 28 May 1909 of tuberculosis.
  • William Thomas LANGFORD born 17 Sep 1893 in Weymouth Falls. Moved to Detroit, where he owned a shop and married Wilma. Died 22 Apr 1952 in Detroit.
  • James Solomon LANGFORD born 1894. Died 2 Jul 1910 of tuberculosis.
    Fannie and Solomon’s children:
  • Lila May LANGFORD born 15 Jul 1901 in Weymouth Falls.
  • Rita Ann LANGFORD born 5 Dec 1901 in Weymouth Falls. Married Cecil SIMMONS. Died 26 Jan 1940 in Weymouth Falls.
  • Elizabeth (Bessie) LANGFORD born 27 Sep 1904 in Weymouth Falls. Married Simon WILSON.

• Mary Emma SIMS born 18 Jan 1869 in Granville. Married Charles TALBERT, a farmer from Bermuda, on 23 Oct 1890 in Granville Ferry. In 1901, they were living in Granville (not all of their children’s names are easily decipherable). Mary died 4 Oct 1947 in Delap’s Cove. They had children:
  • Lloyd (??) TALBERT born 1892 (son)
  • Ethel (??) TALBERT born 1893 (daughter)
  • Lottie Ann TALBERT born 1894. The date on her birth certificate (1 Apr 1901) does not match her DOB on the 1901 census (1894), but it is a delayed registration, and her brother may not have remembered correctly when he applied for the certificate in 1932. Lottie married Kenneth Watson ALLISON on 30 Aug 1921 in Windsor.
  • Laura (??) TALBERT born 1896 (daughter)
  • Charles Jacob TALBERT born 5 Oct 1899. He was a fisherman and never married. Died 2 Jun 1944 in Delap’s Cove.
  • Lena (??) TALBERT born 1899 (daughter)
  • Jessie C. TALBERT born 8 Apr 1905 in Delap’s Cove.
  • Florence Kathryn TALBERT born 15 Apr 1915 in Delap’s Cove.

• Laurence Joseph SIMS born 1870 in Granville. He was a farmer. He married Lucy Hall JOHNSON*, the widow of his uncle, Joseph Freeman SIMS*, on 28 Dec 1899 in Delap’s Cove. Lucy was twenty years his senior. Laurence died 18 Jul 1924 in Delap’s Cove.

• Martha Ann Fowler SIMS born 1 Jul 1873 at Granville Ferry. Married James H. MITCHELL, a teamster, and they lived in Lynn, Mass. Died 19 Aug 1911 in Lynn. They had issue:
  • Ralph A. Mitchell born 1895, died 31 Jul 1895 in Lynn.
  • Edna Louisa Mitchell born 1 Aug 1896 in Lynn.
  • Joseph Alvey MITCHELL born 24 Feb 1900 in Lynn.
  • Charles Reginald MITCHELL born 11 Oct 1906 in Lynn.

• Bertha SIMS born 1875 in Granville Ferry. Married George FRANKLIN on 12 Jan 1896 in Lequille. They lived in Lequille (1901, 1911). Bertha died 29 Jan 1915 in Lequille. They had a daugther:
  • Mary FRANKLIN born 1896. Married Edward BARNARD, a farm hand, on 27 Nov 1915 in Windsor.

• Minnard Edward SIMS born 1876 in Delap’s Cove. He was a fisherman. He drowned 23 Dec 1911.

• Norman SIMS born 15 May 1870 in Delap’s Cove. He was a farmer. Died 4 Oct 1942 in Bridgetown, Annapolis.

• Athelinda SIMS born 20 Jul 1880. Married Harris RUGGLES, a sailor, on 8 Dec 1902 in Annapolis Royal. Died 21 Jun 1934 in Annapolis Royal.

• Louise SIMS born 8 Jun 1882. In 1901, she was working as a servant in the household of a William MALCOLM in Annapolis Royal.

6. Johanna SIMS born 1837. Died 24 Apr 1907 in Lynn, Mass.