I have Daniel's bible and his parents death dates are given. James McBride Sr. died 28 November 1850 and his mother Sarah died 2 January 1854. I am sure they are buried at Antioch Cemetery. In 1850 census of Tippah Co. James and Sarah McBride lived next door to Anderson Street. An old letter exists dated 31 May 1858 where Daniel McBride writes a letter to his brother Sherwood McBride sending a draft for his share of their father's estate." - Gladys MeadowsGladys passed away in 2012. I'm not sure who has Daniel's Bible now.
Tippah County, where James is buried, is as far north as you can go in Mississippi. It is situated between Marshall County and Alcorn County on the Tennessee state line. The town of Ripley, Mississippi is the county seat. The area is replete with McBride and Street family descendants to this day. I found the Antioch Church cemetery during a visit in May of 2015. James' daughter Keziah's stone marker was easily located as well as those of several other family members.
James and his second wife, Sarah Jackson, migrated to Tippah County with the families of their son Daniel and their daughter Keziah around 1834-5. Keziah McBride was married to Anderson Street. That union produced fifteen children. The ninth child, Seleta Street, was the first to be born in Mississippi. Her birth date is recorded as 1835. This tells us the family was in Mississippi very shortly after the land was made available for settling. Although Mississippi became a state in 1817, North Mississippi was not opened up for white settlement until the Chickasaw land session of 1830. Legal settlement began in 1834. It would appear the McBride family were anticipating the available farmland and took advantage of it as soon as it was offered up.
James is found enumerated in the 1840 federal census in Tippah county. He died in 1850 but not before he was included in the 1850 Federal Census. Sarah shows up in his household. Neighbors listed around him include Keziah and Anderson Street and James' son Daniel (owner of the family Bible) and his wife Mary. We can assume James spent the last 15 years of his life in Tippah county living on the property of one of his children. I have found no land records for James in Mississippi.
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| Cropped page from 1850 Federal Census shows James' age and place of birth |
The 1850 Federal Census is the best document we have for James McBride. In this census, James lists his age as 77. That puts his birth around 1773. Virginia is given as his birth state. Of course census records are not infallible but it seems a safe bet that this information can be trusted because James, as head of household, likely provided the information himself to the census taker.
Prior to his years in Mississippi, much of his productive years were spent in Tennessee. His children were born there. The breakdown of his family is best described in a letter we have from James Louis McBride, one of his grandsons...
My great grandfather and granmother came from Ireland sometime between 17 hundred and twenty five and fifty before they married and granfather serves at prentiship as a blacksmith trade and then he married and settled in Virginia. They lived there till after the Revolution war and they then moved to Tennessee. I don't know how many children he raised. They raised several sons I never saw but 2 of them that was my granfather James and Uncle Daniel. James was my granfather. His first wife was a Brock. She had 4 children before she died, 3 sons and 1 daughter, John was the oldest, was my father, next Sharword then William next Kisey (Kesiah).There were two wives and two sets of 4 children. Like James Louis McBride, I descend from the oldest son, John, of the first wife, Sarah Ann Brock.
My granfather second wife was a Jackson. She had 4 children 3 boys and 1 girl, Daniel, Jefferson and Solomon and Polly (Mary).
My granfather fout threw the Revolutionary war. Great granfather and granmother lived till they was 93.
I find it interesting that he says his granfather fought through the Revolutionary War. The timeline doesn't quite work out for that statement to be entirely correct. Assuming the 1850 census is right, James would have been only 10 years old at the end of the Revolutionary War. But, I'm sure James Louis McBride didn't pull that statement out of thin air. No doubt there was some oral history passed down to him. I believe he was referring to his great grandfather (from Ireland) as having served through the Revolutionary War. In the same letter, he calls the man who served an apprenticeship as a blacksmith, then married and settled in Virginia his "grandfather." That man was obviously his great grandfather. Maybe he was just loose with the terms.
It could also be he had his wars confused. The ages work out for James Louis McBride's grandfather, James, to have fought through the War of 1812. In my mind, it is probable that both men served their country. Great Grandfather likely served through the Revolution as James Louis recalls and James McBride, at 40 years old, would still have been expected to respond to muster calls from his local militia in 1813. There is evidence for that.
James' local militia were those formed in Lincoln County, Tennessee. We have some land records for James in Lincoln County. That's where he was farming during the 1810's. He bought land on the headwaters of Kelly's Creek near the Alabama border and had it surveyed in 1808. Kelly's Creek is a tributary of the Elk River that flows east/ west along the southern portion of the county. His farm was about 13 miles from the county seat of Fayetteville, Tennessee.
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| Peter Tidwell, listed as a chain bearer on this Lincoln County survey plat, married Martha McBride, who is believed to be a sister of James. Some of her descendants match me and other descendants of James with no other discernible connection other than the McBride family connection. The plat maps are interesting because it was common for family members to assist in the survey of properties. The fact Peter is listed on this one reinforces the theory that Peter's wife, Martha was a sister of James McBride. |
Just up the Elk River from James and two miles south of Fayetteville was Camp Blount, where in 1813 Andrew Jackson collected the men that became his army who fought the first Creek War. These men soundly defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. In 1814 the men mustered at Camp Blount were part of those that traveled with Jackson down the Mississippi River and ultimately defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans. If our James served, he likely mustered at Camp Blount.
James' neighbor, Joseph Street, was roughly the same age as James and lived 4-5 miles closer to Fayetteville and Camp Blount. He became an in-law when two of his children married children of James. Keziah and Anderson, mentioned earlier, were one of those couples. Unlike James, Joseph's war record is pretty clear. He was one of those who traveled down the Mississippi to fight at the Battle of New Orleans. We know he died of illness while returning from that battle. His wife's pension application spells out the whole experience with witness accounts from his superior officers. I have a previous blog post about Joseph.
The search for James' 1812 service record has turned up two general index cards that record a James McBride in units that were formed at Camp Blount. Our James could be one of these, both of these, or neither. Unfortunately, I can't find a pension record for James. The index cards only list the name, rank and associated unit.
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| General Index Cards for James McBride. These units mustered at Camp Blount near Fayetteville, Tennessee 1813-14. May or may not be our James McBride. |
There is no way from these documents alone to confirm if this is our James. Lincoln county, Tennessee was home to at least two James McBride's in the early part of the 1800's. The other James McBride that we know of is buried in Belfast, Marshall County, Tennessee along with many other members of his McBride family. I'll refer to the families from here on out by where they are buried. I suspect we may be related somehow, but I have been unable to draw any connection between the Belfast McBride's and our Tippah County McBride's through records or DNA evidence.
The Belfast James is said to have been born in Ireland in 1751. He was 22 years older than our Tippah County James. His pension record indicates he settled in Lincoln County Tennessee along the Duck river in 1812. I find it unlikely that Belfast James could have served during the war of 1812. He was in his 60's and his pension record for service during the Revolutionary War filed in 1832 has no mention of 1812 service. He had no son named James, but it is possible he could have had a nephew or other relation named James McBride.
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| Family locations in 1813 |
It's very common to see ancestry trees online that lump our Tippah County James McBride in with the Belfast, Marshall County McBrides in one way or another. Some list Belfast James as father to Tippah James. More often, they list the parents of our Tippah County James McBride as John McBride (b. 1752) and Margaret McGahey (b. 1757). The argument is made that Tippah County James' first son is named John, likely after his grandfather. John and Margaret are buried with the Belfast McBrides and it is highly likely that John is a brother of Belfast James. While I think it is possible John and Margaret are related to me on some level, I do not believe they are the parents of our Tippah County James McBride.
We know a good bit about the McBride family buried at the Round Hill Cemetery at Belfast, Tennessee. That family spent a fair amount of time in North Carolina. Belfast James' extensive pension record lists the following...
From James McBride (b. 1751) Pension Record:
- Aug 1751 - he was born County Down, Ireland [Shortly after his birth moved to Lancaster Co. PA]
- 1771 or 1772 moved from Lancaster Co. PA to Guilford Co. NC.
- 1775 living in Guilford Co, NC at time of Revolutionary service.
- 1800 moved to Tennessee, principally in Williamson County, Tenn.
- 1806 moved back to Guilford Co. NC presumably to settle his father's estate, and lived there until spring of 1812.
- Spring 1812 moved to Lincoln Co. Tenn.
The Round Hill cemetery brothers, James and John, had a father named John McBride born in 1721 (Ireland). He was married to Jean Gahey and he left a will in 1806 at Guilford, North Carolina. In the will he names all his children including James and John as well as some grandchildren...
- 1832 living in Lincoln Co. Tenn. when applied for pension.
Last Will and Testament of John McBride, 25 Jan. 1806The assumption I have found perpetuating online is that my Tippah County James McBride is the grandson of John, the writer of the will, and the son of, John Jr., mentioned in the will. None of the countless trees online support this assumption with record evidence.
I John McBride farmer of Guilford - In the name of God amen. Being by the blessing of God in the perfect exercise of my reason, but in a low state of health do hereby make, appoint and constitute this my last will and testament. I leave my mortal body to the grave and my soul to God who give it...
I do hereby name, constitute and appoint my well beloved son James McBride [buried Belfast, Marshall County Tennessee] and Samuel Allison to be the true and faithful executors of this my last will and testament...
I do leave and bequeath all the land that I am possessed of together will all the stock on it, and estate property and heredetennet (?) to the same belonging without any let or encumbrance whatever except what is hereafter mentioned in this testament unto my four unmarried children that is to say unto my son James McBride, my daughter Elizabeth, my daughter Jean, and my daughter Sarah, equally among them share and share alike...
I do leave and bequeath unto my son John McBride one hundred dollars.
I do leave and bequeath unto my daughter Margret McGaughy’s two sons viz David and James McGaughy thirty dollars each to be paid when they are come of age, remainder to one if the other dies sooner, remainder to their mother if both dies - .
I do leave and bequeath unto my said daughter Margret one cow as soon as she desires to have it after my decease...
I do leave and bequeath unto my grandson John McBride one hundred dollars together with one middle rated horse & a saddle...
In consideration of the distance of the place of residence of my house and to present disputes when I am deceased I do hereby prohibit and restrain those of my heirs each and every one of them from selling or anyway disposing of their particular part or share of the said land until they are all agreed to the same...
That this is my true will and testament I have hereunto signed and sealed in presence of Samuel McDill and William Cosbie this 25th of January in the year of our Lord 1806.
John McBride.
Witnesses present.
Samuel McDill (Jurat).
W. Cosbie.
State of North Carolina. Guilford County.
Mary Court 1806.
Samuel McDill proved the execution of the within will in open court and on motion ordered to be recorded --- Then came in James McBride and qualified as Executor.
The will names sons James and John, daughters Elizabeth, Jean, Sarah and Margaret (who married a McGaughy). Grandchildren mentioned include David and James McGaughy and John McBride. Many of these people mentioned are buried in the Round Hill Cemetery at Belfast, Marshall County, Tennessee.
My reasoning for discounting this family's proposed connection to our Tippah County McBride's is twofold. (1) The will does not jive with what we know about Tippah County James McBride (from James Louis McBride's letter) and (2) the current evidence offered by DNA testing does not seem to support it either.
James Louis McBride's letter says his great grandparents were from Ireland and "lived till they was 93." John McBride and Margaret McGahey were 74 and 61 at their deaths. Margaret was born in Pennsylvania. There is some question about where John was born. Some say Ireland, but it is likely he was born in Pennsylvania also. James Louis mentions his great grandparents settled in Virginia. Tippah County James also says he was born in Virginia per the 1850 census. This is counter to the Belfast McBride family history which shows no residence in Virginia. They went from Ireland to Pennsylvania to North Carolina and finally to Tennessee.
The name Daniel does not show up in the Belfast, Marshall County McBride's family. James Louis tells us this great uncle's name specifically (as the only one he could remember). John's will (above) names three grandsons but does not mention Tippah James who would have been a 33 year old grandson at the time.
Secondly, I have found no cousins in my DNA matches that support a connection to the Belfast, Marshall County McBrides. My brother has done yDNA testing at FTDNA. The pool of matches is still a bit small, so there have been no big breakthroughs. I have managed to rule out a couple McBride families but have not been successful narrowing the field of possible McBride ancestors. I think this will come with time as more people do yDNA testing.
Additionally, I have autosomal testing for myself and two sisters that has proved helpful. The McBride matches we share collectively have revealed probable siblings or really close cousins of Tippah County James McBride. These include Martha McBride Tidwell (mentioned above), Rebecca McBride James, Nathaniel P McBride, Daniel McBride, Thomas McBride and John McBride (who married Fanny Clark). Unfortunately, the descendants of these 5th great uncles and aunts have no more information on their McBride ancestors than we do, but they do provide some new avenues for research.
My job now is to collect record information that confirms or denies the evident kinship suggested by these DNA matches. Often, learning their family stories helps develop ours. John and Fanny Clark McBride are one example.
In 1810 there is another property surveyed for our James McBride on Kelly's Creek where a John McBride is called out as chain bearer. This John, born in 1782, is believed to be a brother of our James. John married Fanny Clark and produced a large family. Some descendants of that union match DNA with me and other descendants of James McBride in the same way Martha McBride Tidwell's did. John and Fanny have no land records in Tennessee, but had children in Lincoln County. They most likely lived on our James McBride's property.
Some time before 1830 the Tippah McBride's including John and Fanny moved from Lincoln County, Tennessee to Lauderdale County, Alabama. James' son Sherwood bought property there. That land is now under the waters of Wilson Lake just east of Tuscumbia, Alabama. Tippah County James and his wife Sarah were there and probably his oldest son John (my 4th great grandfather). Sherwood later moved to Hunt County Texas after a stint in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Much of the rest of the clan also made the move to Mississippi around 1834-5.
There are no land records for Tippah James McBride after Lincoln County, Tennessee. Census records show he lived in Tippah the last 15 years of his life. The search goes on for his father. Here is what I believe to be the facts regarding my James' father:
- He was born in Ireland
- Last name McBride
- Immigrated between 1725 and 1750
- Apprenticed as a Blacksmith
- Married in the Colonies
- Lived in Virginia before and through the Revolutionary War
- Fought through the Revolution
- Moved to Tennessee in the 1780's
- Possible children include:
- Martha McBride Tidwell (1770-1837) Virginia birth
- James McBride (1773-1850) Virginia birth
- Nathaniel P McBride (1776-1841) Virginia birth
- Rebecca McBride James (1780-1834) Married in Tennessee
- John McBride (1782-1869) South Carolina birth, Married in Tennessee
- Thomas McBride (1785-1861) Tennessee birth
- Daniel McBride
- Lived very long life (possibly to 93 years old) as did his wife.
