~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JAMES ISHAM GIDEON, THE IMMIGRANT

It was August in 1764 when three young lads landed in Norfolk, Va., in a slow ship from Ireland, according to Judge Thomas Jefferson Gideon, prominent lawyer of Springfield, MO. Judge Gideon, a great-grandson of one of these immigrants, wrote a brief sketch in 1895 about this early Gideon family having lived near his grandfather for more than twenty years, most of the information was first hand as follows:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"James Isham Gideon, the founder of this branch of the family in America, was born in Cork, Ireland, in A.D. 1749 of Irish parentage. His father was a Hatter by trade and in humble circumstances. The news of the New World, its riches and advantages and the free homes it offered, increased his desire to escape the oppressions of the Old World, and he cast his lot with the great masses who were pushing the star of the empire westward. In the Spring of 1764 in company with his two half-brothers, Roger and Frank, they sailed for America and landed at Norfolk, Virginia about August 1764. They settled in Roanoke Co. Virginia on a large tract of land where they engaged in farming until the War of the Revolution broke out. Remembering the suffering of the Irish people at the hands of Great Britain, their natural antipathy for England, and their love of liberty, they entered the Continental Army under Washington and served during the war.

Frank was killed in battle in Virginia, and left only James Isham and Roger from which the family sprung. After the war closed, they retired to their homes and it is said that Roger married and moved to New York.

James Isham married Patty Mills in Wilkes Co., N.C. who was perhaps of English descent. He moved to Wilkes Co. N.C. and settled a farm on the Yadkin River. Of this marriage five sons and two daughters were born: Edward, William, James, Isham, Elizabeth, Sarah and John.

James Isham emigrated from Wilkes Co., N.C. to Hawkins Co. Tennessee and located with his family on a farm on War Creek where he died of Paralysis in 1832; his wife Pattie, died in 1834. In politics he was a Federalist or Anti-Tory; in religion he and his wife were Baptists, hard-shell, and he was a member of the Masonic Fraternity. Although a farmer, he was a Hatter, having learned the trade from his father in Cork, Ireland."

After years of searching for the old Gideon Bible, it was located by Judge J.R. Gideon of Forsyth, Missouri in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in possession of a great great granddaughter, Catherine Florence Cullifer. (A xerox copy included here.) Unfortunately the page of deaths was torn out so the dates of some of the family will forever remain a mystery. It is interesting to see the various spellings of the name in the Bible.

The marriage License of James Isham Gideon was found in Wilkes Co., N.C., but the ink has faded through the almost 200 years and the photo-stat is not plain enough to include. However it reads: "Know all men by these presents that we James Giddens and Stephen Carpenter of Wilkes Co., N.C., are held and firmly bound until Richard Cavwell Esq. Govnor &c. in the full sum of 500 pounds (subject to liquidation) to be paid to the said Richard Cavwell, Govenor and his successors in office to which payment will be Truely be made, we bid ourselves, Our Heirs, Executors and Administrators, jointly and severally firmly by these presents stated with our seals and dated this first day of February A.D. 1787."

"The condition of the Above Obligation is such that whereas James Giddens hath made application for a marriag(sic) License to be granted between his James Giddens, and Martha Mills- Now if there is no just cause to obstruct said marriage, but, if it be in every respect Lawfull, then the above obligation to be void. Otherwise to remain full force and Virtue."

Signed, sealed and delivered

James (X) Giddens (Seal)

in Presents of - his mark Wm. Lenoir D.C.C.

(Capitals and spelling as in the record)

Stephen (X) Carpenter(Seal) his mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Children of James Isham and Martha "Pattie" Mills Gideon: (dates and spelling as in the Family Bible)

1. Edward Giddens b. 5 November 1787 m. Katie Bunton

2. William Giddens b. 4 June 1791 m. Matilda Woods

3. James Giddins b. 21 August 1793 m. Sarah ________

4. Isham Giddins b. 15 October 1795 m. Nancy Miller

5. Elizabeth Gidins b. 12 March 1798 m. (1) Solomon Davis (2) Capt. John Pike

6. Sarah Giddins b. 21 November 1808 m. Hiram Reed

7. John Giddins b. 4 June 1810 m. Mary Ivans (Evans)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Footnote- In Biographical Sketches of seven Gideon Men in "The Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region" some stated that the brothers of James Isham were Roger and Edward, while another descendant stated the brothers were Reuban and Edward. Both Reuban and Roger have been found in N.C. and Georgia. Files of data have been collected on these men. It is hoped that their full stories will be compiled and published by someone later on. (end of quote from the book)

Update: A fellow researcher has found a Revolutionary War name of a Gideon, spelled various ways, in the "9th Continental Line of Virginia". Anyone with information on this unit or the military service record of James Isham Gideon, please email the webmaster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will of James Gideons
dated August 20,1823

[Special thanks to John Gideon for transcribing the will of James Isham Gideon.]

In the name of God, Amen.
I, James Gideons, Senior of the County of Hawkins and State of Tenn., being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory, calling to mind the mortality of my body, knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die.

First of all, I give my body to the earth to be buried in a Christian burial at the descretion of my Executor and my soul I give to Almighty God who gave it, nothing doubting but at the resurrection I shall receive both at the mighty hand of God. And as it has pleased God to bless me with such worldly estate wherewith I am blessed with do make constitute ordain and appoint this my last Will and Testament in the following manner and form.

Item First. I give and bequeath unto my son Edward Giddions $50.00 to be levied out of my estate in trade at trade rates. The next place, I give and bequeath unto my son William Giddeons one dollar in like manner.

Next, I give to my son James Giddeons $50.oo to be paid twelve months after my decease in trade at trade rates. Next, I give and bequeath unto my son Isham Giddions a certin boundary of my land whereon I now live, beginning on a forked sugar tree, running North to two dogwoods Thence East with a conditional line between Isham & John Gideons to a horn beam on the old line. Thence a South East course with the old line to a stake near William Gideons house. Thence West with a conditional line made between myself and my son William Gideons to a sugar tree. Thence Southeast Course with a conditional line to the old line to a stake near the top of Clinch Mountain. Thence with the old line to the beginning.

Next, I give and bequeath unto my two daughters Elizabeth Davis and Sary Reed all my household furniture with the exception of one bed and furniture to be equally divided between them at my decease and my wife's. Likewise, I give unto the above named daughters all my stock of every kind, likewise to be equally divided between them. And in the next place I give and bequeath unto my son John Gideons one feather bed and furniture.

It is further my will that my son Isham Gideons be my Executor and I do hereby appoint, constitute and ordain my son Isham my Executor to attend to the business as my Executor, and it is further my will that my son Isham sees to take care and support my beloved wife Martha Gideons of the substances of my estate during her natural lifetime, and it is further my will that if any of my said heirs are dissatisfied with this my last will & shall go to law about my property that they forfeit all claim to any part of my Estate, and the part that was allotted to them to be divided amongst the balance of my s'd heirs.

Now, I the said James Gideons, Senior do ratify this to be my last will and Testament, revoking and disannulling and disallowing all other wills and Tenements.(sic)

Signed, sealed and delivered This twentieth day of August in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight hundred and thirty three(sic) in the presence of us who in the presence of each other have hereto set our names as witnesses.
Test: Ab Hawk
James (X) Gideons (seal)
Nicholas Antrikin
James H. Gideons

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next Gideon Biography

Back to the Gideon page