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Richard’s parents were John Thames Jr and possibly Susannah (maiden name thought to be Richbourg – unproven). To state that Susannah was his mother is to assume that John Thames Jr had only one wife, so that she was Richard’s mother should not be taken as fact.
Based on available census records, Richard was born sometime between 1790 and 1799. His first known son, William N Thames, was born in South Carolina in 1820, per census records.
Richard is mentioned in his father John Thames Jr’s will, which was recorded 5 Nov 1818 at Sumter Co SC, Will Book AA p 142. Richard was the executor of his father John’s will, along with John’s wife Susannah, which leads to the hypothesis that he was either John Jr’s eldest son, or the eldest son living in the area at the time John Jr wrote his will.
After John Jr’s wife Susannah’s death in late 1825 or early 1826, the land that was bequeathed to her during her lifetime was to be divided equally among Richard and his brothers. Richard received 320 acres in the division (Sumter Co SC Estate Papers, Bundle 92 package 8), but there is no record of him selling this property.
Richard is first found in Mississippi in Jefferson County (immediately west of Copiah County, where he died) on the 1832 tax list in Jefferson Co MS, which is immediately west of Copiah County. He also appears in Jefferson Co on the 1835 and 1837 tax lists.
Richard died at Copiah Co MS on 1 Dec 1851, based upon his estate file in that county. It’s a large file with many papers to review.
Daniel M Patterson served as the estate administrator (Thomas M Scott and William N Thames, securities), and after his death on 13 May 1857, Archibald Smith petitioned for administration of Richard’s estate, which was granted by the court. Smith was married to Patterson’s sister, according to the estate papers. After Smith settled the estate, it was discovered that some of Richard’s property had not been distributed among the heirs, and William N Thames became administrator de non bonis.
Richard’s wife, whose name is unknown (although it seems apparent he had as many as three wives), was deceased by the time the estate was administered, because the papers say he died “leaving no wife and 8 children, three of whom are of age.” One spouse has been identified, and her name was Rebecca (see below).
1820 – Richard Thames, Sumter Co SC, males under 10, 1; males 26-44, 1; no females
1830 – Richard Tims, Sumter Co SC, wife age 20-29; males<5: 1; females<5, 3; plus Wm Nelson Thames age 10-14
1840 – Richard Thims, Copiah Co MS – he’s b. 1790-1799
1841 – Mr/Mrs? Richd Thimes, Copiah Co MS – 2 males, 2 females
1845 – Richard Tims, Copiah Co MS – 4 males, 4 females
In 1840 and 1849, he received two land grants in neighboring Jefferson Co MS (no. 3075 in 1840 and no. 2086 in 1849); these were part of a dispute when his estate was administered (in the estate papers), the dispute being settled in 1853. It is apparent that he already owned this land by 1835 (based upon the deeds referenced above), but the grants were issued some years later.
1850 census – This is the family unit in Copiah Co MS, with obvious errors; but they’re next to the Buie family, which is where Richard is found on tax lists and on the 1841 census:
William Thames age 50 Copiah Co – b. SC, Wife Margaret, age 45, b. SC
Directly below him is William Thames b. 1825 GA Copiah Co MS, also in household are Patsey (Martha) age 20, Sarah age 18, Mary age 3.
Because of the gaps in the birth years of the children (see details about the children below), it seems Richard probably had as many as three wives – but at least two. Only one is known at this time. Her name was Rebecca. Her name is evidenced by two deeds records in Jefferson Co MS.
- The first deed is dated 18 Feb 1835, Jefferson Co MS, Deed Book C page 519. Richard and Rebecca sell the property shown in the 1840 and 1849 land grants to Buckner M Darden.[7] This means that Richard owned the land by 1835, but the grants were not issued until 1840 and 1849.
- Somehow this land reverted back to Richard, because on 20 May 1837, Richard and Rebecca sell this property again, to Milton Osteen, as shown in a mortgage deed recorded in Jefferson Co MS Deed Book D, page 48.[8]
Estate file – Richard’s heirs – eight children:
William N Thames (note, Richard had a brother William Nelson Thames, maybe Richard named him for his brother, or there may be a William Nelson somewhere further back in their lineage)
1. b. 1820 SC d. Jan 1865 per unsourced Find-a-Grave entry for his wife
2. married Amanda Miller 1855 (she lived beyond 1900 census) (Copiah Co MS Marriage Book C p 403)
3. Children Celesta, Nancy, Margaret Elizabeth, William Walter
Thomas Thames – no further data has been found
Margaret Thames
1. b. 1832 SC
2. Married Joseph Vickers 6 Jun 1850 Copiah Co MS (Copiah Co MS Marriage Book F p 101)
3. Lived in Louisiana at some point during the administration of Richard’s estate
4. Children Mary, Martha, Valentine, Andrew, Margaret, Emeline
Martha Ann Thames
1. b. 1832 SC
2. married Thomas M Scott (he died Apr 1866) m. 15 Dec 1851 (Copiah Co MS Marriage Book C p 91)
3. Children Benjamin, Thomas, James, William, Landrum, Margaret
Sarah M Thames
1. b. 1835 MS, 1860 census
2. married James Tatum 22 Sep 1858 (Copiah Co MS Marriage Book C p 600)
3. Children William, Eliza in 1860
Lovedy aka Emily Loveday Thames
1. b. Jan 1839 MS – 1900 census
2. by 1858 married George Hurlong per Richard’s estate file
3. Children John Thomas, Georgia Anna, Georgiana Bufkin, Mary Mildred Coe, Catherine Elizabeth, Henry Leaner, Louetta Jane, Daniel Varnador, Ida Leonora, Martha Ernie, Columbus Campbell
Rebecca Jane Thames
1. b. 1842, MS
2. married William Zadoc Warnock 24 Jan 1860 Copiah Co MS (Copiah Co MS Marriage Book D p 82)
Savilla Cora Thames
1. b. 1847 MS (see 1860) living with the Scotts
2. married Samuel B Kimble Copiah Co MS 1867 (Copiah Co MS Marriage Book E p 163)
3. Thomas M Scott became her guardian in 1859