SARAH SIMS (?)
the pure....
Wife and Mother
BORN TO A HIGHER LIFE
Hath Died....
Late Consort of Ferdinand Sims
Innocent...
...
An the Stars in Heaven

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∼Sarah Alexandra "Sallie" McNutt, born in Virginia, was the daughter of Alexander McNutt and Rachel Grigsby. She never met her father, as he died 78 days before she was born, from pneumonia. She married Ferdinand Sims, on 19 Mar 1836 in Warren Co., MS.

They had 4 known Sims children:
-Unknown daughter (1 of 2, under age 5 in 1840 and missing in 1850).
-Laura, 11 Sep 1838, MS born (Henry De Veuve), below
-Smith D., 25 Aug 1842, MS born, below
-Eugenia McNutt, 8 Nov 1852, TX born (Louis Alaric Clifton), below

On the 15 Dec 1834, her mother Rachel Grigsby McNutt made out her will (and codicil), naming daughter Sarah as her executrix. It was filed with the Rockbridge court on 3 Feb 1840. Rachel left a lot of property to unmarried daughter Catherine, with the stipulation that if she doesn't have any children that it is to revert to daughter Sarah. She leaves the "residue of her estate both real and personal not herein before disposed of" to Sarah.

Sarah was recorded in Vicksburg, Mississippi in Mar 1836 and through at least 1842. Her father's gravestones begins: "A tribute by his daughter Sarah Sims of Vicksburg, Miss. to the memory of..." Her brother, Joseph Porter McNutt, also lived in Vicksburg.

Her family has some interesting history of its own. Her brother, Alexander Gallatin McNutt, was the Mississippi senator from 1835-1837, President of the senate in 1837 and the 12th MS governor from 8 Jan 1838 - 10 Jan 1842. (See The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, by the Mississippi. Dept. of Archives and History, for the Biographies of Governors, p 59; plus his MS home is believed haunted, see multiple sites for the McNutt House in Vicksburg. In 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places with photos, etc. I used to have his boxed decanter and cordial set, handed down in the family. It had gold trimmed edges and a tiny floral design.

Her sister Margaret McNutt, the wife of Elisha Paxton, was the mother of Confederate Civil War General, Elisha Franklin "Bull" Paxton.

Her grandfather's brother, Alexander McNutt, 1725-1811 (not her brother) was the "chief executive of Nova Scotia under English rule." It is interesting since he helped settle the region, and has a long captivating history of its own. He left under unfavorable circumstances.

17 Dec 1840, "Ferdinand Sims and Sarah his wife" are mentioned in a Rockbridge Co. Commissioner's Notice, regarding Jas McChesney and her sister, Frances A. (McNutt) his wife, Plaintiffs vs Elisha and Margaret Paxton, administrator of Benj McNutt, deceased. Her sister’s husband, James McChesney sold his wife's McNutt family property prior to the division of the deceased siblings shares were divided amongst all the McNutt siblings. Her sister Frances’s husband, James McChesney, sold his in law's (Rachel Grigsby McNutt's) dower land following her death in Jan 1840. It was formerly the land of Alexander McNutt's (died 1812), who died intestate. James was his executor. He sold the Rockbridge Co. land (about 125 acres) prior to the division of the deceased siblings (Benjamin, Joseph & John) shares were divided amongst all the McNutt siblings. It was sold to John Hamilton, husband of Elizabeth McNutt. The entire 108 pages are online at the Library of VA. . Rockbridge Co. News public notice (see photo).

By 1850, they were residing in Galveston, TX. On the 22 Apr 1850 Galveston Co., TX census, Ferdinand Sims, 38, was head of household with Sims: Sarah A., 37; Laura, 13 and Smith D., 10, all "NC" (sic) born.

On 7 Jul 1856, two years before her mother died, Laura married Henry de Veuve.

Sarah died in Galveston, on 15 Dec 1858. I found her husband and children on the 1860 3rd Ward, Galveston, TX census, I found attorney F. Simms (sic), 51, GA born; (male) Smith Simms, 17, MS; Eugenia, 7, TX born.

In April 1865, son, Smith D Sims, surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia and "walked home to Galveston."

On the 1870 1st Ward, Galveston Co., TX census, I found "Physician" Ferdinand Sims, 60, b in GA, with $8K in real estate with 2 Sims: male Ins. Agts Clerk, SMITH D. Sims, 26, b in MS, and student Egenia Sims, 17, TX born with 3 domestic servants. (maybe he went by the title, Dr., since a legal degree is a "Doctor of Jurisprudence").

3 Feb 1873 ad in the Galveston Tri-Weekly Civilian: REAL ESTAE (sic) MATTERS.- The following is a complete list of the transfers of the real estate during the week, as filed for record in the office of the District Clerk: Ferdinand Sims to Sarah E Wallis, the western portion of lot No. 10 in block 258 for $550 (shared by TC).

Rapides, Louisiana Probate Dockets; Old docket #2113, 1868 - 1883, Carey vs. McNutt. 15 November 1875. George W. Carey et al. vs. heirs of A. McNUTT for partition. Re: Elizabeth Hamilton and husband, P. G. White. Heirs of Martha Glasgoss [sic], Jonas Weil. Francis A. McChesney. Miss Catherine McNutt. Heirs of Rebecca Hickman. Absent heirs of Mrs. M. Paxton. Heirs of Mrs. Jeanette Jenkins. Heirs of SALLIE A. SIMS.

Henrietta H. McCormick's Genealogies and Reminiscences, Chicago, 1897, p 105-106, says Sarah Alexandra McNutt was born 15 Jun 1812, married in 1836 to Vicksburg, MS attorney Ferdinand Sims. McCormick is related to these McNutts.

Bio by: LSP