James Montgomery was the fourth child of William Montgomery and Mary Johnston. He was born in Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania on September 1, 1787. He moved from Washington County to Indiana with his parents and siblings sometime in the summer of 1806. We can assume that he lived with his parents in Clark County, Indiana Territory until his marriage, at age 22, to Katherine Storm, in Clark County, on June 14, 1810. Katherine, the daughter of Jacob Storm, was born on February 14, 1791 in Virginia.

Willis Stucker, who was to become James' commanding officer later, during the War of 1812, married another daughter of Jacob Storm's, Margaret Storm, in Clark County, on December 29, 1808. James also served as a private in the Indiana militia from January 27 to February 26, 1813 under Captain Willis Stucker, and he served again (as a corporal) from March 6 to April 19, 1813, in the company led by Captain John Blizzard. James was awarded an $8 per month pension for his military service, commencing on March 9, 1878.

Sometime after 1818 and before 1820 James moved his family to Golconda, Monroe Township, Pope County, Illinois. His father-in-law, Jacob Storm, and his brother-in-law, Willis Stucker, were already living in Pope County at the time of the first Illinois census in 1818. The 1820 Pope County census for Monroe Township listed James' family with three males under 10, one male 26-45 , three females under 10 and one female 18-26. Father-in-law Jacob Storm also appears in the 1820 census, on an adjacent farm, with a household complement of one male under 10, one male 18-26, one male over 45, one female under 10, one female 18-26 and one female over 45. Willis Stucker was also living in the same township in 1820 with six children under 10, five of them girls, and his wife. Willis and Margaret are shown in the 18-26 range.

James Montgomery moved back to Indiana in 1824, taking up residence in Lexington Township, Scott County. The microfilm for the 1830 Scott County census is very blurred and indistinct, and the markings on it are subject to second-guessing, but it appeared that James' family at that time included two males, aged 5 to 10 , one male 10-15, two males 15-20 one male 40-50, two females 0-5 , two females 10-15, one female 20-30 and one female 30-40. Jacob Storm and his family are also found in the 1830 census of Scott County Indiana. However, Willis Stucker and his family remained in Pope County Illinois.

In the 1880 census for Scott County Indiana, James states that his father, William, was born in Maryland and his mother, Mary, was born in Ireland. In the 1880 Mortality Index for Pike County Illinois, the information for his brother, David Montgomery, also lists the birthplace for William Montgomery as Maryland and the birthplace for Mary Johnston Montgomery as Ireland.

Katherine Storm Montgomery died on June 4, 1853. James Montgomery lived to the ripe old age of 93, dying on June 2, 1881. Both are buried in Kimberlin Creek Baptist Cemetery. They had the following children:

Rebecca b. c1810 IN married James M. Sullivan

William b. 1810-1815 IN married Susanna Vest

John b. c1811 IN married first Mary A. (Polly) Bridgewater second Mary Jane Johnson

Sarah Ann b. 1818 IN never married

Polly (Mary) b. 1815-1820 IL/IN married Cresen Woods

Thomas Jefferson b. 11 Jun 1820 IL married Mary Elmira Blizzard

Johnson b. 1821 IL married Elizabeth Ferguson

David Edward b. 2 Oct 1824 IN married Patsy Dammie Allen Harris

Elizabeth Ann b. 1828 IN married John William Sullivan

Nancy Ann b. 19 May 1829 IN married first Richard Vest second Jeremiah Ellsworth Vest

Margaret b. 1832 IN never married

Sourced from Southard, Clifford E., The Life and Times of One Montgomery Family Line Vol. I 1996
Edited and Digitized 2012 by Warren Montgomery

wamont 2/15/2022