My James Family of Houston County, Texas

by: Sandy Arnold Carr

  My James family went to Houston County, Texas in the mid 1870s. They traveled from Attala County, MS to Houston County with some more families that settled in Houston County. They were the Campbell, McComb, and English families that was kin folks.

 My second g-grandmother, Martha Ann Elizabeth McComb James b. 08 May 1837, Pickens Co., AL (d/o William & Drucilla (McMinn) McComb), married Benjamin Martin James b. 1825, Gibson Co., TN (s/o Henry White & Martha (Brown) James) about mid 1850s in Attala County, MS.

They had three children:

1. Mary Druesilla James b. 14 Feb 1857, Attala Co., MS, d. 15 May 1979 Houston Co., TX;

2. William Martin James b. 01 Jan 1859, Attala Co., MS, d. 18 Aug 1947;

3. Benjamin Franklin James b. Jun 1862, Attala Co., MS, d. 17 Aug 1917 Houston Co., TX.

 In 1862, Benjamin Martin James left his pregnant wife and two small children to join the Confederate Army.  Benjamin fought in eight major battles of the Civil War. He was wounded on 03 Sep 1864 at the Battle of Berryville, near Richmond, VA. He received severe wounds to the neck and shoulder. He died on 05 Nov 1864 in Richmond, VA.

In the mid 1870s, Martha A. E. James loaded up her children and started west along with some of her siblings, settling in Houston Co., TX.  Four of her siblings married Campbell siblings. She never remarried. She is buried in the Ivie Cemetery in Houston Co. beside her daughter, Mary Druesilla James Ivie.

Martha's eldest child, Mary Druesilla, married William Elisha Ivie in 1875 Houston Co., TX. Mary and her child died during childbirth on 15 May 1879. She is buried at the Ivie Cemetery in Houston Co., TX.

William Martin "Buddy" James married Mary Marinda "Ninn" Christi b. 03 Jan 1867 Sabine Parish, LA, d. 31 Dec 1953, (d/o Joseph & Louiza (Pate) Christi) on 20 Dec 1883 Trinity Co, TX.  They had nine children, all born in Trinity Co., TX:

1) Arthur Drayton James b. 05 Dec 1884 d. 20 Oct 1885, buried at the Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Houston Co., TX.

2) Ben Dalton James b. 10 Mar 1886, d. 26 Oct 1918

3) Robert Lee James b. 24 Sep 1888, d. 24 Oct 1942

4) Iris B. James b. 08 Dec 1890, d. 09 Dec 1933

5) Jesse Cole James b. 11 Jul 1893, d. 08 Aug 1983

6) Walter Marion James b. 15 Mar 1896, d. 19 Aug 1932

7)  Ila Lee James b. 23 Oct 1898, d. 01 Aug 1979

8) Willie Ann James b. 14 Nov 1901, d. 25 Dec 1991

9) Oda James b. 29 Oct 1904, d. 31 Aug 1964

Benjamin Franklin "Ben" James married Margaret Theodocia "Docia" Stubblefield b. 05 Jun 1871 Houston County, TX, d. 17 Aug 1951 Sabine Co., TX (d/o S. R. & Sarah L. (Linard) Stubblefield) on 24 Jul 1887 Houston Co., TX. They had eight children, all born in Houston Co., TX:

1) Zelda Frances James b. 23 Mar 1891

2) Son James b. d. 22 Dec 1893

3) W. T. "Tenny" James b. 23 Dec 1895 d. 15 Dec 1898

4) Jesse Howard James b. 02 Apr 1897 d. 18 Dec 1984

5) B. F. II "Frank" James b. 05 Nov 1898 d. 01 Mar 1902

6) Son James b. d. 11 Jul 1901/02

7) Sue Estelle James b. 01 Mar 1903 d. 18 Aug 1963

8) Edward Cleo James b. 20 Nov 1908 d. 19 Jul 1976