The James Powell Family
by Kenneth Sims
An unknown source from the files of Bob Hullett, a descendant of James Powell, indicates that James Powell was born on September 9, 1759. U.S. Census records record that he was born about 1760 in Virginia. Thomas McAdory Owen (History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography Vol. IV, (Chicago, 1921), using information evidently provided by the Powell family, wrote that James Powell was married to Rebecca Bynum and that he was the son of John Jr. and Alice (Brewer) Powell and the grandson of John Sr. and Mary (Cromwell) Powell. Mary Cromwell was purported to be a relative of Oliver Cromwell.
Robert William Baird in his book Bynum and Baynham Families of America 1616-1850 says that Rebecca Bynum was likely a daughter of William and Mary (?) Bynum and the granddaughter of William and Mary (Fort) Bynum. [ A Family Called Fort by Homer T. Fort, Jr. and Drucilla Stoval Jones records the history of the Fort family.] Citing the writings of James' son George, Baird writes that James Powell was the son of John Powell and Alice Brewer who had moved into Chatham County, North Carolina from Virginia. Baird reports that
James Powell is found in several North and South
Carolina records with Bynums. For example he
witnessed Isacc Bynum's 1794 deed to Travis Risby
as well as Benjamin Bynum's 1809 deed in Pendleton".
Baird reports that the Powell's and Bynum's moved to Tennessee before moving to Blount County, Alabama. Baird does an impressive job of recording the migration pattern of the Bynum, and related families of Fort and Powell through North Carolina (where U.S. Census records indicate that Rebecca (Bynum) Powell was born) to Pendleton county, S.C. where early family records tell us that James' son George was born.
The date of the estate settlement of James Powell (Blount County, January 19, 1855) indicates that James Powell died at age 95 in late 1854. The estate settlement dated March 22, 1859 suggests the following children:
1. Mary, a daughter, who married James Cannon.
2. _________, a daughter, who married a Silverman and whose children Sheba Reed, Eli Silverman, Benson Silverman, and Elva Childress received her portion of the estate.
3. Elva, a daughter, who married Joel Childress.
4. George, a son.
5. Tilitha, a daughter, who married Zacheriah Stephens.
6. Green, a son who was born ca. 1799 in Pendleton, S.C. Green Powell married Martha (Patsy) Tidmore April 3, 1823 in Blount county, Alabama. Ms. Helen Smith, a descendant of Green, reports that he moved to Mississippi between 1835 and 1837 and to Texas by 1850 where he settled in Smith County. He later lived in Bosque County, Texas He died in 1878 in Bosque County, Texas.
7. Gray, a son, who was born about 1811.
8. Nancy, a daughter, who married Redding Reed in Blount County on February 3, 1820 .
9. Violanta, a daughter who was born ca. 1807 and married Allen Reed in Blount County on August 6, 1821.
10. Litilia (Letty), a daughter who was born ca. 1809 and married Elias Reed.
