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- GENEALOGY SUBMITTED BY CECIL NORRID MONTGOMERY, CMS 59,DATED JULY 1990.
GENEALOGY ALSO SUBMITTED BY FRANK M. MONTGOMERY, CMS 774.
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Our MONTGOMERY family is believed to have descended from the
Amherst County, Virginia Montgomery's. Here, in 1783, we find several Montgomery families listed, some of whom were slave owners.
Those found are David, James, David Jr., two John's, and Joseph Montgomery. We have no proof of the name of the father of James Montgomery (our ancestor) but we have the following leads:
In the 1840 census of Wayne County, Missouri is listed the family of James Montgomery born 1786 in Virginia / living with this family is listed a male, age 70 to 80 years old. This may have been the father of James, but only the head of household names are given in 1840. This male is not listed in the 1850 census, possibly he had died between 1840-1850.
Also from Goodspeeds History of S.E. Missouri is lised the Sheriff of Wayne County for the year 1819 - JOSEPH MONTGOMERY. I believe this may very well be the father of James - if so according to his age in 1840, his birthdate would be between 1760-1770.
So we will begin our family with James Montgomery born 1786 in Virginia, who came to Wayne County (which would have, at that time, been the Territory of Missouri as Wayne County had not been formed.).
It is believed that James Montgomery may have come from Virginia to Missouri, with the first wave of settlers who came from Virginia and settled in Missouri at an early date.
NOTE: As we begin with James Montgomery line, many of the statements
of Coker Montgomery will be used (these were sent to me by
Norrid Montgomery). Coker, grandson of Benjamin Franklin
Montgomery, son of James (1786). Coker now deceased.
James Montgomery is said to have settled near the Holmes Cave, now called Rebel Cave. He was given permission to live and farm on the Ephraim Stout Spanish Grant. Coker states that "when James came there, there was no one around, except the indians, and they left each other alone". This land was later sold and divided into one mile sections. Coker states "they just took chopping axes and went in there and blazed a mile each way, it didn't matter whether it was north or south - this caused lots of confusion later, where the lines ought to be ..". Although James is said to never have owned land - his name is written in as land owner on an old 1847 map of that Baker Park area, near Patterson, Missouri. (This needs to be checked out at Wayne County Courthouse.)
Seemingly there are few records of the life of James Montgomery, but judging from the fact that many people of early days could not write their names (signing by an X mark), one would say that James had a good education for this day and time. This is known by his signature in 1865, when he appeared at Iron County Courthouse and signed an afadavit that he was the father-in-law of Matilda C. Montgomery. He gave his age as 79, a resident of Wayne County, Missouri. James died between 1865-70; and is said to be buried near the Sam A. Baker Park, beside the road. There are three graves in a curve of the road, with field stones as markers.
NOTE from Coker's talks (speaking of Montgomery ancestors):
My Grandaddy always claimed that they left England because they forced a taxation to keep up the Church of England, and the old folks didn't feel they wanted to be forced to do anything ... so they went to Ireland, yes that was years and years ago ... and they went to Scotland and then to Ireland ... they felt they were more Irish. Of course when the older ones moved to Scotland they married and intermarried ... he said they always claimed to be Irishmen .. They wouldn't claim a drop of English blood.
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