Originally belonged to: Sherod and Leodocia Sandlin James
From the collection of Jackie Miller of Eunice, NM
This Bible was apparently purchased in York, SC in the late 1790’s. Sherod and Dicy James recorded their family statistics and passed the Bible on to their first child, Elizabeth James Caldwell. Betsy and her husband, William Caldwell, moved from York to Gilmer County a few years prior to the birth of their last child, Allison Caldwell. Allison inherited the Bible upon the death of his mother.
The original Bible has been destroyed in a fire, but a photocopy of only two pages remains and has been widely distributed to Caldwell and James descendants.
About some of the names mentioned:
Sherod and Dicy James died in the early 1850’s and are buried in the James Family Cemetery on Old Talking Rock Road in Pickens County. Betsy Caldwell died just prior to 1880, and it is presumed that she is buried in the same old family cemetery. Selina James married first Johnson Alberty, a Cherokee Indian who was taken on Trail of Tears. She and baby remained behind with the James family, and Selenia eventually remarried to Hiram Reid in Pickens County. She and many of her descendants are buried at the Talking Rock Baptist Church Cemetery in Talking Rock, GA. Allison Caldwell married twice to sisters in the Bailey family of Pickens County. Upon the death of his second wife and a baby in the early 1880’s, he moved his family to Texas after a brief stop in Arkansas
These notations are all in the same hand and are issues of Sharud and Leodocia James, all born in York District, South Carolina. Missing from this list is Cynthia James, sometimes listed as an issue of this marriage…we believe her to be the daughter of Edmund James, brother to Sharud.
- Betsy James was born April 22 1799
- Daniel James was Born July 22 Day of our Lord 1801
- Gilly James was born December 27th 1803
- [Mary] Polly James born December 29th 1805
- Sarah James was Born March 27th 1808
- Sharud James was born July 1st 1810
- John [Shelton] James was born May 14th 1812
- Nancy James was born July 12th 1816
- Selenia James was born february 26th 1819
On the same page as the above notations, but in a different handwriting are these issues of Elizabeth (Betsy) James Caldwell. All were born in South Carolina except Allison, who was born in Talking Rock:
- John Caldwell was born July 16th 1818
- Sharrad J[ames] Caldwell was born July the 17 1820
- Mary E Caldwell was born November 2 1822
- Malvina Caldwell was born April 11 1829
- Shelton S[ims] Caldwell was born march the 24 1831
- Elizabeth J[ames] Caldwell was May the 1 1833
- William S Caldwell was born May the 9 1835
- Alason [Allison] Caldwell was born July 28 1838
Recorded on the page left for marriages are the following entries in Allison Caldwell’s hand. They are only four of the issues of his marriage to Frances Ann Bailey of Pickens County.
- luster B Caldwell was born January the 7 1860
- Alford B[artow] Caldwell was born august 29 1861
- A[ndrew F[ranklin] Caldwell was born May 17 1863
- Mary ‘a’ was born december 14 1864
These marriages were recorded in the same hand as the births of children to Sharud and Dicy James:
- Daniel James was married September 16th AD 1829 Arabella [Clement] Fulton
- Sherod James was married to maria Dunken [Dunagen] Oct 5th 1828