James Arthur Skidmore

James Skidmore Biography

Added by IvyOlah39 on 17 Sep 2009

Originally submitted by Dennis_Skidmore to Charles Edward Skidmore Ancestors on 21 Feb 2008

JAMES SKIDMORE was born in the early 1800's in Clay County, Kentucky, the son of Joseph (no. 146) and Mary (Barker) Skidmore. He married firstly Mary, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Bullock) Abbot on 15 October 1822 in Pike County, Indiana where he called Arthur on the bond perhaps to differentiate himself from his uncle of the same name who had been enumerated in the same county in 1820. He married second July Ann (or Julian) Sims (who was born in 1813 in Grainger County, Tennessee), the daughter of Alexander and Barbara (Cotner) Sims. Julian was the widow (with several children) of William Porter who she had previously married in Monroe County, Indiana, on 1 December 1828.

Two bonds are on record in Monroe County for their second marriages. On 6 January 1832 he and July Ann Sims entered into a contract to marry but presumably no marriage ceremony was performed. Later, on 7 November 1833, he and Julian Sims obtained a new license to marry. Julia A. Sims was a sister of Edward Sims "of Monroe County" who had married Rebecca (Sims) Skidmore in 1826. In 1860 Julia A. Porter (who was born in 1813 in Tennessee) was living in her father's household in Beech Creek Township, Greene County -- a township that adjoins Owen County to the south.

James Skidmore was taxed in 1821 in Mongomery Township back in Owen County, but is missing in 1822 at the time of his second marriage in Pike County. In 1823 he was in Owen County once again, but is missing in 1824 and 1825 only to return in 1827, 1828 and 1829. Perhaps some of these absences and removals are due to an argumentative nature. He was indicted for assault and battery more than once according to the early Owen County Court Order books.

He moved in 1833 to Morgan Township, Coles County, Illinois but went back to Indiana for a time. He is also said to have gone briefly to Missouri but had returned by 18 April 1837 to Evansville in Vanderburgh County, Indiana where he sold to Clinton Thorn his crop of corn, oats, potatoes, and grains on land that he had leased in Section 9 of Township 7 South, Range 10 West in Evansville. On 23 February 1838 he mortgaged two yoke of oxen to satisfy a note due at Evansville. Descendants say he died there, presumably before the 1840 census.