James N. Erwin, III

Notes for James N. Erwin (II):

3/19/99 From John Crane at jcrane@digital.net

"Sarah bickham b. ca 1777 Ga d. aft 1860 m James Erwin (b. ca 1770 per Isaac Erwin and Thomas Erwin Bibles d 2/10/1817 Pike Co Mississippi s/o James N. Erwin of Aberdeen, Scotland and Agnes Patterson (?) of Ulster Providence, Ireland) First 4 children born in Louisiana, last 2 in Franklin Co, Mississippi.... It is not known exactly when she married James Erwin, although Christian said 1798. Her second child, said Christian, was born in Franklin County, Mississippi, indicating that Sarah was in Mississippi, however, the 1850 census stated her birth place as Louisiana. In any event, it appears that Sarah was born in GA, lived as a young woman in Mississippi, later lived in Louisiana, and then spent her last days back in Mississippi. She outlived her sons: Isaac died at age 47, John at 39, and Enoch at 22, and Elam at 28.

If the James Erwin who owned land in Mississippi in 1792 was Sarah's father-in-law, the Erwins preceded the Bickhams to Mississippi, and Sarah presumabley met her husband there. A James Erwin was listed in the tax rolls of Adams County in 1802, along with Abner and Thomas Bickham, JOseph and John Erwin, and Zadock Barrow. The Erwins appeared again in 1805 and 1807. John and James were listed in 1808 and 1810

The whole matter of the Erwin family is confused by there apparently being two generations of Erwin brothers with similar first names who lived in Mississippi at the end of the eighteenth century, and Sarah's husband may have been the third of his line to bear the name James."

In John Crane's book, "The Southern Bickhams", Chapter 12, on Abner Bickham, he reports that the first 4 children were born in Washington Parish, Louisiana and the last 2 in Franklin County, Mississippi.

Later, John stated that the "Christian" he referred to in his note was Bickham Christian, a fellow who lived in Shreveport, Louisiana and who accumulated a tremendous amount of info on the Bickham family. He died in the 1970's.

Birthdates and information on births, death, etc. from Erwin Bible, Genealogical Publications of the Mississippi Genealogical Society, Vol VIII (Sept 1961).

Original owner: Unknown

Present owner: Mrs. Ana erwin Pullen of New Orleans, LA

Bible published by: D. Fanshaw for the American Bible Society.

Address: Natchez, Adams Co, MS

Date Copied: 1957

Submitted by: fMarie Luther Upton (Mrs. R Chester)

Address: Madison, Madison County, MS

Note: Written at the top of first page of family record:

"May the names recorded here in the Lamb's Book of Life Appear."

See Isaac Newton Varnado Bible, this Volume pp 87-88.

4/10/99: John Crane wronte re migration patterns of Erwins and Bickhams:

"I can only theorize that because Mississippi was US territory while Louisiana (at that time, Spanish West Florida) was a foreign country, they wanted to keep a base in the US while trying to take advantage of the generous Spanish land grants. Also, at least in one case in 1799, some of the Bickhams tried to homestead on the Boca Chitto River in what is now Washington Parish, but were burned out and chased out by Indians, whith the result of their moving back to Mississippi. That was a major problem in Spanish West Florida -- the lack of police and military control. Spain was stretched far too thin in the area, making it a haven for criminals, and the American settlers wanted greater security was a significant factor leading to the rebellion of 1810."