Individual Details

Benjamin had three grants in the western part of Goochland County: one of 200 acres, one 350 acres, and a third of 100 acres, all on the Fluvanna River.
1758. Benjamin bought 450 acres from James Saunders that he sold to William Cabell in 1760 before moving to Anson Co, NC

Library of Virginia online:
Virginia PB 23, p.909 Benjamin Mims granted 200 acres south side of Fluvanna River adj William Cabbell, and others. Goochland Co. 10 Jul 1745
PB 31, p.584 Benjamin Mims grated 100 acres on Phillips Creek, Albemarle Co. 10 Sep 1755
PB 31, p.703 Benjamin Mims granted 350 acres on Meridays Creek, Albemarle Co, 10 Sep 1755


There were five sons: David, John, Thomas, William, and Samuel. It is also possible there was a son Richard who removed to South Carolina - the will of Benjamin mentions "children" but does not name them.
David and Samuel were both killed in the massacre at Fort Mims, 30 Aug 1813.
A son Thomas was named in his will as executor.

Son David is proved by a deed of gift, Jul 1758 in Anson Co NC, when Benjamin gave him goods and chattels, a pewter dish, a feather bed, a horse. Perhaps David was marrying.

From The Mims Families of Edgefield, Addresses & papers delivered at the annual meeting of the Edgefield Co Historical Society, 29 Jun 1951, found in Library of the SC Genealogical Society, Charleston, was an article "John Mims and His Descendants" by Miss Helen Wallace Mims. she had some interesting things to say about Benjamin Mims.
...he sold land in Albemarle, which had been formed from Goochland, and his wife Judith, relinquished dowry. Two years later, 1753, he sold the remainder of his property and then is found in Anson Co, NC. Drury Mims, his nephew - son of his brother David, went with Benjamin to court and acknowledged deeds on the same day.

30 Mar 1780 North Carolina, Land Grant Files. Anson Co.
Benjamin Mims, 50 acres, Grant #35 issued 30 Mar 1780, Warrant #1050, 20 Jun 1779. Book 37, p. 292. North East of Peedee on the drains of Marks Creeks.

27 Nov 1783. Will of Benjamin Mims, Richmond Co, NC. To my wife, land and plantation, and after her death I leave unto all my children all my estate to be equally divided as they may see best. Wife and son Thomas to be Executors. Signed: Benjamin Mims. Wit by Thomas Moorman, Joseph Hall. Presented Jan Court 1788; proved by Thomas Moorman.


Posted in Ancestry tree:
Benjamin Mims was born in 1710 as recorded in the register of St. Peter's Parish in New Kent County, Virginia, but he grew up in Henrico Co. The area where his family lived was included into Goochland County, Virginia in 1728.

Benjamin married Judith Woodson about 1732 probably in Goochland County, Virginia. (Quote by Ann Blomquist in 2002: “Benjamin Mims’ wife's name has been widely reported to be Judith Woodson, but (to date, 2002) no records have been found to support this. The VA Woodson family is well documented and no Judith Woodson who married a Mims is included in their genealogies. ”)

In July 1745, Benjamin received a patent of 200 acres in Goochland County for £1, "on the south side of the Fluvanna River on top of a cliff by the river," adjoining William Cabell. This land is located in present day Buckingham County, Virginia. (1)

Albemarle County, Virginia was formed in 1744 from the western section of Goochland County, Virginia. In January 1745, Benjamin was paid 140 pounds of tobacco by the Albemarle County Court for delivering one old wolf's head to the court. (3)

In March 1748, Benjamin bought land from David Griffith (4)
In January 1749, Benjamin sold the 200 acre tract “on top of a cliff” to William Cabell for £28 with Benjamin’s wife, Judith giving her consent. (4) (Quote by Ann Blomquist in 2002: “This is the only known reference to Judith's name”).In 1749, Benjamin Mims was also shown as having adjoining land. (1)

In March 1752, Benjamin Mims sold 3 tracts of land to James Sanders: 100 acres on the Slate River and 350 acres on Meredith's Creek for £75, and 200 acres on both sides of Griffith's [creek], a north branch of the Slate. Benjamin had remaining land as the Slate River property was described as adjoining "his own" land. (4)
In 1753 Benjamin Mims left Virginia for Anson County, North Carolina.
In January 1753 in Anson County, North Carolina, Benjamin Mims witnessed a deed between Joseph Hall and Andrew Moorman. (7)
In January 1754, Joseph Hall sold 250 acres on the southeast side of Hitchcock's Creek in Anson County, North Carolina to Benjamin Mims for £25. (7)
In September 1755, Benjamin Mims paid 10 shillings for a patent on 100 acres on Philip's Creek adjoining his own lines in Albemarle County, Virginia. He also paid £1.15 for a patent on 350 acres on Meredith's Creek of Slate River adjacent to Thomas Gibson and William Perkins. (2) Philips Creek and Meredith's Creek are not identified on modern maps, however the Slate River runs through present day Buckingham County, Virginia which was formed from the southern portion of Albemarle County, Virginia in 1758.
In May 1757, Benjamin Mims was mentioned in land patent for John Webb as having land located on the north side of the Pee Dee River on both sides of Hitchcock's Creek in Anson County, North Carolina (5)
In 1758 Benjamin Mims bought 450 acres from James Saunders in Albemarle County, Virginia. (9)
In June 1758, Benjamin Mims still owned land in Buckingham County, Virginia because his land was mentioned as adjoining Bishop Toney on Grassy Patch Creek. (4)
In July 1758, Benjamin Mims made a gift to his son, David Mims "for natural love & affection" of all goods and chattels, one pewter dish, one feather bed, and horse”. The witnesses were Thomas Moorman, Joseph Hall, and Benjamin Moorman. (7)
Also in 1758, Benjamin Mims was mentioned as having adjoining land on the north side of the Pee Dee River in a deed between John Webb and Israel Snead in Anson County, North Carolina .(7)
In January 1760, Benjamin Mims was a witness to a deed between John Elkins and William Watkins. (7)

In 1760 Benjamin Mims sold the 450 acres he had purchased in1758 from James Saunders in Albemarle County, Virginia to William Cabell. (9)

In March 1760, Benjamin Mims is shown as having land adjoining Abraham Smith on Meredith's Creek in Albemarle County, Virginia. (2)

In December 1760, Benjamin Mims was mentioned in land patent for Thomas Moorman as being on the northeast side of the Peedee River, adjoining the patent of Thomas Moorman in Anson County, North Carolina (5)
In February 1764, Benjamin Mims was mentioned in a land patent as having land which adjoined Samuel Snead on the southwest side of the Peedee River in Anson County, North Carolina . (5)

The courthouse in Anson County, North Carolina burned in 1868. Some early records were saved, but not the deeds. In 1779, part of Anson County, North Carolina was taken to form Richmond County, North Carolina. Benjamin Mims’ land on Hitchcock's Creek was located northeast of the town of Rockingham, North Carolina and was included into the new county of Richmond County, North Carolina. Richmond County, North Carolina has no surviving deeds prior to 1784. So, Benjamin Mims’ transactions for the years 1764 - 1783, cannot be determined.

On November 7, 1783, Benjamin Mims wrote his will, dated November 27, 1783 and is partially transcribed below: "Know ye that I Benjamin Mims of Richmond County in the province of North Carolina being in right mind and proper judgement Do this the twenty seventh day of November and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three [1783] do make and confirm this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following that is first, I desire that my body may be decently buried and all my just debts paid. Secondly, I leave and bequeath unto my well beloved wife my land and plantation with all the rest of my moveable property during her life or widowhood and after her death. I leave unto all my children all my estate equally to be divided amongst them as they may see best. I constitute and appoint my well beloved wife & son Thomas Mims my sole executors of this my last will and testament whereunto I have set my hand and seal." Benjamin Mims signed the will which was witnessed by Thomas Moorman and Joseph Hall. The will was presented at the January Court in 1788 and proven by Thomas Moorman.In his will, Benjamin did not name his wife or all of his children.
(Quote by Ann Blomquist in 2002: “As of this date (6/2002), only two of Benjamin's sons are known for certain: David (by deed) and Thomas (in will). His other sons are assumed because they were the only Mims in Anson Co records for these years. Richard is the only son who did not leave a record in Richmond Co. Unfortunately, his daughters are unknown. Even though he was a younger son, Thomas was made an executor of his father's will because all of the other sons had left the county by 1783.
Of Benjamin's children, sons Samuel and David were among those massacred by Indians at Ft. Mims AL in 1813; sons John and Richard settled in South Carolina; son William settled in Georgia.”)

Sources:
(1)Nugent, Nell, “Cavaliers and Pioneers”, Volume 5, pages 133, 346
(2)Nugent, Nell, “Cavaliers and Pioneers”, Volume 6, pages 101,116, 269
(3)Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly (VGSQ), Volume 24, (November, 1991), page 314.
(4)Davis, Bailey F., “The Deeds of Amherst County, Virginia 1761-1807 and Albemarle County Virginia 1748-1763”, pages 8,18, 27, 34.
(5)Hofmann, Margaret, “Colony of North Carolina 1735-1764 Abstracts of Land Patents”, Volume 1, pages 64, 400, 502.
(6)McBee Collection, “Anson County, North Carolina Abstracts of Early Records”, Volume 1, pages 36, 80.
(7)Holcomb, Brent, “Anson County North C arolina Deed Abstracts 1749-1766, Abstracts of Wills & Estates 1749-1795”, pages 27, 32, 77, 84, 86
(8)DenBoer, Gordon, “North Carolina, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries”.
(9)Mims, Sam, “Leaves from the Mims Family Tree” (1961), pages 16-17, 19.
North Carolina Land Patents
Anson County, North Carolina Deed Records
Richmond County, North Carolina Will Book 1, page 18.
Research by Ann Blomquist. (2002)

Christen	18 Jun 1710	Saint Peters Parish, New Kent County, Virginia
Death	Jan 1788	Richmond County, North Carolina
Marriage		Judith ?Woodson

Spouse	Judith ?Woodson ( - )
Child	John Mims (1739 - 1804)
Child	David Mims ( - 1813)
Child	Thomas Mims (1750 - 1809)
Child	Samuel Mims ( - 1813)
Child	Living
Child	Richard Mims (1757 - 1800)

Father	Thomas Mims ( - )
Mother	Amelia Ann "MellyAnn" Martin ( - )
Sibling	David Mims (1700 - 1780)
Sibling	John Mims (1705 - 1779)
Sibling	Thomas Mims ( - )
Sibling	Sarah Mims (1712 - )