James Hooks appears in the records of Mississippi during the years following the Creek War. This was the time of treaties and acquisitions of Indian land by the U. S. Government. On October 18, 1820, by virtue of the "Doak's Stand Treaty" with the Choctaw, the area that comprises the present counties of Copiah and Simpson were ceded to the United States. Copiah County was formed on January 21, 1823 by a division of Hinds and Yazoo counties and included what is now Simpson County. This part of Mississippi was in the central part of the Mississippi Piney Woods. It is high rolling land that was, at that time, covered by dense stands of long-leaf pine with patches of hardwood in the bottoms. There were numerous springs which fed creeks and rivers that criss-crossed the sandy soil. The poor quality of the majority of the land precluded large agricultural enterprises in the early years. The pioneers of this land were primarily livestock graziers and hunters, whose chief interest in the land was to have a place for a cabin, a few out-buildings and stock pens, small corn and vegetable patches, and open range for their livestock. It was not until the 1860's that agriculture overtook open range cattle grazing. James was a typical settler who probably came from one of the poorer regions of the Carolinas and settled in the lower southeast corner of what is now Simpson County, just over the line from Covington County. (His wife and children received deeds for the land just prior to the Civil War. The total acerage, including about 159 acres located across the county line in Covington, was approximately 524). Since he did not have a large slave force to work his land and only three (or two) young sons he was probably a typical early settler of the pine country who ran free range cattle. In an attempt to generate cash, he purchased a female slave sometime after 1824. She is enumerated on the 1830 census of Simpson County as being between 10 and 24 years of age. The investment was more likely in anticipation of her fecundity rather than her physical prowess. By 1834 James was apparently dead. In that year his wife Lucy was listed on the tax rolls as the head of the family.
The place of birth for James is somewhat of a mystery. Family lore, in the Little branch of the family, states that he was born in Maryland, son of Roger and Rachel Hooks. In the 1880 census, Mary Ann Hooks Little indicates that her father was born in Maryland. However, in the same census, son Armblin states that his father was born in North Carolina. In the 1900 census, Armblin contridicts himself and states that his father was born in South Carolina. I have not been able to find traces of a Roger, Rachel or James Hooks in any of those states at the time period they would have been residents. Since Armblin contridicts himself about the birthplace of his father, I have indicated a birthplace of Maryland as indictated by Little family lore and Mary Ann's declaration in 1880.
Also a mystery is the son Jabez. In the 1840 census there are only two sons indicated; one is obviously Armblin while the other could be James or Jabez. In the 1850 census of Covington County, Jabez is living with Lucy and is nineteen years old. Also, Jabez received the deed for the acerage in Covington County. In 1860, I have yet to find a Jabez in all of Mississippi, however, Lucy is living with son James, age 27, in Covington County. Even though there is a two year age discrepancy, I feel that Jabez and James are the same person.
CENSUS RECORDS
1816 Territorial Census - Marion Co. Mississippi. 'James Hoocks, white male over 21 years of age.'
1821 Covington County, MS Tax Roll. 'James Hooks, $80. merchandise sales, Poll 1, Tax $.91'
1823 Copiah County, MS Tax Roll, p. 10 (Copiah County encompassed the area of Simpson County at that time.)
1824 Simpson County, MS Tax Roll. 'Jas Hooks, Poll 1, Slave 0, Free 0, Tax $0.75'
1830 Federal Census, Simpson County, Mississippi, page 182, line 22. The family is enumerated as 1 male under five (A. B.), 1 male over forty under fifty (James), 2 females under five (Rebecca and Rachel), 1 female over five under ten (Mary Ann) and 1 female over twenty under thirty (Lucy).
More About James Hooks: Date born 2: Bef. 1790, North Carolina.3869 Date born 3: Bef. 1790, South Carolina.3870
More About James Hooks and Lucy Ann Smith: Marriage: Abt. 1821, Mississippi (?).
Children of James Hooks and Lucy Ann Smith are:
+Mary Ann Hooks, b. September 28, 1822, Simpson County, Mississippi3871, 3872, d. May 02, 1922, Sabine Parish, Louisiana.
Rachel Hooks, b. Abt. 1825, Mississippi3873, d. Bef. 1850, Simpson County, Mississippi.
James Hooks (b. Bef. 1790, d. Bef. 1837)
Notes for James Hooks: