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John Symes, Esq. (4 March 1573 – 29 October 1661), was an English landowner, lawyer, and politician, renowned for his roles in local and national governance. Serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Somerset, Sheriff of Somerset, and Justice of the Peace, Symes was a prominent figure during the late Tudor and early Stuart periods. A steadfast Royalist during the English Civil War, his career reflected both his commitment to the Crown and his administrative expertise. His family's connections tied him to some of the most prominent figures in England's legal, political, and aristocratic circles.

Early life and education

John Symes was born on 4 March 1573 in Somerset, England, to William Symes (1544–1597), a successful merchant and landowner, and Elizabeth Hill, daughter of Robert Hill of Taunton. The Symes family achieved recognition in 1591 when William Symes was granted arms by James I: "Azure, three escallops in pale or". It is unclear whether he was knighted.

John was educated at Exeter College, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1588 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1591. He furthered his studies at Lincoln's Inn, where he trained as a lawyer, preparing him for his future roles in governance.

Marriage and family

In 1595, Symes married Amy Horner, daughter of Sir Thomas Horner MP (1547–1612), a knight of the shire for Somerset and a prominent figure in Elizabethan England, and Amy (Popham) Horner (1553–1604). Amy Popham was the daughter of Lord Chief Justice Sir John Popham. Sir John Popham (1532–1607), served as Lord Chief Justice of England and presided over the trials of Sir Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes.Sir Thomas Horner was the son of John Horner, Gent and Muriel (Malte) Horner. Muriel Malte, was the daughter of John Malte, tailor to King Henry VIII.

John and Amy had three sons and eight daughters. Their son Thomas Symes Esq.of Winterbourne (1617–22 January 1669), inherited the family estate and expanded the family's mercantile and colonial endeavors. Thomas married Amy Bridges (1621–1662), sister of Sir Thomas Bridges of Keynsham. Their arms are: Azure, three escallops in pale or (Symes), impaling, Argent, on a cross sable a leopard's face or (Bridges). Thomas Symes had a son, William (1646–1726) who immigrated to the Colony of Virginia and became a planter in Sittenbourne Parish, Richmond County. Thomas's other son, James (1645–1685) also moved to Virginia.

Political and civic career

Symes was a central figure in Somerset's governance, serving in various roles over several decades:

• Justice of the Peace for Somerset (1608–1626, 1627–1645): Symes presided over local courts, maintained law and order, and oversaw administrative duties such as poor relief and road maintenance. In 1614, he and Robert Hopton were the only justices to oppose Sir Robert Phelips in an election.
• Member of Parliament for Somerset (1624): Elected during the reign of James I, Symes served in Parliament, contributing to committees addressing social issues such as drunkenness and legal abuses, including the misuse of supersedeas.
• Sheriff of Somerset (1626–1627): As sheriff, Symes was responsible for tax collection, executing court orders, and organizing local militias.
• Commissioner for Knighthood Compositions (1630–1632): Symes administered fines on wealthy landowners who failed to present themselves for knighthood during the reign of Charles I.

Symes protested against ship-money in 1636, but was on the king's side in the Civil War which ultimately led to his appointment as Lord Lieutenant a year later.

• Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset (1637–1642): As Deputy (Lord) Lieutenant, John Symes held a critical role in Somerset's military and civic administration during a period of growing political tension leading up to the English Civil War. His responsibilities included organizing and overseeing the county militia, which involved recruiting and training soldiers, maintaining weaponry and supplies, and ensuring the readiness of local forces to respond to threats. Symes' role extended beyond purely military duties; he was also responsible for coordinating with other local officials to uphold public order and manage defense strategies. This included responding to potential insurrections, suppressing unrest, and preparing the county for any royal mandates requiring military support. His position as Deputy Lieutenant placed him in direct service of the Crown, reflecting his loyalty to King Charles I during a time when tensions between the monarchy and Parliament were escalating.
• Commissioner of Assessment and Array (1641–1642): Symes was involved in organizing local military levies and taxation to support the Crown.

Additionally, Symes held various specialized commissions:

• Commissioner of Sewers (1610, 1616, 1625): Oversaw drainage and flood prevention.
• Commissioner of Disafforestation, Roche Forest (1627): Supervised the conversion of forest land for agricultural and private use.
• Commissioner for Enclosure, Sedgemoor (1628): Managed disputes and legalities surrounding the enclosure of common lands.
• Oyer and Terminer Commissioner (1629–1643): Addressed serious legal cases on the Western Circuit, including crimes such as treason and robbery.

Symes was a staunch Royalist, supporting King Charles I during the English Civil War. In 1643, he was appointed Commissioner for Rebels' Estates, managing the confiscated properties of Parliamentarian supporters. This loyalty to the Crown came at a cost, as Symes faced financial penalties and was forced to take refuge in Gloucestershire during the Cromwellian period.

Later life and death

Following the English Civil War and the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Symes regained his estates but, due to declining health, spent his final years in Frampton Cotterell, Gloucestershire. He died on 29 October 1661 at the age of 88 and was buried at St. Peter's Church in Frampton Cotterell. His epitaph lauds him as a man of "wisdom, justice, integrity, and sobriety", virtues he displayed throughout his life.

His descendants carried on his legacy, most notably through his son Thomas Horner Symes, who expanded the family's mercantile interests, including ventures to the West Indies and the American colonies. The Symes family later established roots in colonial Virginia, where they became influential landowners.

Descendants and surname evolution

In the late 17th century, Virginia colonial records, clerks often recorded names phonetically and Symes was simplified to Sims. By the time of Richard Sims (1676–1746) in Virginia, the family name was firmly established as "Sims" in official records. This spelling was consistently used by his descendants, including William Sims (1730–1797), who settled in Orange and Culpeper Counties.

William Symes (1646–1726), a descendant of the English Symes family of Somerset, immigrated to the Colony of Virginia and became a planter in Sittenbourne Parish, Richmond County. His brother, James Symes (1645–1685), also moved to Virginia, establishing another branch of the family. Over generations, the descendants of William Symes integrated into Virginia's colonial society, solidifying their presence through strategic marriages and landholding.

One such descendant was Frances Sims (b. 1754), the daughter of Thomas Sims (b. 1726) and Mary Nalle (b. 1734). Through her father, Frances inherited the distinguished lineage of the Symes family. Thomas Sims was the son of William Sims (b. 1678), who carried forward the family's transition from Symes to Sims.

Frances Sims married Joshua Morris (b. 1752), a surveyor and officer in the American Revolutionary War, intertwining the Sims family with the Morris and Stapp families. Joshua was the son of William Morriss (b. 1722) and Elizabeth Stapp (b. 1729). The Stapps also had connections to the Sims lineage through Elizabeth's sister, Anister Stapp, who married William Sims, a descendant of James Symes (1645–1685). These marriages further linked the Morris, Sims, and Stapp families, reinforcing ties among influential colonial families.

Mary Nalle, Frances's mother was the daughter of John Nalle (b. 1703) and the sister of Amey Nalle (b. 1743), who married William Morriss (b. 1739), a cousin of Joshua's father, William Morriss (b. 1722).

References

1. "SYMES, John (1573–1661), of Poundisford, Pitminster, Som.; later of Frampton Cotterell, Glos. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
2. "Monumental Heraldry in Dorset | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
3. Brockman, William Everett (1959). Orange County Virginia Families: Volume III. W.E. Brockman.
4. "Quarter sessions records for the county of Somerset. Volume III: Commonwealth, 1646-1660". Somerset Record Society. 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
5. "HOPTON, Robert (c.1575-1638), of Ditcheat, Som. and Llanthony Abbey, Mon. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
6. Great Britain. Public Record Office; Hardy, Thomas Duffus; Rymer, Thomas (1869). Syllabus (in English) of the documents relating to England and other kingdoms contained in the collection known as "Rymer's Foedera.". Cornell University Library. London, Longmans, Green.
7. Vivian-Neal, Arthur Westall; Rawlins, Sophia Wyndham (1968). The Sheriffs of Somerset from the Eleventh to the Twentieth Century. Hammett.
8. Toulmin, Joshua (1822). The History of Taunton, in the County of Somerset. J. Poole.
9. "St Peter's, Frampton Cotterell". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
10. "CHURCH OF ST PETER, Frampton Cotterell - 1136248 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
11. "Adam Symes and His Descendants, by Jane Sims Davison Morris | The Online Books Page". onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
12. Brockman, William Everett (1949). Orange County (Va.) families and their marriages; a supplement to and including Virginia wills and abstracts; a genealogy of colonial Virginia families with a thousand marriage bonds to 1800. Allen County Public Library. Minneapolis, Burgess Pub. Co.

• 1573 births
• 1661 deaths