Today’s story will feature the Sirmon family which settled in Conecuh County, Ala. A number of the descendants resided in the Sepulga community, and some spread into Covington County. The name has appeared in a number of spellings such as Sirmon, Sermon, Sermoner and Serman, but the current preferred form is Sirmon.

There is a record of one Edward Sermoner departing Bristol, England, and landing in America on the eastern shore of Virginia circa 1852. He was a passenger on the ship True Love. There is a record of a Thomas Serman in England about this time who might have been the father of Edward. Another record lists an Edward Serman marrying Ann Frowin circa 1664 in Somerset County, Md. It appears that Edward migrated to Maryland during that year.

During the mid-1700s, the following Sermon men were found in Maryland: Thomas, Edward, Peter, John and William. They later appeared in Beaufort and Pitt County, N.C. The John Sirmon is probably the one born in 1735 in Maryland and died in 1798 in Pitt County, N.C. He was married to Elizabeth ?, and among their children was a son named Levi Sirmon who was born in 1755 in Pitt County, N.C. He is the ancestor of the family being featured in today’s story.

Levi Sirmon rendered service during the War of 1812 from Clarke or Jasper County, N.C. Soon after the war, he was married to Elizabeth D. ?. Their first child, Elizabeth Sirmon, was born in 1780 in North Carolina, and the family migrated to Montgomery County, Ga., soon afterwards. A son, Nathan Sirmon, was born in their new home in 1786. Levi settled there and purchased land in that county in 1793. He died in Montgomery County in 1799 at the age of 44 years.

One record stated Levi’s son, Nathan Sirmon, was born in Washington County, Ga., but others indicate Montgomery County. He is the Sirmon ancestor who migrated to Conecuh County, Ala., during the early 1800s. There is a record of him purchasing three land patents between 1822 and 1825. His house stood within one half mile of the Concord Methodist Church, which was located in the Sepulga community. He was a member of that church for 44 years. In his obituary, he was described as being of “humble deportment, amiable disposition, who sympathized with the poor and administered to the relief of the distressed.” He was most likely buried in the Concord Church Cemetery.

Nathan was first married in 1806, most likely in Georgia, to Lucretia Dean. They were the parents of the following children: Levi, b. ca 1808, d. after 1880, m. Mary ?; John Hennings, b. 1810, d. 1862, m. 1829 Elizabeth J. Ellis (1814-1899); Richard P., b. 1811, d. 1880, m. (1) Frances A. ? (1823-1857 (2) Gracy ?; Daniel Taylor, b. 1817, d. 1899, m. (1) 1847 Elizabeth R. McKinney (1815-1856) (2) 1860 Mary Ellan McKinney (1825-1910); Martha, b. 1820, d. 1880, m. 1840 Irvin Mixon (1820-1867); Eleanor, b. 1827, d. 1850; and Elizabeth Jane, b. 1829, d. 1897, m. John Daniel Weaver (1821-1895).

The oldest son, Levi Sirmon, was born circa 1808 while the family lived in Montgomery County, Ga. He would have been a young teenager when the family migrated to Conecuh County. He chose to marry a young lady named Mary (last name not identified), and they settled into a home in the edge of Butler County, but only a short distance from his father’s place in Conecuh County. By 1860, the family have moved to the Sepulga community in Conecuh County. Levi and Mary were the parents of the following four children: Martha Lollie, b. 1829, d. 1900, m. (1) James T. Thomas (1824-1860) (2) Daniel Russell; Mary Tabitha, b. 1832, d. 1912, m. 1851 Thomas David Moore (1828-1911); John Ransom, b. 1834, d. 1898, m. 1854 Susan Thompson (1835-1919); and Nathan James, b. ca 1836, d. 1864, m. 1856 Elizabeth A.H. Simmons (1835-1906).

The second son, John Hastings Sirmon, was born in 1810 in Montgomery County, Ga. He would have only been around 10 years of age when the family migrated to Alabama. He grew up in the family home in the Sepulga community, where he farmed and made his home following his marriage. He apparently was at least a part-time preacher as various records addressed him as Reverend.

John Hastings Sirmon was married in 1829 to Elizabeth J. Ellis. They were the parents of the following 11 children: Matilda, b. 1830, d. 1864, m. 1848 George W. Cone (1826-1897); John Calvin, b. 1831, d. 1832; William Farrish, b. 1833, d. 1900, m. Mary Alice or Ann ?; Lucretia Jane, b. 1836, d. 1924, m. (1) 1852 Silas Garrett (2) 1860 James P. Grantham (1840-1929); Asbury Daniel, b. 1838, d. 1862, m. 1857 Cynthia Susan Hardee (I838-1910);  Richard Greenbury, b. 1841, d. 1925, m. 1860 Mary Jane Beasley (1845-1921); Arthur Emory, b. 1843, m. 1868 Frances G. Fore; Manetta Ann, b. 1846, d. 1917, m. 1870 John Etheridge (1845-1925); Mary Elizabeth, b. 1849, d. 1937, m. 1867 James W. Hardee (1842-1919); James Tillman, b. 1851, d. 1911, m. 1872 Mary I. Hardee (1844-1910); and Boling Green, b. 1854, d. 1878, m. Pheriba Higdon (1852-1896).

John Hastings Sirmon died in 1862 at the young age of 44 years. Most of his 11 children were still living at home, but two sons had enlisted and were serving in the Confederate Army. William Farrish was a member of Company I, 24th Alabama Infantry Regiment, and Asbury David was in the same company. However, at least some of Company I became Company D, 42nd. Alabama Infantry Regiment. John Hastings’s untimely death left his wife a widow to finish rearing their children. He was buried in the Asbury Methodist Church Cemetery, which was near the Sepulga community.

Nathan Sirmon’s next child, Richard P. Sirmon, was born in 1811 in Georgia and would also have been a youngster when moving to Alabama with the family. He was married twice to Frances A. ? and Gracy ?, but no records of any descendants for him was found. It is believed that he died in Monroe County, but he was buried in the Concord Cemetery in Conecuh County after 1880.   

Nathan’s next son, Daniel Taylor Sirmon, was born in 1817 in Alabama after the family had migrated from Montgomery County, Ga. This date suggests an approximate time of the move. Daniel became a member of the Methodist E. Church at an early age and remained faithful until his death. During his life he served as class leader, Sunday school superintendent and steward.  His father, Nathan Sirmon, was described in Daniel’s obituary as an “Old-fashioned, shouting Methodist preacher.”

Daniel Sirmon was first married in Conecuh County in 1847 to Elizabeth R. McKinney, daughter of Green McKinney (1782-1851) and Agatha Bowler (1792-1850). During the next year, 1848, they moved to Monroe County and lived near one of his brothers. Sadly, Elizabeth died a few years later in 1856 and left Daniel with three young children: Richard Green, b. 1847, d. 1856; Nathan Simpson, b. 1848, d. 1930, m. 1872 Asa Anna Turner (1852-1934); and Matilda Lucrecia, b. 1850, m. 1889 Thomas B. Andrews.

In 1860, a few years after Elizabeth’s death, Daniel Taylor Sirmon, married her sister, Mary Ellan McKinney. Mary helped him rear her sister’s two children, and they adopted and reared as their own, William “Willie” Sirmon, b. 1865, d. 1931, m. 1883 Sally Florice Chavers.

Since Nathan Sirmon had two addition children who have not been covered, their families and additional genealogy will be covered in next week’s column.

The sources for this family story were Ancestry.com and the book, The Known Descendants of John Ziba Hardee (1782-1862) and Nathan Sirmon (1786-1850) of Conecuh County, Alabama and Monroe County, Alabama.

Anyone who should discover an error in the above or who has additional information on this family is requested to contact this writer, Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.