Could it be, perhaps, that the two John M. James from our two families are actually one? Could a single John M. James be the progenitor of two sequential James families? The respective dates of the two John M. James show a single John M. James with two successive families may have been possible.
Supporting the possibility, no burial sites can be identified for either John M. James, nor for the wives Clara Nall & Mary "Polly" Poor. My John M. James died with a will, but only with an inventory of slaves. Jesse's John M. James died with an extensive inventory of property, but no slaves and no will. My John M. James had an executor of his will, his eldest son Sen. John Henry "Harry" James, who migrated to Missouri in 1834 before Robert Sallee James migrated in 1842. Jesse's John M. James had no executor at all. Rather, the court appointed an administrator to dispose of John M. James inventory. John's best friend Drury Woodson was appointed administrator of the estate, because no eldest son of legal age of John M. James resided in the county where he died.
Suddenly, in the winter of 2000-2001, the Zee James Collection was discoverd. The discovery sent me back to Kentucky again for a closer look for the answers I sought.
