Edward H. Lum's 1927 book Genealogy of the Lum Family includes details on some of the Lums of the Southland, though it traces them to North Carolina, rather than South Carolina. The author links the branch to a northern line of the family with roots in Connecticut, Long Island, and northern New Jersey:
(Condensed from p. 62) Samuel Lum has the following lineage: (Samuel [1727-1756]; Samuel [ca. 1698-1732/3]; Samuel [b. ca. 1672]. John [imm. ca. 1642]) was a Revolutionary War private from Morris County, NJ. He married in 1772 to Dorcas Riggs, and had sons William, Jesse, and Israel. The family sold their land in New Jersey in 1786 and disappear from New Jersey. But they are likely the family that appears in the 1790 Federal Census for Rutherford County, NC. Dorcas' father Timothy secured land here about the same time and they probably migrated there together.
Details on this son Jesse Lum (p. 62-63) are as follows:
"All that is known of Jesse is traditional. Descendants of William say that after William's death Jesse took charge of the children for a time, but later Uncle Billy Foster took the boys as well as Mary, the girl.If author Edward H. Lum had no information on Jesse's descendants, they exist nonetheless. For example:"Mrs. L. Agnes Boyd says that Jesse md. Levicie -------- "Aunt Vicy" and went to Texas, and that possibly Hannah Bowsden was the mother of Hester Foster, William's wife, md. the second time to -------- Bowsden. Some descendants say that the mother of William Lum was Hannah ------, who md. the 2nd time to a Mr. Bowsden, who got all her property, etc."
Beverly and Edward Lumm share this ancestral line from Jesse:
There are also some contributions to the LDS Ancestral File regarding Jesse of Natchez. The AF records are only as good as the data submitted by contributors, and they sometimes conflict with each other. See the following three submissions:
Jesse Lum, b. ca. 1771, Natchez, died 1848, Texas; buried at Liberty, Texas; married 6 Apr. 1795 at Natchez, to Lovisa Martin (b. 1779, LA, d. ca. 1850, St. Landry Parish, LA. Child:
Mary Melissa, b. 21 Mar. 1812, prob. at Point Coupe, LA; d. 16 Feb. 1860, Big Cane, St. Landry Par., LA
As to William Lum, brother of Jesse, mentioned in the published Lum genealogy, here is its listing for him (p. 96-97):
"It is said by descendants of this William Lum that he went from one of the Carolinas to Mississippi, and that he and his wife died there in 1801 in the same month, and that William's mother was Hannah -------- who, after the death of Samuel Lum, his father, md. again a Mr. ----- Bowsden of Natchez, Miss., and that the Bowsdens separated, and he got her property and md. again. Descendants also say that Hanna (-------) (Lum) Bowsden was the mother of William and Jesse; but if this William was the son of Samuel, Hannah could not have been his mother, so it is concluded she was a step-mother of William. There was a William Foster in Morgan District, N.C., in 1790, with a large family. Jesse was a common name in the Riggs family. The Federal Census of 1790 gives Jesse Riggs, Newbern District, Carteret Co., N.C., with four in family, and William Foster, Morgan Dist., in 13th Co., Rutherford Co., with two adults, one male under 16, and four females, including head of family.The Lum Genealogy of 1927 then follows the details of these children of William, including the following [not all details transcribed]:"Mrs. Maxwell Smith, descendant of William Lum, says she has record that Hannah Bowsden, grandmother of Samuel Lum (son of William) died Aug. 14, 1803. Mrs. L. Agnes Boyd, another descendant, says that William had an older brother Jesse, and their mother married a Mr. Bowsden at or near Natchez, Miss.; says her mother told her that Hannah was the mother of William and Jesse, and that after her husband's death, md. a Mr. Vowsden or Bowsden. Assuming that above William was the son of Samuel and Dorcas (Riggs) Lum, he is entered in this relation, even though he must have married young, say at 16 or 17 yrs. He md. Hester Foster (called Nancy), b. July 11, 1771, dau. of Isaac and Rachel (Gibson) Foster. Rachel was dau. of Gideon and Mary (O'Connell) Gibson. The children of William and Hester (Foster Lum were:
- Mary, b. Oct. 29, 1790, d. June 8, 1867.
- Erastus, b. Aug. 14, 1792, d. Mch. 9, 1837.
- William, b. May 25, 1794, d. --------.
- Samuel, b. Feb. 22, 1796, Adams Co., MS, d. Mch. 2, 1856, at Vicksburg, MS.
- Lewis, b. Dec. --, 1797.
- Isaac, b. Nov., 1799."
In addition to Jesse and William, Samuel and Dorcas Riggs may have also had a son named Samuel Lum, Jr. That is the working hypothesis of Kent L. T-----, descendant of a Samuel Lum who is found in the 1850 census in Carroll County, Mississippi, then aged 75 years, and born in New Jersey. This Samuel, Kent believes, previously lived in Copiah County, Mississippi and before that in Claiborne County, Mississippi. Still earlier, he may be that Samuel Lum, Jr. who bought land along with Samuel Lum, Sr., as found in a book entitled The Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805 by May Wilson McBee. Samuel Lum, Sr. and Samuel Lum, Jr. filed for land claims 1180 and 1181, respectively, on March 26, 1804. (In Samuel Jr.'s listing, a brother named David is also mentioned.)
Samuel Lum of Carroll Co., MS, appears to have had three daughters, as Kent explains: "I believe he was the father of Alvah Lum, who married John Goza; Susanah Lum, who married Benjamin Vance and Rufus Mygatt; and Martha Lum, who married John Goza after Alvah's death and Rufus Mygatt, after Susanah's death."
Kent would like to make contact with anyone else who knows of this Samuel Lum, esp. fellow descendants. His e-mail is KentLT@aol.com
Returning to the question of origins for this family, a 1993 Lum Genealogy by Richard Lum, claiming to provide updates and correction to the Edward Lum work of 1927, has more to say, on p. 25-6. Michelle Martens comments:
72.2 Jesse Lum. William and Jesse listed as the two sons of Samuel is [according to R. Lum] strictly an error. Their parents were Jesse and Hannah. Richard Lum does not believe they are Lums. Their ancestors were Lumbert, indicated by the attached memorandum, which refers to letters from Nell Regan McCay, the will of William Lum, and other data.I agree with Michelle, this fantastic tale needs far more documentation if it is to be taken seriously. If there is record of this assassinated Lumbert who was a Duke, why is his title unknown: Duke of what?In Genealogy of the Lum Family (p. 62), William and Jesse are listed as the first two children of Samuel Lum, although Edward H. Lum indicates that descendants of William have questioned this relationship. Mrs. Nell Regan McCay wrote to Richard Lum that the parents of William and Jesse were Jesse and Hannah, and that this is indicated by the will of William. Mrs. McCay resided in Vicksburg, MS.
In 1981 and the following years Richard Lum had considerable contact with Alton Wisdom, who resided in Waco, TX. He was a descendant of the above Jesse Lum, and he completed an exhaustive search into his family's history. He believes that William and Jesse Lumm were the two sons of Jesse and Hannah Lum: that his ancestors were English and French royalty: that when they first settled in this country in the Carolinas their name was Lumbert; that most of the male members of the family were assasinated; that the women, led by Lucinda, escaped to Natchez and there shortened their name to Lum. Alton Wisdom writes that Jesse appears twice in South Carolina records as a landowner. He had a sawmill or timber business. In 1774 he was assassinated.
After his widow, Hannah, and her children came to Natchez, she married William Vauxdam and lived with him for 13 years. He took her wealth, found a younger lady, and claimed they were never married in the Catholic Church. In 1795 she sued him, represented by her younger son, William. Trial was in 1795-1805 in Natchez; court records in Baton Rouge. She won the suit, lost the war; property was never recovered.
72.2.1 Jesse Daniel Lum b. 1796 d. 1843 Liberty TX 72.2.2 William Lum
Alton Wisdom in another letter wrote that in 1774, in the Colony of Virginia, the British Prince, Duke of _________, was assassinated by the American Revolutionaries or fanatics. His wife and children fled to Natchez, MS and the oldest son, Jesse, married Hannah (her second marriage).
This is typed the way it is in the book! There are a couple more pages, some repetitive, and also gives children of Jesse. I don't know what you think but looks like wishful thinking to me. We all want to be royalty. But something that neither book mentions is the Line of our Jesse Lumm. He was in VA and NC. I wonder if they even noticed him when doing research? Also they did research Jonas' father Samuel but they have nothing on what Happened to Jonas after his marriage- yet I was able to find three records on him- the taxes, and two entries regarding his estate. Why could they not find this? I mean I did not special order anything or travel to the east coast and I found more on him then they did. Who knows, but I think the explanation [above] is wild, to say the least.
Other isolated details from different sources on the Web:
Jess Lumb served in Rowan Co. NC Militia in 1759.
Jesse Lum b. 1801 Adams Co., MS d. 1801 Adams Co., MS mother Hester (Nancy). As this was William's wife, he would be a final child of William in addition to the above.
Jesse Daniel Lum Sr. b. ca 1775 MS m. Levica Martin Foster. This appears to be a garbled reference to Jesse, brother of William and son of Samuel, who moved to Mississippi. Note that the wife's name corresponds to that given in the 1927 genealogy, as quoted above.
Jessie Daniel Lum Jr. b. 1/5/1882 LA m. Lucinda Everett
Jesse Amos Lum b. 2/16/1884 Hood Co., TX father Erastus Hugh (Rack) Lum