Submitted by: James E. Skelton

An early settler, prior to 1860, of Cass County was my Great-grandfather, James Wilson Givens. James Wilson Givens was born 8 March 1816 in Roane Co., Tenn. and died in Cass County in March of 1868. He was married to Mary (Polly) Mayo who was born March 1826 in North Carolina and died in Cass County 15 Sept. 1900. James Wilson Givens and his family are first found in the October 1850 Census of Cass County. James Wilson Givens is descended from Robert Givens (ca 1640 in County Antrim, Ireland).

James Wilson Givens married Mary (Polly) Mayo in Madison County, Tennessee around 1845 or 1846 and subsequently moved to Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi. Their first two children who were twins were born in Mississippi in 1847. By the birth of their third child in 1854, they were living in Cass County, Texas.

In 1845, James Wilson Givens and James Mooring, as Executors of the Will of John Givens (who died in 1843 in Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi) disposed of some of the land they owned in Madison County, Tenn in a DEED to B. F. Young...Book 14, p-152. "We, James W. Givens and James Mooring, Executors of John Givens, deceased late of Marshall co., Miss., this day (10 July 1845) bargained and sold (etc...) for $600 a tract of land in Madison County, Range 1, Section 7, 185 acres." About 6 years later, James Wilson Givens was buying land for himself and family in Cass County, Texas. In Cass County DEED BOOK F, p-629 - 630, Date of Deed, 10 Oct. 1851.

Thomas R. Wilson of Titus County, Texas sold for $922.50 ..... 738 acres, to James W. Givens of Cass County, Texas, Part of Patent issued by Commissioners of General Land Office on 20 Aug. 1850 to said Thomas R. Wilson; West half of following described land: One-third of League in Bausch (?) District, Cass County about 20 miles from Jefferson by virtue of Certificate #104, issued by Board of Land Commissioners of Red River County, on the ___ date of February, 1838. James Wilson Given's Deed recorded 12 January 1852. In DEED BOOK G, p-62 - 62: On Aug. 28, 1852, James W. Givens sold 228 acres of this tract, for $297.50 to Cynthia Ann Simmons, wife of We. Simmons. Then on Oct. 14, 1856 in DEED BOOK J, p-371, James W. Givens bought of Josiah Phillips for $575.60, the east half of the 921 tract, (located about 3 miles west of Linden, Texas) purchased by Josiah Phillips and James Chappell from We. Beaver,....on record, etc.

This was the location of the Given's family home in 1868, when James W. Givens (then usually called Major Wils Givens) had made up his mind to sell out and move to Hunt County, Texas. He was rounding up his cattle and stock to move when he came down with pneumonia and died in March of 1868. Nancy Caroline Givens Kasling remembered that her father had a large farm with a cotton gin and large workshop where they lived. The farm had not been sold so the family continued to live on in Cass County, Texas. James Wilson Givens was only 52 years old when he died, leaving Mary (Polly) a widow at 42, with a baby, Nancy Caroline (Jeffie) - 2 years old, Fanny -4 years old, Jennie - 5 1/2 years old, Mary Alice - 6 years old and Jimmie (James M.) - 14 years old. The older son Wilson Dudley (Wils) Givens was 21 years old, married and had two children of his own.

During the Civil War, Cass County's name was changed to Davis County in honor of Jefferson Davis, the Confederacy's President. The county's name was changed back to Cass by 1871. It is believed that during the Civil War, James Wilson Givens was in charge of keeping supplies and food for the civilians and recruiting for the Army in Cass County. Possibly the reason for his nickname of "Major".

In WILL BOOK E, p-56, Davis County, Texas - DECEASED PERSONS & WARDS, May term of Court, May 25th - ESTATE OF JAMES W. GIVENS, DECEASED. "Now at this term of the Court comes Mary Givens, surviving widow of James W. Givens, late of Davis County, deceased, and respectfully she states to your Honor that the J. W. Givens died possessed of considerable communal property, leaving to said decedent and your petitioners, which property is within the jurisdiction of said Court. Moved by Petitioner that John Stewart, S. P. Woodward, O. J. Marcus (?) and J. S. Cass, all of whom are disinterested persons, be appointed to appraise community estate of said decedent. (It was done) May 26, 1868. Now comes Mary Givens and declared under oath an accounting and appraisement of community property of estate of James W. Givens, amounting in the aggregate of $2,090.41 Wherefore same was accepted and approved and ordered to be entered of record.

Children...

1. M Child: William Douglas Givens (Twin of Wilson Dudley Givens)
Birth: 25 April 1847, Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi
Death: 25 April 1847, Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi

2. M Child: Wilson Dudley Givens (Twin of William Douglas Givens)
Birth: 25 April 1847, Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi
Death: 9 March 1883, Gatesville, Texas
Married: 2 Feb. 1865 to Elizabeth Cassandra (Betty) Smith
Descendants in 2000: Puryear, Tate, Edinger, Babin

3. M Child: James M. Givens
Birth: 1854, Cass County, Texas
Death:
Married: Dec 1883 to Cordia Catherine Latham
Descendants in 2000: Sansing, Jordan, Coursey

4. F Child: Martha Lois Givens
Birth: 1856, Cass County, Texas
Death: Died young in infancy

5. F Child: Mary Alice Givens
Birth: 1861, Cass County, Texas
Death: Died giving birth
Married: William T. Logwood

6. F Child: Ann (Jennie) Virginia Givens
Birth: 10 October 1863, Cass County, Texas
Death: 7 Feb 1919
Married: Circa 1880 to Thomas Edward Logwood
Descendants in 2000: Logwood, Thomasson, Lovelady, Coberly

7. F Child: Frances (Fanny) Givens
Birth: 1864, Cass County, Texas
Death:
Married: William S. Latham
Descendants: Unknown

8. F CHILD: Nancy Caroline (Jeffie) Givens
Birth: 13 March 1866, Cass County, Texas
Death: 16 Feb 1952, Linden, Cass County, Texas
Married: May 13, 1885 to Edward Stephen Kasling
Descendants in 2000: Kasling, Skelton