The Proeger Family · Generation 6 — Kristin's 3rd-great-grandparents

James P. Montgomery

Father of Virginia Francis Montgomery · c.1834–before 1900

James P. Montgomery

Confirmed

Father of Virginia Francis Montgomery · c.1834–before 1900

Born
about 1833–35 in Tennessee
Died
before June 1900
Married
Elenor Frances Bradford
Children
Harvey (Harry) Alex, Virginia, Lula Gay
Sources
13

Research status

Research status: CONFIRMED as the father of Virginia Francis “Jennie” Montgomery, and added to the tree on Earl’s approval of 2 October 2026. Her own death certificate, read from the image, names her father as James Montgomery S1183; in 1880 the census, read from the image, lists Virginia, 21, as the daughter of James P. Montgomery, 47 S1095. Added 2 October 2026

Life in the order the records give it

Birth1833
Born about 1833–35 in Tennessee, by his ages in three censuses; in 1880 he gives both his parents’ birthplace as North Carolina S1093 S1094 S1095
Work1860
A stock hunter and farmer in DeWitt County, Texas: in 1860 “James Mongumay”, 25, stock hunter, with Elenor F., 23, Matilda E., 4, Harvey A., 2, and Virginia F., 2 S1093; in 1870 Jas. Montgomery, 37, farmer, near Clinton, with Ellen and the twins Harvey and Virginia, 11 S1094; in 1880 James P., 47, with Elenor, 45, and nine children S1095
Death1900
Died before June 1900, when his wife Ellen is a widow in Gonzales County S1184. Find a Grave places his grave and Ellen’s at Sample, Gonzales County S1201

Family parents, marriages, children, siblings

Marriage1855
Husband of Elenor Frances Bradford: the Coffee County, Tennessee, marriage register, read from the image, has “James Montgomery Licence to Marry Ellen Bradford” on 4 April 1855, married the same day S1200 S1185. Their first child, Matilda, was born in Texas about 1856
Children1949
Two more of his children’s death certificates, now read from the images, name him as James P. Montgomery: Lula Gay Piland’s of 1949, born 15 August 1871 in DeWitt County, which gives both her parents, James P. Montgomery and Elenore Frances Bradford, as born in Tennessee S1198 S1188; and James L. Montgomery’s, who died at Victoria on 8 February 1932 S1199 S1190
Children1860
His children in the censuses: Matilda E. (1860), the twins Harvey (Harry) Alex and Virginia, Mary, James L., Idella, the twins Louisa and Eliza, and Ida (1880) S1093 S1095, with Lula Gay from her own death certificate S1198; in 1900 Ellen is the mother of nine, all living S1184

Open questions what is probable, weak or missing — confirm or correct it

Open question
Open question: his own parents. In 1850 a James P. Montgomery, 13, born Georgia, lives with John Montgomery, 38, and Sarah, 36, in Forsyth County, Georgia S1202. They could be his parents, but every later record, his own censuses and Lula’s death certificate, says he was born in Tennessee, so they are held, not added Probable confirm or correct →
Weak or missing
What is weak or missing: no record of his birth or death has been found, and his parents are not known. Find a Grave gives born 23 April 1836 and died May 1887, but its own index disagrees on the day of death, so those dates are not used here; the initial P. comes from the 1880 census and two of his children’s death indexes

In the record Generation 6 — Kristin's 3rd-great-grandparents

James P. Montgomery · Sources

Citations

Sources cited on this card

13 of the record's sources are cited here. The numbering is the record's own; the full list, with where else each is cited, is at Sources.

  1. S10931860 United States Federal Census — DeWitt County, Texas (county from the index; not filled on this page), Free Inhabitants, page 85, dwelling 660, family 649. Ancestry record 35015992. Image examined in the Stage 2 reading, 1 October 2026. Confirmed James “Monguemay” [Montgomery], 25, stock hunter, born Tennessee; Elenor F., 23, born Tennessee; Matilda C., 4; Harvy A., 2; Virginia F., 2; the children born Texas. Indexed as “Mongee”; the page edge cuts the end of the name on the last line. Harvy A. and Virginia F. are the twins marked in 1870 and 1880 (S1094, S1095).
  2. S10941870 United States Federal Census — Precinct No. 1, DeWitt County, Texas, post office Clinton, page 20, dwelling 119, family 119. Ancestry record 7642917. Image examined in the Stage 2 reading, 1 October 2026. Confirmed June 1870: Jas. Montgomery, 37, farmer, born Tennessee; Ellen, 35; Evaline, 14; Harvey, 11, and Virginia, 11, bracketed ‘Twins’; Mary, 6; La Fayette, 4; Idella, 1; the children born Texas.
  3. S10951880 United States Federal Census — Precinct No. 1, DeWitt County, Texas, S.D. 6, E.D. 46, page 68. Ancestry record 10575200. Image examined in the Stage 2 reading, 1 October 2026. Confirmed 10 July 1880: James P. Montgomery, 47, farmer, born Tennessee, parents born North Carolina; Elenor, wife, 45, born Tennessee; Harry Alex, son, 21, and Virginia, daughter, 21, at home, bracketed as twins; Mary, 14; James L., 13; Idella, 11; Louisa and Eliza, 9, twins; Ida, 7; the children born Texas. Nothing on these three pages names Piland. The link to Jennie Montgomery, who married E. R. Piland in neighbouring Gonzales County in 1883 (S913), is her name, her age and the county.
  4. S1183Texas death certificate no. 30822 (Hays County registration no. 950) — Mrs. Virginia F. Piland, died 25 September 1927 near Buda. FamilySearch record K3Q2-LKX, “Texas, Deaths, 1890–1977”. Image examined, read 1 October 2026. Confirmed Married; born August 1858, Texas; housewife; father James Montgomery, birthplace “Don’t know”; mother’s maiden name and birthplace “don’t know”; informant R. Piland, Austin; burial Live Oak Cemetery, 26 September 1927. The image of the certificate indexed at S915.
  5. S11841900 United States Federal Census — Precinct 5, Gonzales County, Texas, ED 57, sheet 4B, 6 June 1900. Ancestry image 4118493_00054. Image examined, read 1 October 2026. Confirmed Montgomery, Ellen, head, born March 1836, 64, widowed, mother of 9 children, 9 living, born Tennessee; next door Leonard and Lula Piland; nearby Harvey Montgomery, born August 1858.
  6. S1185Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790–1959, and Tennessee State Marriage Index — James Montgomery and Ellen Bradford, 4 April 1855, Coffee County. FamilySearch records Q2Z9-44XV and VNZC-Y8D, checked 1 October 2026. Probable An index only; the register image has not been read, and nothing yet proves this couple is the James and Elenor F. of DeWitt County.
  7. S1188FamilySearch index, Texas, Deaths, 1890–1977 — Lula Gay Piland, 1949, Buda. FamilySearch record K7D8-SQJ, checked 1 October 2026. Probable Father James P. Montgomery; mother Elenore Frances Bradford. An index only; the image has not been read.
  8. S1190FamilySearch index, Texas, Deaths, 1890–1977 — James Lafayette Montgomery, 1932. FamilySearch record K33C-8GL, checked 1 October 2026. Probable Father James P. Montgomery. An index only; the image has not been read.
  9. S1198Texas death certificate, state file no. 12496 — Lula Gay Piland, died 1949 at Buda, Hays County. Ancestry, “Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903–1982”, record 773172566. Image examined, read 2 October 2026. Confirmed Born 15 August 1871, DeWitt County; father James P. Montgomery, born Tennessee; mother’s maiden name Elenore Frances Bradford, born Tennessee; informant M. Z. Piland. The image read of the index entry S1188.
  10. S1199Texas death certificate no. 9072 — James L. Montgomery, died 8 February 1932 at Victoria. Ancestry, “Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903–1982”, record 81651405. Image examined, read 2 October 2026. Confirmed Born 28 December 1866, Texas; father James P. Montgomery. The image read of the index entry S1190; the father’s birthplace line is partly cut off.
  11. S1200Coffee County, Tennessee, marriage register, page 25 — James Montgomery and Ellen Bradford, 4 April 1855. Ancestry, “Tennessee, U.S., Marriage Records, 1780–2002”, record 1400556. Image examined, read 2 October 2026. Confirmed “April 4 — James Montgomery Licence to Marry Ellen Bradford”; the return says they were married the same day by James Stevens(?), J.P. for Coffee County. The register image behind the index entry S1185. It does not name Ellen’s parents.
  12. S1201Find a Grave memorials 28905334 (James P. Montgomery) and 28905333 (Ellen Frances Montgomery), Sample Cemetery, Gonzales County, Texas. Seen as Ancestry hints, 2 October 2026. Probable Both buried at Sample, Gonzales County. James: born 23 April 1836, died 7 May 1887; Ellen: born 28 March 1837, died 23 January 1905. ⚠ Memorials, not records. A member tree gives James’s death as 17 May 1887, and Ellen’s 1900 census age points to 1836, so only the burial place is used on the cards.
  13. S12021850 United States Federal Census — District 31, Forsyth County, Georgia, dwelling 1141. Ancestry record 15936456. Read 2 October 2026 from the index and record detail. Probable John Montgomery, 38; Sarah, 36; Mary, 17; Cyntha L., 15; James P., 13, born Georgia; Wm F., 11; Henry Clay, 6; Thomas C., 4. ⚠ HELD, not adopted. A possible family for James P. Montgomery, but every later record gives his birthplace as Tennessee. An 1855 Army enlistment of a Forsyth-born James P. Montgomery is a different man.

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