My Genealogy Hound

James Simpson, a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Oakland County, located in section 4, West Bloomfield township, is well known and most highly esteemed. Mr. Simpson was born in West Bloomfield township, Oakland County, Michigan, in 1842, and is a son of Andrew and Margaret (Brown) Simpson.

The father of our subject was born in 1798 in Ireland, and lived until advanced in manhood, coming to America in 1830. The family lived for two years in Orange County, New York, and then came to Michigan, where Mr. Simpson took up 80 acres of land in section 23, West Bloomfield township, Oakland County. He was married to Margaret Brown, who was a daughter of Robert and Sarah (Kyle) Brown. Mr. Simpson’s first wife died February 4, 1848, her children being: Robert, deceased; John of Waterford township, Oakland County; James; Thomas, a resident of White Lake township, Oakland County; Sarah Jane, who married George Golden of Shiawassee County, Michigan, and had two children, both now deceased; Isabella, who married George Hunt of Genesee County, Michigan. In July,1848, Mr. Simpson was married to Mrs. Margaret (Craige) Bay and the children of this marriage were: William, deceased; Margaret, who married Frank Magle of Lapeer County, Michigan, and reared one daughter, Blanche; Mary Ann, deceased; Elizabeth, who married Moses Russell of White Lake township, Oakland County; and William (2), who died in 1885. In 1851 Mr. Simpson disposed of his first land purchase and bought a farm of 120 acres in section 3, to which he later added 20 acres, and on this location his death occurred in 1886.

James Simpson, the subject of this sketch, attended the schools of West Bloomfield township and remained engaged in farming with his father until the age of 39 years. In 1881 he purchased his present valuable farm in section 4, containing 96 acres originally but now comprising 140 acres, and there he has a comfortable home with excellent improvements; for the past 22 years he has been most successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising.

In 1881 Mr. Simpson was married to Harriet Margaret Hunt, a daughter of Hazel and Jane (Crawford) Hunt, the former of whom was born in Rensselaer County, New York, and in 1830 settled in Waterford township, Oakland County, Michigan, his wife was a native of Ireland and was brought to America in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt reared these children: Sarah; Stephen G.; Mary, who married Alfred Dickey, has two children, Jennie and Lee, and lives in Shiawassee County, Michigan; Harriet Margaret (Mrs. Simpson); Charles, of Pontiac; and Rebecca E., who married W. P. Green and removed to Kansas, — they have a family of eight children, Glenn W. Grace W., Lulu B., Ross, Ray, Ward, Charles and Clyde.

Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have three bright children, namely: Edna M., born September 20, 1883; Erle born October 14, 1884; and Carl H., born January 12, 1890, Mr. Simpson is educating his children and at the same time giving them first class home training, fitting them for future responsibilities as American citizens. In politics Mr. Simpson is a Democrat.