James P. Wells

This is the father of James E. Wells.  He is named as 'grandfather' of Joseph Paul Wells in the 1920 Dallas census.

James P. was born ca. 1854 in Texas.  He is found on several Dallas city directory entries at the same address of Joseph Paul Wells [1921-23].  An entry on Ancestry.com showed an 1891, 1892 Dallas city directory entry with a 'second name' of Mrs. Nancy J. Wells. Nancy was born in 1826 in TN. She is seen in the hh of daughter Lucinda [Bradford] in the 1900 Dallas census. In the next household is the single Josephine Reno who later married Charles K. Wells. Three households above the Bradfords is James [Martin] Wells and his wife, [Mary] Josephine [Reno].  This indicates close ties of this line of Wells with Charles K. Wells.

UPDATE: 8/9/11 - James P. Wells found with his parents and young son. The 1880 Fedeal population schedule for Walker County, TX [21 Jun 1880] shows the following family:
    254/258  Wells, J. Andrew  marr. 70 farmer, cannot read/write, b. AR
                     --  J. Nancy 53 marr. b. TN
                     --  P. James 24 son wid or divorced; lawyer b. TX
                     --  Farron male 18 son single, attended school b. TX
                     --  John 16 son single, attended school b. TX
                     --  Washington 14 son single,, attended school b. TX
                     --  Charles 12 son single,, attended school b. TX
                     -- E. James 7, grandson b. TX [the initial appears to be a 'C' until compared with other 'Cs' written by this enumerator. It doesn't entirely look like his 'Es' but it look more like the E than the E.]

Most interesting to note is that the next family is James Bradford age 29, his wife, Lucinda age 21 and their son, F. Frankling age 1.  This is the same family seen on the 1900 census of Dallas County when James E. Wells and Josephine Reno Wells are together. The Bradford family has the 'mother-in-law' Nancy Wells living with them and are between James E. Wells and Josephine's mother who married Charles K. Wells. This family also has a Charles that I believe is the Chas. K. Wells who married Josephine.

Looking back to 1870, 1860 and 1850 this family is still found in Walker County.

To Do:
1.  Look at the 1890s Dallas city directories for James P. Wells.  Done
2.  Find James P. Wells in other census records. Done
3.  Nancy J. Wells could possibly be the mother of James P. Wells. Find more records on her.
         UPDATE: 7/27/11- the 1891-92 Dallas City Directory has the following men in the hh of Nancy J. Wells (all with last name of Wells): James E. wks Dallas Brewery; James P. carpenter; Louis W.; Charles T. cement worker; F. Robert, saloon.  Address given as 141 Cottonwood.
         The directory and some subsequent directories show her to be the widow of A. Jackson Wells (could be Andrew Jackson). 1902 directory has a Nancy (no J) as widow of E.G. Don't know if same person or not.