# John Symes (politician, born 1573)

John Symes, Esq. (4 March 1573 – 29 October 1661), was a Member of Parliament (MP) from Somerset, High Sheriff, and Justice of the Peace in 17th Century England. Symes was a Royalist during the English Civil War, and appointed to numerous commissions during the reign of Charles I.

## Early life and education

John Symes was born on 4 March 1573 in Somerset, England, to William Symes (1544–1597), a successful merchant and landowner, and Elizabeth Hill, daughter of Robert Hill of Taunton. The Symes family achieved recognition in 1591 when William Symes, his father, was granted arms by James I: "Azure, three escallops in pale or". It is unclear whether John or his father were knighted.
John was educated at Exeter College, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1588 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1591. He furthered his studies at Lincoln's Inn.

## Marriage and family

In 1595, Symes married Amy Horner, daughter of Sir Thomas Horner MP (1547–1612), a knight of the shire for Somerset. Amy Horner's mother, Amy (Popham) Horner (1553–1604) was the daughter of Sir John Popham. Sir John Popham (1532–1607), served as Lord Chief Justice of England and presided over the trials of Sir Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes. Sir Thomas Horner was the son of John Horner, Gent and Muriel (Malte) Horner. Muriel Malte, was the daughter of John Malte, tailor to King Henry VIII.
John and Amy had three sons and eight daughters. Their son Thomas Symes Esq. of Winterbourne (1617–22 January 1669), inherited the family estate and expanded the family's mercantile and colonial endeavors. Thomas married Amy Bridges (1621–1662), sister of Sir Thomas Bridges of Keynsham. Their arms are: Azure, three escallops in pale or (Symes), impaling, Argent, on a cross sable a leopard's face or (Bridges). Thomas Symes had at least two sons, William (1646–1726) and James (1645-1685) who immigrated to the Colony of Virginia and became planters in Sittenbourne Parish, Richmond County, Virginia.

## Political and civic career

Symes was a central figure in Somerset's governance, serving as:
* Justice of the Peace for Somerset (1608–1626, 1627–1645): Symes presided over local courts, maintained law and order, and oversaw administrative duties such as poor relief and road maintenance. In 1614, he and Robert Hopton were the only justices to oppose Sir Robert Phelips in an election.
* Member of Parliament for Somerset (1624): Elected during the reign of James I, Symes served in Parliament, contributing to committees addressing social issues such as drunkenness and legal abuses, including the misuse of supersedeas.
* Sheriff of Somerset (1626–1627): As sheriff, Symes was responsible for tax collection, executing court orders, and organizing local militias.
* Commissioner for Knighthood Compositions (1630–1632): Symes administered fines on wealthy landowners who failed to present themselves for knighthood during the reign of Charles I.
Symes protested against ship-money in 1636, but was on the king's side in the Civil War which ultimately led to his appointment as Lord Lieutenant a year later.
* Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset (1637–1642)
* Commissioner of Assessment and Array (1641–1642): Symes was involved in organizing local military levies and taxation to support the Crown.
Additionally, Symes held various specialized commissions:
* Commissioner of Sewers (1610, 1616, 1625): Oversaw drainage and flood prevention.
* Commissioner of Disafforestation, Roche Forest (1627): Supervised the conversion of forest land for agricultural and private use.
* Commissioner for Enclosure, Sedgemoor (1628): Managed disputes and legalities surrounding the enclosure of common lands.
* Oyer and Terminer Commissioner (1629–1643): Addressed serious legal cases on the Western Circuit, including crimes such as treason and robbery.
Symes supported King Charles I during the English Civil War. In 1643, he was appointed Commissioner for Rebels' Estates, managing the confiscated properties of Parliamentarian supporters. This loyalty to the Crown came at a cost, as Symes faced financial penalties and was forced to take refuge in Gloucestershire during the Cromwellian period.

## Later life and death

Following the English Civil War and the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Symes regained his estates but, due to declining health, spent his final years in Frampton Cotterell, Gloucestershire. He died on 29 October 1661 at the age of 88 and was buried at St. Peter's Church in Frampton Cotterell. His epitaph lauds him as a man of "wisdom, justice, integrity, and sobriety", virtues he displayed throughout his life.

## Descendants and surname evolution

By the late 17th century, the spelling of the family name transitioned from "Symes" to "Sims" in Virginia’s colonial records. The change reflects the phonetic recording practices of clerks and the simplification of English surnames during that period. One descendant is Frances Sims (b. 1754), the daughter of Thomas Sims (b. 1726) and Mary Nalle (b. 1734). Thomas Sims was the son of William Sims (b. 1678), who carried forward the family's transition from Symes to Sims. Frances Sims married Joshua Morriss (b. 1752), a surveyor and officer in the American Revolutionary War. Joshua was the son of English-born tobacco merchant, William Morriss (b. 1722) and Elizabeth Stapp (b. 1729). Mary Nalle, Frances's mother, was the daughter of John Nalle (b. 1703) and sister of Amey Nalle (b. 1743), who married William Morriss (b. 1739), son of tobacco planter, Thomas Morriss. a cousin of Joshua's father, William Morriss (b. 1722). Thomas and William Morriss were collocated on the same plantation in Culpeper County (formerly Orange), which was purchased from George Hume.
The Stapps also had connections to the Sims lineage through Elizabeth's sister, Anister Stapp, who married William Sims, a descendant of James Symes (1645–1685).