I have seen where these two men have been combined into one. I know it is confusing to find two James Briers, both born in 1815, both born in Ohio, both moving to Iowa before 1850, but I assure you, they are two different people.
James Brier, son of John Brier and Damaris West was born on February 15, 1815 in Champaign County, Ohio. He married Sarah A. Babb on April 24, 1855 in Iowa and had several children. He died on July 20, 1894 in Brighton, Washington, Iowa. He is buried in Washington County, Iowa. Every census record in which he is found, he has been living in Washington County, Iowa. For people who confuse the two Jameses, this is the one they add the wives and children of the other James to.
James Brier, son of Andrew Dickson Brier and Elizabeth Thornby was born in 1815 in Miami County, Ohio. According to his father’s will, James Brier had died prior to 1860 (which is when the will is written) and stated he was “late of Henry County, Iowa.” This information works quite well with the marriage/census records for James Brier and his second wife, Nancy Brier as they resided in Henry County, Iowa. James married his first wife, Catherine Ann Carter in Miami County, Ohio before moving to Henry County, Iowa. Catherine died in 1851 and is buried in Henry County. James married Nancy in 1852 in Henry County, Iowa and according to the 1860-1885 census records found for Nancy, she was living with no husband and her two surviving children from her marriage with James. It appears she never remarried, though, she may have had a child out of wedlock, or taken in someone elses child in 1870 as a Lucy J. Brier is living with her who is age 4. This Lucy may also be a child of one of James’s children with Catherine. I need to do further research on her.
So, if these two men were the same person, then that would mean that he married first to Catherine and after she died in 1851, he married Nancy. In 1855, he would have married Sarah. Nancy did not die, so they would have to divorce for the marriage to Sarah to happen. Nancy, however, had children born in 1855 and 1857. This means that there were indeed two different James Briers: a James who married Nancy and a James who married Sarah.
The only question is whose wife was Catherine? While I cannot prove this directly with records, I can place my best guess using the records I do have. As you see from above, I believe Catherine was the first wife of James, son of Andrew. This is because in 1860, their son, Harrison, is living with William Brier and his wife Priscilla. William would be his uncle as he is also a son of Andrew. Also, the fact that Andrew’s will states his son James was from Henry County, Iowa, and that Catherine died and was buried in the same county also points strongly that she was married to James, son of Andrew.
Sources:
1850 Census Record: Miami County, Ohio
1860, 1870, 1880, 1885 Census Records: Henry County, Iowa
1860, 1870, 1880 Census Records: Washington County, Iowa
Death Record of Nancy J. Brier
Marriage Records: James Brier and Sarah A. Babb, James Brier and Catherine Ann Carter, James Brier and Nancy Jane Mosier.
Burial information for: James Brier, Catherine Brier, Elizabeth Brier, Sarah Brier
Will of Andrew Dickson Brier
