Vachel Ijams full birth location: All Hallows Parish, Baltimore, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland.

PVT 4th REGT Maryland volunteers Revolutionary War∼The Ijams family traces its origins back to William Eyams (1646-1703) who came to Maryland from Cornwall, England ca. 1665. William and wife Elizabeth Cheney had two sons.

Vachell Ijams (pr. imes) was born near Baltimore in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, one of at least six children of John and Ariana Worthington-Watkins. The other known Ijams children were:

1. Brice
2. Ariana
3. Thomas
4. Susannah
5. Beale
6. Benton

According to his 1832 Revolutionary War pension application file, during the American Revolution Vachell served four tours of duty; in October of 1776 he enlisted for two months in Capt. Watkins' 4th Regiment, Maryland Vols., being stationed at the fort at Annapolis. In August of 1777 Ijams enlisted in Capt. Brogden's Volunteer Company, Dorsey's Regiment, Smallwood's Brigade, serving for three months, during which time he participated in the Battle of Germantown. In July of 1781 he enlisted as a substitute in the Maryland Militia in Prince George's County under Capt. Adams and served for 5 months. Upon settling in Rowan County, NC in July of 1782 he enlisted as a substitute in Capt. Sharpe's Militia Company, 10th NC Reg., serving 11 months and 5 days, being promoted to sergeant and receiving $12 a month pay.

Vachell and several Ijams relatives settled in Rowan County, NC. While there, ca. 1782-1785 Vachell married Lilah/Lelah Gaither. An undated marriage bond puts the marriage as during Gov. Martin's administration (1782-1785).

Because of their birthdates I believe that Vachell had two, possibly three children by Lelah Gaither:

1. Wilson Ijams (1787-1849)
2. Pearson Ijams (1789-1847)
3. Basil Gaither Ijams (1791-1876)

At some point Lelah Gaither Ijams died and Vachell remarried. On Sept. 19, 1791 Vachell married Martha Cunningham. Vachell and Martha had at least 6 children:

1. Joseph Ijames (1799-1882). For some reason Joseph seems to have added an "e" to the end of his name. Every time he spelled his own name it is with a silent "e" at the end, while the rest of his AL family apparently left it off.
2. Burgess Ijams (1801-1881)
3. Nancy Ijams
4. Margaret "Peggy" Ijams
5. Elizabeth Ijams
6. Ann Ijams

Vachell moved his family to Tennessee in the fall of 1823 and to Lauderdale County, AL in the fall of 1824. The Ijams home-place was in S5T2SR11W, off of what is now Cloverdale Road (Hwy 157) on Co. Rd 6. Ijams Branch runs through this property.

In July of 1832 Vachell applied for and received an invalid's pension for his military service in the Revolutionary War. Among the witnesses who testified in his behalf were the Rev. Henry Garrard and Gen. John Coffee (1772-1833).

Vachell Ijams died February 30, 1833 in Lauderdale County and is buried, with several Ijams, Wesson and Freeman relatives in the Simmons Cemetery off what is now Cloverdale Road. Martha Cunningham Ijams died in 1838 and is buried with her husband in the Simmons Cemetery.

In Sept., 1962 the Alamance Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), dedicated a marker for Vachell in the Simmons Cemetery off Cloverdale Road. The speaker was Vachell's great-grandson and Lauderdale County native Elvin Hiawatha "EH" Ijams (1886-1982), a noted minister in the Church of Christ who from 1934-1944 served as president of David Lipscomb University in Nashville. EH Ijams did the genealogical research and ordered the marker from the US government.