Betty Dorsett Duke © February 19, 2014
For as long as I can remember I’ve heard old family stories that claim my paternal great-
grandfather, known as James L. Courtney in Texas, was really Jesse Woodson James. I’ve
dedicated the past two decades to determining the truth of the matter. The findings of my
research, as well as the research of many others, resulted in convincing me that the old family
stories are true – Jesse James lived in Texas from 1871 until his death in 1943 under the alias of
James L. Courtney. Y-DNA testing is the final step of my investigation and is currently
underway. From this point forward I’ll refer to James L. Courtney as the real James L. Courtney
in order for the reader to differentiate him from Jesse James.
Jesse James was the son of Robert Sallee James and Zerelda Elizabeth Cole. The real James
L. Courtney was the son of Stephen Courtney and Dianah Andruss. Jesse James and the real
James L. Courtney were cousins – both of them descended from Sarah E. Mason Barbee James. 1
Jesse James was the third great-grandson of Sarah Elizabeth Mason Barbee and Thomas James
(her second husband), and James L Courtney was the fourth great-grandson of Sarah Elizabeth
Mason Barbee and Andrew Barbee (her first husband)…
Read More Here: BarronDorsettJames&Shelton
