He had four brothers and four sisters William Bethea⁴  born 8-18-1769,  Philip Bethea⁴ 4-25-1781,  Col. Elisha Bethea⁴ born 1787, Parker Bethea⁴ born 1790, and Sarah Bethea (Odom)⁴ born 1766, Pattie Bethea (Owens) born 1767, Mollie Bethea (Owens)  born 1776, Absola Bethea (Owens) born 1778.

James Bethea(4). and Margaret had 12 children as follows:

   1.Thomas Cochrane Bethea, b. 1792 in Marion Co; m. Miranza Rogers
   2.Deborah Bethea, b. 11/23/1801 in Marion Co; d. 4/28/1868; m. James Edwin Spears, b. 10/22/1798
   3.Nancy Bethea, b. 1/23/1803 in Marion Co; d 6/10/1867; m. 10/14/1823 to Salathiel Moody; d. 4/10/1867
   4.Sarah Bethea, b. 12/21/1806; d. 12/05 1886; m. Willis Gibson Crawford  b. 2/22/11796, d. 1/21/1851
   5.Rev. Samuel Joseph Bethea, b. 10/22/1808 in Marion Co, d.10/24/1877  m. (1) ?  (2) Mary Rogers, 
     (3) Elizabeth A. Bass, b. 5/17/1820, d. 10/20/1898
  6.Rachal Bethea, b. 3/27/1810 in Marion Co, d. 11/20/1876; m.11/1/1827 to Enoch J. Meekins, 
     b.10/28/1797, d.9/11/1877
    (Rachal's Tombstone indicates she was born in 1807, Sellers History, p.402)
  7.Lucretia Bethea, b. 8/9/1812 in Marion Co, d. 6/6/1886; m. (1) Aaron
     Meekins; m. (2) Wesley Stackhouse,             b. 2/5/1814, d. 12/25/1864
  8.Lucinda Bethea, b. 5/6/1814 Marion Co; m. Wiley Bridges
  9. John Robert Bethea, b. 1/5/1816 Marion Co, d. 8/20/1893; m.2/3/1842
      to Harriet Belinda Bass, b.  9/30/1823, d.1/28/1885
10.David W. Bethea, b. 1/22/1818 Marion Co, d. 10/7/1843 (never married)
11.Claudius A. Bethea, b. 2/22/1821, d. 12/12/1869; m. Mary Ann Miles
12.Jane Elizabeth Bethea, b. 10/20/1822 Marion Co, d. 1/2/1881; 
     m.Tristram Manship Easterling, b.10/1/1818, d. 3/12/1907

"English" John Bethea¹ -> "Virginia" John Bethea² ->  "Buckswamp" John Bethea³