Carlene:
In 1810, Hudson and Pace Nipper were in Grainger Co., TN. That's the only county in East Tennessee for which a census before 1830 has survived.
I used to think that James Nipper was a son of Pace, but am no inclined to believe that Hudson was the father of James.
I suspect that James drifted down the Clinch River from Grainger County about 1816 when he is listed on a Roane County tax list. The Clinch River joins the Tennessee River at Kingston, county seat of Roane County.
Two place names--Paint Rock and Stockton Valley--are important in our Nipper family history. Do a Google specific term search for Paint Rock Tennessee and Stockton Valley Tennessee to see how close they are. You can enlarge or reduce the maps to gain perspective. Google will show maps placing both places on State Highway 72 about 10 miles west of Loudon and about 10 miles south of Kingston. The land settled by james Nipper was on the ridge west of Paint Rock. The land arranged for Catherine Laramore Nipper in James' intestate settlement was at the south end of Stockton Valley near Cedar Forks Church, i.e., right on the Roane/Loudon County line.
Charlie