The family of Jacob Aldridge died 1815

 Yet again, we have a man of mystery.  Was he born in 1732, or 1741?  There was more than one Jacob Aldridge, of course. I think it's more likely that he was born in 1732, because the first reported child was born about 1759 and 18 would have been young to have been a father. But 1732 leaves his father, John Aldridge, having a child at age 20, so it's not totally impossible.  

This Jacob was the son of John and Eleanor possibly Watkins Aldridge.  He married Elizabeth Soper, the daughter of John and Martha Guttridge Soper, or he married Elizabeth Simpson, as yet unidentified, or he married both ladies.  Or perhaps he married Elizabeth Simpson Soper.  There are a lot of possibilities, and as yet I have not seen anything that cites a definitive record.  

Thanks to the will of James Aldridge, their first son and brother of Jacob, we do know something of the family of Jacob and Elizabeth.  And thanks to Michael Hait, who posted the will on June 23, 2011 in his post A Friend of Friends Friday: James Aldridge of Prince George's County, Maryland.  James died after April 16, 1833, the date he added a codicil to his will. 

James named his brother Andrew as one of the executors, (Andrew refused) and left bequests to the children of two of his deceased siblings, and settling the estate revealed their names.  So we have something to go on here.  

Jacob and Elizabeth had the following children:

James was born in 1759.  Based on his will, if he had ever married, his wife and any children had died previously, and he had no direct descendants.

John, born in 1761, is not mentioned in James's will, probably because he was living in Indiana by 1833 and was more or less able to take care of his family.  However, we know that John, known as John Simpson Aldridge, was married to Mary Lakin, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Fee Lakin.  John was a Revolutionary War veteran and is better documented than those Aldridges who stayed in Maryland.  His children are Joseph, Rachel, Erasmus, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, John Simpson Jr., Delilah, and Nathan.  I will follow this family in my next post.

Andrew Aldridge was born about 1763.  He was alive in 1834, when he wrote to the co-executor of James's will, declining to serve as executor.  The post mentioned above doesn't indicate where Andrew was living at the time, and I've not found any other information that clearly is this Andrew.  

Jacob was born in 1768 and married Martha Jones, so far not further identified. He had died by the time James wrote his will, and so we know his children, at least the ones living as of 1833.  They are Ann, Caroline, Christy (also seen as Christiana), Martha, and Washington.   

Eleanor was born about 1772 and married Richard Belt, who may have been the son of Edward Belt.  She lived until 1857 but the only child I can find listed for her is Louisa.  It is possible that this family went to Missouri, as a man by the name of Richard Belt is buried there.  

The final child was Elizabeth, known as Betsy.  She married an as yet unidentified man named Jones, and their children are William, Matilda, Samuel, and Pamela. 

This list, if complete, gives Jacob at least 19 grandchildren, but research is continuing.  

I would be remiss if I didn't include a tip of the hat to James, who in his 1833 will freed his slaves, at least the females, and left them a small sum of money besides.  I don't know whether James is the last Aldridge to hold slaves, but we can hope this is the case.