The family of Henry Jackson 1742-1810

 This should really be titled "Or what I think I know so far".  It's hard to grasp that people who were just 250-260 years ago are so hard to trace.  This family is one of those.  They lived on what was more or less the frontier, and records were either not kept or lost more easily than in the more settled areas.  So I'm grateful to at least have this much information, while earnestly yearning for more.

Henry Jackson was born in 1742, possibly in Maryland.  His parents were possibly John and Ruth Jackson, but I'm not sure of that.  He married Elizabeth Stump, the daughter of Thomas and Jane Booth Stump about 1762, and we find them in Whitely, Greene County, Pennsylvania at least during the middle years of their marriage.  Henry died in 1810 in Guernsey County, Ohio, where some of his children had gone.  I am not sure when or where Elizabeth died, as I am finding conflicting information about her death.  The couple lived through great turmoil, including the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the Whiskey Rebellion, and the formation of our country, and there are likely more stories to be found than I have yet located.  Their family includes as many as eleven children; I have been unable to locate more than a rough year of birth for most of them, so the order of birth here may be incorrect.  

Alexis, sometimes seen as Alexander, appears to be the first born, in 1762.  He married Catherine Moore, the daughter of John and Hannah Armstrong Moore.  Their children are John, Edward, Sally, Hannah, Mary, Alexis, Henry, Barbara, Thomas, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Eleanor.  Alexis is a veteran of the War of 1812, and he died in 1826 in Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana, where Catherine died in 1830.  I will follow this family in my next post.

Next was William, born in 1765.  I have found death dates for him ranging from 1795 to 1835, but I've found very little else.  Some believe that he lived to marry, or at least have children with, a woman with the last name of Cradlebaugh, who would likely be related in some way to John Cradlebaugh, who is listed in the 1800 census in Whitely, Greene County, Pennsylvania.  The children may be William and Rachel.   Clearly this family needs to be researched further.

James was born December 11, 1768 and died in 1829 in Jefferson County, Ohio.  He married Rachel Orr, the daughter of John and Martha Dickey Orr.  Their children are William, James, Martha, Mary, Agnes, John, Alexander, and Rachel.   

Nellie was born in 1769, or maybe later.  She married William Dawson, whom I have not yet been able to further identify.  The 1830 census in Guernsey County, Ohio, shows 6 children in the family but I don't know if they may include grandchildren, since this couple, both aged 60-69, may have been too old to have children in the 15-19 year range.  Their children are believed to include Henry, Isaac, John, William and Elizabeth.  

Henry was born about 1770 and died in 1838 in Byesville, Guernsey County, Ohio.  He first married Hannah Keener, the daughter of John Keener (mother unknown).  Their children are Elizabeth, Mary, Ruth, Nancy, Andrew, James, Margaret, and Hannah.  After Hannah died, he married Rachel Tustin, the daughter of Abraham and Mary Hamilton Tustin.  He fathered another eight children with Rachel, including Henry, Jacob, Eleanor, Samuel, Jane, Abraham, Lydia and Charles.  

Elizabeth was born in 1776 and died in 1817 in Miami County, Ohio.  She married Benjamin Dye, the son of Andrew and Sarah Minor Dye.  Their children are Stephen, Elizabeth, Horation, Vincent, Andrew, James, Sarah, William, Benjamin, Maria, and John.  (There is a six year age gap between Henry and Elizabeth, and James, Nellie and Henry were reportedly born close together.  That is why I am a bit skeptical of the birth years when I don't have an actual date.)

Sometimes it is really hard to learn family history, and such is the case with their daughter Ruth.  She was born in 1778 and seems to have died perhaps in the late 1790s or early 1800s.  The story is that she and her unnamed husband had gone to Fort Jackson for safety from ongoing attacks from native Americans.  When they thought things had settled down, they left the Fort for their nearby home, but were "tomahawked" and killed within sight of the Fort, on land that was known as the Henry Jackson farm.  Her parents and siblings all lived in the area, and I cannot imagine the trauma, fear, grief, and anger this would have caused her family, as well as the unknown husband's.  This may be one reason the whole family left the area within a few years.  

Samuel was born in 1779 and died in 1839 in McHenry County, Illinois.  In 1821, he married Mary Williams. who is probably related to at least one of the several Williams families in the 1820 census in Guernsey County, Ohio.  Their children are Stephen, Demeus, Samuel, Alexis, Spencer, and Mary Jane.

Nancy was born about 1782 and that is all I know.  There is a Nancy Jackson who married Elias Dennison in Guernsey County in 1828 but I'm not sure if it is our Nancy, and if it is, she would have been too old to have children.  

Thomas was born in 1783 and died as a baby or toddler.  

And finally, Jacob was born in 1785 and died in 1863 in Spring Grove, McHenry County, Illinois.  He married Margaret Shriver, the daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Shull Shriver.  Their children are Ruth, Elizabeth, William, Lucinda, Elijah, Michael, James, Priscilla, Jacob, Vincent, Margaret, and Adam.   

I'm sure there are uncovered stories that would be of great interest to any descendants of these children.  Men likely served in the War of 1812, and just to know the stories of their migration out of Greene County would be fascinating.  Henry and Elizabeth attended a Baptist church in Pennsylvania, but because this was still basically a frontier area, it may or may not have been their only choice.  I'd like to know more about that, too. 

 

 

 

 

 

Allen line: The family of John Jackson-highly speculative and perhaps incorrect

This guy is a mystery and he may not be ours.  I've found little documentation about him.  He was likely born about 1710 based on the dates of his supposed children, possibly in England.  He may be the John Jackson who died in 1761 in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  He may have been married to Ruth Beall, and then to a second Ruth, who may also have been a Beall.  Or there could have been two John Jacksons, each married to a Ruth Beall.  It's confusing. The older Ruth Beall wouldn't be the mother of the children I'll mention, because she was born in 1686 and the children were born from 1732 to 1747.   I'm writing this post hoping that someone has this figured out, but if not, then the next person who works on this guy will be alerted to the difficulties I've found.

The list of his children seems to have been taken primarily from a will, but whether this is the will of our John Jackson or not I cannot say.  These names are Alexis, Samuel, Richard, William, Thomas, Henry, Edmund, and Jacob.  These names need to be studied further.  It does appear that all were born in Prince Georges County, and that at least Alexis, Samuel, and Richard followed a logical migration path to Greene or Beaver County, Pennsylvania.  Henry, our Allen ancestor, moved on to Guernsey County, Ohio.  I will follow him in my next blog post.   

Please let me know if you have any information about any of these people.  Let's give Henry the benefit of knowing who his parents are! 

 

 

 

 

The family of Kingsland Comstock 1719-1753

 If I were to sit down with this Kingsland Comstock, I think my first question would be "How many children did you have, sir?"  Some of the children I can document with at least basic information, but for some (who, by the way, don't have Comstock or even Crocker names), there seems to be not even a clue.  I don't know how some of the names got added as his children, so I will just briefly mention them at the end of this post as "maybes".  

Not many of the Comstocks in these later generations lived long lives.  Kingsland was born in 1719 and died in 1753, both in New London, Connecticut.  He married Rachel Crocker, the daughter of John and Mercy Tubbs Crocker in 1717.  It is possible that this was one of the many marriages of the time in which the bride was already expecting a child, because their first son was born before 1718, and another daughter followed in 1718.  

Kingsland, the first son, was born before 1718, or perhaps wasn't born to this couple at all.  I am including him as a likely son simply because of the name.  It's possible he was a nephew to our couple, born to another of the sons of Kingsland and Mary Atwell Comstock.   

I have more faith in Mary, born in 1718.  She married John Leeds, the son of Cary and Martha Holly Leeds.  Their children are Gideon, Jonathan, William, Experience, John, James, and Mary.  I have two death dates for Mary, one in 1772 and one in 1804.   I am not able to determine which, if either, of these dates are correct.  

Rachel was born in 1720.  I have always shown her husband as John Eames, the son of John and Abigail Morgan Eames.  Their children are John, Elizabeth, and Robert.  However, there is also a case to be made that she married John Brown, the son of John and Marah Franklin Brown, and their children are Rachel, John, Kingsland, Christopher, Comstock, and Daniel.   John Eames seems to have lived until 1778, and so if she married both men, there must have been a divorce.  I would sure like to know whether this is the same woman, or whether the Rachel Comstock who married John Brown is an entirely different person.  Can you help?  I haven't located a death date for her, either.  

John was born in 1722, and married Margaret Vibber, the daughter of John and Joanna Williams Vibber.  He died before 1787, having been an ensign in the Revolutionary War, and having lost two sons during the Wyoming Massacre in Pennsylvania, where the family had settled.  There is a very long list of children for this couple, including Kingsley, Elizabeth, Electra, Elijah, Hannah, Charles, Robert, Giles, Mary or Mercy, Eleanor, Peleg, Rachel, Alexander, Crasy, Russell, and Margaret.   Kingsley and Robert were the two who were killed in the Massacre; John escaped by hiding behind a large log.  

Joseph was born in 1725 and died in 1763 in Clinton, New York.  He married Elethiar or Althea Bliss, the daughter of Pelatiah Bliss (mother unknown at this time).  Their children are Joseph, Benjamin, Thankful, and Elthera. 

Elizabeth is thought to have been born in 1727 and married Stephen Baker, the son of Joshua and Miriam Hurlburt Baker.  Their children are Lucretia, Stephen, David, Abel and Sibbel/Sybil.  She may have lived until 1814 but I do not know where she died.

That leaves us with three children who are mysteries, or misplaced.  Jemina is said to have been born in 1724 and may have died young.  Crasy and Russell are sometimes seen as children of Kingsland and Rachel, but these names are also mentioned as being children of Jon and Margaret's (above).  With no dates as potential children of Kingsland and Rachel, and with birth dates as the children of John and Margaret, I am mentioning them as "maybes" for the family I'm writing about here.

Once again, I have a lot of questions about a family that was formed just a little over 200 years ago.  Sometimes the earlier generations are documented more thoroughly than the 18th century families, and it is a bit frustrating.  Still, this lets us know that the family lived, supported their colony and country, and helped the country grow.  That makes them important, at least to their descendants!