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.