Child #4.....Burrel Jones (1795-1868).....Part 2

Former Homestead of Burrel Jones, McCracken County, KY

Despite being on the 1840 Census, the earliest document showing Burrel in McCracken County, KY is the tax list for the year 1850 where he is shown being taxed for 80 acres on Massac Creek which was also near Mayfield Creek. The land was located to the northeast of the town of Lewisburg, now known as Melber, and situated in the southwest portion of the county. Living alongside Burrel was his son-in-law Nathaniel P. Jones and Nathaniel's older brother John who had married Burrel's brother Wiley's daughter Fanny. On January 21, 1843, Burrel and Elizabeth give birth to their final child James Knox Polk Jones.

 By 1853, county tax records show Burrel having increased his land holdings to 160 acres which is supported by a deed dated March 19, 1853. The land, which was located on the waters of Massac and Mayfield Creeks, was purchased from William T. Smith and his wife Nancy for the sum of $640. It appears that Burrel's original 80 acres is part of the 160 being purchased here based on the deed stating that it is "the same tract of land on which the said Jones now resides and cultivates." Considering documents have yet to surface explaining how Burrel came to own the original 80 acres and William T. Smith and his wife Nancy were living in Christian County, Kentucky at the time of this deed, it seems likely that Burrel had struck an earlier deal to contract and  work the land with the future option or agreement to purchase, giving him time to come up with the rather large sum of $640.

This would end up being a wise investment for Burrel considering he was able to double his money by selling 80 acres of it four years later on February 20, 1857 to a man named William Spence for $700. The deed for this transaction is significant because it marks the first time that Burrel's wife Elizabeth is included in any of Burrel's land activities and the fact that she signs with "her mark" at the bottom would indicate she wasn't educated. Apparently the couple's reason for selling the land was due to them having set their gaze further west across the Mississippi River, focusing on Independence County, Arkansas where cheap federal land was still to be had. Records indicate that Burrel and Elizabeth's daughter Nancy Clarentine and her husband Henry Z. Hawkins had moved to nearby Izard County, Arkansas as early as March of 1855. This move to Arkansas gives Burrel the distinction of being the only child of Issac Jones to have left the state of Kentucky.

By the time of Burrel's arrival in Arkansas, Independence County was quite established having been formed in the year 1820. Settlers had come to the area from Kentucky as early as 1810 searching for good pasturage for their cattle and building a settlement at the mouth of Polk Bayou which was connected to the White River. The settlement which they called Polk Bayou, eventually was renamed to Batesville in 1824 after having served as the county seat since 1821. Having also served as an important shipping point on the White River for a number of years, goods were easy to come by, and the federal land office that oversaw the sale of all land in northern Arkansas was eventually located here. Even by 1830 the town possessed a number of brick buildings and stores and by 1860 the county boasted a total population of 14,000 people.

Although Burrel had arrived in Independence County by 1857, his earliest land purchase doesn't occur until July 1, 1859 when he purchases two land patents at the federal land office in Batesville totaling 160 acres. The land was all located in the northeast and northwest quarters of Section 9, Township 15 north, Range 6 west, which lay to the northwest of the present day town of Cave City, Arkansas which at the time was known as Barren Township. Today this land can be found north of the section of Center Road that lays between Hamlett Springs Road and Conyers Road. Later court records indicate that Burrel bought an additional 320 acres located to the north of his 1859 purchase in Section 4 and to the south in Sections 17 and 18.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, the state of Arkansas quickly opted for secession and left the Union on May 6, 1861. Although they were not slave owners, seven months later, Burrel's son John Logan would enlist with the Confederacy on November 19, 1861 serving as fifth sergeant of Company B with the 1st Arkansas Regiment of 30 Day Volunteers. This regiment was part of the Independence County Home Guard and was made up primarily of land owners in the area. John Logan was also accompanied in enlisting by his brother-in-law Nathaniel P. Jones. Now at the age of 66, Burrel most certainly would have been too old to serve in the war and there is no existing record of any sort of service.

During the war, the county was primarily plagued by guerrilla warfare and bands of lawless men known as bushwackers terrorizing the local population. By May of 1862 the town of Batesville was already under Federal occupation, a status that would change several times throughout the war. With the constant presence of troops from one side or the other in the area, there was a steady pressure on the local farmers for supplies in exchange for payment vouchers that often proved worthless. Eventually local food supplies would dwindle to the point of forcing the Union troops occupying the town of Batesville in 1864 to relocate nearly 20 miles away to the town of Jacksonport. As far as actual fighting, Independence County was the scene of several battles primarily involving skirmishes between small bands of Confederate guerrilla fighters and the Union troops stationed in the area to combat them and the bushwackers. One such skirmish occurred on February 19, 1864 at a location known as Waugh Farm when 180 Union troops with forty wagons had been sent out from Batesville to forage the countryside for supplies. They were attacked by Confederates under the command of General George Rutherford who overran them quickly, capturing and burning all the wagons.

Regardless of the near-constant presence of Union troops in the county, the citizens greater fear was directed towards the groups of bushwackers roaming the county. An excellent account of what the residents of Independence County faced during the Civil War can be found in a letter by Emeline McGuire to her son, dated August 1864:


My Dear Son,

How to commence this letter to you I do not know. I have so much melancholy things to tell you about. In the first place, I know you will think it strange, when you look at the heading of my letter, that your Ma is in Kentucky. Well, I will tell you how it was that we came here. We have had first the Confederate soldiers and then the Federals changing first one and then the other ever since the war commenced, and last winter a band of Jayhawking thieves came into Independence and all the adjoining counties, going to the people's houses of nights and demanding all their money and threatening to kill them if they did not and they did kill some. One night three men rode up to our gate and hallowed and your Pa went out thinking it was some of our neighbors wanted something, when to his surprise they took hold of him and said he was their prisoner. They were all armed and he had only an old pocket knife. They took him nearly a mile into the woods and asked him for a large sum of money. I do not recollect how much and they said they would kill him if he did not give it to them. Your Pa told them they would have to kill him then for he had not near much money. They told him he had to give all he had. They then searched his pockets and then brought him back to the house and told me to bring out all the money or they would burn the house. I took the money out and they released your Pa. About three weeks after that a gang of those thieves came to our house about eleven o'clock at night. We had our doors locked and Pa had his guns and pistols loaded. They did not say a word but commenced trying to burst the doors open. Finding the doors too strong, one of them came to the window and burst the shutter off. Just as he did so your Pa shot and killed him. He loaded his gun again and went into the cellar with the intention of trying to get out. Knowing that they had got all the money before, your Pa believed they had come with the intention of killing him, and he said he was determined to sell his life as dear as he could. As soon as this man was killed, they made the negroes carry him to Lamburtons and they set the house on fire. They put the fire at the end of the old store room and the house was all in flames before I knew it. Your Pa managed to get out of the cellar but not until he was wounded in the left arm above the elbow and he killed another one of those thieves. He then had to run through the open lot and them following him and shooting at him all the time. Just as he jumped the lot fence by the negro cabin, they shot him the second time in the same arm which I fear will make him a cripple for life. But he succeeded in getting away with life for which I am thankful to my blessed Savior, for I know it was nothing but his interposition that saved him. Our dwelling houses, kitchen, smokehouse with everything that was in them burned up with the exception of a few things Auntie and myself carried out. A few days afterward our mill and gin was burned and all our negroes left us and went to the Federals except Jo. . . Our house was burned the fifth night of December (1863). We left Arkansas in March.

                                                                                                             Your mother, Emeline McGuire



Eventually the war would come to an end in 1865, and it would seem that despite going through the Reconstruction Era, things had returned to some level of normalcy with Burrel's youngest son James Knox Polk Jones getting married on July 27, 1867 to a young woman named Rachel M. Huddleston. The couple would eventually own and operate a hotel in Batesville. Unfortunately, Burrel would not live to see the state of Arkansas readmitted to the Union having died sometime prior to March of 1868 at the age of 73. It is doubtful that Burrel left any sort of will based on the fact that the bulk of the documents involving his estate find their origin within the county probate court system. Probate court records indicate that Burrel's son John Logan Jones acted as the administrator of the estate after having posted a $2000 bond backed by Nathaniel P. Jones, Richard J. Montgomery, and Oty Story as securities. Later court documents show that an estate inventory was filed with the court but unfortunately has ceased to exist or has yet to surface. Reference to it is made by John Logan Jones in a document dated July 13, 1868 involving an affidavit of cash note due to Burrel stemming from a $74 loan with an annual interest rate of ten percent made to Henry Z. Hawkins and J. W. Peter back on September 22, 1860. Both of these men if you remember were son-in-laws of Burrel's. This loan is once again addressed in a sworn statement of it's validity made by Hawkins on March 10, 1868.

In regards to Burrel's land there was probably no need for a will because at some point in 1869 or early 1870, Burrel's wife Elizabeth would petition the probate court to "appoint commissioners to lay off and set aside her dower." The fact that she had a dower would imply that Burrel had verbally made an agreement with her at an earlier time to leave her the land. This agreement could quite possibly go as far back as the couple having sold the land in Surry County that was left to Elizabeth by her father. Her petition was granted and the courts assigned Richard J. Montgomery, William F. Dalton, and Thomas J. Martin to act as commissioners and determine which of Burrel's land holdings would be set aside for Elizabeth. Upon examination, the commissioners determined that at his death, Burrel owned the following parcels of land: the southwest quarter of Section 4, Township 15 north, Range 6 west and the western half of the northwest quarter of Section 4, Township 15 north, Range 6 west totaling 240 acres, the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 18, Township 15 north, Range 6 west containing 40 acres, the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 17, Township 15 north, Range 6 west containing 40 acres, and his original 1859 purchase consisting of the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 9, Township 15 north, range 6 west, the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 9, Township 15 north, Range 6 west, and the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 9, Township 15 north, Range 6 west containing a total of 160 acres. On March 19, 1870 the commissioners entered their decision with the court, awarding Elizabeth the land originally purchased by Burrel in 1859 consisting of the 160 acres located in Section 9 and including "the dwelling and farm."

Map Showing Burrel's Main Land Holdings At Time Of Death

(any box with 1870 in it was still owned at that time)

It is unknown to me at this time what became of the remainder of Burrel's land or what Elizabeth ultimately did with her share of his estate. It would appear that Elizabeth may have rented or sold her share of the land not long after it having been awarded. By August of 1870, the federal census shows her living in the home of her son-in-law Nathaniel P. Jones and daughter Polly, and being under the care of her recently divorced granddaughter Lucy Gist. From this point forward, the remainder of Elizabeth's life becomes a mystery. Federal census records would seem to indicate that she died sometime prior to 1880. Grave locations for both her and Burrel have yet to be located, with the generally accepted location thought to be the Palestine Methodist Church Cemetery located a few miles to the west of Cave City. With Burrel and Elizabeth's son John Logan calling this cemetery his final resting place, as well as their daughter Polly and her husband Nathaniel, this would seem to be the logical location. It may also be that Burrel and Elizabeth are actually buried in a local family cemetery that is somewhat of a mystery known as the Hamlett Cemetery. There is a family lineage document supplied by the Genealogical Society Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints involving the family of Burrel's son John Logan Jones. The document makes mention of the burial location of John Logan's first wife Margaret Jane Bizzell, who died in 1870, as being in this Hamlett Cemetery. The document further states that her death date was sourced from her tombstone. With Burrel having died two years prior and John Logan living right next door to Burrel at this time, one would think Burrel, Elizabeth, and Margaret would all be buried in the same cemetery. With Hamlett actually being a local surname and the road running today along the northeast boundary of Burrel's land being called Hamlett Springs Road, I'd say it's pretty likely there is a lost family cemetery in the area that may contain these graves.

1850 McCracken County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1851 McCracken County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1852 McCracken County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1853 McCracken County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1853 McCracken County, KY Deed ~ William T. and Nancy Smith to Burrel Jones

1857 McCracken County, KY Deed ~ Burrel and Elizabeth Jones to William Spence

1857 McCracken County, KY Deed ~ Burrel and Elizabeth Jones to John Englert

Link to BLM website where Burrel Jones' 1859 Arkansas Land Patents can be viewed

1868 Independence County, AR Court Document ~ Burrel Jones Estate Bond

1868 Independence County, AR Court Document ~ Burrel Jones Estate (affidavit of cash received)

1868 Independence County, AR Court Document ~ Burrel Jones Estate

1870 Independence County, AR Court Document ~ Petition of Elizabeth Jones to Lay Off Dower

1870 Independence County, AR Court Document ~ Commissioner's Report for Elizabeth Jones dower

1870 Independence County, AR Court Document ~ Burrel Jones Estate (lands owned)

Child #4.....Burrel Jones (1795-1868).....Part 1

Child number four for Isaac Jones, and my personal great (x4) grandfather, was Burrel Jones born sometime between June and late August of 1795 in Rowan County, NC. Having spent 16 of the first 22 years of his life living directly next door to the family of John Brown, it really comes as no surprise that on March 4, 1817 Burrel and his father Isaac apply for a marriage bond in Surry County with Burrel's chosen bride being listed as Elizabeth Brown. 

Elizabeth was born in Surry County, NC sometime during the summer of 1799 to her parents John and Molly Brown. Elizabeth's father had migrated to Surry County in the late 1780's from Rowan County where he was born sometime circa 1768. John Brown was the son of German immigrants who had come to Rowan County at such an early point that they are considered some of it's earliest settlers. His father Jacob Braun had gained a reputation throughout the area for building exceptional wagons, eventually becoming known regionally as "The Wagonmaker". Jacob's brother Michael was also a prominent early settler, serving as constable in the early 1760's and later that decade building the now-famous "Old Stone House" which still stands near the town of Granite Quarry and is considered the oldest still-standing private residence in the county.

    

   

Old Stone House, Rowan County, NC

Elizabeth Brown's mother has long thought to have been a woman named Molly McCulloch. This is based on a marriage record in Rowan County dated November 26, 1788 showing a John Brown marrying a Mary McCulloch. Unfortunately, THIS IS A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY. The first sign of this can be seen in the July 27, 1812 Rowan County will of Mary's father James McCulloh (McCulloch). In it he makes mention of some slaves being left to Mary, referring to them as the "negroes now in possession of Revd. John Brown her husband." This Reverend John Brown finds further mention in a book by George Howe called "History Of The Presbyterian Church in South Carolina: Volume 2" in which he is said to have moved to South Carolina from Ireland as a boy. After serving in the American Revolution, he went to Salisbury, NC (Rowan County) to study under a Dr. S. E. McCorkle and then was licensed by the Presbytery of Concord in 1788. After marrying Mary McCulloch he eventually went back to South Carolina and became a Professor of Logic and Moral Philosophy at South Carolina College (currently University of South Carolina). Then was appointed president of the University of Georgia during the War of 1812. He would eventually die in Ft. Gaines, Georgia in 1842.

What is known about Elizabeth Brown's correct mother Molly is very little and primarily comes from later census records that indicate she was born in Pennsylvania sometime around 1764. Circumstantial evidence has led one Brown Family researcher and myself to believe that Elizabeth's mother Molly was actually the daughter of John Roark. Elizabeth's uncle David Brown had married John Roark's daughter Sarah, and John Roark had also relocated to Washington County, TN where John Brown's father "The Wagonmaker" was now living. Despite living in separate states, John Brown is granted by the Surry County court the appointment of administrator of John Roark's estate in 1804 which would further imply a possible direct marital connection between the two men.

At some point following Burrel's marriage to Elizabeth Brown in 1817, Surry County tax records for that same year indicate that Burrel had acquired a 100 acre tract of land in the vicinity of Hunting Creek. It's difficult to determine exactly how the land came into his possession due to the fact that not a single document of any sort pertaining to the transaction has surfaced. I tend to believe that the most likely scenario is that the land was gifted to Elizabeth from her father at the time of her marriage to Burrel. This would explain the need for a marriage bond and the eventual wording in her father's 1830 will stating that he was leaving her "50 cents over and above what she has already had." County tax records only show Burrel owning this land during the years 1817 and 1818 which corresponds with the couples relocation to Warren County, Tennessee in 1819.

Burrel's activities during his years spent in Warren County are somewhat vague due to the lack of existing documents for the county. The earliest written record of Burrel in Warren County would be the 1820 Federal Census where he is listed below his brother Thomas and shown as having two females under the age of ten now living in his home. These would be Burrel and Elizabeth's daughters Jeannette Caroline Jones (24 Jan-1818-NC) and Mary Elizabeth Jones aka "Polly" ( 10 Jan 1820-TN). A year later the couple would have a third daughter named Marthena C. Jones aka "Bethany" (1821-TN).

Apart from the 1820 Census the only other Warren County documents that make mention of Burrel are a couple of county plat records listing him as a chain carrier involved in a land survey in 1824 for a Stephen Griswold. Based on the plat record I spoke of in my earlier post about Burrel's brother Wiley, it appears Burrel and his brothers were living along the Barren Fork of the Duck River also known as the Big Duck. This area is now located in Coffee County just to the southwest of Warren County.

Set of 18th Century Survey Chains.

By 1827 Burrel and Elizabeth had had another baby girl, this one named Nancy Clarentine Jones (1827-TN). The 1830 Census seems to indicate that they also gave birth to an unknown male child born sometime between 1821-1825. With his father Isaac having left North Carolina and now living just two counties to the west, Burrel moves his family to Williamson County in 1828. County tax records for the year show him owning 35 acres on Flat Creek adjacent Isaac and his brother-in-law William Jeffrey who had married Burrel's younger sister Lidia back in Surry County. This first year in Williamson County would also mark the birth of Burrel and Elizabeth's son William T. Jones (1828-TN). Burrel's stay in Williamson County would prove to be short-lived with tax records showing him still in the county in 1829, but by 1830 he had once again relocated. This time to Henry County in the far northwestern section of Tennessee.


Due to the lack of supporting deeds and tax lists, researchers have long debated whether Burrel was ever actually in Henry County between the years 1830 and 1840. This debate has further been fueled by the fact that Burrel appears in the Calloway County, Kentucky tax records during the years 1834 and 1839. With the two counties bordering each other and the town of Wadesboro in Calloway County being the location of the entire region's land office, the notion that Burrel would own land in Kentucky while living just across the border in Tennessee is well within the realm of possibility.

Starting with the 1830 Census for Henry County, TN you definitely find a "Burrell Jones" listed, although the household information is slightly skewed with the addition of an unknown male child and the number of female children coming up short by one. Not being a person who puts much stock or faith in the federal census, let's examine some of Burrel's children from that period of time. The next child in succession to be born to Burrel and Elizabeth was my great (x3) grandfather John Logan Jones (6 Jan 1831-TN) who throughout his life consistently claimed he was born in Tennessee. After John Logan came his younger brother Marion Alexander Jones (11 April 1833-TN) whose death certificate which was filed on September 24, 1921 states he was born in Tennessee. Coupled with this is the fact that when Marion Alexander married his cousin Samantha E. Jeffrey aka "Amanda" in Calloway County, KY on August 13, 1856, the marriage registry book lists his birthplace as being Henry County, TN.

And speaking of marriage registry books, the Henry County, TN marriage registry book shows Burrel's daughters Polly and Bethany both getting married on April 27, 1839. Polly to Nathaniel P. Jones and Bethany to Martin Morefield, two young Methodist ministers living in the Jonathan Creek area of Calloway County at the time. It's important to remember that at this point in time, marriages occurred and were registered in the bride's county of residence. The combination of all this leaves little doubt in my mind that Burrel was certainly living in Henry County, TN between the years 1830-1840.

This marriage between Nathaniel P. Jones and Polly Jones has led to a lot of confusion amongst researchers with some mistakenly believing Nathaniel was a son of Burrel and others believing Polly was originally a Huffman prior to marriage. While Calloway County marriage records do indeed show that a Polly Huffman married a John Jones on November 15, 1831, the Polly that married Nathaniel P. Jones was born on January 10, 1820 making her the unlikely age of eleven at the time of this other marriage. This scenario is even more unlikely based on the fact that the Henry County marriage record makes no mention of Polly Jones being a widow, a practice common at the time; nor does it explain away the fact that the only two marriages that occurred on that day in Henry County were two women with the last name Jones and their husbands-to-be were both Methodist ministers living in the immediate vicinity of Isaac Jones' family in Calloway County. An even clearer indicator that Nathaniel P. Jones had married Burrel's daughter Polly is that from 1839 forward he shadows Burrel's every move, eventually showing up next to Burrel on the 1850 Census for McCracken County, KY and then the 1860 Census for Independence County, Arkansas. Nathaniel and Polly would also name one of their sons Burrel and it was Nathaniel that acted as the "security" on the $2000 bond posted for the administration of Burrel's estate in 1868.

And what of the Calloway County, KY tax records that list Burrel from 1834-1839? Based on the fact that the earliest tax list from 1834 doesn't show Burrel or any of his siblings owning or being taxed for land, I would say Burrel's inclusion was more a means of establishing official residency which most likely had it's benefits. This theory is further supported by the fact that on the following year's tax list, all of his siblings are shown being taxed for various amounts of land from their father's Tinsley Survey. Everyone except Burrel. It is not until the 1836 county tax list that you see Burrel actually being taxed for any land, which would make sense considering his only known Calloway County land purchases were made in 1835. These being his July 29, 1835 purchase of 160 acres for $20 from the land office in Wadesboro and his August 19, 1835 purchase of 160 acres from Adams Sutherland. As I mentioned before in a couple of my earlier posts, this land and the similar purchases made by his brothers were all signed over to his father Isaac in 1836. Despite this Burrel is continued to be shown as being taxed for various amounts of land from 1837-1840, 1842, and 1843, with the last three years being in direct conflict with his known residency being McCracken County, KY at that time. I tend to think that Burrel's inclusion on the Calloway County tax records had nothing to do with Burrel actually physically residing in Calloway County, but instead was indicative to a larger family land owning system and a shared tax burden.

When you examine the exact locations of the two Calloway County land purchases made by Burrel, it would appear the land was likely occupied by his adult children and not Burrel. The two sections of land are described as being the NW and SW quarters of Section 15, Township 3, Range 5 East which would position this land northeast and directly east of the Jeffrey Cemetery. With Burrel's oldest daughter Jennette having married John Wesley Peter in 1836 and several of their infant children buried in the Jeffrey Cemetery, I would say it's pretty likely they occupied the section directly to the east before relocating to Marshall County. In later years I think this is also the same sections of land where you find Burrel's daughter Nancy and her husband Henry Z. Hawkins living in 1850. As far as the land being signed over to Isaac in 1836, there's nothing to indicate that Isaac didn't put up the original money and Burrel just made the purchase in his absence never intending to actually own the land, once again pointing to a possible larger family land-owning system designed by Isaac or maybe just the time itself.

I would even venture to say that the land Burrel is seen being taxed for in Calloway County was just land from Isaac's Tinsley Survey with it being understood that it would eventually pass to him through his father's estate. What is interesting about these tax lists and the Tinsley land is that the stated watercourse varies from year to year, sometimes named as Jonathan's Creek and other times as being on Clarks River. This can be seen in Burrel's final three Calloway County tax listings from 1840, 1842, and 1843. This name variation lends support to my theory because after Isaac's death, Burrel is shown in the 1852 McCracken County tax records as owing 80 acres in McCracken and an additional 100 acres along Clarks River in Marshall County. This also once again backs my assertion that Isaac's Tinsley Survey was much further to the north of the area thought to be it southwest of Hico around Little Jonathan Creek.

One last argument used to dispel the notion that Burrel was actually living in Henry County, TN and not Calloway County from 1830-1840 is the Kentucky births of his children Isaac W. (1837-KY) and Lutitia P. Jones (1839-KY). With it only being roughly 20 miles or less from the Henry County line to the Hico area of Calloway County, this is hardly an unreasonable distance to travel in order to have children among the care of your immediate extended family and was quite common at the time. This would certainly have been the case with their daughter Lutitia's birth because by this point Burrel and Elizabeth's older daughters had all married and left home.

Apart from conducting some business and having a few of his children living in Calloway County, KY, I firmly believe Burrel spent the years 1830-1839 actually living in Henry County, TN before eventually relocating to McCracken County, Kentucky by 1840.

1817 Surry County, NC Marriage Bond ~ Burrel Jones to Elizabeth Brown

1824 Warren County, TN Plat Record ~ Burrel Jones (chain carrier)

1828 Williamson County, TN Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1829 Williamson County, TN Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

Henry County, TN Marriage Registry Book ~ Nathaniel P. Jones to Polly Jones / Martin Morefield to Bethany C. Jones 1839

Calloway County, KY Marriage Registry Book ~ Marion A. Jones to Amanda E. Jeffrey (proof of father Burrel's Henry County, TN residency)

1834 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1835 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1835 Calloway County, KY Land Office Receipt ~ Adams Sutherland to Burrel Jones

1835 Calloway County, KY Land Office Receipt ~ State to Burrel Jones

1836 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1838 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1839 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1840 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1842 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1843 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones

1852 McCracken County, KY Tax List ~ Burrel Jones




         

Child #3.....Alavina Jones (1793-1848)

Alavina or sometimes written Alvina Jones was Isaac's third child and oldest daughter born circa 1793 in Rowan County, NC. She married Bowen Whitlock in Surry County, NC sometime prior to 1816. Bowen was born circa 1790 in Rowan County, NC to James Whitlock and Nancy Bowen. As was mentioned in an earlier post concerning Isaac Jones, Bowen Whitlock had served as the ensign in the same militia company as Isaac during the War of 1812. Most evidence seems to suggest that it's very likely that Bowen's father James and Isaac may have known each other going back to the late 1700's and Rowan County. James Whitlock was the nephew of Hardy Jones the renowned Methodist who had founded the Cokesbury School in Rowan County, and then in 1801 James would act as a witness and prove in court Isaac's first land purchase in Surry County.

Very little mention of Bowen Whitlock or Alavina Jones can be found in Surry County records. The earliest mention of Bowen is found in the September 19, 1800 Surry County will of his grandfather Thomas Bowen, in which he is left "2/3 of real and personal estate when he is of age." Eight years later he is indirectly mentioned as one of the "8 children of Nancy Whitlock" in the July 28, 1808 will of Phillip Howard who was Bowen's mother Nancy's stepfather. It isn't until the 1818 Surry County tax list that you see any further mention of Bowen Whitlock in the county records. On it he is listed as "Boon Whitlock" and only paying a white poll.

By 1819 the couple had relocated to Warren County, TN along with Alavina's brothers Thomas and Burrel. The 1820 Warren County census indicates that Alavina and Bowen now had two female daughters under the age of 5. These would be their two oldest children Elizabeth Adaline Whitlock (1816-NC) and Sarah Ann Whitlock (1819-TN). Having eventually relocated to Lincoln County, TN, the 1830 Census now shows Bowen and Alavina with three more additional children: an unknown female born sometime between 1820-1825, a male born sometime between 1820-1825 who I expect is their son James A. Whitlock, and another unknown male child born between 1825-1830. By 1840, the Calloway County, KY census would seem to indicate the couple had an additional 5 children by that point. The oldest of these five was their son George W. Whitlock (1832-TN) who was then followed by their daughter Mary Frances Whitlock (1833-TN). The final three are all under the age of 5 and comprised of two males and one female. Based on the 1850 Calloway County census listing for Alavina's daughter Elizabeth Adaline Whitlock Clark, I would be inclined to believe that two of these final 3 children are the Jackson Whitlock (1837-KY) and Martha Ann Whitlock (1840-KY). The other male child under 5 alluded to in the 1840 Census remains a mystery to me. Based on the age of Jackson Whitlock, it's quite possible that he is actually John B. listed under a nickname.

Assuming that all the children shown living in Bowen and Alavina's home in 1840 were in fact all actually their children, this would bring the couples total to 10 in all. Extremely likely for the time, although unfortunately it's difficult to rectify this with later estate documents concerning Alavina Whitlock unless you assume that 4 of these children died prior to 1854. From this point forward all court documents involving the heirs of Alavina Jones Whitlock are mentioned as only being: Elizabeth A. (Whitlock) Clark, Sarah A. (Whitlock) Jones, James A Whitlock, George W. Whitlock, Mary F. Whitlock, John B. Whitlock, and George W. Jones.

The inclusion of George W. Jones is interesting because he is most likely the primary clue to the identity of Bowen and Alavina's daughter born in Tennessee between 1820-1825. With George W. being listed as both an heir to Alavina's estate, as well as her father Isaac's, this would certainly indicate an unknown daughter of Alavina had married a Jones and passed sometime before 1854. An indication of his age can be found in the 1858 Vance vs. Heirs of Isaac Jones lawsuit in which he is listed among the heirs of Alavina and suing "by his next friend J. S. Jones." By only listing a "next friend" in the document representing George W., this would indicate to me either an error or he had no legal guardian at the time and was still under 21.

This George W. Jones is most certainly the same one mentioned in "The Joneses Of Kentucky's Calloway And Marshall Counties, 1820-1910" by Henry Earl Jones in regards to a possible illegitimate child of Isaac Jones. This presumption comes from the Marshall County Guardian Book #2 and dates to March 3, 1851. I didn't have any luck locating this document while I was at the Kentucky State Archives so I'll just quote the author. According to Mr. Jones the document "lists Isaac T. Jones as guardian of George Washington Jones, infant orphan of Isaac T. Jones." Right off the bat, one must be careful with the term "infant orphan" that is used in the document's wording. During this point in time the court system used the term "infant" to describe anyone under the age of 21, so it's difficult to ascertain George W. Jones' actual age at the time. As I mentioned before, the 1858 Vance lawsuit indicates that George W. Jones descends somehow from Isaac's daughter Alavina, most likely through an unknown daughter, and the combination of these two documents would indicate she was married to an Isaac T. Jones or at least impregnated by one. It's entirely possible that this Isaac T. Jones is the son I attributed to Thomas Jones (1788-NC) who seems to disappear off the map after the 1850 Census where he is living in the home of H. Z. and Nancy Hawkins at age 30. It wouldn't be the first time a set of cousins married in this Jones clan. With the earliest mention of Isaac Jones' (1770) death being the March 22, 1851 "quitclaim deed" involving Kesiah, it's also entirely possible that it was actually Isaac the subject of this blog who was granted guardianship over George W. Jones on March 3, 1851. The one issue that makes me hesitate to attribute this guardianship to Isaac Jones (1770) is the usage of the middle initial "T" in the person's name in the document. With over 100 documents directly involving Isaac in my possession, I have never seen him or anyone else use a "T" or any other middle initial when writing his name.

But back to Bowen and Alavina Whitlock..............

The couple and their family first arrive in Calloway County, KY in 1835 as shown by Bowen's first appearance in the county tax records being taxed for 165 acres of Isaac's Tinsley Survey land. Beyond the tax lists, county records are somewhat scarce involving Bowen or Alavina. In 1839, Bowen Whitlock appears in the county will books listed as a buyer at the estate sale of Nancy Lindsey. Two years later on July 10, 1841 Bowen can be seen entering into a deed with Isaac and Thomas Jones in which he puts up quite a bit of household property as collateral for a $130.17 loan. By 1844 Bowen can be found once again in the county will books, listed as someone who owes money to the estate of John Miller in the estate account dated January 6, 1844.

At some point between this last document and Alavina's purchase of 153 acres from her father Isaac on November 5, 1844, county records indicate that Bowen had died during the year. I tend to think that the Tinsley Survey land that Alavina had just purchased was the same piece of land that Bowen Whitlock had been shown being taxed for since 1835. Confirmation of Bowen's death can be seen in his disappearance from the Calloway County tax records starting in 1845, instead being replaced by his wife Alavina. Calloway County Will Book C states that the sale of Bowen Whitlock's estate was held "this 28th day of  April 1845" and his brother-in-law Joshua Douglas Jones was the administrator. I don't believe Bowen Whitlock owned any property at the time of his death. As I mentioned before, I believe the land he was shown being taxed for going back to 1835 was the same piece of property that Alavina purchased from Isaac in 1844, and this was one of the methods Isaac used to eliminate the need for a marriage bond when it came to his daughters. Based on the subsequent estate inventory account submitted to the court by Joshua Douglas Jones on October 25, 1845, it doesn't appear Bowen left much behind in this world except possibly some debt.

As per his administrator Joshua Douglas Jones, Bowen Whitlock's personal property included: "one table, lot of tools, hammer and drawing knife, pair of millstones and appenttreses(sic), lot of corn, three head of sheep, grindstone, sythe and cradle, yearling, man's saddle, cutting knife, chisel." Considering Alavina had to buy back the grindstone for .50 cents and the yearling for $1.30, I would say that this list of personal property was only what was needed to be sold in order to cover any expenses or debts Bowen had left behind.

Alavina would never remarry and continued to live out her days in Calloway County up until her own death four years later on September 5, 1848. The earliest mention of her death is the inventory of her estate submitted by her administrator John Jeffrey on December 20, 1849. This document and the subsequent "sale bill" for Alavina's estate are probably two of my personal favorites because they give an amazing look into how a home might be outfitted in 1840's Kentucky. The "sale bill" also written on December 20, 1849 is a virtual who's who of the Isaac Jones clan. Alavina's brother-in-law John Jeffrey was also appointed the guardian of her underage children which is pretty heavily documented in the numerous reports he made to the court up into the mid-1850's. By 1850 Alavina's oldest daughter Elizabeth Adaline had married Henry P. Clark and she can be seen living next to John Jeffrey on the census for that year. Also in the home are three Whitlock minors: Mary, Jackson, and Martha Ann. Apart from the Mary, it's difficult to say who these other two might be. Jackson might be a nickname for Alavina's son John B. The Martha Ann is a complete unknown because the only children of Alavina's that John Jeffrey is mentioned as guardian to are George W, Mary F,  and John B.

As mentioned a number of times before, Alavina's estate was still making the rounds in court as late as 1854 when it was decided by the commissioner appointed to the case "James L. Jones & Others (plaintiff) Vs. Mary Whitlock & Others (defendants)", that Alavina's land would be sold to John Jeffrey for $150 and I suppose the money divided among the surviving heirs. At this point in time Alavina's only living heirs were: Elizabeth Adaline (Whitlock) Clark, Sarah A. (Whitlock) Jones, James A. Whitlock, George W. Whitlock, Mary F. Whitlock, John B. Whitlock, and the infamous George W. Jones.

As with her father and brothers before her, there is no known grave location for Alavina or her husband Bowen Whitlock. The most likely location would be the Jeffrey Cemetery though.

Surry County, NC Will Abstract~Thomas Bowen (1800)

Surry County, NC Will Abstract~Philip Howard (1808)

1835 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Bowen Whitlock

1839 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Bowen Whitlock

1841 Calloway County, KY Deed ~ Isaac & Thomas Jones to Bowen Whitlock (loan)

1844 Calloway County, KY Deed ~ Isaac Jones to Alavina Whitlock

1845 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Alavina Whitlock

1849 Calloway County, KY Court Record ~ Inventory of the Estate of Alavina Whitlock (page 1)

1849 Calloway County, KY Court Record ~ Inventory of the Estate of Alavina Whitlock (page 2)

1849 Calloway County, KY Court Record ~ Sale Bill for the Estate of Alavina Whitlock

1849 Calloway County, KY Tax List ~ Alavina Whitlock (deceased)

1852 Calloway County, KY Court Record ~ Report of John Jeffrey as Guardian of Bowen Whitlock heirs.

1854 Calloway County, KY Deed ~ Heirs of Alavina Whitlock to John Jeffrey (court based decision)

Child #2.....Wiley Jones (1789-1862)

Isaac Jones' second child was his son Wiley, born circa 1789 and most likely in Rowan County, NC. Upon his family's relocation to Surry County, NC, the general belief is that Wiley married a woman named Nancy Buterly on March 19, 1808. THIS IS NOT CORRECT AND ANOTHER CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY. The Wiley Jones that married Nancy Buterly, whose name was actually Elizabeth Buttery(Buttrey), was the son of Hardy Jones, not Isaac. Nancy was the daughter of Timothy and Mary Buttery of the Traphill area of Wilkes County, NC. When Nancy's father Timothy died in 1802, her mother got remarried to Joseph Thompson Sr. of Surry County. It is this same Joseph Thompson who acts as the bondsman for Nancy Buttery's marriage to the other Wiley Jones. Upon getting married the couple returned to the Traphill area of Wilkes County where they lived out their remaining days, with Wiley dying sometime prior to 1860 and Nancy sometime prior to 1870. The couple can clearly be seen on the 1820 through 1850 census records for that area of Wilkes County, and Nancy is seen in the same area living as a widow on the 1860 Census. Further evidence of what I'm saying can be found in a Wilkes County deed dated November 12, 1821 between "the heirs of Timothy Buttery deceased of the state of North Carolina and county of Wilkes" and "Wiley Jones one of the heirs of the state aforesaid and county of Wilkes."

Unfortunately an actual marriage bond doesn't exist for Isaac Jones' son Wiley, but I firmly believe that he married a woman named Nancy McDaniel in Surry County, NC at some point prior to 1812. Nancy was the daughter of Henry and Fanny McDaniel who lived within close proximity of Isaac Jones in the Hunting Creek area. The main piece of evidence that points to the couple's marriage can be found in Henry McDaniel's will from Surry County dated September 23, 1824, in which he refers to his daughter Nancy Jones. When one also factors in that Wiley's oldest son was named Henry (1812-NC) and his second oldest daughter Francis/Fanny (1819-NC), it leaves very little doubt that this is the correct marriage for Isaac Jones' son Wiley.

As with his older brother Thomas, past researchers have also thought that Wiley's first marriage was relatively short-lived, with Wiley getting remarried in Williamson County, TN on August 15, 1820 to a woman named Nancy Nolen. THIS IS NOT CORRECT AND A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY. Isaac Jones' son Wiley was still living in Surry County, NC as late as April 28, 1821 when he acts as a witness for his father's sale of land to Daniel Brown. Based on the birth year and location of Wiley's son Joshua Douglas Jones (1824), Wiley must have relocated to Tennessee sometime between 1821-1824. County records indicate that it wasn't Williamson County that Wiley chose as his new home but Warren County instead. This would be a likely choice considering his brothers were already living there and is backed up by a Warren County plat record dated August 7, 1829. It involves a 50 acre section of land on the Barren Fork of Duck River being surveyed for James Roughton and originally owned by Thomas Hopkins. The plat record further states that the land had at one point been "contracted to Wiley Jones" and "occupied by the last year by Bowen Whitlock." It's also interesting to note that the James Roughton who the land is being surveyed for was also originally from the Hunting Creek area of Surry County, NC and had married a daughter of Richard Messick who was the brother of George Messick.

With this having been said, I maintain that Wiley Jones and Nancy McDaniel had six children known to have survived infancy, with the possibility of three others as indicated by the 1820 Census for Surry County, NC and the 1840 Census for Calloway County, KY. The six known children would be: Henry W.(1812-NC), Isaac Jack (1815-NC), Lucinda (1817-NC), Frances E. (1819-NC), Joshua Douglas (1824-TN), and Hillard (1826-TN). Wiley's entry on the 1820 Census for Surry County, NC indicates that at the time he also had an additional unknown male child and female child under the age of 10. Without having been able to definitively locate Wiley on the 1830 Census, it's difficult to say what became of them. A ninth possible female child born between 1826 and 1830 is shown living in Wiley's home in 1840. With the general consensus being that Wiley was 4 years into his second marriage by this point, it's difficult to tell if she is a daughter from his first marriage or a stepdaughter through his second.

Wiley Jones' earliest appearance in the Surry County, NC records is the 1812 tax list where he is shown as only paying a poll tax. By 1817, he is shown being taxed for 140 acres adjacent his father Isaac despite there not being any record of him ever making any land purchases. By 1820, the acreage amount is up to 186 acres. Apart from playing witness to a couple of his father's land transactions, the only deed in Surry County that I've been able to locate where Wiley was a primary participant is the deed mentioned in my earlier post about his brother Thomas.

As mentioned earlier, Wiley and family left Surry County for Warren County, Tennessee sometime between 1821 and the Tennessee birth of his son Joshua Douglas in 1824. Warren County records of any sort are pretty scarce for this period and the 1829 plat record was all I was able to locate that made mention of Wiley Jones. By 1830 it's generally thought that Wiley had relocated further south to Lincoln County, TN. With his brother-in-law Bowen Whitlock and future brother-in-law John Jeffrey showing up in Lincoln County on the 1830 Census, there's a pretty good chance that the Wiley Jones also on the census is him.

Lincoln County would prove to be a short stay because by 1834 Wiley shows up in the tax records for Calloway County, KY. The following year he purchases 160 acres from the land office in Wadesboro, with the land being labeled as the NE 1/4 of Section 15, Township 3, Range 5 East. As with his brothers' similar land purchases at this time, the property was eventually signed over to his father Isaac in 1836. It is also around this same time that Wiley's first wife Nancy McDaniel passes away. Evidence of this can be found in the Calloway County marriage records that show Wiley getting married to a woman named Elizabeth Jones on January 21, 1836. It's generally thought that she was originally born Elizabeth Stewart and became a Jones after marrying a John Jones in Calloway County on October 27, 1832. It's been speculated that her previous husband was the father of John, Nathaniel P., and Adaline Jones from whom Isaac Jones purchased land in 1842. The belief that she was originally a Stewart comes from the presence of a 16 year old girl named Eliza Stewart living in Wiley's home in 1860, coupled with the belief that after Wiley's death Elizabeth can be seen listed as Elizabeth James and living in the home of Zebulon and Nancy Stewart in 1870. I honestly haven't really looked too close into the matter but if what I've just mentioned is in fact correct, Elizabeth Stewart Jones certainly had an interesting set of life circumstances.

Based on census records, Elizabeth Stewart was born circa 1790 in Kentucky. If the aforementioned scenario is correct, Elizabeth didn't marry for the first time until she was 42 and then married a man who was 72 at the time. When it comes to this particular Jones clan and marriage, stranger unions were formed so I hate to question this one's validity without having dug deeper into it. It may be that Elizabeth Stewart was what you would call a near textbook example of a spinster. It doesn't appear she had any children prior to, or during, her marriage to Wiley Jones. Wiley would continue to appear in the Calloway County tax records up until the year 1862 which is generally considered to also be the year of his death. As with his father Isaac and brother Thomas, there is no known grave location.

1821 Wilkes Co, NC Deed~Heirs of Timothy Buttery to Wiley Jones (evidence against Buttery marriage)

1819 Surry Co, NC Deed~Wiley Jones to Benjamin Johnson (page 1)

1819 Surry Co, NC Deed~Wiley Jones to Benjamin Johnson (page 2)

1821 Surry Co, NC Deed~Isaac Jones to Daniel Brown (Wiley Jones witness) page 1

1821 Surry Co, NC Deed~Isaac Jones to Daniel Brown (Wiley Jones witness) page 2

1829 Warren Co, TN Plat Record~Wiley Jones / Bowen Whitlock

1834 Calloway County, KY Tax List

1835 Calloway County, KY Land Office Receipt~Wiley Jones

Child #1.....Thomas Jones (1788-1874)

Isaac Jones' first child Thomas was born circa 1788, most likely in Rowan County, North Carolina. Thomas makes his first appearance in state records on December 15, 1811 when he applies for a marriage bond to wed Nancy Brown in Surry County, NC. Nancy is generally believed to be the daughter of John and Molly Brown who owned land bordering that of Isaac Jones. Further evidence that would seem to back this relationship up is the fact that John Brown acted as the bondsman for the marriage and then mentions his daughter "Polly Jones formerly Polly Brown" in his 1830 will. While Polly was a nickname more closely associated with the name Mary, I have seen where it was also a common substitute at the time for Nancy. When you consider that Thomas' younger brother Burrel married a daughter of John and Molly Brown, this would also seem to lend itself to the notion that Thomas' wife Nancy was as well. This notion is further backed up by Thomas Jones acting as a witness for a Surry County land sale between John Brown and John Brown Jr. on February 21, 1818.

Past researchers have commonly believed that Thomas' marriage to Nancy Brown was somewhat short-lived, lasting only 5 years before his eventual marriage to Sarah Matlocks in Surry County on September 21, 1816. THIS IS NOT CORRECT AND IS A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY! First let me start with saying that if you look at the actual county marriage bond, the woman's name is actually Sarah Matticks or Mattecks. With that being said, a search of Surry County deeds produces one dated November 29, 1813 showing a woman named Polly Fernandis selling a young black slave named Rachel to Sarah Matticks for $10. The deed further states that the $10 was "paid by Sarah Matticks, alias Fernandis". This is definitely the same Sarah Matticks that married a Thomas Jones in 1816 because a deed dated December 27, 1816 shows the couple selling the same slave to a man named Edward Milstead. If you go back seven years prior to this you'll find a Surry County deed dated April 10, 1809 showing Mary Fernandis (aka Polly Fernandis) selling another female slave to "her nephew Edward Milstead".

A little digging into the names Matticks, Fernandis, and Milstead shows that these families came to the area from Charles County, Maryland, and a little further digging produces a marriage record from Charles County showing Sarah Fernandis marrying John Maddox on June 20, 1779. If Isaac's son Thomas had in fact married this Sarah Matticks in 1816, he would've been marrying a woman who had gotten married for her first time almost 10 years before Thomas was even born! Highly unlikely. It's more likely that the Thomas Jones who married Sarah Matticks in Surry County was the Thomas Jones who had resided and bought land in the county since the 1780's. A deed dated August 9, 1816 and witnessed by a William Milstead further shows that this earlier/older Thomas Jones already had a connection to these families prior to his marriage to Sarah Matticks a month later. It is my firm belief that Isaac Jones' son Thomas actually remained married to Nancy Brown up until his second and only other marriage in 1847.

It is also my firm belief that there are issues with the individuals generally believed to be the children of Thomas Jones and Nancy Brown. Based on the consistency of the information most people present, I assume that most have sourced their information from the book "The Joneses Of Kentucky's Calloway And Marshall Counties, 1820-1910" compiled by Henry Earl Jones, so I'll be using Mr. Jones' book as a base point of reference to explain my thoughts on the matter. When examining the children of Thomas Jones it's probably best to jump slightly ahead on his timeline and first examine his entry on the 1820 Federal Census for Warren County, Tennessee. On his census entry for that year, Thomas is listed as having two male children under the age of 10 and one female child under the age of 10. Although she isn't attributed to Thomas in Mr. Jones' book, I believe this female child to be Nancy Jones who was born in North Carolina circa 1814 and eventually went on to marry Brittain Mathis. Apart from her name, birth year, and birth location making Nancy a likely match, she and her husband Brittain can also be found two homes down from Thomas Jones on the 1850 Marshall County Census.

As for the two boys listed in Thomas' household in 1820, based on Mr. Jones' book most people have generally believed them to be William D. Jones (1814-NC) and James L. Jones (1819-KY). While the author makes a point to mention that their relationship to Thomas Jones is only "deduced", I believe that evidence exists to squarely prove that neither of these men were sons of Thomas and quite possibly not even directly related to anyone in the Isaac Jones clan. Starting with William D. Jones a.k.a. "Button" who is generally thought to be Thomas Jones' firstborn, Mr. Jones bases William's connection to Thomas on "deeds, geographic cluster, name of first male child & James L. Jones will." With the sheer number of Thomas and William Jones pairings that can be found in both Marshall and Calloway County tax records and deeds for that time period, basing lineage on geographic clustering can begin to fall into the realm of subjective. This would also be the same for patterns in naming children. So William D. is a son of Thomas because he named his firstborn son Thomas, yet his supposed father Thomas named his firstborn male William despite his father being an Isaac and his father-in-law being a John? See what I mean? It's when you examine William's connection to James L. Jones, that the pieces really start to not fit.

In Mr. Jones' book he lists Thomas Jones' second son as being James L. Jones, born circa 1819 in Kentucky, died circa February 11, 1893, and left a will written November 28, 1891. During his life he was married three times: first to Sarah Ann Whitlock, second to Anna Lovett, and finally to Charlotte McGrew. Through his marriage to Sarah Ann Whitlock they had four children: Lucy, Mary, Rufus, and Joshua. As with William D. Jones, James L. Jones' connection to Thomas is based on "deeds, geography, & will." Anyone who has viewed the 1850 Census for Marshall County can clearly see that yes there is indeed a James L. Jones married to a Sarah Ann Whitlock living two homes down from Thomas Jones. Once you move beyond this though, records indicate that all the other marriages, the will, and the death date are mistakenly attributed to this James L. Jones, and the person who married Anna Lovett and Charlotte McGrew was an entirely different person. And if it is this person's 1891 will that makes his connection to William D. Jones and thus both of their connections to being sons of Thomas, this is definitely incorrect.

Without question there was a James L. Jones who married Sarah Ann Whitlock in Calloway County, KY on October 31, 1840. Sarah Ann Whitlock was the daughter of Thomas Jones' sister Alvina Jones Whitlock. In his book, Mr. Jones has Sarah Ann dying sometime between "spring of 1850 and June 5, 1851." This is most likely based on her 1850 census appearance and her husband James getting remarried to Anna Lovett on June 5, 1851. THIS IS A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY because Sarah Ann was still alive and the couple still married in 1854! This can clearly be seen in a document from the Calloway County court system dated November 1854 involving a lawsuit titled "James L. Jones and others (plaintiffs) Vs. Mary Whitlock and others (defendants)". The case involves a court-appointed commissioner named J. P. Culver selling to John Jeffrey the 153 acres that Alvina Whitlock had bought from her father Isaac Jones back in 1844. The proceeds from the sale were then to be divided among Alvina's living heirs, of which James L. Jones and Sarah Ann are both listed, as well as, having also signed the document. This alone makes it impossible for James L. Jones to have married Anna Lovett in 1851. Another Calloway County court document that I mentioned earlier in regards to Isaac Jones' estate goes even one step further in proving that both James L. Jones and Sarah Ann had both actually died prior to 1858, thus it would be impossible for this James L. Jones to have left a will in 1891.

This second document was the lawsuit involving all the heirs of Isaac Jones and the descendants of William Vance dated "November term 1858." By this point in time with her mother being dead, Sarah Ann Whitlock Jones would have been listed as an heir to Isaac's estate but instead her four children Lucy, Mary, Rufus, and Joshua are. This would certainly indicate that Sarah Ann had died sometime between 1854-1858. What makes this document even more interesting is that the four children "sue by their next friend and statutory guardian James A. Jones." Both of these titles are court-appointed and would indicate that the four children were all minors and both of their parents deceased. This scenario can also be seen in this same document involving the children of William and Lydia Jeffrey who both had passed by this time and their children are being represented by their "next friend and statutory guardian John Jeffrey."

With this being said, we now have two vacancies to fill in regards to the two males under 10 listed in Thomas Jones' household in 1820. For whatever reason these two individuals seem to get lost in the shuffle, but I believe the two most likely candidates for being the eldest sons of Thomas Jones are John U. Jones (1817-NC) and Isaac T. Jones (1820-TN). Both men certainly fit the bill if geographic clustering is to be used as criteria. John U. Jones first appears in the Calloway County tax records in 1839 listed just above Isaac Jones Sr., and as I mentioned in an earlier post, bought land from him in 1848. On the 1842 Calloway County tax list you even find him listed below a Thomas Jones. The same pretty much applies with Isaac T. Jones (1820) who can at one point be found living in the household of Thomas Jones' niece Nancy Jones Hawkins in 1850. Despite Nancy Hawkins being a child of Thomas' brother Burrel which has led some to speculate that this Isaac possibly was also, it's important to remember that Thomas and Burrel had purchased adjoining land back in 1835 from Adams Sutherland. With the land then primarily being occupied by Thomas and Burrel's children, this situation would totally lend itself to mixed households from the two men. John U. Jones and Isaac T. Jones would also be more likely candidates as sons of Thomas if you wanted to put stock in any sort of child-naming pattern. With his father being an Isaac and his father-in-law being a John, I find this much more likely than Thomas naming his first two sons William and James. Especially considering that Thomas did seem to have a penchant for recycling family names as seen in his naming later children Nancy, Wiley, Burrel, Joshua, and Thomas. Unfortunately John U. Jones and Isaac T. Jones seem to both drop from the historic record after 1852, and anything more definitive has yet to surface.

In regards to the marriage between Thomas Jones and Nancy Brown I believe the union produced these children: Nancy (1814-NC), John U. (1817-NC), Isaac T. (1820-TN), Joshua J. (1826-TN), Malvina (1831-TN), Elizabeth A. (1832-TN), Martha J. (1836-KY), and Frances Emeline (1841-KY).

Despite being listed in the Surry County, NC tax records as early as 1815, there is only one known actual land purchase that was made by Thomas Jones while residing in the county. This was a 100 acre purchase from the state most likely sometime in 1817, which was then ordered by the state General Assembly to be surveyed on September 8, 1818 and eventually was on October 29, 1818. This land was later turned over to his brother Wiley when Thomas and his brother Burrel left for Warren County, TN in 1819. Evidence of this can be seen in a Surry County deed dated  March 1, 1819 when Wiley sells this same piece of land to Benjamin Johnson. The deed states that the land was a "tract surveyed for and granted to Thomas Jones." As for Thomas' time spent in Warren County, TN; apart from the 1820 Census no other records exist that definitively point to him. This is unfortunately due to a county courthouse fire in 1852 that destroyed all the early tax lists and court records prior to the 1840's.

By 1830 it is believed that Thomas had relocated further south to Lincoln County, TN where he would remain until showing up in Calloway County, KY by the year 1835. Thomas continues to show up in the Calloway County tax lists up until 1842 and then starting in 1843 is shown as living in Marshall County, KY. If you've happened to have read my earlier post concerning Isaac Jones' Tinsley Survey being much further north than where people have assumed in the past, it would make perfect sense that Thomas would end up in Marshall County by 1843 because the county was formed from northern Calloway County in 1842. My theory would seem to be further backed up by his sister Alvina's 1844 Tinsley Survey land purchase from Isaac, which would explain why Thomas was surrounded by Whitlocks on the 1850 Census in Marshall County.

This 1850 Census also indicates that Thomas' wife Nancy Brown had died sometime between 1841 and 1848. I've never seen an actual marriage record, but it is generally believed that sometime around 1847-1848 Thomas got remarried to a woman 37 years younger than him named Martha A. Nunley. Through this second marriage Thomas had six more children: Andrew (1848-KY), Wiley (1849-KY), Burrell (1851-KY), Lucy (1853-KY), Thomas (1855-KY), and Sarah (1858-KY). The 1870 Calloway County Census would seem to also indicate the couple had a daughter named Tennessee (1850-KY). This is actually the wife of Thomas' son Andrew K. Jones, and the couple can later be found on the 1900 Census for Jackson County, Arkansas. Thomas Jones would continue to appear in the Calloway County tax records making his final appearance in 1872, leaving most people to believe he died shortly thereafter circa 1874. As with his father Isaac, no known burial location.

1811 Surry County, NC Marriage Bond~Thomas Jones to Nancy Brown (front)

1811 Surry County, NC Marriage Bond~Thomas Jones to Nancy Brown (back)

1818 Surry County, NC Deed~John Brown to John Brown Jr. (page 1) Thomas Jones witness

1818 Surry County, NC Deed~John Brown to John Brown Jr. (page 2) Thomas Jones witness

1818 Surry County, NC State Land Grant Purchase~Thomas Jones

1818 Surry County, NC State Land Grant Survey~Thomas Jones

1819 Surry County, NC Deed~Willie (Wiley) Jones to Benjamin Johnson (sale of Thomas' land) page 1

1819 Surry County, NC Deed~Willie (Wiley) Jones to Benjamin Johnson (sale of Thomas' land) page 2

1835 Calloway County, KY Land Receipt~Adams Sutherland to Thomas Jones

1854 Calloway County, KY Court Record~James L. Jones & others Vs. Mary Whitlock & others

1858 Calloway County, KY Court Record~John Jeffrey & others Vs. A. Vance & others

(if anyone would like the documents pertaining to the incorrect Sarah Matticks marriage, just email me.)

The Final Resting Place Of Isaac Jones???

When it comes to Isaac Jones it appears that mystery would serve as bookends for Isaac's life. As is somewhat the case with Isaac's early life and place of origin, his final resting place also remains a relative mystery to this day. Having spent time in Calloway County and having actually located his homestead, I would definitely narrow it down to one of three locations: Palestine Church Cemetery, the Morris Cemetery, or the Jeffrey Cemetery.

Palestine Church Cemetery, Calloway County, KY

(more unmarked graves than you could shake a stick at)

I'll start with the one that I personally think is the least likely, yet funny enough would seem the most logical location, Palestine Church Cemetery. Despite the earliest grave marker with an inscription only dating back to 1850, the cemetery had been in use since 1825. Many of the other markers dating back to the 1850's are either toppled or broken, so it's entirely possible that Isaac's grave could have fallen victim to the same. Having personally located and photographed upwards of 500 graves through the Find A Grave website, I know all too well how quick and thorough the grass can be when reclaiming a toppled headstone. Evidence in this cemetery, as well as other cemeteries in the surrounding area, suggests that professional headstones were obtainable and in common use many years prior to Isaac's death. Taking this into account along with Isaac's substantial personal wealth at his time of death, the notion that his grave is marked with a common field stone seems unlikely. Despite Isaac most likely being involved with Palestine Church at some level and him living a little ways to the south of the church, I don't know why he would opt to be buried at Palestine when evidence suggests people were being buried on his own property possibly even prior to his own death. This cemetery has come to be known as the Morris Cemetery.

Morris Cemetery, Calloway County, KY

The Morris Cemetery is located on privately owned land under a small grove of trees at the edge of a cow pasture on the land that Isaac left to Kesiah, which she in turn sold to William Hardy in early 1851. Although there is evidence of several unmarked graves, there are only two with actual headstones. Neither of the stones continues to mark their respective graves, and the owner of the land had told me that they had only discovered them upon hitting them with a tractor while cutting the grass not long after buying the property. The stones had long been toppled by the cows as they used the area for shade. The first of the markers belongs to Isaac's stepdaughter Lucinda Morris who had died on November 3, 1850. If Isaac did in fact die in early 1851, why wouldn't he be buried on his own land as was his stepdaughter? The other marker belongs to Thomy Hardy who had died on April 13, 1854 and was the 5 month old son of William and Sarah Hardy. Really the only thing that makes me believe that Isaac wouldn't be buried in this location is the existence of the Jeffrey Cemetery.  

Jeffrey Cemetery, Calloway County, KY

(grave of Joshua Douglas Jones in the foreground.)

Located off of Roosevelt Road, the Jeffrey Cemetery seems to be the most likely location for the final resting place of Isaac Jones. The cemetery is located on the piece of land purchased from the state of Kentucky in 1835 by John Jeffrey which he later signed over to Isaac Jones in 1836. Of the 179 graves with existing headstones in the cemetery, there are five with inscriptions that predate Isaac's death in 1851. The oldest marker with an inscription belongs to a child named Lewis J. Peter who was a great grandson of Isaac through his son Burrel's daughter, Jeannette. The other four graves mentioned are also for children, all being great grandchildren of Isaac either through his son Burrel or his son Joshua Douglas. A detailed examination of the cemetery actually shows that as far as markers with inscriptions go, they all belong to children, with the first adult marker with an inscription not showing up until 1873. With this being said, one gets the impression that the family as a whole may have seen a "proper" headstone as an unnecessary expense when you take into account that Isaac, his daughters Alvina, Lydia, and Jane, and his son-in-laws Bowen Whitlock and William Jeffrey all died prior to 1873, lived in the immediate area, and have yet to have their graves located. These individuals may account for the numerous unmarked graves in the cemetery or the graves marked solely with plain field stones. Although Isaac's son Joshua and his son-in-law John Jeffrey are also buried in this cemetery and have nice markers with inscriptions, it may be that these headstones were purchased and placed after the fact by their descendants. This scenario becomes even more likely when you consider that John Jeffrey and his second wife Tennessee both have nice inscribed markers, yet his first wife Jane does not. With it's close proximity to Isaac's home and the sheer number of his descendants that are buried there, it would seem to me that the Jeffrey Cemetery would be Isaac Jones' most likely burial location.

The Death & Estate Of Isaac Jones (1851)

Unfortunately, the exact date that Isaac Jones passed from this life still remains unknown. What is known is that his death did occur sometime between his information being taken for the 1850 Census on August 5, 1850 and a "quit claim deed" involving his wife Kesiah dated March 22, 1851. A quitclaim deed is used in the situation where an individual is passing their interest in a piece of property on to another person, and in this instance, involved Kesiah selling her lifetime interest in the property that Isaac had left to her through the earlier deed involving Joshua Douglas Jones and John Jeffrey dated July 3,1849. The information contained in this document is of such great importance that it merits quotation in full:

"Know all men by these presents that I Kiziah Jones in consideration of four hundred dollars to me in hand paid by John Jeffrey & Wm. Hardy has bargained & sold a quit claim deed by these presents to John Jeffrey & Wm. Hardy their heirs and assigns for the life time estate in and to the land I am now living on which was left me by my husband agreeable to an agreement made between me and the heirs or claimants of Isaac Jones Decd. now recorded in Murray and him the said Isaac Jones Decd. & give them Wm. Hardy & John Jeffrey my claim in & to the land left to me during my life it being the land where said Isaac Jones lived and died on in Calloway County on the waters of Johnathan(sic) or near said waters being 160 acres with all and singular the appurtinances to Jeffrey & Hardy their heirs & assigns I give to them my lifetime estate to the said land to witt the North West quarter of Section 16 Township 3 Range 5 East containing 160 acres more or less. Given under my hand and seal this 22d March 1851."

The first thing that should stand out upon reading this document is that the township and range coordinates do not match up with the coordinates given in the earlier deed that originally set the land aside for Kesiah. In that deed they are recorded as "the North West quarter of Section 13 Township 3 Range 5 East" which corresponds with an actual known land purchase made by Isaac. The problem with the coordinates given in the quitclaim deed is that no record exists of Isaac ever having owned this particular piece of land, leaving me to believe that the information is most likely incorrect. These same incorrect land coordinates are repeated in a deed dated November 7, 1851 between John Jeffrey, William Hardy, and James D. Culver who was a commissioner appointed by the circuit court to represent the heirs of Isaac Jones. In the past, researchers have mistakenly referred to this document as "Isaac's will" when it is actually only part of his estate being handled in probate through the circuit court. This is evident in the opening line of the document which states:

"Pursuant to a decree rendered at the May term 1851 of the Calloway circuit court and in accordance with said decree I the commissioner appointed to advertise and sell the land and negro named in said decree, and, to convey the legal title to the purchasers now belonging to the heirs of Isaac Jones decd. namely John Jeffrey & wife Jane Jeffrey, William Hardy & wife Sarah Hardy, J. D. Jones, Burrel Jones, Thomas Jones and Wiley Jones, Mary Whitlock, John Whitlock, William Jeffrey, Marthey A. Jeffrey, John D. Jeffrey, Malvina Jeffrey all of which are heirs at law of Isaac Jones Decd."

The specific usage in the document of the term "heirs at law" would imply that Isaac had died intestate and not having left a will, although this document is certainly a worthy substitute in regards to the information it contains. The deed involves John Jeffrey and William Hardy buying out the collective interest held by Isaac's other legal heirs in two pieces of  land and Isaac's old female slave Delph for the sum of $320. The first section of land mentioned was half of the original 160 acre purchase that Isaac had made from Radford C. Duvall and Adaline Duvall, Nathaniel P. Jones, and John Jones in 1842, while the second section was the land mentioned earlier with the incorrect coordinates in the quitclaim deed. The whole purpose and intention behind the earlier quitclaim deed becomes even more mysterious, when in describing the second section of land, the deed states that "it is further understood that the widow of Isaac Jones has the last quarter section during her natural life." It could very well be that the sole purpose of the quitclaim deed was merely to provide Kesiah with a sizeable amount of money to survive on while being allowed to continue living on her and Isaac's farm. Unfortunately, after being mentioned in this last 1851 deed, Kesiah disappears into history taking the details of her later life with her.

The second important point at issue that finds it's origin in these two documents involves the identity of William Hardy and his connection to Isaac Jones. Past researchers have speculated that the inclusion of William and Sarah Hardy in the list of heirs on the 1851 deed was an apparent indicator of familial relationship. While it may appear this way on the surface, when this document is examined together with the 1851 quitclaim deed involving Kesiah, the term "heirs at law" and it's usage once again comes into play. By legal definition, an heir at law is any individual who has a legal claim of inheritance to property left by a person who died intestate. Having purchased the quitclaim deed from Kesiah in partnership with John Jeffrey, this would qualify William Hardy as an heir at law to Isaac in regards to that piece of land specifically, regardless of whether he was related to Isaac or not. If the November 7, 1851 deed had not involved that particular piece of land, William and Sarah Hardy would not even have been mentioned in the list of heirs. Any sort of familial connection between William and Sarah Hardy and Isaac Jones becomes even less likely when taking into account later documents listing Isaac's heirs that fail to make any mention of either of them.

Of the other twelve individuals who are listed on the deed as heirs to Isaac Jones, only five of them are actual children of Isaac, these being Jane Jeffrey, J. D. Jones, Burrel Jones, Thomas Jones, and Wiley Jones. The remainder are children of Isaac's daughters Alvina and Lydia who had both died prior to 1850. Alvina had passed away sometime around September of 1848 and John Jeffrey had become the guardian of her youngest children Mary and John Whitlock, as well as, taking on the task of becoming administrator to her estate. It's unclear exactly when Isaac's daughter Lydia died, although her death most likely occurred prior to her husband William Jeffrey getting remarried in McCracken County, Kentucky on May 28, 1850 to a woman named Elizabeth M. King. Lydia's share of Isaac's estate went to her four children who are named in the 1851 deed: William Jeffrey, Marthey A. Jeffrey, John P.Jeffrey, and Malvina Jeffrey.

Apart from this 1851 deed, it remains unknown how the rest of Isaac's estate was divided amongst his heirs. The Calloway County circuit court was still trying to resolve various issues and lawsuits involving Isaac's estate as late as 1858. The first of these lawsuits involved the heirs of Isaac Jones being sued by an individual named William S. Hatcher in 1857. This lawsuit is of particular interest because it reveals yet another land transaction that Isaac had been involved with that surprisingly fails to have a corresponding deed. Hatcher was the assign to one of Isaac's former neighbors named Thomas Holt who had at some point purchased 80 acres from Isaac consisting of the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 14, Township 3, Range 5 east. This was the piece of land that Isaac had purchased from Chapman Miller back on September 14, 1837 and the basis for the lawsuit was simply that William Hatcher was requesting acknowledgement from the heirs of Isaac Jones that Thomas Holt had paid for the land in full which was duly granted.

The second lawsuit also arose from a previous land purchase that Isaac had made which appears to also be undocumented and lacking an existing deed. A deed most certainly existed at some point in time because it is recorded that the "said deed was acknowledged in court on the 25th day of March 1839." This purchase involved Isaac buying 160 acres of land that lay in the northwest quarter of Section 13, Township 1, Range 5 east from an individual named William Vance. The basis of the ensuing lawsuit in 1858 was that the land had been incorrectly recorded on the original deed as being in the northwest quarter when it was actually in the northeast quarter. The heirs of Isaac Jones were suing the descendants of William Vance simply to get them to acknowledge this error and have it corrected, which they successfully accomplished. What is most interesting about this particular piece of land is that it was located in the far southern section of the county just to the northeast of the present day community of New Providence. It seems strange that Isaac would purchase this single piece of land that was located so far from where he had made the bulk of his other land purchases in the county. While most likely being just an investment, it would seem that this purchase and the undocumented sale of the other discussed before it, would certainly leave the window of  possibility open for other unknown land transactions to exist.

1851 Calloway County, KY Deed~Kiziah Jones to John Jeffrey & William Hardy (quitclaim deed)

1851 Calloway County, KY Deed~James D. Culver to John Jeffrey & William Hardy

1851 Calloway County, KY Tax List

1852 Calloway County, KY Tax List

1857 Calloway County, KY Court Document~William S. Hatcher Vs. The Heirs of Isaac Jones

1858 Calloway County, KY Court Document~The Heirs of Isaac Jones Vs. The Heirs of William T. Vance