JAMES
JACKSON, Sr. (1686-1735)
QUAKER OF
FLUSHING, LONG ISLAND
Is there any married person who has
not wondered (at least to themselves), “Where
would I be? What would I be? Who would I
be? If I had married differently?”
Choosing a spouse is probably the single most momentous decision most of
us make. Certainly this was true for
James Jackson, youngest son of Col. John Jackson. His marriage to Rebecca Hallett altered his
destiny, changed his religion, added to his wealth, and brought him FAMILY (to
the max). Together the couple created
their own large family; but additionally, Rebecca brought James into the sphere
of influence of her numerous, famous, charismatic, and controversial family.
The
bride was 19 and the groom 23, when they were united in marriage in1694. Over the next 25 years, Rebecca would give
birth to 21 children. Remarkably, only one would die in infancy; 20 would live
to be adults; and 17 would survive their parents (see summary chart of their children
below). In an era in which 60% of children
died before their 16th birthday, Rebecca and James were well ahead
of the odds.[i]
The survival rate of their children
testifies to their parenting skills.
There is little doubt of the couple’s familial devotion. Above all, we
can conclude that James Jackson, Sr. was truly a Family Man.
Observation and
Inference – At this
point, I offer an observation that spans seven generations of Jackson Men, so you
can study the emerging pattern over the generations. James Jackson, Sr., like
his father Col. John, and his son Benjamin, and Benjamin’s son down to the
current generation of Jacksons, married the daughter of a rich, and/or
prominent, and/or highly respected man.
While we do not have portraits or descriptions of many of the Jackson
wives, the descriptions that exist, use the adjectives “fair,” “handsome,” and/or
“comely”. In
short, it seems that Jackson men consistently married very well. They courted and wed young women who were
highly desirable. Given their success in
the marriage game, it is possible to infer that the Jackson men were handsome
or charming or both. I salute my Jackson
nephews and cousins, who continue to prove the truth of this inference.
Rebecca Hallett’s Family[ii]
(James’ In-laws) --
The
Jackson’s of Hempstead, L.I. were a distinguished and respected family, but
compared to Rebecca’s family, the Jackson’s were downright BORING. Murder, insanity, scandal, and adultery are
the highlights, but Indian raids, slave revolts, pirates, banishments, and
ghosts add spice to Rebecca’s family history.
Her father, William Hallett, Jr. was a respectable citizen, but his
mother, Elizabeth Fones Winthrop Feake Hallett was the most notorious woman in
New England and New Netherlands. Even
after 400 years, her life and adventures arouse the imagination and are the
basis for at least two novels and a made for TV movie. (Missy Wolfe. Insubordinate Spirit: A
True Story of Life and Loss in Earliest America, 2012. And Anya Seton. The Winthrop Woman, 1958.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Fones and http://williamhallett.com/elizabeth-fones-winthrop-feake-hallett-b-1610/).
Rebecca’s
Aunts and Uncles included her grandmother, Elizabeth Fones’ children. Elizabeth’s 8 children were Martha Johanna
(Joan) Winthrop; Elizabeth, Hannah, John, Robert Jr., and Sarah Feake; and
William Hallett, Jr. (Rebecca’s father) and Samuel Hallett, Sr. Samuel Hallett had a daughter Elizabeth, who
married John Jackson, Jr. (James’ older brother). Thus, Rebecca Hallett Jackson and Elizabeth
Hallett Jackson were cousins and sisters-in-law.
The
scandals surrounding Elizabeth Fones Winthrop Hallett’s multiple marriages
pale by comparison with the history of matricide in her grandmother Rebecca
Cornell’s family. In 1673, two years
before Rebecca’s birth, her great uncle, Thomas Cornell, Jr., was executed for
the murder of his Mother (Rebecca’s grandmother), Rebecca Briggs Cornell. Of course, Thomas, Jr. may or may not have
been guilty, since the primary witness against him was his Mother’s ghost. The case was one of the earliest and most
bizarre murders in the history of New England, and is chronicled by Elaine
Forman Crane in Killed Strangely: The
Death of Rebecca Cornell (2002). In a twist of fate, the murderous son (Thomas,
Jr.) would have a 4th great granddaughter, Elizabeth “Lizzie”
Borden, who would be found not guilty of the ax murder of her father and
stepmother. (See http://www.history.com/news/family-tradition-did-lizzie-bordens-ancestor-kill-his-mother-too-2 ).
The
violence that haunted her family extended to Rebecca Hallett Jackson’s older
brother, William Hallett, III. Along with
his wife and five children, William was the victim of a gruesome mass murder. The ax-killings of her brother and his family
took place in 1708. William III owned
two slaves, an Indian named Sam and his African wife. When the entire Hallett family was found
chopped to pieces, suspicion fell on the slaves. Sam’s wife was burned at the stake, and Sam was
mounted on a large, sharp blade or spike, and literally cut himself to death. The atrocity of the murder was matched by the
brutality of the executions. (See The
Encyclopedia of Slave Resistance and Rebellion, Vol. 1 edited by Junius
P. Rodriguez (2007) or the website -- http://www.executedtoday.com/2013/02/02/1708-indian-sam-william-hallet-slavery-new-york/
)
The colorful and fascinating saga of
Rebecca’s ancestors is too long to include in a report, focused on her
husband. Therefore, we are devoting a
separate chapter to recounting the stories briefly mentioned here. In this report, we include events directly
related to the Flushing Quaker Meeting where the James Jackson Family worshiped
for at least 30 years. (see
http://www.nyym.org/flushing/history.html; and http://longislandgenealogy.com/Quaker3.pdf)
James and Rebecca Hallett Jackson and the
Religious Society of Friends –
Given
their history, you will probably be surprised to learn that the Halletts and
their kin were mostly Quakers. The
peace-loving Religious Society of Friends does not seem a natural match, but
the Hallett kin were involved from the earliest Quaker activity on Long
Island.
The
Dutch proprietors of West India Company were practical people who granted
greater religions freedom than any other colony in North America. Only Rhode Island demonstrated similar
tolerance for religious diversity. Indeed,
The religious tolerance of the Dutch (described in detail by Russell Shorto in The Island at the Center of the World:
The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America,
2005) drew many religious dissenters. It
is not surprising then that Richard Smith, the first known Quaker in the United States, lived in Southampton, Long Island, before 1656.
However,
Gov. Peter Stuyvesant took deep offense when several Quakers arrived in New
Amsterdam, and began preaching and exhorting in the streets. He was particularly appalled because several
of the preachers were women. He arrested
the group, and although they were eventually released, he issued and edict
forbidding anyone in the Dutch Colony to entertain a Quaker or allow a Quaker
meeting to be held in his house, under penalty of a fifty pound fine.
In 1657, Henry Townsend, a highly respected
colonist in Flushing, held a Quaker meeting in his home and was fined and
banished. The Townsend family was closely
connected with the Jackson, Hallett, and Feake families. Two of James and Rebecca's children would marry Townsend's.
The
unfair treatment of Henry Townsend hit close to home for William Hallett, Sr. (Rebecca’s grandfather) who had previously
been banished by Stuyvesant for entertaining an Episcopal minister in his
home. He backed the protest that
followed Townsend’s sentencing.
The
citizens of Flushing, Quaker and non-Quaker, joined together to protest Gov.
Stuyvesant’s actions. They drew up a
document, which has been widely praised as the first demand for religious
freedom in America. Their complaint is called the Flushing Remonstrance, and remains an eloquent statement
in support of religious tolerance. An
exemplary phrase in the preamble illustrates the tone of the document:
“Wee desire therefore in this case not to judge least we be judged,
neither to condemn least we be condemned, but rather let every man stand or
fall to his own Master. Wee are bounde by the law to do good unto all men,
especially to those of the household of faith.. . . . whether Presbyterian,
Independent, Baptist, or Quakers.”
The
28 signers included three families closely aligned with the Jackson/Hallett
families – the Townsends, Fields, and Thornes.
James’s children, Thomas, Mary, Elizabeth, and James, Jr. would marry into
these families. The Schout (Sheriff) of
Flushing, who joined the protest, was Tobias Feake (a cousin of William
Hallett, Jr.). Tobias was jailed by the
governor for his role, and only released after making an abject apology. Stuyvesant then dismissed the Flushing Town
government and replaced it with his own appointees.
Rather
than quenching the Quaker fire, the governor’s action seems to have added fuel. Many of the signers of the Remonstrance
became Quakers. Hannah Feake (Rebecca
Hallett Jackson’s Aunt) was one convert.
Hannah married John Bowne, and in 1661, the couple built a house, which
still stands on Bowne St. Their home became
the meeting place for the Flushing Quakers.
Stuyvesant soon learned of this violation of his edict, and in 1662,
John Bowne was arrested, imprisoned, tried and fined. A stubborn man, John refused to pay the fine,
or to escape, even when the prison door was deliberately left unlocked. The governor was finally forced to banish
Bowne from the Colony. John, the
ultimate stubborn man, made his way to Holland where he appealed his case
before the Dutch West India Company. In
1663, the Company ruled in Bowne’s favor, and sent a letter establishing
religious liberty in New Netherlands, stating: “The consciences
of men at least ought ever to remain free and unshackled.”
This freedom was short-lived because in 1664, the
English seized the Dutch Colony. They imposed
fines and penalties on the Quakers, but did not forbid their worship. The Flushing Quakers continued to hold
meetings in the Bowne house. In 1672,
George Fox, the founder of the Quaker movement. came to America, and visited
the Bowne House. Fox preached under a
stand of oaks near the Bowne home. The
oaks are gone, but the house stands, and the site of his sermon is marked with
a memorial stone.
A meetinghouse was constructed, and in 1694, the
first recorded assembly was held in the new building. The Historic Quaker Meeting House of Flushing
opened the same year Rebecca Hallett married James Jackson, Sr. It is not known
whether the simple marriage ceremony took place in the new church, in the Bowne
house, or in the Hallett home but James became a Quaker at the time of his
marriage. The births of their children and their marriages are duly recorded in the records of the Flushing Yearly
Meeting. (http://longislandgenealogy.com/Quaker3.pdf)
The Family of
James and Rebecca Hallett Jackson –
As noted, James and Rebecca had 21 children, 10 boys
and 11 girls. The youngest girl Abigail
(b 1718) died young, while the remaining 10 boys and 10 girls attained adult
status. Of the 20 survivors 19 are known
to have married, and all of these are believed to have left children. Fourteen of the 20 lived and died on Long
Island. Three (James, Jr., Joseph, and
Phoebe) moved to nearby New Jersey; and three (John, Stephen, and Benjamin) moved
south to the Carolinas. Two, Joseph and Benjamin, were congregants of an
established church (Episcopal or Presbyterian).
Records indicate that at least 12
married Quakers or worshiped with the Society of Friends for part of their
lives.
Notes on the Tables:
Six of the children are shown as dying after 1735. The exact dates of their deaths are not
known, but they were alive at the time of James’ death in 1735. Some genealogies show them all as dying in 1735,
as though there was some massive plague.
Many records are in error with regard to Mary
Jackson’s marriage and death dates. Her
first husband, Jacob Willets died in 1722, and this is often given as Mary’s
death date. Mary was very much alive
after 1722. She married Nathaniel
Townsend in 1724, and their 3 sons were born in 1725, 1727, and 1729. We do not know the exact date of her death,
but she was deceased when her father died in 1735, because he left her share of
his legacy to her three Townsend sons.
Three pairs of the Jackson children married
siblings. Mary Jackson and her brother
Thomas married Nathaniel Townsend his sister Mary. The Townsend siblings were the children of
James and Audrey Almy Townsend.
James Jr. and his sister Phoebe married Mary and
Edward FitzRandolph. The name is given
variously as Fitz Randolph, FitzRandolph, Randolph, and Randle. They are the children of Edward and Katherine
Hartshorne FitzRandolph.
It is
probable that the Jackson twins, Jemina and Jeremiah also married
siblings. Jemina married Henry
Hicks. We do not know the first name of
Jeremiah’s wife, but her surname is given as Hicks. Henry’s parents were Col. Isaac and Elizabeth
Moore Hicks. Isaac was a close friend
and neighbor of James Jackson, and the two men often worked together.
TABLE 1
The Jackson Children Summary Chart
|
#
|
Name
|
DOB
|
DOD
|
Age
|
Place
|
|
1
|
Thomas
|
1694
|
1730
|
35
|
Oyster Bay,
Queens, NY
|
|
2
|
Mary
|
1696
|
Between 1729
&1734
|
21
|
Flushing,
Queens, NY
|
|
3
|
Sarah
|
1697
|
|
??
|
Long Island
City, Queens, NY
|
|
4
|
Rebecca
|
1699
|
1730
|
31
|
Long Island
City, Queens, NY
|
|
5
|
|
1701
|
1772
|
71
|
Anson, North Carolina
|
|
6
|
Charity
|
1702
|
After 1735
|
??
|
Long Island
City, Queens, NY
|
|
7
|
Elizabeth
|
1703
|
1771
|
68
|
Long Island
City, Queens, NY
|
|
8
|
James, Jr.
|
1704
|
1750
|
46
|
Woodbridge Middlesex, New
Jersey
|
|
9
|
Hannah
|
1706
|
After 1735
|
??
|
Long Island
City, Queens, NY
|
|
10
|
Martha
|
1707
|
After 1735
|
??
|
|
|
11
|
William
|
1707
|
1795
|
87
|
Hampstead,
Queens, NY
|
|
12
|
|
1710
|
1769
|
59
|
Rockaway, Morris, New
Jersey
|
|
13
|
Richard
|
1711
|
1739
|
28
|
Jerusalem,
Queens, NY
|
|
14
|
Phoebe
|
1712
|
1777
|
65
|
Plainfield, Essex, New
Jersey
|
|
15
|
Robert
|
1713
|
After 1760
|
??
|
Long Island
City, Queens, NY
|
|
16
|
|
1714
|
After 1735
|
??
|
Long Island City,
Queens, NY
|
|
17
|
|
1714
|
1804
|
90
|
Long Island
City, Queens ,NY
|
|
17
|
Samuel
|
1716
|
After 1735
|
??
|
Long Island
City, Queens, NY
|
|
19
|
Stephen
|
1717
|
1800
|
82
|
Chesterfield, Craven, South
Carolina
|
|
20
|
Abigail
|
1718
|
Died Young
|
??
|
Queens, NY
|
|
21
|
Benjamin
|
1719
|
1805
|
86
|
Mt. Croghan, Chesterfield,
South Carolina
|
TABLE 2
The Jackson Children’s Spouses and
Religious Affiliation
|
#
|
Name
|
DOB
|
DOD
|
Age
|
Spouse(s)
|
Religion[1]
|
|
1
|
Thomas
|
1694
|
1730
|
35
|
Mary Townsend
|
Quaker
|
|
2
|
Mary
|
1696
|
Between 1729
& 1734
|
21-26
|
Jacob Willets
Nathaniel
Townsend
|
Quaker
|
|
3
|
Sarah
|
1697
|
After 1735[1]
|
??
|
Samuel
Clements
|
Unknown
|
|
4
|
Rebecca
|
1699
|
1730
|
31
|
Sylvanus
Seaman
|
Quaker
|
|
5
|
John[1]
|
1701
|
1772
|
71
|
Sarah Doty
|
Probably Quaker
|
|
6
|
Charity
|
1702
|
After 1735
|
??
|
John Dingey
|
Unknown
|
|
7
|
Elizabeth
|
1703
|
1771
|
68
|
Nathaniel
Field
|
Quaker
|
|
8
|
James, Jr.
|
1704
|
1750
|
46
|
Mary
FitzRandolph
Sarah Thorne
|
Quaker
|
|
9
|
Hannah
|
1706
|
After 1735
|
??
|
John Claude
Hewett
|
Quaker
|
|
10
|
Martha
|
1707
|
After 1735
|
??
|
William Green _
|
Quaker
|
|
11
|
William
|
1707
|
1795
|
87
|
Prudence Smith
|
Unknown
|
|
12
|
Joseph[1]
|
1710
|
1769
|
59
|
Margaret
Burgess
Ann Unknown
Mary Ann
Robinson
|
Presbyterian
Or Episcopal
|
|
13
|
Richard
|
1711
|
1739
|
28
|
|
Unknown
|
|
14
|
Phoebe
|
1712
|
1777
|
65
|
Edward Fitz Randolph
|
Quaker
|
|
15
|
Robert
|
1713
|
After 1760
|
??
|
Joanna Unknown
|
Unknown
|
|
16
|
Jemima[1]
|
1714
|
After 1735
|
??
|
Henry Hicks
|
Quaker
|
|
17
|
Jeremiah[1]
|
1714
|
1804
|
90
|
Unknown Hicks
|
Quaker
|
|
17
|
Samuel
|
1716
|
After 1735
|
??
|
Sarah
Carpenter
|
Quaker
|
|
19
|
Stephen
|
1717
|
1800
|
82
|
Mary Lewis
|
Unknown
|
|
20
|
Abigail
|
1718
|
Died Young
|
??
|
|
|
|
21
|
Benjamin
|
1719
|
1805
|
86
|
Mary Lively
Rushing
Amanda “Amy”
Powell
|
Episcopal or
Presbyterian
|
James the Miller – In addition to farming, James was a
miller. In 1708 he opened a mill on the
Jerusalem River, and operated it for the remainder of his life. Col. John Jackson obtained the license for
the mill when James was only 3 years old (1678), and eventually passed the
permit to James. Today the ruins of his
mill and millpond are part of Mill Park in Wantagh. I was under the impression that the mill was
a “gristmill,” because this is stated
in one description of the park. However,
a Rootsweb file describes James’ mill as a “fulling
mill.” The distinction is
important. A gristmill grinds various
types of grain, creating flour or meal.
In contrast, a fulling mill cleans and compacts cloth, using water. In either case, the mill was a major
occupation and source of income for James.
Rebecca’s Death -- All of James and Rebecca’s 21
children were born between 1694 and 1719.
Elizabeth was 20 when her first child (Thomas) was born, and 44 when her
last (Benjamin) entered this world. She
died ten years later at the age of 54.
Records indicate that Thomas and his mother died on the same day, April
12, 1730. Thomas was only 35, and no
explanation is given for either death.
James’s Remarriage -- James was 59 when his wife and eldest
son died. He remarried only 52 days
after Rebecca’s death. His second wife was
named Abigail; her surname is unknown. Some
records suggest that the motivation for his hasty remarriage was the need for a
mother for his children. This is
possible since he had 10 children between the ages of 10 and 18 years.
Banished Quaker – After Rebecca’s death, the Flushing
Quaker Meeting censored James. Two
reasons are cited – (1) his unseemly marriage, too soon after the death of his wife,
and (2) attending the wedding of his daughter to a non-Quaker. We don't know if James ever regained
his status within the Religious Society of Friends.
Impartial Arbiter – On Oct. 31, 1733, James embarked on the
most significant civic service of his life.
Along with his neighbor Isaac Hicks, James was invited by the government
of Rhode Island to be an impartial arbiter in a boundary dispute between the
Rhode Island and Massachusetts Colonies.
Jackson and Hicks apparently did an exemplary job of resolving the
dispute. The Rhode Island Colony voted
to reward each with a silver tankard valued at 50 pounds and engraved with the
Arms of the Colony.
James Jackson, Sr. ‘s Death and Will –
James died at the age of 64, on Oct.
15, 1735. According to several records,
he died on Cows’ Neck (today’s Port Washington) on the north shore of Long
Island. This locale has great meaning
for my family because we have special ties to Port Washington. We lived there for seven years; our daughters
were educated in the Port Washington schools; and our younger daughter met her
future husband there.
James is buried in
Rocky Hill Cemetery in Flushing.
Comments
on the Contents of His Will – In his will, James disposes of his
property in a manner that differs dramatically from the wills of all of the
other Jackson’s in our line. He orders
that his real property (land and buildings) be sold, and the cash receipts be
dispersed to his heirs. This is atypical
behavior for Jacksons, who tend to hold tightly to real property. On the other hand, few people have as many
heirs, and perhaps this was the only way James could envision an equal
distribution.
The will demonstrates that James was
a wealthy man, but the number of his heirs diluted the value of each
share. The cash provision for Abigail,
his wife of four years is especially generous, i.e. 250 pounds and a
slave. However, James frugally reserves the
residual of this bequest to be divided among his children after Abigail’s
death. He divides his estate and
belongings among his many children, and takes care to make bequests to the
orphaned children of his deceased son and daughter.
At the time of his death, James’ two
youngest sons, Stephen and Benjamin were only 18 and 16 respectively, and James
makes special provision for them, leaving them 70 pounds each as compared with
the 50 pounds bequeathed to each of their older brothers.
Specifically,
this version is from the Image found on LDS film 874521, Record of Wills, Vol.
12, Surrogates Court, New York County, New York
Pages 336-340 (old Liber 362-?).
James Jackson's Will was first posted as a
transcription copied from Oscar Burton Robbins' book "History of the
Jackson Family of Hempstead, Long Island, N.Y., Ohio and Indiana - Descendants
of Robert and Agnes Washburn Jackson".
In
November, 2009, Linn Baiker contributed an image of the actual Will which has
minor differences in wording plus major difference in naming the
Executors. A benefit of seeing the actual copy is also learning the
actual spelling of James' daughter Charity was not Denzey, Dengey or Dingee.
James spelled it Dingey. This actual image also includes three witnesses
of the will and the proving of the will on October 21, 1735, which the earlier
version did not include.
Will of James Jackson -- 1670 - 1735
In the name
of God, Amen. I, James Jackson of Flushing, in Queens County within
the Province of New York, Yeoman, being sick and weak, but of sound and perfect
mind and memory, praise be therefore given to Almighty God, do make &s
ordain this my present last Will and Testament, in manner and form following,
(that is to say) first and principally I commend my soul unto the hands of
Almighty God, hoping through the merrits of my Saviour, Jesus Christ, to have
full pardon and forgiveness of all my sins, and to inherit everlasting life,
and my body I committ to the Earth, to be decently buried at the discretion of
my Executors hereafter named, and as touching the disposition of all such
temporal estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me, I give and dispose
thereof as follows. First,-I will and order that all the debts
which I do owe unto any person or persons and my funeral charges shall be well
and truly satisfied and paid.
Item. I give and bequeath unto
my well beloved wife, Abigail, the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds lawful
money of New York, to be paid by my Executors hereafter named at some
reasonable time after my decease, the same being for her subsistance and
support during her life, and also a negroe girl slave called Sylvia, and after
the decease of my said wife I will and bequeath one hundred pounds of the afore
reciped money unto my sons William, Joseph, Richard, Robert, Samuel, Stephen,
Benjamin, Thomas, James and John, to be equally divided amongst them share and
share alike, and to their heirs and assigns for ever and the aforesaid negroe
girl slave called Sylvia, I give unto my daughters, Rebecca Seamans, Charity
Dingey, Elizabeth Fields, Hannah Hicks, Martha Jackson, Phebe Randal, &
Jemimah Hicks, to be equally divided after being sold, between them share and
share alike, and to their heirs and assigns for ever.
Item. My will is, and I do
order that all and singular my lands, messuages and tenements wheresoever the
same may be found, shall be sold to the best advantage after my decease by my
Executors hereafter named at their discretion, and the monies arising from such
sale shall be applied shall be applyed (sic) and paid in manner and form
following, that is to say, the before mentioned bequeathed two hundred and
fifty pounds unto my said wife, Abigail, for the uses aforesaid.
Item. I give and bequeath unto
Jacob - Steven, and John Townsend, the sons of Nathaniel Townsend, to each of
them the sum of fifteen pounds, New York money, and to their heirs and assigns
forever. And the sum of one hundred and fifty five pounds, I give
and bequeath unto my daughters Sarah, Rebecca, Charity, Elizabeth, Hannah,
Martha, Phebe and Jemimah, aforesaid to be equally divided between them and to
their heirs and assigns forever. I also further give and bequeath unto my
said daughters and to their heirs and assigns forever, all and singular my
movables, of what kind or nature soever they be, or wheresoever to be found to
be equally shared and divided between them, but it is the true intent and
meaning hereof, that before such division thereof be made, my daughter, Sarah
Clements to whom I have formerly given a negroe woman, shall have the sum of
sixty pounds short what the rest of my said daughters have, and that before
such division my daughter Martha shall have my negro girl called Nanny to her
and her heirs and assigns forever.
Item. I do will and ordain that
the residue and remaining part of the moneys which shall arise from the sale of
my messuages, lands and tenements aforesaid shall be applyed as follows, that
is to say, I give and bequeath unto my sons Joseph, Richard, Robert and Samuel
and to their heirs and assigns forever each the sum of fifty pounds New York
money, and unto Stephen and Benjamin and their heirs and assigns, each the sum
of seventy pounds, and what moneys there shall be then remaining shall be
equally divided share and share alike unto all my said male children, that is
to say, William, Joseph, Richard, Robert, Samuel, Stephen, Benjamin, Thomas,
James and John, and to their heirs and assigns forever, and my son James, for
whom I am counter security to James Burling for one hundred pound bond, and
having paid the interest therof several years, which said bond and the money
therein due with the interest if paid at any time and discharged by my
Executors, and thereby acquitting my said son James from paying the same.
The said James shall have then have so much short of his share in the division,
with the rest of my said sons. And I do hereby revoke, disannull and make
void all former Wills and Testaments by me at any time made, and do also
hereby nominate and appoint Richard Jackson, Samuel Jackson and Henry
Hicks to be the Executors of this my last Will and Testament. In testimony
whereof I the said James Jackson have hereunto set my hand and seal the twenty
seventh day of September in the year of our Lord seventeen hundred and thirty
five.
(Signed) James Jackson L. S.
Signed,
Sealed, Published, Pronounced and Declared by the said James Jackson as his
Last Will and Testament (severall razours being first herein made) in presence
of Gabriel Luff, John Doughty, William Mott.
Probate to James Jacksons Will
William
Cosby, Captain Generall and Governour in Chief of the Provinces of New York,
New Jersey and the territories thereon Depending in America Vice Admiral of the
same and Collonel in his Majesties Army ve. To all to whom these presents
shall come or may concern Greeting: Know Ye that at New York the twenty
first day of October Instant before Fredrick Morris being thereunto delegated
and appointed the Last Will and Testament of James Jackson was proved and now
approved and allowed of by me having while he lived and at the time of his
Death Goods Rights & Creditts in Divers places within this Province by
means whereof the full Disposition of all and singular the Goods Rights and
Creditts of the said Deceased and the Granting Administration of them as also
the hearing of account calculation or Reckoning and the final Discharge and
Dismission from the same unto me solely and not unto any other Inferior Judge
are manifestly known to belong and the Administration of all & singular the
Goods Rights and Creditts of the said Deceased and his Last Will &
Testament in any manner of way concerning was Granted unto Richard Jackson and
Henry Hicks, two of the Executors in the said Will named (Power being reserved
to Samuel Jackson) Chiefly of well and truly Administring the same and of
making a true & Perfect Inventory of all and singular the Goods Rights and
Creditts of the said Deceased and exhibiting the same into the Registry of the
Prerogative Court in the Secretarys Office for the Province of New York and
that at or before the twenty first day of April ???? ???? suing & of
Reckoning when thereunto requires. In Testimony whereof I have caused the
perogative Seal of the said Province of New York to be hereunto affixed this
twenty-first day of October 1735.
[i] Demographers estimate that during this
era, 1% of newborns died on the first day of life; while 5% would die by the
end of the first week; and an additional 3-4% would die in the first
month. A total of 12-13% would die
within the first year. 36% would die
before the age of 6; and another 24% between the ages of 7 and 16 (yielding a
total of 60%) before age 16 (childhood mortality).
[iii]
For 6 children we do not have a date of death, but we know they were alive when
their father died in 1735
[iv]
Participated in Regulator Movement in Alamance
[v]
Joseph was a General in the French & Indian War, and five of his sons
served in that War
HENRY
HUNSDON CARY (1526-1596)) and ANN MORGAN (1529-1543) – were the parents of
John Hudson Carey (1556-1606).
