USING DNA TO UNDERSTAND OUR FAMILY HISTORY

USING DNA TO UNDERSTAND OUR FAMILY HISTORY

Lindsey L. Heard with Grandson

Dedication – This Article is dedicated to LINDSEY L. HEARD. Lindsey was the youngest, and last survivor of the 12 children of James Addison Heard and Clora Frances Nolen Heard.  He passed away on Dec. 26, 2016, after spending a final Christmas surrounded by his loving family.  In the last year of his life, he participated in Y-DNA and autosomal DNA testing with Family Tree DNA, leaving all of our Heard Family a final gift.  He was a dear, gentle, loving man, who embodied the Christian ideal, and set an example for all of us.

PURPOSE -- The following is a quick (and dirty) introduction to Genetic Genealogy.  In order to share DNA findings with each of my family groups, I have written this "Introductory Overview."  I am writing (or have written)  reports for each branch of my family, and this blog is intended to offer background information for understanding these reports.  I am not an expert in genetic genealogy and the field is rapidly changing and expanding; so please forgive my errors.  I have included links and references.  Most importantly, I want to introduce you to the most complete and up-to-date source of information in the field -- THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF GENETIC GENEALOGISTS.  I urge you to join (it is free) and keep up with advances..  This is your  link to ISOGG. https://isogg.org

TRADITIONAL GENEALOGY VS. GENETIC GENEALOGY -- I come from a long line of story-tellers and genealogists.  Virtually every branch of my family has had at least one avid genealogist.  While not all family members are researchers, they are almost all interested in family history. With the advent of Genetic Genealogy, many or my relatives (to date about 20 close kin and over 10,000 more distant relatives) are participating. The Genetic Genealogy Cheatsheet (by Blaine Bettinger and Family Tree Magazine) summaries salient features of the two approaches:

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THREE TESTS USED IN GENETIC GENEALOGY -- 
Y-DNA; MtDNA; and aDNA

A schematic of our 23 chromosomes helps orientate us to the three tests currently used in genetic genealogy.

You will note that we have 23 pairs of chromosomes, and 22 of these are identical.  The 23rd is the sex chromosome.  We know the individual used as a model for this schematic was male because his 23rd chromosome has both an X and a Y.  Only males have a Y.  Females have two X's.  A male receives his Y chromosome from his Father, and an X chromosome from his Mother.  A female gets one X from her Mother and one X from her Father.  As you may have guessed, two of the three current DNA tests are related to these variables. 

 First, a Male's Y-DNA can be tested to identify his forefathers.   X-DNA from Males and Females may also be analyzed but is not as useful.   Second, your Autosomal DNA  (aDNA) from the other 22 chromosomes can be analyzed. These are passed from parent to child, with each child receiving half from their Father and half from their Mother. These two tests use Nuclear DNA (so named because the genetic material is taken from cell nuclei).  The Third test does not use nuclear DNA.  Instead it tests the DNA of the mitochondria found in the plasma of most cells  (MtDNA).

Mitochondria are often called the "powerhouse" of the cell because they are a source of cellular energy.  Each Mitochondrion has a genome that is independent of the genes of the host cell.  Mitochondrial genomes are very similar to bacterial genomes. Sone writers even consider Mitochondrion to be an ancient bacterial invader of our cells.  Mitochondrion are passed from Mother to child.  While both males and females have Mitochondrial DNA, and are eligible to have MtDNA tests, only Females can pass Mitochondrial DNA to their children.

The contrast between Nuclear DNA and Mitochondrial DNA  is illustrated in the following graphic:

 Basically Y-DNA tracks the male line of ancestors (father's father's father etc.) while MtDNA tracks the maternal ancestors (mother's mother's mother etc.) This chart works as long as the "YOU" is a male, since a female does not have Y-DNA.  Y-DNA owes at least a portion of its popularity to its relationship to surname.  Surnames as we use them today were adopted in Western Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries.  Y-DNA genealogy research is often organized in terms of Surname Projects.  You can join the Jackson, Heard, Adams, etc. Surname research project, upload your Y-DNA results, and wait for matches to be reported.  

Kyle Jackson and James "Jimmy" Heard were the first family members to trace their Y-DNA.  Kyle used FTDNA to trace our JACKSON Line and Jimmy used National Geographic DNA to trace our HEARD Line.  Since then, using Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), Charles Freeman has traced his FREEMAN ancestors; Lee Gains Nunley traced the NUNLEY Line; Lindsey Heard traced the HEARD Line; and David Adams traced our ADAMS ancestors.  

Using FTDNA, I did MtDNA testing to trace my Maternal Ancestors.  With the female line, the Surname changes every generation, so it can be complicated.  For example, my MtDNA came to me from Myrtis Lee Heard Jackson, from Clora Frances Nolen Heard, from Maria Theresa Jones Nolen, from Caroline Jelks Jones, from Elizabeth Merritt Jelks (whose Mother I have not identified). While Clora Frances Nolen Heard had 12 children, her MtDNA is shared today only by myself, my daughters and granddaughters, and Barbara Ann Ballis Able, and her daughters and granddaughters.

Y-DNA and MtDNA are relatively straight forward, but X-DNA is more complicated with each generation.  For example, I know that I have one X gene that came to me from my Father's Mother (my Paternal Grandmother, Ida Belle Adams Jackson).  I also have an X gene that came to me from my Mother.  However, I don't know whether the X gene I received from my Mother came from her Mother (my Maternal grandmother Clora Frances Nolen Heard) or from her Father (my Maternal grandfather, James Addison Heard, who would have received his X from his mother, Sarah Adeline Lindsey Heard).  And if this description of X confuses you, welcome to the club (it confuses me too). Thus far, rather limited use has been made of X-DNA in genetic genealogy.  However, it is anticipated that the future holds more sophisticated uses and analyses of X-DNA. 

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At this time, I believe only ONE Company tests Y-DNA and MtDNA.  That company is FAMILY TREE DNA, located in Houston, TX.  Oxford Ancestors, which led the way in MtDNA testing, left the market in 2018.  At one time National Geographic tested Y and Mt DNA, but I do not know if they are still doing these tests. The other established companies (including ANCESTRY DNA and 23 AND ME) currently only test Autosomal DNA (the other 22 chromosomes).  Ancestry DNA once offered all three tests, but dropped Y-DNA and MtDNA several years ago.  It goes without saying that Autosomal DNA is the most popular, and most widely used approach in genetic genealogy.  

TIME AND DNA

In large part, choosing the "RIGHT" DNA TEST for your purpose depends on the time period in which you are interested.  Are you seeking to understand your Ancient Roots, how and when your Ancestors ventured out of Africa, and the routes they followed 10,000 or 40,000 or 100,000 years ago?  Do you want to know more about your Ethnicity -- where your ancestors lived 300, 500, or 1,000 years ago?  Are you seeking to discover or verify specific individuals in your recent ancestry, within the immediate past 50 to 200 years?  Are you seeking living or recently deceased relatives -- close family such as parents, siblings, or cousins?

ANCIENT ORIGINS

Y-DNA and MtDNA Tests yield Haplogroup designations.  A haplogroup is a genetic population of people who share a common ancestor on the patriline (father's Y-DNA) or the matriline (mother's MtDNA). Haplogroups are assigned letters of the alphabet, and refinements consist of additional number and letter combinations. Haplogroups are defined by specific sets of shared genetic variation. Paternal haplogroups are families of Y chromosomes defined by a specific set of shared genetic variants.  Maternal haplogroups are  families of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that trace back to a single common ancestor.  You have probably heard of "Mitochondrial Eve" or "Y-DNA Adam." These expressions recognize that our Y-DNA and Mitochondrial DNA contain information tracing back to the first man and the first woman.  

Over time, mutations (naturally occurring variations) in either Y-DNA or MtDNA accumulate in systematic patterns denoting branches from common male or female ancestors.  The accumulation of specific variations identify the Haplogroups and their claves and sub-claves.  Anthropologists are mapping and remapping the travels of ancient peoples based on DNA analyses of living humans in specific geographical areas and on the DNA derived from ancient human remains.  Because this work is still "in progress" you can expect changes in the names (designations) given to different Haplogroups, and expansion and revision of information relating to the geographical locations and movements of specific groups.  

Mitochondrial DNA changes more slowly than Y-DNA.  Therefore MtDNA may not be helpful in differentiating between recent female ancestors.  Your MtDNA may, or may not, have accumulated identifying variations in the last 200 years.  Y-DNA changes more frequently than MtDNA, but it too may, or may not differentiate between male relatives (fathers, uncles, brothers, grandfathers) who lived within the last century (3 to 5 generations). For example, a Y-DNA test can tell you which of multiple "JACKSON" Families you are descended from, but may not be able to tell you which of several brothers is your direct ancestor (this is exactly the results we had from our first attempt at Y-DNA testing).   More advanced and more extensive tests are being developed to refine the information, and make both Y-DNA and MtDNA more specific.

The rapid changes in the Haplogroup designations and advancements in geomapping create many problems in understanding your results.  An example of difficulties in understanding Haplogroup results was found when David Adams did a Y-DNA test to track our Adams linage.  He was categorized as Haplogroup H, (specifically H2P96, in the new classification system), and everything we could find placed this Haplogroup in India.  Finally, after much searching we discovered new research placing H2P96 in Europe for about 40,000 years.  The complete story is told in an earlier Blog on Adams Y-DNA. 

 Similarly, we have had difficulties understanding the Y-DNA Haplogroup findings for my Uncle Lindsey Heard.  I am still seeking to understand the findings that place him in the E Haplogroup.  The following photos of famous people currently included in the E Haplogroup will easily help you to understand that some refinements or explanations are needed for this categorization.

As I piece together the travels of the ancient male ancestor of the E Haplogroup, he apparently moved out of Africa, and settled in the fertile crescent, where his descendants were among the first to master agriculture.  From there, some of E's descendants moved north into Europe or east into Asia, while others returned to Africa (and of course some stayed in the Middle East).  Those who moved into Europe prospered, but there were other men who knew agriculture and could compete with them.  Those who returned to Africa had little competition from others who practiced agriculture, so they prospered dramatically, multiplying wherever they moved and leaving millions of descendants.  Today, E one of the more common Haplogroups in Africa.

The most famous historical finding related to Y-DNA is almost certainly the discovery of the Y-DNA of Genghis Khan.  Actually, no one has found and tested the remains of the great Mongol conquer who died on Aug. 14, 1227.  However, in 2004, when it was discovered that one Y-DNA group dominated the male populations of the area that roughly corresponded to the Great Khan's empire, historians, dubbed that Y population as the male descendants of Genghis Khan.  Geneticists have estimated that one out of every 200 men alive today carry this Y-DNA.

The best publicized information on MtDNA is described in the 2001 book, "The Seven Daughters of Eve," by  Oxford Professor Bryan Sykes,  My Haplogroup is T1a, which places me among the daughters of Skyes' protoMother, "Tara".   I am given to understand, by those researching Haplogroup T that I have foremothers among mummies exhumed in Egypt.  T1a is found in higher frequencies in Ireland and Western Britain.  Recent speculation about Health predictions, based on maternal MtDNA, suggest that I am prone to diabetes, but probably resistant to Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's, a finding that clearly matches the health history of my Maternal Grandmother, from whom I received my MtDNA.

The driving finding from all of my readings about Haplogroup results (for both Y-DNA and MtDNA) is that we must always be cautious when considering written reports relating to our results.  We should use common sense, and recognize that the knowledge-base on the  DNA of ancient populations is changing so rapidly that the information available in popular writings or on the internet is often outdated. In other words, don't get distraught or disturbed if your first readings of Haplogroup reports place your ancestral line in Timbuktu or Kathmandu.  Keep reading and learning, and you will eventually understand the story of your ancient ancestors.

RECENT PAST -- LESS THAN 2 CENTURIES OR ABOUT 5 GENERATIONS

The recent solutions to two famous historical mysteries illustrate the time-sensitive, selective, and complementary use of the three tests (Y-DNA, MtDNA; aDNA) in identifying genetic relationships between individuals (living and dead).  The last Romanov Tzar, with his wife and children, vanished in 1918 (presumably murdered).  This 101 year-old (3 generation) mystery was eventually solved using all three DNA analyses (Y-DNA, MtDNA, and aDNA).  aDNA was used to define the relationships between the remains, while MtDNA and Y-DNA were used to identify them as the Romanovs. 

The 534 year-old (19 generation) mystery surrounding the burial place and remains of  King Richard III of England (Shakespeare's favorite villain) was recently solved using MtDNA from living maternal relatives. Two female 17th cousins, both descendants of Richard's Mother donated MtDNA that was found to perfectly match the MtDNA of the remains believed to be Richard III. Interestingly, Y-DNA from "presumed" living paternal relatives, did not match Richard's remains.  Investigators concluded that a "non-paternal" event had occurred, in which a "presumed father" was not the biological father.  Both scientific and popular reports (including videos) documenting these mysteries are available by internet search.  Some links are to these stories are:

Before delving more deeply into Autosomal DNA testing, we need to take a moment to consider both genealogical and genetic mathematics.

aDNA AND SOME GENEALOGICAL  MATHEMATICS

In discussing Autosomal DNA (aDNA) tests, you need to appreciate the math of our ancestry.  Since many of my kin have brains tuned to math, they may want to pursue more advanced explanations, but I'll keep it simple for the "rest of us."  Every one of us has two parents; 4 grandparents; 8 great grandparents 16 great, great grandparents (etc.) as illustrated below:

 After 7 generations (approximately 230 years), you have 128 ancestors, and after 12 generations (approximately 400 years) you have 4,096 ancestors.  This brings us to a paradox.  By the time we go back a couple of thousand years (say to the time of Jesus), you would have millions of ancestors.  The problem is that we eventually reach a point in time where you have more ancestors than there were people on earth.

The answer to the paradox is described by genealogists as "Pedigree Collapse."  Essentially, when cousins marry cousins (or other kin marry), the expansion of the pedigree and the multiplication of ancestors is checked.  All of us are the result of intermarriages of kin.  My favorite discussion of this paradox and its explanation is from the philosopher, humorist, and blogger Tim Urban.  I hope you take the time to read his explanations and enjoy his drawings.  Tim Urban on Ancestors and Descendants

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At the personal level pedigree collapse is illustrated below.  In this chart,  Martha Park and Martha Parke are first cousins, granddaughters of Robert Parke and Martha Chaplin.  Therefore, Col. John Williams has 14 great, great grandparents instead of 16.

In recent times, especially in developed countries, intermarriages between relatives have been viewed with suspicion, and are illegal in some jurisdictions.  However, this was not true in the past, and is not true in many countries today.  According to Rutgers anthropology professor Robin Fox, 80% of all marriages in history have been between second cousins or closer.  Consider that statement carefully.  The reason is largely geographical.  Over the history of the world, most marriages have taken place between individuals who live no more than 5 miles apart.  I only have to go back two generations in my family, or  two in my husband's family to find 2nd cousin marriages.  Indeed, I have found that Charles (my husband) and I share one set of ancestors (from the early 1700's); and that my parents, share two sets of ancestors (from the late 1600's).  Such overlap further collapses the pedigrees of our children and grandchildren.

 Calculating cousin relationships is essential to understanding aDNA.  The following is a guide to understanding how two people are related in a family tree.  It illustrates degree of relationship (first, second, third cousins) and the removals (1 times removed, 2 times removed, 3 times removed) as determined by generations.  I also wrote an earlier blog defining cousinships.

SOME GENETIC MATHEMATICS

Each of us receives 50% of our Autosomal DNA from each parent.  All things being equal (and they aren't, so these percentages are always approximate) we would have 25% of our aDNA from each of our 4 grandparents; 12.5% from each of our eight great grandparents, etc., as illustrated in the table to the right.  Beyond our  great, great, great grandparents (line 5, -- 3.12%, on the table) all of our grandparents may not represented in our aDNA.  Some "drop-out" while others remain, with slightly higher percentages of DNA.  The ranges on the graphs below, also demonstrate the "drop-out" phenomena when the range reads 0-XX.

The chart below expands on this concept, illustrating the % of aDNA shared according to the degrees of biological relationship.  In the chart, cM stands for centimorgan.    In genetics, a centimorgan (abbreviated cM) or map unit (m.u.) is a unit for measuring genetic linkage.  Genetic linkage is the tendency of  sequences that are close together on a chromosome to be inherited together during the meiosis phase of sexual reproduction.  Essentially, the more shared centimorgans (cM) the closer the genetic relationship.

The results of aDNA tests are typically reported as shared centimorgans, although some report only in percentages.  If two individuals share significant centimorgans (cM), their genealogical relationship can be predicted, based on the expectations illustrated on the following chart.

The next illustration is an expansion of the same concept, and another way of looking at the same information:

DNA MATCHES and TRIANGULATION

Y-DNA, MtDNA, and aDNA all report results in terms of "Matches."  Regardless of the test, a match indicates that two individuals share DNA, with varying degrees of biological/genetic relationship. This is a relatively simple concept.  However, many people want to know how it is possible to use matches to other living people to infer a relationship to someone (an ancestor) who is long dead?  The answer is "triangulation." 

When two living individuals have a DNA match, they share an ancestor (or ancestors) .  The process of identifying the mutual ancestor(s) is called "triangulation." In the triangle analogy, the two matched individuals are the two connected vertices that form the base of a triangle, and their common ancestor is viewed as the apex of that triangle.  When any two people have matched genetic DNA, genealogical research is used to identify the common ancestor.  Conversely, when genealogical research identifies an ancestor, genetic matches between descendants of that ancestor gives evidentiary support to the validity of the genealogy.  Multiple matches between descendants of a common ancestor provide even stronger support.  In this way, traditional genealogy and genetic genealogy are complimentary.   The chart below illustrates a 10 generation triangulation.  Frances and S.K. have matching aDNA. They share their 7 Great Grandparents (William Lee and Rebecca Burchet).  The graphic from Ancestry DNA lists the generations that separate the 7th cousins, Frances and S.K.

ETHNICITY ESTIMATES

Advertisements for DNA testing frequently focus on "Ethnicity Estimates."  Evidently, discovering or verifying "ethnic roots" is a strong motivating force for many individuals choosing to have DNA testing.  DNA ethnicity estimates use aDNA testing, and "match" the subject's aDNA findings to data bases of individuals from a particular ethnic or geographic group.  The validity of ethnicity estimates is directly related to the size and accurate identification of the population used to define a given ethnicity.  The size and accuracy of data bases used for different ethnic groups varies.  For example, within parts the British Isles, some data bases are so extensive and specific that it is possible to connect an individual to a shire or village.  In other parts of the world, the data bases consist of far fewer, and possibly less representative groups.  Native Americans represent a population that many feel has been poorly sampled and consequently false negatives are common.  One indication that "ethnicity estimation" is still an evolving is the variation between testing companies.

It is clear that at this time, "ethnicity estimation" suffers from limited reliability, which raises questions regarding its validity.  However, as more individuals are tested and data bases are expanded and refined, both reliability and validity should improve.

GENETIC GENEALOGY TESTING COMPANIES 

Family Tree DNA (Now with subsidiaries in other countries, owned by Gene by Gene LTM)    

Ancestry DNA

23 And Me

Oxford Ancestors (closed in 2018)

My Heritage

Living Dander

Dante Labs (European Market)

DNA Ancestry and Family Origin (Middle East)

Vitagene

Helix

Orig3n

GPS Origins

Home DNA

DNA Consultants

DNA Worldwide

GENO 20 (National Geographic)

African Ancestry

Gencove

CRI Genetics

WeGene (Chinese)

23MoFang (Chinese)

24 Genetics (Spainish)

Health Genetics

Nutrisystem

Futura Genetics

Nimble Diagnostics

https://isogg.org/joinform.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/02/genealogical-dna-testing-companies-ancestry-23-andme/2141344002/
https://geneticsdigest.com/best_ancestry_genealogy_dna_test/index.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMvlBRDmARIsAEoQ8zQuBR5reIoV0ZzppVSJFso09FHaSYVACuMLzQ75KuKMN16zjFtBTswaAucTEALw_wcB

https://www.consumersadvocate.org/dna-testing/a/best-dna-testing?pd=true&keyword=dna%20test&gca_campaignid=1571295800&gca_adgroupid=62020584680&gca_matchtype=p&gca_network=g&gca_device=c&gca_adposition=1t2&gca_loc_interest_ms=&gca_loc_physical_ms=9026838&&pd=true&keyword=dna%20test&gca_campaignid=1571295800&gca_adgroupid=62020584680&gca_matchtype=p&gca_network=g&gca_device=c&gca_adposition=1t2&gca_loc_interest_ms=&gca_loc_physical_ms=9026838&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtMvlBRDmARIsAEoQ8zT5T-nK740JAhtbYbZpSXP0m-fYT5ddDvc1ZYl94crZ3TwQW7v8UCIaAiEKEALw_wcB

Romanov --https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c07a/ec7df130b8261c126493117b4f2e5276e8c2.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652717/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/332210909999828055/

Richard III--
https://www.history.com/news/new-richard-iii-mystery-comes-to-lighthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfi6gOX0Nf4

COLONEL JOHN "JACK" JACKSON -- Part 3 -- ANCESTORS OF JOHN SEABORN "SEBE" JACKSON

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN “JACK” JACKSON – 1645-1724

        Colonel, Sheriff, Judge, land developer, farmer and carpenter John “Jack” Jackson lived an amazing life. He survived against incalculable odds, triumphed over extraordinary challenges, and left an incredible legacy.  After three centuries, it is often difficult to find more than a partial skeleton of events from which to reconstruct the life and character of a man.  Col. Jackson is an exception.  Records allow us to infer a great deal. 

           

John Jackson[i] was:

 1.   Trustworthy, reliable, responsible, honest.  He was repeatedly appointed and elected to the most difficult and essential positions of leadership.  Four governments, who hated each other, all trusted the integrity of John Jackson.  For 39 years, his neighbors relied on his fairness, wisdom, and judgment in the management of civil and criminal legal matters.

 2.   Wise, tolerant, fair-minded.  As High Sheriff, Justice of the Peace, Commissioner, military commander, and Judge, he was more tolerant of diversity than his contemporaries.  Indians and Quakers, the most despised groups in the Colony, often benefited from his decisions.  No scandal marred his administrations, and at his death, he was widely mourned.

 3.   Smart, brave, tough.  His entire life was spent in a state of war.  There was no time of peace; one conflict simply transitioned into another.  Universal military service was required.  As military commander and as High Sheriff, he had to deal with the most lawless elements of the Colony.  His success and longevity in these offices testifies to his intelligence, courage, and guts. 

 4.   Foresighted, and ambitious (but not greedy).  He acquired extensive property and farmed, developed, and sold acreage, while dedicating other land to the benefit of his neighbors and community. He had a good sense of the future value of land, and acquired properties that would become some of the most valuable in the world.  Portions of lands he once owned are currently held in public trust.  These include Jones Beach, portions of the South Shore of Long Island, and several city and county parks.

 5.   Resilient, adaptable, hardworking, with a sense of humor.  He survived and prospered under 6 different governments, with three violent changes of power.  He concurrently held military and civil offices while managing his own extensive enterprises.  Indeed, I am suspicious of the records of his offices, because I can’t comprehend how one man could accomplish all the required work. However, if even half of his recorded service is accurate he was a remarkable public servant.  I know he had a sense of humor, because no one could survive 39 years in public office if he couldn’t laugh at the foibles of others, and at himself.

The remainder of this document presents and discusses the evidence that forms the basis for these conclusions.

A Time of Political Change, Revolution, and War –

           

In the 21^st Century, we are accustomed to change, and chauvinistically believe that past generations enjoyed continuity and stability.  But consider this, Robert Jackson (John’s Father) traveled halfway around the world before he shaved, and he lived his entire life in outposts of civilization.  John was born in a community in which the first homes were being built, and land was being cleared for the first crops.  English by ethnicity, he was born in a Dutch Colony in the midst of a three-year war between the Dutch and the Indians.  He was only four when his Father’s political/religious contemporaries in England, seized the government and beheaded their King. 

Cavalier and Roundhead

Before he turned 20, everything was reversed, the Puritans were turned out, and the monarchy restored.  The new king, Charles II sent invading forces to size the Dutch Colonies. Peter Stuyvesant was caught by surprise, and forced to surrender New Netherlands. The Colony of New York was established under the proprietorship of James, Duke of York (later King James II).  

King James II

For the first time, John was an English citizen.  That year, 1664, John served as a Member of the first Assembly of New York Colony.  Although defeated, the Dutch were not reconciled to the loss of their North American holdings, and two more “wars” would be fought before the English claim was fully confirmed.

John was 40 when he was elected as a Commissioner to King

King William III

James II’s New Royal Governor.  Before he turned 45, the “Glorious Revolution” turned James out, and placed William III on the throne.  King William’s War with the French and their Indian allies heated up almost immediately, and John was named Captain in the militia.  He led his Long Island troops across the state to the Albany area.

At the age of 57, he saw yet another major change in

Queen Anne

government.  Queen Anne came to power as ruler of a united England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, creating Great Britain.  He was named one of two Commissioners to administer the controversial Oath of Allegiance to public office holders on Long Island.  Queen Anne’s War against the French commenced almost immediately, and as newly commissioned Colonel and commander of the Long Island Militia, John was again engaged in military preparations and maneuvers.

As he neared 70, John participated in the transition from Ann to her successor, George I.  Over his lifetime, six monarchs (and

King George I

one Lord Protector) ruled.  He was a colonial citizen of three nations, Netherlands, England, and Great Britain.  He survived at least six wars, serving in the militia in four, and receiving promotions and honors for his service.  Though he lived in turbulent times, in the midst of tumultuous change, consider this -- John Jackson passed his entire life in a single location, in the house of his birth.

Jackson House in Jerusalem (Wangagh

Marriage, Births, and Early Years

            The exact dates of the Robert Jackson’s marriage, John’s birth, and the birth of his sister Mary are unclear, and mixed with the controversy over the exact date of the arrival of the first settlers in Hempstead.  All four events (marriage, births, and settlement) occurred between 1643 and 1646, but the sequence and exact dates are in question.  Robert Jackson, his new wife, and his in-laws (William & Jane Washburn) were settling in Hempstead in 1643-45.  The Jacksons built their home eight miles from the center of Hempstead in what was called Jerusalem and is now Wantagh in 1644 (according to town records).  Their closest associates, the Seaman family built their home only 800 yards away on a 300-acre estate called Cherrywood.  William and Jane Washburn’s holdings were not too far  distant.  The date of the marriage and the first name of the bride are subjects of controversy. 

It is not known if the Robert Jackson marriage took place before or after the settlers left Stamford.  Most family histories give the daughter Mary as the first child, but the exact date of her birth is not certain, 1643 and 1644 are both given.  Most references list John’s birth as 1645.  Family tradition says he was born in the newly built Jackson family home in Hempstead/Jerusalem.  The best we can say is that the young couple was certainly busy and fully occupied in the years between 1643 and 1646.  Things were only slightly less hectic in 1646, when their third child, a son named Samuel was born.  Samuel may have had some physical or mental disability.  He never married and died at the age of 27.  No records found to date indicate his participation in business, civic, or church enterprises. 

A second daughter, Martha was born less than 3 years later, in 1649.  Martha, who was especially close to her big brother John, married young, bore two children, and died when she was only 20.  Her premature death (when he was 24) apparently affected John greatly.

Altogether, Robert Jackson’s wife bore four children in a little over 5 years, not a record, but certainly an arduous undertaking.  The fifth and last child, a third daughter named Sarah was born three years later in 1652.

One family historian believes that Robert’s first three children (Mary, John, and Samuel) were born to an unknown first wife, while Martha and Sarah were the children of his second wife (the daughter of William Washburn).  I find his evidence flimsy, and cannot see a convincing time line for death and remarriage during this interval.  However, it is possible that the Mother of Mary, John, Samuel, Martha, and Sarah died sometime after 1652, and John remarried Agnes (probable widow of Robert Puddington). In any event, all of Robert Jackson’s children were born between 1644 and 1652.  When no children were born to a married couple of childbearing age, the reason was often illness, or physical/mental disability.  John’s mother may have been unable to have more children, and/or she may have died leaving him an orphan sometime after his 7^th birthday.

In either event, John seems to have matured early.  When he was only 19, he was elected a member of the first New York Assembly.   As a member of the Assembly, he attended the Conference Adopting the Duke’s Laws in 1665.  That same year, he was a founder of East Chester Township on Long Island.

When he wed Elizabeth Seaman, John literally and figuratively married “the girl next door.”  Elizabeth’s father, Capt. John Seaman, was ten years older than John’s father, Robert, but the bond between these men was strong.  As stated earlier, their homes were built close together, and the frontier families were mutually dependent.  Capt. Seaman was Godfather to John Jackson, and possibly his namesake. 

Shortly before immigrating to Hempstead, L.I., John Seaman, Sr. (aged 31) married Elizabeth Strickland[ii]. Their first child, John Seaman, Jr. was the same age as his near neighbor and playmate, John Jackson.  The two John Seaman’s (Sr. and Jr.) may well have been the reason John Jackson was called “Jack.” There were four other Seaman children (two girls and two boys), all born between 1646 and 1651. 

John “Jack” Jackson married Elizabeth Seaman in 1670 when she was 17 and he was 25.  The dates and birth order for their first two children are confusing.  The birthdate of their first daughter, Elizabeth (Jr) is variously given as 1668 or 1671.  The birthdate for their first son, Samuel (named for John’s younger brother, who died in 1672), is consistently given as 1670. 

John and Elizabeth had seven more children for a total of nine.  Martha was born in 1673, and the twins Mary and Richard were born in 1678.  Richard was sickly and died before his 4^th birthday (in 1682).  John, Jr., was born in 1680, and Hannah in 1685.  A third son, James (from whom we are descended) was born in 1686.  The last child, a daughter named Sarah was born in 1687.

To parallel the births, there were deaths in John’s family.  As noted above, his sister Martha died in 1668 at the age of 20; his brother Samuel 4 years later in 1672 at the age of 27; and his young son, Richard at age 4 in 1682.  Three years later (1685) his father Robert died, leaving John (his only surviving son), his primary beneficiary and executor (see Robert Jackson’ Will).  His close friend and brother-in-law, John Seaman, Jr., died nine years later in 1694.  (For Robert’s will, see: http://communicatinglife2.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-jackson-family-of-north-central.html

Business Enterprises – From his late teens, John engaged in a variety of business enterprises.  As previously mentioned, at age

Mill Pond Park, Wantagh

20, he was among the founders of the Township of East Chester. In 1678, in his early 30’s, he secured a large land grant near what is now Jamaica, L.I.  That same year, he sought and was granted the right to establish a Mill in Jerusalem.  John never operated the mill he licensed. His son James opened the Mill on the Jerusalem River in 1708, and operated it throughout his lifetime.  The Mill and Mill Pond remain, and today constitute central features of Mill Park in Wantagh. 

It is believed that John was a skilled carpenter, and worked in this trade in his youth.  His carpentry tools were a noted item in his Will.

On the death of his father in 1685, John’s wealth increased dramatically (see Will published in Part II of this series, link above).  With expanded resources, John applied for and received a large land patent in 1687.  In 1708 he made another major land acquisition, which included most of the beaches and marshes of the southeastern coast of Long Island.  This grant, acquired when he was 63, included the area known today as Jones Beach.  John used the wild coastal lands for grazing, fishing, and gathering the fruits of the sea.  Portions of the grant passed to a granddaughter who married into the Jones family.  John made numerous property gifts to his children during his lifetime, and passed title to the remainder in his Will.  Reading the will (printed below) brings an appreciation of his holdings, which extended from Great Neck on the North Shore to Jones Beach on the South.

Jones Beach at Sunset

Military Career --  When John was born, the 30 Years War was winding down in Europe, and the Peace of Westphalia was signed when he was three.  The greatest threat in his youth was conflict with Native tribes.  During the mid-17^th Century, the bloody conflict between the Dutch and English-supported Iroquois Nation and the French-backed Algonquians was known as the

“Beaver Wars.” The brutality of these proxy battles realigned the tribal geography of North America and destroyed several large tribal confederations, including the Huron, Neutral (Attawandaron), Erie, Susquehannock, and Shawnee.

It is little wonder, given these circumstances, that Dutch and later English governments imposed universal requirements for military training and service.  This meant that young John Jackson was assigned to a local militia and drilled weekly.  It is not clear exactly when he was commissioned an officer, but we know he was promoted or Commissioned to the rank of Captain in 1689.  This date marks the onset of the series of Anglo-French conflicts historians have dubbed “The Second Hundred Years War.” Commencing with the accession of William III to the throne of England, in 1688, an almost continuous state of War existed between Protestant England and Catholic France until the surrender of Napoleon after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.  During John Jackson’s lifetime, the conflict extended to the French and English Colonies in North America and included the Nine Years’ War (1688-1697), King William’s War (1689-1697), and Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713). 

“King William’s War” was the North American name for the conflict known in Europe as the “Nine Years’ War.”  In Canada, New England and New York it was also called the “Second Indian

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville

War.”  In August of 1689, the Governor of New France, organized an expedition from Montreal to attack Fort Orange (present day Albany).  The military leader of the expedition was Jacque Le Moyne de Sainte-Helene.  His second in command was his younger brother, Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville. When the French force approached the Dutch/English village of Schenectady, they found it unguarded, entered, burned, pillaged, and massacred 60 of the inhabitants, and took 27 prisoners. 

On Long Island, Capt. John Jackson was ordered to leave for

General Fitz-John Winthrop

Albany to meet the French offensive and launch a counter attack.  Among the Long Island militiamen called to service was 43-year-old Theodore Polhemus. Other militia troops from Connecticut, under the leadership of General Fitz-John Winthrop, also rushed to Albany.  The Connecticut troops left almost immediately to attack Montreal.  Lacking watercraft for navigating Lake Champlain, and demoralized by disease, they were forced to return to Albany.

Serendipity in Genealogy? -- The convergence of Jackson, Winthrop, Polhemus and Le Moyne men in various roles related to the “Schenectady Massacre” is a genealogist delight.  John Jackson’s son James was married to Rebecca Hallett, great granddaughter of Anne Winthrop Fones, sister of Gov. John Winthrop, Sr. (Fitz-John's grandfather).  Thus, James Jackson's wife Rebecca Hallett and Fitz-John Winthrop were cousins.  
Theodore Polhemus was married to Aertje Bogart, the daughter of Teunis Bogert and Sara Joris Rapelje.  Sara's parents Joris and Catalyntje (both Walloons) were on the first ship of Dutch settlers, and Sara was the first European child born in New York (New Netherlands).  

There were eleven Le Moyne brothers, including Jacques and Pierre, and a third well-known brother, Jean-Baptiste de Bienville.  Pierre and Jean-Baptiste were later the principle organizers of the French settlement of Louisiana.  Two of their nephews Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, and Francois Le Moyne were soldiers stationed at the French Fort in the village of Natchitoches, LA (founded, 1714).  
Fast-forward two centuries to 1942, when Howard Henry Lemoine, Sr. (Francois’s 8^th great grandson) married Ida Ola “Iola” Jackson (John Jackson’s 6^th great grand daughter) in Natchitoches Parish Louisiana. To compound the convergence, Iola Jackson was also the 6^th great grand daughter of Theodore Polhemus and Aertje Bogart. 
Thus, the children of Iola Jackson and Howard Henry Lemoine, Sr. -- Linda Gayle Lemoine Price and Howard Henry Lemoine, Jr. -- are descended from the French Le Moyne Family; the Walloon Rapelje Family; the Dutch Bogert Family, the German Polhemus Family, and the English Jackson, Hallett, and Winthrop Families.  Their ancestors were among the first settlers of Canada, Louisiana, New York (New Netherlands), New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. 

The constant raids and periodic battles between French and English partisans in Canada, New England, and New York continued for 8 years, ending in 1697 with the Treaty of Ryswick.  During the hectic final year of the war, John Jackson was promoted to the rank of Major

   

The peace lasted less than five years, before hostilities recommenced in 1702. Queen Anne’s War had a second North American front in the Spanish Colony of Florida, but intense fighting focused on Acadia, Quebec City, Port Royal, Newfoundland, Maine, and Massachusetts.  John Jackson was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in Feb. 1701, as rumblings of war echoed across North America.  By December, Governor Bellomont promoted him to full Colonel.  John continued as commander of Militia through the end of hostilities in 1713. Col. Jackson was long dead when the next installment -- King George’s War  -- began in 1744.

Public Offices --  While he held several elected and appointed offices as a young man, John Jackson’s public career escalated after the death of his father Robert.  In 1991, at the age of 46, he served his first term as High Sheriff of Queens County.  The High Sheriff (or Shire Reeve, the original title) was traditionally appointed by the King to keep the peace, enforce the Kings’ laws, and ensure justice for all.  It was generally the highest administrative governmental office in a jurisdiction.  Apparently, John did not serve as High Sheriff in 1692, but from 1693-1718, he served 23 years in this critical post.  From 1691 through 1694, he concurrently served a four-year term as Juryman, and in 1699, he served a term as Justice of the Peace, while continuing as High Sheriff.  Similarly, beginning in 1703, he served a term as Commissioner of Highways.  Finally, for 13 years (from 1710-1723, ages 65-78), John served as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Queens County.

Education and Religion – John was a literate man.  We know this because he held public offices that required education.  He was a man who read and valued books.  We know this because he had a library (an expensive hobby in his time and place), and left his books to his children.  There is at least a suggestion that he “read” law and may have met contemporary requirements for being an attorney. This would be appropriate since he held public offices charged with keeping, interpreting, and enforcing the law for almost 40 years.  The Duke’s Laws, which governed the New York Colony, contain very specific educational requirements for a license to preach, but no license requirements for being an attorney.  There were however, a list of “conflicts of interest” and circumstances under which a lawyer could not represent specific clients.  There was also a section guaranteeing privileges to those admitted to the “Bar Councell.” (See also – discussion in the blog --  http://communicatinglife2.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-dukes-laws-and-robert-jackson.html and complete text available at http://www.nycourts.gov/history/legal-history-new-york/documents/charters-duke-transcript.pdf).[iii] 

Insight into John’s skill and understanding of the law can be drawn from a study of his will[iv] (which he prepared himself).  The document is simple and straightforward, lacking the flowery verbiage common to many wills of that era.  It is meticulously organized, with the most valuable Real Property treated in detail, followed by valued property including equipment and slaves, and leading finally to personal property and items of sentimental value.  Most obvious is his dedication to fairness and equity.  The division is meticulously designed to be certain that each of the three sons were given equal portions; and the same was done for the four living daughters and the children of his deceased daughter. However, as was the custom, he did not treat his sons and daughters equally. 

For all of his life, John regularly attended the Presbyterian

Presbyterian Church of Hempstead

Church of Hempstead.  He was active in the affairs of the church, and supported it with his tithes and offerings.  There were those who accused him of being too lenient on supporters of the outlawed Quaker sect, but he clearly did not worship with the Friends. His military activities and his ownership of slaves mitigated against his acceptance of Quaker doctrine.  However, many of his close associates, including the Seamens and the Halletts, did attend secret Quaker services, and some were converts.

Last Years, Heirs, and Will

 John Jackson lived to age 79 and saw the size of his family and the numbers of his descendants grow exponentially.  His eight children, who lived to be adults, and their respective spouses, are listed below.  I gave up trying to calculate the number of his grandchildren.  By his son James (and wife Rebecca Hallett), John had 20 grandchildren. His son John, Jr. and his wife Elizabeth Hallett (first cousin of Rebecca) had almost as many.  The third and eldest son, Samuel married Ruth Smith[vi], and also added young Jacksons to the tribe.  Samuel, John Jr., and James all survived their father, and inherited most of his real property.  They were joint executors of his Will.

 Of John’s nine children, at least six outlived their father.  As mentioned earlier, his son Richard died in childhood.  His daughter Mary (who married Jeckomiah Scott) died only months before her father in early1724, and this loss is documented in his Will.  The fate of his daughter Hannah is a mystery.  Many current records place her death in 1706, but I have come to believe this is an error.  John included Hannah in the will for several specific bequests, referring to her as Hannah Seaman (indicating her marriage to a Seaman).  I don’t believe John who was so accurate and meticulous regarding his children and their inheritance would have erred.  Hannah must have died after 1724.

John names his sons-in-law, Charles Doughty (Elizabeth’s spouse), Peter Titus (Martha’s spouse), Joushua Barnes (Sarah’s spouse), and Jeckomiah Scott (surviving spouse of deceased Mary) in his will.  He does not name the spouse of his daughter Hannah, but refers to her as Hannah Seaman.

Daughters:

Elizabeth (1671-1758) – Charles Doughty

Martha (1673-1753) – Peter Titus

Mary (1678-1724) -- Jeckomiah Scott[vii]

Hannah (1685-1724) -- (Richard?) Seaman

Sarah (1687-1763)– Joushua Barnes[viii]

Sons:

Samuel (1671-1728)– Ruth Smith

John, Jr. (1680-1743) -- Elizabeth Hallett

James (1686-1730)– Rebecca Hallett

A Bad Year, 1724 --  Until 1824, John was apparently in good mental and physical health, and continued in his duties as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.  But, in early 1824, Elizabeth and John lost their daughter Mary.  Elizabeth did not recover from this loss, and died on Aug. 26.  John survived Elizabeth, his childhood sweetheart and wife of over 50 years, by only 3 months, joining her in death on Dec. 6.

Will and Testament – This transcription of John Jackson’s will was done by Oscar Burton Robbins, for his book, History of the Jackson Family of Hempstead, Long Island, NY.  The author was a citizen of Loveland, Colorado, and privately published this history in1951. The will is found on pages 6 - 9. 

The Will is presented first, followed by a few comments on its contents.

In the name of God,

Amen

The twenty-sixth day of August in the year of our Lord,

one thousand seven hundred and twenty four

I, JOHN JACKSON, of Hempstead, in Queens County, on Nassau Island in the Colony of New York Esq., being well in body, but of perfect mind and memory, and my understanding sound and good, thanks be given to God, therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body, and that it is appointed unto all men to die, do make and appoint this my last Will and Testament, that is to say; principally and first of all, I give and Recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it, hoping through the merits, death and suffering and passion of my blessed God and Savior, Jesus Christ, to have full and free pardon of all my sins, and to inherit eternal life; and my body I commend to the Earth from whence it was taken, to be buried in a Christian and decent manner at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named, nothing doubting but at the general resurrection, I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God.  And as touching such worldly estates wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life withal.

I give, devise, bequeath and dispose of the same, in the following manner and form, that is to say, First, I will that all those debts, dues and duties that I do in right or conscience owe to any manner of person or persons whatsoever, shall be well and truly satisfied, contented and paid in some convenient time after my decease by my Executors hereinafter named.

I will and bequeath unto my son, Samuel Jackson, and to his heirs and assigns forever, the house and land that I now dwell upon at Jerusalem, beginning at the northwest corner of the land by the south side of the road that parts my land and the Deamanses  (Seaman's?) tract of land, and so to run on the east side of the road that leads to the South till it cometh to the fence on the south side of my young orchard, and so to run easterly as the fence stands till it cometh to the fence that parts my son John Jackson's land and my land that I now dwell on, and thence to run east easterly as the fence stands, to the east end of it; and from thence to run a due east line to the eastermost end of my land; and then to run northward as the line of my land runs to the north side of it, and thence as the path goeth to the bounds first mentioned.  

I also will and bequeath unto my son Samuel Jackson, and to his heirs and assigns forever, the land where his house standeth, bounded on the west by the road that leads to South, and south by land of Joshua Barnes, North by the fence as they now stand that parts my son John Jackson's land and my land that I now dwell on and ten bequeathed to my son Samuel Jackson which piece of land shall extend so far eastward as far as to make both these pieces of land to contain the equal moiety, and helf part in quantity of my tract of land that lyeth in a body at Jerusalem.  And my will is that my son John Jackson and his heirs and assigns shall maintain the fence that runneth north and south between them, from time to time at all times forever hereafter at his and their own and only costs and charges.

I will and bequeath unto my son John Jackson, to his heirs and assigns forever the tract of land where he dwelleth at Jerusalem, the bounds beginning at the southwest corner thereof, by the lands east bequeathed to my son Samuel Jackson and running Northward on the east side of the land that leads to South, till it cometh to the fence on the north side of my young orchard and so to run Easterly as the fence runneth till it cometh to the house that parts the lands joineth on   ?  and this land bequeathed to him, and then to run as that fence runs till it comes to the East end of it, and thence to run Southardly by the line on my land on the Eastward till the south side of it and then to run Westerdly by Joshua Barnes land so far as to run up to him, the equal half of my body or tract of land lying together in Jerusalem, leaving to Samuel's piece where his house now stands the breadth at east and as the range of fence will allow him to give up his half of my tract of land, and my son John Jackson and his heirs and assigns shall from time to time forever hereafter maintain the fence that runneth North and South from my young orchard at his own proper cost and charges. I also will and bequeath unto my son John Jackson, and to his heirs and assigns forever all my three lots of meadow, and all the upland within the fence belonging to the right of upland in the half neck so called that belongeth to me, be it in quantity of acres more or less. I also will and bequeath to my son John Jackson and to his heirs and assigns forever, one piece of land on the Great Neck above the Indian path or road across the Neck adjoining the Half Neck brook, containing twenty and four acres, that he hath already in his possession. I also will and bequeath to my son John Jackson and to his heirs and assigns forever all my three lots and half lots of meadow that I have lying on the Great Neck to the Westward of the Parsonage lot of meadow, and bounded on the Westerly by the ditch and all the upland that lyeth above the said meadow to the Neck fence Westward of Ireland's path, my son John and his heirs and assigns, maintaining the fence next to the Lake of Ireland's path, but my will is that so long as my daughter Martha Titus doth live she shall have liberty to cut and carry off from year to year all the grass that doth grow below the creek westward of Ireland's path.  And if it do or shall happen that I or my son Samuel, shall happen to have any corn or flax growing upon any of the lands willed to my son John at the time of my decease, my son Samuel shall have time and liberty to cut the corn and flax and carry all off before my son John shall have possession thereof, or any hay cut upon the meadow willed to my son John upon Great Neck, at the time of my decease, my son Samuel shall have liberty to carry it off. I also will and bequeath unto my son John Jackson, and to his heirs and assigns forever, the equal half of that piece of land lying on the west side of the Great Neck above or Northward of the eight acre lot including my eight acre lot I bought of Peter Titus, and Southward of Joshua Barnes land, my son John to have the North end of the piece of land adjoining to Joshua's land. I will and bequeath unto my son Samuel Jackson and to his heirs and assigns forever, all my meadow and upland that I have on the east of Great Neck, bounded on the west by the lot of meadow of the Parsonage and the upland bounded by Ireland's path, and Northward by the Neck, and Eastward by the Half Neck brook or creek, be the quantity of acres of upland meadow more or less. I also will and bequeath to my son Samuel Jackson and to his heirs and assigns forever, all the parcel of land and meadow lying on the Great Neck Eastward of the eight acre lot and Westward of the path to the South, and also the equal half lying the south half of the piece of land above the eight acre lot that I bought of Peter Titus, also to be divided between John Jackson and my son Samuel Jackson.

I also will and bequeath unto my son Samuel Jackson and to his heirs and assigns forever, another piece of land lying on the East side of John Barnes homestead and Westward of the fifty acre lot, containing as by the card or draft thereof thirty and four acres and one hundred and forty eight rods, and also fifty acres of land lying between Jerusalem swamp and Bundgals swamp bounded East by Jerusalem brook and West by the brook in Burdsall's swamp and bcunded on the North by Thomas Seaman's fence to run as Westward as his fence now stands and from the southwest corner of Thomas Seaman's fence to run a west line to Burdsall'e swamp or little meadow brook, and extending down Southward till it makes up fifty acres of land.

I will and bequeath to my son Samuel Jackson, and to his heirs and assigns forever, my house and barn and four acres lot in the Town plat of Hemstead and one lot of meadow he hath held in his possession already.

I also will and bequeath unto my son James Jackson and to his heirs and assigns forever, John Jews property right and blanck (sic) in the undivided lands of Hempstead.

I will and bequeath unto my son John Jackson and to his heirs and assigns forever, seventy and nine acres of land to be taken up on my rights in the Town of Hempstead, and also one hundred acres of land more to be taken up in the Township of Hempstead, upon my rights over what I Will to my other sons.

I will and bequeath unto my son James Jackson and to his heirs and assigns forever, one hundred and fifty six acres of land, to be taken up on my rights of land in the Township of Hempstead.

I will and bequeath unto my three sons, John Jackson, James Jackson and Samuel Jackson and to their heirs and assigns forever, all the remainder of my lands in the Township of Hempstead, both divided and undivided, and hollows on the planes, and ox pastures, goats in both ox pastures, to be equally divided between them and their heirs and assigns.

I will and bequeath unto my three sons, namely, John, James and Samuel Jackson be associated in the Patent of Hempstead, and do will and bequeath unto them and their heirs and assigns forever, all my right and title unto the Patent of Hempstead Aforesaid.

I will and bequeath unto my son Samuel Jackson my ox cart and wheels, and another cart and plow and tackeling and utensils of husbandry of what sort or kind soever and all my carpenter tools.

I will and bequeath unto my son John Jackson my horse cart and wheels and tackling and my log chains, and one plow. I will and bequeath unto my three sons, John, James and Samuel Jackson, all my books and bonds to be equally divided amongst them.  And my clothes all of them, I also will unto my three sons to be equally divided between them. I will and bequeath unto my son John Jackson my Negro man named Peter. I will and bequeath unto my son James Jackson, my Negro boy called Billy, that he has in his possession. I will and bequeath unto my son Samuel Jackson, my old Negro man called Sambo, and my negro woman Betty, and my negro boy called Sampson. I will and bequeath unto my son James Jackson, one pair of my best oxen. I will and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Doughty, my Negro girl names Tenney.

I will and bequeath unto my daughter Martha Titus, my Negro girl named Nanney.   I will that the first girl that Nanney hath after the date of these presents, shall be my daughter Hannah Seaman's, and she shall have it when it is fit to wean.  And when my daughter dyeth then Nanney shall be given to my granddaughter Elizabeth Titus.

 I will unto my son-in-law Jeremiah Scott my negro woman called Hanney that he hath in his possession until his youngest children come of age, and then she or value of her shall be divided equally amongst her four daughters or the survivor of them.

I will and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Barnes my negro girl named Pegg.

I will and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Doughty, my best bed and furniture.

I will and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Scott's four daughters or the survivor of them, my next choice of my beds and furniture. I will and bequeath unto my three daughters, namely, Martha Titus, Sarah Barnes, and Hannah Seaman, my other three beds and the remainder of my furniture belonging to them to be equally divided among them. I will that my funeral charges and proving my will and taking out letters of Administration, shall be paid out of my money, and my stock of cattle and sheep to be divided as follows; viz. to be divided in five equal parts, and my daughter Elizabeth Doughty to have on fifth part, and my daughter Sarah Barnes to have one fifth part, and my daughter Hannah Seaman to have one fifth part, and the four daughters of my deceased daughter Mary Scott to have one fifth part to be equally divided between them or the survivor of them. I do now hereby revoke, disallow, and dis-annull all former Wills and Testaments by me either by word or writing by me before this time made, ratifying, allowing and confirming this and no others to be my last Will and Testament. Lastly, I do hereby appoint, constitute and ordain my trustworthy friend, Capt. John Treadwell, and my three sons, John Jackson, James Jackson and Samuel Jackson, to be my true and lawful Executors of this my last Will and Testament.

In witness whereof I have set my hand and fixed my seal, this day and year first above written. August 26th, 1724.                                                                                           

John Jackson, L. S.[ix]

The Will of John Jackson was witnessed by Daniel Jones[x], Thomas Bayley, and William Willis.  It was proved in the Court of Common Pleas, Queens County, on Dec. 6, 1725

Slavery -- The materials related to the disposition of his

A Dutch Poster Depicting Idealized Slavery

Negro Slaves warrant comment.  As demonstrated by his will, John Jackson was a slave owner.  While slavery is most often associated with the American South, many believe that the Dutch were the first to bring African slaves to North America, and many New York Colonists owned Africans. (for additional information see -- http://usslave.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-dutch-and-slavery-in-new-netherlands.html)

At his death in 1724, John Jackson “owned” nine Africans.  The men were Peter, Billy, Sambo, and Samson; the women were Nanney, Hanney, Tenney, Betty, and Pegg.  Sambo was described as old, while Billy and Samson were considered boys.  Betty was described a woman while the others were called girls.

Slave Woman & Child

One of the most poignant and revealing passages concerns the fates of Nanney and Hanney.  John left Nanney to his daughter Martha, and having no equivalent gift for his daughter Hannah, he left Hannah all of Nanney’s children born after the will.  He stipulated that Hannah should have a child of Nanney’s when, “it is fit to be weaned.”  Such unfeeling dehumanization of the mother/child bond is surprising in a tender father.

Hanney was to be the property of John’s son-in-law Jeckomiah Scott (widower of Mary Jackson Scott) until their four daughters were grown.  At that time Hanney’s value was to be divided equally among the girls.  It is hard to imagine anything more callous than using a woman to raise four motherless girls, and then selling her to provide a cash legacy to be divided among the very children she fostered. In reading this portion of the will, you can sense old John struggling to make as absolute equal division of his property, but this clause seems heartless.

Burial – Colonel John “Jack” Jackson and his wife Elizabeth Seaman Jackson are buried in the Jackson Cemetery located on Wantagh Ave., in Wantagh, NY.  The Cemetery is located immediately north of the Catholic Church (at 1309 Wantagh Ave.)  Buried with them are many of their relatives from the Jackson, Seaman, Althause, and Downing families.

---

[i] While we don’t know John’s physical attributes, I confess I began to see him as my Uncle Clint Jackson (his 6^th great grandson).  The more I learned of John’s character, the more he seemed like Clint.

[ii] Secondary records indicate that Elizabeth was born in Hempstead (impossible since the town was not established until 1644) in the year 1631 (also impossible, since she would have been only 11or 12 at the date of her marriage, and only 14 at the birth of her first child (1645).  Other records say she was born in Boynton, Yorkshire, England, in 1612, and this would make her 31 at the time of her marriage to Capt. Seaman, 32 at the birth of her son John, Jr., (in 1645) and 41 at the birth of her youngest daughter, Elizabeth (in 1653).

[iii] John’s 6^th and 7^th great grandsons, Howard Henry Lemoine, Jr. and Sean Lemoine, are attorneys who might be able to offer further insights into their ancestor’s legal approach.

[iv] Presumably, John prepared a number of wills for friends and neighbors.  In most cases he served as a witness or executor for the testaments he drew.

[v] Double first cousins are genetically as close as siblings, sharing both YDNA and mitochondrial DNA.

[vi] Some family trees erroneously give Samuel a Hallett wife, either Rebecca or Elizabeth, confusing Samuel with his brothers James or John, Jr. 

[vii] Jeckomiah was the son of the famous Capt. John Scott, whose escapades are an important chapter in Long Island History.

[viii] Joshua was a grandson of Robert Williams who once owned Jericho in Queens County.

[ix] L.S. “Locus sigilli” is a Latin phrase meaning “the place of the seal.” These traditional letters appear on the notarial certificates to show where the notary public’s embossed seal should be placed or fixed. In case of a rubber-stamp seal; the seal should be placed near the abbreviation “L.S.” but, not over it. This may also be used to indicate to the signer, the place for fixing his signature.

[x] Daniel was a member of the Jones Family who later acquired John Jackson’s coastal acreage on which Jones Beach is located.