Notes for Samuel Jackson Sr.:

General Notes:

It is rumored among Jackson genealogists that Samuel was born in Chester Co., PA, however he does not show up on any birth records in Chester Co, PA. He moved to North Carolina in the early 1750's. Lucille Jackson Vernon stated in her research that they lived in an area that is now in Davidson Co.,North Carolina before moving on to Westfield, North Carolina . Samuel and Catherine came to Surry Co.,North Carolina around 1770-72, settling on Tom's Creek, later called Westfield. They were the first Jacksons in the Westfield area. Much of what is known about these people is from Quaker records. Samuel Jackson was living in Chester Co., PA at the time when several Quaker families by the name of Jackson were in the area, so most researchers have made the assumption that Samuel was a Quaker. Lucille Vernon wrote to the Quaker College at Guilford Co., North Carolina ; they wrote back saying they had no record of Samuel or his wife, Catherine, ever being members of the New Garden congregation. Lucille assumed the other researchers were wrong; however in Henshaw's "Encyclopeida of America Quaker Genealogy" Vol I, page 504 (New Garden MM) lists Samuel, Catherine as follows: page 182, Samuel Jackson; Catherine Jackson, d.4-24-1780; Joseph b. 12-27-1761; Elizabeth b. 5-12-1763; Jehu b. 7-4-1765; William b. 5-15-1767; Amer b. 6-19-1769. Page 14 of same volume shows Samuel and Catherine were present for marriage of Jacob Jackson and Ann Beales. This becomes a difficult thing to document as Lucille Vernon found in Jacob Jackson's application for membership at New Garden MM, he stated he was not a Quaker and that his parents were not members of the Society of Friends. I do not know if Samuel was a Quaker, but certainly his sons, Curtis, Jacob, John and Joseph, were as their names show up on the list of Charter members of the Westfield Friends. Jacob was a minister and received his brother, Samuel, Jr., into the membership at his request. Most all of the Jacksons migrated west with the exception of Joseph who married Sarah Jessup. They and many of their descendants remained in North Carolina .

The descendants of Samuel and Catherine Plankinhorn Jackson who are now living in the Westfield area of Surry Co.,North Carolina will tell you that Samuel's father was Aaron Jackson, son of William Jackson, born ca 1710. This information came to them from Luther Byrd of Westfield and can be found in the Guilford College library. Mr. Luther N. Byrd, grew up in Mount Airy,North Carolina and while a teacher in the Westfield High School, became interested in the history of the early Quakers that settled in the area. He started his students working on family trees and in order to help the students he did genealogical research, also. In his research he gives the name of Aaron Jackson, son of a William Jackson as the father of Samuel and Priscilla Jackson Jessup as a sister of Samuel. I was privileged to have had Luther Byrd as a teacher in the 8th grade.

Joe Willard Snyder states the following in his Jackson research:

Samuel and his three brothers, Moses, Charles and William worked in Benjamin Franklin's print shop in Philadelphia (his source was Leola Grim Tobin's Jackson Family Records)

Professor Edwin P. West, great-grandson of Jacob and Ann Jackson, gave an account which was used in the History of Clinton Co, OH. This article had been written earlier by Judge Harlan on "Sketches of Clinton Co", which stated that three brothers Jacob, John, and Samuel Jackson were among the first settlers of Clinton Co and that their father was Samuel Jackson who was the son of Isaac Jackson, who was the son of Anthony Jackson, who was a descendant of Ralph Jackson who was burned at the stake as a martyr at Stratford, England in 1556. He also stated that Samuel was probably a first cousin and intimate friend of President Andrew Jackson.

I have found many discrepancies in this article. First, the Isaac Jackson, son of Anthony Jackson, married Ann Evans, and brought his family to America in 1725 when he was sixty years of age and settled in Chester Co, PA. His life has been well documented in Quaker records and Pennsylvania histories. They did not have a son by the name of Samuel, so Samuel Jackson was not the son of Isaac and Ann Evans Jackson.

The brother Samuel that he speaks of is believed to be the son of Jacob and not his brother. Jacob had a son named Samuel born in Surry Co,North Carolina in 1774 and would have been old enough to be the Samuel that Professor West wrote about.

He stated that Samuel was probably an intimate friend and first cousin of President Andrew Jackson. Records show that Andrew Jackson received his license to practice law in Surry Co at the old Richmond court house (now gone) which was located on the banks of the Yadkin River, just below where Samuel and his family lived. It is possible that they did become friends with Andrew. From information that has been handed down, it is apparent they never liked Andrew, and could not believe that it was the Andy Jackson they knew who had been elected President of the United States, as he was such a rough character, always getting into brawls, fighting, gambling, etc.

Samuel Jackson was around forty-five years old when Andrew Jackson was born, and had been in America for several years before Andrew Jackson Sr. came to America and settled at Waxhaw. Andrew Sr. did have a brother named Samuel, "Called Sam the Sailor" and as the story goes was instrumental in getting the Jackson and Hutchins family out of Ireland and to America.

If there is any relationship between Samuel Jackson of Westfield and Andrew Jackson, it would be way back in England or Ireland where they may have had a common ancestor, as I can find no close connection between these two families in America.

With so many descendants of Samuel Jackson Sr. and Samuel Jr. doing research on both families, maybe some day one of them will get lucky and find the clue that will lead to the identity of their parents.

More from Lucille Jackson: Samuel and Catherine were natives of Chester Co, PA, and "Old" New Castle, Delaware. When they first came to North Carolina, they lived on the Davidson-Randolph County line, were there was a Jackson settlement named Jackson Creek, and a Church.

Notes for Samuel Jackson Sr.:

General Notes:

It is rumored among Jackson genealogists that Samuel was born in Chester Co., PA, however he does not show up on any birth records in Chester Co, PA. He moved to North Carolina in the early 1750's. Lucille Jackson Vernon stated in her research that they lived in an area that is now in Davidson Co.,North Carolina before moving on to Westfield, North Carolina . Samuel and Catherine came to Surry Co.,North Carolina around 1770-72, settling on Tom's Creek, later called Westfield. They were the first Jacksons in the Westfield area. Much of what is known about these people is from Quaker records. Samuel Jackson was living in Chester Co., PA at the time when several Quaker families by the name of Jackson were in the area, so most researchers have made the assumption that Samuel was a Quaker. Lucille Vernon wrote to the Quaker College at Guilford Co., North Carolina ; they wrote back saying they had no record of Samuel or his wife, Catherine, ever being members of the New Garden congregation. Lucille assumed the other researchers were wrong; however in Henshaw's "Encyclopeida of America Quaker Genealogy" Vol I, page 504 (New Garden MM) lists Samuel, Catherine as follows: page 182, Samuel Jackson; Catherine Jackson, d.4-24-1780; Joseph b. 12-27-1761; Elizabeth b. 5-12-1763; Jehu b. 7-4-1765; William b. 5-15-1767; Amer b. 6-19-1769. Page 14 of same volume shows Samuel and Catherine were present for marriage of Jacob Jackson and Ann Beales. This becomes a difficult thing to document as Lucille Vernon found in Jacob Jackson's application for membership at New Garden MM, he stated he was not a Quaker and that his parents were not members of the Society of Friends. I do not know if Samuel was a Quaker, but certainly his sons, Curtis, Jacob, John and Joseph, were as their names show up on the list of Charter members of the Westfield Friends. Jacob was a minister and received his brother, Samuel, Jr., into the membership at his request. Most all of the Jacksons migrated west with the exception of Joseph who married Sarah Jessup. They and many of their descendants remained in North Carolina .

The descendants of Samuel and Catherine Plankinhorn Jackson who are now living in the Westfield area of Surry Co.,North Carolina will tell you that Samuel's father was Aaron Jackson, son of William Jackson, born ca 1710. This information came to them from Luther Byrd of Westfield and can be found in the Guilford College library. Mr. Luther N. Byrd, grew up in Mount Airy,North Carolina and while a teacher in the Westfield High School, became interested in the history of the early Quakers that settled in the area. He started his students working on family trees and in order to help the students he did genealogical research, also. In his research he gives the name of Aaron Jackson, son of a William Jackson as the father of Samuel and Priscilla Jackson Jessup as a sister of Samuel. I was privileged to have had Luther Byrd as a teacher in the 8th grade.

Joe Willard Snyder states the following in his Jackson research:

Samuel and his three brothers, Moses, Charles and William worked in Benjamin Franklin's print shop in Philadelphia (his source was Leola Grim Tobin's Jackson Family Records)

Professor Edwin P. West, great-grandson of Jacob and Ann Jackson, gave an account which was used in the History of Clinton Co, OH. This article had been written earlier by Judge Harlan on "Sketches of Clinton Co", which stated that three brothers Jacob, John, and Samuel Jackson were among the first settlers of Clinton Co and that their father was Samuel Jackson who was the son of Isaac Jackson, who was the son of Anthony Jackson, who was a descendant of Ralph Jackson who was burned at the stake as a martyr at Stratford, England in 1556. He also stated that Samuel was probably a first cousin and intimate friend of President Andrew Jackson.

I have found many discrepancies in this article. First, the Isaac Jackson, son of Anthony Jackson, married Ann Evans, and brought his family to America in 1725 when he was sixty years of age and settled in Chester Co, PA. His life has been well documented in Quaker records and Pennsylvania histories. They did not have a son by the name of Samuel, so Samuel Jackson was not the son of Isaac and Ann Evans Jackson.

The brother Samuel that he speaks of is believed to be the son of Jacob and not his brother. Jacob had a son named Samuel born in Surry Co,North Carolina in 1774 and would have been old enough to be the Samuel that Professor West wrote about.

He stated that Samuel was probably an intimate friend and first cousin of President Andrew Jackson. Records show that Andrew Jackson received his license to practice law in Surry Co at the old Richmond court house (now gone) which was located on the banks of the Yadkin River, just below where Samuel and his family lived. It is possible that they did become friends with Andrew. From information that has been handed down, it is apparent they never liked Andrew, and could not believe that it was the Andy Jackson they knew who had been elected President of the United States, as he was such a rough character, always getting into brawls, fighting, gambling, etc.

Samuel Jackson was around forty-five years old when Andrew Jackson was born, and had been in America for several years before Andrew Jackson Sr. came to America and settled at Waxhaw. Andrew Sr. did have a brother named Samuel, "Called Sam the Sailor" and as the story goes was instrumental in getting the Jackson and Hutchins family out of Ireland and to America.

If there is any relationship between Samuel Jackson of Westfield and Andrew Jackson, it would be way back in England or Ireland where they may have had a common ancestor, as I can find no close connection between these two families in America.

With so many descendants of Samuel Jackson Sr. and Samuel Jr. doing research on both families, maybe some day one of them will get lucky and find the clue that will lead to the identity of their parents.

More from Lucille Jackson: Samuel and Catherine were natives of Chester Co, PA, and "Old" New Castle, Delaware. When they first came to North Carolina, they lived on the Davidson-Randolph County line, were there was a Jackson settlement named Jackson Creek, and a Church.

Notes for Mary Catherine Plankinhorn:

General Notes:

Catherine Plankinhorn was born abt 1730 in the Chesapeake Bay States and died 24 Apr 1780 in Surry Co., North Carolina . Jackson researchers over the years have tried to find Catherine Plankinhorn's parents or anyone by the name of Plankinhorn. Every available source has been researched in the states of NY, PA, MD, NJ and DE. The libraries in Washington,DC including the Library of Congress and the D.A.R. Library has been searched. Research was done in archives, county seats and tax records and in all of this research, only two small articles have been found on the name of Plankinhorn and they were on Peter and Susanna Plankinhorn.

Lucille Jackson Vernon felt that one of the reasons for not finding the name is that prior to the war in 1776 the name was changed from Plankinhorn to Plankenton. Information has been found in PA on the Plankenton families who were the children and grandchildren of Peter and Susanna Plankinhorn.

The first valuable source of information on the Plankinhorn's was compiled in 1901 by Gilbert Cope, on the descendants of George and Sarah Smedley, early settlers of Chester Co., PA, who's descendants had married into the Robins family of Edgemont Twp., Delaware Co., PA. Two of the Robin sisters, Jane and Sarah, married Jesse and Samuel Plankenton, son of Peter Plankinhorn, Jr. Jane and Sarah were the granddaughters of Joseph and Lear Crayton Robins of NJ and the daughters of Joseph and Jane Hooper Robins of Edgemont. In 1901, Cope wrote that Peter and Susanna Plankinhorn who, in 1778 (now deceased) were mentioned as "Late of Gloucester in the Providence of New Jersey." He named four known children: Jacob, John, Peter, Jr. and Elizabeth. Information on these four is found in census, tax records, and marriages of PA. He did not research the family, but they probably had other children.

The second piece of information written on the family of Peter and Sarah Plankinhorn was four pages written out in long hand and very hard to read. It was written by one of the great-grandsons of Peter Plankinhorn, Jr. and placed in one of the libraries in Washington, DC. Mr. Keith Parrish from Washington, DC found these pages while researching the family and sent copies to Lucille Jackson Vernon. The name of the writer was not given.

Peter and Susanna may have had other children named Susannah, Michael, and Bridget. One Susannah Blankinhorn was married to John Hepperset 27 Aug 1763 at St. Michael and Zion Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, PA. One Bridget Blackenton was baptized in 1760 at the age of 23. In 1777, Michael Blankinhorn was in the Revolutionary War, and in 1780 he was listed as Michael Plankinhorn. In Colonial days, the "P" and "B" were often used interchangeably.

Joseph Plankinton has said he thought the origin of the Plankinhorns were from Great Britain (Wales) Cope said he thought they came from Wales, since no one has found any written information on where they came from or how many children they had. The origin could even be German instead of from Wales. The Moravians had settled in PA around 1722. They had come from Hernhut,Germany. Their religion is very similar to that of the Lutheran Church. In the early 1800's a John Plankinhorn settled in Lycoming Co., PA. He was from Germany. The Susannah Blankinhorn was married in a Lutheran Church. Elizabeth was married in the Old Swede Church, (now Lutheran), so the religion of the early Plankinhorn's may have been Lutheran. One of their sons, John, married a Quaker girl and later joined the Concord MM in Philadelphia.

Lucille Jackson Vernon expresses her thanks to Keith Parrish who sent her most of the information that she had on the family, along with Mrs. Edith Hankins of Memphis, TN.

From the LDS site (www.familysearch.org) comes:

Plankenhorn 160 entries Black Forest, Germany

Planckenhorn 20 entries Black Forest, Germany

Plankinhorn - no entries in Germany

Catharina/Katharina/Catharine/Kathraine Plankenhorn 12 entries

Catharina Planckenhorn 1 entry

Plankinton/Plankenton 232 entries

Plankenhorn 87 entries

Notes for Mary Catherine Plankinhorn:

General Notes:

Catherine Plankinhorn was born abt 1730 in the Chesapeake Bay States and died 24 Apr 1780 in Surry Co., North Carolina . Jackson researchers over the years have tried to find Catherine Plankinhorn's parents or anyone by the name of Plankinhorn. Every available source has been researched in the states of NY, PA, MD, NJ and DE. The libraries in Washington,DC including the Library of Congress and the D.A.R. Library has been searched. Research was done in archives, county seats and tax records and in all of this research, only two small articles have been found on the name of Plankinhorn and they were on Peter and Susanna Plankinhorn.

Lucille Jackson Vernon felt that one of the reasons for not finding the name is that prior to the war in 1776 the name was changed from Plankinhorn to Plankenton. Information has been found in PA on the Plankenton families who were the children and grandchildren of Peter and Susanna Plankinhorn.

The first valuable source of information on the Plankinhorn's was compiled in 1901 by Gilbert Cope, on the descendants of George and Sarah Smedley, early settlers of Chester Co., PA, who's descendants had married into the Robins family of Edgemont Twp., Delaware Co., PA. Two of the Robin sisters, Jane and Sarah, married Jesse and Samuel Plankenton, son of Peter Plankinhorn, Jr. Jane and Sarah were the granddaughters of Joseph and Lear Crayton Robins of NJ and the daughters of Joseph and Jane Hooper Robins of Edgemont. In 1901, Cope wrote that Peter and Susanna Plankinhorn who, in 1778 (now deceased) were mentioned as "Late of Gloucester in the Providence of New Jersey." He named four known children: Jacob, John, Peter, Jr. and Elizabeth. Information on these four is found in census, tax records, and marriages of PA. He did not research the family, but they probably had other children.

The second piece of information written on the family of Peter and Sarah Plankinhorn was four pages written out in long hand and very hard to read. It was written by one of the great-grandsons of Peter Plankinhorn, Jr. and placed in one of the libraries in Washington, DC. Mr. Keith Parrish from Washington, DC found these pages while researching the family and sent copies to Lucille Jackson Vernon. The name of the writer was not given.

Peter and Susanna may have had other children named Susannah, Michael, and Bridget. One Susannah Blankinhorn was married to John Hepperset 27 Aug 1763 at St. Michael and Zion Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, PA. One Bridget Blackenton was baptized in 1760 at the age of 23. In 1777, Michael Blankinhorn was in the Revolutionary War, and in 1780 he was listed as Michael Plankinhorn. In Colonial days, the "P" and "B" were often used interchangeably.

Joseph Plankinton has said he thought the origin of the Plankinhorns were from Great Britain (Wales) Cope said he thought they came from Wales, since no one has found any written information on where they came from or how many children they had. The origin could even be German instead of from Wales. The Moravians had settled in PA around 1722. They had come from Hernhut,Germany. Their religion is very similar to that of the Lutheran Church. In the early 1800's a John Plankinhorn settled in Lycoming Co., PA. He was from Germany. The Susannah Blankinhorn was married in a Lutheran Church. Elizabeth was married in the Old Swede Church, (now Lutheran), so the religion of the early Plankinhorn's may have been Lutheran. One of their sons, John, married a Quaker girl and later joined the Concord MM in Philadelphia.

Lucille Jackson Vernon expresses her thanks to Keith Parrish who sent her most of the information that she had on the family, along with Mrs. Edith Hankins of Memphis, TN.

From the LDS site (www.familysearch.org) comes:

Plankenhorn 160 entries Black Forest, Germany

Planckenhorn 20 entries Black Forest, Germany

Plankinhorn - no entries in Germany

Catharina/Katharina/Catharine/Kathraine Plankenhorn 12 entries

Catharina Planckenhorn 1 entry

Plankinton/Plankenton 232 entries

Plankenhorn 87 entries

Notes for Priscilla Jackson:

General Notes:

PRISCILLA JACKSON JESSOP'S WILL

Whereas I, Priscilla Jessop, of Surry County and State of North Carolina, being weak of body, though of disposing mind and memory, and calling to mind the mortality of my body, do constitute the following as my last Will and Testament, and desire that it be received by all as such:

First and principally, I will my soul to God that gave it, and that my body be decently buried, at the discretion of my executors hereafter named. And as touching my worldly goods, I give and dispose of them in the manner and form following:

Item 2. It is my will that my dearly beloved daughter, Hannah Jessop, have my mare and colt, and my best cow and calf, and two big hogs, and also my feather bed and bedstead, also my chest, and to have choice of my two big pots, to have a smaller pot, and two ovens, also one cotton wheel, one flax wheel, one loom and small table, and two smoothing irons, three pails, three common chairs, and the arm chair, also to have a large basin and dish, and four quart basins, and one pint basin, and also to have my corner cupboard, with the articles standing on it, consisting of Queen's ware, glass ware, and clear glass bottles.

Item 3. It is my will that my son, Eli Jessop, have one pint basin, one plate and the wheat fan. It si my will that my son, Elijah Jessop, have one dish, one plate and one pint basin.

Item 4. It is my will that all the balance of my estate consisting of cattle and hogs, and some household and kitchen furniture, be sold at auction, and that the money arising thereby be equally divided among all my children, both sons and daughters, and particularly that my executors pay one legatees part unto the children of my son, Jacob Jessop, deceased, to be equally divided amongst them.

And lastly, I appoint my sons Joseph and William Jessop, Executors to this my last Will and Testament, and hereby revoke, disannul and make void all former wills by me made, and declare this to be my last Will and Testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twelfth day of the seventh month in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred and eighteen.

Signed, sealed and acknowledged

In the presence of Priscilla Jessop (her mark) ( )

Abijah Pinson

William Pearce

February Term AD 1819. The foregoing is a copy of the last Will and Testament of Priscilla Jessop which was proved at this term by the oath of William Pearce, one of the subscribing witnesses, thereof.

Test: J. Williams, CL.

Notes for Priscilla Jackson:

General Notes:

PRISCILLA JACKSON JESSOP'S WILL

Whereas I, Priscilla Jessop, of Surry County and State of North Carolina, being weak of body, though of disposing mind and memory, and calling to mind the mortality of my body, do constitute the following as my last Will and Testament, and desire that it be received by all as such:

First and principally, I will my soul to God that gave it, and that my body be decently buried, at the discretion of my executors hereafter named. And as touching my worldly goods, I give and dispose of them in the manner and form following:

Item 2. It is my will that my dearly beloved daughter, Hannah Jessop, have my mare and colt, and my best cow and calf, and two big hogs, and also my feather bed and bedstead, also my chest, and to have choice of my two big pots, to have a smaller pot, and two ovens, also one cotton wheel, one flax wheel, one loom and small table, and two smoothing irons, three pails, three common chairs, and the arm chair, also to have a large basin and dish, and four quart basins, and one pint basin, and also to have my corner cupboard, with the articles standing on it, consisting of Queen's ware, glass ware, and clear glass bottles.

Item 3. It is my will that my son, Eli Jessop, have one pint basin, one plate and the wheat fan. It si my will that my son, Elijah Jessop, have one dish, one plate and one pint basin.

Item 4. It is my will that all the balance of my estate consisting of cattle and hogs, and some household and kitchen furniture, be sold at auction, and that the money arising thereby be equally divided among all my children, both sons and daughters, and particularly that my executors pay one legatees part unto the children of my son, Jacob Jessop, deceased, to be equally divided amongst them.

And lastly, I appoint my sons Joseph and William Jessop, Executors to this my last Will and Testament, and hereby revoke, disannul and make void all former wills by me made, and declare this to be my last Will and Testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twelfth day of the seventh month in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred and eighteen.

Signed, sealed and acknowledged

In the presence of Priscilla Jessop (her mark) ( )

Abijah Pinson

William Pearce

February Term AD 1819. The foregoing is a copy of the last Will and Testament of Priscilla Jessop which was proved at this term by the oath of William Pearce, one of the subscribing witnesses, thereof.

Test: J. Williams, CL.

Notes for Joseph Jessup:

General Notes:

The Jessup family of the Westfield area of Surry Co.,North Carolina has one of the most complete historical and genealogical records of any family in the county. Such a history was made possible by the wonderful records in the Quaker Church, the church with which so many Jessups have been associated for more than 300 years. Much of my information has come from these Quaker Records and it is my joy to share what I have learned about my ancestors with others interested in preserving our heritage. My research has been enhanced also by the help of so many Jessup family genealogists who have shared their findings with me.

The Westfield Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, better known in this area as "Old Westfield", is the oldest church in Surry or Stokes County and probably the oldest religious group in Northwest North Carolina this side of the Moravian settlements of what is now Winston Salem. The Meeting dates back to the 1760's when pioneer Quakers from New Garden (now Guilford College) crossed Quaker Gap of the Sauratown mountains to plant a new community in the valleys of Big Creek and Tom's Creek. Early Quakers began holding meetings at Westfield by 1772 under the care of New Garden Quarterly Meeting and continued until the monthly meeting was established in 1786. Representatives from New Garden were sent to hold services for them. This is said to have lead to the name, "Westfield." The Quakers at New Garden regarded the work as a mission project and since it was located west of New Garden it was referred to as, "The Western Field." Thus comes the name, "Westfield."

The meeting was officially established November 13, 1786. The Westfield friends would send representatives all the way to New Garden, 67 miles, every month. Bowater Sumner was named the first clerk of the Monthly Meeting.

Quaker records show that between 1801-1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families who migrated to Indiana and Ohio and the Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832. It was revived again in 1868 when Albert Peele and Isom Cox came from New Garden to Westfield and met on a Sunday morning in the open air with about 150 people. "The people decided from that time to have a Friends Meeting again and made up among themselves to do it." John Y. Hoover began serving as pastor in 1872.

The dates of the erection of the first building is uncertain, but a deed dated 1797 for nine acres of land "including the Westfield Meeting House" seem to indicate that the building was constructed soon after the establishment of the Meeting. Three meetings have served as Meeting Houses for the congregation. The first build in the 1780's decayed before the Civil War. It was rebuild about 1870 and was used until 1885 when a new and more modern building was erected. This building has been remodeled and additions made to it through the years.

The "Old Westfield Friends Meeting" has stood for 200 years as a monument to the faithful foresight of dedicated Quakers. It has weathered the storms of strife, war, and depression, and is a witness to the stability of the Church which Jesus came to establish in the hearts and lives of people.

From Luther N. Byrd, Elon College,North Carolina Feb 20, 1951

Deed records in Surry County and Rowan County show that the earliest settlement of people in the area which later was to center about the Old Westfield Quaker Church was between 1760 and 1770, for there are records of people buying or claiming land in that section between those dates. Since most of the early settlers were Quakers, we may assume that there was some semblance of religious group at or near Westfield before 1770.

Westfield Church was established as an off-spring of the historic New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College, for the church records at New Garden prove that to be a fact. The Quakers at New Garden regarded the church work at Westfield as a sort of mission project in its early years, and since it was located west of Guilford College, it was referred to as "the western field", and thus came the name of Westfield.

The minutes of the New Garden Monthly Meeting for August 29, 1772 state that "Also the Friends near the Mountains request the indulgence of holding meetings on week-days among themselves." The people near the mountains were those at Westfield, so that is proof that there were enough Quakers in the Westfield section prior to 1772 to be interested in holding meetings.

The minutes for New Garden for September, 1772 show that "the committee appointed to visit Friends near the mountains reports that they complied with instructions, …. And its the sense and judgment that they (the Friends near the Mountains) be indulged the privilege of holding such meetings and appoints them the fourth day of he week." These meetings were the first official church gatherings at Westfield. (1772).

The Westfield meeting operated for several years under the guidance and care of the New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College. It was referred to as "the little meeting nigh Tom's Creek" in minutes of the New Garden Meeting for May29, 1773.

The Westfield Quakers expressed themselves in 1779 (during the American Revolution) as opposed to war, which is an ancient Quaker belief.

The church at Westfield was established on a more permanent basis when the Western Quarterly Meeting met at Cane Creek o n November 9,m 1782 and authorized a committee to inspect the Westfield group and report at the next quarterly session. The Westfield Quakers had requested such a preparative meeting in August, 1782. Formal organization of he Westfield Meeting as a preparative body was finally and definitely granted August 14, 1784.

The first recorded minutes of a regular Monthly Meeting at Westfield bare the date of December 23, 1786. Bowater Sumner was appointed first clerk.

The exact date of he first church building at Westfield is not known, but it was probably built soon after the meeting first started, for there is a deed on file in Quaker Archives at Guilford College, dated August 1797 for nine acres "including the Westfield Meeting House." That is proof that there was already a church building there at that date.

I have in my files a hand-written statement from the late Mrs. Effie Ann Hill, who stated that the first church building was build right after the meeting was started, and she states that the first church stood down in the present grave yard and that it was located abut twenty steps west of our father's (Ira Chilton) grave. She writes "when he was put there, his grave was made at the lower side of the East Yard of the church." Mrs. Hill stated that the old church stood on the east side of the road, but in 1939 when they had that big home-coming and celebration at the renovation of the present church, someone located some old rocks just below the present church toward the cemetery (but on the west side of the road along with the present location of Ira W. Chilton's grave, but seems to me that it was not too far down in the cemetery, so it seems likely that the oldest church might have been where those rocks were located to form a square for the old foundation. Ira Chilton died in 1885.

Now, Mrs. Hill also wrote that "the old log walls of he old church was still standing" when services were started again after the Civil War, so evidently that first church was practically gone at that time. Quaker records show that between 1801 and 1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families, who migrated to Indiana and Ohio, and the Westfield Monthly Meeting was laid down in 1832. The bulk of the migration began in 1817. The result was that from 1832 until after the Civil War there was no Westfield Monthly Meeting. In April 1860, there was still a meeting house there, for there is a deed on record made by the Trustees of Friends to the trustees of the Westfield community for "a tract of land known as the Westfield Meeting House and graveyard, the same to be known for all time to come as a public burying ground and meeting place for all respectable religious peoples." So the Westfield Quaker property belongs to the community form 1860 to 1872. In 1872 the Trustees of the Friends (Sandy Cook, William H. Pell, and Benjamin F. Davis) paid $125 for the nine acre tract, and it once more became the property of the Friends church, with the provision that it was to be held forever by the Society of Friends.

At this point let us point out the Quarterly Meetings of which Westfield Monthly Meeting has been a part. It was originally founded in 1786 as a member of the Western Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the newly organized New Garden Quarterly Meeting in 1787. Within the next few years, Westfield itself branched out and formed new Monthly Meetings at Lost Creek in Tennessee in 1793, at New Hope in Tennessee in 1795, Mount Pleasant and Fruit Hill in Virginia in 1797, at North Providence in 1801, and so in 1803 the Westfield Quarterly Meeting set off. Apparently this Westfield Quarterly Meeting continued until the Westfield Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832, but when the Westfield church revived in 1883, it belonged to Deep River Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the new Yadkin Valley Quarterly Meeting in 1889 and was again transferred to the new Surry Quarterly Meeting in 1898.

Excerpts from Hinshaw, Volume I Westfield Monthly Meeting

Tom's Creek Meeting, the predecessor of Westfield, was located in Surry County, North Carolina , not far from the Virginia Line. The meeting for worship was organized about 1771; the preparative meeting in 1784. The name was changed to Westfield when the monthly meeting was established, in 1786. Previous to this time, Tom's Creek Preparative Meeting had been attached to New Garden Monthly Meeting.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joseph Jessup became the first Jessup to settle at Westfield, North Carolina . He was accompanied to Westfield by three of his brothers but all three of them later moved to Indiana and other western states. Joseph was the only son of Thomas Jessup that remained in North Carolina . He married Priscilla "out of unity, settled on a farm in Stokes, North Carolina , near the headwaters of the Dan River, not far from the southern border of VA. His father, Thomas Jessup, signed the disownment papers at Cane Creek MM. Joseph, alone of his father's sons, lived and died in North Carolina . The children of Joseph and Priscilla Jessup were found on two wills dated 29 Feb 1791 and 10 Mar 1796. Quaker records were submitted to Beth Cox Rowe by Linda Jessup. She also gives credit to Rev. Jasper Newton Jessup.

WILL OF JOSEPH JESSUP:

I, Joseph Jessop, of Surry County & State of North Carolina, being of sound mind and memory, ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

First, my will is that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid in due time by my Executors.

Item 2. My Will is that son Jacob Jessop have five shillings.

Item 3. My Will is that my daughter, Sarah Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 4. My Will is that my daughter, Mary Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 5. My Will is that my son, William Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 6. My Will is that my son, John Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 7. My Will is that my daughter, Rachel Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 8. My Will is that my beloved wife, Priscilla Jessop shall have the plantation, whereon I now live and all the appurtenances thereunto belonging while she remains my widow, the plantation to be equally divided between her and Eli and she to have her choice of halves and at her decease then Eli is to have the aforesaid plantation and all the land lying between the line that divides of my son, William and my son, Jacob, land and sixty acres lying on both sides of the grassee fork joining the county line.

Item 9. My Will is that my beloved wife shall have all the income of my mill while she remains my widow.

Item 10. My Will is that as long as my sons keep my mill up they shall have their grain ground at her clear of expense except the miller's part.

Item 11. My Will is that my daughter, Hannah Jessop, shall have thirty-five pounds

Item 12. My Will is that my survey of land of three hundred and ten acres lying on Forbush Creek in Surry County and one hundred and ninety and one half acres of my land on Arches Creek in Surry County, and fifty acres of land on the waters of the Stock Fork in Stokes County all to be sold and equally divided between my wife, Priscilla Jessop and all my children; namely, Jacob, Sarah, Mary, Joseph, William, John, Rachel, Caleb, Elijah, Hannah and Eli.

Item 13. Thereby ordain, constitute and appoint my trusty and well beloved brother, Timothy Jessop and my son, Joseph Jessop, the whole and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament to act and dispose thereof according to my Will and desire to the best of their knowledge.

And lastly, thereby utterly revoke and disannul and make void all other will or wills or testaments by me made or done, except such as made and done lawfully in my life time. Rectifying, confirming and allowing this and no other to be my last Will and Testament, whereunto I have interchangeably set my hand and affixed my seal this tenth day of the third month in the year of our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-six.

Test_________

Thomas Sumner

Benjamin C________

Seal

Hannah Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

A CODICIL TO A WILL

Be it known to all men by these present that I, Joseph Jessop, of the county of Surry and State of North Carolina, planter, have made and declared my last Will and Testament in writing, bearing date the tenth of the third month, one thousand, seven hundred ninety_______

I the said, Joseph Jessop, by this present codicil do ratify and confirm my said last Will and Testament and do further give and bequeath unto my son, John, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be levied and raised out of my Estate, and so I give and bequeath to my sun, Caleb Jessop, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the same manner. I also give and bequeath to my son, Elijah Jessop, forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the like manner to be paid unto them by my Executors out of my estate and that this codicil is judged to be a part and parcel of my last Will and Testament and that all things therein mentioned and contained be faithfully and truly performed and as fully and amply in every respect as if the same one so declared and set down in my said last Will and Testament witness my hand the seventeenth of tenth month of the year one thousand and ninety ___.

Signed, sealed

Sept

Seal

William Jessop

(name that can't be read)

Caleb Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

The first Surry County deed record was dated October 18, 1786, shows a purchase of land lying along Big Creek near the village of Westfield, North Carolina , but Joseph Jessop may have been living in the area prior to that time. He eventually owned vast holdings of land in both Surry and Stokes Counties, North Carolina . His land extended for twenty-five miles from Chestnut Ridge to the Clemmons Ford of the Dan River and on to Buck Island in the Dan River.

Notes for Joseph Jessup:

General Notes:

The Jessup family of the Westfield area of Surry Co.,North Carolina has one of the most complete historical and genealogical records of any family in the county. Such a history was made possible by the wonderful records in the Quaker Church, the church with which so many Jessups have been associated for more than 300 years. Much of my information has come from these Quaker Records and it is my joy to share what I have learned about my ancestors with others interested in preserving our heritage. My research has been enhanced also by the help of so many Jessup family genealogists who have shared their findings with me.

The Westfield Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, better known in this area as "Old Westfield", is the oldest church in Surry or Stokes County and probably the oldest religious group in Northwest North Carolina this side of the Moravian settlements of what is now Winston Salem. The Meeting dates back to the 1760's when pioneer Quakers from New Garden (now Guilford College) crossed Quaker Gap of the Sauratown mountains to plant a new community in the valleys of Big Creek and Tom's Creek. Early Quakers began holding meetings at Westfield by 1772 under the care of New Garden Quarterly Meeting and continued until the monthly meeting was established in 1786. Representatives from New Garden were sent to hold services for them. This is said to have lead to the name, "Westfield." The Quakers at New Garden regarded the work as a mission project and since it was located west of New Garden it was referred to as, "The Western Field." Thus comes the name, "Westfield."

The meeting was officially established November 13, 1786. The Westfield friends would send representatives all the way to New Garden, 67 miles, every month. Bowater Sumner was named the first clerk of the Monthly Meeting.

Quaker records show that between 1801-1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families who migrated to Indiana and Ohio and the Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832. It was revived again in 1868 when Albert Peele and Isom Cox came from New Garden to Westfield and met on a Sunday morning in the open air with about 150 people. "The people decided from that time to have a Friends Meeting again and made up among themselves to do it." John Y. Hoover began serving as pastor in 1872.

The dates of the erection of the first building is uncertain, but a deed dated 1797 for nine acres of land "including the Westfield Meeting House" seem to indicate that the building was constructed soon after the establishment of the Meeting. Three meetings have served as Meeting Houses for the congregation. The first build in the 1780's decayed before the Civil War. It was rebuild about 1870 and was used until 1885 when a new and more modern building was erected. This building has been remodeled and additions made to it through the years.

The "Old Westfield Friends Meeting" has stood for 200 years as a monument to the faithful foresight of dedicated Quakers. It has weathered the storms of strife, war, and depression, and is a witness to the stability of the Church which Jesus came to establish in the hearts and lives of people.

From Luther N. Byrd, Elon College,North Carolina Feb 20, 1951

Deed records in Surry County and Rowan County show that the earliest settlement of people in the area which later was to center about the Old Westfield Quaker Church was between 1760 and 1770, for there are records of people buying or claiming land in that section between those dates. Since most of the early settlers were Quakers, we may assume that there was some semblance of religious group at or near Westfield before 1770.

Westfield Church was established as an off-spring of the historic New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College, for the church records at New Garden prove that to be a fact. The Quakers at New Garden regarded the church work at Westfield as a sort of mission project in its early years, and since it was located west of Guilford College, it was referred to as "the western field", and thus came the name of Westfield.

The minutes of the New Garden Monthly Meeting for August 29, 1772 state that "Also the Friends near the Mountains request the indulgence of holding meetings on week-days among themselves." The people near the mountains were those at Westfield, so that is proof that there were enough Quakers in the Westfield section prior to 1772 to be interested in holding meetings.

The minutes for New Garden for September, 1772 show that "the committee appointed to visit Friends near the mountains reports that they complied with instructions, …. And its the sense and judgment that they (the Friends near the Mountains) be indulged the privilege of holding such meetings and appoints them the fourth day of he week." These meetings were the first official church gatherings at Westfield. (1772).

The Westfield meeting operated for several years under the guidance and care of the New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College. It was referred to as "the little meeting nigh Tom's Creek" in minutes of the New Garden Meeting for May29, 1773.

The Westfield Quakers expressed themselves in 1779 (during the American Revolution) as opposed to war, which is an ancient Quaker belief.

The church at Westfield was established on a more permanent basis when the Western Quarterly Meeting met at Cane Creek o n November 9,m 1782 and authorized a committee to inspect the Westfield group and report at the next quarterly session. The Westfield Quakers had requested such a preparative meeting in August, 1782. Formal organization of he Westfield Meeting as a preparative body was finally and definitely granted August 14, 1784.

The first recorded minutes of a regular Monthly Meeting at Westfield bare the date of December 23, 1786. Bowater Sumner was appointed first clerk.

The exact date of he first church building at Westfield is not known, but it was probably built soon after the meeting first started, for there is a deed on file in Quaker Archives at Guilford College, dated August 1797 for nine acres "including the Westfield Meeting House." That is proof that there was already a church building there at that date.

I have in my files a hand-written statement from the late Mrs. Effie Ann Hill, who stated that the first church building was build right after the meeting was started, and she states that the first church stood down in the present grave yard and that it was located abut twenty steps west of our father's (Ira Chilton) grave. She writes "when he was put there, his grave was made at the lower side of the East Yard of the church." Mrs. Hill stated that the old church stood on the east side of the road, but in 1939 when they had that big home-coming and celebration at the renovation of the present church, someone located some old rocks just below the present church toward the cemetery (but on the west side of the road along with the present location of Ira W. Chilton's grave, but seems to me that it was not too far down in the cemetery, so it seems likely that the oldest church might have been where those rocks were located to form a square for the old foundation. Ira Chilton died in 1885.

Now, Mrs. Hill also wrote that "the old log walls of he old church was still standing" when services were started again after the Civil War, so evidently that first church was practically gone at that time. Quaker records show that between 1801 and 1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families, who migrated to Indiana and Ohio, and the Westfield Monthly Meeting was laid down in 1832. The bulk of the migration began in 1817. The result was that from 1832 until after the Civil War there was no Westfield Monthly Meeting. In April 1860, there was still a meeting house there, for there is a deed on record made by the Trustees of Friends to the trustees of the Westfield community for "a tract of land known as the Westfield Meeting House and graveyard, the same to be known for all time to come as a public burying ground and meeting place for all respectable religious peoples." So the Westfield Quaker property belongs to the community form 1860 to 1872. In 1872 the Trustees of the Friends (Sandy Cook, William H. Pell, and Benjamin F. Davis) paid $125 for the nine acre tract, and it once more became the property of the Friends church, with the provision that it was to be held forever by the Society of Friends.

At this point let us point out the Quarterly Meetings of which Westfield Monthly Meeting has been a part. It was originally founded in 1786 as a member of the Western Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the newly organized New Garden Quarterly Meeting in 1787. Within the next few years, Westfield itself branched out and formed new Monthly Meetings at Lost Creek in Tennessee in 1793, at New Hope in Tennessee in 1795, Mount Pleasant and Fruit Hill in Virginia in 1797, at North Providence in 1801, and so in 1803 the Westfield Quarterly Meeting set off. Apparently this Westfield Quarterly Meeting continued until the Westfield Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832, but when the Westfield church revived in 1883, it belonged to Deep River Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the new Yadkin Valley Quarterly Meeting in 1889 and was again transferred to the new Surry Quarterly Meeting in 1898.

Excerpts from Hinshaw, Volume I Westfield Monthly Meeting

Tom's Creek Meeting, the predecessor of Westfield, was located in Surry County, North Carolina , not far from the Virginia Line. The meeting for worship was organized about 1771; the preparative meeting in 1784. The name was changed to Westfield when the monthly meeting was established, in 1786. Previous to this time, Tom's Creek Preparative Meeting had been attached to New Garden Monthly Meeting.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joseph Jessup became the first Jessup to settle at Westfield, North Carolina . He was accompanied to Westfield by three of his brothers but all three of them later moved to Indiana and other western states. Joseph was the only son of Thomas Jessup that remained in North Carolina . He married Priscilla "out of unity, settled on a farm in Stokes, North Carolina , near the headwaters of the Dan River, not far from the southern border of VA. His father, Thomas Jessup, signed the disownment papers at Cane Creek MM. Joseph, alone of his father's sons, lived and died in North Carolina . The children of Joseph and Priscilla Jessup were found on two wills dated 29 Feb 1791 and 10 Mar 1796. Quaker records were submitted to Beth Cox Rowe by Linda Jessup. She also gives credit to Rev. Jasper Newton Jessup.

WILL OF JOSEPH JESSUP:

I, Joseph Jessop, of Surry County & State of North Carolina, being of sound mind and memory, ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

First, my will is that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid in due time by my Executors.

Item 2. My Will is that son Jacob Jessop have five shillings.

Item 3. My Will is that my daughter, Sarah Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 4. My Will is that my daughter, Mary Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 5. My Will is that my son, William Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 6. My Will is that my son, John Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 7. My Will is that my daughter, Rachel Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 8. My Will is that my beloved wife, Priscilla Jessop shall have the plantation, whereon I now live and all the appurtenances thereunto belonging while she remains my widow, the plantation to be equally divided between her and Eli and she to have her choice of halves and at her decease then Eli is to have the aforesaid plantation and all the land lying between the line that divides of my son, William and my son, Jacob, land and sixty acres lying on both sides of the grassee fork joining the county line.

Item 9. My Will is that my beloved wife shall have all the income of my mill while she remains my widow.

Item 10. My Will is that as long as my sons keep my mill up they shall have their grain ground at her clear of expense except the miller's part.

Item 11. My Will is that my daughter, Hannah Jessop, shall have thirty-five pounds

Item 12. My Will is that my survey of land of three hundred and ten acres lying on Forbush Creek in Surry County and one hundred and ninety and one half acres of my land on Arches Creek in Surry County, and fifty acres of land on the waters of the Stock Fork in Stokes County all to be sold and equally divided between my wife, Priscilla Jessop and all my children; namely, Jacob, Sarah, Mary, Joseph, William, John, Rachel, Caleb, Elijah, Hannah and Eli.

Item 13. Thereby ordain, constitute and appoint my trusty and well beloved brother, Timothy Jessop and my son, Joseph Jessop, the whole and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament to act and dispose thereof according to my Will and desire to the best of their knowledge.

And lastly, thereby utterly revoke and disannul and make void all other will or wills or testaments by me made or done, except such as made and done lawfully in my life time. Rectifying, confirming and allowing this and no other to be my last Will and Testament, whereunto I have interchangeably set my hand and affixed my seal this tenth day of the third month in the year of our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-six.

Test_________

Thomas Sumner

Benjamin C________

Seal

Hannah Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

A CODICIL TO A WILL

Be it known to all men by these present that I, Joseph Jessop, of the county of Surry and State of North Carolina, planter, have made and declared my last Will and Testament in writing, bearing date the tenth of the third month, one thousand, seven hundred ninety_______

I the said, Joseph Jessop, by this present codicil do ratify and confirm my said last Will and Testament and do further give and bequeath unto my son, John, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be levied and raised out of my Estate, and so I give and bequeath to my sun, Caleb Jessop, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the same manner. I also give and bequeath to my son, Elijah Jessop, forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the like manner to be paid unto them by my Executors out of my estate and that this codicil is judged to be a part and parcel of my last Will and Testament and that all things therein mentioned and contained be faithfully and truly performed and as fully and amply in every respect as if the same one so declared and set down in my said last Will and Testament witness my hand the seventeenth of tenth month of the year one thousand and ninety ___.

Signed, sealed

Sept

Seal

William Jessop

(name that can't be read)

Caleb Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

The first Surry County deed record was dated October 18, 1786, shows a purchase of land lying along Big Creek near the village of Westfield, North Carolina , but Joseph Jessop may have been living in the area prior to that time. He eventually owned vast holdings of land in both Surry and Stokes Counties, North Carolina . His land extended for twenty-five miles from Chestnut Ridge to the Clemmons Ford of the Dan River and on to Buck Island in the Dan River.

Notes for Joseph Jessup:

General Notes:

The Jessup family of the Westfield area of Surry Co.,North Carolina has one of the most complete historical and genealogical records of any family in the county. Such a history was made possible by the wonderful records in the Quaker Church, the church with which so many Jessups have been associated for more than 300 years. Much of my information has come from these Quaker Records and it is my joy to share what I have learned about my ancestors with others interested in preserving our heritage. My research has been enhanced also by the help of so many Jessup family genealogists who have shared their findings with me.

The Westfield Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, better known in this area as "Old Westfield", is the oldest church in Surry or Stokes County and probably the oldest religious group in Northwest North Carolina this side of the Moravian settlements of what is now Winston Salem. The Meeting dates back to the 1760's when pioneer Quakers from New Garden (now Guilford College) crossed Quaker Gap of the Sauratown mountains to plant a new community in the valleys of Big Creek and Tom's Creek. Early Quakers began holding meetings at Westfield by 1772 under the care of New Garden Quarterly Meeting and continued until the monthly meeting was established in 1786. Representatives from New Garden were sent to hold services for them. This is said to have lead to the name, "Westfield." The Quakers at New Garden regarded the work as a mission project and since it was located west of New Garden it was referred to as, "The Western Field." Thus comes the name, "Westfield."

The meeting was officially established November 13, 1786. The Westfield friends would send representatives all the way to New Garden, 67 miles, every month. Bowater Sumner was named the first clerk of the Monthly Meeting.

Quaker records show that between 1801-1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families who migrated to Indiana and Ohio and the Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832. It was revived again in 1868 when Albert Peele and Isom Cox came from New Garden to Westfield and met on a Sunday morning in the open air with about 150 people. "The people decided from that time to have a Friends Meeting again and made up among themselves to do it." John Y. Hoover began serving as pastor in 1872.

The dates of the erection of the first building is uncertain, but a deed dated 1797 for nine acres of land "including the Westfield Meeting House" seem to indicate that the building was constructed soon after the establishment of the Meeting. Three meetings have served as Meeting Houses for the congregation. The first build in the 1780's decayed before the Civil War. It was rebuild about 1870 and was used until 1885 when a new and more modern building was erected. This building has been remodeled and additions made to it through the years.

The "Old Westfield Friends Meeting" has stood for 200 years as a monument to the faithful foresight of dedicated Quakers. It has weathered the storms of strife, war, and depression, and is a witness to the stability of the Church which Jesus came to establish in the hearts and lives of people.

From Luther N. Byrd, Elon College,North Carolina Feb 20, 1951

Deed records in Surry County and Rowan County show that the earliest settlement of people in the area which later was to center about the Old Westfield Quaker Church was between 1760 and 1770, for there are records of people buying or claiming land in that section between those dates. Since most of the early settlers were Quakers, we may assume that there was some semblance of religious group at or near Westfield before 1770.

Westfield Church was established as an off-spring of the historic New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College, for the church records at New Garden prove that to be a fact. The Quakers at New Garden regarded the church work at Westfield as a sort of mission project in its early years, and since it was located west of Guilford College, it was referred to as "the western field", and thus came the name of Westfield.

The minutes of the New Garden Monthly Meeting for August 29, 1772 state that "Also the Friends near the Mountains request the indulgence of holding meetings on week-days among themselves." The people near the mountains were those at Westfield, so that is proof that there were enough Quakers in the Westfield section prior to 1772 to be interested in holding meetings.

The minutes for New Garden for September, 1772 show that "the committee appointed to visit Friends near the mountains reports that they complied with instructions, …. And its the sense and judgment that they (the Friends near the Mountains) be indulged the privilege of holding such meetings and appoints them the fourth day of he week." These meetings were the first official church gatherings at Westfield. (1772).

The Westfield meeting operated for several years under the guidance and care of the New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College. It was referred to as "the little meeting nigh Tom's Creek" in minutes of the New Garden Meeting for May29, 1773.

The Westfield Quakers expressed themselves in 1779 (during the American Revolution) as opposed to war, which is an ancient Quaker belief.

The church at Westfield was established on a more permanent basis when the Western Quarterly Meeting met at Cane Creek o n November 9,m 1782 and authorized a committee to inspect the Westfield group and report at the next quarterly session. The Westfield Quakers had requested such a preparative meeting in August, 1782. Formal organization of he Westfield Meeting as a preparative body was finally and definitely granted August 14, 1784.

The first recorded minutes of a regular Monthly Meeting at Westfield bare the date of December 23, 1786. Bowater Sumner was appointed first clerk.

The exact date of he first church building at Westfield is not known, but it was probably built soon after the meeting first started, for there is a deed on file in Quaker Archives at Guilford College, dated August 1797 for nine acres "including the Westfield Meeting House." That is proof that there was already a church building there at that date.

I have in my files a hand-written statement from the late Mrs. Effie Ann Hill, who stated that the first church building was build right after the meeting was started, and she states that the first church stood down in the present grave yard and that it was located abut twenty steps west of our father's (Ira Chilton) grave. She writes "when he was put there, his grave was made at the lower side of the East Yard of the church." Mrs. Hill stated that the old church stood on the east side of the road, but in 1939 when they had that big home-coming and celebration at the renovation of the present church, someone located some old rocks just below the present church toward the cemetery (but on the west side of the road along with the present location of Ira W. Chilton's grave, but seems to me that it was not too far down in the cemetery, so it seems likely that the oldest church might have been where those rocks were located to form a square for the old foundation. Ira Chilton died in 1885.

Now, Mrs. Hill also wrote that "the old log walls of he old church was still standing" when services were started again after the Civil War, so evidently that first church was practically gone at that time. Quaker records show that between 1801 and 1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families, who migrated to Indiana and Ohio, and the Westfield Monthly Meeting was laid down in 1832. The bulk of the migration began in 1817. The result was that from 1832 until after the Civil War there was no Westfield Monthly Meeting. In April 1860, there was still a meeting house there, for there is a deed on record made by the Trustees of Friends to the trustees of the Westfield community for "a tract of land known as the Westfield Meeting House and graveyard, the same to be known for all time to come as a public burying ground and meeting place for all respectable religious peoples." So the Westfield Quaker property belongs to the community form 1860 to 1872. In 1872 the Trustees of the Friends (Sandy Cook, William H. Pell, and Benjamin F. Davis) paid $125 for the nine acre tract, and it once more became the property of the Friends church, with the provision that it was to be held forever by the Society of Friends.

At this point let us point out the Quarterly Meetings of which Westfield Monthly Meeting has been a part. It was originally founded in 1786 as a member of the Western Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the newly organized New Garden Quarterly Meeting in 1787. Within the next few years, Westfield itself branched out and formed new Monthly Meetings at Lost Creek in Tennessee in 1793, at New Hope in Tennessee in 1795, Mount Pleasant and Fruit Hill in Virginia in 1797, at North Providence in 1801, and so in 1803 the Westfield Quarterly Meeting set off. Apparently this Westfield Quarterly Meeting continued until the Westfield Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832, but when the Westfield church revived in 1883, it belonged to Deep River Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the new Yadkin Valley Quarterly Meeting in 1889 and was again transferred to the new Surry Quarterly Meeting in 1898.

Excerpts from Hinshaw, Volume I Westfield Monthly Meeting

Tom's Creek Meeting, the predecessor of Westfield, was located in Surry County, North Carolina , not far from the Virginia Line. The meeting for worship was organized about 1771; the preparative meeting in 1784. The name was changed to Westfield when the monthly meeting was established, in 1786. Previous to this time, Tom's Creek Preparative Meeting had been attached to New Garden Monthly Meeting.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joseph Jessup became the first Jessup to settle at Westfield, North Carolina . He was accompanied to Westfield by three of his brothers but all three of them later moved to Indiana and other western states. Joseph was the only son of Thomas Jessup that remained in North Carolina . He married Priscilla "out of unity, settled on a farm in Stokes, North Carolina , near the headwaters of the Dan River, not far from the southern border of VA. His father, Thomas Jessup, signed the disownment papers at Cane Creek MM. Joseph, alone of his father's sons, lived and died in North Carolina . The children of Joseph and Priscilla Jessup were found on two wills dated 29 Feb 1791 and 10 Mar 1796. Quaker records were submitted to Beth Cox Rowe by Linda Jessup. She also gives credit to Rev. Jasper Newton Jessup.

WILL OF JOSEPH JESSUP:

I, Joseph Jessop, of Surry County & State of North Carolina, being of sound mind and memory, ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

First, my will is that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid in due time by my Executors.

Item 2. My Will is that son Jacob Jessop have five shillings.

Item 3. My Will is that my daughter, Sarah Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 4. My Will is that my daughter, Mary Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 5. My Will is that my son, William Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 6. My Will is that my son, John Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 7. My Will is that my daughter, Rachel Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 8. My Will is that my beloved wife, Priscilla Jessop shall have the plantation, whereon I now live and all the appurtenances thereunto belonging while she remains my widow, the plantation to be equally divided between her and Eli and she to have her choice of halves and at her decease then Eli is to have the aforesaid plantation and all the land lying between the line that divides of my son, William and my son, Jacob, land and sixty acres lying on both sides of the grassee fork joining the county line.

Item 9. My Will is that my beloved wife shall have all the income of my mill while she remains my widow.

Item 10. My Will is that as long as my sons keep my mill up they shall have their grain ground at her clear of expense except the miller's part.

Item 11. My Will is that my daughter, Hannah Jessop, shall have thirty-five pounds

Item 12. My Will is that my survey of land of three hundred and ten acres lying on Forbush Creek in Surry County and one hundred and ninety and one half acres of my land on Arches Creek in Surry County, and fifty acres of land on the waters of the Stock Fork in Stokes County all to be sold and equally divided between my wife, Priscilla Jessop and all my children; namely, Jacob, Sarah, Mary, Joseph, William, John, Rachel, Caleb, Elijah, Hannah and Eli.

Item 13. Thereby ordain, constitute and appoint my trusty and well beloved brother, Timothy Jessop and my son, Joseph Jessop, the whole and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament to act and dispose thereof according to my Will and desire to the best of their knowledge.

And lastly, thereby utterly revoke and disannul and make void all other will or wills or testaments by me made or done, except such as made and done lawfully in my life time. Rectifying, confirming and allowing this and no other to be my last Will and Testament, whereunto I have interchangeably set my hand and affixed my seal this tenth day of the third month in the year of our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-six.

Test_________

Thomas Sumner

Benjamin C________

Seal

Hannah Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

A CODICIL TO A WILL

Be it known to all men by these present that I, Joseph Jessop, of the county of Surry and State of North Carolina, planter, have made and declared my last Will and Testament in writing, bearing date the tenth of the third month, one thousand, seven hundred ninety_______

I the said, Joseph Jessop, by this present codicil do ratify and confirm my said last Will and Testament and do further give and bequeath unto my son, John, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be levied and raised out of my Estate, and so I give and bequeath to my sun, Caleb Jessop, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the same manner. I also give and bequeath to my son, Elijah Jessop, forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the like manner to be paid unto them by my Executors out of my estate and that this codicil is judged to be a part and parcel of my last Will and Testament and that all things therein mentioned and contained be faithfully and truly performed and as fully and amply in every respect as if the same one so declared and set down in my said last Will and Testament witness my hand the seventeenth of tenth month of the year one thousand and ninety ___.

Signed, sealed

Sept

Seal

William Jessop

(name that can't be read)

Caleb Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

The first Surry County deed record was dated October 18, 1786, shows a purchase of land lying along Big Creek near the village of Westfield, North Carolina , but Joseph Jessop may have been living in the area prior to that time. He eventually owned vast holdings of land in both Surry and Stokes Counties, North Carolina . His land extended for twenty-five miles from Chestnut Ridge to the Clemmons Ford of the Dan River and on to Buck Island in the Dan River.

Notes for Joseph Jessup:

General Notes:

The Jessup family of the Westfield area of Surry Co.,North Carolina has one of the most complete historical and genealogical records of any family in the county. Such a history was made possible by the wonderful records in the Quaker Church, the church with which so many Jessups have been associated for more than 300 years. Much of my information has come from these Quaker Records and it is my joy to share what I have learned about my ancestors with others interested in preserving our heritage. My research has been enhanced also by the help of so many Jessup family genealogists who have shared their findings with me.

The Westfield Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, better known in this area as "Old Westfield", is the oldest church in Surry or Stokes County and probably the oldest religious group in Northwest North Carolina this side of the Moravian settlements of what is now Winston Salem. The Meeting dates back to the 1760's when pioneer Quakers from New Garden (now Guilford College) crossed Quaker Gap of the Sauratown mountains to plant a new community in the valleys of Big Creek and Tom's Creek. Early Quakers began holding meetings at Westfield by 1772 under the care of New Garden Quarterly Meeting and continued until the monthly meeting was established in 1786. Representatives from New Garden were sent to hold services for them. This is said to have lead to the name, "Westfield." The Quakers at New Garden regarded the work as a mission project and since it was located west of New Garden it was referred to as, "The Western Field." Thus comes the name, "Westfield."

The meeting was officially established November 13, 1786. The Westfield friends would send representatives all the way to New Garden, 67 miles, every month. Bowater Sumner was named the first clerk of the Monthly Meeting.

Quaker records show that between 1801-1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families who migrated to Indiana and Ohio and the Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832. It was revived again in 1868 when Albert Peele and Isom Cox came from New Garden to Westfield and met on a Sunday morning in the open air with about 150 people. "The people decided from that time to have a Friends Meeting again and made up among themselves to do it." John Y. Hoover began serving as pastor in 1872.

The dates of the erection of the first building is uncertain, but a deed dated 1797 for nine acres of land "including the Westfield Meeting House" seem to indicate that the building was constructed soon after the establishment of the Meeting. Three meetings have served as Meeting Houses for the congregation. The first build in the 1780's decayed before the Civil War. It was rebuild about 1870 and was used until 1885 when a new and more modern building was erected. This building has been remodeled and additions made to it through the years.

The "Old Westfield Friends Meeting" has stood for 200 years as a monument to the faithful foresight of dedicated Quakers. It has weathered the storms of strife, war, and depression, and is a witness to the stability of the Church which Jesus came to establish in the hearts and lives of people.

From Luther N. Byrd, Elon College,North Carolina Feb 20, 1951

Deed records in Surry County and Rowan County show that the earliest settlement of people in the area which later was to center about the Old Westfield Quaker Church was between 1760 and 1770, for there are records of people buying or claiming land in that section between those dates. Since most of the early settlers were Quakers, we may assume that there was some semblance of religious group at or near Westfield before 1770.

Westfield Church was established as an off-spring of the historic New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College, for the church records at New Garden prove that to be a fact. The Quakers at New Garden regarded the church work at Westfield as a sort of mission project in its early years, and since it was located west of Guilford College, it was referred to as "the western field", and thus came the name of Westfield.

The minutes of the New Garden Monthly Meeting for August 29, 1772 state that "Also the Friends near the Mountains request the indulgence of holding meetings on week-days among themselves." The people near the mountains were those at Westfield, so that is proof that there were enough Quakers in the Westfield section prior to 1772 to be interested in holding meetings.

The minutes for New Garden for September, 1772 show that "the committee appointed to visit Friends near the mountains reports that they complied with instructions, …. And its the sense and judgment that they (the Friends near the Mountains) be indulged the privilege of holding such meetings and appoints them the fourth day of he week." These meetings were the first official church gatherings at Westfield. (1772).

The Westfield meeting operated for several years under the guidance and care of the New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College. It was referred to as "the little meeting nigh Tom's Creek" in minutes of the New Garden Meeting for May29, 1773.

The Westfield Quakers expressed themselves in 1779 (during the American Revolution) as opposed to war, which is an ancient Quaker belief.

The church at Westfield was established on a more permanent basis when the Western Quarterly Meeting met at Cane Creek o n November 9,m 1782 and authorized a committee to inspect the Westfield group and report at the next quarterly session. The Westfield Quakers had requested such a preparative meeting in August, 1782. Formal organization of he Westfield Meeting as a preparative body was finally and definitely granted August 14, 1784.

The first recorded minutes of a regular Monthly Meeting at Westfield bare the date of December 23, 1786. Bowater Sumner was appointed first clerk.

The exact date of he first church building at Westfield is not known, but it was probably built soon after the meeting first started, for there is a deed on file in Quaker Archives at Guilford College, dated August 1797 for nine acres "including the Westfield Meeting House." That is proof that there was already a church building there at that date.

I have in my files a hand-written statement from the late Mrs. Effie Ann Hill, who stated that the first church building was build right after the meeting was started, and she states that the first church stood down in the present grave yard and that it was located abut twenty steps west of our father's (Ira Chilton) grave. She writes "when he was put there, his grave was made at the lower side of the East Yard of the church." Mrs. Hill stated that the old church stood on the east side of the road, but in 1939 when they had that big home-coming and celebration at the renovation of the present church, someone located some old rocks just below the present church toward the cemetery (but on the west side of the road along with the present location of Ira W. Chilton's grave, but seems to me that it was not too far down in the cemetery, so it seems likely that the oldest church might have been where those rocks were located to form a square for the old foundation. Ira Chilton died in 1885.

Now, Mrs. Hill also wrote that "the old log walls of he old church was still standing" when services were started again after the Civil War, so evidently that first church was practically gone at that time. Quaker records show that between 1801 and 1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families, who migrated to Indiana and Ohio, and the Westfield Monthly Meeting was laid down in 1832. The bulk of the migration began in 1817. The result was that from 1832 until after the Civil War there was no Westfield Monthly Meeting. In April 1860, there was still a meeting house there, for there is a deed on record made by the Trustees of Friends to the trustees of the Westfield community for "a tract of land known as the Westfield Meeting House and graveyard, the same to be known for all time to come as a public burying ground and meeting place for all respectable religious peoples." So the Westfield Quaker property belongs to the community form 1860 to 1872. In 1872 the Trustees of the Friends (Sandy Cook, William H. Pell, and Benjamin F. Davis) paid $125 for the nine acre tract, and it once more became the property of the Friends church, with the provision that it was to be held forever by the Society of Friends.

At this point let us point out the Quarterly Meetings of which Westfield Monthly Meeting has been a part. It was originally founded in 1786 as a member of the Western Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the newly organized New Garden Quarterly Meeting in 1787. Within the next few years, Westfield itself branched out and formed new Monthly Meetings at Lost Creek in Tennessee in 1793, at New Hope in Tennessee in 1795, Mount Pleasant and Fruit Hill in Virginia in 1797, at North Providence in 1801, and so in 1803 the Westfield Quarterly Meeting set off. Apparently this Westfield Quarterly Meeting continued until the Westfield Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832, but when the Westfield church revived in 1883, it belonged to Deep River Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the new Yadkin Valley Quarterly Meeting in 1889 and was again transferred to the new Surry Quarterly Meeting in 1898.

Excerpts from Hinshaw, Volume I Westfield Monthly Meeting

Tom's Creek Meeting, the predecessor of Westfield, was located in Surry County, North Carolina , not far from the Virginia Line. The meeting for worship was organized about 1771; the preparative meeting in 1784. The name was changed to Westfield when the monthly meeting was established, in 1786. Previous to this time, Tom's Creek Preparative Meeting had been attached to New Garden Monthly Meeting.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joseph Jessup became the first Jessup to settle at Westfield, North Carolina . He was accompanied to Westfield by three of his brothers but all three of them later moved to Indiana and other western states. Joseph was the only son of Thomas Jessup that remained in North Carolina . He married Priscilla "out of unity, settled on a farm in Stokes, North Carolina , near the headwaters of the Dan River, not far from the southern border of VA. His father, Thomas Jessup, signed the disownment papers at Cane Creek MM. Joseph, alone of his father's sons, lived and died in North Carolina . The children of Joseph and Priscilla Jessup were found on two wills dated 29 Feb 1791 and 10 Mar 1796. Quaker records were submitted to Beth Cox Rowe by Linda Jessup. She also gives credit to Rev. Jasper Newton Jessup.

WILL OF JOSEPH JESSUP:

I, Joseph Jessop, of Surry County & State of North Carolina, being of sound mind and memory, ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

First, my will is that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid in due time by my Executors.

Item 2. My Will is that son Jacob Jessop have five shillings.

Item 3. My Will is that my daughter, Sarah Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 4. My Will is that my daughter, Mary Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 5. My Will is that my son, William Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 6. My Will is that my son, John Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 7. My Will is that my daughter, Rachel Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 8. My Will is that my beloved wife, Priscilla Jessop shall have the plantation, whereon I now live and all the appurtenances thereunto belonging while she remains my widow, the plantation to be equally divided between her and Eli and she to have her choice of halves and at her decease then Eli is to have the aforesaid plantation and all the land lying between the line that divides of my son, William and my son, Jacob, land and sixty acres lying on both sides of the grassee fork joining the county line.

Item 9. My Will is that my beloved wife shall have all the income of my mill while she remains my widow.

Item 10. My Will is that as long as my sons keep my mill up they shall have their grain ground at her clear of expense except the miller's part.

Item 11. My Will is that my daughter, Hannah Jessop, shall have thirty-five pounds

Item 12. My Will is that my survey of land of three hundred and ten acres lying on Forbush Creek in Surry County and one hundred and ninety and one half acres of my land on Arches Creek in Surry County, and fifty acres of land on the waters of the Stock Fork in Stokes County all to be sold and equally divided between my wife, Priscilla Jessop and all my children; namely, Jacob, Sarah, Mary, Joseph, William, John, Rachel, Caleb, Elijah, Hannah and Eli.

Item 13. Thereby ordain, constitute and appoint my trusty and well beloved brother, Timothy Jessop and my son, Joseph Jessop, the whole and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament to act and dispose thereof according to my Will and desire to the best of their knowledge.

And lastly, thereby utterly revoke and disannul and make void all other will or wills or testaments by me made or done, except such as made and done lawfully in my life time. Rectifying, confirming and allowing this and no other to be my last Will and Testament, whereunto I have interchangeably set my hand and affixed my seal this tenth day of the third month in the year of our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-six.

Test_________

Thomas Sumner

Benjamin C________

Seal

Hannah Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

A CODICIL TO A WILL

Be it known to all men by these present that I, Joseph Jessop, of the county of Surry and State of North Carolina, planter, have made and declared my last Will and Testament in writing, bearing date the tenth of the third month, one thousand, seven hundred ninety_______

I the said, Joseph Jessop, by this present codicil do ratify and confirm my said last Will and Testament and do further give and bequeath unto my son, John, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be levied and raised out of my Estate, and so I give and bequeath to my sun, Caleb Jessop, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the same manner. I also give and bequeath to my son, Elijah Jessop, forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the like manner to be paid unto them by my Executors out of my estate and that this codicil is judged to be a part and parcel of my last Will and Testament and that all things therein mentioned and contained be faithfully and truly performed and as fully and amply in every respect as if the same one so declared and set down in my said last Will and Testament witness my hand the seventeenth of tenth month of the year one thousand and ninety ___.

Signed, sealed

Sept

Seal

William Jessop

(name that can't be read)

Caleb Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

The first Surry County deed record was dated October 18, 1786, shows a purchase of land lying along Big Creek near the village of Westfield, North Carolina , but Joseph Jessop may have been living in the area prior to that time. He eventually owned vast holdings of land in both Surry and Stokes Counties, North Carolina . His land extended for twenty-five miles from Chestnut Ridge to the Clemmons Ford of the Dan River and on to Buck Island in the Dan River.

Notes for Joseph Jessup:

General Notes:

The Jessup family of the Westfield area of Surry Co.,North Carolina has one of the most complete historical and genealogical records of any family in the county. Such a history was made possible by the wonderful records in the Quaker Church, the church with which so many Jessups have been associated for more than 300 years. Much of my information has come from these Quaker Records and it is my joy to share what I have learned about my ancestors with others interested in preserving our heritage. My research has been enhanced also by the help of so many Jessup family genealogists who have shared their findings with me.

The Westfield Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, better known in this area as "Old Westfield", is the oldest church in Surry or Stokes County and probably the oldest religious group in Northwest North Carolina this side of the Moravian settlements of what is now Winston Salem. The Meeting dates back to the 1760's when pioneer Quakers from New Garden (now Guilford College) crossed Quaker Gap of the Sauratown mountains to plant a new community in the valleys of Big Creek and Tom's Creek. Early Quakers began holding meetings at Westfield by 1772 under the care of New Garden Quarterly Meeting and continued until the monthly meeting was established in 1786. Representatives from New Garden were sent to hold services for them. This is said to have lead to the name, "Westfield." The Quakers at New Garden regarded the work as a mission project and since it was located west of New Garden it was referred to as, "The Western Field." Thus comes the name, "Westfield."

The meeting was officially established November 13, 1786. The Westfield friends would send representatives all the way to New Garden, 67 miles, every month. Bowater Sumner was named the first clerk of the Monthly Meeting.

Quaker records show that between 1801-1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families who migrated to Indiana and Ohio and the Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832. It was revived again in 1868 when Albert Peele and Isom Cox came from New Garden to Westfield and met on a Sunday morning in the open air with about 150 people. "The people decided from that time to have a Friends Meeting again and made up among themselves to do it." John Y. Hoover began serving as pastor in 1872.

The dates of the erection of the first building is uncertain, but a deed dated 1797 for nine acres of land "including the Westfield Meeting House" seem to indicate that the building was constructed soon after the establishment of the Meeting. Three meetings have served as Meeting Houses for the congregation. The first build in the 1780's decayed before the Civil War. It was rebuild about 1870 and was used until 1885 when a new and more modern building was erected. This building has been remodeled and additions made to it through the years.

The "Old Westfield Friends Meeting" has stood for 200 years as a monument to the faithful foresight of dedicated Quakers. It has weathered the storms of strife, war, and depression, and is a witness to the stability of the Church which Jesus came to establish in the hearts and lives of people.

From Luther N. Byrd, Elon College,North Carolina Feb 20, 1951

Deed records in Surry County and Rowan County show that the earliest settlement of people in the area which later was to center about the Old Westfield Quaker Church was between 1760 and 1770, for there are records of people buying or claiming land in that section between those dates. Since most of the early settlers were Quakers, we may assume that there was some semblance of religious group at or near Westfield before 1770.

Westfield Church was established as an off-spring of the historic New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College, for the church records at New Garden prove that to be a fact. The Quakers at New Garden regarded the church work at Westfield as a sort of mission project in its early years, and since it was located west of Guilford College, it was referred to as "the western field", and thus came the name of Westfield.

The minutes of the New Garden Monthly Meeting for August 29, 1772 state that "Also the Friends near the Mountains request the indulgence of holding meetings on week-days among themselves." The people near the mountains were those at Westfield, so that is proof that there were enough Quakers in the Westfield section prior to 1772 to be interested in holding meetings.

The minutes for New Garden for September, 1772 show that "the committee appointed to visit Friends near the mountains reports that they complied with instructions, …. And its the sense and judgment that they (the Friends near the Mountains) be indulged the privilege of holding such meetings and appoints them the fourth day of he week." These meetings were the first official church gatherings at Westfield. (1772).

The Westfield meeting operated for several years under the guidance and care of the New Garden Monthly Meeting at Guilford College. It was referred to as "the little meeting nigh Tom's Creek" in minutes of the New Garden Meeting for May29, 1773.

The Westfield Quakers expressed themselves in 1779 (during the American Revolution) as opposed to war, which is an ancient Quaker belief.

The church at Westfield was established on a more permanent basis when the Western Quarterly Meeting met at Cane Creek o n November 9,m 1782 and authorized a committee to inspect the Westfield group and report at the next quarterly session. The Westfield Quakers had requested such a preparative meeting in August, 1782. Formal organization of he Westfield Meeting as a preparative body was finally and definitely granted August 14, 1784.

The first recorded minutes of a regular Monthly Meeting at Westfield bare the date of December 23, 1786. Bowater Sumner was appointed first clerk.

The exact date of he first church building at Westfield is not known, but it was probably built soon after the meeting first started, for there is a deed on file in Quaker Archives at Guilford College, dated August 1797 for nine acres "including the Westfield Meeting House." That is proof that there was already a church building there at that date.

I have in my files a hand-written statement from the late Mrs. Effie Ann Hill, who stated that the first church building was build right after the meeting was started, and she states that the first church stood down in the present grave yard and that it was located abut twenty steps west of our father's (Ira Chilton) grave. She writes "when he was put there, his grave was made at the lower side of the East Yard of the church." Mrs. Hill stated that the old church stood on the east side of the road, but in 1939 when they had that big home-coming and celebration at the renovation of the present church, someone located some old rocks just below the present church toward the cemetery (but on the west side of the road along with the present location of Ira W. Chilton's grave, but seems to me that it was not too far down in the cemetery, so it seems likely that the oldest church might have been where those rocks were located to form a square for the old foundation. Ira Chilton died in 1885.

Now, Mrs. Hill also wrote that "the old log walls of he old church was still standing" when services were started again after the Civil War, so evidently that first church was practically gone at that time. Quaker records show that between 1801 and 1822 there were fifty-nine members, including thirty-six families, who migrated to Indiana and Ohio, and the Westfield Monthly Meeting was laid down in 1832. The bulk of the migration began in 1817. The result was that from 1832 until after the Civil War there was no Westfield Monthly Meeting. In April 1860, there was still a meeting house there, for there is a deed on record made by the Trustees of Friends to the trustees of the Westfield community for "a tract of land known as the Westfield Meeting House and graveyard, the same to be known for all time to come as a public burying ground and meeting place for all respectable religious peoples." So the Westfield Quaker property belongs to the community form 1860 to 1872. In 1872 the Trustees of the Friends (Sandy Cook, William H. Pell, and Benjamin F. Davis) paid $125 for the nine acre tract, and it once more became the property of the Friends church, with the provision that it was to be held forever by the Society of Friends.

At this point let us point out the Quarterly Meetings of which Westfield Monthly Meeting has been a part. It was originally founded in 1786 as a member of the Western Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the newly organized New Garden Quarterly Meeting in 1787. Within the next few years, Westfield itself branched out and formed new Monthly Meetings at Lost Creek in Tennessee in 1793, at New Hope in Tennessee in 1795, Mount Pleasant and Fruit Hill in Virginia in 1797, at North Providence in 1801, and so in 1803 the Westfield Quarterly Meeting set off. Apparently this Westfield Quarterly Meeting continued until the Westfield Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1832, but when the Westfield church revived in 1883, it belonged to Deep River Quarterly Meeting. It was transferred to the new Yadkin Valley Quarterly Meeting in 1889 and was again transferred to the new Surry Quarterly Meeting in 1898.

Excerpts from Hinshaw, Volume I Westfield Monthly Meeting

Tom's Creek Meeting, the predecessor of Westfield, was located in Surry County, North Carolina , not far from the Virginia Line. The meeting for worship was organized about 1771; the preparative meeting in 1784. The name was changed to Westfield when the monthly meeting was established, in 1786. Previous to this time, Tom's Creek Preparative Meeting had been attached to New Garden Monthly Meeting.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joseph Jessup became the first Jessup to settle at Westfield, North Carolina . He was accompanied to Westfield by three of his brothers but all three of them later moved to Indiana and other western states. Joseph was the only son of Thomas Jessup that remained in North Carolina . He married Priscilla "out of unity, settled on a farm in Stokes, North Carolina , near the headwaters of the Dan River, not far from the southern border of VA. His father, Thomas Jessup, signed the disownment papers at Cane Creek MM. Joseph, alone of his father's sons, lived and died in North Carolina . The children of Joseph and Priscilla Jessup were found on two wills dated 29 Feb 1791 and 10 Mar 1796. Quaker records were submitted to Beth Cox Rowe by Linda Jessup. She also gives credit to Rev. Jasper Newton Jessup.

WILL OF JOSEPH JESSUP:

I, Joseph Jessop, of Surry County & State of North Carolina, being of sound mind and memory, ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

First, my will is that all my just debts and funeral charges be paid in due time by my Executors.

Item 2. My Will is that son Jacob Jessop have five shillings.

Item 3. My Will is that my daughter, Sarah Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 4. My Will is that my daughter, Mary Jackson, have five shillings.

Item 5. My Will is that my son, William Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 6. My Will is that my son, John Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 7. My Will is that my daughter, Rachel Jessop, have five shillings.

Item 8. My Will is that my beloved wife, Priscilla Jessop shall have the plantation, whereon I now live and all the appurtenances thereunto belonging while she remains my widow, the plantation to be equally divided between her and Eli and she to have her choice of halves and at her decease then Eli is to have the aforesaid plantation and all the land lying between the line that divides of my son, William and my son, Jacob, land and sixty acres lying on both sides of the grassee fork joining the county line.

Item 9. My Will is that my beloved wife shall have all the income of my mill while she remains my widow.

Item 10. My Will is that as long as my sons keep my mill up they shall have their grain ground at her clear of expense except the miller's part.

Item 11. My Will is that my daughter, Hannah Jessop, shall have thirty-five pounds

Item 12. My Will is that my survey of land of three hundred and ten acres lying on Forbush Creek in Surry County and one hundred and ninety and one half acres of my land on Arches Creek in Surry County, and fifty acres of land on the waters of the Stock Fork in Stokes County all to be sold and equally divided between my wife, Priscilla Jessop and all my children; namely, Jacob, Sarah, Mary, Joseph, William, John, Rachel, Caleb, Elijah, Hannah and Eli.

Item 13. Thereby ordain, constitute and appoint my trusty and well beloved brother, Timothy Jessop and my son, Joseph Jessop, the whole and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament to act and dispose thereof according to my Will and desire to the best of their knowledge.

And lastly, thereby utterly revoke and disannul and make void all other will or wills or testaments by me made or done, except such as made and done lawfully in my life time. Rectifying, confirming and allowing this and no other to be my last Will and Testament, whereunto I have interchangeably set my hand and affixed my seal this tenth day of the third month in the year of our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-six.

Test_________

Thomas Sumner

Benjamin C________

Seal

Hannah Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

A CODICIL TO A WILL

Be it known to all men by these present that I, Joseph Jessop, of the county of Surry and State of North Carolina, planter, have made and declared my last Will and Testament in writing, bearing date the tenth of the third month, one thousand, seven hundred ninety_______

I the said, Joseph Jessop, by this present codicil do ratify and confirm my said last Will and Testament and do further give and bequeath unto my son, John, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be levied and raised out of my Estate, and so I give and bequeath to my sun, Caleb Jessop, the sum of forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the same manner. I also give and bequeath to my son, Elijah Jessop, forty-five pounds lawful money to be raised in the like manner to be paid unto them by my Executors out of my estate and that this codicil is judged to be a part and parcel of my last Will and Testament and that all things therein mentioned and contained be faithfully and truly performed and as fully and amply in every respect as if the same one so declared and set down in my said last Will and Testament witness my hand the seventeenth of tenth month of the year one thousand and ninety ___.

Signed, sealed

Sept

Seal

William Jessop

(name that can't be read)

Caleb Sumner Joseph Jessop (his mark) ( )

The first Surry County deed record was dated October 18, 1786, shows a purchase of land lying along Big Creek near the village of Westfield, North Carolina , but Joseph Jessop may have been living in the area prior to that time. He eventually owned vast holdings of land in both Surry and Stokes Counties, North Carolina . His land extended for twenty-five miles from Chestnut Ridge to the Clemmons Ford of the Dan River and on to Buck Island in the Dan River.

Notes for Eli Jessup:

General Notes:

Eli Jessup and wife Pensey Jennie Smith Jessup had no children. He left all of his property to his slaves. He lived at the Joseph Jessup place on Big Creek near Westfield. The old house was still standing in 1942.\

Eli Jessup's Last Will and Testament

In the name of God amen

I, Eli Jessup, of the County of Surry and State of North Carolina, being in sound mind and memory to make this as my last Will and Testament in manner and form following viz

Item the first - My will and desire is that all my just debts be punctually paid in due time by my Executor and out of my Estate.

Item the second - My will and desire is that my dear and beloved wife, Jane, have all of my real, personal and perishable estate of all description whatsoever during her natural life and after the decease of my beloved wife, my will and desire is most solemnly that all of my Negroes be emancipated and set free and their every increase, if any, namely to be set free also viz: Sarah Ruth, Sarah's first child, Leatha, Sarah's second child, Lucinda, Sarah's third child, Samuel, Sarah's fourth child, and Alfred. Sarah's fifth child. The above mentioned Negroes constitute a family of Negroes which family I desire to be free after the decease of my beloved wife immediately. Also, one Negro woman, Rachel and her increase, if any, my will and desire that the said Racheal and her increase be emancipated and set free immediately after the death of my beloved wife.

Item the third - My will and desire is that all of my estate after the death of my dear and beloved wife's debts are paid and that the estate be equally divided amongst all my Negroes by my Executor or cause the same to be done so that they may enjoy the same to their benefit and their heirs forever.

Item the fourth - My will and desire that my burial and funeral charges be paid punctually in due time by my Executor and the burial and funeral charges of my dear and beloved wife also be paid in due time. I, Eli Jessup, do in this my last will and testament nominate and appoint my worthy and revered friend, George Smith, my Executor.

Item the fifth - I do give and bequeath my Executor George Smith, fifty dollars over and above the legal fees prescribed by Law for his trouble and expenses in carrying this my last will and testament into execution for the purposes herein mentioned.

Signed and acknowledged before us on the 27th day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and thirty. (1830)

Witnesses present:

Eli Jessup (Seal)

John J. Var____

Jos. V. Gregg

"On the 9th day of January 1871, at my office, a paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Eli Jessup is offered for probate by Jane Jessup, the widow of the said Eli Jessup which paper writing is in the words and figures following: to wit"

"And thereupon John J. Var_____, one of the subscribing witnesses to the said paper writing being first duly sworn, says that he became a subscribing witness to the said paper writing at the request of the said Eli Jessup and that he signed his name as witness to the said paper writing in the presence of the said Eli Jessup - that J. V. Gregg the other subscribing .........." (here the copy ran off the page)

JESSUPS QUIT CLAIM DEED STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In obedience with an agreement made by the devisees of Eli Jessup, deed and Job Worth who holds under said devisees, we the undersigned proceeded on this the 12th day of August 1872 to divide and set apart to Job Worth, Smith France and wife, Ruth, Henry Dearman and wife Lucinda, Alfred Jessup, Racheal Jessup and Leatha Jessup, the lands bequeathed and devised by Eli Jessup, deceased.

Lot 1 - Smith France and wife Ruth - 74 acres valued at $481.00

Lot 2 - Henry Dearman and wife Lucinda - 85 1/2 acres valued at $569.50

Lot 3 - Leatha Jessup - 88 3/10 acres valued at $529.80

Lot 4 - Racheal Jessup - 88 3/10 acres valued at $573.95

Lot 5 - Alfred Jessup - 80 6/10 acres valued at $403.00

Lot 6 - Job Worth* - 190 1/2 acres valued at $2095.50

Given under our hand and seal this the 14th day of August 1872 - William H. Pell

Joseph W. Neal

Thos. L. Sorles

* (according to 1850 Census, Job Worth was a very wealthy white millwright.)

Notes for Eli Jessup:

General Notes:

Eli Jessup and wife Pensey Jennie Smith Jessup had no children. He left all of his property to his slaves. He lived at the Joseph Jessup place on Big Creek near Westfield. The old house was still standing in 1942.\

Eli Jessup's Last Will and Testament

In the name of God amen

I, Eli Jessup, of the County of Surry and State of North Carolina, being in sound mind and memory to make this as my last Will and Testament in manner and form following viz

Item the first - My will and desire is that all my just debts be punctually paid in due time by my Executor and out of my Estate.

Item the second - My will and desire is that my dear and beloved wife, Jane, have all of my real, personal and perishable estate of all description whatsoever during her natural life and after the decease of my beloved wife, my will and desire is most solemnly that all of my Negroes be emancipated and set free and their every increase, if any, namely to be set free also viz: Sarah Ruth, Sarah's first child, Leatha, Sarah's second child, Lucinda, Sarah's third child, Samuel, Sarah's fourth child, and Alfred. Sarah's fifth child. The above mentioned Negroes constitute a family of Negroes which family I desire to be free after the decease of my beloved wife immediately. Also, one Negro woman, Rachel and her increase, if any, my will and desire that the said Racheal and her increase be emancipated and set free immediately after the death of my beloved wife.

Item the third - My will and desire is that all of my estate after the death of my dear and beloved wife's debts are paid and that the estate be equally divided amongst all my Negroes by my Executor or cause the same to be done so that they may enjoy the same to their benefit and their heirs forever.

Item the fourth - My will and desire that my burial and funeral charges be paid punctually in due time by my Executor and the burial and funeral charges of my dear and beloved wife also be paid in due time. I, Eli Jessup, do in this my last will and testament nominate and appoint my worthy and revered friend, George Smith, my Executor.

Item the fifth - I do give and bequeath my Executor George Smith, fifty dollars over and above the legal fees prescribed by Law for his trouble and expenses in carrying this my last will and testament into execution for the purposes herein mentioned.

Signed and acknowledged before us on the 27th day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and thirty. (1830)

Witnesses present:

Eli Jessup (Seal)

John J. Var____

Jos. V. Gregg

"On the 9th day of January 1871, at my office, a paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Eli Jessup is offered for probate by Jane Jessup, the widow of the said Eli Jessup which paper writing is in the words and figures following: to wit"

"And thereupon John J. Var_____, one of the subscribing witnesses to the said paper writing being first duly sworn, says that he became a subscribing witness to the said paper writing at the request of the said Eli Jessup and that he signed his name as witness to the said paper writing in the presence of the said Eli Jessup - that J. V. Gregg the other subscribing .........." (here the copy ran off the page)

JESSUPS QUIT CLAIM DEED STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In obedience with an agreement made by the devisees of Eli Jessup, deed and Job Worth who holds under said devisees, we the undersigned proceeded on this the 12th day of August 1872 to divide and set apart to Job Worth, Smith France and wife, Ruth, Henry Dearman and wife Lucinda, Alfred Jessup, Racheal Jessup and Leatha Jessup, the lands bequeathed and devised by Eli Jessup, deceased.

Lot 1 - Smith France and wife Ruth - 74 acres valued at $481.00

Lot 2 - Henry Dearman and wife Lucinda - 85 1/2 acres valued at $569.50

Lot 3 - Leatha Jessup - 88 3/10 acres valued at $529.80

Lot 4 - Racheal Jessup - 88 3/10 acres valued at $573.95

Lot 5 - Alfred Jessup - 80 6/10 acres valued at $403.00

Lot 6 - Job Worth* - 190 1/2 acres valued at $2095.50

Given under our hand and seal this the 14th day of August 1872 - William H. Pell

Joseph W. Neal

Thos. L. Sorles

* (according to 1850 Census, Job Worth was a very wealthy white millwright.)

Notes for Eli Jessup:

General Notes:

Eli Jessup and wife Pensey Jennie Smith Jessup had no children. He left all of his property to his slaves. He lived at the Joseph Jessup place on Big Creek near Westfield. The old house was still standing in 1942.\

Eli Jessup's Last Will and Testament

In the name of God amen

I, Eli Jessup, of the County of Surry and State of North Carolina, being in sound mind and memory to make this as my last Will and Testament in manner and form following viz

Item the first - My will and desire is that all my just debts be punctually paid in due time by my Executor and out of my Estate.

Item the second - My will and desire is that my dear and beloved wife, Jane, have all of my real, personal and perishable estate of all description whatsoever during her natural life and after the decease of my beloved wife, my will and desire is most solemnly that all of my Negroes be emancipated and set free and their every increase, if any, namely to be set free also viz: Sarah Ruth, Sarah's first child, Leatha, Sarah's second child, Lucinda, Sarah's third child, Samuel, Sarah's fourth child, and Alfred. Sarah's fifth child. The above mentioned Negroes constitute a family of Negroes which family I desire to be free after the decease of my beloved wife immediately. Also, one Negro woman, Rachel and her increase, if any, my will and desire that the said Racheal and her increase be emancipated and set free immediately after the death of my beloved wife.

Item the third - My will and desire is that all of my estate after the death of my dear and beloved wife's debts are paid and that the estate be equally divided amongst all my Negroes by my Executor or cause the same to be done so that they may enjoy the same to their benefit and their heirs forever.

Item the fourth - My will and desire that my burial and funeral charges be paid punctually in due time by my Executor and the burial and funeral charges of my dear and beloved wife also be paid in due time. I, Eli Jessup, do in this my last will and testament nominate and appoint my worthy and revered friend, George Smith, my Executor.

Item the fifth - I do give and bequeath my Executor George Smith, fifty dollars over and above the legal fees prescribed by Law for his trouble and expenses in carrying this my last will and testament into execution for the purposes herein mentioned.

Signed and acknowledged before us on the 27th day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and thirty. (1830)

Witnesses present:

Eli Jessup (Seal)

John J. Var____

Jos. V. Gregg

"On the 9th day of January 1871, at my office, a paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Eli Jessup is offered for probate by Jane Jessup, the widow of the said Eli Jessup which paper writing is in the words and figures following: to wit"

"And thereupon John J. Var_____, one of the subscribing witnesses to the said paper writing being first duly sworn, says that he became a subscribing witness to the said paper writing at the request of the said Eli Jessup and that he signed his name as witness to the said paper writing in the presence of the said Eli Jessup - that J. V. Gregg the other subscribing .........." (here the copy ran off the page)

JESSUPS QUIT CLAIM DEED STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In obedience with an agreement made by the devisees of Eli Jessup, deed and Job Worth who holds under said devisees, we the undersigned proceeded on this the 12th day of August 1872 to divide and set apart to Job Worth, Smith France and wife, Ruth, Henry Dearman and wife Lucinda, Alfred Jessup, Racheal Jessup and Leatha Jessup, the lands bequeathed and devised by Eli Jessup, deceased.

Lot 1 - Smith France and wife Ruth - 74 acres valued at $481.00

Lot 2 - Henry Dearman and wife Lucinda - 85 1/2 acres valued at $569.50

Lot 3 - Leatha Jessup - 88 3/10 acres valued at $529.80

Lot 4 - Racheal Jessup - 88 3/10 acres valued at $573.95

Lot 5 - Alfred Jessup - 80 6/10 acres valued at $403.00

Lot 6 - Job Worth* - 190 1/2 acres valued at $2095.50

Given under our hand and seal this the 14th day of August 1872 - William H. Pell

Joseph W. Neal

Thos. L. Sorles

* (according to 1850 Census, Job Worth was a very wealthy white millwright.)

Notes for Jacob Jackson:

General Notes:

After the arrival of his family in North Carolina , Jacob's father, Samuel, placed him in the home of a Quaker to learn a trade. He remained in the care of this family for several years. He became a member of the New Garden MM in Guilford Co., upon his personal application for membership, soon after arriving at manhood. His parents moved from Rowan Co. to Surry Co.,North Carolina around 1774, settling on Tom's Creek. Jacob must have been quite an influence on his brothers and sisters as they all became members of the Society of Friends. There is no record of his parents ever joining either the New Garden or the Westfield MM. A Quaker meeting house was built and called Tom's Creek MM. Jacob, along with his brothers, Curtis, John, and Samuel, Jr., were among the charter members. They later helped build the new church called "Westfield." A new brick church has been built to take the place of the old one on the same location, and just across the highway is the grave yard. Unfortunately all of the early Quaker graves have been plowed under and now there is just an open field. It gives you a very sad feeling to stand and look out over this plowed field where so many of the Jackson family and their relatives were buried. The Jessup, Sumner, Simmons, Hiatt, Garrett and many other families were also buried there.

Jacob bought his first land (recorded at Dobson, North Carolina ) from Lewis Conners, which contained 100 acres and was located on the waters of Tom's Creek, not far from the VA line and the Blue Ridge Mtns. He moved his family to New Hope MM in Green Co., TN on 24 Dec 1797 where he remained for seven years. On 17 Dec 1804, he moved with his family to Miami, OH and in 1811 to Clinton Co., OH where he remained until his death at the age of 97.

After the division which took place in the Quaker Yearly and Subordinate Meetings in the years 1828 and 1829, Jacob and other members were attached to Miami Quarterly meetings, from which he resided more than twenty miles and not with-standing his great age, the distance, the frequent inclemency of the weather and the bad roads, he seldom failed attending meetings, exhibiting a fervency for the good of "this People" as he frequently called the Society.

His last illness which was of a complicated character, confined him mostly to his room for about three weeks, but to his bed only a few hours. A sudden change took place about two o'clock in the afternoon on the 14th day of the eleventh month, 1844. On being helped to bed he said he did not expect ever to rise again, and spoke but little afterwards, though he appeared to be quite sensible and composed, and lay in that situation until near eleven o'clock in the evening of the same day, when he passed away quietly, and thus closed his long and useful life.

Notes for Jacob Jackson:

General Notes:

After the arrival of his family in North Carolina , Jacob's father, Samuel, placed him in the home of a Quaker to learn a trade. He remained in the care of this family for several years. He became a member of the New Garden MM in Guilford Co., upon his personal application for membership, soon after arriving at manhood. His parents moved from Rowan Co. to Surry Co.,North Carolina around 1774, settling on Tom's Creek. Jacob must have been quite an influence on his brothers and sisters as they all became members of the Society of Friends. There is no record of his parents ever joining either the New Garden or the Westfield MM. A Quaker meeting house was built and called Tom's Creek MM. Jacob, along with his brothers, Curtis, John, and Samuel, Jr., were among the charter members. They later helped build the new church called "Westfield." A new brick church has been built to take the place of the old one on the same location, and just across the highway is the grave yard. Unfortunately all of the early Quaker graves have been plowed under and now there is just an open field. It gives you a very sad feeling to stand and look out over this plowed field where so many of the Jackson family and their relatives were buried. The Jessup, Sumner, Simmons, Hiatt, Garrett and many other families were also buried there.

Jacob bought his first land (recorded at Dobson, North Carolina ) from Lewis Conners, which contained 100 acres and was located on the waters of Tom's Creek, not far from the VA line and the Blue Ridge Mtns. He moved his family to New Hope MM in Green Co., TN on 24 Dec 1797 where he remained for seven years. On 17 Dec 1804, he moved with his family to Miami, OH and in 1811 to Clinton Co., OH where he remained until his death at the age of 97.

After the division which took place in the Quaker Yearly and Subordinate Meetings in the years 1828 and 1829, Jacob and other members were attached to Miami Quarterly meetings, from which he resided more than twenty miles and not with-standing his great age, the distance, the frequent inclemency of the weather and the bad roads, he seldom failed attending meetings, exhibiting a fervency for the good of "this People" as he frequently called the Society.

His last illness which was of a complicated character, confined him mostly to his room for about three weeks, but to his bed only a few hours. A sudden change took place about two o'clock in the afternoon on the 14th day of the eleventh month, 1844. On being helped to bed he said he did not expect ever to rise again, and spoke but little afterwards, though he appeared to be quite sensible and composed, and lay in that situation until near eleven o'clock in the evening of the same day, when he passed away quietly, and thus closed his long and useful life.

Notes for Samuel Jackson:

General Notes:

Samuel Jackson was born Aug. 10, 1778, in Surry Co, North Carolina . He was eldest son and third child born to Jacob and Ann (Beals) Jackson. He was about eighteen years old when his parents moved from Westfield to TN in 1797. There is no information on Samuel Jackson t this time. There was a marriage recorded in Green Co for one Samuel Jackson and Susannah Bent on Nov. 26, 1812, and may have been the Samuel we are researching.

Several articles have been written on the history of Clinton and Highland Counties in OH. One mentions one Samuel Jackson who came to Jefferson Co around 1800-01. He was a great hunter and frontiersman. Professor Edwin West stated that he was the brother of Jacob and John Jackson, early settlers of Wayne Co, OH. The Samuel Jackson living in Stokes Co,North Carolina married Hannah Gibson, lived and died in Stokes Co and is believed by many Jackson researchers to be the brother of Jacob and John Jackson, and if he is a brother, then Samuel the hunter would not be a brother.

Samuel the hunter is said to have built the first cabin in Jefferson Township in 1812. Samuel, son of Jacob at that time, would have been thirty-four years of age, and he is possibly the son but not the brother of Jacob Jackson.

Since we have been unable to find any information on Samuel, son of Jacob and Ann, the following articles found on Samuel the hunter is used here.

The following was taken from "Highland Pioneer Sketches and Family Genealogies" by Elsie Johnson Ayres, Hillsboro, OH:

"Samuel Jackson and his brothers, Jacob and John, Quakers from North Carolina, settled on Rocky Fork as early as 1801. They were the sons of Samuel Jackson Sr., native of Ireland. Samuel Jackson the immigrant, was a direct descendant of Ralph Jackson who was burned at the stake as a martyr in Stratford, England, in 1556.

The brothers remained in a crude log cabin for a few years after their arrival. They were all good hunters who had served as Indian spies. They made enough money to live or the equivalent, by selling pelts. Samuel Jackson remained in the cabin after both his brothers had cleared land of their own. He was a rugged individual who remained in the woods for weeks at a time. His favorite region to hunt was the Brushcreek and Sunfish Hills. In 1801, during the hunting season in the Sunfish Hills, Samuel Jackson killed two panthers, a number of huge bears, deer, and other animals. In 1812, he moved to Clinton Co, where he erected the first cabin in what is now Jefferson Township. In 1818 he moved to Cass Co, Texas, and lived to be over one hundred years of age."

From "A History of Highland Co, Ohio"

"In the fall of 1809, as Samuel Jackson was passing along a trace down the banks of Sunfish Creek, about three miles east of Sinking Springs, he saw a large bear crossing the path before him. The bear, not seeing him, went into a hole in the rocks while yet in sight, near the creek. Jackson determined to have him out but knew that he could not effect his purpose alone. He therefore went to the nearest cabin, which happened to be John Lowman's, for assistance. John immediately returned with him to the den of the bear. They took a chunk of fire with them. When they reached the place, they first filled the hole with dry branches, which they set on fire. After this, they stationed themselves thirty of forty yards distant, rifles in hand. The smoke soon entered the hole and forced the bruin out. As he emerged Jackson fired and wounded him. The bear then retreated to another hole close to the first.

The entrance of this was just large enough for him to pass through, but increased in size further in. The hunters again filled the mouth with leaves and fired them. But after waiting for upwards of an hour for the reappearance of the bear, and neither seeing nor hearing him, they concluded to go home and wait till evening. When evening came they returned to the den or cave in the rocks, and after a careful examination they satisfied themselves that bruin was still there in defiance of the smoke. So Jackson proposed to take a torch and crawl into the hole and force him out, for they were determined to have him at all hazards. He accordingly prepared himself and managed by a considerable effort to force himself in. He soon succeeded by the help of his torch in finding the bear, which, contrary to his expectations, was quiet dead from his shot. On making this discovery and satisfying himself that there was no mistake, he called out to Lowman at the mouth of the hole to come and assist him in dragging out the carcass.

Lowman crept in and managed to get hold of the body, and pulled while Jackson pushed. The bear was a very large one, and in that contracted place was quite difficult to manage. The mouth of the cave being small, the great difficulty was, however. to get him through it. Indeed the thing seemed impossible, although the animal had entered with ease while alive. After many efforts it finally stuck fast, and became wedged so tight that they could not move it either way.

The efforts of Lowman at the entrance of the hole had stirred up the remains of the leaves fired in the early part of the day, and the fire not being extinguished, a dense smoke soon penetrated the cave, notwithstanding the fact that the bear was fast in the mouth. Jackson being on the inside was like to suffocate, and Lowman being partly in was in little better condition. In this alarming state of affairs while Jackson was begging and praying with the little breath he had yet remaining. Lowman was making almost superhuman efforts to rescue him. Lowman, by thrusting his hands between the bear and the rocks, he made a slight opening. Then laying himself on his back, with both feet against the rocks, he took a long and steady pull for life, and finally, to the great joy of his friend inside, brought out the bear, and saved him from suffocation. Mr. Lowman above mentioned was long a most worthy citizen of the vicinity of Hillsboro.

From "History of Clinton County, Ohio, 1882, Jefferson Township":

"Early settlements - The first cabin built in the township was on the farm now owned by John Holaday, by Samuel Jackson, about the year 1812. He had emigrated from Tennessee in the year 1800 and settled in the eastern part of what is now Highland Co, on Rocky Fork. His principal occupation was hunting, and during one year (1801) he killed two panthers and a large number of deer and bears. His hunting grounds were the Brush Creek and Sun Fish hills. About the year 1818 he moved to the southwestern part of the township, and there settled on lands now owned by Alfred Daugherty and known as the "Lyons farm". He soon after moved back to Tennessee and from there to Cass Co, Texas where he was living at the beginning of the late Civil War since which time the writer has been unable to learn anything from him.”

"Clinton Co, Ohio" By Professor Edwin P. West.

“Samuel Jackson built the first cabin in Jefferson Township, in 1812. He was a famous hunter in his day, and was characterized as a second Daniel Boone. He is as a typical frontiersman and finally found his way to Cass Co, Texas where he died a quarter of a century ago, at the age of one hundred years.”

Notes for Samuel Jackson:

General Notes:

Samuel Jackson was born Aug. 10, 1778, in Surry Co, North Carolina . He was eldest son and third child born to Jacob and Ann (Beals) Jackson. He was about eighteen years old when his parents moved from Westfield to TN in 1797. There is no information on Samuel Jackson t this time. There was a marriage recorded in Green Co for one Samuel Jackson and Susannah Bent on Nov. 26, 1812, and may have been the Samuel we are researching.

Several articles have been written on the history of Clinton and Highland Counties in OH. One mentions one Samuel Jackson who came to Jefferson Co around 1800-01. He was a great hunter and frontiersman. Professor Edwin West stated that he was the brother of Jacob and John Jackson, early settlers of Wayne Co, OH. The Samuel Jackson living in Stokes Co,North Carolina married Hannah Gibson, lived and died in Stokes Co and is believed by many Jackson researchers to be the brother of Jacob and John Jackson, and if he is a brother, then Samuel the hunter would not be a brother.

Samuel the hunter is said to have built the first cabin in Jefferson Township in 1812. Samuel, son of Jacob at that time, would have been thirty-four years of age, and he is possibly the son but not the brother of Jacob Jackson.

Since we have been unable to find any information on Samuel, son of Jacob and Ann, the following articles found on Samuel the hunter is used here.

The following was taken from "Highland Pioneer Sketches and Family Genealogies" by Elsie Johnson Ayres, Hillsboro, OH:

"Samuel Jackson and his brothers, Jacob and John, Quakers from North Carolina, settled on Rocky Fork as early as 1801. They were the sons of Samuel Jackson Sr., native of Ireland. Samuel Jackson the immigrant, was a direct descendant of Ralph Jackson who was burned at the stake as a martyr in Stratford, England, in 1556.

The brothers remained in a crude log cabin for a few years after their arrival. They were all good hunters who had served as Indian spies. They made enough money to live or the equivalent, by selling pelts. Samuel Jackson remained in the cabin after both his brothers had cleared land of their own. He was a rugged individual who remained in the woods for weeks at a time. His favorite region to hunt was the Brushcreek and Sunfish Hills. In 1801, during the hunting season in the Sunfish Hills, Samuel Jackson killed two panthers, a number of huge bears, deer, and other animals. In 1812, he moved to Clinton Co, where he erected the first cabin in what is now Jefferson Township. In 1818 he moved to Cass Co, Texas, and lived to be over one hundred years of age."

From "A History of Highland Co, Ohio"

"In the fall of 1809, as Samuel Jackson was passing along a trace down the banks of Sunfish Creek, about three miles east of Sinking Springs, he saw a large bear crossing the path before him. The bear, not seeing him, went into a hole in the rocks while yet in sight, near the creek. Jackson determined to have him out but knew that he could not effect his purpose alone. He therefore went to the nearest cabin, which happened to be John Lowman's, for assistance. John immediately returned with him to the den of the bear. They took a chunk of fire with them. When they reached the place, they first filled the hole with dry branches, which they set on fire. After this, they stationed themselves thirty of forty yards distant, rifles in hand. The smoke soon entered the hole and forced the bruin out. As he emerged Jackson fired and wounded him. The bear then retreated to another hole close to the first.

The entrance of this was just large enough for him to pass through, but increased in size further in. The hunters again filled the mouth with leaves and fired them. But after waiting for upwards of an hour for the reappearance of the bear, and neither seeing nor hearing him, they concluded to go home and wait till evening. When evening came they returned to the den or cave in the rocks, and after a careful examination they satisfied themselves that bruin was still there in defiance of the smoke. So Jackson proposed to take a torch and crawl into the hole and force him out, for they were determined to have him at all hazards. He accordingly prepared himself and managed by a considerable effort to force himself in. He soon succeeded by the help of his torch in finding the bear, which, contrary to his expectations, was quiet dead from his shot. On making this discovery and satisfying himself that there was no mistake, he called out to Lowman at the mouth of the hole to come and assist him in dragging out the carcass.

Lowman crept in and managed to get hold of the body, and pulled while Jackson pushed. The bear was a very large one, and in that contracted place was quite difficult to manage. The mouth of the cave being small, the great difficulty was, however. to get him through it. Indeed the thing seemed impossible, although the animal had entered with ease while alive. After many efforts it finally stuck fast, and became wedged so tight that they could not move it either way.

The efforts of Lowman at the entrance of the hole had stirred up the remains of the leaves fired in the early part of the day, and the fire not being extinguished, a dense smoke soon penetrated the cave, notwithstanding the fact that the bear was fast in the mouth. Jackson being on the inside was like to suffocate, and Lowman being partly in was in little better condition. In this alarming state of affairs while Jackson was begging and praying with the little breath he had yet remaining. Lowman was making almost superhuman efforts to rescue him. Lowman, by thrusting his hands between the bear and the rocks, he made a slight opening. Then laying himself on his back, with both feet against the rocks, he took a long and steady pull for life, and finally, to the great joy of his friend inside, brought out the bear, and saved him from suffocation. Mr. Lowman above mentioned was long a most worthy citizen of the vicinity of Hillsboro.

From "History of Clinton County, Ohio, 1882, Jefferson Township":

"Early settlements - The first cabin built in the township was on the farm now owned by John Holaday, by Samuel Jackson, about the year 1812. He had emigrated from Tennessee in the year 1800 and settled in the eastern part of what is now Highland Co, on Rocky Fork. His principal occupation was hunting, and during one year (1801) he killed two panthers and a large number of deer and bears. His hunting grounds were the Brush Creek and Sun Fish hills. About the year 1818 he moved to the southwestern part of the township, and there settled on lands now owned by Alfred Daugherty and known as the "Lyons farm". He soon after moved back to Tennessee and from there to Cass Co, Texas where he was living at the beginning of the late Civil War since which time the writer has been unable to learn anything from him.”

"Clinton Co, Ohio" By Professor Edwin P. West.

“Samuel Jackson built the first cabin in Jefferson Township, in 1812. He was a famous hunter in his day, and was characterized as a second Daniel Boone. He is as a typical frontiersman and finally found his way to Cass Co, Texas where he died a quarter of a century ago, at the age of one hundred years.”

Notes for Samuel Jackson:

General Notes:

Samuel Jackson was born Aug. 10, 1778, in Surry Co, North Carolina . He was eldest son and third child born to Jacob and Ann (Beals) Jackson. He was about eighteen years old when his parents moved from Westfield to TN in 1797. There is no information on Samuel Jackson t this time. There was a marriage recorded in Green Co for one Samuel Jackson and Susannah Bent on Nov. 26, 1812, and may have been the Samuel we are researching.

Several articles have been written on the history of Clinton and Highland Counties in OH. One mentions one Samuel Jackson who came to Jefferson Co around 1800-01. He was a great hunter and frontiersman. Professor Edwin West stated that he was the brother of Jacob and John Jackson, early settlers of Wayne Co, OH. The Samuel Jackson living in Stokes Co,North Carolina married Hannah Gibson, lived and died in Stokes Co and is believed by many Jackson researchers to be the brother of Jacob and John Jackson, and if he is a brother, then Samuel the hunter would not be a brother.

Samuel the hunter is said to have built the first cabin in Jefferson Township in 1812. Samuel, son of Jacob at that time, would have been thirty-four years of age, and he is possibly the son but not the brother of Jacob Jackson.

Since we have been unable to find any information on Samuel, son of Jacob and Ann, the following articles found on Samuel the hunter is used here.

The following was taken from "Highland Pioneer Sketches and Family Genealogies" by Elsie Johnson Ayres, Hillsboro, OH:

"Samuel Jackson and his brothers, Jacob and John, Quakers from North Carolina, settled on Rocky Fork as early as 1801. They were the sons of Samuel Jackson Sr., native of Ireland. Samuel Jackson the immigrant, was a direct descendant of Ralph Jackson who was burned at the stake as a martyr in Stratford, England, in 1556.

The brothers remained in a crude log cabin for a few years after their arrival. They were all good hunters who had served as Indian spies. They made enough money to live or the equivalent, by selling pelts. Samuel Jackson remained in the cabin after both his brothers had cleared land of their own. He was a rugged individual who remained in the woods for weeks at a time. His favorite region to hunt was the Brushcreek and Sunfish Hills. In 1801, during the hunting season in the Sunfish Hills, Samuel Jackson killed two panthers, a number of huge bears, deer, and other animals. In 1812, he moved to Clinton Co, where he erected the first cabin in what is now Jefferson Township. In 1818 he moved to Cass Co, Texas, and lived to be over one hundred years of age."

From "A History of Highland Co, Ohio"

"In the fall of 1809, as Samuel Jackson was passing along a trace down the banks of Sunfish Creek, about three miles east of Sinking Springs, he saw a large bear crossing the path before him. The bear, not seeing him, went into a hole in the rocks while yet in sight, near the creek. Jackson determined to have him out but knew that he could not effect his purpose alone. He therefore went to the nearest cabin, which happened to be John Lowman's, for assistance. John immediately returned with him to the den of the bear. They took a chunk of fire with them. When they reached the place, they first filled the hole with dry branches, which they set on fire. After this, they stationed themselves thirty of forty yards distant, rifles in hand. The smoke soon entered the hole and forced the bruin out. As he emerged Jackson fired and wounded him. The bear then retreated to another hole close to the first.

The entrance of this was just large enough for him to pass through, but increased in size further in. The hunters again filled the mouth with leaves and fired them. But after waiting for upwards of an hour for the reappearance of the bear, and neither seeing nor hearing him, they concluded to go home and wait till evening. When evening came they returned to the den or cave in the rocks, and after a careful examination they satisfied themselves that bruin was still there in defiance of the smoke. So Jackson proposed to take a torch and crawl into the hole and force him out, for they were determined to have him at all hazards. He accordingly prepared himself and managed by a considerable effort to force himself in. He soon succeeded by the help of his torch in finding the bear, which, contrary to his expectations, was quiet dead from his shot. On making this discovery and satisfying himself that there was no mistake, he called out to Lowman at the mouth of the hole to come and assist him in dragging out the carcass.

Lowman crept in and managed to get hold of the body, and pulled while Jackson pushed. The bear was a very large one, and in that contracted place was quite difficult to manage. The mouth of the cave being small, the great difficulty was, however. to get him through it. Indeed the thing seemed impossible, although the animal had entered with ease while alive. After many efforts it finally stuck fast, and became wedged so tight that they could not move it either way.

The efforts of Lowman at the entrance of the hole had stirred up the remains of the leaves fired in the early part of the day, and the fire not being extinguished, a dense smoke soon penetrated the cave, notwithstanding the fact that the bear was fast in the mouth. Jackson being on the inside was like to suffocate, and Lowman being partly in was in little better condition. In this alarming state of affairs while Jackson was begging and praying with the little breath he had yet remaining. Lowman was making almost superhuman efforts to rescue him. Lowman, by thrusting his hands between the bear and the rocks, he made a slight opening. Then laying himself on his back, with both feet against the rocks, he took a long and steady pull for life, and finally, to the great joy of his friend inside, brought out the bear, and saved him from suffocation. Mr. Lowman above mentioned was long a most worthy citizen of the vicinity of Hillsboro.

From "History of Clinton County, Ohio, 1882, Jefferson Township":

"Early settlements - The first cabin built in the township was on the farm now owned by John Holaday, by Samuel Jackson, about the year 1812. He had emigrated from Tennessee in the year 1800 and settled in the eastern part of what is now Highland Co, on Rocky Fork. His principal occupation was hunting, and during one year (1801) he killed two panthers and a large number of deer and bears. His hunting grounds were the Brush Creek and Sun Fish hills. About the year 1818 he moved to the southwestern part of the township, and there settled on lands now owned by Alfred Daugherty and known as the "Lyons farm". He soon after moved back to Tennessee and from there to Cass Co, Texas where he was living at the beginning of the late Civil War since which time the writer has been unable to learn anything from him.”

"Clinton Co, Ohio" By Professor Edwin P. West.

“Samuel Jackson built the first cabin in Jefferson Township, in 1812. He was a famous hunter in his day, and was characterized as a second Daniel Boone. He is as a typical frontiersman and finally found his way to Cass Co, Texas where he died a quarter of a century ago, at the age of one hundred years.”

Notes for Nathan Jackson:

General Notes:

Nathan Jackson was the third son of Curtis and Ruth Beales Jackson. He grew up on his father's farm in Surry Co., North Carolina . He moved to Dallas Co., AL where two of his brothers and one sister, Phoebe (wife of Timothy Jessup) were living. He died shortly after his move to AL.

WILL OF Nathan Jackson:

In the name of God Amen: I, Nathan Jackson of Dallas in the state of Alabama, do make an ordain this to be my last will and Testament.

First: I will that all my just debts be paid

Second: I will that after the payment of all my just debts that my property of every kind and nature be kept together and to go to my loving wife Susan during her natural life for her herself and the maintenance of my children, and after her death to be equally divided between all of my children or their heirs.

Third: I appoint my brother Bowater Jackson Executor of this my last will and testament. In witness, whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal this 14th day of Oct., 1825.

Witnessed by John Tabb, Jonathan T. Sims and William A. Jones.

Notes for Nathan Jackson:

General Notes:

Nathan Jackson was the third son of Curtis and Ruth Beales Jackson. He grew up on his father's farm in Surry Co., North Carolina . He moved to Dallas Co., AL where two of his brothers and one sister, Phoebe (wife of Timothy Jessup) were living. He died shortly after his move to AL.

WILL OF Nathan Jackson:

In the name of God Amen: I, Nathan Jackson of Dallas in the state of Alabama, do make an ordain this to be my last will and Testament.

First: I will that all my just debts be paid

Second: I will that after the payment of all my just debts that my property of every kind and nature be kept together and to go to my loving wife Susan during her natural life for her herself and the maintenance of my children, and after her death to be equally divided between all of my children or their heirs.

Third: I appoint my brother Bowater Jackson Executor of this my last will and testament. In witness, whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal this 14th day of Oct., 1825.

Witnessed by John Tabb, Jonathan T. Sims and William A. Jones.

Notes for John Jackson:

General Notes:

John Jackson was born 1753 in PA an died 10 Aug 1810 in Clinton Co., OH. After their marriage, John and Phoebe Beales Jackson moved to Surry Co., North Carolina . He had received aNorth Carolina land grant on Chinquepin Creek which was located near Tom's Creek and the newly formed Quaker Meeting House at Westfield. When Stokes Co. was formed, this land was just over the line in the newly formed Stokes Co. There are several deeds for John Jackson at Dobson, North Carolina , county seat of Surry Co., North Carolina , where he bought and sold land and was a witness to many deeds and wills.

They became members of the Westfield Quaker Meeting 3 Mar 1792, where they were members for several years. This was a few years before he moved to Greene Co., TN. It is recorded in the MM records that John Jackson was disowned from the Meeting for "going to law with a member of our society, also for not complying with his contracts, and for a breach of trust in that of taking a travelers horse in order to take care of him and trading the horse away without the leave of the said traveler, and when he (the traveler) returned have him no true information nor made him any satisfaction for said horse.' John is not mentioned again in any Quaker records after his disownment except as the father of his children or as Phoebe's husband.

John and his family left Westfield,North Carolina in 1799 and moved to Green Co., TN. Nine of their eleven children were born inNorth Carolina and two children were born after the move to Green Co., TN.

"History of Clinton County, Wayne Township" By James H. Terrell

John Jackson came to Ohio in the year 1802, directly from TN. After his marriage, he had lived for some time in Surry Co,North Carolina and afterward for some years in East Tennessee, Jefferson Co, not far from Knoxville. He came to the point of his location in the spring of 1803, with his wife Phoebe and ten children. They settled on the Middle Branch of Lose Creek, on one of the Ransdale's surveys, No, 1,027, about one mile a little north of west from where the counties of Highland and Fayette have a corner in the east line of Clinton OH.

His cabin stood west of where the Urbana road is now located, upon a high piece of rolling land covered with a heavy growth of large oak trees, and near a large spring, about two hundred and fifty yards nearly southwest of the present well-known residence of James Morris. His cabin disappeared long ago, but the indications of the ground plainly show the place where they at one time stood.

They were built in the wild green woods, remote from any road or path except the one which he opened for himself and family in coming to their location. with no human habitation near, if a deserted indian wigwam on the creek, half a mile away is not regarded as an exception.

The barn said to have been built by him was, until lately, and perhaps still is, in use for the purpose for which it was erected. The fields which he cleared and brought Into cultivation are now, with the exception of a few acres, cleared on the Daily farm, all merged in the home farm of Mr. James Morris.

This favored spot was, at this date, in the midst of a solitary wilderness of great extent, peopled by Indians and abounding in wild deer, bears and wolves.

At the date of Mr. Jackson's settlement, the whole number of families within the boundaries of what is now Clinton Co did not exceed ten, the true count being, it is believed, only eight, or at most nine. In our count, Isaac Miller and Joseph McKibben are excluded, though residing within the limits referred to as early as 1802, neither having a family at the time.

Mr. Jackson's nearest neighbor on the north of Clinton Co side of the line, which now divides the counties of Highland and Fayette from Clinton, was, not a doubt of it, Morgan van Meter, at the site of what was afterward Morgantown, now deserted, seven miles away.

Three miles below van Meter, on the east fork of the Little Maimi, near where Farmer's Station, on the Marietta Railroad, now is. Joseph McKibben and Isaac Miller, young men and single were keeping "bach" in a cabin, ten miles from Jackson's improvement. At about the same distance, in a course a little west of North, on the Hinkson Prairie. in what is now Wilson Township. Amos Wilson and James Mills lived in the same dooryard, yet each In his own dwelling. On the other or south side of the same line, a few settlers, not more than half a dozen in all, had settled here and there, with wide intervals between them, in the fall of 1802.

These settlers were Bowater Beals, James Haworth, John Walters, and Nathaniel Pope, and the next year, Evan Evans and James Smith, the nearest of whom to Mr. Jackson was at least three miles distant. James Haworth, a native of PA, was a brother of George Haworth, who settled on Todd's Fork, near where the Meeting house is in 1803.

Mr. Jackson seems to have been a man of industry and economy. At the time of his death, he was, for that day, quite well supplied with domestic animals, the tools and implements for farming, household and kitchen furniture and the machinery for carding, spinning, weaving, etc. The inventory of his personal estate, as estimated by Absalom Reed, Joseph Grice and Thomas Draper, the appraisers, amounted to $423.

He made his will Aug. 2, 1810, during his last sickness. It was drawn by his brother Jacob, and was attested by Jacob Jackson and Enon Williams, father in-law of the late Robert Wray. The execution of it was committed to his wife Phoebe and to Curtis Beals, whom he called "my nephew". It was probated Oct. 16, 1810, being the first will admitted to probate in Clinton Co, OH.

Mr. Jackson had a large family; six daughters and four sons lived to mature age and were married. His family was not well suited for the rugged work of opening a farm in the wild woods. They eventually moved to what is now Wayne Township, Clinton Co., OH. At the date of their settlement the total number of families within the boundaries of what is now Clinton Co., did not exceed ten. John Jackson was known as a 'squatter" from 1803 until he bought his land in 1809, He died one year after buying his land. Both he and Phoebe are buried in the old graveyard in the Hoskins neighborhood near a Friends Meeting House (now gone). The cabin he built for his family stood on a high piece of rolling land covered with a heavy growth of large oak trees. It was near a large spring. This cabin disappeared long ago, but the indications of the ground plainly show the place where they once lived. They built in the wild green woods, remote from any road or path except the one which he opened for himself and family in coming to their location, with no human habitation near, other than a deserted Indian wigwam on the creek, a half mile from their cabin. Once, Phoebe was followed in the woods by a panther, which threatened to attack her. She climbed a tree and had to remain there until the panther left. At the time of his death, John Jackson was very well supplied with domestic animals, tools and implements for farming, household and kitchen furniture and machinery for carding,spinning, weaving, etc. The inventory of his personal estate amounted to $423.

Last Will & Testament of John Jackson

I, JOHN JACKSON of Clinton Co. and State of Ohio, being of a perfect mind and body, calling to mind the uncertainty of time, and knowing that all men are once to die, I do make, constitute, and ordain this to be my last will and testament, in manner and form as followth.

It is my desire, that my body be discretely buried at the discresions of my executors hereafter named, and touching my worldly estate, which kindly God hath been pleased to bless me with. I dispose of In the following manner, and finally, it is my desire, that my just debts and funeral expenses be first paid,

Item I - I give and bequeath unto my daughter HANNAH BRANSCOM, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having already had what I intended her to have.

Item II - I give and bequeath unto my daughter, SARAH CHAINEY, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having had what I intended her to have.

Item III - I give and bequeath unto my daughter CHARITY FOSTER, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having had what I intended her to have.

Item IV - I give and bequeath unto my daughter, ELIZABETH ROOKS, five shillings if demanded, she having had her part also,

Item V - I give and bequeath all the rest of my whole estate, real and personal, to my beloved wife, PHOEBE JACKSON, to be wholly at her disposal, during her Widowhood, for her support in raising and taking care of children. But in case she should marry again, it is my will that she have a third part of my personal estate, except the farming tools.

Item VI - I give unto my sons URIAH JACKSON, WILLIAM JACKSON, AMER JACKSON, and JESSE JACKSON, all my farming tools, to be equally divided between them, and lastly, all the rest of my estate, I give and bequeath unto my above married daughters, and my two youngest daughters, KEZIAH, and MARY JACKSON, to be equally divided between them at the expiration of my wife's widowhood.

I do make, constitute and ordain my Beloved Wife and NEPHEW CURTIS BALES to be executors to this my last will and testament, I do also revoke and disallow of all other wills heretofore made by me. To satisfying and confirming this only, and alone, to my last, will and testament, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this second day of the eight month, in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred, and ten.

Signed sealed and acknowledged in the presents of JACOB JACKSON and EMMION WILLIAMS

JOHN JACKSON x mark

Recorded the 1st day of Nov. 1810, Jesse Hughes, Clinton, Co Oct. 16, 1810 the last will and testament of JOHN JACKSON was proved by the two subscribing witnesses thereto, and the court order letters testamentary issue ABSALOM REED, JOSEPH GRICE, and THOMAS DRAPER are appointed to appraise the personal estate of the said JOHN JACKSON deceased.

Notes for John Jackson:

General Notes:

John Jackson was born 1753 in PA an died 10 Aug 1810 in Clinton Co., OH. After their marriage, John and Phoebe Beales Jackson moved to Surry Co., North Carolina . He had received aNorth Carolina land grant on Chinquepin Creek which was located near Tom's Creek and the newly formed Quaker Meeting House at Westfield. When Stokes Co. was formed, this land was just over the line in the newly formed Stokes Co. There are several deeds for John Jackson at Dobson, North Carolina , county seat of Surry Co., North Carolina , where he bought and sold land and was a witness to many deeds and wills.

They became members of the Westfield Quaker Meeting 3 Mar 1792, where they were members for several years. This was a few years before he moved to Greene Co., TN. It is recorded in the MM records that John Jackson was disowned from the Meeting for "going to law with a member of our society, also for not complying with his contracts, and for a breach of trust in that of taking a travelers horse in order to take care of him and trading the horse away without the leave of the said traveler, and when he (the traveler) returned have him no true information nor made him any satisfaction for said horse.' John is not mentioned again in any Quaker records after his disownment except as the father of his children or as Phoebe's husband.

John and his family left Westfield,North Carolina in 1799 and moved to Green Co., TN. Nine of their eleven children were born inNorth Carolina and two children were born after the move to Green Co., TN.

"History of Clinton County, Wayne Township" By James H. Terrell

John Jackson came to Ohio in the year 1802, directly from TN. After his marriage, he had lived for some time in Surry Co,North Carolina and afterward for some years in East Tennessee, Jefferson Co, not far from Knoxville. He came to the point of his location in the spring of 1803, with his wife Phoebe and ten children. They settled on the Middle Branch of Lose Creek, on one of the Ransdale's surveys, No, 1,027, about one mile a little north of west from where the counties of Highland and Fayette have a corner in the east line of Clinton OH.

His cabin stood west of where the Urbana road is now located, upon a high piece of rolling land covered with a heavy growth of large oak trees, and near a large spring, about two hundred and fifty yards nearly southwest of the present well-known residence of James Morris. His cabin disappeared long ago, but the indications of the ground plainly show the place where they at one time stood.

They were built in the wild green woods, remote from any road or path except the one which he opened for himself and family in coming to their location. with no human habitation near, if a deserted indian wigwam on the creek, half a mile away is not regarded as an exception.

The barn said to have been built by him was, until lately, and perhaps still is, in use for the purpose for which it was erected. The fields which he cleared and brought Into cultivation are now, with the exception of a few acres, cleared on the Daily farm, all merged in the home farm of Mr. James Morris.

This favored spot was, at this date, in the midst of a solitary wilderness of great extent, peopled by Indians and abounding in wild deer, bears and wolves.

At the date of Mr. Jackson's settlement, the whole number of families within the boundaries of what is now Clinton Co did not exceed ten, the true count being, it is believed, only eight, or at most nine. In our count, Isaac Miller and Joseph McKibben are excluded, though residing within the limits referred to as early as 1802, neither having a family at the time.

Mr. Jackson's nearest neighbor on the north of Clinton Co side of the line, which now divides the counties of Highland and Fayette from Clinton, was, not a doubt of it, Morgan van Meter, at the site of what was afterward Morgantown, now deserted, seven miles away.

Three miles below van Meter, on the east fork of the Little Maimi, near where Farmer's Station, on the Marietta Railroad, now is. Joseph McKibben and Isaac Miller, young men and single were keeping "bach" in a cabin, ten miles from Jackson's improvement. At about the same distance, in a course a little west of North, on the Hinkson Prairie. in what is now Wilson Township. Amos Wilson and James Mills lived in the same dooryard, yet each In his own dwelling. On the other or south side of the same line, a few settlers, not more than half a dozen in all, had settled here and there, with wide intervals between them, in the fall of 1802.

These settlers were Bowater Beals, James Haworth, John Walters, and Nathaniel Pope, and the next year, Evan Evans and James Smith, the nearest of whom to Mr. Jackson was at least three miles distant. James Haworth, a native of PA, was a brother of George Haworth, who settled on Todd's Fork, near where the Meeting house is in 1803.

Mr. Jackson seems to have been a man of industry and economy. At the time of his death, he was, for that day, quite well supplied with domestic animals, the tools and implements for farming, household and kitchen furniture and the machinery for carding, spinning, weaving, etc. The inventory of his personal estate, as estimated by Absalom Reed, Joseph Grice and Thomas Draper, the appraisers, amounted to $423.

He made his will Aug. 2, 1810, during his last sickness. It was drawn by his brother Jacob, and was attested by Jacob Jackson and Enon Williams, father in-law of the late Robert Wray. The execution of it was committed to his wife Phoebe and to Curtis Beals, whom he called "my nephew". It was probated Oct. 16, 1810, being the first will admitted to probate in Clinton Co, OH.

Mr. Jackson had a large family; six daughters and four sons lived to mature age and were married. His family was not well suited for the rugged work of opening a farm in the wild woods. They eventually moved to what is now Wayne Township, Clinton Co., OH. At the date of their settlement the total number of families within the boundaries of what is now Clinton Co., did not exceed ten. John Jackson was known as a 'squatter" from 1803 until he bought his land in 1809, He died one year after buying his land. Both he and Phoebe are buried in the old graveyard in the Hoskins neighborhood near a Friends Meeting House (now gone). The cabin he built for his family stood on a high piece of rolling land covered with a heavy growth of large oak trees. It was near a large spring. This cabin disappeared long ago, but the indications of the ground plainly show the place where they once lived. They built in the wild green woods, remote from any road or path except the one which he opened for himself and family in coming to their location, with no human habitation near, other than a deserted Indian wigwam on the creek, a half mile from their cabin. Once, Phoebe was followed in the woods by a panther, which threatened to attack her. She climbed a tree and had to remain there until the panther left. At the time of his death, John Jackson was very well supplied with domestic animals, tools and implements for farming, household and kitchen furniture and machinery for carding,spinning, weaving, etc. The inventory of his personal estate amounted to $423.

Last Will & Testament of John Jackson

I, JOHN JACKSON of Clinton Co. and State of Ohio, being of a perfect mind and body, calling to mind the uncertainty of time, and knowing that all men are once to die, I do make, constitute, and ordain this to be my last will and testament, in manner and form as followth.

It is my desire, that my body be discretely buried at the discresions of my executors hereafter named, and touching my worldly estate, which kindly God hath been pleased to bless me with. I dispose of In the following manner, and finally, it is my desire, that my just debts and funeral expenses be first paid,

Item I - I give and bequeath unto my daughter HANNAH BRANSCOM, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having already had what I intended her to have.

Item II - I give and bequeath unto my daughter, SARAH CHAINEY, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having had what I intended her to have.

Item III - I give and bequeath unto my daughter CHARITY FOSTER, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having had what I intended her to have.

Item IV - I give and bequeath unto my daughter, ELIZABETH ROOKS, five shillings if demanded, she having had her part also,

Item V - I give and bequeath all the rest of my whole estate, real and personal, to my beloved wife, PHOEBE JACKSON, to be wholly at her disposal, during her Widowhood, for her support in raising and taking care of children. But in case she should marry again, it is my will that she have a third part of my personal estate, except the farming tools.

Item VI - I give unto my sons URIAH JACKSON, WILLIAM JACKSON, AMER JACKSON, and JESSE JACKSON, all my farming tools, to be equally divided between them, and lastly, all the rest of my estate, I give and bequeath unto my above married daughters, and my two youngest daughters, KEZIAH, and MARY JACKSON, to be equally divided between them at the expiration of my wife's widowhood.

I do make, constitute and ordain my Beloved Wife and NEPHEW CURTIS BALES to be executors to this my last will and testament, I do also revoke and disallow of all other wills heretofore made by me. To satisfying and confirming this only, and alone, to my last, will and testament, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this second day of the eight month, in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred, and ten.

Signed sealed and acknowledged in the presents of JACOB JACKSON and EMMION WILLIAMS

JOHN JACKSON x mark

Recorded the 1st day of Nov. 1810, Jesse Hughes, Clinton, Co Oct. 16, 1810 the last will and testament of JOHN JACKSON was proved by the two subscribing witnesses thereto, and the court order letters testamentary issue ABSALOM REED, JOSEPH GRICE, and THOMAS DRAPER are appointed to appraise the personal estate of the said JOHN JACKSON deceased.

Notes for John Jackson:

General Notes:

John Jackson was born 1753 in PA an died 10 Aug 1810 in Clinton Co., OH. After their marriage, John and Phoebe Beales Jackson moved to Surry Co., North Carolina . He had received aNorth Carolina land grant on Chinquepin Creek which was located near Tom's Creek and the newly formed Quaker Meeting House at Westfield. When Stokes Co. was formed, this land was just over the line in the newly formed Stokes Co. There are several deeds for John Jackson at Dobson, North Carolina , county seat of Surry Co., North Carolina , where he bought and sold land and was a witness to many deeds and wills.

They became members of the Westfield Quaker Meeting 3 Mar 1792, where they were members for several years. This was a few years before he moved to Greene Co., TN. It is recorded in the MM records that John Jackson was disowned from the Meeting for "going to law with a member of our society, also for not complying with his contracts, and for a breach of trust in that of taking a travelers horse in order to take care of him and trading the horse away without the leave of the said traveler, and when he (the traveler) returned have him no true information nor made him any satisfaction for said horse.' John is not mentioned again in any Quaker records after his disownment except as the father of his children or as Phoebe's husband.

John and his family left Westfield,North Carolina in 1799 and moved to Green Co., TN. Nine of their eleven children were born inNorth Carolina and two children were born after the move to Green Co., TN.

"History of Clinton County, Wayne Township" By James H. Terrell

John Jackson came to Ohio in the year 1802, directly from TN. After his marriage, he had lived for some time in Surry Co,North Carolina and afterward for some years in East Tennessee, Jefferson Co, not far from Knoxville. He came to the point of his location in the spring of 1803, with his wife Phoebe and ten children. They settled on the Middle Branch of Lose Creek, on one of the Ransdale's surveys, No, 1,027, about one mile a little north of west from where the counties of Highland and Fayette have a corner in the east line of Clinton OH.

His cabin stood west of where the Urbana road is now located, upon a high piece of rolling land covered with a heavy growth of large oak trees, and near a large spring, about two hundred and fifty yards nearly southwest of the present well-known residence of James Morris. His cabin disappeared long ago, but the indications of the ground plainly show the place where they at one time stood.

They were built in the wild green woods, remote from any road or path except the one which he opened for himself and family in coming to their location. with no human habitation near, if a deserted indian wigwam on the creek, half a mile away is not regarded as an exception.

The barn said to have been built by him was, until lately, and perhaps still is, in use for the purpose for which it was erected. The fields which he cleared and brought Into cultivation are now, with the exception of a few acres, cleared on the Daily farm, all merged in the home farm of Mr. James Morris.

This favored spot was, at this date, in the midst of a solitary wilderness of great extent, peopled by Indians and abounding in wild deer, bears and wolves.

At the date of Mr. Jackson's settlement, the whole number of families within the boundaries of what is now Clinton Co did not exceed ten, the true count being, it is believed, only eight, or at most nine. In our count, Isaac Miller and Joseph McKibben are excluded, though residing within the limits referred to as early as 1802, neither having a family at the time.

Mr. Jackson's nearest neighbor on the north of Clinton Co side of the line, which now divides the counties of Highland and Fayette from Clinton, was, not a doubt of it, Morgan van Meter, at the site of what was afterward Morgantown, now deserted, seven miles away.

Three miles below van Meter, on the east fork of the Little Maimi, near where Farmer's Station, on the Marietta Railroad, now is. Joseph McKibben and Isaac Miller, young men and single were keeping "bach" in a cabin, ten miles from Jackson's improvement. At about the same distance, in a course a little west of North, on the Hinkson Prairie. in what is now Wilson Township. Amos Wilson and James Mills lived in the same dooryard, yet each In his own dwelling. On the other or south side of the same line, a few settlers, not more than half a dozen in all, had settled here and there, with wide intervals between them, in the fall of 1802.

These settlers were Bowater Beals, James Haworth, John Walters, and Nathaniel Pope, and the next year, Evan Evans and James Smith, the nearest of whom to Mr. Jackson was at least three miles distant. James Haworth, a native of PA, was a brother of George Haworth, who settled on Todd's Fork, near where the Meeting house is in 1803.

Mr. Jackson seems to have been a man of industry and economy. At the time of his death, he was, for that day, quite well supplied with domestic animals, the tools and implements for farming, household and kitchen furniture and the machinery for carding, spinning, weaving, etc. The inventory of his personal estate, as estimated by Absalom Reed, Joseph Grice and Thomas Draper, the appraisers, amounted to $423.

He made his will Aug. 2, 1810, during his last sickness. It was drawn by his brother Jacob, and was attested by Jacob Jackson and Enon Williams, father in-law of the late Robert Wray. The execution of it was committed to his wife Phoebe and to Curtis Beals, whom he called "my nephew". It was probated Oct. 16, 1810, being the first will admitted to probate in Clinton Co, OH.

Mr. Jackson had a large family; six daughters and four sons lived to mature age and were married. His family was not well suited for the rugged work of opening a farm in the wild woods. They eventually moved to what is now Wayne Township, Clinton Co., OH. At the date of their settlement the total number of families within the boundaries of what is now Clinton Co., did not exceed ten. John Jackson was known as a 'squatter" from 1803 until he bought his land in 1809, He died one year after buying his land. Both he and Phoebe are buried in the old graveyard in the Hoskins neighborhood near a Friends Meeting House (now gone). The cabin he built for his family stood on a high piece of rolling land covered with a heavy growth of large oak trees. It was near a large spring. This cabin disappeared long ago, but the indications of the ground plainly show the place where they once lived. They built in the wild green woods, remote from any road or path except the one which he opened for himself and family in coming to their location, with no human habitation near, other than a deserted Indian wigwam on the creek, a half mile from their cabin. Once, Phoebe was followed in the woods by a panther, which threatened to attack her. She climbed a tree and had to remain there until the panther left. At the time of his death, John Jackson was very well supplied with domestic animals, tools and implements for farming, household and kitchen furniture and machinery for carding,spinning, weaving, etc. The inventory of his personal estate amounted to $423.

Last Will & Testament of John Jackson

I, JOHN JACKSON of Clinton Co. and State of Ohio, being of a perfect mind and body, calling to mind the uncertainty of time, and knowing that all men are once to die, I do make, constitute, and ordain this to be my last will and testament, in manner and form as followth.

It is my desire, that my body be discretely buried at the discresions of my executors hereafter named, and touching my worldly estate, which kindly God hath been pleased to bless me with. I dispose of In the following manner, and finally, it is my desire, that my just debts and funeral expenses be first paid,

Item I - I give and bequeath unto my daughter HANNAH BRANSCOM, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having already had what I intended her to have.

Item II - I give and bequeath unto my daughter, SARAH CHAINEY, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having had what I intended her to have.

Item III - I give and bequeath unto my daughter CHARITY FOSTER, the sum of five shillings if demanded, she having had what I intended her to have.

Item IV - I give and bequeath unto my daughter, ELIZABETH ROOKS, five shillings if demanded, she having had her part also,

Item V - I give and bequeath all the rest of my whole estate, real and personal, to my beloved wife, PHOEBE JACKSON, to be wholly at her disposal, during her Widowhood, for her support in raising and taking care of children. But in case she should marry again, it is my will that she have a third part of my personal estate, except the farming tools.

Item VI - I give unto my sons URIAH JACKSON, WILLIAM JACKSON, AMER JACKSON, and JESSE JACKSON, all my farming tools, to be equally divided between them, and lastly, all the rest of my estate, I give and bequeath unto my above married daughters, and my two youngest daughters, KEZIAH, and MARY JACKSON, to be equally divided between them at the expiration of my wife's widowhood.

I do make, constitute and ordain my Beloved Wife and NEPHEW CURTIS BALES to be executors to this my last will and testament, I do also revoke and disallow of all other wills heretofore made by me. To satisfying and confirming this only, and alone, to my last, will and testament, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this second day of the eight month, in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred, and ten.

Signed sealed and acknowledged in the presents of JACOB JACKSON and EMMION WILLIAMS

JOHN JACKSON x mark

Recorded the 1st day of Nov. 1810, Jesse Hughes, Clinton, Co Oct. 16, 1810 the last will and testament of JOHN JACKSON was proved by the two subscribing witnesses thereto, and the court order letters testamentary issue ABSALOM REED, JOSEPH GRICE, and THOMAS DRAPER are appointed to appraise the personal estate of the said JOHN JACKSON deceased.