Jonas Jenkins

Jonas married Susannah Dunn on 26 Mar 1850 in Blount County, Tennessee. Susannah was born on 26 Jul 1832 in Tuckaleechee, Blount County, Tennessee; died on 15 Oct 1894 in Tuckaleechee, Blount County, Tennessee; was buried in Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Townsend, Blount County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Mary Elzabeth Jenkins was born on 28 Aug 1859; died on 28 May 1923; was buried in Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Townsend, Blount County, Tennessee.
2. Martha Jane Jenkins was born on 12 Mar 1861 in Tuckaleechee, Blount County, Tennessee; died on 29 Nov 1940 in Townsend, Blount County, Tennessee; was buried in Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Townsend, Blount County, Tennessee.
3. Dr Levi Joseph Jenkins was born on 29 Jun 1863 in Townsend, Blount County, Tennessee; died on 17 May 1923 in Lake County, Florida; was buried in Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Townsend, Blount County, Tennessee.
4. Susan M. Jenkins was born on 30 Jun 1870; died on 17 Aug 1922; was buried in Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Townsend, Blount County, Tennessee.

Notes:

He and his family lived on the Tuskegee River near Jenkins Branch.

John married Mary Crisp Nations on 30 Mar 1825 in Haywood County, North Carolina. Mary (daughter of John Jeremiah Nations and Nancy Halk) was born in 1807 in South Carolina; died in 1874 in North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

White settlement in areas lying along the Oconaluftee and Tukaseegee Rivers, within the borders of present Swain County, began soon after the Cherokee Indian cessation of 1798. The remainder of the land now belonging to Swain County was surrendered by the Cherokees in the Treaty of February 27, 1819. However, it was not until the North Carolina General Assembly on March, 1871 was held that an act was passed by the state legislature, ratifying Swain as a new county. Swain was formed from Jackson and Macon Counties. It was named in honor of David L. Swain, Governor of North Carolina and resident of the University of North Carolina. It is the western section of the state and is bounded by the state of Tennessee and Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Graham Counties in North Carolina. The present land area if 525.66 square miles and th 1990 population was 11,268. The first court was ordered to be held at Cold Spring Meeting House. Special commissioners were named to select a site for the courthouse, provided all the commissioners could agree on a certain place. If they could not agree, the county commissioners were to submit the question of selecting a place to the voters. The county commissioners were to lay out a town by the name of Charleston which was to be the county seat. In 1889, the name Charleston was changed to Bryson City in honor of Colonel Thad Dillard Byrson. Bryson City is the current county seat. Swain County, North Carolina was the birth place of my father, William Joseph Welch, October 20, 1883. (from William R. Welch, 9/2002)

BIOGRAPHY: Almost nothing is known of the early life of Jonas except that he was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia of Welsh and Scotch-Irish heritage. Jonas had red hair, blue eyes, and a bad temper. Jonas was married to Polly Williams, but fathered children with Jeannie BRICKEY and her daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" BRICKEY. Jonas ran a legal distillery of whiskey and brandy, and the BRICKEY ladies were employees of his. Betsy died at the birth of her son, Peter, in 1828. The marriage on January 9, 1798 to Polly Ann was signed by Jane Jenkins, Ann's guardian. It may be assumed that her parents were dead by the time of their marriage because the marriage bond names Jane Jenkins as guardian in the place of Ann's parent's name. Upon their union Jonas and Ann migrated to East Tennessee, possibly settling in Cocke County. Shortly after marrying, Jonas and Polly migrated to East Tennessee where remained until after 1810.

BIOGRAPHY: After the War of 1812, Jonas returned with his family to Shenandoah County and remained until 1821. Within this year they again journeyed south and settled this time on the other side of the Great Smoky Mountains in Haywood County, North Carolina. He purchased in 1821, l50 acres on Shoal Creek, a tributary of Soco Creek. His tracts, on the Indian line, was in the realm relinquished by the Cherokee government two years earlier in the Treaty of 1819. Jonas was situated as a neighbor among the Indians who chose to remain in the valley rather than remove to the receded Cherokee territory. Jonas Jenkins, Sr. first appears in Haywood County, North Carolina about 1823 and was settled in Soco Valley by 1828. In that year, he bought a one-hundred acre track of land on the north side of Soco Creek. Later in 1828, he bought several tracks of land on the south side of the creek from Abraham Enloe, the man some historians claim is the actual father of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. Jonas and his three sons owned over a thousand acres of land along Soco Creek. Over one-hundred and fifty years later, the area north of the creek is still recorded on the U.S. Geological Survey maps as Jenkins Ridge. In 1830, Jonas Jenkins was granted by patent 100 acres on Soco Creek and soon after followed additional grants of land on both sides of Soco. His sons, Nathan, Jonas Jr. and John, purchased adjoining tracts until their farms together exceeded a thousand acres. Over one hundred and seventy years later the area north of the creek is still recorded on U. S. Geological Survey maps as Jenkins Ridge. In 1838, Jonas Jenkins sold his remaining tracts on Soco Creek to William H. Thomas, agent for the Qualla Cherokees, who supposedly was buying land for the Indians allowed to remain during the 1838 removal of the Cherokee Nation. The family's farms, two miles west of Quallatown, eventually reverted back to the Cherokees after 1870, with the establishment of the Qualla Boundary. Their former holdings left a legacy on the land with Jenkins Creek, Jenkins Divide (or ridge), and Jonas' Fields. Moving a few miles west in 1838, Jonas and his sons settled on the Tuckasegee River at the present Jenkins Branch, one mile west of what is now Bryson City. In 1840, Jonas entered a grant for one hundred acres on the south bank of the river along the boundary of the former Big Bear Reservation in Macon (now Swain) County. In time he accumulated about five hundred acres in this vicinity. Jonas Jenkins remained on record until 1856 when he sold some of his tracts to his sons, Charles and Thomas. He died in that year or shortly afterwards, about the age of 84. It is believed he and his wife Polly are buried in the Henry Jenkins Cemetery located on a hilltop west of Jenkins Branch on the north side of Highway 19.

BIOGRAPHY: Jonas was active in the county's civic concerns, being summoned numerous times through the years to serve jury duty at Waynesville; and to aid in the surveying and opening of roads. One of many such court assignments appears to be work on what is now Highway 19.

BIOGRAPHY: Ordered by court that Jonas Jenkins be overseer of the public road Top of the mountain from the Soco Creek to Jonas Jenkins' and that all the working hands who live on Soco Creek and its waters from the mouth of Swearing Jim Mill Creek including both forks and all their waters work under said overseer. 5th October 1826. --Minutes of Haywood County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Book 3, p. 110.

BIOGRAPHY: A peculiar domestic situation developed with Jonas while living in Soco Valley. Having received a licence from the county to sell Spiritous Liquors at his dwelling house, he allowed a woman by the name of Jane or Jennie Brickey to live at his still house and work for him. By her he bore two sons; and sired one son by her daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy). Elizabeth Brickey died after delivering her child. Jane Brickey took charge of him with her own two sons until in a matter of years an apparent confrontation drove her away. Her eldest son, Thomas, is reported to have related in late age how his mother told him she was going to hunt the cows on the mountain when she was last seen. He said she was wiping her eyes with her apron as she went and she repeatedly turned and looked back on them.

MILITARY: During the War of 1812, Jonas Jenkins enlisted in James Allen's Company, Col. Bunch's Regiment of the East Tennessee Militia. He was mustered into service at Knoxville on January 10, 1814, however on the 27th of the month he was furloughed due to sickness and did not return to duty.

RECORDS: B.M. Ashby, "Shenandoah County Virginia Marriage Bonds"; military service per N/A M602 Roll 110; Confederate service per N/A Record Group 109;

RECORDS: JENKINS- Gary Claude Jenkins, l983 Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 82-094133 The above is attributed to the great research of Gary Jenkins of Ft. Oglethorpe, GA.

CENSUS: 1820 US Federal Census Shenandoah Co, VVA, p. 28

CENSUS: 1830 Haywood Co,NC p.380

CENSUS: 1840 Macon Co. p. 156;

CENSUS: 1850 US Federal Census
Name: Jonas Jenkins Age: 78 Estimated birth year: abt 1772 Birth place: Virginia Gender: Male Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Not Stated, Macon, North Carolina Page: 349 Roll: M432_636


MILITARY: North Carolina Volunteers participating in the Indian Removal: Thomas Angel Company - Jonas Jenkins

Jonas married Mary Ann Williams on 9 Jan 1795. Mary (daughter of Samuel John Williams and Susanna Ligon) was born on 17 Jul 1774 in Westmoreland County, Virginia; died in 1851 in Macon County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Ann Williams marriage bond was signed by Jane Jenkins, who was her guradian at the time.

John married Nancy Halk. Nancy was born on 25 Apr 1788 in Haywood County, North Carolina; died in 1880 in Whitfield County, Georgia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The following genealogy begins in 1740 with Samuel Jenkins of Shenandoah County, Virginia. Records have not been found to secure an earlier genealogy. However, it is apparent that Samuel's father most probably was one Jonas Jenkins, recorded living in 1733 east of the Blue Ridge at the Great Mountain in the Rapidan Valley. (Virginia Magazine of History and Biography; v. 13, p. 366)

This record concerns a road being created in Spotsylvania (now Culpepper) County along the Rapidan River. In that year it was extended across the Blue Ridge at Swift Run Gap, thereby opening the Shenandoah Valley for forwarding migration. At this time the frontier line was at the eastern base of the Blue Ridge. Years later, Samuel would have followed this route through Swift Run Gap to the new frontier along the Shenandoah River.

It seems our first generation in America must have immigrated to the colony of Virginia during the large-scale Scotch-Irish emigration of the later 1600s. Our Jenkinses would have likely arrived through the Chesapeake Bay and migrated westward along the Rappahannock River.

Generations pioneered the way to the Blue Ridge and the Shenandoah Valley, where the trend of migration turned to the south.

Samuel Jenkins was born about 1735 in Orange (now Culpepper)County, Virginia where he grew to manhood in the Rapidan Valley. He married circa 1756, a woman known to us only by her given name, Jane. Jane has not been fully identified. They were married sometime about 1758 judging from the apparent birthdates of their children. They had a family of at least 10 children, all seemingly born and raised in Spotsylvania and Shenandoah Counties, Virginia.

A soldier in the War of the Revolution, Samuel Jenkins served in the infantry within the Virginia Continental Army. His military record consists only of his name being listed in a register of certificates for payment of services rendered. His firstborn son, Josiah Jenkins, also appears in the pay register and his surviving military record is complete. It is most probable father and son served together. Josiah Jenkins enlisted in Captain Thomas West' Company, 10th Virginia Continental Regiment (commanded by Major Samuel Hawes.) He was mustered into service on November 18, 1776, and was last on the rolls on April 3, 1778 at Valley Forge in a hospital.

At the time of his service in the war, Samuel Jenkins was a resident of Dunmore (name changed to Shenandoah) County, Virginia. On April 6, 1773, he was granted by patent 145 acres near the head of Cedar Creek on Sugar Tree Hill. On August 30, 1778, He was granted an additional 125 acres on Cedar Creek. In 1778, Josiah Jenkins purchased 127 acres near the head of Cedar Creek.

Samuel Jenkins family first appears on the 1780 census of Shendoah County. Samuel and Jane were pioneers in the Massanuten Valley of Shenandoah Count. By the time of the Revolution, this region west of the Blue Ridge was still largely in the possession of Indians although the Scotch-Irish had gained a strong foothold.

Samuel Jenkins died probably at the beginning of 1796, as his will was proved on January 12, of the year. His will ordered to be certified in Shenandoah County Order Book 1795-1798, p. 124, does not survive on record in the county will book. An inventory and apprisement of his personel estate remains on record.
(The above information was taken from a book compiled by Gary Claude Jenkins, Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 82-0094133, Copyright l983)

According to Mr. Lucius Harvey, Samuel Jenkins, the Revolutionist, served in the infrantry of the Virginia Continental Line. His military record (which ordinarily includes the regiment and date enlisted) contains only a certificate of payment for services rendered. This was paid on August 27, 1783 following an act of Congress. (Military record per National Archives, Card #39168921)

Samuel married Jane Elizabeth Brickey in 1756 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. Jane was born in 1742 in Virginia; died on 24 Dec 1803 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Samuel married Susanna Ligon. Susanna was born in 1745 in Amelia, Henrico County, Virginia; died in 1793 in Amelia, Henrico County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Catherine. Catherine was born in 1742; died in 1830. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]