The Jackson Family

Among the earliest arrivals in Goshen Precinct were two Jacksons: William and James. William Jackson arrived in Goshen in 1722: his son married Elizabeth Carr. This paper concerns the family of James Jackson who was one of the earliest owners (along with Samuel Seely) whose deed was recorded in 1721 but who may have arrived ca 1714-15.. He was judge of the Orange County Court of Common Pleas in 1735. In 1739 he was overseer of the will of John Thomson, along with Daniel Everett and George Carr. Witnesses were Daniel McCamly, William Carr and David Carr.[1] Thomson’s widow, Jean, is believed to have later married George Carr.

James Jackson wrote his will 29 May 1740 and it was proved 30 Jun 1740.[2] In it he left to his wife Hannah [maiden name ukn.] all his estate, real and personal, to be entirely at her disposal. But one half of what she would die possessed of should then go to his nephew Thomas Jackson and his niece Margaret Gale. Witnesses were Francis Armstrong, David McCamly and David Carr. On 10 Oct 1740, his widow Hannah sold to James Gamble of Ulster Co, for Ł150, James Jackson’s 99 acre farm, being the whole of lot number two and a half of lot number one, both on the south division of Goshen Township.[3] Witnesses were David McCamley and James Jackson.

We jump now to Thomas Jackson, the nephew, whose farm, which he bought from John Poppino, was just south of the lands of William Carr and John Poppino. Thomas wrote his will 10 Nov 1787, giving his wife Elizabeth, the best room in his dwelling house, along with furniture and two good milk cows, and he directed his two sons to care for her. He divided his farm between his sons, giving the western half to Enoch Jackson and the eastern half to James Jackson. He gave all his personal estate to his three daughters, Margaret Jennings, Mary Vance, and Hannah Jackson, later to become Hannah Poppino. The will was probated 18 Mar 1788 and the witnesses were John Poppino, David Lawrence and W. Thompson.[4] His widow died in 1800 and also left a will. So we have:

1. James Jackson, d 1807[5], m Mary Poppino ca 1754-1852, dau of Maj. John Poppino. The 1790 census shows James Jackson with no sons but 6 females. In the 1800 census the family had 1 male under 10, and 1male, 16-26; 2 females under 10, 2 10-16, 1 16-26. The 1810 Census showed Mary P. Jackson as head of family with 1 M 10-16, 2 M 16-26, 1 M 45+; 2 F under 10, 2 F 10-16, 1 F 26-45. So, it would appear that they had at least one boy and maybe five girls. When James Jackson died in 1807 he left no recorded will; administration was granted to the widow and Daniel Poppino, her brother. However, since their farm was subsequently divided into seven parts, we can assume there were that many children altogether. We don’t have any clear record of who they were so the following are based on indirect evidence.

11 Margaret Jackson, ca 1787-10 Oct 1852, m 12 Mar 1808 William Taylor ca 1789-24 Nov 1849.[6] Mary Poppino Jackson apparently lived with them after she was widowed. The 1820 Census shows Wm. Taylor next to Aspells and Enoch Jackson with a female over 45. On 8 Apr 1834, William A Taylor and Margaret, his wife, sold 37 acres to Amzi Jessup, bounded by Robert Armstrong, William W. Taylor’s old farm, William Carr’s land and John Edsall’s land.[7] In 1840, William Taylor was located next to Thomas Armstrong; his family included two boys 10-15 and 15-20, two girls 10-15 and 15-20 and a woman 80-90. By the 1850 census, William was dead: the family consisted of

12 Thomas Jackson[9] m Sally Armstrong, b 11 Dec 1792 in Florida, Orange Co, NY and d 8 Aug 1825, dau of Francis Armstrong, Jr. and Patience Rowley Finn.[10] In 1819, William M. Taylor bought from Thomas Jackson and Sarah his wife, 7/8 of the farm then occupied by Taylor and which had belonged to James Jackson when he died. Children:

13 Sarah Jackson, 6 Apr 1789 – 6 Oct 1881.[11] Samuel Jessup 1763-1827 moved to Florida from Long Island and married Rebecca Armstrong 1765-1842, dau of Francis Armstrong, Jr. 1735-1799 and Jean Borland. Sarah Jackson m 22 Nov 1814, their son Amzi Armstrong Jessup 12 Nov 1791 – 18 Aug 1871. Amzi and Sarah had two children: Samuel and Mary. Their son Samuel Jessup named his second son James Jackson Jessup. These names, plus their purchase of part of the family farm in 1834 from Margaret and William Taylor, would seem to indicate that this Sarah Jackson was another daughter of James Jackson and Mary Poppino.

14 Sarah Jackson II? In 1821, Samuel Johnson and Sarah his wife sold to William M Taylor one 7^th part of the James Jackson farm (the whole being divided into 7 parts). From this is would appear that James and Mary Jackson had a daughter Sarah who married Samuel Johnson (discussed further under the Johnson Family) Both of these deeds were not recorded until 19 May 1852, about the time that Mary Jackson died.[12] There could not have been two Sarah Jacksons in the same family, so some other explanation is needed.

15 Elizabeth Jackson, m 1806 William Wallace Armstrong, 1784-1850. She was probably a dau of James Jackson and Mary Poppino but evidence is lacking. Note, however, her second son, James Jackson. She divorced William in 1834.[13] Children:

141 Charles Bingley Armstrong, 1807-1860, m1 Hattie Coleman, m2, her sister, Anna Maria Coleman.

143 William Van Ness Armstrong, b 1819, m Catherine Aspell. He was Supervisor, Warwick, 1849.

145 Mary Armstrong, m Richard Montgomery Vail. Their son, Charles authored a book about their genealogy.[14]

2, Enoch Jackson, ca 1754 – 11 Feb 1834, m Mary Armstrong (dau of William Armstrong and probably Mary Carr). ca 1760 – 4 Mar 1834.[15] [16] Enoch became an Elder in the Florida church in 1808, along with Daniel Poppino and three others. Children:

21 Thomas Jackson, 17 Mar 1785-1856, m. 8 Feb 1816 to Sarah Wood, 2 May 1789 – 16 Apr 1872, They had no children but he left a will indicating his adopted son and other relatives.[17] They are buried in the Florida Cemetery.

22 William Jackson, 10 Jul 1786 – 30 Jun 1860, m 1824 Mary Tuthill 1799 – 1883

2(10) Maria Jackson, 16 Apr 1800 – Apr 1857. m John Wood

4. Hannah Jackson, ca 11 Oct 1760 – 2 Oct 1839 m 3 Jun 1790 Richard Poppino, ca 2 Jan 1761 – 19 Jul 1839. He was relatively well to do, was chosen six times as executor of estates, and lived on the east fork of the Florida – Warwick road. Children:

45 Enoch J. Poppino, b ca 1803, m Caroline Aspell, dau of Christian Aspell, a great grandson of the first John Poppino.

[1] Wills, Liber 13, p 343

[2] Wills, Liber 13, p 400

[3] Deeds, Liber C, p 10

[4] Wills, Liber A, p 17

[5] He died intestate [Letter of Admin, C-211, 7 Nov 1807]; administration was granted to Mary Jackson and Daniel Poppino.

[6] Deaths (in Warwick) and approximate ages at death are from notes of EHC in Taylor file at OCGS. Marriage in Coleman, op cit, p 25. Also Whig Press Death Notices, p 129

[7] Liber 50, p 63.

[8] Thomas J. Taylor m 31 Oct 1852 Sarah Baird, dau of Nathaniel Wheeler Baird and Abigail Denton. –Russel Headley, The History of Orange County, NY, 1908, OCGS reprint 1993, pp 775-6, and Whig Press Marriages. In 1878 he became a trustee of the Florida Presbyterian Church.

[9] This Thomas is sometimes confused with Enoch’s son Thomas who m Sally Wood.

[10] Birth date from researcher Patricia Wood Armstrong, 9811 NE 91st Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98662, representing the Armstrong Clan and death date from old handwritten Howell Genealogy supplied to me by Elmire Conklin.

[11] Info on the Jessups is from The Jessup Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary and a Jessup Family History 1500-1976, NGS CS71.J58 1977.

[12] Deeds 117, pp 71-73. The two deeds have identical descriptions of the farm: Beginning at the SW corner of Christopher Aspell Jr.’s land and on the west line of the Florida tract, SE to the Widow Jackson’s land, also adjacent to the road that runs from Florida to Warwick, and the lands of John Sayre, John Miller, William Carr and Enoch Jackson. Details given.

[13] Lis Pendens, Liber A, p 183.

[14] Charles M Vail, Vail and Armstrong, Goshen 1894

[15] Dates and info on children from bible of William Jackson (son) 1827, record at OCGS.

[16] In his will of 28 Aug 1829, Liber J, p 44, Enoch left the household farm, 1/3 each to his wife and two daughters, gave $500 each to sons George and Harry and the daughters, gave Charles the farm and land in Big Cedar Swamp, stated that Thomas, Benjamin and James had already received their shares, and added that William had prospects of a good settlement from his uncle, Thos. Borland. [Borland was m to Elizabeth (Betsy) Armstrong, Mary’s sister.]

[17] Thomas Jackson’s will of 12 April 1845, proved 27 Oct 1856, (Liber W, pp 1-8) mentions his wife Sarah, Thomas J. Howell and Elizabeth Conklin, and if all deceased, property to children of his brother James Jackson by his first wife. They are listed in the probate records. Elizabeth Horton reports (ca 1950) a Wood bible with the children of Vincent Wood and a Jackson bible in possession of Mrs. Oscar Bertholf of Warwick. The latter stated that Sarah Wood died 16 Apr 1872, age 71-5-5 , was m 8 Feb 1816 to Thomas Jackson, b 17 Mar 1785,d 22 Sep 1856, age 71-5-5. They had no children but adopted her nephew Thomas J. Howell b 7 May 1823. He m 22 Nov 1855 Matilda C Post, b 30 Jul 1828. The bible also gives the record of Sarah Wood Jackson’s niece, Elizabeth C. Conklin, dau of Maria Wood.

Revised October 2004

The Jackson Family

2(10) Maria Jackson, 16 Apr 1800 – Apr 1857. m John Wood