Abel Joseph Jennings (1812 - 1877)

Born 28 Mar 1812 in Ludlow, Hampden, Maine

Husband of Fannie M (Wilsey) Jennings — married 2 Jun 1840 in Meadville,Crawford,PA,USA

Descendants

Died 10 Jan 1877 at age 64 in Sullivan County, Indiana

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Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import.^[1] It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Name

Name: ABEL JOSEPH /JENNINGS/^[2][3]

Birth

Birth:

Date: 12 MAR 1812

Place: Ludlow, Hampden, Maine^[4][5][6]

Birth:

Date: 22 APR 1812

Place: Ludlow Twp., Hamden County, Massachusetts

Birth:

Place: birth src: 1880 Sullivan Co., Ind., Census & Tombstone\\Wolfe's 1909 Vol 2, p105/

Found multiple copies of BIRT DATE. Using 12 MAR 1812

Death

Death:

Date: 10 JAN 1877

Place: Sullivan County, Indiana^[7][8]

Event

Event:

Type: Death Facts

Place: Stone Marker observed 11/28/95 by W. S. Ballinger

Event:

Type: Fact 1

Place: Dutche Settlers Almanac says he already had 7 children before marrying 2nd wife

Event:

Type: Death Facts

Place: buried src: Sullivan County Cemetery Records Book, Vol 1 p 22/

Residence

Residence:

Place: Fannie & Able moved w/Fannies brother Lewis Baker From NY to New Bethel, Indiana

Residence:

Place: New Bethel is in the SE corner of Marion Co., Indiana in Franklin Township

Residence:

Date: JUL 1860

Place: Census for Franklin Township, Marion Co., Indiana

Residence:

Date: 07 JUL 1870

Place: Census for Curry Township, Sullivan Co., Indiana (see scrapbook)

Burial

Burial:

Place: Friendship Cemetery, Curry Township, Sullivan County, Indiana

Burial:

Place: Sullivan County, IN; WestLawn Cemetary

Marriage

Husband: Abel Joseph Jennings

Wife: Fannie M. Wilsey

Child: Marshall Asa Jennings

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Marriage:

Date: 02 JUN 1840

Place: Meadville,Crawford,PA,USA^[9]

Marriage:

Date: 02 JUN 1840

Place: Meadville, Crawford, Pennsylvania, United States^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Jennings-2373 was created by Bonnee Ballinger through the import of Ballinger - Fly 2014-01-04.ged on Jan 4, 2014. This comment and citation can be deleted after the biography has been edited and primary sources are included.
2. ↑ Source: #S101 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Marshall A. Jennings
3. ↑ Source: #S101 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Abel J Jennings
4. ↑ Source: #S68 Data: Text: Ancestry.com. One World Tree (sm) [database online]. Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc.
5. ↑ Source: #S101 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Marshall A. Jennings
6. ↑ Source: #S101 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Abel J Jennings
7. ↑ Source: #S101 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Marshall A. Jennings
8. ↑ Source: #S101 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Abel J Jennings
9. ↑ Source: #S101 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Fannie M. Wilsey
10. ↑ Source: #S101 Page: Database online. Data: Text: Record for Abel J Jennings

• Source: S101 Author: Ancestry.com Title: Public Member Trees Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006; Repository: #R1

• Source: S68 Title: OneWorldTree Repository: #R1 NOTE Source Medium: Ancestry.com CONT

Notes

Note N254The 1880 Census for Sullivan County, Indiana, says that Abel Jennings was born in Massachusetts; but the book, Descendants of Theophilus Chowning, page 26, states that Abel came to America with five brothers. As detailed below, W.S. Bolinger believes the place of birth, foreign, to be in error, and the number of siblings unverified

Family tradition as handed down by Lucretia A. Lloyd, daughter-in-law, of Abel Jennings, to W.S. Bolinger is that Abel was a Captain of Lake Erie sailing vessel before he married, but that his wife insisted he find employment ashore. He subsequently moved to the Indianapolis area where he started a sawmill and timber business.

The following is from Wolfe's, History of Sullivan County, Indiana, 1909, Volume 2, pages 105 & 106: "Abel J. Jennings born March 29, 1912, in Massachusetts, at some point within Hamden county, and died January 10, 1877, in Sullivan County, Indiana. Abel, at the age of twenty years, started as a sailor on Lake Erie, and within fourteen months was made a second mate, soon afterward first mate and then captain of the boat. This position he filled for five years and up to the date of his marriage. He purchased a farm in Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he farmed two years, and in 1842 went to Missouri, in which new state he purchased a farm. In 1844 he removed to Marion County, Indiana. Upon a trip back to Ohio he was taken ill upon reaching Marion County, and there remained until 1867, when he went to Curry township, this county, about three miles west of Farmersburg, where the subject of this narrative (Elza W. Jennings) was born. He (Abel) owned a hundred-acre farm, upon which he resided until his death"

As one can see from he above, there is a discrepancy in the Book, Descendants of Theopilus Chowning, and the 1909 Wolfe's HSCI Book, regarding the birthplace of Abel. Since the 1909 Wolfe's HSCI book gives much more detail regarding Abel and also provides much information about his father, Aceph Jennings, W. S. Bolinger concludes the data in the Wolfe's book is of greater validity. The reported brief move to Missouri is confirmed by other sources which show a son, Marshall A. Jennings being born in Missouri.

According to Wolfe's 1909, "History of Sullivan County, Indiana" pages 105 and 106, there were seven children born to the marriage of Abel J. Jennings and Miss _____ Benjamin, but only two lived to reach mature years. Abel married a second time, and with this marriage to Fannie M. Willsey, there were born sixteen children. The names of the seven children of the first marriage are not listed in Wolfe's, but a clue to the name of one of those children is found in the 1880 Census Book for Sullivan County, Indiana, page 56. Caroline Jennings, age 40, a sister, is living in the household of her brother, Marshall Jennings. Caroline was born about 1840. The oldest of the sixteen children from the second marriage was Emaline, born in 1841. Therefore, Caroline is likely the youngest born of the first marriage, and one of the only two to reach mature years.

The tombstone inscription as reported in Sullivan County, Indiana Cemetery Records Book, Vol. 1, p 22, spells the name Able J. Jennings, not Abel. It also spells Annie M., not Fannie M. This is an error in the printed records book. W.S. Bolinger, visited the Friendship Cemetery, west of Farmersburg, November 28, 1995, and studied and photographed this tombstone. It is a pink granite stone, about five fee tall, having both names clearly inscribed on opposite sides of the stone. The names are spelled Abel J. Jennings, died Jan 10, 1877, aged 64y 9m 12dl and Fannie M. Jennings, died June 28, 1890, aged 65u 8m 11d. At the base of this headstone are two flat stone slabs, about the size of burial sites, which have small foot stones, not pink granite, saying Fannie and Abel.

A stone saying Caroline Jennings is to the south of the above stones and there are several other small stones quite close which W. S. Bolinger was unable to read. Another clearly readable stone lies just to the east and slightly north of Abel & Fannie Jennings foot stones. It is also pink granite and says, WILSEY, father and mother, Cecil 1869-1897, Florence 1868-1918. This stone was photographed November 28, 1995. If Fannie's last name is actually spelled Wilsey, rather than the accepted Willsey, then these may be relatives. Later research indicates that Florence is actually Lucy Florence Jennings, daughter of Marshall A. Jennings, therefore, granddaughter of Abel Jennings.