Jane (Fleming) Houston (abt. 1749 - 1832)

Born about 1749 in Rowan County, Colony of North Carolina

Wife of Samuel Houston — married 1764 (to 1814) in Rowan County, North Carolina

Descendants

Died Mar 1832 at about age 83 in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Jane (Fleming) Houston was born 1749 in Rowan County, North Carolina. She died March 1832 in Iredell County, North Carolina.^[1] She was the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Tucker) Fleming according to a Fleming genealogy stating they had a daughter named Jane who married a Samuel Houston. [Citation needed.]

Peter Fleming executed his will 4 November 1762 and bequeathed to "Jean my eldest Daughter I alow that she shale have one young black tow years oald mear [mare] allso the Residue of my Estate I allow that it shall be sold & equally divided amongst the Whole Family [with an exception of £6] . . . . signed Peter his D mark Flimon."^[2] "Jane and Jennie" were commonly interchanged with the given name "Jean." Fleming's will entered probate 13 April 1763 at Rowan County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, "On Motion of Mr. Dunn Its Ordred that Elizabeth Flemin & John Mordah have Letters of Admiistration on the Last Will and Testament of Peter Fleming Decd: & the Sd Admns Came into Open Court and Took the Oath as by Law Appointed for the Execution of there Office and Hath Returned an Inventory of the Said Estate."^[3]

In his will Samuel Houston devises and bequeaths to his wife Jane and specifies "my ten children" but he names eleven.^[4]

Jane Houston does not head an 1820 census household, but she was alive as her will is dated 1827. She was likely living with one of her children in 1820. In 1830, she appears to have been living with her son Samuel as there is a female 80-89 in his household.^[5]

Jane Houston executed her will 6 June 1827, bequeathing personal property and her share of the windmill to eight children, but omitting John and Elizabeth who are mentioned in Samuel's will. It is possible Elizabeth had passed away, but John does show up in later census records. Jane bequeaths to eight grandchildren by name and "to the three youngest sons of Robert Brown (my son-in-law)" without naming them. Of interest, all the grandchildren mentioned appear to be those who were living in North Carolina. None of the children of Peter, James or Robert are mentioned. She nominated her son Samuel Houston and her son-in-law Robert Brown as executors.^[6]

A Fleming genealogy states Jane died March 1832.^[7] The March date is plausible because the county court met quarterly, and the first session following a March death was in May. Jane was deceased before May 1832 when her will entered probate on Monday, 3 May 1832, at Iredell County, North Carolina, County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, "The Last Will and Testament of Jane Huston was proven in open Court and Samuel Huston one of the Executors named was qualified to execute the same."^[8] Her estate file states her vendue was held 14 June 1832.^[9]

Children

Samuel Houston named the following eleven children in his will (not in birth order).

1. Robert Houston
   
2. Samuel Houston
   
3. Peter Houston
   
4. James Houston
   
5. Martha Houston
   
6. Alexander Houston
   
7. Elizabeth (Houston) Ireland
   
8. Prudence (Houston) Brown
   
9. Sally (Houston) Clark
   
10. John Houston
    
11. Jane (Houston) Clark

Sources

1. ↑ Ancestry Family Trees, Jane Marie Fleming.
2. ↑ North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, Rowan County Will Book A: 54, Peter Fleming (4 November 1762); digital image, FamilySearch, image 30.
3. ↑ Jo White Linn, Abstracts of the Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Rowan County, North Carolina, 1763-1774, Vol. II (Salisbury, NC: Privately printed, 1979), p. 5; citing Rowan County minute book II: 452.
4. ↑ North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, Iredell County, Will Book 1: 335-337, Samuel Houston (26 February 1814; codicil 15 August 1814; probated 20 November 1814); digital image, FamilySearch, images 188-189.
5. ↑ 1830 U.S. Census, Iredell County, North Carolina, p. 55 (penned), line 14, Samuel Houston; digital image, FamilySearch; FHL microfilm 18,088; citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M19, roll 122.
6. ↑ Iredell County, North Carolina, Will Book 2: 117, will number 434, Jane Houston (6 June 1827); digital image, FamilySearch, image 68.
7. ↑ #C1830 [Citation needed.]
8. ↑ 3 May 1832, Iredell County, North Carolina, County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Will of Jane Huston proved in open Court; digital image, FamilySearch; FHL microfilm 7896645, image 902; citing North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh.
9. ↑ "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," Iredell County, Jane Houston (1833); digital image, FamilySearch, accessed 21 November 2016; citing North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh.