Jerusha (Fowlkes) Ellington (1748 - 1789)

Hi Rory,

Glad we have agreement (it is always with some trepidation that I bring these things up). Here is what I have on Joseph and Mary Jane:

Joseph A. Sr. was born 1724, in that part of Amelia Co., Va. that became Nottoway County in 1788 (others say he was born about 1728 in London, England). He married in 1753 in Amelia/Hanover Co. Va. to Mary Jane Jennings (born 3/3/1732 in VA), daughter of Col. William Jennings and Mary Jane “Polly” Pulliam [See NOTES, above], sister of Sarah Jennings, whom his brother John married. She was born 1732 in Hanover Co., Va. They lived out their lives in Nottoway Co. and all their children were born there.

Joseph died 4-30-1789 in Nottoway Parish, Amelia/Nottoway County, Virginia “and was buried in a family cemetery on his plantation, a large part of which later became the Camp Pickett Military Reservation. During WWII those buried in the family cemetery were disinterred and moved to another location not known to this writer.” (“Some Branches of the Fowlkes Family” by David A. Sturgill). Mary died 1822 in Nottoway Co., Va. and was buried in the same cemetery.

“Joseph Fowlkes Sr. died in Nottoway Co., leaving a will signed 30 Apr 1789. This will was probated 3 Sep 1789 and named the following heirs: Wife Mary. Sons Austin Fowlkes, John Fowlkes, Sterling Fowlkes. Daughters Salley Fowlkes, Jerusa Fowlkes, Betsy Hamblin, Lucy Pace. Son Wm. Fowlkes. Grandson John Palmer. Executors: My wife, Mary & sons, Thomas, Joseph & Sterling Fowlkes with my cousin, Gabriel Fowlkes. Witness: Simeon Walton, John Bass, Wm. Fowlkes.” (Nottoway Will Book 1, page 5 and 25)

“The will of Joseph Fowlkes also names a grandson, John Farmer, which indicates that he had another daughter who married a Farmer and had died before the will was written.

Joseph named his sons Thomas, Joseph and Sterling and cousin Gabriel Fowlkes as executors of this will. The cousin Gabriel named was not his brother or nephew and could only have been a son of his father’s unknown brother. This is further supported by a pension application filed by Sally (Cralle) Fowlkes, third wife and widow of William Fowlkes (son of John and Sarah) in which she stated that William served with Capt. Gabriel Fowlkes (son of Gabriel I) in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and also as another Gabriel Fowlkes at Petersburg, Va. This Gabriel was probably the father of some of the other unidentified members of the Fowlkes family who lived in the Southside counties of Va.” (“Some Branches of the Fowlkes Family”, by David Sturgill)

Mary Jennings of Nottoway Co., Va., left a will signed 8 Nov. 1821 and probated 2 May 1822, naming the following heirs:

“I leave to my three grandsons John Fowlkes, Jeptha and Austin Fowlkes, sons of my son John Fowlkes deceased. What part of hire that Stephen Rowlett, Abraham Hatt, and Joisey Fowlkes may be owing to me at my death, but Austin Fowlkes to have five pounds more than either of them. I will to my granddaughter Francis Robertson my safe and table and to my granddaughter Eliza Robertson my glass cupboard and what’s in it. I will to Henry I. Cook’s daughter my black bonnet. I will to granddaughter --- Hudson all my spun cotton and to my granddaughter Judy Fowlkes my looking glass and to my daughter Sary Jennings my pine chest and all that is in it. I will to my son Sterling Fowlkes all that he is owing me with the hire of Hall that he has kept and to my son William what part he is indebted to me. I will to my Negro women to have my corse clothes to be divided among them all. The rest of my estate I give to my son Joseph J. Fowlkes with the rest of my land where my grandson Thomas Fowlkes lives and the Hire of a boy by the name of Bice that hire got. Lastly I appoint my sons Joseph J. Fowlkes and Sterling Fowlkes executors of this my last will given under my hand and seal this 8th day of November 1821. Witness: William Zacry, Lodwick Brown.” (Nottoway Will Book 4, page 419)

Children:

i Jerusa (1748) ii Thomas Jefferson (1751) iii John Sterling (1755)

iv Lucy (1757) v Captain Joseph Jennings “Church Jr.” (1761)

vi Sterling B. (1764/65) vii Elizabeth (Betsy) (1767) viii William, Sr. (1771)

ix Austin (1775) x Sarah (Sally) (1779)

Thanks for the wonderful biography Stephen! Since you have all of this correct in your tree can we merge Jerusha so that her correct family will be attached now? I am no longer working in Wikitree for the exact reason you hinted at. I also got tired of writing long biographies that nobody would read anyway. But for what I do have on Wikitree I want it to be correct and as complete as possible.

Thanks again! Rory Bowers

Thank you for bringing this to my attention Stephen! My research partner and I will look into this right away. It has been quite some time since I worked on this branch of my family.

Rory Bowers