Robert Jennings Sr (abt. 1660 - abt. 1716)

Born about 1660 in England

Descendants

Died about 1716 at about age 56 in New Kent, Virginia

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Biography

Robert Jennings Sr was a Virginia colonist.

Robert Jennings (d. 1715/6).^[1]

"He immigrated to Virginia before 1686 and lived in St Paul's Parish, New Kent County. His children are listed in the parish register, but there is no record of his marriage. He participated in the battles against the Indians and was given payment of 450# of tobacco in 1700. In 1704, he owned 100 acres of land and was a church warden" ^[2]

"The only Jennings living in the Hanover – New Kent County area was Robert Jennings. The name of Robert's wife was not recorded.^[1] She was simply called, Mrs. Jennings. Robert is said to be the father of:^[1]

1. Robert (b. c. 1686/7), moved to King William, Virginia.^[1]
2. John, b. 2 Sep 1698, bap. 23 Sep 1698,^[3] moved to Amelia bef. 1743 then Louisa co., Virginia.^[1]
3. William, bap. 5 Jul 1702^[4] stayed in New Kent co., Virginia?^[1]

No Jennings appears in the list of landowners for the 1689 processioning, and no Jennings patented land in New Kent or Hanover. Yet Robert Jennings owed quit rents on 100 acres in the year 1704. Added to the fact that he had an elder son named Robert whose baptism is not found in the St. Peter’s register, the logical conclusion is that he did not arrive in the New Kent area until perhaps the mid-1690s. Robert Jennings lived in what became Hanover County and served as a vestryman alongside Edward Garland in St. Paul’s parish.

He died in late 1716, for at a vestry meeting on 22 October 1716 a replacement was elected for “Robt Jennings lately deceased”. His eldest son was Robert Jennings Jr. who was apparently of age in 1708 when he was assigned alongside Robert Jennings Sr. as a processioned."^[5]

Research Notes

It is thought by some, that his wife was Jane Trulock whom he married in England in 1669.^[6] If true, Robert's estimated birth will need to be set to 'before 1655' as the minimum age for a groom was 14. Jane must have been born before 1657 placing her age at the baptism of William at 45. Women rarely gave birth past the age of 47 and rarely married as early as 12 irrespective of it being legal so this idea is possible but not probable.

The book "Jennings Family History" links Robert as co-lineal relative of William Jennings of Nottaway County and co-lineal relative of that Robert's wife Mary Jane Pulliam.^[7]

James, T.M. (2002). The Humphrey Jennings Estate Fraud

info.ged

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} "The Jennings of New Kent, Hanover, Louis & Charlotte cos.," in Documented notes on Jennings and allied families, 1961, p. 578 - 579. Archive.org. eBook.
2. ↑ Harold Jones: Jennings Family
3. ↑ "Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRR4-QC4 : 28 January 2020), Robt. Jenings in entry for Jno. Jenings, 1698.
4. ↑ "Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRR4-SFK : 28 January 2020), Robt. Jenings in entry for William Jenings, 1702.
5. ↑ Some Background on the Garlands of New Kent and Hanover
6. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2MH-G2H : 24 October 2021), Robert Jennings, 1669.
7. ↑ Jennings, Mary,"Jennings Family History and Allied Lines of VIrginia, 1654-1931", private, 1931, FamilySearch, p. 21