James Norris Jolliff (1816 - 1853)

Born 1816 in Barren County, Kentucky

Ancestors

Died 14 Mar 1853 at about age 37 in Washington County, Illinois

Biography

James was born in 1816. He was the son of Abner Jolliff and Rhoda Clark.
(Not sure if Norris is his middle name. Can’t find proof of it.)

Married 1st, April 1, 1834, Jefferson Co, IL to Jane H. Baldridge (1 child: William). This was an unpleasant marriage. James claimed that Jane left him and he filed for divorce in 1837. Jane, however, claimed that he left the state and she went to her father's house, and when he came back she lived with him again, but he beat and physically abused her. That he finally left her again and would not support the family.

He must have gone to Missouri for a while because he married his second wife there.
m 2nd Apr 18, 1838, Ripley Co, Mo. to Lucinda Burris (3 ch); she may have died abt 1843 after the birth of her 3rd child. Then James moved back to Illinois with his children.

In 1849 33-yr-old James married 3rd to 17-yr-old Jane Giles in Washington Co, IL.

1850 Clinton Co, IL
Jolliff, James - 30, b Ky
. . . . Jane - 18, b IL
. . . . William - 13
. . . . James - 11
. . . . Richard - 9
. . . . Rhoda Anna - 7

next door to them was probably Jane's parents:
Giles, John - 53, b Tn
. . . . Elizabeth - 53, b NC
. . . . Juliann - 13 IL
. . . . William - 9 IL

In 1851 James became ill and was sick until he died Mar 14, 1853 (37 yrs old). [His father died one week later.]

His brother-in-law, Henry Willard was appointed guardian of his children James, Richard & Rhoda after he died. They lived with him until his wife Elizabeth (Jolliff) died; then James lived with Gilbert Faulkner, and Richard & Rhoda lived with Marcus Faulkner (their father's cousins). His son, William was not mentioned in James' estate papers, so possibly he died before 1853, or he went to live with his mother's parents.

Sources

• IL State Marriage Index:
  

JOLIFF, JAMES & BALDRIDGE, JANE H - JEFFERSON Co 04/01/1834
JOLLIFF, JAMES N & GILES, JANE - WASHINGTON Co 07/03/1849

• Ripley Co, Mo marriages:
  

James Joliff & Lucinda Burris - Apr 18, 1838