Martha (Redfearn) Routh (1749 - 1837)

Born 4 May 1749 in Randolph County, North Carolina [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of Jacob Routh — married 1768 in Randolph Co, NC, British Colonial America

Descendants

Died 7 May 1837 at age 88 in Rocky Valley, Jefferson County, Tennessee

Problems/Questions Profile managers: A Fabry [send private message], Bobbie McDougal [send private message], and John Beck [send private message]

Biography

Martha was born about 1749 & was the daughter of James Redfearn and Rachael Milberry. ^[1]

Martha REDFERN married Jacob ROUTH b about 1745 =1768 NC & her sister Mary REDFERN married Joseph ROUTH about 1768. The ROUTH relationship is uncertain, may be brothers or first cousins. ^[2]

Death

Was her death on 18 Mar 1840 in Wayne County, Indiana ? OR Was her death on 07 May 1837 in Mossy Creek (near TN,Dandridge) ? (I do not believe there is any question that she died in Mossy Creek per Ross Routh's book. ~A Fabry)

Research Notes

An unsourced posting from Genforum states that Jacob and Joseph Routh were sons of Edward and Deborah Routh & they married sisters. (Actually, I believe Joseph Routh to be the son of Zacheus Routh Sr. and Hannah Jane York which would make him a first cousin of Jacob Routh, son of Edward. ~A Fabry)

Jacob married Martha Redfern=Redfarn

Joseph married Mary Redfern.

In July 1788 Isaac Redfern (brother of Martha and Mary) received by a State Grant, 200 acres of land in Randolph County, North Carolina, located on Flat Branch adjacent to Edwards and the County Line. ^[3]

Jacob Routh was born about 1746 in North Carolina. He married Martha Redfern about 1765 in North Carolina & they migrated to East Tennessee with other families in the 1790s.

In 1802 Jacob and Martha [Redfern] Routh were among the original members of the Paw Paw Hollow Baptist Church (per minutes). This was evidently while the church was located in Knox County and before its 1820 move to Paw Paw Hollow in Sevier County, Tennessee.

The following is an excerpt from an article ...

1820 Baptist Church moves from TN,Knox-Co to TN,Sevier-Co

IN THE SHADOW OF THE SMOKIES

Sevier County, Tennessee Cemeteries

published by the Smoky Mountain Historical Society p45 ...

In March 1820 the church members met and agreed "to move her residence to a place called Pappaw Hollow in Sevier County". Previously the church had been located in Knox County. In the minutes of Paw Paw Hollow Baptist Church for May 1822 we find where the church appointed a committee to "view a place for a graveyard". The committee, made up of "Brothers" John Lockhert, Moses Long, Jacob Routh and Zachariah Routh, made a report in the same meeting that they had viewed and laid off a burying place.

The report goes on to say that many of the early families are buried there and mentions specifically the "Ruths" and the Douglas families but it also says that none of the stones are marked and there is no exact information on those buried there. It does not reveal the exact location or the name of this church before it was moved to Paw Paw Hollow or why the congregation decided to move. General Routh says Jacob's son Zaccheus and wife Nellie joined the church in 1820. Jacob's son John and his wife Elizabeth Mashman were members by 1821 and that "Other members of Jacob's family were his brother Isaac and his wife Mary W., who were members until they were dismissed by letter in Aug. 1821."

Note: Kenna Routh of Baldwin, KS has read these church records and relates that there was no specific relationship stated between Jacob and Isaac Routh in these rec married 1768 in Randolph Co, NC,ords. Male members were all called "brother", but it was only in relation to the common membership in the congregation. Internet information indicates that the Paw Paw Hollow Baptist Church was an offshoot of the Boyd's Creek (Sevier County) Baptist Church and was formed "in the forks of the Holston and French Broad Rivers, Knox County December 22, 1802".

Jacob Routh died on June 29, 1827 in Jefferson County, Tennessee. In his Last Will written Sep 26, 1 married 1768 in Randolph Co, NC,826, Jacob is a cabinetmaker from Jefferson County and leaves his estate to his wife, Martha, with his son John as executor. ^[4]

Last Will of Jacob Routh

Martha is mentioned in the Last Will of Jacob Routh ...

"In the name of God, Amen. I Jacob Routh of Jefferson County and State of Tennessee, cabinet maker, being weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God, calling to mind the mortality of my body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it, and my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian burial, at the discretion of my Executors; nothing doubting but at the general Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God, and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.

First I give and bequeath to Martha my dearly beloved wife & my whole estate during her life or widowhood. Also I constitute, make and ordain John Routh my son to be sole Executor or this my last Will and Testament, to manage and take care of my estate for the support of Martha his mother and at her death divide the balance of the estate equally among all my children, and I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannul all and every other former Will and Testaments by ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th day of September in the year of our Lord 1826."

(signature) Jacob Routh

In presence of us

(signatures) Jacob Routh & Jeremiah Routh

Sources

1. ↑ Confirmed by autosomal DNA testing
2. ↑ 1976 "Routh Family in America" by Ross ROUTH, p212-458 Descendants of Joseph Routh b=1747.
3. ↑ "Randolph County, NC Land Deed Abstracts, books#1-5 1779-1794" by Barbara Newsome Grigg & available at Randolph County Library in Ashboro, NC.
4. ↑ Genforum message retrieved 3 Aug 2010

* Find A Grave: Memorial #33221270

* Family Tree for Martha REDFERN.

* Martha Redfern b=1747 d=1837

* Last Will of Jacob Routh

* 1976 "Routh Family in America" p13 by Ross Holland ROUTH.

* 1978 "Routh Family Revisited" by Ross Holland ROUTH focused on the families of Jacob Routh b=1745 & his brother Isaac Routh b=1772.

* 1983 "Our Routh Family" by Ross ROUTH focussing on the descendants of Jacob Routh b=1745.

* FSFTID L8RH-XNH