DNA Haplogroup: I-M253
Charles Edward Jennings was a Virginia farmer like his known ancestors, but he also left the farm and co-owned a grocery store in Roanoke, Virginia, the first of my direct Jennings ancestors to do so. He was a Confederate Army veteran, and my great grandfather.
He was born on 23 September 1843 in Amherst County and was the third of six known children of Powhatan Perrow Jennings and Catherine Jewell. He lived with his parents and siblings on his father's farm in 1850 when the census was enumerated. His mother died in early 1854 when he was 11 years old. He father remarried that same year to a 19-year-old girl named Elizabeth Rhodes. Charles' half-sister, Willie Ann joined the family in 1855. His father died in 1858 and his Jennings grandfather a few months later. Charles' father's will stipulated the farm was not to be sold until his youngest child reached the age of 21 and was to be managed by one of his sons. When the census was enumerated in 1860, Charles and his six siblings lived on the farm with their step-mother.
Civil War
After Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, war seemed inevitable to many in the south. South Carolina seceded from the union the month after the election and Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana followed in January 1861; Texas seceded in February. Hopes for a peaceful secession from the Union ended on 12 April 1861 when Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Three days later President Lincoln declared a state of insurrection and called up 75,000 men. Virginia seceded from the Union two days after that.
Charles was 17 years old when his old brother and two first cousins went to the Amherst County courthouse and enlisted in the Confederate States Army. Another first cousin enlisted two weeks later. All served in the 19th Virginia Regiment. A year later, on 1 March 1862 Charles enlisted and joined his brother and cousins in Company H of the 19th Virginia Regiment. His war experiences will be included in next week's post.
Marriage and Family
On 2 November 1865 soon after returning home from the war, Charles and his brother John purchased land from their father's estate. There is no record of Charles in the 1870 census. All his siblings are included except his sister Frances Ann and her husband James Adolphus Coleman. Perhaps he lived with them?
On 23 December 1873 Charles married Nancy "Nannie" Jane Johnson in Amherst County. She was the daughter of William Marshall Johnson and Martha Ann Jennings. Martha and Charles were first cousins so his wife, Nannie, was his first cousin once removed. Nannie's older sister, Mary "Molly" Elizabeth Johnson, married Charles' younger brother, Zachariah. They settled on Charles' farm, which was enumerated in the 1880 agricultural schedule.
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| Analysis of the 1880 agricultural census entry for the farm of Charles Edward Jennings; created using Microsoft Excel |
Postmaster of Clifford, Virginia
On 24 October 1884 Charles was appointed postmaster of Clifford, Virginia, post office in Amherst County. He took over from Valinus McGinnis, Jr., who had been appointed the year before. Charles served as postmaster until 22 January 1894 when he was replaced by Joseph K. Harvey. Clifford is in the northern part of Amherst County between the Tye and Buffalo rivers. The historic town was one of the oldest settlements in the county and stood along the stagecoach route between Charlottesville and Lynchburg. While Charles served as postmaster the town was in decline as it had been bypassed by the railroad.
Postmasters of smaller post offices were usually appointed by the First Assistant Postmaster General of the United States who received recommendations from the members of the local community or Congressmen. The position was considered a political plum. Virginia was controlled during this period by the Democrat party so we might assume Charles was a Democrat.
Newly appointed postmasters had to sign an oath of office before a magistrate or justice of the peace and execute a bond in the event of malfeasance in office. His first official duty was to take an inventory of the post office, all its property, and mail on hand. He was also responsible for appointing an assistant postmaster who would act in his stead if he were sick, traveling, or otherwise unable to perform his duties. The post office was to remain open during the normal business hours of the town Monday through Saturday and for one hour on Sunday after church services were over. During Charles' tenure as postmaster, postage generally only covered the transit of the mail from post office to post office so the people of Clifford would have come to the post office to pick up and send mail. Therefore, it was an important source of news and gossip before the Internet and social media.
The postmaster's compensation was based on the amount of revenue generated by the post office they managed. The 1852 laws and regulations describe the compensation as a percentage of the quarterly sales: for sales under $100, 40 percent; from $100 to less than $400, 33.3 percent; and for sales over $400, 12.5 percent.
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| Annual compensation of Charles Edward Jennings, Postmaster, Clifford, Virginia, as reported in the U.S. Register of Civil, Military and Naval Service |
City Life and a New Wife
Soon after leaving his job as a postmaster, Charles married Effie Beard of Bedford County, Virginia, in 1895. Effie was the daughter of David Fleming Beard, Sr., and his second wife Barbara Ann Mitchell. Both her parents' families had deep roots in Bedford County, where she grew up on her father's farm. Effie's father died when she was seven years old and her mother when she was 19. In 1891 the children from David Fleming Beard's first marriage sued the children from his second marriage, including Effie, over a piece of property. Instead of dividing the land among all the children, they wanted to sell it and distribute the proceeds. The case inched along in chancery court for 10 years before it was decided.
I suspect Charles had moved to Roanoke and met Effie there but am not sure. Effie was born in 1871 and was 28 years Charles' junior. It is possible she lived with or was visiting her older brother, who worked as a conductor for Northern & Western (N&W) Railway and lived in Roanoke.
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| Charles Edward Jennings; courtesy of Janie Darby |
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| Effie (Beard) Jennings; courtesy of Janie Darby |
During the time of their marriage they lived at a few different addresses in what is now known as the Melrose-Rugby neighborhood. Between 1896 and 1901 Charles and Effie had three children. Their fourth child was born on 29 December 1905 and Effie died on 4 May 1906. Their infant son, Clyde Graham, died a month later on 12 June. Both mother and son were interred in Fair View Cemetery in Roanoke. Their burial plots were owned by Robert Watkins Jennings, who was Charles' second cousin once removed.
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| Address in Roanoke, Virginia, where Charles Edward Jennings lived between 1898 and 1915 when he moved in with one of his daughters in Erwin, Tennessee; created using Google Maps and Microsoft PowerPoint |
Charles continue to operate the store[1] in 1909 but when the 1910 census was enumerated he was working for himself as a carpenter in the contracting industry. Something had happened. Family lore has it that his partner in the grocery store absconded with all the money from their business bank accounts leaving Charles with no business and no means to support his family. In 1911 he broke up his family by placing his threes sons by Effie out of his home. He placed his youngest son, Marvin, in a Baptist orphanage in Salem, Virginia; placed his daughter, Daisy, with Effie's sister, Sarah Birdell (Beard) Mays, who also lived in Roanoke; and his son, Leo, with his half-sister, Leta Vernon (Jennings) Womack, who lived in Erwin, Tennessee.
According to city directories, Charles remained in Roanoke until 1915. Some time after that he moved to Erwin, Tennessee, and lived with his daughter, Leta, and her family. He died on 10 August 1917 in Erwin at the age of 74. The cause of death was dysentery. He remains were shipped back to Roanoke and he was buried beside his second wife and youngest son in Fair View Cemetery.
This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. The theme for this week was "Favorite Name." Charles Edward Jennings is a name with special meaning to me. My Dad and middle brother are named Charles and my youngest brother's middle name is Edward. It is also the middle name of Dad's father and brother.
Using the Ancestral Reference Numbering System, Charles Edward Jennings is Ancestor number 8 on my family tree:
8.0 Charles Edward Jennings, son of Powhatan Perrow Jennings and Catherine Jewell, born 23 September 1843 in Amherst County, Virginia; died 10 August 1917 in Erwin, Tennessee; married 1) Nancy "Nannie" Jane Johnson, daughter of William Marshall Johnson and Martha Ann Jennings and 2) Effie Beard, daughter of David Fleming Beard, Sr., and Barbara Ann Mitchell.
Children of Charles Edward Jennings and first wife, Nannie Johnson:
8.1 William Powhatan Jennings born 28 May 1875 in Amherst County; died 2 November 1899.
8.2 Daniel Melvin Jennings born 15 September 1877 in Amherst County; died 23 August 1940; married Myrtle Patti Fitzgerald, daughter of David Crawley Fitzgerald and Pattie Ferguson, on 16 June 1909 in Roanoke.
8.3 Charles Albert Jennings born 27 June 1879 in Amherst County; died 28 April 1947 in Bedford County, Virginia; married Margaret "Maggie" Susan Pifer, daughter of James Edward Pifer and Margaret Loop before 1901.
8.4 Viola "Ola" Jennings born 5 December 1881 in Amherst County; died 15 March 1959 in Roanoke, Virginia; married James Solomon Raike, son of William Jasper Raike and Martha Ann Powell, between 1900 and 1902.
8.5 Leta Vernon Jennings born 5 March 1884 in Amherst County; died 15 October 1958 in Alexandria, Virginia; married Edmund Lenwood Womack, son of Jesse Womack and Elizabeth Pedigo, on 15 September 1906 in Roanoke.
8.6 Harry Lee Jennings born 29 June 1886 in Amherst County; died 22 October 1945 in San Francisco; married Nancy "Nannie" Gay Clayton, daughter of Walker W. Clayton and Josephine Mary Taylor, between 1910 and 1913.
8.7 Johnson Jennings born 11 April 1892 in Amherst County; died 9 August 1892 in Amherst County.
9.0 Effie Beard born 1 October 1871 in Bedford County, Virginia, daughter of David Fleming Beard, Sr., and his second wife, Barbara Ann Mitchell; died 4 May 1906 in Roanoke, Virginia; married 1895 to Charles Edward Jennings.
Children of Charles Edward Jennings and second wife, Effie Beard:
8.8 Daisy Birdelle Jennings born 14 November 1896 in Roanoke, Virginia; died 28 April 1947 in Statesville, North Carolina; married William Luckey Moore, son of Jay Luckey Moore and Jane Elizabeth Steele, on 20 September 1916 in Johnson City, Tennessee.
8.9 Leo James Jennings born 31 October 1898 in Roanoke, Virginia; died 3 October 1973 in Pacific Palisades, California; married 1) Bonnie Sue Wolfe, daughter of James H. and Mollie Wolfe, on 27 November 1919 in Iredell County, North Carolina, (divorced), 2) Kathleen O'Gorman, daughter of William and Margaret O'Gorman, on 14 March 1933 in Yuma County, Arizona, (divorced), and 3) Marcella G. (maiden name unknown).
4.0 Marvin Edward Jennings born 16 November 1901 in Roanoke, Virginia; died 1 May 1961 in Arlington County, Virginia; married Alice Muir, daughter of Robert Muir and Ida Mae Riggin on 13 May 1924 in East St. Louis, Illinois.
8.10 Clyde Graham Jennings born 29 December 1905; died 12 June 1906.
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[1] His grocery store was located at the corner of 12th Street and Wells Avenue in Roanoke, an address which no longer exists.
Sources:
Agricultural Schedules: 1850-1900, US Bureau of the Census, (accessed 5 May 2014).
Court Doth Adjudge, Order and Decree, The, Tangled Roots and Trees (accessed 1 Feb 2018)
List of Presidents of the United States, Wikipedia (accessed 18 Mar 2016).
My Grandfather and the Orphanage, Tangled Roots and Trees (accessed 29 Jan 2018)
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, National Park Service, Clifford-New Glasgow Historic District (accessed 18 Mar 2016).
Mother Nobody Knew, The, Tangled Roots and Trees (accessed 1 Feb 2018)
Newly Discovered Photos, Tangled Roots and Trees (accessed 29 Jan 2018)
North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994, database, FamilySearch, Charles E. Jennings in entry for Daisy Jennings Moore, 28 Apr 1947; citing Statesville, Iredell, North Carolina, v 10A cn 10499, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1909219.
Powhatan Perrow Jennings (1812-1858): A Life Cut Short, Tangled Roots and Trees (access 1 Feb 2018)
Prechtel-Kluskens, Nineteen-century Postman and His Duties, National Archives, NGS NewsMagazine, January/February/March 2007, pages 33-37 (accessed 16 Mar 2016).
Selected US Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, database with images, Ancestry, Charles Jennings, Temperance, Amherst, Virginia (accessed 18 October 2015)
Tennessee, Civil War Confederate Pension Application Index, database, Ancestry, Charles E. Jennings, 19th Virginia Infantry, Application No. S15175 (accessed 4 Dec 2014)
Tennessee, Death Records, 1914-1963, database with Images, FamilySearch, Chivers E. Jennings, 10 Aug 1917; citing Cemetery, Erwin, Unicoi, Tennesse, v 54 cn 505, State Library and Archives, Nashville; FHL micofilm 1299677 (accessed 25 May 2014).
Tennessee, Deaths and Burials Index, 1874-1955, database, Ancestry, Chivers E. Jennings, 10 Aug 1917, Erwin, Unicoi, Tennessee, (accessed 25 May 2014).
US Appointments of US Postmasters, 1832-1971, database with images, Ancestry, Charles E Jennings, Clifford, Amherst, Virginia, 24 Oct 1884, Vol. 80, Volume Year Range: 1891-1930 (accessed 9 Jul 2017)
US Appointments of US Postmasters, 1832-1971, database with images, Ancestry, Chas E Jennings, Clifford, Amherst, Virginia, 24 Oct 1884, Vol. 51, Volume Year Range: 1877-1891 (accessed 9 Jul 2017)
US Census of Agriculture, Wikipedia (accessed 29 Jan 2018)
US Census, 1850, database with images, Ancestry, Chs E Jenning, Eastern, Amherst, Virginia, Roll: M432_933, Page 149B (accessed 25 May 2014).
US Census, 1860, database with images, FamilySearch, Chas E. Jennings in entry for E B Jennings (accessed 25 May 2014).
US Census, 1870, database with images, Ancestry, Nancy Johnson in entry for William J Johnson (accessed 25 May 2014).
US Census, 1880, database with images, Ancestry, Charles Jennings, Temperance, Amherst, Virginia, Roll: 1353, FHL microfilm: 1255353, Page: 270B, Enumeration District: 021 (accessed 25 May 2014).
US Census, 1900, database with images, Ancestry, Charles Jennings, Roanoke Ward 5, Roanoke City, Virginia, Roll: 1739, Page: 7B, Enumeration District: 0102, FHL microfilm: 1241739 (accessed 25 May 2014).
US Census, 1910, database with images, FamilySearch, Charles E Jennings, Roanoke Melrose Ward, Roanoke (Independent City), Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 125, sheet 8A, family 128, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1646; FHL microfilm 1375659 (accessed 25 May 2014).
US City Directories, 1822-1995, database with images, Ancestry, Charles E Jennings, Roanoke, Virginia, 1898 (accessed 18 Dec 2016).
US City Directories, 1822-1995, database with images, Ancestry, C E Jennings, Roanoke, Virginia, 1902 (accessed 18 Dec 2016).
US City Directories, 1822-1995, database with images, Ancestry, C E Jennings, Roanoke, Virginia, 1909 (accessed 18 Dec 2016).
US City Directories, 1822-1995, database with images, Ancestry, Charles E Jennings, Roanoke, Virginia, 1909 (accessed 18 Dec 2016).
US City Directories, 1822-1995, database with images, Ancestry, Charles E Jennings, Roanoke, Virginia, 1910 (accessed 18 Dec 2016).
US City Directories, 1822-1995, database with images, Ancestry, Charles E Jennings, Roanoke, Virginia, 1912 (accessed 18 Dec 2016).
US City Directories, 1822-1995, database with images, Ancestry, Charles E Jennings, Roanoke, Virginia, 1914 (accessed 18 Dec 2016).
US City Directories, 1822-1995, database with images, Ancestry, Charles E Jennings, Roanoke, Virginia, 1915 (accessed 18 Dec 2016).
US Find a Grave, 1600s-Current, database with images, FindAGrave, Charles Edward Jennings, Memorial No. 55849367 (accessed 27 May 2014).
US Find a Grave, 1600s-Current, database with images, FindAGrave, Effie Beard Jennings, Memorial 55849385 (accessed 27 May 2014).
US Find a Grave, 1600s-Current, database with images, FindAGrave, Nannie Johnson Jennings, Memorial No. 94105704 (accessed 27 May 2014).
US Register of Civil, Military and Naval Service, 1863-1959, database with images, Ancestry, C. E. Jennings, Amherst, Virginia, 1885, Vol. 2 (accessed 9 Jul 2017).
US Register of Civil, Military and Naval Service, 1863-1959, database with images, Ancestry, C. E. Jennings, Amherst, Virginia, 1887, Vol. 2 (accessed 9 Jul 2017).
US Register of Civil, Military and Naval Service, 1863-1959, database with images, Ancestry, C. E. Jennings, Amherst, Virginia, 1889, Vol. 2 (accessed 9 Jul 2017).
US Register of Civil, Military and Naval Service, 1863-1959, database with images, Ancestry, C. E. Jennings, Amherst, Virginia, 1891, Vol. 2 (accessed 9 Jul 2017).
US Social Security Applications and Claims Index, database, Ancestry, entry for Daisy Jennings Moore, citing Charles E Jennings (accessed 9 Jul 2017).
US Social Security Applications and Claims Index, database, Ancestry, entry for Harry Lee Jennings, citing Charles E Jennings (accessed 9 Jul 2017).
Virginia Chancery Court Records, database with images, Library of Virginia, Bedford County Cause No. 1901-117, 50 pages
Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014, database with images, Ancestry.com, Charles A. Jennings, citing Charles E. Jennings (accessed 16 Apr 2016).
Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014, database with images, Ancestry.com, Leta V. Womack, citing Charles Jennings (accessed 16 Apr 2016).
Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014, database with images, Ancestry.com, Marvin E. Jennings, Sr., citing Charles Edward Jennings (accessed 16 Apr 2016).
Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014, database with images, Ancestry.com, Viola Loving Raike, citing Charles A. Jennings (accessed 16 Apr 2016).
Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940, database, FamilySearch, Chas. E. Jennings and Mary J. Johnson, 23 Dec 1873; citing Amherst, Virginia, reference Mar Reg 3 p 32; FHL microfilm 30311 (accessed 5 Apr 2013).
Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940, database, Ancestry, Daniel Melvin Jennings and Myrth Ruthe Fitzgerald, citing Chas. E. Jennings (accessed 17 Aug 2014).
Powhatan Perrow Jennings (1812-1858): A Life Cut Short
John W. Jennings (1776-1858): War of 1812 Veteran
Benjamin Jennings (c1740-1815): Last Will and Testament
Benjamin Jennings (c1740-1815): Morgan's Riflemen
Benjamin Jennings (c1740-1815): Beginnings and Endings
Who Was the Original Jennings Immigrant?
Did John W. Jennings, Sr. (c1777-1858) Marry His Niece?
Discovering my Local History Center
British Surrender at Saratoga
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