DNA Proves Family Lore

 As I work through DNA matches about which Ancestry suggests a common ancestor, I like to research everyone from the common ancestor forward through to the person with matching DNA. Then I add all the new information to my family tree.

My three times great grandmother was Anna Mariah or Marie Waldrond (1782-1868)1. Several of my Waldron DNA matches share Anna's father, Benjamin Walrond (died 1811) as our common ancestor as did this interesting match:

Ancestry.com suggested common ancestor; courtesy Ancestry.com

I had researched Thomas, John and Samuel Washington Waldron extensively. According to my research Samuel Washington Waldron didn't have a daughter named Sallie Bell and why was her maiden name Presley?

I found this note posted by Ancestry.com user Timothy Hunt in 2007:

Courtesy Ancestry.com

After much research, I discovered that the family lore outlined above was true as proved by my DNA to Sallie Belle's grandson as well as several other shared matches that could only be matches to me if a son of John Waldron fathered Sallie Bell. 

What Nina's grandmother, Bertha (Altizer) Waldron failed to mention however, was that Bertha's father Cecil Corbin Altizer was born before Bertha's marriage to Augustus Spotts Waldron, Samuel Washington Waldron's brother. Such a tangled, but oh so interesting family tree.

Relationships between Waldron and Altizer families; created using
Microsoft Powerpoint

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1 Spelling of the Walrond surname was later changed to Waldron.

Charles W Lawson (1893-1922): Killed in a Mine Explosion

Charles "Charlie" W. Lawson married Mary Frances Crockett on 31 August 1921 in McDowell County, West Virginia. He was 28 years old at the time of their marriage and she was 16. Charles worked as a coal miner and a few weeks before their first anniversary, he was killed by dynamite in a mining accident in Coalwood, a town in McDowell County.

It was a tragic story, but sadly not all that unusual as mining was one of the most dangerous occupations in the country at the time.

And then I found this article about Charlie in the Charlotte Observer:

From The Charlotte Observer, 12 August 1922, page 12

YOUNG MAN KILLED IN MINE EXPLOSION

Tragedy Seems to Have Followed Two Generations of the Lawson Family, of Mount Airy

MOUNT AIRY, Aug. 10 -- The remains of Charlie Lawson arrived here Monday night and were carried to his former home in Virginia Tuesday for interment. The young man was killed in a mine explosion in Coalwood, W. Va. His death calls to mind the sad tragedy of the Lawson family, several years ago, about Christmas time, the elder Lawson, father of Charles, disappeared from his home and after an absence of a few weeks suspicion took form that there had been foul play. A search was made and the body found buried in a field near the home, the field had been plowed to cover signs of the grave. The father was a heavy drinker and was cruel to his wife when under the influence of liquor and the boy was tried for murdering his father. He was sentenced to 18 years in the penitentiary. About a year ago he was pardoned and went to West Virginia where he married. The people in the neighborhood petitioned the governor for his pardon, some feeling that he was not guilty, and if guilty there was great provocation.

Charlie's father was William Swanson Lawson and according to his death certificate, he was last seen on 23 December 1913. The cause of his death was a fractured skull and lacerated brain caused by murder. An article in the 19 January 1914 edition of The Robesonian stated that Charlie, aged 20, and his brother, Samuel, 17, confessed but said the murder was in defense of their mother.

Charles likely served 7 years in the state penitentiary before he was pardoned in 1921.

His wife, Mary Frances (Crockett) Lawson was pregnant at the time of his death and gave birth to a daughter, Naovea Claire, on 11 March 1923.

She married my third cousin twice removed, Theodore Roosevelt Barrett[1], in July 1926. They had four children together before Mary Frances died on 15 January 1936, at the age of 30, of puerperal sepsis, a postpartum infection following the birth of their youngest child.

Theodore married Mary Frances' sister, Marjorie Claire (Crockett) Jarrett, a widow, on 19 July 1939 in Buchanan County, Virginia.

_______________

[1] Theodore Roosevelt Barrett descended from our most recent common ancestor as follows: Benjamin Waldron >> Thomas Waldron >> Augustus Spotts Waldron >> Mary Jane (Waldron) Barrett. Waldron was most often spelled Walrond before the Civil War.

52 Ancestors #9: Benjamin Waldron (bef 1761-1811): Too Many Benjamins

Ancestor Name: Benjamin Walrond/Waldron, four times great grandfather
DNA Haplogroup: I-M253

This week we begin the stories about the families allied to my direct Jennings ancestors through marriage. My four times great grandfather, Benjamin Jennings, is the most distant ancestor in that line I can prove; however, I do not know definitively who his first wife (and the mother of my three times great grandfather) was, though many family histories list her name as Sally Dickerson/Dickinson. Benjamin's son, John W. Jennings, Sr., married Anna Mariah Walrond[1] on 19 January 1805 in Bedford County, Virginia. Her father was Benjamin Walrond, who was also a four times great grandfather.

Jennings and allied families for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks; creating using
Microsoft PowerPoint

Based on Benjamin Walrond's Find a Grave memorial, he was born in Henrico County, Virginia. Thomas Dale founded the Citie of Henricus on a peninsula in the James River now known as Farrar's Island. He named the settlement after Henry Frederick, the Prince of Wales. The settlement was destroyed during the Indian Massacre of 1622, but was soon reestablished. The shire system was instituted in 1634 by order of King Charles I. It was based on the form of local government used in England and divided the colony of Virginia into eight shires. The shires were named by the House of Burgesses and one was named Henrico.

The best fix we have on the birth year of Benjamin Walrond is based on the 1782 Halifax County tax list, which included white men over 21 years of age who owned real and/or personal property. So we know he was born before 1761, likely well before then as his eldest known child was born in 1777. The 1810 federal census, which indicated Benjamin was over 45 years of age, supports that age range.

Marriages

Benjamin married a woman named Elizabeth sometime before 1777. Unfortunately, her maiden name is unknown. This has caused much confusion for future genealogists. (See Did John W. Jennings, Sr., (1776-1858) Marry His Niece?) At some point Benjamin moved to Halifax County, Virginia, which is about 130 miles southwest of Henrico County on the current border with North Carolina. Benjamin's four known children by his first wife were born in Halifax County. Elizabeth died sometime between 1784 and 1788. Nothing is known about Benjamin's occupation, but it is likely he was a farmer not of the the Virginia planter class and moved in search of more, affordable land.

On 6 August 1788 Benjamin married[2] Lucy Ellington, daughter of Jeremiah Ellington, in Pittsylvania County, which adjoined Halifax County's western border, and was formed from part of Halifax County. Her father died in 1796 in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Lucy (Ellington) Walrond received "one negro girl."

Receipt of "one Negro girl" by Lucy (Ellington) Walrond); courtesy of
Ancestry.com

August the eighth Day 1798 This day Received
This Day of Fanny Ellington one Negro girl about
fourteen or fifteen years of age By the consent of all
the Legetees now of age being personally togegether
Received the said negro girl at one hundred and seven-
ty Dollars as Received by me

Lucy [X her Mark] Walrond

In the list of cash paid to settle debts and heirs, there is a reference, "To cash paid Lucey Watson her legacy......217=00," and an acknowledgement she had been paid in full for her portion of the estate:

The acknowledgement of Lucy (Ellington) Walrond of the payment of her
portion of her father's estate; courtesy of Ancestry.com

Received of Leonard Ellington two hundred and
Seventeen Dollars in full of my part of the
Money Comeing from the estate of Jeremiah
Ellington Deceased. June the tenth 1800

Lucey [X her Mark] Wolrond

In advance of receiving the "Negro girl," Benjamin Walrond deeded her to two of his daughters by his second marriage to Lucy. The deed was dated 30 January 1797 and was recorded in the Pittsylvania deed book:

"Beloved children, Polly and Sally Walrond for the price of love and affection and good will...one negro girl named Milla about 13 years old and her increase, and whatever property may hereafter be allotted to me of the estate of Jeremiah Ellington, deceased, be the same land or other property."

From this deed we know that Benjamin and Lucy had moved a bit west into Pittsylvania County, which had been formed from Halifax County in 1766. On 19 February 1806 Benjamin Walrond received a grant of 6 acres of land in Campbell and Bedford Counties from the governor of Virginia.

Campbell County Land Grant

"John Page, esquire, governor of the commonwealth of Virginia: To all to whom these presents shall come greeting. Know Ye, that by virtue of a Land-Office Treasury warrant number two hundred thousand eight hundred and seventy two, issued the sixteenth of January eighteen hundred, there is granted by said commonwealth unto Benjamin Walrond, a certain tract or parcel of land containing six acres by survey [illegible] date the fifth of September eighteen hundred and three, lying and being in the counties of Campbell and Bedford and bounded as followeth to wit: Beginning at a white oak on the main road, corner to Samuel Scott -- and Wilkerson, thence along said Wilkerson's line, south thirteen degrees, east seventy five poles, then north twenty five degrees, east seventy five poles to a double red oak, a corner to said Wilkerson south fifty five degrees east fourteen poles to a post oak corner -- to said Wilkerson and Walrond, south forty degrees west twenty eight poles to a post oak, and thence south twenty five degrees west one hundred and twelve poles to the beginning with its appurtenances; To have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with its appurtenances to the said Benjamin Walrond and his heirs and assigns forever. In witnesses whereof the said John Page, esquire governor of the commonwealth of Virginia, hath hereunto set his hand and caused the legal seal of said commonwealth to be affixed at Richmond on the first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five and of the commonwealth the twenty nineth."

This would be yet another move for the Walrond family to the counties adjoining Pittsylvania to the north. When the Walrond household was enumerated in the 1810 census, they lived in Campbell county and there seven people living in the home.

1810 Federal Census for the household of Benjamin Walrond; created using
Microsoft Excel

It should be noted there were three men living in Virginia named Benjamin Walrond/Waldron in 1810. My four times great grandfather, Benjamin Walrond lived in Campbell county as indicated above; his son, Benjamin Walrond, Jr., lived in Bedford County; and a third lived in Powhatan County. He was married to Elizabeth Jennings, hence many believing Benjamin Walrond's first wife's maiden name was Jennings. However, the Powhatan County Benjamin Waldron didn't marry Elizabeth Jennings until 1810, fully 30 to 40 years after my four times great grandfather Benjamin Walrond married his first wife, also named Elizabeth but maiden unknown.

Chart illustrating that Benjamin Waldron (<1765-1811) DID NOT Marry
Elizabeth Jennings; created using Microsoft Powerpoint

According to his Find A Grave memorial Benjamin Walrond died on 25 January 1811 and was interred in an unknown location.  I have not yet located a last will and testament.

Lucy (Ellington) Walrond's brother Dewey wrote his will on an unknown date in advance of "travel to foreign country and not knowing that I shall ever return." His will was proved in Abbeville County on 22 March 1814. He left his sister, Lucy, $200.

I have not been able find Lucy in the 1820 census so believe she went to live with a relative, perhaps one of her three daughters, who were all married by that time. According to her Find a Grave memorial, she died in 1821 at the age of 57.

A Word about DNA

Benjamin Walrond's parents are believed to be William Walrond and Nancy Elizabeth Wood, but this is not yet proven. A Benjamin Walrond is listed in the last will and testament of William Walrond, but I do not know definitively if it was same Benjamin Walrond. I have been able to resolve nine DNA matches with Benjamin Walrond as the common shared ancestor -- eight through his sons, Benjamin, Jr., Thomas, Samuel and Moses. The ninth match is the intriguing one. Based on the shared chromosome segments, we should be related between our fourth and six great grandparents. Her Waldron brickwall is "Frances Pamela Waldron."

In researching Frances Pamela Waldron, I found several records that indicated she was Permelia Frances Waldron (c1845-1911), who married twice to 1) Henry A. Kingery in 1861 and 2) Ezekiel James Mountcastle in 1864. She was listed in the 1850 and 1860 census living in the household of Isaac Walrond (1807-1910). There the online documents end. I believe Isaac was related to Benjamin Waldron and based on his date of birth he could be a nephew or, more likely, the son of a nephew.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. The theme for this week was "Where There's a Will," and I sure wish I could find one for this four times great grandfather!

Using the Ancestral Reference Numbering System, Benjamin Waldron is Ancestor number 66 on my family tree:

66.0 Benjamin Walrond (later spelled Waldron) born before 1761, likely between 1730 and 1740, perhaps in Henrico County, Virginia; died on 25 January 1811 in Campbell County, Virginia, near Lynchburg; married twice 1) to Elizabeth (maiden name unknown), who died before 1788 when he married 2) Lucy Ellington, daughter of Jeremiah Ellington and Frances "Fanny" Jones, on 6 August 1788 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Known children (though there may be more):

66.1 Benjamin Walrond, Jr., born 10 June 1777, according to the Walrond family bible; died 24 March 1839 in Franklin County, Virginia; married twice: 1) Patsey Wiley on 28 March 1796 in Amherst County, Virginia; (She died before 1804.) and 2) Martha "Patsy" Owen, daughter of James Owen and Elizabeth Russell, on 2 April 1804 in Bedford County.

33.0 Anna Mariah or Anna Marie Walrond born in 1782 in Virginia, likely Halifax County; died 24 October 1868 in Amherst County, Virginia; interred at the Jennings Family Cemetery in Willow, Virginia; married John W. Jennings, Sr., on 19 January 1805 in Bedford County, Virginia.

66.2 Thomas Walrond born 1782 in Halifax County, Virginia; died 4 January 1864 in Tazewell County, Virginia; married twice, first to Sally Tate, daughter of Nathaniel Tate and Rhoda Terry, on 12 June 1799 in Bedford County, Virginia, and secondly to Anna Rebecca Day, daughter of Edward M. Day and Ursula Sublett, on 17 March 1818 in Warren County, North Carolina.

66.3 Moses A. Walrond born 1784 in Halifax County; died after the Civil War in Bedford County, Virginia and interred at the Old Waldron Cemetery on Waldron's Knob Mountain; married Mary "Polly" St. Clair, daughter of Robert St. Clair, Sr., and Ruth (maiden name unknown), on 5 May 1804 in Botetourt County, Virginia.

66.4 Sarah "Sally" Walrond married George Haines on 7 October 1802 in Franklin County, Virginia. 

66.6 Mary "Polly" Walrond married John Pinckard on 3 June 1811 in Franklin County.

66.7 Nancy Walrond born about 1793 in Virginia; married Bailey Pinckard on 22 November 1811 in Campbell County.

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[1] The name is now spelled Waldron.
[2] There is also a South Carolina marriage index record stating Lucy Ellington married Waldon between 1774 and 1790 in Abbeville District, South Carolina. In this narrative I have discounted this record. Based on research into the life of Jeremiah Ellington, it appears he did not move from Virginia until after Lucy was married.

Sources:
1790 U.S. Federal Census (Reconstructed), Virginia State Enumerations 1782-1785, citing Benjamin Walrond, 1782, Halifax County, page 99 (accessed 21 Feb 2016).
1810 U.S. Census (database with images), FamilySearch.org, citing Benjamin Waldron, Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia,  United States; p. 6, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 68; FHL microfilm 181428 (accessed 20 Feb 2016).
Bedford County Marriage Bonds, (document copy provided by LaMona Waldron Phillips), citing Anna Walrond, John Jennings and Benjamin Walrond, father.
Bedford County, Virginia, Wikipedia (accessed 20 Feb 2018).
Campbell County, Virginia, Wikipedia (accessed 20 Feb 2018).
Did John W. Jennings, Sr. (c1777-1858) Marry His Niece?, Tangled Roots and Trees (accessed 20 Feb 2018)
Halifax County, Virginia, Wikipedia (accessed 20 Feb 2018).
Haplogroup I-M253, Wikipedia (accessed 20 Feb 2018).
Henrico County, Virginia, Wikipedia (accessed 20 Feb 2018).
John W. Jennings, Sr. (c1776-1858): War of 1812 Veteran, Tangled Roots and Trees (accessed 20 Feb 2018)
Land Grants, (database and images), Library of Virginia, citing Benjamin Walroud, Land Grant No. 200872, dated 16 Jan 1800, Land Office Grants Book 54, page 127 (Reel 120).
Last Name: Waldron, Surname Database (accessed 20 Feb 2018).
Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Wikipedia (accessed 20 Feb 2018).
Pittsylvania Deed Books, (transcription provided by LaMona Waldron Phillips), citing Benjamin Walrond and daughters Sally and Polly, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, dated 30 Jan 1797, Book 11, Page 97.
Releasing Milla, Tangled Roots and Trees (accessed 20 Feb 2018)
Shires of Virginia, Wikipedia (accessed 20 Feb 2018)
South Carolina Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980, (database and images), Ancestry.com, citing Dewi Ellington, 1814, Abbeville, South Carolina, Index and Wills, Vol. 1, 1787-1815, page 624 (accessed 5 May 2016).
South Carolina Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980, (database and images), Ancestry.com, citing Dewi Eillington, 1814, Abbeville, South Carolina, Probate Records, Boxes 31, Pages 692, 1814 (accessed 17 Apr 2016).
South Carolina Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980, (database and images), Ancestry.com, citing Jeremiah Ellington, 1796, Abbeville, South Carolina, Probate Records, Boxes 32, Packages 704, 1796 (accessed 17 Apr 2016).
U.S. Find A Grave Index (database and images), Findagrave.com, citing Benjamin Walrond, Sr., unknown, Memorial number 141127809 (accessed 15 May 2015).
U.S. Find A Grave Index (database and images), Findagrave.com, citing Elizabeth Walrond, unknown, Memorial number 141320172 (accessed 15 May 2015).
U.S. Find A Grave Index (database and images), Findagrave.com, citing Lucy Ellington Walrond, 1770-1821, Memorial number 14129748 (accessed 15 May 2015).
Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940 (database), FamilySearch.org, citing Benjamin Walrond and Lucy Ellinton, 06 Aug 1788, Pittsylvania, Virginia; reference Page 11; FHL microfilm 33326 (accessed 11 Feb 2018).
Virginia Select Marriages, 1785-1940 (database), Ancestry.com, citing Benjamin Walrond and Lucy Ellinton, 06 Aug 1788, Pittsylvania, Virginia; reference Page 11; FHL microfilm 33326 (accessed 11 Feb 2018).

John W. Jennings (1776-1858): War of 1812 Veteran
Did John W. Jennings Marry His Niece?
Releasing Milla
Slave Name Roll Project

52 Ancestors #4: John W. Jennings, Sr. (c1776-1858): War of 1812 Veteran

Ancestor: John W. Jennings, Sr., three times great grandfather
DNA Haplogroup: I-M253

According to his headstone John W. Jennings was born in 1776. He was one of seven known children born to Benjamin Jennings and his first wife. It is likely John was born in the eastern portion of Cumberland County, which became Powhatan County the year after his birth. His father was an overseer on the plantation of Samuel Pankey the year prior to his birth. That plantation became part of Powhatan County when the county was formed. Many genealogists list William as his middle name but I have never seen a record or document which includes a full middle name only the initial "W."

His father fought in the Revolutionary War on two separate occasions. In fact, it is possible his father was on duty with his Militia company at the time John was born. We know he was away fighting with the Continental Army from at least June 1777 through December 1788 in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. We don't know exactly when he came home, but little John was probably walking and maybe even talking -- or trying to.

In 1780 Richmond replaced Williamsburg as the capital of Virginia, but little else changed when the war was over. Powhatan County lay just outside the war zone so suffered little damage. Life continued much as before the war, at least for children. John's father may have been concerned with the economic turmoil that faced the new nation and Virginia's economy.

In 1786, Thomas Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom separated the church and the state in Virginia for the first time. No longer was the Anglican Church the official church. This may have affected the Jennings family as several of John's siblings were members of a Baptist church after they moved to Chesterfield County as adults.

Marriage to Anna Mariah Walrond

John surely spent his young boyhood with his parents, but we do not know if his father indentured him to someone to learn a trade or if he continued working for his father on the farm. His father married for the second time in 1796. Almost a decade later John followed suit. On 19 January 1805, he took out a bond in order to marry Anna Mariah Walrond[1]. Her father provided surety. At the time, a marriage bond was given to the court by the intended groom prior to his marriage. It affirmed there was no moral or legal reason why the couple could not be married and it also affirmed the groom would not change his mind. If he did, and did not marry the intended bride, he would forfeit the bond. Otherwise, it was void.

Anna Mariah Walrond was the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth Walrond[2]. She was born in 1782 likely in Halifax County, Virginia. Her family moved to Pittsylvania County, Virginia, between 1784 and 1787 the year Anna's mother died. Her father remarried the next year. Her older brother married in Amherst County in 1796 and then for the second time in 1804 in Bedford County. Perhaps Anna lived with him?

Sketch of Buckingham County; courtesy of Slate River Press

War of 1812

We believe after their marriage John and Anna lived in Buckingham County where he likely farmed. They had three of their ten children before the War of 1812. (Three more would be born during the war.) Since Great Britain's war with Napoleonic France began, the Royal Navy had enforced a naval blockade, which the U.S. considered illegal.  When the HMS Leopold fired on USS Chesapeake off Norfolk, Virginia, anti-British sentiments were inflamed. The British began supplying Indians, who conducted raids on the frontier. This hindered expansion and provoked more U.S. ire. Finally, under heavy pressure, President James Madison declared war on 18 June 1812.

On or about 29 December 1813 John volunteered with Captain William Flood's company of the Virginia Militia from Buckingham County. The company marched 175 miles to Norfolk where the men enlisted. John's company was part of the 100th Regiment (Virginia Militia), which was tasked by the General Assembly with defending Norfolk from the British. In a later affidavit, John claimed to have marched to the Norfolk area where he served until 11 April 1814. The men were encamped in a peach orchard next to Fort Norfolk with men from the North Carolina militia. Originally housed in tents, the soldiers eventually built huts large enough to accommodate several men. In the event of an attack, the men would move into the fort and defend it. He would have been issued a smooth bore flint lock musket, but would have been required to provide his own uniform. Uniform frock coats and pants were blue with red trim and the hat was round with a cockade and red and black feathers.

Plan of Fort Norfolk; courtesy Wikipedia

Upon his return from Norfolk, John's father died. John inherited no land but did inherit one-fourth of his father's personal property valued at $1,334, perhaps less if Benjamin's second wife claimed her dower rights to the personal property. We know she claimed them for the land John's sisters inherited.

John and Anna had four more children. I believe all were born in Buckingham County. He was enumerated in New Canton in 1820, which was about 60 miles west of Richmond on the south side of the James River. Sometime before 1850, John moved his family to Amherst County, Virginia, which was 60 miles southwest of New Canton, at the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.

John was not enumerated in the census again until 7 December 1850. At that time he was 74 years old and lived with his wife in Amherst County, Virginia, He had a 90-acre farm on which he raised livestock, wheat, corn and potatoes. The farm also produced 120 pounds of butter during the course of a year. Six of his sons, who also lived in Amherst County, also farmed. His youngest son, George, remained at home. An analysis of the farms of John and his sons leads one to speculate he may have begun dividing his land among his sons prior to 1850.

Analysis of the farms of John W. Jennings, Sr., and his sons in 1850 (click on
image to enlarge); created using Microsoft Excel

One of several bounty land laws was enacted in 1850. It rewarded the service of veterans who had not previously received land and who had served at any time since 1790. The amount of land received was tied to a veteran's length of service. Nine month's service entitled a veteran to 160 acres; four months, to 80 acres; and one month, to 40 acres. The land could be inherited but could not be assigned by the warantee. Another act passed in 1852 enabled veterans to assign the bounty land to whoever they chose. It also extended the 1850 law to men who served in the militia after 1812. John was now entitled to bounty land.

On 7 April 1853 John received a warrant for 40 acres of land. Originally the warrant entitled veterans to land in Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan and later Missouri, but starting in 1852 bounty land could be assigned outside these districts. John was back at court on 16 March 1855. He swore he had received a warrant for 40 acres of land but that it had been lost by the county justice of the peace. Archive records indicated he received a second warrant for 120 of land on 4 September 1856.

All of John's children had married by 1850 except his youngest son George. According to another Jennings researcher his daughter, Martha Ann, died in August of 1855. Three years later, his son Powhatan Perrow, died on 20 August 1858, at the age of 45. A few months later, 85-year-old John became ill with pneumonia and died on 19 December 1858. He was buried in the family cemetery on his land. The cemetery remains on private land now owned by Edgar Fitzgerald. John's widow died a decade later on 24 October 1868 and was also interred in the family cemetery.

Jennings Family Cemetery; the house in the background once belonged to the
Jennings family; courtesy of Ancestry.com member jeaniespence77

I know he wrote a will which was filed with the Amherst County court after his death. The index to the county's will books indicate other probate records exist such as an estate appraisal and list of sales the estate made after his death. However, the actual will books in which those documents were filed do not exist on Ancestry.com. So I have ordered copies directly from the Amherst County Circuit Court.

When I began writing about my three times great grandfather John W. Jennings, Sr., I realized had not spent nearly as much time analyzing the records I had collected for him as I had spent on his father, Benjamin when preparing my application to join DAR. So I made a belated New Year's resolution: Learn more about John, Sr. I have ordered John's bounty land and pension records from the National Archives and Records Administration and I have submitted an application to join the U.S. Daughters of 1812. Therefore, I will likely revisit this post.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. The theme for this week was "Invite to Dinner," and I have many questions I'd like to ask John, such as how did he meet his wife; where was he in 1830 and 1840; when did he move to Amherst County; why; and what did he do with the bounty land he received. But the biggest question so many Jennings researchers would like to ask is, "John, who were your grandparents?"

Using the Ancestral Reference Numbering System, John W. Jennings, Sr., is Ancestor No. 32 on my family tree. His wife, Anna Maria Waldrond is Ancestor No. 33:

32. John W., Jennings, Sr., son of Benjamin Jennings, Sr., born 1776 in Virginia; died 19 December 1858 in Amherst County, Virginia; marriage bond to wed Anna Mariah (Ann Marie) Walrond (Waldron) dated 19 January 1805 in Bedford County, Virginia. 

33.0 Anna Maria Walrond (now spelled Waldron) born in 1782 likely in Halifax County, Virginia, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth Walrond (maiden name unknown); died 24 October 1868 in Amherst County; married John W. Jennings, Sr., on 19 January 1805 in Bedford County.

Known issue:

32.1 John W. Jennings, Jr., born about 1805 (headstone indicates 20 November 1803) in Virginia, likely in Buckingham County; died 1 March 1886 in Amherst County; interred at the Jennings family cemetery; married Elizabeth "Eliza" Ann Vernon, daughter of Jonathan Vernon and Susan Matthews, on 21 November 1832 in Charlotte County, Virginia

32.2 Daniel Webster Jennings, born about 1807 in Virginia, likely in Buckingham County; died 25 December 1892 in Amherst County per his obituary; married Martha Ann Staples, daughter of Charles and Priscilla Staples, likely before 1836.

32.3 Benjamin W. Jennings, born about 1809 in Virginia, likely in Buckingham County; died after 1894; married 1) Martha (maiden name unknown) likely before 1835 and Elizabeth Lawrence on 25 November 1894 in Polk County, Texas.

16.0 Powhatan Perrow Jennings, born 25 December 1812, per his headstone, in Virginia, likely in Buckingham County; died 11 October 1858 in Amherst County; interred at Tudor Hall Cemetery in Fancy Hill in Amherst County; married 1) Catherine Jewell, daughter of Thomas Jewell and Sarah Downs, on 23 February 1836 in Amherst County and 2) Elizabeth A. Rhodes, daughter of Jonathan Rhodes and Lucretia Harrison on 10 May 1854 in Amherst County.

32.4 Permelia Ann Jennings, born about 1813 in Virginia, likely in Buckingham County; died after 1865; married Jesse Jones on 5 September 1832 in Campbell County, Virginia.

32.5 Martha Ann Jennings, born about 1813 in Virginia, likely Buckingham County per another Jennings researcher; died in 1855 per another Jennings researcher; married Livingston Chenault, son of John and Eliza Chenault, on 21 December 1846 in Amherst County.

32.6 Henry Palmer Jennings, born about 1818 in Virginia, likely in Buckingham County; died 8 August 1886 in Amherst County; married Nancy A. maiden name unknown before 1841.

32.7 Pleasant Jefferson Jennings, born in 1820 per headstone in Virginia, likely Buckingham County; died 29 September 1887 in Walker County, Texas; interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, Walker County; married Martha A. C. D. Kelley, daughter of Radford Kelley, on 17 September 1839 in Campbell County, Virginia.

32.8 Patterson Gilliam Jennings, born about 1824 in Virginia, likely Buckingham County; died 2 August 1899 in Amherst County; married Caroline Matilda Kidd, daughter of Robert Kidd and Nancy Pamplin, on 22 February 1847 in Nelson County, Virginia.

32.9 George W. Jennings, born about 1830 in Virginia, likely Buckingham County; murdered on 1 July 1890 in Polk County, Texas; may have married Mary C. A. Clement on 8 July 1853 in Campbell County, Virginia.

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[1] Now commonly spelled Waldron.
[2] Many public trees list Elizabeth Jennings, John W. Jennings, Sr.'s sister, as the first wife of Benjamin Waldron and as the mother of Anna Marie Waldron, John's wife. This is not correct. It is true that Benjamin Waldron's first wife was named Elizabeth, but her maiden name has never been discovered. Elizabeth Jennings did marry a Benjamin Waldron but not until 1810. Ann Marie Waldron was born in 1782; therefore Elizabeth Jennings cannot be her mother. In addition, there were three men named Benjamin Waldron who lived in Virginia in 1810. Benjamin Waldron, Sr., father of Ann Marie, was married to his second wife, Lucy Ellington, when Elizabeth Jennings married. Benjamin Waldron, Jr., brother of Ann Mare, was married to his second wife, Martha "Patsy" Owen, when Elizabeth Jennings married. So she had to have married the third man named Benjamin Waldron. For more details and other proof, read Did John W. Jennings, Sr., (c1777-1858) Marry His Niece?

Sources:
1820 US Census, database with images, Ancestry.com, John Jennings, New Canton, Buckingham, Virginia; citing page 147, NARA Roll M33_132, Image 124 (accessed 16 Apr 2016)
1850 US Census, database with images, FamilySearch, John J Jennings, Amherst county, Virginia, USA; citing family 984, NARA microfilm publication M432 (accessed 16 Apr 2016)
1850 Selected Non-population Schedule, Ancestry.com, John W Jennings, Eastern District, Amherst, Virginia (accessed 16 Apr 2016)
1850 US Census (Slave Schedule), database with images, FamilySearch, J W Jenning, Amherst county, Virginia, USA; citing line numbers 13-18, NARA microfilm publication M432, FHL microfilm 444,973 (accessed 4 Aug 2017)
About the Virginia Land Office, Library of Virginia (accessed (4 Jan 2018)
Bounty-Land Warrant Application Index, database, Fold3, John Jennings, Private, 1812, Warrant No. 55-120-84903 (accessed 18 Oct 2014)
Butler, Stuart L. Defending the Old Dominion and Its Militia in the War of 1812, (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 2013), pages 558-594 (accessed 13 Feb 2016)
Descendants of John Flood, Genealogy.com (accessed 14 Jan 2018)
Doughtie, Beatrice, Documented Notes on Jennings and Allied Families, (Decatur, GA: Bowen Press, 1961), pages 637-641).
Find a Grave, Memorial ID 148941949, Ann Marie Walton Jennings, 1782-1868 (accessed 27 Nov 2014)
Find a Grave, Memorial ID 148941888, John William Jennings, Sr., 1776-1858 (accessed 27 Nov 2014)
Fort Norfolk, Wikipedia (accessed 14 Jan 2018)
Grose, F. (editor), Amherst County, Virginia, Heritage Book: Family Section, (Amherst County, VA: Amherst County Historical Society, 2000), page 94.
History of Virginia, Wikipedia (accessed 3 Jan 2013)
Interactive Map of Virginia County Formation History, Map of U.S. (accessed 3 Jan 2019)
Tangled Roots and Trees, Benjamin Jennings (c1740-1815): Last Will and Testament (accessed 18 Jan 2018) 
Tangled Roots and Trees, Did John W. Jennings (c1777-1858) Marry His Niece?, 4 May 2016 (accessed 4 Jan 2018)
Third Auditor's Office (editor). Virginia Militia of the War of 1812, (Richmond, VA: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1999), pages 223-225
Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912, database FamilySearch, Jno. Jennings, 19 Dec 1858; citing Amherst, Virginia; reference page 92, FHL microfilm 2,056,972 (accessed 12 Dec 2014)
Virginia Compiled Marriages, 1740-1850, database, Ancestry.com, John Jennings and Anna Walrond, 19 Jan 1805; citing Bedford County (accessed 5 Dec 2014)
Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940, database, FamilySearch, John Jennings in entry for Livingston Chenault and Martha Jennings, 21 Nov 1846; citing Amherst, Virginia, reference page 398; FHL microfilm 30.273, (5 Dec 2014)
Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940, database, FamilySearch, John Jennings in entry for P. P. Jennings and E. Rhodes, 10 May 1854; citing Amherst Co., Virginia; reference Mar Reg 2 p 1; FHL microfilm 30,311 (accessed 5 Dec 2014)
Virginia Select Marriages, 1785-1940, database, Ancestry.com, John Jennings and Anna Wa...ond, 19 Jan 1805; citing Bedford County (accessed 5 Dec 2014)
Virginia Select Marriages, 1785-1940, database, Ancestry.com, John Jennings in entry for P. P. Jennings and E. Rhodes, 10 May 1854 (accessed 5 Dec 2014)
Virginia Militia Line Infantry, Historic Fort Norfolk (accessed 14 Jan 2018)
Virginia Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1983, database, Ancestry.com, Benjamin Jennings 27 Mar, 19 Jul, 24 Jul 1815, Powhatan County Virginia, images 11, 236-238, 241-242 (accessed 1 Jan 2018)
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Agricultural Schedules: 1850-1900 (accessed 5 May 2014)
War of 1812, Wikipedia (accessed 14 Jan 2018)

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
The Great Jennens Case
Revolutionary War Soldier
There's One Born Every Minute -- Scamming the Greedy
A Forcible Act of Possession
Dicken's Bleak House Is about My Family

Did John W. Jennings, Sr. (c1777-1858) Marry His Niece?

In early April one of my fellow Jennings researchers forwarded me an email from another Jennings researcher, who believed John W. Jennings, Sr., (c1777-1858) was not the son of Benjamin Jennings (c1740-1815). I have considered these two men my three times and four times grandfathers, respectively, for many years. The doubter believed John's sister, Elizabeth had married Benjamin Walrond, who was the father of Anna Mariah Walrond. She was John W. Jennings, Sr.'s wife. If true, it would mean 1) John married his niece, 2) John was not a son of Benjamin Jennings, Sr., 3) Elizabeth married a different Benjamin Walrond, or 4) Anna Mariah Walrond was not the daughter of Benjamin Walrond.

Abtract of Benjamin Jennings, Sr.'s will; courtesy of Documented Notes on
Jennings and Allied Families by Beatrice Doughtie

Emails were flying as four of us began trying to prove one of the four possibilities. As I participated in the exchanges, it became apparent to me that pooled together we had more than enough records about the Benjamin Jennings family group to prove whatever scenario prevailed. What we were sorely missing was research about the Benjamin Walrond family group. I confined myself to online research for nearly two weeks and began to develop information about Benjamin Walrond and his family, but there were still questions.

Meanwhile, emails continued to fly. Honestly, I got confused by all the evidence we were citing in these efforts, including my own. So I stopped researching and began indexing and analyzing.

Snippet of the Jennings-Walrond timeline I created using Excel

First I created a timeline for the relevant people. When completed it had 141 entries and required 6 pages to print.[1] It included Year, Location, Fact, Person, Source, and Description/Notes as column headings. The timeline included the following people:

• Anna Maria Walrond (about 1782-1868)
• Benjamin Jennings, Sr. (c1740-1815)
• Benjamin Walrond, Sr. (after 1765-1811)
• Benjamin Walrond, Jr. (1777-1839)
• Elizabeth Jennings (c1775-unknown)
• Elizabeth MNU[2] (after 1765-before 1788)
• John W. Jennings, Sr. (about 1777-1858)
• Lucy Ellington (1770-1821)
• Martha "Patsy" Owen (after 1776-1840)
• Patsey Wiley (unknown-bef 1804)

Courtesy of Ancestry.com

Courtesy of Ancestry.com

Next, I conducted one more research sweep as the timeline raised some questions I had not previously considered and hinted at one critical fact I had not known before. The second research sweep confirmed there were three, not two, men named Benjamin Walrond living in Virginia at that time. So I conducted a third research sweep about the new Benjamin Waldron. Then, I began analyzing my timeline. That analysis included several facts that led me to identify several important proof points:

1. Benjamin Walrond, Sr., was born before 1765.
2. Benjamin Walrond, Sr., married Elizabeth MNU between 1775-1780.
3. Benjamin Walrond (who married Elizabeth Jennings) was born about 1775.
4. Benjamin Walrond, Jr., was born in 1777.
5. Anna Maria Walrond was born about 1782.
6. Elizabeth (MNU) Walrond, died before 1788.
7. Benjamin Walrond, Sr., married Lucy Ellington on 6 August 1788 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
8. Benjamin Walrond, Jr., married Patsey Wiley on 28 March 1796.
9. Benjamin Walrond, Jr., married Martha "Patsy" Owen on 2 April 1804 in Bedford County, Virginia.
10. John W. Jennings, Sr., married Anna Mariah Walrond on 19 January 1805 in Bedford County.
11. Elizabeth Jennings married Benjamin Walrond on 11 January 1810 in Powhatan County, Virginia.
12. There were three men named Benjamin Walrond, who lived in Lynchburg, Bedford County, and Chesterfield County, Virginia when the 1810 census was enumerated.
13. Benjamin Jennings, Sr., wrote his will on 27 March 1815 in Powhatan County, Virginia. In it he listed Elizabeth Walrond; Dorothea Pemberton; Benjamin Jennings, Jr.; Daniel, Edward, John, James, and Patsy as his heirs.
14. Benjamin Walrond, Sr., likely died before the 1820 census was enumerated.
15. Two men named Benjamin Walrond, who lived in Bedford County and Chesterfield County, were enumerated in the 1820 census.
16. No evidence was discovered that indicated Benjamin Walrond, Sr., divorced Lucy Ellington before 1810.
17. No evidence was discovered that indicated Benjamin Walrond, Jr., divorced Martha "Patsy" Owen before 1810.
18. Lucy (Ellington) Walrond died in 1821.
19. Benjamin Walrond, Jr., died in 1839.
20. Martha "Patsy" (Owen) Walrond died in 1840.

Courtesy of Ancestry.com

Courtesy of Ancestry.com

Conclusion

There were three men named Benjamin Walrond who lived in Virginia in 1810; the year Elizabeth Jennings married a Benjamin Walrond. This was the big revelation! So which one did she marry?

My conclusion was Benjamin Walrond Sr. was first married to a woman named Elizabeth; her maiden name is not known to this day. She was the mother of Benjamin Walrond, Jr., born in 1777 and Anna Maria Waldrond, born about 1782. Elizabeth (MNU) died about 1787. Benjamin Walrond, Sr., then married Lucy Ellington in 1788. They were married until he died sometime before 1820. They lived in Lynchburg in 1810. Therefore, he was married to Lucy when Elizabeth Jennings married a Benjamin Walrond in January 1810.

Benjamin Walrond, Jr. was married to Patsey Wiley in 1796. She apparently died or they divorced before 1804 when Benjamin Jr. married Martha "Patsy" Owen from 1804. They were married until his death in 1839. Benjamin Walrond, Jr., lived in Bedford County when the 1810 and 1820 census were enumerated. Therefore, neither father or son could have married Elizabeth Jennings in 1810.

The Benjamin Walrond who married Elizabeth Jennings and lived in Chesterfield County when the 1810 and 1820 census were enumerated. His parents are not known nor is it known if there is any relationship between him and Benjamin Walrond, Sr., and Benjamin, Walrond, Jr.

John W. Jennings, Sr., was a son of Benjamin Jennings because he was listed as an heir, along with his other siblings, in Benjamin Jennings, Sr.'s will; and Ben Jennings was listed as his father on his death registration. He did not marry his niece!

These are complicated relationships to explain in words so I created a diagram;
made using Microsoft PowerPoint

I reached out to a very knowledgeable Walrond researcher, who sent me all her notes and source document transcriptions for the three men named Benjamin Walrond. She confirmed there were three men named Benjamin Walrond who lived in Virginia during the critical time period and helped me sort out where each one lived. She also stated the three men named Benjamin Walrond used the Sr. and Jr. suffixes interchangeably, or did not use them at all, which explained away many of the contradictions in the records.

So I met a wonderful new research collaborator -- my 5th cousin once removed -- learned the name of another 4 times great grandfather (Benjamin Walrond, Sr.), solidified previous research, and was able to identify the common shared ancestor of a few more DNA matches because I had worked so hard on the Walrond/Waldron line. It was a good exercise!

_______________
[1]Not included at the time of analysis were record transcriptions I later received from a Walrond researcher. The timeline now includes over 200 documented facts about the relevant members of the Jennings and Walrond families.

[2] MNU = Maiden name unknown.

I wrote extensively about the descendants of John William Jennings, Sr. and his wife, Anna Maria Walrond/Waldron, in 2015.