Volume XXVII
December 2, 1998
Information Exchange
This is the second part of the excerpts from Verna Thomas Jernigan's book, Leaves of the Jernigan Tree that Judith Jernigan Oldham sent me. Since I know that a lot of you have been looking for a copy of this out of print book and also since we have permission to make copies of this book from Verna, I thought the best way to do this was to put Judith's excerpts on the homepage. Thanks again Judith for all the work you did to get this out to others!
All of the following information is from Verna's little out of print book, "Leaves of the Jernigan Tree"
The book was dedicated to Verland Jernigan, husband to Verna: It was completed in 1968, and was well researched, with sources included. Following are excerpts from the book:
Needham was a Justice of the Peace and ran a tan yard. Buried on a hillside across from Alexander Jernigan's home place on Jernigan Branch Road out of Gossburg. Source: Verna Jernigan, "Leaves of the Jernigan Tree".
Says Verna:
"Everywhere I went and almost everyone with whom I had heard of "Uncle Needham" who must have been quite a character, A great many had also heard the "Cow in the cabbage patch" story. I was told this story at least five times in widely separated areas,... and always Needham figured in it some way or other. The latest telling was by the sprightly very young-in-heart J. Freelan "Shug" Green, although he is well past his allotted three score and ten.
When we arrived at Shug's house he was across the street, and he skipped across to meet us and literally ran up a flight of about twelve steps. Traffic on the busy street gave him no trouble "Let them wait," he said.
Shug is the grandson of Needham and I will tell the story very much as he told it to me.
Needham had a neighbor, John Burks who was given to telling tall tales. One morning he passed Needham's house and Needham called out to him, "John tell me a lie before you can think." John replied, 'Aw., I don't have time to tell you a lie now, and besides you had better go and get the cow out of your cabbage patch, cause it is eating up all your cabbages." Needham yelled, "Polly.., hey Polly..., go chase that cow out of the garden before he eats up every-thing in it." Polly ran out to the garden but there was no cow in sight. But Needham got his tall tale.
Another of Shug's stories was of John, son of Uzzell, who was called John Bull. John was a young boy and his voice was changing. One day he had some sort of accident with the wagon and it turned over on him. He could not get out from under it and lay there calling out., "Somebody COME GET me out of HERE. SOMEBODY come get ME OUT OF here."
Needham is said to have kept his money in the house, hidden in a coffee pot and he always had the pot full of gold coins."
Please refer to notes under Alexander C Jernigan, and much of the family history and notes regarding the emigration from North Carolina to Tennessee apply to Lewis, as well.
Lewis sold land on March 1, 1801. to John B. Devine, the step father of his cousins Alexander, and Lewis.
DEED
Johnston County, North Carolina Deed Book Z1, page 269, March 11, 1801.
Lewis Jernigan, Jr. of Johnston County, Tennessee to John B. Devine for 60 Lbs., 118 acres in Johnston County on Mill Branch.
his
Lewis X Jernigan
mark
his
Alex X Jernigan
mark
Witnessed by Ben Phillips
Lewis and Francis were listed in Coffee County, TN in the Census of 1850 and 1860.(But would have been in the middle Tennessee area much earlier, according to Verna Jernigan) He is the first cousin of Alexander. His son Needham married Alexander's daughter Mary. Lewis and Frances received a land grant on Garrison Fork of the Duck River Aug. 14, 1846.
From "Life of Rev. William Keele" by John D. Ewell: "We would state that Lewis the father of Rev. Jesse Jernigan was a frequent attendant at the prayer meetings in his neighborhood. He was a member of Garrison Fort Church, and at an advanced age died in the triumphs of faith."
Lewis, Sr. has been proven a Revolutionary Patriot and so designated by the DAR;, for his service in furnishing beef cattle and other sundries for the use of the American Army in 1781.
NOTE From "GA Genealogical Magazine": Issues 1-2, 1961: Cary Jernigan of Johnson City, NC murdered by Nathan Atkinson, a Tory; 8-20-1786 Craven Co. Atkinson somehow escaped his murder conviction; lived in NC in later years.
May 1786 Johnson Co May term . " It having been made appear by the oath of Jerusha Jernigan that she goies in danger of her life from the ill treatment and threats of Cary Jernigan, it is therefore ordered that a precept issue to the Sheriff directing him to take the said Cary Jernigan before some Justice, there to find good and sufficient security for his peaceable behavior in general and particularly towards the said Jerusha Jernigan, or put him in jail, and make return of his proceedings thereon to the next court. Transcribed by Verna Jernigan 1968.
Revolutionary War Soldier North and South Carolina. Henry,
Jr. married Ann and they became the parents of four sons and three daughters: Lewis, Cary,
Jacob, Jesper, Belinda, Elizabeth and Jemima. Of these, Cary and Lewis are the forefathers
of most of the Jernigan families in the middle Tennessee area. Cary's wife was named
Jerusa, and they had five ND they had five children: a daughter Nancy, a daughter Bethany,
and three sons, Lewis, Alexander, and Allen. Cary lived in the town of Smithfield in
Johnston County, North Carolina. He purchased land on Board Tree Branch in1782. On
September 11, 1784 he attended a sale in the settlement of an estate and purchased
"two, brass 9 candlesticks, one gilt trunk, one pair of money scales, one candle
mole, one large trunk, one -bung bour, one rum cock". - Cary was in the Militia
during the Revolutionary War. A copy of the voucher that he received for payment for his
service in the Militia is described as follows:
North Carolina No. 160
Newbern District
This may certify that Cary Jernigan (name written in) of Johnston County (Johnston written
in), for Militia duty, as per Capt Bryan (Bryan written In) Payroll, was allowed the sum
of (illegible (on my copy) amount specified and written in) Specie this ?d day June, 1782
(June and 2 are written in.)
There are two illegible (on my copy) signatures written in with District Auditors Typed
next to signatures. When these vouchers were paid they were cancelled with a hole cut in
them. This was a way of avoiding counterfeiting as the position and size of the hole in
the soldier's voucher and the Government copy of it had to match.
On August 20, 1786 Cary was shot and killed by one Nathan Atkinson "with one leaden bullets feloniously wilfully, and with malice aforethought". Atkinson was convicted and sentenced to be hanged but later was pardoned by the Governor (Court Records of Craven County N. C. Nov. 22, 1786.)
In the settlement of Cary's estate Jerusha and each of their five children received thirty-one pounds, seven shillings, three pence. Cary was mentioned in the will of his father, Henry Jr. and received land, and slaves named Hannah, Farrow and Frank but was not named in the will of his mother Ann, as he died before she did.
When Cary had been dead eight years his widow Jerusha married John Divine. He must have been a wonderful step-father to Cary's sons and daughters, because Alexander gave him all of his household goods that he could not bring with him to Tennessee and spoke of him as 'my beloved step-father".
The deed of gift from Alexander to John B. Divine follows,
with all of the original spelling and punctuation.
Militia information is from: *Roster of N. C. Soldiers in the American Revolution,
published by the Genealogical Publishing Company, in Baltimore 1967 a DAR book:
Johnston was formed in 1746 from Craven. It was named in honor of Gabriel Johnston, Governor of North Carolina, 1734-1752. It is in the eastern section of the State and is bounded by Wilson, Wayne, Sampson, Cumberland, Harnett, Wake and Nash counties. The present land area is 791.60 square miles and the 1990 population was 81,306. The first court was held at the home of Francis Stringer at the Ferry of Neuse River. Court was held at Hinton's Quarter on the south side of Neuse River, 1759-1760, and probably before that date. In August, 1771, it was held at John Smith's. From 1771 to 1776 the county seat was called Johnston Court House. In 1771 Smithfield was established "where the Court House, prison and stocks now stand." Smithfield is the county seat.
*****
Bonnie Taft found the following book "Pioneering in the Panhandle" by Wm. Jas. Wells 1976 while browsing in tiny Bonifay, FL gen. section. Inside she found:
Charles Felon Jernigan b. Dixonville, FL married Georgianna Hancock ( b. 13 Feb 1881 in Castleberry, AL) on 31 Jul 1901.
His siblings were William Jernigan a Baptist preacher in
West FL, and Callie who married __Golden. They had a son Albert Golden.
Charles Felon Jernigan moved to Castleberry, AL and operated a shingle mill on Jernigan
Creek. After 9 years they moved to Condon Place on Santa Rosa Sound, continuing with
shingle mill and then returned to East Bay. Felon and his two sons operated a saw mill
there.
*****
Bill Jernigan discovered
this in browsing through "Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia". He writes that "I
found some Jernigan names that were not familiar to me.
In the 1820 census of Appling Co. GA., the name Nathan Jernigan appeared.
In the 1820 census of Irwin Co. GA. a Moses Jernigan and Ezekiel Jernigan was listed.
Ezekiel Jernigan was shown as being a Justice of the Inferior court.
A Celia Jernigan , dau. of James Jernigan married a Jesse Byrd. She was born in 1839.
A William E. Smith married as his 3rd wife a Martha Jernigan, a dau. of James Jernigan.
If any subscriber of The Jernigan Homepage has any further info on these Jernigans , I
would certainly like to hear from them."
*****
Kathy Mosley sends this. She says that she thought this very interesting and wanted to pass it along...
"In the most recent issue of the Carolina Herald and Newsletter, the publication of the SC Genealogical Society, was this note:
Clues from the Names of Deed Witnesses
The following is from a Minnesota Genealogical Newsletter. "In the lower left corner of most old deeds you will find (the signatures of ) two to four witnesses. The first one is always from the husband's side, the next two from the wife's side. That is to protect her one-half dower rights under the law - Nothing you will ever use will give greater clues to maiden names."
*****
Barbara Stancliff
found these Jernigans in NC militia, War of 1812 in a muster roll in rootsweb usgenweb
archives for NC in 1812.
2nd Reg. 6th Co. det from Wayne Co Reg David Jennigan
2nd Reg, 9th Co, detached from Duplin Reg Daniel Jernigan, Buk Jernigan
And this one in the 1814 militia
4th reg, Johnson Co William Junigan
*****
Sharon Tingley found the
following tidbits. Perhaps they are just what you've been searching for!
Will of A. J. Jernigan, dated Aug. 2, 1910, filed in Brown Co., TX (he was buried in May
Cemetery)
Will of Loudie Jones Jernigan dated 15 October 1914, Brown Co., TX
*****
Sharon
Tingley is curious about the following. Does anyone know who
this is? Could this be the son of Kedar Budd Jernigan? The ages are a little off (Bud's
son Martin was born in 1838), but he was said to have run away to TX from his home in
Johnston Co., NC at the age of 16.
This is from the 1860 Smith Co., TX census: Page No. 99, Starville Post Office, Smith
County, TX the 8th day of Aug 1860 #688/684 Martin Jernigan 27 M Farmer 300 personal
NC Mary McCullium 8 F NC
*****
Jernigan Updates
Steve Jernigan sends us this sad news. Our prayers are with the family.
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Kenneth Jernigan, a leading advocate for the blind whose voice was recognized by millions from his public service announcements for the blind on TV, died Monday (10/12/1998) of lung cancer. He was 71.
Jernigan served as director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind from 1958 to 1978. He also was president of the National Federation of the Blind from 1968 to 1986.
Blind since birth, Jernigan operated a furniture shop in Tennessee before becoming an English teacher at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville. He also worked as an instructor for the blind in Oakland, Calif., before becoming head of the Iowa agency.
He received the U.S. Distinguished Service Award, the Winston Gordon Award from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.
*****
Reba Powers sends info on this Jernigan reunion. Contact her if you'd like to attend.
A Jernigan reunion hosted by descendants of Daniel Jernigan & Nancy McKay will be held July 9-11, 1999 in Troy, AL. More details to come...
*****
Editor's Note
I hate to even think about starting this month's editor's note as I know I have a LOT of explaining to do!
It all started back in October (yes this is a scary story!). My computer crashed again. It took a lot of crying and coaxing and a trip to the computer doctor to get it up and running again. That covers about 3 and a half weeks. Then, just as I was getting ready to post the Jernigan homepage, my computer erased my file off of my disk. And as if that weren't enough, I realized that when my computer crashed, it erased my entire Jernigan address book which only contained between two and three hundred email addresses for Jernigans. So that had to be rebuilt also. So that is why the November issue never made it to press. I felt like it was doomed and decided to try again on December 1st. Well it is December 2nd. Unfortunately, Ed's grandmother died the weekend before Thanksgiving, so we had to make a road trip to PA for her funeral. We had planned to go up there for Thanksgiving, so the trip was already planned, but leaving earlier than I planned caught me off-guard so to speak and the Jernigan Homepage didn't get done before we left. So that is why the Jernigan Homepage is one month and one day late!
By the way, if you don't get the notice about the updated homepages and you see this, send me your address. Of if you think I have missed someone's address, send it on. And if any of you have the email that I sent to you in October announcing the updated homepage, if you could forward it back to me, that would be great. I still am working on getting my address book back up to par. Another thing, if you get duplicate messages from me, let me know that too so that I can fix it.
When I left off in October, I had promised to tell you about the scarecrow we made for my business. We went with an alien tourist theme. I made a sign that said, "Intelligent Life has found www.charleston-online.com, have you?" Well the kids liked her because she reminded them of a tellytubby as she had a computer screen in her tummy. For those of you who aren't familiar with those annoying little creatures, you are lucky. They don't rate too high in our household. I guess I'm just too old. We didn't win any prizes for our scarecrow, but we had a great time putting her together.
I am moved into my "office away from home" and find myself there a lot. But that is because the computer crash at home knocked off the software programs that I need to do my work. I haven't had a chance to load them back on yet. I am now the sole person who works on Charleston-online, so it is my baby now. I still have partners in our parent company, but they seem happy to let me run C-O my way which is fun for me.
Halloween came and went. Ed and I spent that night at the fair with our oldest daughter, Cyndi and her boyfriend, John on a double date. We had a great time riding rides and watching stupid shows as well as some interesting ones! Both of the guys did the strong arm man thing. And we did come home with some prizes. If your teenage daughters are having fits because you want to meet her date before they go out, tell them that they are lucky. In our family, Ed insists that we double date on first dates! You should see the eye rolling in our household!
Despite Ed's grandmother's death, Thanksgiving was a good family time. The entire Boots clan headed to PA for the funeral and most were able to stay for the holiday. It was wonderful to be around so much loving family sharing memories.
Grandma is much better off now in heaven than she was here on earth. She was suffering from Alzheimers in a nursing home. I'm sure that now she is having a wonderful reunion with her husband and other family members. We will miss her, because she was one terrific lady. People like her are rare. She was very special.
While in PA, Ed had a job interview. They will be hiring in April, so we will have to wait a couple of months to find out if we will be moving up there. But I'll be sure to keep you updated. Thank goodness for the computer and the internet. I can be anywhere and work and keep in contact with all of y'all.
I've managed to get a lot of my Christmas shopping done and almost everything is wrapped. Now quit your scowling! I start shopping right after Christmas and pick stuff up during the year. That way it isn't so much of a shock to our bank account at the end of the year. Now I have to pick up a few more items and wait for some things to arrive in the mail, get our tree, decorate and enjoy the holiday with family. I am determined to not be rushed this year!
I hope that your holiday will be wonderful. Remember not to get lost in the rush and forget the real reason that we are celebrating this season! Take time to watch a living nativity play, go to church and thank God for the gift of his son and enjoy the time you spend with your families. It is a great time to do genealogy too. Just get grandma or grandpa or great aunt Sophie talking about the good ol' days and ask a few questions. You may discover something!
Merry Christmas and Have a Blessed New Year!
Until then... Happy Hunting!
Your editor,
Marla Boots