Letter from John Hill Jacocks of Haywood County to Jonathan Joseph Jacocks of Bertie County

Photo: Possibly John Hill Jacocks and Emily Naker Nicholls

A letter I found in the Jonathan Jacocks Papers in the Southern Historical Collection at Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is especially meaningful considering so many of my ancestors migrated from Bertie to Haywood County. Of course, many of those who did leave their hometowns to move west for opportunity left behind family members they never saw again.

John Hill Jacocks (1831-1902) was among those who left.

This eight-page letter he wrote with great flourish includes his thoughts on pride in his heritage, the early history of Haywood County, Tenn., memories of childhood visits from distant relatives in Bertie County, N.C. and more.

The “Mr. J. J. Jacocks” to whom John Hill Jacocks wrote was Jonathan Joseph Jacocks (1838-1892) of Windsor, Bertie County, N.C., a Confederate veteran, merchant, Episcopalian and father of eight children. He was married to Emily Baker Nicholls Jacocks (1849-1892), and both died in August 1892, about a year after John Hill Jacocks wrote this letter.

Although John Hill Jacocks is not in my direct ancestral line, he was close to many who were. Ancestry.com lists him as “the father-in-law of my great-grandaunt.”

Last week, I wrote about an 1854 letter written by John’s mother, Margaret Stevenson Clayton Jacocks (c. 1798-1874).

This letter from John is dated Aug. 26, 1891, is packed with references to friends and family who were part of his life, along with many of his known ancestors. This may be of interest to anyone researching Jacocks genealogy.

The letter includes references to:

• Thomas Jacocks of Bertie County, N.C.
• The Rev. James G. Jacocks of Hartford or New Haven, Conn.
• Grace Jacocks, sister of the Rev. James Jacocks
• Tom Jacocks, his cousin
• Louis T. Bond, a relative
• Frank P. Bond, a relative
• Thomas E. Fanning
• Col. Richard Nixon (c. 1769-1831), his great-uncle and an early leader in Haywood County
• Nancy Jacocks Nixon, his great-aunt
• John Jacocks and Jonathan Jacocks III, his great-uncles
• Charles Worth Jacocks III (1767-1803), his grandfather
• Charles Worth Blount Jacocks (c. 1824-1854), his brother
• Jonathan Wyatt of Raleigh, N.C., the man to whom his father was apprenticed
• Janet Young Jacocks, his paternal grandmother
• Margaret Stevenson Clayton Jacocks (c. 1798-1874), his mother
• Asher Clayton, his maternal grandfather
• Mary Whidbee Clayton Leigh, his maternal grandmother
• James Leigh, the second husband of his maternal grandmother
• The Rev. Hezekiah G. Leigh (1795-1853), son of James Leigh
• Richard Leigh, son of James Leigh
• Augustus Jacocks, his brother
• Hardy Jacocks, a relative
• James T. Jacocks, his nephew
• Thomas Carter, his father-in-law
• Sarah Catherine Carter Jacocks (c. 1834-1904), his wife
• Jimmie Jacocks, his son
• Ella Mae Jacocks, his granddaughter

According to “Descendants of Thomas Jacocks Who Died in 1692 in Perquimans Precinct, North Carolina” by William Picard Jacocks (1877-1965), John Hill Jacocks’ grandfather, Charles Worth Jacocks III (1767-1803), was born Dec. 16, 1767. He married Jennett “Janet” Young Jacocks (c. 1772-c. 1829) on Sept. 13, 1791, in Bertie County.

The 1790 census shows Charles as the head of a Bertie County household that included 10 enslaved people, and the 1800 census shows his household included 11 enslaved people. Charles died Dec. 10, 1803, six days before his 36th birthday. His two children, Jonathan Thomas Jacocks (1796-1863) and Ann Maria Worth Jacocks (1803-1828), were placed under the guardianship of their uncle, Jonathan Jacocks III (1769-1810).

Jonathan Thomas Jacocks married Margaret Stevenson Clayton and then followed his uncle, Col. Richard Nixon, to Haywood County in 1823.

His son, John Hill Jacocks, was born Nov. 25, 1831, in Haywood County. He married Sarah Catherine Carter on April 14, 1858. Like most others at that time and in that place, he was primarily a farmer. From 1882 to 1894, he served as a justice of the peace.

John and Sarah had five children: William Thomas Jacocks (1860-1938), Richard Alfonso Jacocks (1861-1908), James Alonzo Jacocks (1864-1941), Joseph Theodore “Joe” Jacocks (1867-1952?) and Katie A. Jacocks (1870-1873).

In the in the census of 1900, you find the family in District 5 of Haywood County.

John was 68 and Sarah was 66. Living with them were their son Joseph Theodore Jacocks, 32; his wife, Myra Lou Moody Jacocks, 31; and their sons, Arthur Wayland Jacocks, 9; Robert T. Jacocks, 3; and Floyd Wilkes Jacocks, 8 months. Also living with the family was John’s widowed sister, Mary Janet Jacocks Shaw, 73.

Arthur Wayland Jacocks (1891-1979), who was 9 in 1900, was the father of my great-uncle, Jesse Theodore “J.T.” Jacocks (1919-1988). Uncle J.T. and Aunt Cordelia Brantley Jacocks (1919-2005) lived next door to Arthur and Myra when I was very young, and I have a fuzzy memory of being in their kitchen with my cousin Jesse Jacocks.

John, Sara and family were living just two farms away from the farm of Charles Buchanan Lovelace (1858-1938) and Nancy Jane Yelverton Lovelace (1861-1936), my second great-grandparents. My great-grandfather, James Luther Lovelace (1885-1968), was 14 and living in the house with eight siblings.

John Hill Jacocks died Dec. 21, 1902 and was buried in the Jacocks Family Cemetery along with his wife and many other relatives.

John Hill Jacock’s son James Alonzo Jacocks (1864-1941) and daughter-in-law Mary Jennie Castellaw Jacocks (1866-1946), with children around 1894.

Mary Jennie was the sister of my great-grandfather, Robert Edward “Bob” Castellaw (1868-1954).

Below is my transcription of John Hill Jacocks’ letter. I corrected some spelling and grammar while transcribing to make his meaning easier to follow.

Brownsville, Tenn., Aug. 26, 1891 Mr. J. J. Jacocks Dear Sir, Before me lies a postal on which I see your name. A name as near and dear to me as to you. Yes, as dear to me as life. I love it and must entertain the kindest and best of feelings toward any and all of lineal descent who bear it. I reverence it because my ancestors bore it. Because my father loved it, my brothers and lastly, my children bear it. And I am proud to say if any of them ever did anything to blot or tarnish it, I have never heard of it. I have reference to my father’s family, which is the only one in this state. My father was visited once by one cousin, Thomas Jacocks, of your county. He was a noble-looking gentleman, one that I admired. I was small, but I remember him well. He said his weight was 207 pounds. Another cousin paid my father a visit whose name was James Jacocks. He was an Episcopal minister. I remember he had a sister whose name was Grace. They lived in Hartford or New Haven, Conn. I disremember which. One thing occurred, however, while he was here, at least in Jackson, Tenn. The evening after he left Father’s, Father sent him by my house [unclear] brother to that point. Soon after supper, said my brother, some 15 or 20 people congregated at the private house of the family with whom cousin Jimmie stopped. After a while, they had family prayers, and while engaged in prayer, after a short ceremony, all present responded, “Amen.” At that moment, Brother got up, looking around. Seeing all still kneeling, he bowed again. Presently, said he, they cried out, “Amen.” Again he arose but took position as before and thought, “I would watch while they prayed.” On his return home, he related the circumstances to Father and family. Said he, “Daddy, what kind of folks are these Episcopalians? All the denominations around here, when they say amen, rise. But Cousin Jimmie’s folks didn’t do that. They said amen and continued until they had said amen three or four times.” I have never heard from him since he left Jackson. Neither have I heard from cousin Tom, only through Mr. Lewis T. Bond and Thomas E. Fanning, who moved out here before the war from your county. Uncle Lewis used to tell me that I ought to write to my relatives in N.C. That they were much more clever than these Jacocks here. I would always tell him he did not know how clever we were, that if you all were more clever than we were, I was glad of it. I have heard our distinguished Frank P. Bond speak of the Jacocks family there, and he too, I am proud to say, speaks in praise of the family. And having said I love the name, I love it the more because all who have borne it, as far as my knowledge extends, were people of respectability. Some of them of note and occupied responsible and honored positions with credit to themselves and honor to their country. And if that be true, why not be proud of the name? My father came to this county in the year 1823, boarded at Col. Richard Nixon’s, who married his Aunt Nancy Jacocks, who, as well as I remember, Father said was the only sister his father had. My recollection is that there were three brothers: John, Jonathan and Charles. The latter being my grandfather. John, I think, was the father of Rev. James Jacocks of Connecticut. As to Jonathan, I think perhaps he remained there, and doubtless you are his son, as you being the father of eight children, I think too old to be his grandson. Well, as above stated, my father moved to this county in 1823. Col. Nixon, who was married to his aunt, had a big tract of land out here of 3,840 acres and was in debt to Father and prevailed on him to move out west, where he could live on game and raise children. He came, stayed at Uncle Nixon’s a few months, and while there my second brother, whose name was Charles Worth Blount after Grandfather, was born. Father took a lease on Uncle’s land, built a double rail pen and moved us in it. Made bedsteads of forks and poles. The year [1824?], he bought 500 acres of land from his uncle, built a log cabin and moved there and lived until his death, which sad event occurred on the 9th of June 1863. My father was a coachmaker by trade. Served as an apprentice seven years under one Jonathan Wyatt in Raleigh, N.C. He married my mother, whose maiden name was Clayton, Margaret Stevenson Clayton. Her father’s name was Asher Clayton, and her mother’s maiden name was Whidbee, Mary. My parents were both orphan children at the age of 7 years. My grandmother on Father’s side, whose maiden name was Janet Young, never married after the death of Grandfather. My Grandmother Clayton married a gentleman named James Leigh. Said James Leigh had one son who was a noted minister, Hezekiah G. Leigh, Methodist, and another whose name was Richard who moved to Georgia and died during the war. My mother died Aug. 14, 1874. Youngest brother Jonathan died after passing through the war Jan. 15, 1879. My eldest brother, who was born there, passed through the war and died July 10, 1887. Brother Augustus said he either met with or saw one Hardy Jacocks in Memphis, Tenn., during the war or he heard of him there. I have heard Jeface [?] was told he went to Florida and proposed getting rich by raising oranges. Have heard nothing since save that in your postal to my nephew, Jas. T. [?] Was he not a brother of big cousin Tom or were there two Jefesers? You said you had eight children. I see that I have filled this sheet. Now if tired, you can rest. Rub your eyes and look over what follows. If old like myself, you can read when plainly written better or easier than you can write. You well know I can’t stop yet. If so, what would the fond loving mother of all those eight children think? She would say, “Strange Jacocks, that write four pages of foolscap paper to my husband and saying nothing of me.” Well, just tell her for me, I love her and all her children, whether old or young, girls or boys. That I love them because of their name and because they are descended out of good and honorable sires. Tell her I love her because I think, as your name was Jacocks, you were a man of sense and taste, and such, you would never have loved her and sought her as a life companion unless she had been worthy. For all I know, she may be your superior in point of intellect. If so, we will have no quarrel about that. How about after smiles? That makes a big difference. Yes, tell her I love her because she is the mother of children who bear my name. Yes, tell her I regard her as a good woman and will say to you, if she has the qualities such as sought by me in mine, you may set it down as a fact, you have a good wife. She may have others, but to my mind there is none more commendable, as I used to say, than industry, economy and good sense combined. Was the style of a wife I wished to find. As regards my wife, I will say I have no cause to or right to complain. Had I the pick and choice of the fair ones of earth, I could never have found one more congenial, better fitted in every sense of the word than she for a life companion. She is somewhat like her father. She has never approved of kissing, though fashionable with many ladies. It is one she abhors. Her father, whose name was Thomas Carter, was born and raised in Wake County, N.C. He moved to this county in 1831, the year I was born. He was never known to kiss but one of his children, and that was when it was a corpse. She says there is more deception in a kiss than anything. Says our Savior was betrayed by a kiss. Well, you and yours can believe it or let it alone. She is lovely and as loving now as when we first married, not as pretty to be sure, but other qualities characteristic of beauty are still there. Well, next to the name of Jacocks, Carter stands second with me. Why? Because it was the name of the one I loved in my palmy days, the name of one who loved and still loves me. If she had left me, just so we had a few words Monday morning last and parted. Were I better acquainted, I would write you as I did this morning to my sister-in-law. I wrote as though Mama, as I call my wife, and myself had separated, the children was the cause of it, etc. Explained by telling that Mama was at my son Jimmie’s nursing Jimmie, his wife, Ella May, his little 20-month-old girl and another unknown to her. By me called Sallie. Just so, the children separate us sometimes. That ours is agreeable as should be. The fond mother loves the children she bears, and it is a rare thing for her to forsake them. In times of trouble, she is ever ready and willing to lend the helping hand and encourage them by words of kindness, gentleness, love and her presence. Mother’s blessed name, more precious than gold. Like that of Jesus in heaven, the best to mortals given. Fathers as well as mother dear we should ever love as well as fear. This it was with me. I loved my parents. They loved me. They were members of the Methodist church. My father held family prayer morning and night to his God first, then blessings. I have often heard my mother pray around the hearthstone of my old home. Peace to the ashes of our beloved dead, and let us hope, yea fondly hope, their immortal spirits have winged their flight to that God who gave them. When I retrospect the days of my youth, the moments of childhood, mirth and glee, the pleasures of my life so made by fond loving parents, kind brothers as fond and loving sisters, I thought long this time from childhood to manhood. Just so with all children, we know this apparently a long step from infancy to man and womanhood, thence the grave. Oh, how short. Time flies and with it we away to that town from whence we never return. I live in hope of meeting our loved ones beyond the starry sky where we shall live and never die. I hope my dear cousin, if such I may call you, you will pardon me for having written such a lengthy communication, which may or may not interest you. Otherwise, I shall expect nothing. I don’t write often and even then ’tis short. But elated at the idea of hearing of you and seeing your postal and name so familiar and feeling interested in those who bore it, I have taken the [?] of writing more than I would have [?] to write to anyone bearing any other name. I see the space below is growing less, and there are questions about the family I wish to ask: the name of your father, mother, your wife and children, by way in short biographical sketch of the whole family of Jacocks. Would like to know who they are, where they are and what they are doing. If there be any of them where they should not be, for God’s sake keep it to yourself. I will say, as to those of my father’s family here who are sure from the old block, we are a chip from the same. We are poor but came by our poverty honest, and we don’t think honest poverty a disgrace. Though poor, we bear up under it. Look and hope we may never beg bread. Will say we have never done it, and God help us, we won’t. Answer, and if I am living, you will hear more from one John Hill Jacocks.

For more of my genealogy research, visit rscottwilliams.info.