| Richard Jacobs | Julie Dawn Sumner | George Richard Simpson | Susannah Wheeler |
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| Benjamin Jacobs | Nancy Simpson | ||
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| Elijah Jacobs | |||
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Notes: THE FOLLOWING IS AN ARTICLE FROM "PERSON COUNTY HERITAGE - VOL 2" WRITT ENBY MARY LINDA WINSTEAD JANKE: Elijah Jacobs was born in the St. Luke's district of Caswell County onA pril 19,1790. In 1792 St. Luke's was among those districts of CaswellC o. that became Person County. Consequently, two year old Elijah became a citizen of Person County without leaving the place where he was born.Be njamin Jacobs was his father and probably Nancy, was his mother. Nancyw as listed as the wife of Benjamin on his will. Elijah's sisters wereJam ima and Polly, and his brothers were Caleb and Moses. I have never been told any family stories of Elijah's early life, but I do know that he could read, write and cipher. Since his father attended church at Wheeley's Meeting House, I assume that he went also. Those on cea month meetings must have seemed awfully long to him as a child. Benjamin Jacobs owned no slaves so the members of his family would have had to work long, hard hours to provide the necessities of life. Thisup bringing gave Elijah and his brothers the advantage of learning theirfa ther's trade first-hand. They didn't watch people farm, they actuallypa rticipated in all the various chores. In 1816 Elijah bought 165 acres of land from Stephen Pleasant. This was the first of many deeds recorded for him. Over his lifetime he wouldpur chase 892 acres. Sometime around 1818 Elijah married Susanna Johnston. Susanna was bornJ une 16, 1786, which made her four years older he was. Elijah built a house on land that now belongs to Bertwell Winstead (ade scendant of Elijah Jacobs). The house was built on a foundationfieldsto ne, high off the ground. Its stout walls were constructed of logsand co vered with weatherboard. It is a story and a half with a lean-to onthe b ack. Two massive stone chimneys were built on each side. It had tworoom s across the front downstairs with two above, and two rooms, apantry, a nd a porch in the lean-to on the back. In the southeast chimneycorner, w isteria grew. Old-fashioned roses grew behind the house, and inthe fron t and the sides were daffodils, hyacinths, lilies, bridal wreath,and fo rsythia. Crape myrtles provided color, peach and apple treesprovided fr uit, and locusts and maples shaded the house. Southwest of thehouse wer e the stables, corncribs, woodsheds, and tool sheds. There arecreeks to t he south and east. The field, uphill, northeast of the househad many ch ips of arrowheads and scrapers, showing evidence that it hadonce been t he home of Indians. Elijah and Susanna had six children. Lewelin born about 1819, Learcusca me about 1820. Elizabeth was born in 1821. William S. born April 1,1823 . Benjamin was born Nov 12, 1824 and the youngest child, Samuel wasborn N ov 4, 1827. The 1820 census shows Elijah Jacobs as a head of household. With him ar elisted one white female, 27 to 45 years of age, two white males under t enyears of age, and four male slaves. Four people from Elijah's househo ldare listed as being engaged in agriculture. Elijah and Susanna were thrifty and industrious and these virtues paido ff. Elijah purchased from many estate sales in Caswell County. Heattend ed the sales of Moses Bradsher in 1821, Richard Hays in 1822, GreenD. S mith, 1829, James Lea, 1829, George Huston, 1830, and John McMullen,in 1 834. Probably he got good bargains at these sales, but he must havealso e njoyed the fellowship of other people to have attended so many.Elijah a nd Susanna, along with their children and their slaves ran arapidly gro wing plantation. They raised sheep, beef and milk cows, hogs,horses and m ules, and poultry. They kept bees. Tobacco, wheat, oats,Indian corn, br oomcorn, cotton and flax grew in the fields. In thekitchen garden were p eas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, andcabbages, among other vege tables. Elijah distilled brandy from thepeaches and apples he grew. Sus anna carded cotton for quilt bats andthread. She spun and wove cotton, w ool, and the flax for linen. The Jacobs family attended services at Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Churc h,the first Saturday of each month. It must have been a feat to keep si xchildren still, even if they were well disciplined. The Jacobs childre nlearned to read, write, and cipher. Books were very important in theJa cobs household and they owned many. William and Samuel were very welled ucated, both of them became doctors. According to research done byCalvi n Burch of Carrboro, N.C. they were the first doctors licensed inthe st ate of North Carolina to practice medicine. Their licenses are inthe po ssession of Duke University. If things seemed to go well for Elijah financially, they did not always go smoothly in his personal life. On Aug. 14, 1842, Susanna JohnstonJac obs died. She was the first member of the Jacobs family to be buriedin t he plot set aside for them at Ebenezer Church Cemetery. A few months after Susanna's death, Lewelin married Mary M. Russell. Sh ewas the daughter of John Russell. They were married in Person County a ndtheir marriage bond is dated, Oct. 3, 1842. Sometime before 1852, Lew elinand Mary moved to Dallas County, Arkansas. In Sept. of 1853 Lewelin a ndMary conveyed their power of attorney to Elijah so that he could take care of Mary's interest in her father's estate. Learcus married Eliza Rachel Paylor. Their marriage bond is dated, Sept .6, 1844. Learcus bought 155 acres from Malcolm McNeill in 1846, but so ldit a year later to his father, Elijah. Sometime after this Learcus an dhis family also went to Arkansas. I do not know the exact date of hisd eath but he died before Elijah made his will because Elijah wills parto f his estate to his dead son, Learcus' children, John E. and William S. Jacobs. Their part was held in trust for them by Bluford Cooper untilth ey came of age. Elijah's son William became a doctor. Since his settlement of estate is in Caswell County, probably he lived there. He never married and died,A ug. 21, 1849 and was buried in the Jacobs plot at Ebenezer. He was alit tle over twenty six years old. Elizabeth married Bluford Cooper in 1838. They lived in Caswell County. Elijah obviously liked and trusted his son-in-law because he made himex ecutor of his will. Benjamin bought land in Person County and became a farmer. He married h isfirst cousin, Martha Bradsher, Dec. 18, 1845. Martha was Susanna's ni ece.Ben and Martha had three daughters, Susan, Elizabeth, and Eunice,El izabeth died at the age of 19 1/2 months. Of all Elijah's childrenBenja min probably caused his father the most heartache. Sometime afterthe fa ll of 1858 Benjamin left his wife and two little girls and went toArk. H e died in Dec. of 1859 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, near the Oklahomaborder . He was 35 years old. Samuel Jacobs became a doctor and tended the people of Person County.A. R. Foushee mentions him as "the bright young doctor who took care ofman y Person Co. people during the typhoid epidemic and finally died ofthe d isease himself." Samuel never married. He died Aug. 18, 1855 at theage o f 27. He too, is buried at Ebenezer. By 1850 Elijah had married Lucy Snipes. Lucy was a spinster from theHes ter's Store area. They did not have any children. After learning of his son Benjamin's death, Elijah made a new will. Hew illed Susan and Nicie (Eunice) the part of his estate that would havego ne to their father. Bluford Cooper is listed as his executor and heldin t rust the legacies of his grandchildren. In his will he provides forhis w ife, Lucy, a dower of land, a years income, and one fifth of theslaves. T here were twenty two slaves at that time. His estate he leavesequally t o his children or their heirs. Only two of his six childrensurvived him . In item 9 of his will he states, "It is my will that myexecutor have m y family graveyard walled in with good rock wall, andprovide suitable t ombstones if he thinks proper." Elijah's will is dated,July 23, 1860. On Sept. 15, 1860 Elijah Jacobs had just finished eating dinner with hi sfamily. His granddaughter Nicie, who was small for her age, sat in a h ighchair. As a treat Elijah bent down and gave her a lump of sugar. Nic iesmiled at him and he said, "Is it good?" They were his very last word s,for with them he fell to the floor, dead. He was aged, 70 years, 4mon ths, and 26 days. Bluford Cooper walled in the Jacobs plot in Ebenezer Churchyard and the "good rock wall" still survives. Inside the wall are the graves ofElija h, Susanna, Dr. Wm. S., Elizabeth (daughter of Ben and Martha), andDr. S amuel Jacobs. Cemetery is located just off 158 W between Roxboro and Leasburg. Turn o nRalph Winstead Rd. which is about a mile from Leasburg. Then turn on t hefirst dirt road to your right.