Joseph Jackson as son of Thomas and son-in-law of Isaac Tinsley etc.
Linda Sparks Starr January  2004

[My goal is to make a good case for one Joseph Jackson being  1) son of Thomas d. 1764 in Orange Co. VA;  2) co-executor of will Isaac Tinsley in Amelia Co. VA 1777 as well as Isaac's son-in-law and then resident of  3 ) Amelia Co. living north Flatt and Deep Creeks and south of  Appomattox River 1756 to 1778  4 ) Pittsylvania County VA between 1778 and 1785; and 5)  Lincoln County, Kentucky between 1785-1797.  This is a follow up to an earlier report found at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~lksstarr/knreports/AmeliaJosephJackson.txt
 Before I begin, I want to give credit where it is due – to Carol Milgram for locating and transcribing all the Pittsylvania County records as well as accumulating lots of data on various Joseph(s) Jackson and the people associated with him. To Carol’s sister, Marla Cohen, for contacting Jim Jackson who shared his extraction of all Jacksons from the Amelia County tax records. To Marc Doty for his continuing search for clues on surnames not directly related to his own lines. To Rhoda Fone, Janet Hunter and Karen Wood for sharing personal knowledge of south side Virginia families as well as performing research tasks above and beyond the usual call of friendship. I couldn’t have done this without all of you.  LSS]

1. Joseph as son of Thomas d. 1764 Orange Co. Virginia

Although the relationship between this particular Joseph and Thomas Jackson requires more investigation, my working hypothesis is they were father and son. I base this on the long and continuing relationship between this Thomas Jackson and various Tinsley and Rucker family members.  Going back to Essex County, VA 1716 we find this Thomas (X) Jackson witnessing the will of Thomas Tinsley.   Then same day in 1725 James Taylor sold 100 acres in Spotsylvania County to each of the following: John Rucker, Thomas Rucker, Edward Tinsley and Thomas Jackson.  In 1731 this same Thomas Jackson sold 100 acres to Isaac Tinsley, the same Isaac highlighted in the next section.   Isaac's wife was sister of the above John and Thomas Rucker.

This same Thomas Jackson of St. Thomas Parish, Orange County named a son Joseph in his will dated October 15, 1760 and probated September 1764: "my son Joseph Jackson one Negro wench named Jenn and all her Increase of her Body."  I acknowledge the jump from this son Joseph to the one in Amelia County is tenuous, especially since Joseph is never taxed on a slave 'Jenn'. [Specific slave names aren't always available.] This Joseph was 'of Culpeper County'  April 22, 1756, when he purchased 200 acres on the branches of Sandy Creek in Amelia County from William Barnes. [Amelia Co. Deed Book 5, p. 439].  Research is on-going, but so far we haven't found a record of land ownership for  Joseph in Culpeper County. However, Culpeper County records show Thomas Jackson's property line in deeds as late as 1760. Therefore, Joseph may have been living in Culpeper on his father's land instead of with his father in Orange County.  

2. Joseph as Isaac Tinsley’s Son-in-Law

I begin with the transcription of the Amelia County will of Isaac Tinsley, whose inventory was ordered August 28, 1777. [WB 2, p. 235 as abstracted by Gibson Jefferson McConnaughey,  Amelia County Virginia  Wills 1771-1780]

The will dated March 13, 1776 names wife Margaret, the ‘estate divided equally among children’  by lot, oldest child to have first lot, then next oldest, next lot, till they all have taken their lots. Executors – William Ford, Joseph Jackson and Joshua Chaffin.  Isaac was a member of the Baptist Church of Christ on Sandy Creek in Amelia County.  Slaves named in the inventory:  Negro man Yorksher, woman Hannah, men Frank, Jack & Wiggon; woman Tinnea, girl Aneca. 

According to Tinsley researchers, the above William Ford and Joshua Chaffin are Isaac's sons-in-law. If this proves true, then I believe Joseph is a son-in-law as well; otherwise I believe Isaac would have identified the two as 'sons-in-law' and Joseph as 'friend'. 
Going along with this hypothesis, it isn't unreasonable to assume at least one of Isaac's slaves will appear in Joseph's household. After all, Isaac's estate was to be divided equally into lots, then each child allowed to choose a lot. Acording to the inventory of his esate Isaac Tinsley  owned:  Yorksher, Hannah, Frank, Jack, Wiggon, Tinnea and Aneca.    On the 1779 list of Pittsylvania County tithables, Joseph Jackson is shown with 5 polls – himself and slaves Mical, Wigan, ?Grilby and Sarah.   

3. Separating Joseph(s) Jackson in Amelia County, VA

My earlier file goes into great detail separating the various Joseph Jacksons in Amelia County, by use of various deeds and tax lists to determine which Joseph lived nearest Isaac on Sandy Creek.  We've since  acquired copies of the court house records and determined there was an error in transcription; the 'Lanoy' creek  I couldn't find was "Sandy Creek" after all.   Therefore I limit myself to the four land deeds covering this particular Joseph Jackson.  I believe this is the only land he owned in Amelia Co.  Could the 1756 deed be a clue to Joseph's date of marriage?

April 22, 1756 William Barnes sold to 'Joseph Jackson of Culpeper County' 200 acres on branches of Sandy Creek in Amelia County with all houses, etc. per Amelia Co. Deed Book 5, p. 439. 

May 23, 1771 Joseph Jackson of Raleigh Parish purchased 150 acres from William Rucker with all the buildings.  [No geographical features or witnesses provided by Bette Jackson. Deed Bk 11 p. 265] 

June 5, 1777 Joseph Jackson sold 150 acres to William Johnson, “beginning on Hendricks line to Bernard Hendricks line and John Hendrick to Joseph Turner’s to beginning.” (signed) Joseph (his mark) Jackson. [Deed Bk 15, p. 109 per Bette Jackson] 

January 27, 1778 Joseph Jackson of Amelia Co. sold to James Maglason 200 acres on both sides of a branch of Sandy Creek adjacent the lines of Joseph Turner, Peter Claybrook, Henry Meader. Witnesses John Ford, Joshua Chafin, Tomlin? Anderson, Mosses Endaly.   Joseph signed by mark. [Deed Bk 14, p. 264 per Bette Jackson] 

4. Joseph Jackson of Pittsylvania County, Virginia

Again, the clearest connection between the Amelia County Joseph Jackson and the Pittsylvania County Joseph Jackson is the above mentioned 1779 tithable list where the name of a slave in Isaac Tinsley's 1777 inventory appears In Joseph's household -- Wigon.   Otherwise, it's difficult  to form conclusions for no deeds identify Joseph of one county, buying or selling land in another such as we saw when 'Joseph Jackson of Culpeper County' purchased land in Amelia Co.  Neither do any Chaffin, Ford or Rucker family members follow him to Pittsylvania County.  Again, I refer you to my earlier file for a more detailed accounting, but will repeat one paragraph listing neighbors to Joseph in both Amelia and Pittsylvania Counties: 

Joseph appears on the 1782 census for Pittsylvania County with 9 whites and 10 blacks. [usgenweb Pittsylvania Co. site]  Other names or surnames found on this list, who can be traced back to Amelia County include: John and Thomas Tinsley; Joseph and Joshua Echols, Moses Hurt, Joel Meadows, Dan and Joseph Mottley, John Scott, Elisha, James and Joseph Walker, James and Samuel Ware, John Wright.  Of these we can specifically link John Wright, who appears with Joseph as a witness in Pittsylvania Co. deed Kerby to Carter, to the John Wright who appears on eight tax lists in Amelia, including five with Joseph Jackson.  

One last thing before we leave Pittsylvania County -- Is it mere coincidence that both Joseph Jackson and Thomas Jackson (tentatively identified as his father) owned water mills? In 1741, Thomas Jackson sold 1/2 interest in Jackson's Mill on the branches of the Rappadan River.  [Orange County, Deed Book 6, p. 49-50]   And then November 1779  Joseph Jackson was permitted to build a water grist mill on  Sandy Creek. [page 279, Court Record Book 4, per Pittsylvania’s Eighteenth Century Grist Mills, Herman Melton, Chatham, VA 1989 p. 138.] 

5. Joseph Jackson of Lincoln County, Kentucky

I really have nothing to add in this section on Lincoln County, so again refer you to the earlier study. 

6. Recapitulation

I see our biggest problem is lack of specific names for Isaac Tinsley's children and the lack of a given name for Joseph Jackson's wife. Joseph's descendants use "Tinsley" as a given name and his only known son is named "Ephraim", a given name in the Rucker family.   [Isaac's wife was a Rucker.]  Conversely, I see the biggest support for my theory is a combination of the long-stranding relationship between Thomas Jackson and members of the Tinsley and Rucker families and then the names of slaves. But it really all comes down to preponderance of evidence, for specific documentation proving the relationships just isn't there.  

Joseph’s will, dated 18 May 1797, was witnessed by Zachariah Shackleford, David Logan and David Arnett.   Administration of his estate was granted to his son, Ephraim, and Zachariah Shackleford. The 2000 pound bond was co-signed by James Tinsley, David Arnett, David Logan, Michael Lease and Levi Baldock. Of these, James Tinsley was Isaac's grandson.  Carol’s research shows Baldock was a primitive Baptist minister who was born in Orange Co. VA. Admittedly Baldock is a weak connection back to Isaac, who was a Baptist, and Thomas Jackson who last lived in Orange County.

Joseph Jackson’s inventory in Lincoln Co. KY in 1797 lists the following slaves: Jason, Anaxa, Lucy, Hannah, Rhody, Stephen, Michael & wife Loab, Sarah, George, Hezekiah and Abner.

Slaves named in the Amelia County inventory for Isaac Jackson's estate were:  Negro man Yorksher, woman Hannah, men Frank, Jack & Wiggon; woman Tinnea, girl Aneca. 

Slaves in Joseph's household in 1779  Pittsylvania County were: Mical, Wigan, ?Grilby and Sarah.   In 1782 Joseph Jackson's household consisted of  9 whites and 10 blacks (names not given). 

Of slaves named in his will: Michael appears in Joseph Jackson’s household in all three counties. Sarah appears in both Pittsylvania and Lincoln Counties. Anaxa and Hannah are names found among the slaves of Isaac Tinsley. 

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