Jacob and Elizabeth Gupton -

Jacob Gupton

After 11 weeks of recovery from my accident, I am back! My right arm is still in a brace and I have not regained complete range of motion but I am going to attempt to work on genealogy and this blog. The last published post was about the Gupton family, today I will pick up their story with Jacob.

Jacob was the son of Stephen Gupton and Nancy Portis. He was born about 1780 in what was then called Butte County, later renamed Franklin County North Carolina.

Records show Jacob eventually settling in Wabash, Illinois. It appears that Jacob did not leave North Carolina and move directly to Illinois. Let's look at some of the records I have discovered and the questions they raise.

Jacob married Elizabeth Bass around 1805, no record of that marriage yet. But this marriage took place in North Carolina in Franklin County. Jacob served as a private in Captain Bell's Company of infantry - 1st Regiment NC Militia during the War of 1812. He enlisted 21 Sept 1814 and was discharged 18 Nov 1814. Later, his wife Elizabeth, would file for a pension.

From the Combined History of Edwards, Lawrence, and Wabash County, Illinois, published in 1883, Jacob and a family of three children came from NC in 1825.

There are 4 land grants filed by Jacob Gupton in Wabash County. The first appears in 1838.

• 13 Jan 1838 for 40 acres
• 10 Aug 1838 for 40 acres

Because the following are recorded after Jacob's death, these should be Jacob Jr.'s land grants.

• 1 Sep 1852 for 40 acres
• 22 Feb 1853 for 110.70 acres

Jacob and Elizabeth's daughter Nancy married Calvin Morgan 9 Sep 1828 in Carter Tennessee. 

On later census records Calvin's birthplace is given as NC and Tenn. Calvin and Nancy are buried in the Gupton Cemetery in Wabash County.

Because of this marriage record, I am wondering if Jacob came to Tennessee first. He had family already settled there, although not close to Carter. The distance from Carter Tennessee to Wabash Illinois is approximately 450 miles. Both of Jacob's daughters, Nancy and Malinda, were married in Tennessee.

Jacob's daughter Malinda married Patrick Rodgers, an Irishman. This marriage was about 1836. It is believed that they initially settled in eastern Tennessee. Patrick was a railroader. Patrick was listed on the 1850 census with Malinda and 4 children, he is missing from the 1860 census. Because Patrick was probably Catholic and there is a record of Patrick Rodgers deceased on 4 Jun 1854 and buried in the cemetery at St. Mary's in Clinton County Illinois, I am leaning towards this being Malinda's husband. Another reason - he is not buried with Malinda in the family cemetery in Wabash. But this is speculation on my part.

Another of Jacob's daughters, Rhina, married George Washington Armstrong. They lived in Edwards, Illinois until 1869 when they moved to Webster County, Missouri. Their two oldest sons died during the Civil War. Rhina and George had 10 children. They gave land for a church, Liberty Church,(in Webster, Missouri) and this is where they are buried. Rhina lived at least until 1900, the last time she appeared in the census.

Mary Ann, another daughter of Jacob's, married Alfred McKinney in Edwards, Illinois on 30 Mar 1833. There is an Alfa McKinney buried in the Gupton Cemetery in Wabash. Alfa was born 14 Jan 1880 and only lived 14 days. I do not know the relationship at this time. The story of the death of Alfred is sad; he went out into the woods to cut down a tree. When Mary noticed his dog was back at the house, she sent the boys to look for him. They found him under the tree. Apparently the tree fell wrong and killed him.

Jacob and Elizabeth had three daughters that did not marry; Ann, Elizabeth and Matilda. All three are buried in the Gupton Cemetery in Wabash. 

By now you can see that the earlier mentioned history published in 1883 was incorrect when it said Jacob brought three children to Wabash.

In the 1850 census for Wabash we find the following entries:

The Armstrong family in Wabash

1850 in Edwards County (which is the county west of Wabash County)

All of Jacob's family are living in Illinois in 1850.

Jacob died 16 Jun 1852. Elizabeth died 5 Oct 1861. They are buried in the Gupton Carlyle Cemetery.

During my research I came across this picture, reportedly Elizabeth Bass Gupton. She was the daughter of Jacob Bass and Ann Cook and Jacob's wife.

Elizabeth Bass Gupton

 Thanks for stopping by.

Next post - more on the Gupton family.

Pattie

Serendipity

An Exciting Discovery

In my earlier posts I have been covering the Gupton family and yesterday I did a google search for Kindred Gupton. I was actually looking into the Kindred Gupton that left Missouri and went to Texas. But you never know what you will discover when you do that kind of search. 

Google found an article about Jacob Holt that mentioned Kindred Gupton and my 2 times great grandfather, John L. Neal. 

Who was Jacob Holt???

Jacob Holt was a builder from Prince Edward County, Virginia. He came to Warren County, North Carolina in the 1840's where he established a workshop and contracting business. In the 1850 Federal Census he was living in Warrenton with a workforce of 13 Virginians and 5 North Carolinian carpenters. Kindred Gupton and John L. Neal were two of the carpenters from North Carolina.

 The page is a bit faded but you should be able to see that John and Kindred are the last two listed.

It is said that when Jacob came to Warren County it was the wealthiest county of the state. Jacob was a carpenter - builder - architect that is credited with over twenty buildings in Virginia and North Carolina. Some are still standing today. 

Jacob established one of the states largest antebellum building firms.

To learn more about Jacob and to see images of some of his building go to the link below.

The Builders of North Carolina webpage on Jacob

Going through the list on the webpage above I discovered that he built for the Rodwell family. Could this be the way he met and married Ann Rodwell?

John L.'s son, John T. Neal moved to Centerville.. Jacob built at least two homes that are not far from the home of John T. Could this answer the question, why did he come to Centerville??

Of course, we will probably never know the answers to these questions, but it certainly gives us something to ponder. 

One of his buildings can be found in the news:

In the Centerville area he is credited with:

The Archibald Taylor House in Wood

Dr. Samuel Perry House

Vine Hill

Cherry Hill in Warren County

Eaton Place in Warren County was one of the first homes he built

The Exchange Hotel in Oxford

What an exciting feeling it is to know that my great great grandfather was involved in the building of some of these beautiful homes many of which are still standing!

Just proves that not all of the records are on the traditional genealogy sites! Some genealogy gems are just waiting to be discovered!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pattie

The Gupton Family

Stephen Gupton

Of Marion County Missouri

Much has been written about Stephen Gupton who settled in Missouri. He was one of the first settlers in that area, around 1819.

Stephen was born in North Carolina to Cooper Gupton and Temperance Warren about 1800. Stephen left North Carolina when he was twelve and went to Tennessee, then to Kentucky and finally to Missouri. However he only stayed one year in Missouri  before returning to Kentucky to take care of his property. Within a few months he had disposed of his property and returned to Missouri. 

Stephen came to Missouri with his brother, Arrington, who was also born in North Carolina about 1813.

Stephen married the widow Elizabeth Simmons on 15 Apr 1824. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Montgomery. They were married in Marion Missouri. She was the mother of three children; Patty, Alexander and Johnny (Johnny died in infancy). It is said that Elizabeth was one of the emigrants with whom Stephen came to Missouri. 

Stephen and Elizabeth had the following children.

• baby girl that died or was still born
• Cooper
• Mary Jane
• Judith Ann
• Arrington or Arlington - probably Arlington
• Stephen
• William R - died during his fifth year
• William Andrew Jackson 
• Rebecca
• Jackson (unsure)
• Kindred
• James Alfred
• Lorenzo
• Cager or M C
• James Carter

Recorded on 1 Jul 1841 is a land grant for 160 acres for Stephen.

Land Grant

This is just one of his land grants in Missouri.

Found in the history of Marion County, Missouri published in 1884, are the following stories about Stephen.

Old Stephen Gupton was a character. It is said of him that he never wore a laundered shirt in his life, and that in the coldest weather his bosom would be exposed to the snow and the blasts.

Old Uncle Stephen Gupton was an eccentric character, but an honest, generous man. Usually wore a linsey shirt with the collar unbuttoned, and the greater portion of his neck, and breast bared to the zephyrs of summer and the blasts of winter alike. It is said he never wore a laundered shirt in his life, and a cotton shirt with a collar but once.. "When I was married," he said, "they made me wear a white shirt, but the durned thing choked me so that the next morning I took it off, and never wore it again"

But rough as was the exterior of "Uncle Steve", his heart was as generous as his manners were rugged. Dr. Tipton relates this incident: In the summer of 1853 there was a great deal of bilious fever in the country. Quinine was $8 per ounce. Dr. Tipton, then practicing in the country, had exhausted his stock of this drug, and his pocket-book was empty and the majority of his patients were poor. He had not money to buy quinine and quinine must be had. In this extremity he went to old Steve, and said, "Uncle Steve, I am out of quinine, and I can't cure these people without it; I haven't the money to buy it - can you lend it to me?" Mr. Gupton answered; "No, Doc, I haven't got a d___ dollar," and then after many other rough expressions, big oaths and much stupendous "cussing" of the "luck" the hard times and the fever, he added: "But Jack Nichols was here yesterday and wanted to buy my oxen, and I will take them down to him right away and sell them, and you shall have the money. That's what's the matter" Accordingly, the next day, Mr. Gupton drove his oxen down to Col. John Nichols below Palmyra, sold them, and gave the money, $45, to Dr. Tipon, and the amount was all invested in quinine, and administered to the poor fever-stricken people, and doubtless many a life was saved. Mr. Gupton frequently used the expression, "That's what's the matter," clinching nearly every assertion he made with the phrase.

 Stephen passed away on 15 Dec 1875.

 Stephen died without making his will...

The Palmyra - Fri Jan 9 1880

Marion Co Herald Fri Mar 23 1883

James, Kindred, and Lorenzo had left the state moving to California and Texas.

Thanks for stopping by! 
During the next posts I hope to explore the Gupton family of Missouri.

Pattie