My Passage Through Time: January 2017

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: