Today, we have another in a series of historical documents. Aaron Jackson (1783-1837) was a Pennsylvania farmer and father of Jesse Taylor Jackson. I haven’t been able to learn much about him, but this document tells us that he owned a farm (he calls it a plantation) of about 70 acres, and it seems a fair amount of livestock (horses and cattle), not to mention hogs. He bequeaths it all to his wife Abigail during her life, and then what remains to his children after her death. In addition to confirming where he lived and his property holdings, this document provides and independent source for dates and the names of his children (all of whom we know of through other sources). I have corrected OCR errors but retained the spelling of the original document.

Aaron Jackson’s Will and Proof

Min. H. ss.  1725 126

The State of Ohio, Knox County

Be it remembered that at a court of common pleas holden before the Honl. Ezra Dean president, and Abner Ayres, Eli Miller and James Elliott associate Judges of said Court at the court house in Mount Vernon in said county on the twenty  second day of October A. D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty six, “the last will and testament of Aaron Jackson deceased late of said county was brought into open court, and Jane Ross one of the subscribing witnesses thereto upon her solemn oath doth depose and say that the said will purporting to be under the hand and seal of said deceased, and dated September 10th 1836 was signed by the said Testator, and that she heard him acknowledge the same to be his last will and testament, and that in the presence and by the express direction of the testator she signed the same as a witness. And the said Jane Ross being further interrogated states that the said testator at the time of signing the said will was of sound mind and memory, of full age, and not under any restraint to the best of her belief. And it appearing to the satisfaction of the court that Michael Easterday the other witness to said will resided in the county of Wayne in this state; It is thereupon ordered by the court that a commission with said will amend issue directed to ___ Enos Clark of the Court of Comon pleas of Holmes County Ohio, requiring him to take and certify to this court the deposition of said Michael Easterday” And afterwards to, wit: at a court of common pleas holden before this Judge and at the place aforesaid on the fifteenth day of June A. D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven, “the last will and testament of Aaron Jackson deceased was produced in court, and Michael Easterday one of the subscribing witnesses thereto being in open court duly sworn and interegated deposeth and saith that he saw the said deceased sign the said will & heard him acknowledge the said to be his last will and testament, and that in the presence and by the express direction of the testator he signed the same as a witness; And the said witness being further interrogated states that the said testator at the time of signing the said will was of sound mind and memory, of full age, and not under any restraint to the best of his belief. Whereupon it appearing to the court that said will was duly executed, it is ordered that the clerk record the same and the proof above and heretofore taken” ___. And afterwards to, wit: at a court of common pleas holden before this Judge and at the place aforesaid on the sixteenth day of June in the year last aforesaid. Walker Lyon the executor named in the last will and Testament of Aaron Jackson Deceased (which has been admitted to probate) personally appeared in open court, and was duly sworn agreeably to law, It is thereupon ordered that letters testamentary issue to the

said Walker Lyon upon his entering into bond in the sum of two hundred dollars, conditioned as the law directs with Roswell Clark & Hester Marvin who are approved of as bail; and it is further ordered that Enock S. Sears, Alexander Marvin & Sheldon Clark appraise the personal estate of said deceased” _ Which said will so proven and ordered to be recorded is in the words and figures following to wit: “I Aaron Jackson of the county of Knox and state of Ohio do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say First. It is my will that my funeral charges and all my just debts be fully paid. Second; I give and devise and bequeath to my beloved wife Abigail Jackson the plantation on which we now live, situate in Knox County, Bloomfield Township containing about Seventy acres during her natural life, and all the live Stock, horses, cattle, sheep and hogs etc by me now owned and Kept thereon, also all the household furniture, and other items not named in this will during her natural life, she however first disposing of a sufficiency thereof to pay my just just debts as aforesaid an_ at the death of my said wife, all the property hereby devised or bequeathed to her as aforesaid or so much thereof as may then rem_ unexpended t_ my children Sarah Roberts Wm Jackson Hetty Easterday Abraham Jackson, Ephraim Jackson, Robert E. Jackson, Jesse T. Jackson, Mary Aim Jackson and a sucking babe not named and to their heirs and assigns forever. And lastly I hereby I constitute and appoint Walker Lyon to be the Executor of this my last will and Testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me made, and ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of September 1836.

Aaron Jackson

Signed, published and declared by the above named A. Jackson as and for his last will and testament in presenace of us who at his request have signed as witnesses to the same.

his mark / Michael M Easterday / Jane Ross.

[FHL Film 1294297 Knox County, Ohio Probate Court Will Record Volume A 1808-1841: Pages 315-317]