| Home Surname List Name Index Sources Email Us | Seventh Generation56. JACOB GABBARD1,4,16,17 was born about 1762 in Burke County, North Carolina.15,18 He died in 1854 at the age of 92 in Madison County, Kentucky.15,18 No marriage record found, but likely took place 1785-1786. Probably married in Washington County [later Carter Co], TN. There seem to be no land records for Jacob Gabbard in North Carolina, Tennesse, or in Virginia. His first record is in Burke Co NC when he joined the local Militia. Has Revolutionary pension file #S-30431. Born about 1760 in Rowan/Lincoln Co, North Carolina. [Actually he was born in the Shenandoah Valley in VA but came to NC as a small child] Enlisted for 18 months, June 1780 from Burke Co NC. He mentioned a rendezvous at his grandfather's Michael Grindstaff. Unfortunately Jacob became ill with small pox and did not leave with his unit to join Gen. Greene's forces in SC. When he was well he served under Capt John Bickerstaff fighting Tories in Burke & Lincoln Counties. He then joined a regt commanded by Col. Benjamin Cleveland and marched agains the Tories in Wilkes & Surrey Counties. He did eventually march south to join General Greene; between Salisbury & Camden there was a skirmish in which he was impaled through the thigh by a pine rail fence during a charge. He was confined to a military hospital in Camden for 6 or 7 months at which time he witnessed the death of Adam Grindstaff, likely a cousin. After his recovery, he served as a guard under Capt Brevard at Camden until his tour was up. Upon returning to Burke Co he was again drafted and served for six months fighting the Indians. Jacob is believed to have moved over the mountains to Washington Co TN about 1783, perhaps with members of the Grindstaff family. He married Margaret Smith, daughter of Edward Smith about 1785, probably near the forks of the Watauga & Elk Rivers and Roand and Doe Creeks. This is on the line of present day Carter & Johnson Counties. Edward Smith owned inns on the main road between North Carolina and the Watauga county, first in NC and then after 1783 in Tennessee. Edward Smith bought 640 acres on Iron Mountain that also bordered Jacob's brother George's NC grant. The family of Cornelius Bowman was in the same neighborhood and his son John married Margaret Smith's sister Sarah, at about this same time. In 1793 Jacob enrolled for three months in a Sullivan Co TN militia unit. By 1796 and 1797, Jacob was living just across the state line in Washington Co, Virginia where most of Gabbards lived for awhile. Jacob and his brother Henry [or half-brother] moved to Clay Co KY [area that would become Owsley in 1842] about the same time - they were both on a tax list for the first time in 1815. Henry settled on Indian Creek, a tributary of the South Fork, and his descendants tended to remain on that side of the county or drift into Breathitt Co. Jacob seems to have settled first on the waters of the South Fork near Henry. However, Jacob Jr and other descendants settled on Sturgeon Creek on the other side of the county. Jacob Sr and his son Edward moved to Jackson Co near the border of Owsley where Jacob Jr lived. There are two KY Land Warrants for Jacob Gabbert in Clay Co. One on Roadhouse Fork for 50 acres, 1826, and one on Sturgeon Creek, 50 acres, 1828. 1820 Census, Clay Co KY Clay Co Records: GABBARD FAMILY NEWSLETTER had an article that might explain the origin of some of the confusion on this family Vol. 4, No. 4; Dec 1994 "Descendants of Jacob Gabbard, Pioneer" p.13. JACOB GABBARD and MARGARET "PEGGY" SMITH were married about 1785 in Carter County, Tennessee.15,19 MARGARET "PEGGY" SMITH, daughter of EDWARD SMITH and CATHERINE STUMPH, was born in 1772 in Carter County, Tennessee.18 She died in 1830 at the age of 58 in Kentucky.18 If Edward Smith had land entries in Burke Co NC in 1778, I doubt that Margaret was born in Tennessee as stated in the Newsletter. She was also likely a few years older than indicated. (Gabbard Newsletter article on the Pension of Jacob Gabbard)
Edward Smith is credited with having as many as three wives named Catherine, and as many as 12 children and sometimes more, born from 1739 through 1798. There are 12 children named in the will but I have no idea why the years of birth as often seen have been assigned to them. Given the wide range of possible births for the various proposed children and the confusion over the wives, it is quite possible that there were at least two wives named Catherine and probably an earlier wife as well. I have seen birth years for Edward Smith as both 1720 and 1730 - I believe both to be guesstimates. The tradition is that he was aged 87 when he died, born 1720. Most of this information seems to have come from DAR applications - early ones when proof was inadequate. These state that he was born in Maryland, married in 1739 to Catherine Stumph who survived him - obviously this was based on the fact his wife was Catherine when he wrote his will. A wife Catherine was named in his will. Proposed wives, for whom I've been unable to find documentation, include Catherine Stumpf, Agnes Catherina Steinseifer [Stonecipher, Stonecypher] and a second Catherine or Katrinka Stonecipher, who is said to be a niece of the first. [All these names, Catherine, Catherina, & Katrinka are forms of the same name.] The only proof given of the existence of any of these ladies is a Baptism record in Rodgen Parish, Eisern, Germany, for Agnes Catharina Steinseifer on 26 Aug 1736, daughter of Johannes Steinseifer & Elizabeth Schuster. The will of Johannes Steinseifer in Culpeper Co VA dated 2 Apr 1754, mentions his "four daughters" but gives no given names, nor hint of their married names. There do seem to be records of all these surnames in Culpeper Co. I do have the book The Culpeper Classes by John Blankenbaker which lists the militia groups for Culpeper. The list is said to have included all able-bodied males from 16 to 50 in 1781. An Edward Smith is listed. Culpeper has records of Nicholas Smith as well - a Nicholas Smith could be a possible candidate for the father of Edward, but an older Nicholas wasn't in the Classes. A Nicholas Smith Jr is listed in the Classes and he could well be a "Jr" because an older Nicholas was living there, not necessarily his father. Since Nicholas is usually seen as the eldest of Edward's sons, it would make sense for him to be named for Edward's father. Just another theory, though. By 1761, there is a deed in Rowan Co NC for 640 acres. Said to be for Edward and wife, Catherine, but purchases do not usually include the wife's name, so there must be more to the story. John Henry Stonecyphers received 640 acres on the same day and he is believed to be a brother of Catherine Stonecypher. In 1763, Rowan Co NC, Edward Smith received a permit to run a tavern in his house which was granted. He later also operated a tavern in Washington Co TN which could indicate this is the same Edward Smith. Edward is said to have later lived in Burke Co NC, but that county was formed from Rowan in 1777 so he may not have needed to move to become part of Burke Co. The PUBLIC ACCOUNTS OF STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, Vol. 1, p.372 State that from 22 Aug 1775 to Feb 1776, Capt Thomas Wade of Anson Co, for service of Light Horse and Independent Company of Foot on an Expedition to Cross Creek against the insurgents, paid to Edward Smith, 17 days service, 1pound, 14 shillings. Again, this could be a different Edward Smith, but I believe it was the same man. In 1776, the counties of Rowan and Anson did abut in a small area but both were enormous counties. When Burke Co was formed out of Rowan, it was from the Western half and fairly far removed from Anson Co. From TENNESSEE RECORDS OF WASHINGTON CO transcribed by Mary Hardin McGown, quoted in TENNESSEE SMITHOLOGY. Chapt. 27, p.135 Deeds abstracts of Washington Co, once part of NC, later Tennessee A Tennessee Taxables List, 1790, Washington Co. shows Edward Smith. He was on the Washington Co TN Tax lists 1788-1795 with 600 acres, no poll. There was a second Edward Smith on the 1778 Tax list for Washington Co [then still NC], but he is believed to have lived on Cherokee Creek adjacent one Jonathan Tipton. Any relationship to this Edward is unknown. There was also an Edward Smith in Wilkes Co NC, married 1780 to Jane Linville, and also settled in Tennessee. He could also be that second Edward, but that is not certain, either. In 1796, Carter Co was formed from Washington Co and likely some or all of Edward Smith's land became part of Carter Co. Here is a partial transcript of his will found online - it is believed to have been found in Carter Co TN:
Jacob Gabbard married Margaret Smith, daughter of Edward Smith about 1785, probably near the forks of the Watauga & Elk Rivers and Roane and Doe Creeks in Washington Co TN. This is on the line of present day Carter & Johnson Counties. Edward Smith owned inns on the main road between North Carolina and the Watauga county, first in NC and then after 1783 in Tennessee. Edward Smith bought 640 acres on Iron Mountain that also bordered Jacob's brother George's NC grant. The family of Cornelius Bowman was in the same neighborhood and his son John married Margaret Smith's sister Sarah, at about this same time. JACOB GABBARD and MARGARET "PEGGY" SMITH had the following children:
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