52 Ancestors - GREAT: 2X Great Granduncle

I have written several times about my 2X great-grandfather’s brother John Wesley Jollett. Nevertheless, I must devote this blog to my 2X great-granduncle again today. Why? Because it is the 189th anniversary of his birth on 6 April 1832.

John Wesley Jollett and Sarah Elizabeth Smith
photo courtesy Jan Hensley

John Wesley Jollett was the second child and oldest son of Fielding and Mary Ann Armentrout Jollett. He was born in the Naked Creek community of Rockingham County, Virginia on April 6, 1832. He grew up close to his future bride, Sarah Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Manson Smith and Melinda Hensley. The two married in 1852 and raised 5 children.

Jollett Methodist Church group
John Wesley and Sarah Elizabeth in the back

From 1850 to 1880, John Wesley was enumerated in the census as a farmer, but he was also a Methodist minister even though he was not enumerated as such until the 1900 census. At times he was also the postmaster and a trustee of the school board. Certainly he was regarded highly in the community.

 

John W. Jollett’s property grew in value from $500 in 1860 to $8000 in 1870. He had purchased a few small tracts of land in 1858 and then more in 1859, the latter being 37 acres which had belonged to his father Fielding Jollett. The significant jump in value can be attributed to the purchase of his wife’s grandparents’ 180 acre-farm in 1866.

Jollett house 

 Five years later, John Jollett declared bankruptcy.

from Richmond Daily State Journal 15 May 1871

Fortunately, he had taken out a Homestead exemption that same year which protected the family home from creditors. He still owed his in-laws $200 for the purchase of Gabriel Smith’s farm, which was to have been paid off in three years. A homestead is comprised of the home and surrounding land, including any related buildings such as barns, outhouses, spring houses, smokehouses, and the like set aside for the family residence.  A “homestead exemption” prevents the forced sale of the homestead to satisfy any debts of the householder. 

Homestead of John W. Jollett April 1871

Page County Deed Book O: 383

This Deed made this 5th day of April 1871, Witnesseth that John W. Jollett of the County of Page and State of Virginia being Householder and the head of a family claims as his Homestead under the Constitution of Virginia and the Same possessed is __ thereof. The following property Viz:

P. B. Borst

Witnesseth the following signatures and seals the day and year first aforesaid.
John W. Jollett {seal}

State of Virginia
County of Page

I W. W. Hampton a Justice of the Peace for the County of Page and State of Virginia, do hereby certify that John W. Jollett whose name is signed to the within writing bearing date on the 3rd day of April 1871, has acknowledged the same before me in my County aforesaid given under my hand this 5 day of April 1871.
W. W. Hampton J.P.

Page County To Wit
The within Deed was received in the Clerk’s office of said County with certificates of acknowledgement and United States Revenue Stamps of the value of twenty-five cents therein and admitted to record. April 5, 1871
Teste
J. W. Watson

The Homestead is an interesting document that reveals a lot about the way they lived in the community that came to be named for him: Jollett Hollow.

I wonder what economic downturn caused him to declare bankruptcy. And what a way to spend his birthday!

If you want to read more about John Wesley Jollett, check these earlier stories:

• One Easy Guy to Find   
• Sunday’s Obituary John W and Sarah E Jollett  
• Buyer Beware  

Amy Johnson Crow continues to challenge genealogy bloggers and non-bloggers alike to think about our ancestors and share a story or photo about them. The challenge is “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.”

Wendy

© 2021, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.

52 Ancestors - ON THE MAP: Jollett Stomping Grounds

Whether I am doing my own family research or tracing the lineage of a woman applying for membership in DAR, I cannot help noticing the names of places people were from. It seems more often than not towns were named after people who settled there.

Here in Virginia, the names of early settlers are still attached to communities in the Shenandoah Valley: Rileyville, Comertown, Mayland, Cubbage Hollow, Lucas Hollow, Shiflett Hollow, Buracker Hollow, Jewell Hollow, Hensley Hollow, Simmers Hollow, Eaton Hollow, Weaver Hollow, Wise Hollow, and – wait for it – Jollett Hollow.

A gazetteer for Page County, Virginia contains descriptions of the area that came to be known as “Jollett” or “Jolletts”: “a community and extinct post office in Shenandoah Iron Works District centered at the confluence of the West and East Branches of Naked Creek where they form the main (North?) branch of that creek.”

So how did the area get the name “Jollett Hollow”?

My 3X great-grandfather Fielding Jollett was the first of the Jolletts to settle in the narrow valley that later became “Jollett Hollow.” He married Anne Stoutemire 7 December 1822 in Rockingham County, just across the mountain from his birthplace in Greene County. Two years later, he purchased 2 acres that bordered land owned presumably by his in-laws.

Rockingham County Deed Book B p 176

He amassed more land over time. In 1859 he deeded 200 acres to his son James Franklin Jollett (my 2X great-grandfather) and 37 acres to his other son John Wesley Jollett. Both were farmers like their father. The enterprising John Wesley also was a preacher and owner of a general store.

A book published in 1952 called A Short History of Page County claims that there was no post office at Jollett, but records of the Post Office Department prove otherwise. In 1888, an application was filed to locate a post office in Shenandoah Iron Works District “7 miles east of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River on the north bank of Naked Creek 3 miles east of Furnace and 10 miles south of Marksville.” John Wesley Jollett applied to be the post master and operated the post office out of his store.

from US Appointments of Postmasters 1832-1971

The best explanation for how the community got its name can thus be traced to the decision to locate a post office in Reverend Jollett’s store.

Jollett’s Post Office was just one of the things bearing my ancestors’ name. There was the Jollett School or Jollett’s Schoolhouse, the Jollett Chapel, a Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Jollett Cemetery, all on land provided by John Wesley Jollett.

The 1885 Lake Atlas of Shenandoah Iron Works District shows 2 schools near the “M E Church.” I have no explanation for that and furthermore have no idea which one was the Jollett School. The schools are long gone but the church and the cemetery are still in use.

Jollett Methodist Church 
as it looks today

The land that John Wesley gave for the use of the church was from a tract he purchased from his wife’s family in 1866. The land was once owned by Sarah Elizabeth’s great-grandfather, Revolutionary War veteran Jacob Smith and his wife Winna (Winifred). Upon their deaths, the land was inherited by their youngest son, Gabriel. With $100 down and a promise of 3 more cash payments of $200 each, John Wesley purchased what appears to be connecting properties, one about 180 acres and another about 214. The description of the property boundary going along a “high hill” matches the lay of the land of the cemetery.

. . . the said above named parties of the first part have this day sold & do hereby grant & convey unto the said John W. Jollett, a certain tract or parcel of land of which Gabriel Smith died possessed, lying & being on North Naked Creek in the County of Page & State of Virginia & adjoining & bounded by the lands of Reuben Epard, Montella Utz, & John Weaver, containing by estimation One hundred and eighty acres more or less & bounded as follows to wit, Beginning at a large white pine tree, standing on a South hill side, corner to Reuben Epard, Thence with his lines N. 2 ¾ E. 31 2/10 poles to a pile of rock near a __ tree standing near the mansion house thence N. 21_ E. 23 6/10 poles to an oak planted thence N. 60 W. 54 [?] poles to a black oak tree standing in a hollow near a drain, thence N. 20º E. [17? 18?] 19 poles to the gum saplings, corner to said Epard and in Montello Utz’s line thence with his lines N. 30º E. 60 poles, to a double dogwood standing on a hill thence N. 48 ½, E. 46 poles to a gum tree standing at the base of a hill and near the creek, thence N. 37º E. 74 poles to the large black oak, thence S. 79 E. 166 poles to two large black oak trees, one fallen, and on the top of a high hill, corner to __ Epard, Montello Utz, and John Weaver, thence with Weaver’s line S. 27 ½ W. 126 poles to two blown down trees and a white oak standing, corner to Reuben Epard, thence with his line S. 58 ½ W. 196 poles to the beginning, containing two hundred and fourteen acres more or less.  

The drive up the "high hill" - steeper than it looks
(See the cemetery just above the white barn.)

Closer view of the cemetery

In the recent past, Jollett Hollow developed a reputation for being a rather unsavory and unsafe place to go. Moonshine. Drugs. Supposedly strangers could be shot for just driving by. I don’t know if any of that is true. It seems that a bad reputation follows all places known as “the holler.”  It is still a beautiful drive and the view from the cemetery is breathtaking. Who wouldn’t want to be buried there? 

Jollett Cemetery

The Jolletts can’t claim any great inventions or discoveries, but they got their name on the map just the same.

 Amy Johnson Crow continues to challenge genealogy bloggers and non-bloggers alike to think about our ancestors and share a story or photo about them. The challenge is “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.”

Wendy

© 2020, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.

52 Ancestors: One Easy Guy to Find

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued a challenge:  write one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It can be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem – anything that focuses on one ancestor.

John Wesley and Sarah Elizabeth
photo courtesy of Jan Hensley

While last week’s 52 Ancestors prompt was to write about an ancestor difficult to research, this week calls for an EASY ancestor. Without doubt the title goes to John Wesley Jollett, brother of my great-great grandfather James Franklin Jollett. John Wesley left a strong paper trail including a consistent presence in the census records, deeds, a will, a homestead listing, some chancery causes, and numerous mentions in newspapers.

John Wesley Jollett was the second child and oldest son of Fielding and Mary Ann Armentrout Jollett. He was born in the Naked Creek community of Rockingham County, Virginia on April 6, 1832. He grew up close to his future bride, Sarah Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Manson Smith and Melinda Hensley. The two married in 1852 and raised 5 children.

From 1850 to 1880, John Wesley was enumerated in the census as a farmer. His property grew in value from $500 in 1860 to $8000 in 1870. He had purchased a few small tracts of land in 1858 and then in 1859, the latter being 37 acres belonging to his father Fielding Jollett. The significant jump in value can be attributed to the purchase of his wife’s grandparents’ 180 acre-farm in 1866.

John Wesley is a bit of a legend in Page County because the community where he grew up was named in his honor:  Jollett Hollow (or “Holler” as they say in the valley). He was a Methodist minister even though he was not enumerated as such until the 1900 census. I am assuming he had been both a minister and farmer for some time but enumerated as only one of those, but I am not sure.

Jollett United Methodist Church

The Jollett United Methodist Church was built on land donated to the community by John Wesley Jollett and is the same one where he spread the Word to friends and neighbors. He also gave the land for the cemetery behind his home and the church. He and his wife Sarah Elizabeth are both buried there as are three of their children. 

Cemetery on the hill - to the left of the church

John Wesley Jollett had other duties besides marrying and burying the citizens of Jollett Hollow. At times he was the postmaster. He was also a trustee of the school board. Certainly he was regarded highly in the community. A brief obituary appeared in The Richmond Times Dispatch.

His obituary in the local paper attests to how well-loved he was:

Rev. John W. Jollett , a venerable local Methodist preacher, died at his home at Jolletts, this county [Page], Wednesday night, aged eighty-five years. Mr. Jollett had been in excellent health until a year or two ago when heart disease began to trouble him a great deal. He was conscious till the last and spoke comforting words to the loved ones around him. His aged wife has also been in a serious condition for some time.

Mr. Jollett was well known and much loved by the people in the upper end of the county and East Rockingham among whom he had ministered spiritually for a great many years. He was a preacher of earnestness and force and ready to go where he needed without thought of reward. His disposition was kindly and he had brotherly love for all mankind. He was thrifty in his habits and besides his little farm at Jolletts owned four dwellings in Shenandoah where he resided until a few years ago. At one time he was a corporation school trustee. Three children survive him. Mrs. T. W. Meadows of Jollett, John B. Jollett of Sparrows Point, Md, and Charles Jollett of Portsmouth, VA, all of whom are expected to be at the funeral. The remains will be buried in the graveyard near the late home of the deceased. At this hour the time for the funeral has not been set.

The Page News and Courier: Issue of 20 Oct. 1916 page 1 column 3

Tombstone of
John Wesley and Sarah Elizabeth Jollett

Surely everyone wants to be remembered so fondly. But I question some of the words. Was John Wesley Jollett really so “thrifty in his habits” or did he run up against an economic downturn that caused him to declare bankruptcy in 1871?

For several months this announcement
ran in a number of newspapers in Virginia.

His Homestead exemption that same year protected the family home from creditors. He still owed his in-laws $200 for the purchase of Gabriel Smith’s farm in 1866, which was to have been paid off in three years.

transcription of the Homestead
Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

“[M]uch loved,” “kindly” “brotherly love for all mankind” – I wonder if Montello Utz would have used those words. In 1867, Montello agreed to pay John Jollett $150 for a horse that Jollett had promised was a superior workhorse able to pull anything hitched to it. Even though Montello was initially skeptical, he put his faith in the respected community leader and preacher. However, the horse did not measure up. In fact, it was worthless. Montello asked for his money back, but John Jollett refused to take it back or forgive the loan. The result was a lawsuit in 1869.

Probably Montello felt the Karma bus had come around when John Jollett’s barn burned in 1897 – uninsured.

Richmond Gazette Feb 23, 1897

Two Generations of John Wesley Jollett and Sarah Elizabeth Smith

John Wesley JOLLETT (6 Apr 1832 Rockingham Co, VA – 18 Oct 1916 Page Co, VA) & Sarah Elizabeth SMITH (22 May 1834 Rockingham Co, VA – 30 Jan 1917 Page Co, VA)  21 Feb 1853 Rockingham Co, VA

1. Artubine Joseph JOLLETT (16 Dec 1853 Page Co, VA – 27 Oct 1862 Page Co, VA)

2. Mary Etta Virginia JOLLETT ( 1854 Page Co, VA – Before 1900 Page Co, VA) & Hiram Franklin MEADOWS (14 Sep 1849 – 22 Feb 1911 Page Co, VA)

• Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie” MEADOWS (May 1872 Page Co, VA – 31 Mar 1906 Page Co, VA) & Casper Monroe BAILEY (1868 Page Co, VA – 6 Dec 1943 Page Co, VA)
• Virenda E. MEADOWS (1874 Page Co, VA – 1 Aug 1882 Page Co, VA)
• Zebedee MEADOWS (1878 Page Co, VA – 11 Sep 1882 Page Co, VA)

3. Matilda Catherine JOLLETT (16 Feb 1858 Page Co, VA – 24 Jan 1953 Page Co, VA) & Thomas Wesley MEADOWS (15 Jan 1854 Page Co, VA – 4 Feb 1941 Page Co, VA)

• Sarah Armenta MEADOWS (Apr 1874 Page Co, VA – 3 Mar 1923 Keyser, WV) & Charles Wesley STANLEY
• William Dorsey MEADOWS (17 Apr 1876 Page Co, VA – 28 Dec 1959) & m1) Sarah Arminta Sadie STANLEY ; m2) Mattie Mae TAYLOR
• John Wesley MEADOWS (1878 Page Co, VA - ) & Carrie Lee MERICA
• Rosetta MEADOWS (3 Jun 1883 Page Co, VA – 17 Apr 1978 Elkton, VA) & Tally Walter EPPARD
• Lillie Florence MEADOWS (8 Feb 1885 Page Co, VA – 21 Aug 1954 Norge, VA) & Thomas Franklin HIGGS
• Nora A. MEADOWS (16 May 1887 Page Co, VA – 12 Feb 1960 Elkton, VA) & Edward Clinton DEARING
• Maggie L. MEADOWS (6 Jun 1889 Page Co, VA – 5 Feb 1981 Waynesboro, VA) & John M. SMITH
• Clinton Thomas MEADOWS (8 Mar 1891 Page Co, VA – 25 Feb 1949 Toano, VA) & Matilda SMITH
• Mary Hattie MEADOWS (5 Jul 1894 Page Co, VA – 31 Dec 1975 Elkton, VA) & Lester L. BAUGHER
• Martha Frances MEADOWS (5 Jul 1895 Page Co, VA – 8 Jun 1979 Page Co, VA) & Charles Zuttie SMITH
• Charles Marvin MEADOWS (28 Jul 1897 Page Co, VA – Jun 1964 Waynesboro, VA) & Bertha Lee DEAN

4. John B. JOLLETT (30 Jan 1867 Page Co, VA – Aft 1940 Baltimore, MD) & Fannie Bell GRIFFITH (Mar 1872 – Before 1940) 13 Dec 1883

• Elizabeth Florence “Bessie” JOLLETT (11 Jun 1885 Page Co, VA – 29 Oct 1963 Mineral, WV) & Thomas Jefferson STANLEY II
• Lillian JOLLETT (May 1890 Page Co, VA - ) & William Alfred GORDON
• Hunter David JOLLETT (Mar 1892 Page Co, VA – Before 1914) & Vera Alice ANDERSON
• Marion JOLLETT (1889 Page Co, VA – 8 Feb 1892 Page Co, VA)
• Clarence William JOLLETT (18 Aug 1894 Page Co, VA – Before 1940 Baltimore, MD) & Emma BAUER
• Charles Merritt JOLLETT (7 Mar 1898 Page Co, VA - ) & May TANNEHILL

5. Charles Belsin Lewis JOLLETT (29 Aug 1871 Page Co, VA – 15 Jan 1939 Portsmouth, VA) & Nannie June FOGG (Aug 1872 Rappahannock VA – 30 Jun 1947 Portsmouth, VA) 24 Jun 1890 Page Co, VA

• Gracie Elizabeth JOLLETT (17 Sep 1891 Page Co, VA – 24 Dec 1977 Portsmouth, VA) & Jefferson Calvin ELLIS
• Frances Lucretia JOLLETT (17 Apr 1894 Page Co, VA – 8 Jul 1950 Portsmouth, VA) & Robert Lloyd CUTCHIN
• Charles Sherman JOLLETT (22 Sep 1897 Page Co, VA – 29 Aug 1957 Hampton, VA)
• Wrennie Louise JOLLETT (22 Jun 1900 Page Co, VA – 18 Aug 1977 Virginia Beach, VA) & David Gregory HOLLAND
• Mary Virginia JOLLETT (1905 - ) & m1) Willis Thomas JOHNSTON; m2) Edward BOHKEN

© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.