Fielding Jollett - The Road to Chancery Court

This is a continuation of the story of Good and Walton vs Jollett Chancery Cause of 1860.

Like so many young men in the early 1800s, Fielding Jollett was destined to become a farmer.  For whatever reason, when he came “of age,” he moved away from the family home in Greene County, crossing the mountain by way of Swift Run Gap along what is now the famed Skyline Drive into Rockingham County. 

Today the road from Greene County
 crossing the mountain is a series of winding curves.
I wonder how long the trip took by horse and wagon.

In 1822, Fielding married Ann Stoutemire/Stoutamoyer, daughter of Jacob and Barbara Orebaugh Stoutemire/Stoutamoyer.  Most likely they lived with her parents or close by.  In 1824, with their first child on the way, Fielding purchased 2 acres and 24 poles of land that partially bordered his in-laws’ property. 

Two acres did not a farm make, but apparently that was the extent of Fielding’s land holdings for some time.  He likely earned his living as a laborer on other farms, perhaps even in his father-in-law’s employ.

This is not Fielding Jollett's land,
but it is the right neighborhood.
photo courtesy of Lois Emswiler
Rootsweb

In 1828, Ann died, but Fielding quickly found a new wife and mother for his children, Mary Ann Armentrout with whom he had five more children.

In 1837, Fielding and Mary Ann sold some land they had inherited upon the death of her father, John Armentrout.  How much land and how much money passed hands is uncertain since the original deed was among the Rockingham County documents burned during the Civil War.  Fragments of the deed were recovered and re-recorded in 1884.

Perhaps Fielding had an entrepreneurial spirit that made him dream of becoming an important farmer and land owner.  He did not sit on that money very long.  That same year, he purchased 66 acres along Naked Creek from Joseph Mauzy, county surveyor, merchant and post master. 

Again, this is not Fielding's property,
but this is the area where he lived and raised his family.
And it's the kind of view he was privileged to enjoy every day.
No wonder he bought land there.

However, two short years later, Fielding and Mary Ann sold the same 66 acres back to Mauzy for $400. I have to wonder whether Fielding just couldn’t make a go of it there or if he had improved the farm to the extent that he could sell it at a profit.  And why would Joseph Mauzy want it back?

There are no answers, but another possibility is that Fielding had his eye on a bigger prize.  In 1849 Fielding and Mary Ann purchased 300 acres in Page County from George and Susan Conrad.  (NOTE: the area along Naked Creek straddles Rockingham and Page counties, so it appears likely that the Jolletts were living in the same area they had always lived.) 

If trouble hadn’t begun earlier, maybe this is when Fielding’s financial troubles began because in just a few short years, he was woefully in debt. 

© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Amanuensis Monday: Fielding Jollett in Chancery Court

Amanuensis Monday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts.

Amanuensis:  A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

I often wonder why my great aunts Violetta and Velma quit tracing the Jollett family.  After all, they thought there was nothing on earth quite so interesting as their Jollett relatives and ancestors.  They had even hired a professional genealogist to do some of the research.  Perhaps it became expensive.  Or perhaps the frustration of turning up so few documents made them give up.  My family’s theory is that they uncovered something they didn’t want anyone to know. 

(I wonder if they ever heard stories about William Jollett.)   

The truth is we have our fair share of unsavory characters and events that might have appalled refined ladies like my aunts.  Being sued for payment of debt is nothing. 

So it seems my 3G grandfather Fielding Jollett of Page County, Virginia ran into some financial trouble, perhaps buying on credit from local merchants and certainly borrowing money from some fairly wealthy farmers.  Failure to make good on the loans resulted in two lawsuits, at least one of which dragged on for almost twenty years.

Here is the Chancery Cause of Good and Walton et al. vs Fielding Jollett 1860 (Index # 1861-09):

Good, Walton

vs                                            In Chancery

Fielding Jollett

Your complainants James W. Good, and Reuben M. Walton, late partners in trade under the name and style of Good & Walton, George Summers and George W. Shuler respectfully shew that Fielding Jollett owned and possessed a lot of land situate in the county of Page containing about three hundred acres, more or less, which he purchased of Geo. Conrad and Susan his wife on the 9^th day of March 1849 for the sum of one dollar in hand paid as will be seen by reference to an office copy of said deed from Geo. Conrad and Susan his wife to said Fielding Jollett, filed herewith marked Exhibit (A) and prayed to be taken as part of this bill.

Your complainants also shew that the said Good & Walton, partners as above stated, suing in the style of Good & Walton recovered a Judgment against the said Fielding Jollett before a Justice of the peace for the sum of $43.79 Inst from 26^th Nov 1857 till paid, and 30 cents costs, as will be seen by reference to an office copy of said Judgment which was docketed in the County Clerk’s office of Page Co. 20^th Nov 1860 and a copy of which is filed herewith marked Exhibit (B), and prayed to be taken as part of this bill.

Also say that the said Good & Walton, as aforesaid, recovered a Judgment rendered by a Justice of the peace against F. Jollett for the sum of $30.77 Inst till paid and 30 cents costs, which said Judgment was docketed in the County Clerk’s office of Page Co, 24^th April 1860, all of which will be seen by reference to an office copy of said Judgment filed herewith marked Exhibit (C), and prayed to be taken as part of this bill.

Also say that the said Geo. Summers recovered a Judgment rendered by a Justice of the peace against the said F. Jollett for $40.16 inst from 19 Oct 1859 till paid and 30 cents costs which said Judgment was docketed in the County Clerk’s office of Page Co. May 10^th 1860 all of which will be seen by reference to an office copy of said Judgment filed herewith marked Exhibit (D), and prayed to be taken as part of this bill.

Your complainants also say that Geo. W. Shuler recovered a Judgment rendered by a Justice of the peace against said deft for the sum of $50 Inst from 31^st Jan 1859 till paid which said Judgment was docketed in the County Clerk’s office of Page Co. May 10^th 1860 all of which will be seen by reference to an office copy of said Judgment filed herewith marked Exhibit (E), and prayed to be taken as part of this bill.

Your complainants say that the defendant has no personal property out of which the said sums of recovery recovered in said Judgments can be [???].  Your complainants therefore pray that Fielding Jollett who is the defendant in this bill may answer this bill on oath and that the court will decree or a sale or renting of so much of the real estate of said defendant as will satisfy the debts of said complainants and that a court may be appointed for this purpose and all other & further relief appriate in the premises, and they will ever pray.

                                                                                                P. B. Borst, p. q.

How did Fielding get himself into such a mess?  Did he have dreams of becoming a wealthy farmer but then just got in over his head?  Was he a poor manager of money?  Was he an inept farmer?  Was he merely pathetic or was he a dirty rotten scoundrel intentionally skirting the law?  I hope to come to some conclusions through a series of posts examining the documents in two Chancery Causes.

(NOTE: Chancery Causes for Page County, Virginia are among the Virginia Memory Digital Collections at the Library of Virginia.)  

  

Sepia Saturday: Parade of Floats

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

The most obvious bit of inspiration in this week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is the truck.  As a teenager, I viewed trucks as a necessity only for people like farmers, carpenters, plumbers, and delivery people. 

But for Homecoming at Cradock High School in the 1960s, a truck was golden.  After all, every club needed one to pull its Homecoming float.  Competition was fierce among the clubs to produce The Most Original, The Most Spirited, or Best Theme.  Anyone who had access to a flatbed truck was sure to be able to produce a worthy welcome for the honored alumni.

The parade route began at the school parking lot on George Washington Highway and then processed onto Gillis Road passing right in front of my house.  Our excitement began to build with the first “rrrrrrr” of the policeman’s siren signaling the parade had started.  Young and old craned their necks to catch the first glimpse of the motorcycle escort followed by cars of dignitaries: the principal, school superintendent, sometimes even the mayor. 

In the near distance we caught flashes of silver sparkle as batons twirled up into the air and down.  The familiar notes of the Cradock Fight song or “Stars and Stripes Forever” wafted through the air as drums, brass, and woodwinds grew louder and stronger with every approaching step of the Marching Admirals.

Future Teachers of America
Riding on top: MOI secretary, Pat Dumire treasurer,
Barbara Wright reporter
Back seat: Becky Ditter chaplain (and I bet Mary Martin
was sitting there also)
Front seat: Linda Wright president

Convertibles of smiling class or club officers waving offered a momentary sensory break as the crowd anticipated the jewels of the parade:  the floats.  

Flatbeds and pickups inched along Gillis Road, almost completely obscured by colorful paper honoring the 10-year reunion of a previous class and promising to Crush the Cavaliers or Tame the Tigers or do WHATever to WHOever dared take on the Admirals on Homecoming.   

Queens' Float 1966

In 1967, the Bible Club showed us things that
should NOT change "In These Changing Times"

FBLA 1966 - "Business A-Go-Go"
was their take on "Where the Action Is in '66"

Too soon the hollow clip clop of horses' hooves meant the parade was over for those of us on my block.  But children often ran alongside the parade for a 60s-version of “instant replay.”  I wonder how many actually followed the entire parade route, turning left onto Afton Parkway, completing the circle back at the football field in preparation for the big game.

Without doubt, the Homecoming Parade was one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Jean Laxton made a spectacular cave woman
for Kappa's entry in the parade.

Probably the only thing better than a parade passing in front of our house was the honor of having a float constructed in our garage.  I was a member of Kappa, one of three service clubs open to the girls in school.  My house was the designated “float” house for our club.  

Each year, I cleaned out the garage, rearranging the lawnmower and paint cans and old screens to make room for our creation.  I’m not sure if my parents were glad for the annual cleaning or annoyed at hosting a gaggle of giggling girls night after night, but they managed to endure three homecoming floats.  

For weeks, the living room filled with chatter and laughter as we folded, tied, and separated the layers of tissue to form carnations. Yes, we made tissue flowers from either Kleenex or toilet paper.  Apparently other types of materials for floats had not been invented, were not available, or were too costly for our club.   A tissue-covered truck was the only “look” I ever knew when it came to Homecoming float décor.  

1967 Homecoming Theme: These Changing Times
Kappa's entry in the 1967 Homecoming Parade
celebrates the arrival of the Slurpee in Portsmouth
with the observation that "Time slurps on."
How could we not win with that??

Who arranged for the truck I don’t know.  Looking at these photos, I suspect most were "donated" by locally owned businesses that saw it as a way to build goodwill with the community. It was always exciting when the truck showed up in my driveway for the girls of Kappa to decorate. 

As for the club competition for outstanding floats, Kappa was never a winner.  Get your camera ready because here comes the parade of winning floats: 

"We're buzzing to the tune of '66."  In 1966 the theme for Homecoming was "Where the Action Is."  The Admiralettes won "Most Original" for a bumble bee playing a record player to welcome back the class of 1956. 

(I wonder how many boxes of Kleenex they went through because that's a LOT of tissue paper flowers.)

"College I-A-Go-Go:  Tomorrow's Future Depends on Where the Action Is In '66."  
It was always hard to outshine the Art Club who won "Best Theme" for creating a paper Cousin Itt to promote going to college.  

The Art Club did it again in 1967 winning "Most Spirited" with the White Rabbit hurrying to welcome back the class of 1957. The Homecoming theme was "These Changing Times."

(Did you notice the Art Club didn't use tissue paper flowers?  They had access to materials and skills the rest of us lacked.)

"We're Changing Time."  That same year, the YMCA's creativity was rewarded by the float's being named "Most Original."  

Truck on over to Sepia Saturday to see the parade of lovely blogs.

© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Wordless Wednesday: Baby with toys

Wordless Wednesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks family historians to create a post in which the main focus is a photograph or image.

Another sweet baby with no name.  I hope someone will find my blog and solve the mystery of this cutie patootie with doll and toy dog.  Would you date this photo from the late 1930s or early 40s, perhaps?

© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Awards Shmwards: I'm No Jodie Foster

Blog awards serve a noble purpose as a networking tool to help bloggers find readers and readers find bloggers.  When I received the Illuminating Blogger Award some months ago, I was shocked.  After all, I’m just a small blogger with a readership that could fit in my living room.  Still, it really was humbling to think SOMEBODY out there likes me, they really really like me (thank-you, Sally Fields).  

The other half of receiving the award is passing it on to other bloggers.  Frankly, I loved receiving the award.  I just didn’t like finding 5 or 15 others to give it to. Terrible, I know.  So what did I do?  I Googled “opinions on Blog Awards” to find how other bloggers handle such matters.  That’s when I discovered that some people have made a conscious decision to be award-free. 

That’s easy enough.  I’ll be “Award-Free.”  Done.  Of course, such an announcement is rather presumptuous, I suppose, suggesting I’m far too busy to be bothered with all those awards that no doubt would come flooding in.  Nevertheless, I located an “Award-Free Blog” image and slapped it in the right-hand column at the top of the page where everyone who stumbled upon my blog would see it. 

I thought it was working too because it’s been a long time since anyone has tried to pay me a compliment.  But this weekend Debi Austin of Who Knew and Jacqi Stevens of A Family Tapestry, two of my favorite bloggers, awarded me the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award, which is a thank-you to loyal followers who offer thoughtful comments on their blogs. 

Recalling the saying “be careful what you wish for,” now I have to face the harsh truth that my blogging friends weren’t just being respectful of my wishes – they just didn’t see it.  How funny.

But you know what – I’m making an exception by accepting this one because it recognizes my loyalty and kindness as a READER of blogs while not expecting any creativity or ability to inspire.  As the originator of the award said, “As bloggers we are also readers.  That is a part of blogging as listening is a part of speaking.”

So here are the rules:

1. Thank the nominator and link back to their site as well.

I don’t know how anyone can read Who Knew and A Family Tapestry and NOT comment.  Their stories and pictures make me want to be in their family.  So Debi and Jacqi, I humbly accept this virtual “blunt object and will use it as a weapon against self-doubt” (thank-you, Anne Hathaway).

2. Display the award logo on your blog.

Done

3. Nominate no more than fourteen readers of your blog you appreciate and leave a comment on their blogs to let them know about the award.

14??  I’m on my way to let these writers know how much I appreciate their comments:

• Dana of The Daily Dose
• Colleen of Leaves and Branches
• Kathy at Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy: The Online Diary of a Central Oregon Grandmother
• Sally at Sally’s Scribbles
• Sue at CollectIn Texas Gal
• M at QRSTUV

What surprises and gratifies me most is that most of these loyal readers are not family history bloggers, yet they come back time after time to read and comment about the stories of my family.  

4. Finish this sentence:  A great reader is …

one who extends the conversation by connecting to the emotion or the point of the story.

This award also would go to Jana at Jana’s Genealogy and Family History Blog if she hadn’t already received it and to my sister if she had a blog.

© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Saturday Night Fun: Meet Robert Zimmerman

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings each week promotes having a little fun with our genealogy research.  While I rarely take part, this week’s challenge really did look like fun.  In fact, I had too much fun and here it is Sunday already.

Step 1:  Find the last person in my database.

Technically, the VERY last person is a child whose name is unknown, so I’ll use the last NAMED person in my database:  Robert Franklin Zimmerman.

Step 2: What do I know about this person based on my research?  (Randy said it’s OK to do more research, and that’s what I did, which is why this post is late.)

Robert is the son of a postal carrier Everett L. ZIMMERMAN (1894 Ohio – 1955 West Virginia) and Nell SAMPSON (1894 West Virginia – 1984 West Virginia).  He was born in Ohio about 1918, but by 1920 the family was living in Huntington, West Virginia, where Robert remained until his later years.  In 1930, the Zimmermans lived on Marshall Avenue, just a few blocks from what is now Marshall University.

from Google Maps
1832 Marshall Avenue, Huntington, WV
(house with stone front)

By 1940 Robert had married Ruth Frances LAMBERT (both of whom had graduated from high school), and the two purchased a house on Bungalow Avenue (now known as McVeigh Avenue) just a couple blocks away from Robert’s childhood home.  At that time, Robert was working as a proofer for a photography studio.

from Google Maps
This white house at 1812 McVeigh Avenue
in Huntington, West Virginia COULD have been
Robert and Ruth's house at 1812 Bungalow Avenue.
It appears the name of the street changed.

City directories indicate that in the late 1940s and 1950s, Robert became a storekeeper.  At some point, he and Ruth moved to Green Bank, West Virginia where they were residing as late as 1999.  But why Green Bank?  Did they ski at nearby Snowshoe Mountain?  Was he working at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory?  Was he seeking refuge in this Radio Quiet Zone due to suffering from electromagnetic sensitivity?  Obviously, I’ll need to do more research if I want to answer these burning questions.

From a family tree posted on Ancestry I learned that Robert and Ruth have four children, two boys and two girls.  Robert’s information remains private, so it appears he could still be living, now 94.  His parents and brothers are all buried in Ridgelawn Memorial Park in Barboursville, West Virginia, and his wife is buried in Forest Lawn in Huntington.  Find A Grave has no listing for Robert.  If he were deceased, surely he’d be in one of these two places.

Step 3:  How is this person related to me?

Robert is my fourth cousin once removed.  His mother, Nell SAMPSON, was the great-granddaughter of George SAMPSON and Drada JOLLETT, my third great grand aunt who was sister to my third great grandfather Fielding JOLLETT.

Step 4:  Tell about it in a blogpost.

I did. 

What made this Saturday Night Fun exercise compelling to me is that my “last person” just celebrated his 95th birthday on January 10.  His wife Ruth would be celebrating her 91st birthday on January 17, had she lived.  Without Randy’s nudge, I would have missed the opportunity to learn about this gentleman and to say

Happy Birthday Robert!

© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Sepia Saturday: Christine Forever 24

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt brought to mind the number of pictures my mother took at Virginia Beach in her young and carefree days. 

Here is Momma with two of her best friends from high school, Betsy Ward and Christine Westbrook. 

Christine Westbrook, Betsy Ward, Mary Eleanor Davis

And here they are on another day.  Judging by Momma’s hairstyles, I’m guessing it was summer 1946 or 1947, maybe as late as 1949 in the second picture.  She and Betsy were smoking (and I don’t mean “smokin’ hot” even though they were).  Tsk Tsk - there's never a Surgeon General around when you need one.

Mary Eleanor Davis, Christine Westbrook, Betsy Ward

Momma was in both of her friends’ weddings.  But for today, I want to write about Christine.  I never knew her, but she was always a presence in a box of photos and two yellowed newspaper clippings. 

Christine married her sweetheart Milton Wisehart in March 1947, just a year after high school graduation.  It was a big wedding, even by today’s standards, with eight attendants all dressed in pastel satin brocade.  Christine’s gown was of slipper satin with an off-the-shoulder neckline.  Her long sleeves ended in points and a long sweeping train added the grandeur to an already grand wedding at the First Presbyterian Church.   Their honeymoon was a boat trip to Baltimore and Washington D.C.

Three children came quickly:  Milton Jr., Kathy, and Billy.  While stationed in Mobile, Alabama, the family celebrated the Fourth of July 1952 with an outing on the Mobile River.

A Marine, Milton borrowed an amphibious tractor without permission to give his wife and three young children a ride in the river.  It should have been a fun day.  It should have been thrilling.  But, tragically, the tractor sank.  Christine tried to save her sons and daughter, diving three times but failing to surface after the third try.  Milton also tried to save his young wife, only 24 years old, but was unsuccessful.  He was left clinging to a tree, waiting to be rescued. 

After being treated at the hospital for shock, Milton made that dreadful phone call to his family back in Virginia.  I can’t even imagine.

Such a bitter irony that the lure of water should mark the beginning and the end of this Wisehart family.

For more bathing beauties and happier endings, please visit Sepia Saturday.

© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.