Person:David Jackson (25)

Darrell Jackson's research: "David had only one wife and her name was Sarah Low as recorded on the Marriage license, certificate and Wedding Bond that is on file in Carter Co., TN. Prior to my finding these marriage documents, it was believed that David Jackson's first wife was a LONG and his second wife was Sarah whose surname was not known. . . The theory that his first wife was named 'Long' came from the only mention of that name and that was in a handwritten letter from William Ross Jackson in 1932 in which he states that his father's mother was a LONG. I believe that the name LOW, handwritten, was misread as LONG. Once this happened, the name was perpetuated as LONG."

Darrell: "David was born about 1790. His father was in Wilkes Co., North Carolina at that time.
Campbell County, TN Census records show that in:
1830 he was between 30 & 40 years old and his wife was between 20 & 30.
1840 he was between 40 & 50 years old and his wife was between 30 & 40.
1850 he should have been 50-60 and his wife 40-50. But the census says that he was 70. Her age was 46 which was right and would have been between 40-50 under the old system. In the 3 census records she would have been 26, 36 and 46 - which she was. If he was 40, 50 and 60 in the 3 census his birth date would have been 1790 and only 14 not 24 years older than his wife. The explanation for his age being wrong (70 years old) in the 1850 census could be attributed to David giving the wrong age, the census taker writing it down wrong or adults not being home when the census taker came by and accepted answers from one of the kids. Census records are famous for inaccurate birth dates."

"David is said to have operated one of the first forges in East Tennessee and that he did this on a 'self made forge' in Big Creek Gap. The town of Lafollette was known as Big Creek Gap prior to 1897."

"It is known that David was in Campbell County by 1830 based on the census records. David is not listed as owning land in Carter County, but on 24 April 1824 he along with 3 other citizens of Carter County proved (witnessed?) a land sale in Carter County."

Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 about David Jackson (at ancestry.com)
Name: David Jackson
Spouse: Sarah Low
Marriage Date: 11 Feb 1819
Marriage County: Carter

Note that Darrell's has calculated that the 1850 census had David's age wrong. It is suspected that his birth location is also wrong - it is listed as Kentucky. But we have no record of his father ever being in Kentucky. Granted, there is a lot of unknowns about David's father, so perhaps Kentucky is a good hint as to where he might have been during those unknown years, but then again, perhaps not.

On the 1850, David is said to have been a 'hammerman'. Perhaps this is consistent with him operating the 'self-made forge'. This is also of interest as David's grandfather was Joseph Jackson, "The Iron King" of Morris County, New Jersey". So forges and working the iron was in his blood as they say.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Research of Darrell Jackson.

   Based on where his father lived at the time.

2. ↑ 1810 Will William Jackson Carter,Tennessee.
3. ↑ Subdivision 17, Campbell Co., Tennessee, in United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432).
4. ↑ Campbell Co., Tennessee, in United States. 1830 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M19).