Last Will & Testament of Our Captain James Jack (1728-1776)

(exactly as recorded)

I, James Jack of Newton Tp, Cumb Co Pa on this Sept 30, 1776 will as follows:
To My wife Jane Jack bed, furniture, Saddle, Wheel, Pot & all profits of the plantation during widowhood. She to school our young children in customary manner & if she marries to have 20.

To my son John by [sic-my] black coat & Jacket of Seggathy & no more as he has already recd his share.

To my daughters “Elinors” [sic-singular and possessive] two sons viz Alexander & James Jack Scroggs sons of James Scrogs [sic] on their mothers acc’t viz to Alexander 5 & James Jack 7 & no more.

To my daughter Elizabeth now wife of Wm McFarland 5 & no more.

To my daughter Mary now wife of John Hanon 1 & no more.

To my 3 sons Patrick, James & Andrew one share & a half of the remainder of my Estate.

To my daughters Jane, Agnes, Margaret, Synthia, Jemima & Hannah the remainder of my Estate.

Directs Andrew to be put to a trade. John Bowman & Wm Standt to be Excs

James Jack (Seal) Witnesses William Tomson, John Thomapson
Jane Jack (Seal) & James McGafog
Proven Nov 7, 1776

Cumberland Co., PA Will Book B, Page 242

Documentation and notes from “Catrack Graphics Genealogy”:

Captain James Jack [Jr.] was killed in the Revolutionary War and his eldest son, James [III], at age 17 took his father’s place in the war.

James Jack is listed as a witness for the will of John James Kilgore, born 1660 in Ireland. The Kilgores also lived in Cumberland County. James [Jr.] Jack’s sister, Elizabeth Jack born abt. 1719 in Ireland, had married James W. Kilgore, born between 1701-1720, son of John James Kilgore.

My note: While this James, Jr’s grandfather, Irish captain Patrick James Jack (b. 1678), probably came to America and fathered the famous Charlotte, NC, branch of Jacks, we believe that James Sr. remained in Northern Ireland. It was his son, James, Jr., who followed his grandfather to America. James, Jr.s daughter (Mary) Jane (b. 1749), mentioned in the will above, married John Cooper (b. 1751), also of Cumberland County, and their daughter Margaret (b. 1787) married Lawrence Carlysle Fleming (b. 1784) before moving to Venango County. From there, the Flemings married Moons who married Hills who married Pearces, all of Allegheny County, PA. Read the entire story in “Introduction: Jack.”

2 Responses to Last Will & Testament of Our Captain James Jack (1728-1776)

  1. Donald Barclay Moore says:

    Can you provide information (hopefully documented) concerning the ancestry of James Jack the author of this will? I have for many years attempted to trace my Moore ancestry to the country of origin.
    My records, undocumented at present, are that a Samuel Moore married a Mary Jack, very likely in eastern Pennsylvania. They had a son Samuel that married a Mary McCombs, daughter of Robert McCombs most likely in eastern Pennsylvania. They
    had children born there before migrating to Cross Creek, Washington County, Pa in 1780.
    It is my impression that either Patrick Jack was married to the Mary Jack that married my ancestor after a divorce or she was his sister of the daughter of some other Jack family yet to be discovered. The reason I am suspicious that he divorced his wife Mary Jack is that might be the reason he moved to North Carolina and had another family.
    Your help in solving this would be greatly appreciated.
    DBMoore

    • admin says:

      Greetings, Donald. Perhaps you know that I am creating a “Vitals” page for each of the couples in our family trees. The Jacks appear several times so I plan to document even more carefully when I get there. If you can be patient, I’ll contact you with any information I uncover, probably this summer. Many thanks for your interest.
      Larry

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