Catherine Moffett Edmiston1

b. 12 March 1795, d. 10 January 1856
FatherCol. William Edmiston2,3,4 b. bet 1734 - 1736, d. 30 Jul 1822
MotherElizabeth Kennedy
Birth12 Mar 1795 Catherine Moffett Edmiston was born on 12 Mar 1795.5,6,3 
  She was named in honor of Catherine (Moffett) Estill who had recently married Samuel Edmiston (brother of Catherine's father, Col. William Edmiston). 
Marriage20 Jan 1821 or 1 Feb 1821 Catherine married Robert Jones, son of Henry Jones and Martha Delap, in Washington County, Virginia, on 20 Jan 1821 or 1 Feb 1821.7,8 
Widowed30 Dec 1833  Robert died on Dec. 30th, 1833, just shy of the couple's 13th anniversary. Catherine was 38 years old, the mother of 4 sons and 1 daughter (another son, David, died as an infant in 1826). Catherine was also pregnant with the couple's 7th child. 
Cens-18401840  Catherine continued to run the family farm with the help of 8 slaves noted on the 1840 census. The make-up of the household reflected the death in 1838 of son Jonathan. Three of Catherine's sons appeared to be at home, along with daughter Sarah. One of the older boys, probably Henry, does not appear to have been part of the household in 1840. However an unidentified 15-19 year old female was present.9 
  In May 1844 Catherine's son William left home for West Point. This marked the beginning of a fascinating and distinguished career. William served as a Confederate general during the Civil War although his sometimes difficult personality earned him the nickname "Grumble" Jones.

William's older brother Henry left home in October, 1849 for Arkansas. His fate is not clear although an entry in the family Bible, which appears to have been added by his brother Robert, states he joined a regiment intending to fight in the Mexican War but was taken sick enroute and died in New Orleans.10 [the Mexican War ended in early 1848 so either the date - the entry was not in chronological order - or the purpose of Henry's trip is in error; no specific date of death was recorded suggesting the full details were not known] 
Cens-185024 Aug 1850  Catherine remained in Washington County where she was enumerated in August, 1850 at age 55 with Eliza (18), James (16) and Robert (20).11 
Cens-1850- Agric  Catherine was responsible for 150 acres under cultivation and 250 acres of unimproved land. She owned $600 worth of livestock. During the previous 12 months the farm had produced 300 bushels of wheat, 600 bushels of corn and 250 bushels of oats, as well as 80 pounds of wool and 200 pounds of butter.12 
Migration  At some point not long after this enumeration, Catherine left Virginia. She eventually settled in Crittenden County, Arkansas. Daughter "Kate" married Jefferson Greer in Memphis, Tennessee on July 3, 1851. Since Memphis sits across the Mississippi River from Crittenden County it is difficult to know if she resided in in Arkansas or Tennessee at the time.13  
Death10 Jan 1856 Catherine died on 10 Jan 1856 in Crittenden County, Arkansas at age 60.5 
Burial She was initially buried in Crittenden County. 
Reinterred1876  However in 1876 her son Robert re-interred the remains of several family members, including Catheine, in a family plot at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee.6 

Related Links and Images:

Catherine's inscription on Jones Obelisk at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis
This second photo shows an overview of the Jones Obelisk in the South Grove section of the cemetery.
The 1850 Washington Co., Virginia census listed Catherine as the head of household number 656. Follow the link to see who lived nearby.

Family

Robert Jones b. 13 Mar 1798, d. 30 Oct 1833
Children
Last Edited6 Nov 2013

Citations

  1. [S1923] Elizabeth Edwards, "Pardridge-Partridge GEDCOM", Pardridge-Partridge of Massachusetts and New York (http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/e/d/w/… : accessed Feb. 2008).
  2. [S2350] Document identified as a copy of the Family Record of Maj. William Edmiston of Washington Co., Virginia from Bible dated 1756. Entries copied by May (Mrs. Harry) Dunn of Tulsa, OK. probably between 1930 and 1950. The list is now held by Mrs. Dunn's descendants. The location of the original Bible is not known.
  3. [S2180] Letter from Wm G. Lowry, Clerk of the Co. Court, Abingdon, Virginia to Lyman C. Draper, dated Feb. 17, 1881; Draper Manuscript Collection, Series DD (King's Mountain Papers Vol 14-15), compiled by Lyman Draper (1815-1891), item 14DD65. William Lowry, in response to a request from Mr. Draper for information on William Edmiston, contacted Wm C. Edmondson [Col. Edmiston's grandson] who provided Mr. Lowry with a list of Col. Edmiston's children (1 list for each of his two wives), as well as each child's year of birth. Mr. Lowry noted that the information was from the Family Bible Record of Maj. [later Col.] Wm Edmiston.
  4. [S858] William Edmiston will (recorded 1822), Washington Co., VA Will Book 5: 57. The will was dated 29 Oct. 1811 and proved at court 20 Aug. 1822.
  5. [S2813] Mabel Tucker and Jane Waller, Lincoln Co., Tennessee Bible Records Vol. II, transcribed records, p. 70-71. Robert Jones Bible; in possession of Mrs. Mary White Hobbs, Fayetteville, TN. Bible was published in 1829 by D. Fanshaw, New York.
  6. [S2817] Catharine M. Jones tombstone, South Grove Section, Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee, from the collection of James Ballard; photographed by Art Wills (2010). Cemetery records reveal that Catherine was reinterred at Elmwood Cemetery "from Arkansas" on 11 Nov. 1876.
  7. [S2813] Mabel Tucker and Jane Waller, Lincoln Co., Tennessee Bible Records Vol. II, transcribed records, p. 70-71. Robert Jones Bible; in possession of Mrs. Mary White Hobbs, Fayetteville, TN. Bible was published in 1829 by D. Fanshaw, New York. Marriage date recorded as 1 Feb. 1821.
  8. [S2390] William R. Wheeler, Minister's Returns 1785-1832 Washington Co., Virginia Vol. 1A, p. 127. Rev. Alexander McEwen's list of marriages performed for 1820 and 1821 includes: 1821, Jany 20th Robert Jones & Catharine M. Edmiston.
  9. [S621] Catherine Jones household, 1820 U.S. cens., Washington Co., Virginia, 223 (second image), p. 17, line Nov. 2011. Household included: 1 male 5-10; 1 male 10-14; 1 male 15-19; 1 female 5-9; 1 female 15-19; 1 female 40-49; 8 slaves, viewed online at Ancestry.com.
  10. [S2813] Mabel Tucker and Jane Waller, Lincoln Co., Tennessee Bible Records Vol. II, transcribed records, p. 70-71. Robert Jones Bible; in possession of Mrs. Mary White Hobbs, Fayetteville, TN. Bible was published in 1829 by D. Fanshaw, New York. The Bible record is reported to include this entry: "William E. Jones left friends and relations _______ Va (Va was written over another word per the editor) for West Point May 21, 1844 landed at place of destination on the 30 of May 1844."
  11. [S367] Catharine Jones household, 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., District 67, p. 86, dwelling 656, family 656, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2011. Household includes: Catharine Jones, 55, owns land worth $4,000; Eliza, 18; James, 16; Robert Campbell, 20, laborer, all b. VA.
  12. [S1948] Catherine Jones landowner, 1850 U.S. census, Washington Co., Virginia, agricultural sched., 67th District, p. 647, line 21.
  13. [S1665] Jim Ballard, "Family of Catherine "Kate" Moffett Edmiston Jones," e-mail to D. Powell, 25 Aug. 2011. Mr. Ballard's email included a digital image of the Jefferson Greer-Sarah E. Jones marriage license.