Descendants of Job and Margaret
Fletcher in Illinois
Job Fletcher, son of John and Eleanor Fletcher, was probably born about 1743. He
was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Job was married in Augusta County,
Virginia to Margaret (maiden name unknown). Job died in Rockbridge County,
Virginia in 1797 after a very long court battle over the estate of of his
uncle, John Hindman. His life is covered in the Virginia period of the John and
Eleanor Fletcher text in Augusta Co., VA.
After the death of Job Fletcher Sr. Job's widow, Margaret, and their son, John,
made bond as administrators of Job's estate on 5 Sept. 1797. (Copy available).
Administraion was given them and a copy of the inventory of the estate was made
(Copy available).
The Job Fletcher family took care of business in Rockbridge County, VA,
finishing up when her son James and wife Jane, her daughter Elizabeth and
husband John Harris, all of the County
of Rockbridge, and her daughter Agnes and husband, James Anderson of Botetourt
County, Virginia, sold two hundred and sixty-six acres of land to James Hodges
of Rockbridge County. The deed states that this land was conveyed to Job
Fletcher in 1799 by the heirs of Francis Donnely.
The following picture of Job and the early map of Illinois is taken from "Sugar
Creek, Life on the Illinois Prairie', pages 2 and 147.
For larger image, click picture.
JOB FLETCHER (1793-1872) Fletcher came to Sugar Creek, IL from Kentucky in 1819
with his wife, Mary Kerchner Fletcher, and their baby, Parmelia, and was soon
followed by numerous other members of the Fletcher clan. Something of an
intellectual, Fletcher taught school, acted as community lawyer and as the
county's first justice of the peace, and won election to the state legislature
in 1826 and the senate in 1835. During the legislative session of 1836-37, the
Sangamon delegation, all Whigs, including Abraham Lincoln, became known as "The
Long Nine," because
each man stood at least six feet tall. Farmer and churchman, Fletcher became the
leader of the Sugar Creek Whigs. The picture was made in 1836, the year he was
reelected as a Whig candidate to the Illinois State Senate.
1819 - "Squire" Job Fletcher, youngest child of Job and Margaret Fletcher, moved
his wife Mary (Kerchner) and their baby daughter, Permelia, to Sugar Creek,
Illinois from Christian County, KY.
(Information from 'Sugar Creek, Life on the Illinois Prairie')
For larger map, click Picture
1819 - Simpson County was formed from Logan County, Ky. Now the James Fletcher
family lived in Simpson Co.
1820 - Todd County was formed from Christian County, KY. The John Fletcher
family was now calling their county Todd, instead of Christian.
1811 - Job Fletcher, the youngest son of Job and Margaret Fletcher, at the age
of eighteen years, joined a Kentucky militia company and was at the battle of
Tippecanoe. All records about Job Jr. are found in John Mack Faragher's book;
'Sugar Creek, Life on the Illinois Prairie.' For a close look at the life of the
Fletchers in IL, this book is a must. It deals with, not only the Fletchers and
connecting McElvains, but other families they intermarried with. The life of
"Squire Job" is covered very well and includes his affiliation with Abraham
Lincoln. Job Sr. and Margaret would have been very proud of their young son.
Job was born in 11 Nov. 1793 in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was only about
five years old when his father died in Rockbridge Co., VA. After Margaret, his
mother, died his older brother, John, and sister-in-law, Elizabeth, raised him.
Job, the youngest son of John and Elizabeth Fletcher,
was named for his uncle ('Squire Job') and his grandfather, Job. He was called
Job Jr. to distinguish him from his uncle. Job Jr. was also known as "Captain
Fletcher" in deference to a militia commission awarded him in Kentucky (Sugar
Creek, page 58.)
27 June 1811 - Marriage of Robert, son of Job and Margaret Fletcher to Mary
Polly Wilson, Christian Co., KY. (Copy of original available) A copy of this
marriage record would have been a big help when Mary Polly was trying to prove
relationship to Robert in April 1857.
18 June 1812 - The United States declared war on Great Britain. Job and
Margaret Fletcher had at least two sons, who served in the armed forces during
the war of 1812. Job Jr. and Robert.
1812-1813 - Robert Fletcher, son of Job and Margaret, was drafted into the
service. Robert was living in Christian County, KY at the time. He served for a
period of about three to six, months and was discharged at Bowling Green, Ky.
(deposition of Mary Polly (Wilson) Fletcher, dated 25 April 1857). All
information available at this time indicates that the above Robert Fletcher is
the
son of Job and Margaret. Tom Fletcher, who is a descendant of Robert and Mary
Polly, feels that more research needs to be done on the parentage of Robert.
18 January 1816 - John Fletcher was granted one hundred and fifty acres of land
in Christian County, Kentucky (The Kentucky Land Grants, page 551.) This land
was located on Blue Lick Fork.
17 October 1816 - John Fletcher was granted ninety-five acres of land in
Christian County, Kentucky. It was on the West fork of Red River (The Kentucky
Land Grants, page 551.)
8 January 1827 - Job Fletcher, son of John and Elizabeth, was granted eight
acres of land in Todd County, Ky., located on the west fork of the Red River
(The Kentucky Land Grants, page 551.)
21 April 1827 - John Fletcher was granted fifty acres of land in Todd County,
Ky. (The Kentucky Land Grants, page 577.) This land was on the West Fork of the
Red River.
1826- "Squire" Job won the election to the Illinois Assembly.
1828 -Job was re-elected to the Illinois Assembly.
1828 - James and Jane, with their brood of children, left Simpson County,
Kentucky and moved to Sugar Creek, Illinois. They left with an ox-team and
covered wagon, with one horse in front,
taking some three weeks to make the journey. (This information is from the 1881
interview with Nathan Fletcher, son of James and Jane, and published in 'History
of Sangamon County,
Illinois', page 764.) Like his brother, John, James died shortly after moving to
Sugar Creek and his widow, Jane, was listed as head of household on the 1830 US
census. Nathan further stated, that in the early days their trading post was at
Springfield, twenty miles away and he had known
his mother to take a pail of butter, and on horseback, go to Springfield, do her
trading and return the same day. He also remembered after his father died that
they had a field of five or six acres of wheat, which his mother and himself put
up, cutting it with a reap-hook, his mother being about fifty years old at the
time. He mentions that his father was of English descent and his mother of
Scotch-Irish.
1830 - John and Elizabeth Fletcher, with their eight children, moved from Todd
County, Ky. to Sugar Creek, II. They were accompanied by the family of Samuel
McElvain, brother of Jane
and Elizabeth Fletcher, and their mother, Margaret McElvain, (Sugar Creek, page
58.)
John died shortly after moving to Sugar Creek and his widow, Elizabeth, was
listed as head of household on the 1830 US census.
14 September 1830 - Death of James Fletcher, son of Job and Margaret, age
fifty-one years, two months and seven days (Cemeteries of Auburn Township.)
16 Sept 1830 - Death of John, son of Job and Margaret Fletcher. John is
buried in West Grove Cemetery, Sangamon Co., IL.
There probably was some sort of epidemic around Sugar Creek
in 1830. Many deaths were recorded during the year.
14 October 1830 - Marriage of Job L., son of James and Jane, to Nancy Chapin
(Chaplin), Sangamon County. Nancy was born 26 June 1813 in Kentucky. By 8 April
1841 Job L. and Nancy were in Joe Davis County, IL. Job L. died 23 July 1872,
probably from injuries he received when he was gored by a bull in May of 1872.
Nancy died 14 October 1874. They both died in Republic, Richland township,
Chickasaw County, Iowa. They
were buried in Richland Township Cemetery. One Fletcher researcher who is a
descendant of Job L. and Nancy through their daughter, Nancy, who married John
McFadden Dunlap said this Dunlap is not related to the Dunlaps in Virginia.
1830 U. S. census of Sangamon County, II. - Listed in the household
of Elizabeth Fletcher, widow of John:
two males
twenty to thirty years
one male fifty to sixty years
One female ten to fifteen years
three females fifteen to twenty years
one female fifty to sixty years
1830 U.S. census of Sangamon County, IL. - In the household
of Job Fletcher Jr. (son of John and Elizabeth Fletcher);
one male under five years
one male twenty to thirty years
two females under five years
one female twenty to thirty years.
1830 U.S. census of Sangamon County. IL. - in the household
of Job Fletcher (Squire Job):
two males under five years
two males five to ten years
one male thirty to forty years
one male forty to fifty years
one female under five
two females five to ten years
one female ten to fifteen years
one female forty to fifty years.
1830 U.S. census of Sangamon county, IL.
In the household of Jane Fletcher, widow of James:
one male under five years
one male fifteen to twenty years
one male twenty to thirty years
one male fifty to sixty years
two females under five years
one female five to ten years
one female ten to fifteen years
two females fifteen to twenty years
one female twenty to thirty years
one female forty to fifty years
1830 U.S. census of Sangamon County, IL
In the household of Micajah Fletcher:
two males under five years
one male twenty to thirty years (Micajah)
one female twenty to thirty years (Sally)
This Micajah was one of the Adair County, KY Fletchers, the son of John and Elizabeth. Sally probably died in Sangamon County. Micajah was back in Adalr County by 27Feb. 1833 when he married Polly Spoon.
31 July 1840 - The obituary of James Harvey Fletcher, eldest son of Job
Fletcher, Esq., in the 20th year of his life; "This youth was born and raised on
Sugar Creek in Sangamon County; not- with-standing he had no higher
opportunities than that of a common school, yet he had, by his own industry
attained a degree of scholarship with general book intelligence seldom surpassed
by those of equal age. His philosophic mind daily received useful lessons from
surrounding objects. His last
illness was exclusively sever, yet he bore it with manly fortitude and
resignation. I conversed frequently with him on the subject of death, and he
gave me good assurance of his interest in the Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke of
death with perfect composure and with a joyful anticipation of entering a
paradise of eternal peace. He has left many friends and acquaintances who deeply
deplore his loss." (Lincoln Library, Sangamon County.)
25 April 1857 - A deposition was taken from Mary Polly, widow of Robert Fletcher
in Washington Co., AR. Mary Polly was making application for a land grant, being
eligible through the service of her husband in the war of 1812. She needed
proof of his service and proof
that she was his widow. Job, her brother-in-law, and John F. Harris, another
brother-in-law, made deposition in her favor. Mary Polly said that Robert's
discharge papers were accidentally burned.
(Copy of Original available)
25 April 1857 - A deposition was given by John F. Harris and John Harris Jr.
They said that they both knew Mary Polly and that they both knew that Robert had
died on, or about, the 6th day of January 1857. This John F. Harris is probably
the husband of Elizabeth, daughter of Job and Margaret Fletcher and sister of
Robert. (Copy of Original available)
2 May 1857 - The deposition of 'Squire' Job, son of Job and Margaret Fletcher,
was taken in Washington County, Arkansas. Job states that he did not see Robert
and Mary Polly get married
because he was in Logan County, Illinois at the time but, that their marriage
was never questioned. He states that he knew that Robert was in the service
during the war of 1812. Job's signature, at the end of the deposition, is a
sample of the hand writing he was so famous for. (Copy available)
4 September 1872 - Death of 'Squire' Job Fletcher, Sangamon County, Illinois.
Children of Job and Margaret Fletcher:
First child of Job and Margaret Fletcher was John, born about 1774 in Augusta
Co., VA, married Elizabeth McElvain 5 Feb. 1799 daughter of Andrew and Margaret
(Workman) McElvain. Elizabeth was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. John
died 16 Sept 1830 and is buried in West Grove Cemetery, Sangamon Co., IL.
Elizabeth died 23 October 1857. She is buried in West Grove cemetery in Auburn
township, Sangamon County, Illinois. Children of John and Elizabeth (McElvain)
Fletcher:
Andrew W., Andrew died in 1809. He was killed by a falling tree, John, married
Theresa Abell, Margaret, Elizabeth, Elizabeth never married, Rebecca, married
David C. Brown, Jane A., Jane married Leroy M. Paden.
Second child of Job and Margaret Fletcher was Elizabeth, married John Harris 9
Nov. 1797. (Rockbridge County Marriages, page 289.) Children of Elizabeth and
John Harris were: Job F., Margaret, James, Robert, John, Charles, William, and
Samuel.
Third child of Job and Margaret Fletcher was James, born 7 July 1779 in
Rockbridge Co., VA, married Jane (Jenny) McElvain 1 Oct. 1805. Two of Job and
Margaret's sons married the daughters of Andrew and Margaret (Workman) McElvain.
After leaving Rockbridge Co., VA, James and Jane relocated in Logan Co., KY
where James carried on a farm in connection with
a wheelwright business. James died 14 Sept. 1830 at Sangamon Co., IL and is
buried in West Grove Cemetery, Sangamon Co., Il. Jane was born in 1785 at
Landcaster County, Pennsylvania. She died 2 Nov. 1853 in Macoupin Co., West
Grove Cemetery, Sangamon Co., IL.
James and Jane had sixteen children, ten lived to be grown. They were:
Job L., Margaret, James W., Mary, Nathan, Elizabeth, Rebecca, John R.,
Martha, and Nancy.
Fourth child of Job and Margaret Fletcher was Agnes Nancy. Agnes Nancy married
James Anderson. James was born in Botetourt County, VA in 1784. He died in
Sangamon County, Illinois in 1828. James and Agnes moved to Kentucky in 1808, to
Indiana in 1813, then to Ball Township, Sangamon County, Illinois in 1820.
Children of James and Agnes Anderson were: Robert N., born in Va., first married
to Rebecca Wilson, Margaret L., married William Drennan, Job F., born in Ky.,
never married. John N., born in Ky., was married in Arkansas and died in
Arkansas, Nancy, born in Ky., married John Caldwell in Sangamon County,
Illinois. Nancy died in Texas. Rebecca, born in Indiana, and died in Arkansas.
Robert, fifth child of Job and Margaret Fletcher. born 19 July 1788 in VA,
married Mary Polly Wilson 27 June 1811 in Christian Co., KY (Copy available).
Robert died 4 Jan. 1856 in Washington Co., AR, and is buried in King of Kings
Cemetery, Washington Co., AR. Mary Polly was born 3 Nov. 1795 in Tennessee, died
28 1875 in Washington Co., AR, and is buried in King of Kings Cemetery, Washington Co., AR. Children of Robert and Mary Polly
(Wilson) Fletcher were: John, married Malinda Price, Jobe, married Sarah Ann
Williford, Andrew, married Mahaly Rogers, James, died 1864, Jessie, married
Cinderella Wood, Mary, married John Fletcher, Timothy, married Margaret, Nancy
A., born Nov. 1834, died 11 Jan 1860.
Job Jr, sixth child of Job and Margaret Fletcher. Born 11 Nov. 1793 at
Rockbridge Co., VA, married Mary Kerchner 22 Dec. 1818 at Todd Co., KY, died 4
Sept. 1872 in Sangamon Co., IL. Mary was born in Augusta Co., VA. Children of
Job Jr. and Mary (Kerchner) Fletcher were: Parmelia A., married Eddin Lewis,
James H., born 22 Jan 1821, died 1841, John, married
Mary Ann Fletcher, Elizabeth, married Albert Stacy, Jonas L., married Amanda M.
Short, Elijah I., born 4 Dec. 1827, died 5 Dec. 1846, Mary, born 1827, died
1836.
This concludes the information at hand on the descendants of Job and Margaret
Fletcher in Kentucky and Illinois. Comments and additions are welcome.
Many thanks to fellow Fletchers for providing so much information for this chapter.
