Individual Details
Jesse Greer Jr.
(December 30, 1788 - January 6, 1867)
1850 Union County, Mississippi census.
"Jesse Greer, Jr. was on December 30, 1788, son of Captain Jesse Greer and his wife, Judith Hampton Greer. Captain Jesse died sometime in 1787 or 1788, leaving Jesse, Jr. an orphan. Judith soon married again to William Mitchell. A William Johnson served as guardian to Jesse, Jr. and his brothers and sisters until the estate was settled finally in 1799.
"A number of the Wilkes County Greers migrated to the vicinity of Barren and Warren Counties, Kentucky, in the early part of the 1800's. There was a William Mitchell and family in Warren County in 1810, however, there was no male listed in that family between 16 and 26, which is the bracket that should have included Jesse, Jr. Aquilla Greer was in Warren County at that time -- he was perhaps an uncle of Jesse, Jr. In Aquilla's family there were two males between 16 and 26, on of whom might have been Jesse. This was possibly the same Aquilla Greer listed in the 1790 census with four sons over 16. There were also a number of familiar names listed in the Warren County Census of 1810, Jess Perkins, several Hamptons, and several Mitchells. William Mitchell was in Warren County in 1800 -- if this is the same one who married Judith Hampton Greer, they probably moved to Kentucky in 1800.
"Whether or not this William Mitchell was the same as the stepfather of Jesse, Jr. is uncertain. If so, it appears that William and Jesse's mother, Judith, moved back to Wilkesboro, N. C. toward the latter part of 1810, or were back there visiting relatives, because it is reported that Judith died there on February 11, 1811.
"It is supposed that as a teenager Jesse, Jr. probably lived with various relatives, some of whom moved to Pendleton County, South Carolina, and perhaps were with the Pucketts when they moved to Warren County, Kentucky. Jesse Greer, Jr. married his first wife, Polly Puckett, in Barren County, Kentucky, on July 15, 1813, as recorded in the courthouse records there. Although the marriage record simply refered to her as Polly, This was probably what she went by growing up, however, in later generations in Mississippi she is remembered as Nancy. She was the daughter of the Ephraim Puckett.
"The first child of Jesse and Polly, Ephraim, was born in Kentucky. Then Jesse and Polly moved to Mississippi sometime before September of 1815 when the second child, Sarah (known as Sally), was born, in Mississippi.
"Except for census records and Bible records, there is little information written down about this obscure man, who like his grandfather and great grandfather, lived most of his life in the wilderness of America.
"Jesse Greer was listed in the 1820 census of Pike County, Mississippi. He homesteaded on a site located on property owned since 1914 by Levi Jenkins, a Black. A visit to the homestead site in August 1957, revealed nothing but the old sandstone rocks that were used in the foundation of the log house built by Jesse. Tall crepe myrtles around the house site were still living and in blossom. A built-up pile of rock probably represented the foundation for the stick and dirt chimney. About 100 yards south and west of the homestead site is the location of the cemetery where Jesse is buried, his grave unmarked except for a sunken appearance. None of the graves are marked, and the barbed wire which once surrounded the small burial plot is practically all torn down. A small cedar stands nearby, somewhat dwarfed by the tall pines now covering the hillside. The cemetery is located on the Fernwood property adjoining the Jenkins place. The general vicinity of the old Greer place is about 3.5 miles south of Ruth, just inside of Pike County and to the west of the road that runs from Ruth to Felder's Campground. Nancy "Polly" Puckett Greer died on October 15, 1822. The place of her burial is not known, but probably she was buried on the hill where Jesse was later buried.
"A traditional story passed down through the generations is that Jesse Greer raised tobacco and made occasional trips to New Orleans to sell it on the market. It has been told that on one of Jesse's trips to New Orleans, before the death of Nancy "Polly," he bought for a servant a young German girl named Ginna "Jennie" Blengsinger (other possible variations in spelling include Blingsaenger, Bladesinger, Blengsaenger). One recollection is that her maiden name is Bloodstringer. Verification of the exact spelling is yet to be found - perhaps it may be found among immigration records from the port of New Orleans for the period 1820-23. In all probability, she came on a ship that had sailed from Hamburg. Perhaps unable to pay fare on the ship, she might have become more or less an indentured servant of Jesse Greer upon his payment of her passage. It has been suggested through one line of the family that there is a tradition that she was Jewish. Whether or not this is based on documented evidence or upon the sound of the name is unknown, nevertheless, it is believed that she must have embraced the Christian faith inasmuch as a tradition in the Amos Greer family has it that her sons were unable to read the old German Bible she brought with her, tore the pages out and used them for gun wadding. Ginna "Jennie" was born in Germany between 1800-1810. She was very skilled in weaving, which she learned as a girl in Germany. After the death of Jesse's first wife, he married Ginna who gave birth to ten of his nineteen children.
"Ginna Blengsinger Greer died on March 19, 1841. She was buried in the old Williams Cemetery near the Lucious Bacot place, about two miles east of Ruth. There is no marker for her grave, and it is not known exactly why she was buried there instead of in the burial ground near the Greer home.
"After the death of Ginna, Jesse was married a third time, at the age of about 56, to Elizabeth "Betsy" Davis who was 37 years younger than Jesse. Betsy was a sister of Martha Davis who later married Jesse, III. Jesse, Jr. and Betsy Davis Greer had five children." (Information from Frank Greer, as per Tiffaney Porter, 1997.)
(Much of the information about the family and descendants of Jesse Greer, Jr. was sent by Tiffaney Porter, 5689A Douglas Ferry Road, Caryville, Florida 32427, 1997, unless otherwise noted.)
Some additional information from an unpublished manuscript, "Children and Grandchildren of Jesse Greer, Jr." by Frank V. Greer, using material from F. Moak, B. L. Code, Greg Smith, Lucille McDaniel and Ina Greer May.
"Jesse Greer, Jr. was on December 30, 1788, son of Captain Jesse Greer and his wife, Judith Hampton Greer. Captain Jesse died sometime in 1787 or 1788, leaving Jesse, Jr. an orphan. Judith soon married again to William Mitchell. A William Johnson served as guardian to Jesse, Jr. and his brothers and sisters until the estate was settled finally in 1799.
"A number of the Wilkes County Greers migrated to the vicinity of Barren and Warren Counties, Kentucky, in the early part of the 1800's. There was a William Mitchell and family in Warren County in 1810, however, there was no male listed in that family between 16 and 26, which is the bracket that should have included Jesse, Jr. Aquilla Greer was in Warren County at that time -- he was perhaps an uncle of Jesse, Jr. In Aquilla's family there were two males between 16 and 26, on of whom might have been Jesse. This was possibly the same Aquilla Greer listed in the 1790 census with four sons over 16. There were also a number of familiar names listed in the Warren County Census of 1810, Jess Perkins, several Hamptons, and several Mitchells. William Mitchell was in Warren County in 1800 -- if this is the same one who married Judith Hampton Greer, they probably moved to Kentucky in 1800.
"Whether or not this William Mitchell was the same as the stepfather of Jesse, Jr. is uncertain. If so, it appears that William and Jesse's mother, Judith, moved back to Wilkesboro, N. C. toward the latter part of 1810, or were back there visiting relatives, because it is reported that Judith died there on February 11, 1811.
"It is supposed that as a teenager Jesse, Jr. probably lived with various relatives, some of whom moved to Pendleton County, South Carolina, and perhaps were with the Pucketts when they moved to Warren County, Kentucky. Jesse Greer, Jr. married his first wife, Polly Puckett, in Barren County, Kentucky, on July 15, 1813, as recorded in the courthouse records there. Although the marriage record simply refered to her as Polly, This was probably what she went by growing up, however, in later generations in Mississippi she is remembered as Nancy. She was the daughter of the Ephraim Puckett.
"The first child of Jesse and Polly, Ephraim, was born in Kentucky. Then Jesse and Polly moved to Mississippi sometime before September of 1815 when the second child, Sarah (known as Sally), was born, in Mississippi.
"Except for census records and Bible records, there is little information written down about this obscure man, who like his grandfather and great grandfather, lived most of his life in the wilderness of America.
"Jesse Greer was listed in the 1820 census of Pike County, Mississippi. He homesteaded on a site located on property owned since 1914 by Levi Jenkins, a Black. A visit to the homestead site in August 1957, revealed nothing but the old sandstone rocks that were used in the foundation of the log house built by Jesse. Tall crepe myrtles around the house site were still living and in blossom. A built-up pile of rock probably represented the foundation for the stick and dirt chimney. About 100 yards south and west of the homestead site is the location of the cemetery where Jesse is buried, his grave unmarked except for a sunken appearance. None of the graves are marked, and the barbed wire which once surrounded the small burial plot is practically all torn down. A small cedar stands nearby, somewhat dwarfed by the tall pines now covering the hillside. The cemetery is located on the Fernwood property adjoining the Jenkins place. The general vicinity of the old Greer place is about 3.5 miles south of Ruth, just inside of Pike County and to the west of the road that runs from Ruth to Felder's Campground. Nancy "Polly" Puckett Greer died on October 15, 1822. The place of her burial is not known, but probably she was buried on the hill where Jesse was later buried.
"A traditional story passed down through the generations is that Jesse Greer raised tobacco and made occasional trips to New Orleans to sell it on the market. It has been told that on one of Jesse's trips to New Orleans, before the death of Nancy "Polly," he bought for a servant a young German girl named Ginna "Jennie" Blengsinger (other possible variations in spelling include Blingsaenger, Bladesinger, Blengsaenger). One recollection is that her maiden name is Bloodstringer. Verification of the exact spelling is yet to be found - perhaps it may be found among immigration records from the port of New Orleans for the period 1820-23. In all probability, she came on a ship that had sailed from Hamburg. Perhaps unable to pay fare on the ship, she might have become more or less an indentured servant of Jesse Greer upon his payment of her passage. It has been suggested through one line of the family that there is a tradition that she was Jewish. Whether or not this is based on documented evidence or upon the sound of the name is unknown, nevertheless, it is believed that she must have embraced the Christian faith inasmuch as a tradition in the Amos Greer family has it that her sons were unable to read the old German Bible she brought with her, tore the pages out and used them for gun wadding. Ginna "Jennie" was born in Germany between 1800-1810. She was very skilled in weaving, which she learned as a girl in Germany. After the death of Jesse's first wife, he married Ginna who gave birth to ten of his nineteen children.
"Ginna Blengsinger Greer died on March 19, 1841. She was buried in the old Williams Cemetery near the Lucious Bacot place, about two miles east of Ruth. There is no marker for her grave, and it is not known exactly why she was buried there instead of in the burial ground near the Greer home.
"After the death of Ginna, Jesse was married a third time, at the age of about 56, to Elizabeth "Betsy" Davis who was 37 years younger than Jesse. Betsy was a sister of Martha Davis who later married Jesse, III. Jesse, Jr. and Betsy Davis Greer had five children." (Information from Frank Greer, as per Tiffaney Porter, 1997.)
(Much of the information about the family and descendants of Jesse Greer, Jr. was sent by Tiffaney Porter, 5689A Douglas Ferry Road, Caryville, Florida 32427, 1997, unless otherwise noted.)
Some additional information from an unpublished manuscript, "Children and Grandchildren of Jesse Greer, Jr." by Frank V. Greer, using material from F. Moak, B. L. Code, Greg Smith, Lucille McDaniel and Ina Greer May.
Events
| Birth | December 30, 1788 | Wilkes County, North Carolina | |||
| Marriage | July 15, 1813 | Barren County, Kentucky - Nancy "Polly" Puckett | |||
| Marriage | Aft October 15, 1822 | Kentucky - Ginna "Jennie" Blengsinger | |||
| Marriage | Abt, 1844 | Kentucky - Elizabeth "Betsy" Davis | |||
| Death | January 6, 1867 | Ruth, Lincoln County, Mississippi | |||
| Burial | Jesse Greer Homeplace, south Ruth, in Pike County, Mississippi |
Families
| Spouse | Elizabeth "Betsy" Davis (1825 - ) |
| Child | Francis Elizabeth Greer (1845 - 1845) |
| Child | Warren W. Greer (1847 - 1910) |
| Child | Calvin Richmond "Rit" Greer (1853 - 1929) |
| Child | Zebulon P. "Zeb" Greer (1858 - 1929) |
| Child | William Levi Greer (1859 - ) |
| Spouse | Nancy "Polly" Puckett (1781 - 1822) |
| Child | Ephraim Allen Greer (1813 - 1857) |
| Child | Sarah "Sally" Perkins Greer (1815 - ) |
| Child | Annis (or Annice) Tulline (or Teuline) Greer (1817 - 1867) |
| Child | Martha Ann Reed Greer (1819 - 1902) |
| Spouse | Ginna "Jennie" Blengsinger (1800 - 1841) |
| Child | John Anderson Greer (1823 - 1892) |
| Child | Amos Greer (1825 - 1884) |
| Child | Jesse "Type" Greer (1827 - 1904) |
| Child | Caroline Greer (1829 - 1831) |
| Child | Melinda Greer (1831 - 1836) |
| Child | Mary "Polly" Greer (1833 - 1915) |
| Child | Isaiah Greer (1835 - 1864) |
| Child | Franklin Greer (1837 - 1929) |
| Child | Jane Greer (1837 - 1877) |
| Child | Olive Greer (1841 - 1923) |
| Father | Capt. Jesse B. Greer (1757 - 1788) |
| Mother | Judith "Judah" Hampton (1759 - 1811) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Greer ( - ) |
| Sibling | Delilah Greer (1780 - ) |
| Sibling | John N. Greer (1783 - 1855) |
| Sibling | Sarah Greer (1784 - ) |
| Sibling | Nancy Greer (1786 - ) |