The first record of Robert JENNINGS is in 1771 in Rowan Co., NC.1  Beatrice Mackey Doughtie
stated, "It is said that Robert Jennings, Sr., m. Catherine Sallee."2 As in other places
she mentions information was from descendants, the part "it is said" may also indicate it was
information from descendants, and they may have only said his wife was a Sallee. Doughtie may
have assumed that was the same as Catherine, his wife when he died.

Robert JENNING was born about 1735. 
The evidence is that Robert JENNINGS had three wives.  
Robert JENNINGS m.1 Miss SALLEE;2 m.2 Miss DANCY;3 m.3 Catherine -?-6

1. Miss Sallee, who was mother of William, Jacob, John, who by their births were born in Virginia, 
and perhaps Robert, Jesse, and Thomas. At least Thomas "may" be a son of Miss Dancy below. The
surname Sallee/Sally appears in Buckingham County, Virginia, tax records in 1773 and 1774, so Robert
would have had opportunity to have married a Sallee. Robert had settled in Rowan County, North Carolina,
by 1771, and does not appear in any known extant Buckingham County, Virginia, records. Sallee does not
appear in any known Rowan County, North Carolina, records.

2. Miss Dancy. On 9 July 1814 Isaiah Gennings, Jonathan Heathman and wife Sally Heathman [nee Jennings]
appointed Stephen Smith of Pulaski County, Kentucky, to apply for and receive both real and personal
estate of John Dancy [a neighbor of Robert Jennings in North Carolina] of Rowan County, North Carolina,
which they as legatees had claim to.3 John Dancy died intestate in Rowan County. For Isaiah Jennings and
Sally (Jennings) Heathman to have been legatees, it would be because they were descendants. Given their
respective ages, it would be because their mother was a deceased daughter of John Dancy, and they would
have rights to her share. Isaiah and Sally were the youngest children of Robert.

3. Catherine6 -?-. Robert's will mentioned a wife, but did not list her name. Deed records
after Robert's death show she was named Catherine.6 She would had to have married Robert after his two
youngest children Isaiah and Sally, were born, their mother being a Dancy. As such, Catherine would have
married Robert Jennings after about 1780, in either Rowan County, North Carolina, or Madison County,
Kentucky. Catherine would not be the mother of any of Robert's children. 

Robert JENNINGS moved about 1799 from Rowan Co., NC, to Madison Co., KY.4 He undated will was proved 
in Madison Co. on 4 Aug. 1828.5

Robert JENNINGS and Miss SALLEE had children:
1. William JENNINGS5 b. ca. 1763; m. -?- Cross;7 d. 1840 Wilson Co., TN8
2. John JENNINGS5 b. ca. 1765; m.1 Elizabeth Ann CLIFFORD, widow of
   John WOODS;9,10 m. 2. Rachel BRADLEY 5 Apr. 1812;11 d. from 4 Dec. 1833 to
   26 May 1834 Madison Co., KY12
3. Jacob JENNINGS5 b. about 12 July 1767;13 m. Beatress B.13 Cross; d. 5 Sep. 1835 Wilson Co., TN.
   bur. Smith's Fork Baptist Church13
4. Jesse JENNINGS5 b. ca. 1774

Robert JENNINGS and Miss DANCY had children:
5. Thomas JENNINGS5 b. ca. 1776;  m. Rachel;14 d. 1807 Wilson Co., TN15
6. Isaiah JENNINGS5 b. ca. 1779;17 m. Margaret;16 d. 31 Jan. 1859 Madison Co., KY17
7. Sarah JENNINGS5 b. ca. 1780 NC; living 1850;18 m. Jonathan HEATHMAN5 living 1850;18

Thomas JENNINGS and wife Rachel had known child:
1. Mary JENNINGS b. ca. 1799 KY19; m. John STROUD 12 June 1828;20
   d. 30 Jan. 1877, age 77,21 Wilson Co., TN
2. Nancy JENNINGS b. ca. 1802 Madison Co., KY22,23


1. "1771 Rowan County Petitions," Rowan County Register, Volume 12, No. 1
   (February 1997), pp, 2728-2729.
   Adjacent signers and number of souls in family were:
   Robart (X) Jenins 5
   John (III) Jenins 8
   [1 name]
   John Wood 8
   [2 names]
   James Dimmett 7 [father-in-law of Asahel Cross]
   [2 names]
   John Dancey 8 [father of Robert Jennings second wife]
   [1 name]
   Asahel Cross 7

   Five persons in Robert's family would suggest John, wife, and sons William, John,
   and Jacob. If John's household of 8 was a wife and the rest children, it would suggest
   he was not John's father, but perhaps a brother. John Jennings (son of Robert) married
   Elizabeth Ann, widow of James Wood, who was the son of John Wood. William Jennings'
   wife was a Cross, and they named a son Asahel. 
2. Beatrice Mackey Doughtie, "Robert Jennings, Sr. of Rowan Co., NC & Madison Co., KY &
   His Descendants in KY & Wilson Co., Tenn" Documented Notes on Jennings and Allied 
   Families, (Decatur, GA: Bowen Press, Inc., 1971), pp. 709-719.
3. Madison Co., Co., KY, Record of Deeds K, pp. 111-112.
4. Rowan Co., NC, Record of Deeds, 17, pp. 14-17.
     In two separate deeds on 9 Oct. 1799 Robert Ginnings of "Matteson" Co., KY, sold 38
     acres and 100 acres on "Dykars" Creek to George Reed.
5. Robert Ginnings will, Madison Co., KY, Will Book D, p. 427.
     Son William Ginnings, Jacob Ginnings, John Ginnings, Isaiah Ginnings and Sally Heathman
     an Equal part of all my Estate exceprt two hundred dollars which I will to my Son Jesse
     Ginnings children and two hundred dollars to my Son Thomas Ginnings children whenever they
     apply to my Executors after my wifes death namely John Ginnings, Isaiah Ginnings, and
     Jonathan Heathman.
6. Madison Co., KY, Record of Deeds S, p. 234.
     8 Aug. 1828 Catharine Jennings to John Jennings, Isaiah Jennings, and Jonathan Hathman, 
     executors of Robert Jennings, deceased, the one third part of Robert Ginnings estate
     willed to her by her husband.
7. Doughtie, p. 712 (See Source #2).
     No direct evidence has been located for either her given or maiden name. Doughtie states
     he married a Cross, and William did name a son Robert Cross Jennings. Numerous online
     trees give her given name as Elizabeth, and list her as the daughter of William Cross who
     died in 1798 in Botetourt County, Virginia. In his will William Cross named a daughter
     Elizabeth who was to receive only five shillings because she had already received her share,
     suggesting she was married, although no last name was listed.
     (Botetourt Co., VA, Will Book A, p. 474)
     That relationship is doubful as how would William Jennings in Rowan County,
     North Carolina, have met an Elizabeth Cross whose father William Cross lived in Botetourt Co.,
     VA? If William Jennings' wife was a Cross, a more likely candidate for her father is Asahel
     Cross who was a close neighbor in Rowan Co. (See Source #1) William Jennings also named a son
     Asahel Jennings.
8. Wilson County, Tennessee, Bonds & Letters 1838-1848, p. 87.
     7 December 1840 Elijah C. & Ashel Jennings administrators of estate of William Jennings
9. Michael Clifford will, Rowan Co., NC Will Book C, pp. 72-74.
     16 Dec. 1784 will named daughter Elizabeth Woods.
10. Rowan Co., NC Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions 5, p. 417.
      10 Feb. 1792 Jury to lay off 1/3 of land which James Wood, heir of John Wood, died possessed,
      to wit, 1/3 part of the 2/3 of John Woods' land as dower for the use of Elizabeth Ann Jennings,
      once the widow of said James, deceased, now the wife of John Jenings.
11. Madison Co., KY, Record of Marriages 1, p. 62.
12. John Jennings will, Madison Co., KY, Will Book F, pp. 2-3
13. Doughtie, p. 714 (See Source #2).
      Bible record lists Jacob Jennings was born 12 May 1762 (sic)
      Jacob Jennings departed this life, 5 Sept. 1835, age 68 years
      1 month & 23 days
      Beatrice B. Jennings wife of Jacob Jennings, wife of Jacob Jennings
      departed this life 5 Sept. 1855; age 92 years, 3 mos. & 23 days
14. Madison Co., KY, Deed Book F, pp. 243-245.
      14 October 1806 Thomas Ginnings and wife Rachel of Madison Co.y, KY, to John Bradley.
15. Thomas Jennings inventory, Wilson Co., TN, Wills and Administration Book 1802-1814, p. 159.
      29 Dec. 1807 James Cross and William Ginnings administrators
16. Isiah Jennings household, 1850 Madison Co., KY, p. 202B.
17. Madison Co., KY, Death, 1859, p. 315, Isaiah Jennings death.
18. Johnathan Hathman household, 1850 Madison Co., KY, p. 304B.
19. Wm Ryan household, 1870 Wilson Co., TN, p. 621B
      Mary Stroud age 70 born Ky
20. Wilson Co., TN Marriage Bonds and Licenses.
      John Stroud-Mary Jinnings, front, back
21. F. E. Stroud Bible family pages.
    Note that page 4 has the right and bottom margins of the death page, 
    while page 5 has the top and left margins of the same page.
    Transcript of F. E. Stroud Bible.  Original was in possession of
    F.E.Stroud s daughter Mildred (Stroud) Blair of Sun City, AZ/Denver, Colo.
    (deceased 2001). Publication date unknown.
    The Bible was water damaged and thrown away, and only the family pages
    were kept. Appears to have begun with marriage of O.B.Stroud and M.E.Moody,
    with earlier records added at that time.
22. Wilson Co., TN, Quarterly Court minutes. 1819-1822, p. 245.
      5 February 1821 On motion it is ordered by the Court that Nathan Sparks
      be appointed Guardian to Nancy Jennings who entered into bond with security
      according to Law
23. Wilson County, Tennessee, County Court Loose Records. Box 59, File 12, images 1716-1720.
      16 Nov. 1822
      James Cross, William Jennings & John McCorroll bound to appear 4 Dec. next to
      answer Nathan Sparks, guardian for Nancy Jennings in a plea of debt the sum of
      one hundred dollars which to him as guardian aforesaid they owe.

      On or before the first day of October 1822 we promise to pay Nathan Sparks
      Guardian for Nancy Jennings one hundred dollars bearing Interest from this date
      it being the full amt of her Estate in our hands as administrators on the Estate
      of Thomas Jennings Decsd witness our hands & Seal this 16th Feby 1821
      Signed: James Cross, William (X his mark) Jennings, Geo. L. Smith
      Attest: Geo. Smith Jnr.