This old and well known family has lived so long in America that little
of its early history can be learned and it is not positively known from what
country the founders of the American branch came, though from the name, the
nationality is supposed to be English. Sufficient has been learned, however,
to fix the date of immigration to the colonies at a very early period,
inasmuch as several generations have been identified with the settlement and
development of different parts of the United States and for over ninety
years various representatives of the family have figured prominently in the
history of Marion and other counties of Southern Illinois. Israel Jennings,
the first ancestor of whom anything definite is known, is supposed to have
been a native of Maryland, where his birth occurred about the year 1774.
When a youth he went to Mason county, Kentucky, and settled at Maysville,
where about 1799 or 1800 he married Miss Mary Waters, of whose nativity or
genealogy there is no record. After living in the above state until about
1818, Mr. Jennings moved to Illinois and located six miles southeast of
Centralia, the country at that time being almost as nature had made it with
only a few sparse settlements long distances apart, the majority of the
inhabitants consisting of straggling bands of Indians, whose principal
village was near the present site of Walnut Hill. Entering a tract of
government land, he at once addressed himself to the task of developing a
farm and founding a home in which laudable undertaking he succeeded
admirably, for in due time he became not only the leading farmer and stock
raiser of his section of the country but also one of the most enterprising
and public-spirited citizens of Jefferson county, to which this part of the
state then belonged. It is a matter of interest to note that his entry was
the second purchase of government land in what is now Marion county, and
that it was made in 1819, one year after Illinois became a state. Mrs.
Jennings departed this life October 30, 1845, the mother of eight children,
whose names are as follows: Israel, Jr., who is survived by eleven children;
George, deceased; Charles Waters, deceased, who had a family of eight
children; William W.; Elizabeth, who married William Davidson; America, wife
of George Davidson; Mary, married Edward White, and Ann, who became the wife
of Rufus P. McElwain. All are deceased. William W. died recently at Alvin,
Texas. Mr. Jennings was again married, but the second union was without
issue. He died August 7, 1860.
For a number of years Israel Jennings
held worthy prestige among the prominent citizens of Marion county and took
an active and influential part in the development of the country. He was a
leader in many enterprises for the social and moral advancement of his
fellow men, a liberal contributor to churches and educational institutions
and all laudable measures for the good of the community found in him a warm
friend and earnest advocate. He early became prominent in public affairs and
in 1827 was elected to the lower house of the Legislature, being the third
representative from Marion county. He was one of the leading Democrats of
the county and his influence as a politician, together with valuable
services rendered his party, made him widely known and led to his
appointment in 1834 as postmaster at Walnut Hill, which position he held for
many years. He was more than ordinarily successful in business matters and
accumulated a handsome fortune, being at one time the largest land owner in
the county and one of the only two men in this part of the state to own
slaves. A man of strong character, unquestioned integrity and upright
Christian principles, he exerted a wholesome influence on all with whom he
mingled and his death, which occurred in the year 1860, removed from Marion
county one of its leading citizens and prominent men of affairs.
Charles Waters Jennings, third son of Israel and Mary Jennings, was born
January 8, 1802, in Mason county, Kentucky, and accompanied his father to
Illinois in 1818, settling within a half mile of the latter and like him
becoming a successful tiller of the soil. He was married on December 14,
1826, to Maria Wood Davidson, who bore him the following children: Josephus
Waters, deceased, who lived near the home of his father; Harriet married B.
F. Marshall and died at Salem, Illinois, May 3, 1901; Sarah married Robert
D. Noleman, of Centralia, both deceased; Mariah Elizabeth, deceased, was the
wife of the late Judge Silas L. Bryan, of Marion county, and mother of Hon.
William Jennings Bryan; America, deceased, married William C. Stites, then a
resident of Marion county; Nancy, wife of Dr. James A. Davenport, lives in
Salem; Docie, now Mrs. A. Van Antwerp, lives at St. Louis, Missouri, and Z.
C., who is living near the town of Walnut Hill. Charles W. Jennings died
August 18, 1872.
Charles Waters Jennings was a man of high standing
in the community, successful as a farmer and stock raiser, and his character
was ever above the suspicion of reproach. Courteous in his relations with
his fellows and the soul of honor in all his dealings, he measured up to a
high standard of manhood and citizenship and made the world better by his
presence. By good business management he succeeded in amassing a sufficiency
of this world's goods to place him in easy circumstances, owning at the time
of his death one thousand acres of valuable land, the greater part improved,
and the source of a liberal income. He was called from earth on August 18,
1872, his wife following him to the grave April 3d, of the year 1885.
Josephus Waters Jennings, the oldest of the family of Charles W. and
Maria W. Jennings, was born on the homestead near Walnut Hill, Marion
county, October 29, 1827. He was reared under excellent parental influences,
received the best education which the schools during his childhood and youth
afforded and while still a young man, engaged in merchandising at Walnut
Hill, to which line of trade he devoted his attention with gratifying
success until 1856. Disposing of his business that year, he moved to his
farm near by and during the ensuing forty-four years followed the life of a
tiller of the soil in which pursuit he was also successful as his continued
advancement bore witness.
Amanda Couch, whom Mr. Jennings married on
the 24th day of November, 1850, was born in Marion county, Illinois, January
8, 1834, being the daughter of Milton and Nancy (Baird) Couch, early
residents of the county and representatives of well known and highly
esteemed families. During the three years following their marriage, Mr. and
Mrs. Jennings lived at Walnut Hill, but at the expiration of that time,
changed their residence to a farm in section 26, Centralia township, where
Mr. Jennings engaged in agriculture and stock raising on quite an extensive
scale and met with financial success commensurate with the energy which he
displayed in all of his undertakings. He also manifested an active interest
in public and political matters and was long one of the leading Democrats
and influential politicians of the county, besides achieving much more than
local reputation in party circles, throughout the southern part of the
state. He served for some years as Associate Judge of Marion county, the
duties of which position he discharged very acceptably, also filled the
office of Supervisor several terms, and in 1850 was elected Coroner. During
the Civil war he was Deputy Collector of internal revenue, later served as
Deputy Sheriff and for several years was Justice of the Peace, an office for
which his sound sense, well balanced judgment and love of justice peculiarly
fitted him. His official career was eminently honorable and he proved an
efficient and very popular public servant, adorning every position to which
he was called and fully meeting the high expectations of his fellow
citizens.
The children, of Mr. and Mrs. Jennings, nine in number,
are as follows: Mary R., who married I. N. Baldridge, of Walnut Hill;
Charles E., who is noticed at some length further on; Frank E., of
Centralia; Daisy, deceased, who married O. V. Kell, also of that city; Hon.
William S. Jennings, ex-Governor of Florida; Mrs. Nannie D. Stover, Mrs. Eva
Shaw and Thomas J. are three living at Walnut Hill, and Mrs. Elizabeth
Wheeler, whose home is in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mr. Jennings was a man of
profound religious convictions and in early life united with the Methodist
Episcopal church, of which he continued a faithful and consistent member to
the end of his days. He died November 20, 1890, in the full assurance of a
triumphant resurrection. His widow, who lives on the old homestead, has
reached the age of seventy-six and retains to a remarkable degree the
possession of her powers, both mental and physical. She is one of a family
of six children, three are living. Robert Couch, whose home is at Marissa,
Illinois, and Porter, who resides at the town of Sparta, this state. Milton
Couch, the father, was a son of James and Elizabeth Couch, the former a
native of North Carolina and among the early pioneers of southern Illinois.
Extracted 27 May 2019 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 513-516.