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John Jacobs timeline

Updated: Feb 4, 2019

John W. Jacobs was born in July of 1823 in New York. He was the son of Thomas Jacobs and Elizabeth Jenks.

John was counted on the 1850 census of Candor, Tioga, New York, in the home of his parents. His age was given as 26. It appears the following siblings of John lived in the home: James (19), Thomas (18), Jane (15), Hannah (13), Elizabeth (11) and Ellen Jacobs (9).

A marriage between John married Ann Eliza Wetmore (or Whitmore), occurred on January 8, 1851, in Candor. She was born abt. 1828 and was about 22 years old. It was published in the Northern Christian Advocate, Marriages, Jan. 1851.

In 1855 he was living in Candor. On that census his age was given as 30. His wife's name was given as "Mary A. Jacobs", age 26. They both lived in Candor all their lives. (See column 13 of the New York State Census 1855, E.D. 1, page 25 out of 46). John and Mary had a son, Gaylord, age illegible, possibly 2 months. The census was taken about June 27-28, 1855. A young girl lived in the home with them. She was Olive D. Wetmore, age 10, identified as "sister". Olive would have been born about 1845. According to the 1850 census, she appears to have been a younger sister of Ann. John's father, Thomas Jacobs (age 64), born in Pennsylvania, was also listed on the same census page in 1855. His wife, Elizabeth, was 57 and they had five children, all between the ages of 16 and 21, living in the home: Thomas, James, Oliver, Hannah and Elizabeth Jacobs - all born in Tioga County, NY.

Note: Another John Jacobs counted on the 1855 New York State Census in nearby Tioga was age 23, born abt. 1832. He was married to Phebe Ann Jacobs, born abt. 1840.

In 1860, John W. Jacobs was living in Candor with Polly Jacobs as his wife. She was 22. He was 37. Gaylord was the only child in the home, age 5. John is said to have married Polly in 1858. Perhaps his first wife, Mary, died between 1855 and 1858? Was this Ann Eliza's sister? (Click here for info on the Wetmore family).

John registered for the draft in Candor between 1863 and 1865. He was 39 years old. Whether or not he went off to war has yet to be determined. In 1865 he was still living in Candor. His mother, Elizabeth (Jenks) Jacobs, died in Candor the following year, on July 11, 1866.

In 1870 John and Polly were still in Candor with four children in the home:

In 1875 there were three children in the home:

In 1880 he was still living in Candor with his wife and four children:

John's father, Thomas Jacobs, died on May 15, 1884, in Candor.

In 1892 on the New York State Census (still in Candor), John's age was given as 69, Polly L. was 54, Laura D. was 31, George H. was 24 and Olive J. was 17. The entry after their family was Merritt Daniels (age 32) who lived with Amanda Daniels (age 23), Elmer Jordan (age 16), and Beatrice M. Daniels (age 1). (I seem to remember Ethel (Daniels) Leonard talking about Beatrice and/or Merritt being relatives of her father, Percy Daniels).

Olive married Arthur Dykeman in Candor on November 7, 1897, but by 1900, according to the census, she and her daughter, Vena, were living in the home of Olive's parents in Candor. John was 77 and Polly L. was 62. Laura E., their daughter, was 39.

In 1905, John (age 81), Polly (age 66), Laura D. Jacobs (daughter, age 43), and Olive's 6-year old daughter, Vena, were living in Candor. Olive was living as a servant in the home of John Swansbrough.