Scott County Historical Society
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John Jefferies/Jeffers (1740-1830’s)
One of Scott County’s first families
Submitted by David Jeffers,
Scott County Historical Society, President
Robert G.H. Jeffers was born in Tennessee in 1800 to James and Rhoda (Roach) Jeffers. James was the son of John Jeffers from Northumberland County, Virginia. John Jefferies/Jeffers was between 80 and 90 years of age at the time of the 1830 Campbell County census and died after 1830. The Jeffers family whose name was actually spelled Jefferies until the 1840’s were well established in this area by the year 1800. Census records indicate that Robert G.H. Jeffers was born about 1800 in Tennessee. William Jeffers, an uncle to Robert G.H. Jeffers was on the 1818 Campbell County tax list. The heads of households of Campbell County in the 1830 Campbell County Census include; John Jefferies between 80 and 90 years of age, William Jefferies between 50 and 60 years of age, James Jefferies between 50 and 60 years of age, Robert G.H. Jefferies between 30 and 40 years of age, and Archibald Jefferies between 20 and 30 years of age.
Most who have studied the Jeffers family believe that John Jefferies, along with his sons William and James migrated into Tennessee prior to 1800 from Northumberland County, Virginia. James Jeffers who was the oldest son of John was married to Rhoda Roach about 1798 and was the parents of Archibald who married Lydia, Robert G.H. Jeffers who married Alcey Cox, Amanda who married John Reed, Stephen who married Elizabeth Duncan, William who married Priscilla Duncan and Jincy who married William T. Hughett.
William Jeffers was married to Mary Polly Flathers and they were the parents of Campbell Jeffers, Lakie who married Allen McDonald, Nancy who married Thomas Lawson, Juda who never married, William B. who married Clarissa Lawson, John who married Milly White and Louisiana who married Andrew Bowling.
Robert G.H. Jeffers and Alcey Cox married in 1826 in Anderson County, Tennessee, their children were; Isaac, Amanda, Nancy, J. Riley, Marion, Margaret, Jasper, Lakey and Sarah. In the December term 1852 Robert G.H. Jeffers and Elisha Roberts filed their paperwork stating that they had been elected as Justices of the Peace in Scott County and came forward and took their oaths and seals according to law in said court.
Robert served in this capacity until his death in 1868 and was present when Scott County seceded from the state of Tennessee during the Civil War. Robert has three sons who served during the Civil War; Isaac Jeffers who married Lovis Duncan served in the 16th Tennessee Cavalry (Rucker’s Legion) for the Confederacy. Marion Jeffers who married Sarah Newport served in the 2nd Tennessee Infantry and was captured during the Battle of Rogersville for the Union. And Jasper who married Elizabeth Newport served in the 9th Tennessee Cavalry for the Union.
Isaac Jeffers (son of Robert G.H. Jeffers) served the elected position of Justice of the Peace in Scott County. The unique thing about Isaac Jeffers was the fact that he was elected to a Justice of the Peace position in 1870, being a Confederate veteran made that fact unusual because almost all the rest of the men from Scott County who served as Confederates were treated harshly and most of them eventually moved from the area. Serving from 1870 until his death in 1896. After his death the Scott County Court adopted a resolution in October of 1896 honoring his service to the court. Isaac had two sons who also served in elected positions in Scott County; James Henry Jeffers who married Milly Jane Pemberton and Emsley S. Jeffers who married Polly Jeffers.
Continued in next weeks issue of SCN