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Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 12:22AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Ruark, Jackson, Franklin
I am looking for information on Benjamin F. Ruark (B. 2/1826 in Kentucky? D. ?) and Malissa A Jackson (12/1834 in Kentucky ? D. ?) married 8/10/1852 or 9/8/1852 Clarksburg, Lewis, Kentucky. According to the 1860 census they had five children and found another born in the 1860's. Although, I am thinking they actually changed their last name to Franklin when they left Kentucky and moved Indiana where they are found in the 1870 census as Franklin not Ruark. The reason I think they change their names is because they share at least 8 of the same names, Benjamin and Malissa Ruark and the 6 children from the 1860 census match Benjamin and Malissa Franklin, and the 6 children plus 7 or 8 more in the 1870 census. I would like to find information on Benjamin F Ruark's parents and siblings and Malissa A Jackson's parents and siblings. I think Malissa's father was Jesse W Jackson?

Children:

James A Ruark
1854 Lewis Kentucky

Emeline (Emaline or Emiline) Ruark
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWKZ-C66
11/24/1854 Lewis, Kentucky

Mary J Ruark
1856 Lewis Kentucky

Sarah A Ruark
1858 Lewis, Kentucky

Amanda M Ruark
3/10/1859 Lewis, Kentucky
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWKZ-H19

Benjamin F Ruark
5/27/1861 Lewis, Kentucky
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWJC-MJQ

Re: Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 5:18PM GMT
Classification: Query
Benjamin's father was probably Jordan Ruark. Benj is listed in Jordan's household in Lewis Co in 1850 at age 22. Based on other records, Benj was more likely born between 1828 and 1830. Anna Ruark, Jordan's 2nd wife, left a will in 1865 mentioning her son Benj F. Ruark (Lewis Co). Jordan didn't marry Anna until 1832, so it's possible Benj (along with other children) was born out-of-wedlock or given the Ruark name after the marriage (and means Jordan may not have been his father). Benj would have been born in Lewis Co where Jordan had lived since around 1818. I don't know anything about Benj after 1864. He seems to have sold all of his land and disappeared. You may be correct about him changing his name. However, it was likely for a different reason. He was listed as a deserter from the Union Army in 1862 and 1863 (records show he enlisted at age 34 in 1862 for a term of 3 years). Part of the land he sold in 1864 was to Jesse W. Jackson. Jesse may have been Melissa's father, but I have no evidence of that. The entry for their marriage (10 Aug 1852) is on FamilySearch "KY Marriages, 1785-1979." The record indicates Malissa was born in Lewis Co and married at age 19.

Re: Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 7:03PM GMT
Classification: Query
Thank you for your reply. I am relatively certain Jesse W Jackson was Malissa's father as it lists him as such on Benj and Malissa's the documentation on familyfirstsearch I found for their marriage. This family seems to be such a tangled mess. Now at least I have another direction to look.

Re: Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Posted: 1 Jan 2015 2:33PM GMT
Classification: Query
I took a quick look at your Franklin family tree info and it is almost certainly the same family. The names fit, and the birth dates of the additional children correspond with when the family left KY in 1864. Plus, there is a clear reason for why the family changed their surname.

Have any male Franklin descendants had their DNA tested? Be sure and get back to me when they do. I will be interesting to see what surname is their closest match. I have a lot of info on the Lewis Co families associated with the Ruarks. Benjamin's mother, Anna, was a Pollitt at marriage and had a son with that surname. But, after studying the Pollitt records, I couldn't find a likely husband for her. Pollitt may have been her maiden name. And, Benjamin was not the only Ruark child born prior to her marriage to Jordan. Having children out-of-wedlock was far more common than people think.

Re: Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Posted: 1 Jan 2015 3:48PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Ruark, Jackson
It would take a little digging on my part to find a Franklin male, as everyone I am in contact with comes from one of the females. The last male I knew or my mom knew was her great-uncle Paul and he passed away in 2009. The only other male would have been in contact with was her great-uncle Ernest who passed in 1990. Neither of them had male children to my knowledge. That maybe a dead end too at least for now.

Re: Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Posted: 14 Feb 2015 1:30AM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Pam, it's been awhile but I was rereading the information you found out about Anna Pollitt Ruark. I am curious if you know her son's first name that was born with the Pollitt surname? Is it possibly Darius?

Re: Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Posted: 3 Mar 2015 3:41PM GMT
Classification: Query
The will of Anne Ruark of Lewis Co, KY mentions her son David Pollitt.

Re: Benjamin F Ruark and Malissa A Jackson

Posted: 4 Mar 2015 10:43PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Ruark
Hi Pam,

Again, thank you for the information. I am wondering if you have seen who Jordan Ruark (1767-1852) first wife was? I saw a tree on the LDS site stated they were married in 1791 Worcester,Maryland,USA but there was no name listed.

Also, any idea who Anna Pollitt's first husband was? I am kind of wondering if they weren't married in Maryland as well.

I think I found them in the 1800 Census:
http://www.us-census.org/image-index/md/worcester/1800/k-r.h...

There are some Pollitt's and Ruark's listed on the Census.

Thanks again for your help.

Tricia
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