Robert JACKSON

The following bio was taken from page 258 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Gloria Riley

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

Robert William Jackson was born in 1846 in York, South Carolina where he grew up, served in the Civil War, and became a member of Kanapanx’s Battery in the same company with his brother, Joseph and his father, William Newton. Robert came to Texas soon after the Civil War and lived with his uncle and aunt, Mr. And Mrs. John Thomas Campbell Patrick of Rusk County. In 1873 he met and married Martha Mariah Freeman, whose family came from Georgia in 1853. Robert and Mariah were members of the Pine Grove Presbyterian Church and later of Pleasant Springs Presbyterian Church organized in 1881. Robert and Mariah bought the land now owned by their granddaughter, Sudie Mae Burks, December 1875. There were three children. Of these, Willie died at age 22 while in South Carolina. Willie went by train from Texas to South Carolina. He caught pneumonia and died at his grandfather’s home. The relatives packed his body in charcoal and shipped him home to Texas for burial at Pine Hill. William Newton died in South Carolina, January 1897. May died in infancy. Martha Jane (Mattie) married Peter Minor Patrick, son of Robert Daniel Patrick. They lived on the Jackson place and had one daughter, Sudie Mae. Robert, Mariah, and May are buried in the Buckner Cemetery, Pine Hill, Texas. Pete died July 1922 and Mattie in March 1948. They are buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Minden, Texas. Robert Jackson’s great-great-grandfather, David, and his wife, Mary Morrison, came from Ireland in 1770 because of religious persecution. They arrived in Wilmington, North Carolina with less than fifty cents. Later they moved to York County, South Carolina. He was a shoemaker and she used the spinning wheel. There were ten sons born to David and Mary. David served in the Revolutionary War, 1780-1782. He lost a horse and saddle in the Battle of Hanging Rock and another horse and rifle in Sumpter’s defeat. With the money received for his service years, he bought 1700 acres of land in York County. I remember many happy times with my grandparents and parents. Grannie and Grandpa lived across the creek from us. After my father died, Mama and I lived with Grandpa. He was very strict about Sunday; no unnecessary work was done. My grandparents sold eggs, butter and vegetables to the Buckner Hotel in Pine Hill. Their “refrigerator” was a rope and bucket let down into the well carefully to avoid spills. Grannie kept the Sunday egg money for church. She said the hens laid more eggs on Sundays. Every Saturday Grandpa hitched Daisy to the buggy and away we went—if I could go to Pine Hill. I married Clyde Burks October 8, 1927. Grandpa told us he would give us the place if we would live with him. Grandpa died January 1, 1934. We had a good life here. Clyde ran a barbershop in Brachfield for thirty-one years and also had a store there a few years. We raised eight children. Their marriages were as follows: Gail to Troy Houghton; Joy Nell to Johnny Cariker; Robert to Laverne Brooks; Laverna to Don Cooper; James Paul to Sybil Simmons; Betty to Charlie Ray Simmons; Jane to Dale Harrelson; Frieda to Billy Bennett. Grandpa lived to know three of his great-grandchildren. He was so happy to have a great-grandson named Robert Jackson Burks Written by Sudie Mae Burks