NOTE: Most of the Jarrett family history was provided by Helen Stanford, 63850 Chapel Hill Road, Belmont, Ohio 43718-9611, Telephone (740) 686-2846. In February 2001, we sent a message to the internet "JARRETT SURNAME MESSAGE BOARD" seeking information on the ancestors of Harry Jarrett, son of Isaac Jarrett and Hannah (Lightfoot) Jarrett. Helen responded that she was a "cousin" on Isaac and Hannah, and this resulted in a telephone exchange of information. Subsequently, on April 19, 2001, Sharon and I met with Helen at the Barnesville Library (Belmont County, Ohio. She was a delightful person with a pleasant smile and a wonderful personality, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit with her. This record begins with the first verified antecedent as follows:

Isaac Jarrett (referred to as Isaac Senior by the family) was a farmer in Belmont Co., Ohio. He was born in Virginia c1779, and died in Belmont County on 21 June 1859. Isaac Sr. is buried in Scatterday cemetery located a short distance east of Centerville in Smith Township (near route 147 and township highways 244 and 245). His farm was located a couple of miles west of the cemetery in Smith Township, a short distance south of Centerville. At the time of his birth Virginia included present day West Virginia, and we do not know the location where he was born. Isaac married Mary Altop (Alltop) also of Virginia and their first son was born there before they came to Ohio. Little is know about Mary other than her birth c1782, death 27 February 1852, information on her children and that she too is buried at Scatterday cemetery.

The known children of Isaac and Mary are:

Nancy c1807 Ohio 1^st Samuel Rose 2^nd James McCane

Comfort Ellen c1809 1809 Jesse Taylor

Elizabeth c1810 William Taylor

Isaac Jr. c1812 1866 (Salome) Sarah Coffman

James c1814 1878 Mary Buckby

Rachel c1816 1^st Jesse Lucas 2^nd Isaac Young Jarrett

John 10 Dec 1818 1 Sep 1895 Sarah Buckby

Mary c1819 1^st Grandbury Wheeler 2^nd John Saffell

Permelia c1806 William Coffman married 7 Feb 1847

Margaret Ann c1830 James Reed (Read) married 1849

Will information of Isaac Sr. Information at St. Clairsville, OH Courthouse (Belmont Co.) Record of Will in Vol. I pg. 220, record of inventory Vol. 2 pg. 75. His will follows:

[Will of Isaac Jarrett]

In the name of the Benevolent Father of all: I Isaac Jarrett Sr. do make and publish this my last will and testament.

Item 1^st

I give and bequeath to my son Isaac Jarrett, and to his heirs, the farm on which I now reside, situate in Smith Township Belmont Co. and State of Ohio, and being the South West quarter of Section twenty, original surveyed Township No. six, Range No. 4, containing about one hundred & sixty acres. He my said son Isaac Jarrett to pay to my three sons viz: Philip Jarrett, James Jarrett, and John Jarrett the sum of twenty one hundred dollars in equal annual installments as follows

two hundred dollars to each of my said three sons within one year after my decease,

two hundred dollars in three years after my decease, and

one hundred dollars in four years after my decease.

Item 2^nd

I give and bequeath to my three sons above named to wit: Philip Jarrett, James Jarrett & John Jarrett and their heirs the sum of seven hundred dollars each to be paid in installments by my son Isaac Jarrett as above specified.

Item 3rd

I give and bequeath to my five daughters viz: Comfort Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Permedia Coffman, Rachel Jarrett, and Margaret Reed and their heirs, each the sum of twenty five dollars.

Item 4^th

I give and bequeath to the heirs of my daughter Nancy, first married to Samuel [sic] Rose, and after his decease intermarried with James McCone with whom she lived up to the time of her decease, the sum of twelve dollars.

Item 5^th

I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Saffle [sic] and her heirs the sum of twenty five dollars.

Item 6^th

I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Permedia Wheeler twenty five dollars.

Item 7^th

I give and bequeath to my four sons viz: Philip Jarrett, Isaac Jarrett, James Jarrett, and John Jarrett, the residue of my personal property after my funeral expenses, debts and the foregoing legacies are paid.

Item 8^th

I do hereby nominate and appoint my son Isaac Jarret Executor of this my last will and testament. I hereby revoke all former wills by me made.

In testimony where of I have here unto set my hand and seal this 21^st day of June a.d. 1855.

Signed and acknowledged by said Isaac Jarrett Sr. as his last will and testament in our presence, and signed by us in his presence. William Wilson, John McKisson

Entered Probate Court June 25^th 1859.

[Will format altered for ease of reading and reference – content unchanged]

Family history continued with Isaac Jr.

Isaac Jarrett Jr. was born c1812 in Ohio, and married Sarah Coffman. He died 23 September 1866 and is buried just north of Centerville, Belmont Co., Ohio. The farm that he inherited from his father is near Centerville to the south and the legal description in contained in Isaac Sr. will. Isaac Jr. and Sarah appear in the 1850 census for Belmont Co., Smith Township under the name Garrett vice Jarrett. Isaac is shown as age 38, Sarah as either 36 or 34. Nine children are listed as follows: Mary, 16; Josiah, 14; John, 12; Elizabeth, 10; Andrew, 8; William, 6; Isaac, 4; James, 2; and Joshua, 1.

Isaac Jr. was apparently well regarded by his father since he inherited the family farm, and he must have been trustworthy and responsible to be designated responsibility for the financial distributions specified in his will.

Isaac Junior’s will is on file at the courthouse in St. Clairsville, Ohio and a copy should be obtained for inclusion in this record. The will is in Vol. K, page 159, and the record of inventory is in Vol. 2 page 282.

Family history continued with Isaac Junior’s son Isaac (referred to as Isaac III or the 3^rd).

Isaac Jarrett III, was born 28 January 1842 in Belmont Co., Ohio. At that time his grandfather (Isaac Sr.) was still alive and living on his farm in Smith Township. Apparently his father and mother were making their home in either Warren or Kirkwood Township at this time. Isaac married Hannah Lightfoot 27 August 1867 in Belmont County. Family legend claimed that Hannah was an American Indian, but this is not supported by facts. The Lightfoots were probably Caucasians that migrated to Belmont County with the Quaker’s movement to the area (Lightfoot is a common English name & also Indian). The prominence of the Quaker faith in the area is demonstrated by the fact that they established Olney school, which still exists in Barnesville. Hannah was born 28 January 1842 and this is in agreement with her age on the 1880 census. She died 12 November 1886 at the age of 44 years, 11 months and 11 days. The cause of death was consumption (today known as tuberculosis, defined by Webster as "a progressive wasting away of the body esp. from pulmonary tuberculosis"). Hannah and several of her young children are buried in Hope cemetery just west of Hendrysburg, Ohio. On 19 April 2001, Gene Printz and his wife Sharon (a g-granddaughter of Hannah) were taken to Hope cemetery by Helen Stanford to visit the grave of Hannah Lightfoot Jarrett. The inscription on the stone reads: "Hannah E. Lightfoot, born Jan. 28, 1842 died Nov. 12, 1886." Her tombstone is located on the west side of Hope cemetery, the second road from the south, on the northwest corner where the road makes a right turn to the east. The stone is still in very good condition with all of the important data clearly readable, and only the decorative poetic verse is too faded to read. Hope Cemetery is visible to the north of both highway 40 (The Old National Trail), and Interstate highway 70. To get to the cemetery take the Hendrysburg exit (which is exit 202 or Ohio route 800) then go west on highway 40 to the entrance.

The 1880 census for Kirkwood Township shows this family under the name Jarret vice Jarrett.

1880 Census Belmont Co., Ohio – Kirkwood Township (All family members shown as born in Ohio).

Name Age Occupation

Jarret Isaac 36 Farmer [Should be 38 based on DOB]

Hannah 38 Keeps House [Buried Hope cemetery – Kirkwood Twp,]

James 11 School

Harry 10 School

Nathan 8 School

George 6 School

Oaker 4

Bessie 1

Mary 1/12 [Approximately one month old]

Isaac Jarrett III remarried to Mrs. Lydia Jones in 1888 and apparently moved from the area. However, Muskingum Co., Ohio is a probability. His grandchildren often spoke of trips to Zanesville to visit relatives. Ohio death records show an Isaac Jarrett who died in 1916 in Muskingum Co. While this is probably Isaac III verification will be required.

Family history continues with Harry Jarrett, the second son of Hannah and Isaac III.

Ethel Merrea Donnelly, daughter of Bernard and Caroline Donnelly, was born in New Castle, Indiana in 1889. At the age of 14 she married Harry Jarrett, a 34-year-old bricklayer and laborer. Harry was a resident at her mother’s boarding house on B Avenue in New Castle [Ruby Link (their daughter) took us to the site on the extreme east end of B Ave. – several blocks east of 25^th street]. Before his marriage to Ethel, Harry had been married in Elwood, Indiana and was the father of a redheaded daughter named Gladys and two step-children by his wife’s earlier marriage. The daughter lived with Harry and Ethel until she was 13 or 14, and then Gladys went to live with her mother who had remarried. The 1900 census for Madison County, Indiana provided some useful information on Harry Jarrett, including the birth state for both his mother and father.

1900 Census for Madison County, Indiana

The census was taken in June 1900, and at the time Harry Jarrett’s family lived at 215 S. 21^st Street, Pipe Creek Township (Elwood, Indiana).

place place of place of

Color DOB No. yrs. Of father’s mother’s

Jarrett, Harry Head/Household W M Dec 1870 29 5 Ohio Ohio Ohio Catcher (tin plate)*

Jarrett, Emma wife W F Sep 1872 27 5 Ind Ind Ind

Wilkens, Mabel daughter W F Feb 1896 4 Ind Ind Ind

Wilkens, Ruth daughter W F May 1894 6 Ind Ind Ind

Jarrett, Gladys daughter W F Oct 1898 1 Ind Ind Ind

* History of Madison Co. shows an industry named "National Tin Plate Factory "

Harry’s death certificate information (obtained in New Castle) reported the location of his death as the Clinic, New Castle. He died 28 June 1960 @ 5:46 a.m. Cause of death listed as Nephritis/Arteriosclerotic heart disease (5 years). He and wife Ethel lived at 203 S. 18^th St. in New Castle at the time of his death. The death certificate showed Harry’s father was Isaac and his mother Hannah (Lightfoot) Jarrett, but the birth state information was in conflict with the census showing West Virginia vice Ohio as their birth state (data was probably provided by his daughter Ruby Link who claimed he was from WV). This issue has been resolved by the information provided by Helen Stanford. The name of Harry’s father appears as Izak in family records but this is most certainly a phonetic spelling error for Isaac. One of the unverified family traditions is a claim that Harry ran away from home after his father remarried and survived by playing a harmonica and singing on the streets. Everyone envisioned a young boy struggling as a pitiful abandoned child, but in reality he would have been 19 or 20 when his father remarried (1888), and it was time for him to be on his own. Harry also claimed that his mother sang opera, but he was an old man at the time and his faculties were diminished. However, there may have been an element of truth in his dementia for Helen Stanford indicated that a family member had performed with the Great Caruso [Enrico Caruso, 1873-1921, an Italian operatic tenor, reputed to be one of the most brilliant voices in the history of music]. We have a picture of Harry as a young man [c1880] taken by a professional photographer in the Ohio town of Barnesville, in Belmont County. We also have a picture that is supposed to be his father, Isaac Jarrett, but have been unable to verify this as a fact.

Harry and Ethel were married in 1904 and were together until his death in 1960. After Harry’s death, Ethel moved to a home on Broad Street in New Castle, Indiana, across from St. Anne’s Catholic Church. Ethel was a faithful Catholic and worshiped in the church daily when she was able. In 1978, Ethel Donnelly died and was buried beside her husband in the Catholic cemetery northwest of New Castle.

The children of Ethel and Harry Jarrett:

Cecil, Thelma (known as Auntie), Clifford, Paul, RUBY CAROLINE JARRETT, James and Jennie Merrea.

RUBY JARRETT m. LLOYD LINK

******Ruby Jarrett’s history continued with Link history******