Micajah b. 1743

Micajah Pennington is a transitional character in the Pennington genealogy…at least he has been for me.  When I first started researching the Pennington family in relation to my own, I was told that Micajah was ancestor.  I later found out that he wasn't…but all the research that I did on him has paid off in other ways.  I gained an understanding of the region and the complexity of the family.

Micajah Pennington, Sr was born on 28 Apr 1743 in Rowan Co., NC then but it is probably Wilkes Co., NC today.  He was married at the age of 18 in Wilkes Co., NC on 28 Jan 1761 to Rachel Jones who was about two years older than he.  By 9 Dec 1761, their eldest child, Elijah Pennington was born, followed by nine more children.

• Elijah Pennington b. 9 Dec 1761 Wilkes Co., NC d. aft 1805
• Micajah Pennington, Jr. b. 13 Dec 1763 Wilkes Co., NC d. aft 1850 near Harlan Co., KY
• Mary Pennington b. 8 Nov 1765 in Wilkes Co., NC d. 21 Mar 1842 in Breathitt Co., KY
• Levi Pennington b. 21 Dec 1767 in Wilkes Co., NC d. aft 1815 probably around Lee Co., VA
• Edward “Neddy” Pennington b. 29 Dec 1769 Wilkes Co., NC d. 5 May 1860 Lee Co., VA
• Rachel Pennington b. 26 Dec 1771 Wilkes Co., NC d. young
• Elizabeth “Lesebeth” Pennington b. 10 Aug 1774 Wilkes Co., NC d. aft 18 Jun 1857 Grayson Co., VA
• Sarah “Sarey” Pennington b. 24 Nov 1776 Wilkes Co., NC d. 1817, Buckhorn, Perry Co., KY
• Johanna Pennington b. 24 Mar 1779 Wilkes Co., NC d. bef 1860
• Benajah Pennington  b. 15 Jun 1782 Wilkes Co., NC d. aft 1813

Micajah Pennington was active in the early records of Ashe Co., NC which became a county in 1799.  Acting as a surveyor, his signature is on many land documents.  Micajah appears in court records of Rowan County, NC from 1765-1766 and in 1772 he is appointed Constable “in the neighborhood – up the Catawba River” and also acted as a Justice of the Peace in Wilkes Co., NC.  It is possible that he was also the Micajah Pennington who served in Captain Enoch Osborn’s Company from Montgomery Co., VA.  However, when I was doing some research on him with thoughts of joining the DAR, I was told by another researcher that there was the possibility that he was a British supporter.   Micajah and Rachel are also listed on a Bastardy Bond for their son Edward who had had a child with an Agnes Little.   The child (Ann Little Pennington) was born about 1792 and probably died about 1796.  She was cared for by Micajah and Rachel.  Micajah is listed in Ashe Co., NC as 1806 when he probably moved to Lee Co., VA.  There is a recording on a Tax List in 1815 – but I am suspicious as to whom that Micajah Pennington actually is.  I think that Micajah Pennington probably died sometime after 1812.  It could be as late as 1818 – but once again, it is difficult to ascertain who the Micajah Pennington is on those records.

All of Micajah Pennington’s known descendants come through his daughter Mary who married Jesse Bolling, Edward “Neddy” who married Martha Jane Flanary, Elizabeth who married John Barton, Sarah who married Dr. Samuel Johnston and Johanna who married Douglas Dickson.  I can say with no certainty that there are known descendants of Elijah, Levi, Rachel or Benajah.  Of those four, I believe that Rachel died young.  However, unless there is some documentation out there that is as yet unknown…we may never know of any descendants of the other three children.  Most of Micajah Pennington’s descendants lived around Lee Co., VA, Kentucky, Grayson Co., VA and a few in Ashe Co., NC.

The most trustworthy of sources that I know that is available is a Bible record that was found in a pension application for Elizabeth Pennington for her husband, John Barton.  There is an actual copy of the birthdates of all of their children.  There is no further information that I know of that tells us who Micajah Pennington’s parents were.  The assumption is that he was probably a son of Benajah Pennington and Elizabeth Humphries.  So, with all the research that I have done on Micajah Pennington and those that I have corresponded with over the years…I have an understanding of the complications of researching these families.  Fifteen years ago…I believed that there was one Micajah during the time period…I now suspect that there might have been two.  There is also another Edward Pennington floating around the region and don’t get me started on the Benajah Pennington’s and Ephraim Penningtons.  Somehow they are all interwoven.  DNA has provided some clues, but it can’t give us the exact relationship.  Whatever the case, when talking about the Ashe Co., NC Penningtons – one needs to always look at Micajah Pennington and his family.  Previous to 1800, Micajah is a central character in this family web – and it is still unknown as to how he is related to the family – all we can say is that through DNA, we know he is.