Elizabeth (Sims) Earnest - Sangamon County, Illinios

© Kathy Duncan, 2015

Elizabeth Sims, sister to Rev. James Sims and Rev. William Sims, was also an aunt to John Sims and Nancy (Sims) Kelley. Like her siblings, she migrated to Sangamon County, Illinois. She married Jacob Earnest, supposedly in South Carolina - possibly in Spartenburg County, South Carolina. The birth dates for both Jacob and Elizabeth, as they are provided in The History of the Early Settlers in Sangamon County, seem to be in error by 20 years each. Each would have been under ten years old when second daughter Sarah Earnest was born if their published biographies were correct. Jacob's tombstone in Hancock County, Illinois provides a birth date of 1779, and Elizabeth's tombstone in Sangamon County, Illinois provides a birth date of 1778. Both of these dates seem more accurate and indicate that a search of records for Jacob and Elizabeth need to be expanded by 20 years. Additionally, the birth date of 1824 in Kentucky for daughter Lavina Earnest seems to also be in error. By 1824, the Earnest family was firmly established in Illinois. Jacob Earnest was a brother to Thomas Earnest, who also removed to Sangamon County, Illinois. Since Elizabeth (Sims) Earnest was my husband's ancestor, I have more information on the Earnests.

Published biographies for Jacob Earnest that include Elizabeth Sims:

Jacob Earnest was born April 24, 1799, in South Carolina, was married there to Elizabeth Sims, who was born April 26, 1798. She was a sister of James and William Sims, one of whom was older and the other younger than herself. They moved to that part of Simpson which later became Logan county, Kentucky. In 1817, the family moved to St Clair county, Illinois, and they moved to what became Simpson county, Illinois, arriving in the fall of 1819, on Spring creek, in what is now Curran township.
[Source: History of Sangamon County, Illinois: Together with Sketches of its Cities; Chapter XXXVI, Township of Curran, Interstate Publishing, 1881. p. 103]

EARNEST, JACOB, born April 24, 1799, in South Carolina, was married there to Elizabeth Sims, who was born April 26, 1798. She was a sister of James and William Sims, one of who was older and the other younger than herself.  They moved to that part of Simpson which later became Logan county, Ky., where they had seven children. In 1817 the family moved to St. Clair county, Ill., where they had one child, and they moved to what became Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in the fall of 1819, on Spring Creek, in what is now Curran township, where one child was born. Of their nine children--

LAVINA, born Nov. 28, 1824, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to James McMurry. He died, leaving a widow and six children near Ione City, Ione Valley, California.

SARAH, born April 7, 1806, in Kentucky, was married Feb. 18, 1824, in Sangamon county, Ill., to John King.

WILLIAM, born August 18, 1807, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to Jane Parks. They had five children. Mr. Earnest and three of the children died near Northfield, Iowa. Mrs. Earnest died there, Dec. 7, 1870, and the children reside near Northfield.

ROBERT, born April 6, 1810, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county to Susan Kendall. They had one child, SUSAN A., born Jan 25, 1831, married James Turner. He died and his widow married Henry B. Chambers. Robert Earnest died Sept. 22, 1831, and his widow married Joseph Ralston.

MAHALA, born Dec. 18, 1811, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county to James Parkinson.

GRIZELLA, born April 8, 1813, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to Martin L. C. Kendall. Mrs. Kendall and her two children died.

RACHEL, born March 5, 1816, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to Rezin D. Brown.

HENRIETTA, born April 3, 1818, in St. Clair county, Ill., was married in Sangamon county, March 22, 1838, to James V. Ingles.

SOPHIA, born April 2, 1820, in Sangamon county, married Amos W. Brown. Mrs. Brown died.

Mrs. Elizabeth Earnest died March 1, 1831, and Jacob Earnest married Rebecca Blunt. They had two children, and moved to Hancock county, Ill., Of their children--

ELIZABETH, born Sept. 29, 1833, in Sangamon county, was married July 29, 1852, to William Jones. They had eight children, JACOB H., FRANCES M., MARY M., EMMA A., IANTHA B., IDA M., WILLIAM B., and LIBBIE. William Jones drowned Jan. 1, 1869, while crossing the Mississippi river. Mrs. Elizabeth Jones was married Dec. 1, 1870, to William Isenberger. They have two children, GEORGE W. and RACHEL, and reside near Appanoos, Hancock county, Ill.

JACOB H., born August 18, 1836, in Sangamon county, married in Hancock county, Feb. 19, 1860, to Elizabeth Riman, who was born May 16, 1836. They have five children, EDWARD M., HENRIETTA, LYDIA F., ALVIN P. and ZENA MAY, and reside near Appanoos, Hancock county, Ill.

Jacob Earnest died Sept. 29, 1842, and Mrs. Rebecca Earnest died March 8, 1858, both in Hancock county, Ill.
[Source: History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois: "Centennial Record" by John Carroll Power, Sarah A. Harris, p. 274-5]

Jacob Earnest in St. Clair County, Illinois:

Jacob Earnest was a voter in the Tuesday, September 17, 1818 election in St. Clair County, Illinois. This was the first election held in St. Clair county, after the admission of Illinois as a state.
[Source: History of St. Clair County, Illinois ]

In 1826 Jacob Earnest, living in Sangamon County, Illinois, was involved in a political firestorm over a letter to the newspaper that alleged he did not write:

From the Illinois Intelligencer
(The following is the letter referred to by Mr. Kinney in the preceding page.)

Mr. Editor,
SIR - Mr. Kinney has been electioneering in this county, [Sangamon] and in doing which he has falsely misrepresented facts, no doubt with a design to deceive the people, as he has been in the habit of doing: had he not have called into question the transaction between the undersigned and himself, I would not have said any thing about him. Kinney seven years since, borrowed of the subscriber $1,000, in Georgia and Carolina money, which was to be paid when the subscriber's land should come into market, in land office money, and eight per cent interest; now, Kinney states in this county, that he proffered to pay the same in state paper at its specie value when called on, as he had not the specie, which is absolutely false, and without the shadow of truth. The facts are as follows: Kinney attempted to persuade the subscriber, after holding out that he could not pay him on account of misfortune, to exchange his (Kinney's) paper with Smith Crane, for work, and some cash, at a credit, at the same time informing the subscriber that Crane was good; when in fact and in truth the said Crane owed Kinney more, even after deducting the amount that Kinney owed me, than he could pay; which arrangement was not at that time entered into. The subscriber again called on Kinney and offered to take state paper at its specie value, which Kinney refused to do but offered it to him at two for one- this was in the fall of 1823, at which the state paper was worth about 30 cents to the dollar; less than three for one. Finding then that he could not get his pay from Kinney, and that Kinney was trying to keep him out of his money in a manner which the subscriber considered dishonest this together wit the representations of Mr. Kinney, induced the subscriber to exchange Kinney's paper to Crane; and as soon as Mr. Kinney ascertained that his paper had been exchanged, he immediately took a bill out of sale of all Crane's property, which cut the subscriber off--and has been the means of almost reducing him to complete poverty--at all events, it has the effect of keeping him out of a home, and from purchasing the land on which he had expended three years labor, unless he borrowed money at a high interest; these Mr. Editor, are the facts of this transaction, which I consider base and dishonorable. I should not have published the transaction had not Mr. Kinney sneakingly misrepresented the facts. Before closing this, I must make one more remark--Mr. Kinney has been advocating the canal in the county and denying that he ever was opposed to it, except that he considered it an unfit time to cut the canal; he has likewise taken to himself the credit of the memorial to the last legislature to Congress; you, sir, know that this is also untrue, and I should be glad to have Mr. K's opposition make known to the people.
Yours,
Jacob Earnest
[Source: Edwardsville Spectator; Edwardsville, IL; Fri. 14 July 1826]

The Rev. Wm. Kinney occupies a large space in our paper to-day, in clearing his private character from the imputation cast upon it by Mr. Earnest. We hope he may be successful. It would afford us great pleasure to find that his private transactions comport with his scared calling. But there are some insinuations against other candidates for public office, which ought not to be received without caution. We do not believe, and challenge the proof, that Mr. Earnest was instigated to the publication of his charge by any of the candidates for high offices who are opposed to Mr. Kinney's election. More hereafter.
[Source: Edwardsville Spectator; Edwardsville, IL; Fri. 14 July 1826]

Children of Jacob and Elizabeth (Sims) Earnest:

1. Lavinia Earnest married James McMurry
2. Sarah Earnest married John King
3. William Earnest married Jane Parks
4. Robert Earnest married Susan Kendall
5. Mahala Earnest married James Parkinson
6. Grizella Earnest married Martin L. C. Kendall
7. Rachel Earnest married Rezin D. Brown [my husband's direct line ancestors]
8. Henrietta Earnest married James V. Ingles
9. Sophia Earnest married Amos W. Brown

Children of Jacob and Rebecca (Blunt) Earnest:

10. Elizabeth Earnest married 1.) William Jones and 2.) William Isenberger
11. Jacob Earnest married Elizabeth Riman

This page last updated on December 20, 2016.