Jesse Jeffries was born on December 9, 1824 in Axbridge, Somersetshire, England, the son of Jesse and Sarah (Young) Jeffries. He had one older

Jesse and Ellen Jeffries (seated) with son Clement, and daughter Lillian (Taken in 1895)

sister, Elizabeth, and nine younger brothers and sisters – Ann, John, Ellen, James J., William (died young), James (died young), William (died young), William, and Charles. The 1841 census shows the family living on Cheddar Street in Axbridge and the father was an agricultural laborer. Jesse’s

Ellen (Criddle) Jeffries

grandparents, Jesse and Mary (Brooks) Jeffries were living next door to Jesse and his parents home. One of Jesse’ brothers, James J. Jeffries, immigrated to America, settled in Wisconsin and married Martha Sutton. James served in the Union Army during the Civil War. James and Martha and their family moved to Austin, Minnesota and lived there the rest of their lives.

Jesse Jeffries and Ellen Criddle were joined in marriage on November 18, 1849 at Axbridge. They began their married life together in Axbridge. The 1851 census shows them living in a house on Moor Lane and Jesse was working as an agricultural laborer. Their first born son, Jesse, was born in Axbridge in 1850.

Ellen (Criddle) Jeffries

Ellen Criddle was born on July 25, 1829 at Axbridge, Somersetshire, England. Her parents were James and Fanny (Nepper) Criddle. She had eleven

George, Edward and Frederick Jeffries (taken 1895)

younger brothers and sisters – James (married Roxanna Carver), Elizabeth, Maria (married Thomas Gleave), Grace (married William Riddle), Emma, Clement (married Elizabeth Groat), George (married Pheobe Ann Carrison), Elijah (married Lucinda Williams), Richard, and Eliza Jane (married James Hammett). Many of Ellen’s siblings immigrated to America and settled in Wisconsin, Nebraska and California. Ellen Criddle grew up on Moor Lane in Axbridge which at the time was where many of the lower wage families resided.

Fannie (Jeffries) DuShane

Jesse and Ellen and their son, Jesse, immigrated to America in 1851. They settled in Rock county, Wisconsin near the town of Porter. The 1860 census shows them living in Center township, Rock county, Wisconsin with their five children – Jesse, Fanny, Fred, Edward and a 3 month old unnamed baby boy whom they eventually named Willis. By 1866, the family had a total of ten children, two dying at birth. Willis died in 1861 when he was 15 months old and the oldest son, Jesse, died in 1864 at age 14. In 1866,

Lillian (Jeffries) Wagner and Fannie (Jeffries) DuShane (taken 1895)

when the youngest daughter, Lillian, was nine months old, Jesse and Ellen and their five children – Fanny, Fred, Edward, George, and Lillian left Rock county, Wisconsin for Mitchell county, Iowa. They settled on a 160 acre farm (NE ¼ of section 27 in Rock township) located seven miles west of Osage, Iowa. Jesse and Ellen became the parents of three more children –

Evvie and George Jeffries

Frank, Ellen and Clement – all born on the farm seven miles west of Osage.

The 1878 Mitchell county tax assessor books reflect that Jesse Jeffries owned 15 neat cattle, seven horses, and one vehicle totaling $249 (dollars). His two sons, Fred and Ed, owned five horses valued at $145 (dollars). By 1880, Jesse had acquired the 160 acres of land south of his farm (SE ¼ of section 27) and 160 acres (NE ¼ of section 28) located one mile west of his farm. Jesse Jeffries was a very good farmer and he was fortunate enough to be able to purchase farms for each of his children. George Jeffries was given 160 acres of land on section 21 (SE ¼); Fred was given the 160 acres on section 28; Ed was given 160 acres of land on section 32 – all in Rock township. Clement was given a 160 acre farm on section 33 of Burr Oak township (NE ¼). The daughters and their husbands were given money to set up their homes in Mitchell and Osage. In 1890, Jesse Jeffries, built a

Clement Jeffries and his daughter, Doris

new frame house replacing their first house which sat a few hundred yards to the south of the new one.

Jesse and Ellen were members of the Universalist church and attended as often as time allowed. Jesse passed away on October 10, 1895 on his farm

Fred W. Jeffries

at 71 years of age. He was a buried in the Osage cemetery in Osage, Iowa. Ellen remained on the farm with her daughter, Lillian, and her husband, Nick Wagner. Ellen passed away on February 13, 1904 at the age of 74 years. She is buried next to her husband.

After the Ellen’s death, the farm was given to the oldest son, Fred W. Jeffries, thus forcing Nick and Lillian Wagner and their family to move onto a small acreage on the west edge of Osage, Iowa.

Jesse and Ellen were the parents of twelve children – two died at birth, their oldest son, Jesse, died at age 14, their son, Willis, died at 15 months of age, and their son, Frank died at age 8. The seven children whom grew to adulthood were Fannie Eliza (married Edwin Henry DuShane), Frederick Wesley (married Luella Eliza Lovejoy), Edward James (married Anna Mae Cobeen), George Eugene (married Evvie Elizabeth Wiseman), Lillian May (married Nicholas James Wagner), Ellen Estella (married Elmer Stokes) and Clement Louis (married Delphine Wilson). As this family grew, many moved away to Waterloo, Iowa and Los Angeles, California.

 

 

Additional Photographs

Elmer Stokes

Ellen (Jeffries) Stokes

 

Nick and Lillian (Jeffries) Wagner and their daughter, Elen

Edward Jeffries

Fannie (Jeffries) DuShane and her Grandson

 

Jesse Jeffries homestead located seven miles west of Osage (Taken 1895)

 

Copyright 2009 Larry Shoger
Webization by K. Kittleson 01/02/09