On August 28, 1807, Jacob Mitchell, Daniel Haston, Joseph Haston, and Isham Bradley (known to have been a friend of the Haston family from their Knox County years) acquired plots of land that were strategically located around what became known as Big Spring branch, or Haston's Big Spring.  (See the map below)

Although Jacob Mitchell's land did not have direct access to the head of the spring, his property line ran along Big Spring branch for some 1500 feet, with more frontage to the stream than any of the four Big Spring area tracts.  It could be argued that he, not Joseph, received the second best location.  Why was he given such a prominent location?  Probably because he was a part of the Daniel Haston family, by marriage.

It has been said that there is a Morris Mitchell family Bible which contains an entry  indicating that Jacob Mitchell was married to Lucinda Hastings (no date given).  The Bible was supposedly passed down to his son, Stephen Mitchell, who passed it down to his son, Frank, who passed it down to his daughter, Rachel Caroline, who passed it down to her son, Glenn Cowan.  It became known as the Cowan Bible.  Glenn Mitchell Cowan was born in 1910 and had at least one daughter, Carnation Cowan (born about 1938 in Polk County, MO as per 1940 US Census).  Source of the above information:  LuAnn Penrod Smith (Lujac@comcast.net) 

The Bible record that appears at the bottom of this page, was probably from the Bible of Morris Mitchell's son, Stephen.  Thus, it does mention the birth of Jacob Mitchell but not his marriage.  If you have information related to evidence of a Jacob Mitchell - Lucinda Hastings marriage, please contact us.

Thomas C. Mitchell (great grandson of Morris Mitchell), sometime before the mid-1920s, indicated in his record of the Morris Mitchell family that Jacob Mitchell married "Lucyna Hasting." 

If Jacob Mitchell's wife was Lucinda Hastings, then it would seem likely that Jacob was the son in law of Daniel Hastings/Haston.  That would explain why Jacob was included in this close community of early White County settlers.  

Although "Lucinda" (or "Loucinda") was a popular name of that era, it may be significant that David & Peggy Haston named their third daughter "Loucinda."  It was a common practice to name children after the parents' siblings, particularly when they had a close, ongoing relationship with the siblings.

Here are some of the additional things that we have learned about Jacob Mitchell, primarily from various Mitchell family researchers, such as Virginia Mitchell Barry and LuAnn Penrod Smith (Lujac@comcast.net):

• Born May 1, 1784, probably in what is now east Tennessee (other sources say Montgomery County, MD and Washington County, PA).  According to an obituary, his two-years-younger brother (James) was born in what is now Greene County, TN. 

• Married Lucinda Hastings (no date or place given) - Given his 1784 birth date and the 1807 land purchase in White County, TN, Jacob was only 23 years old when he purchased White County land.  He must have married Lucinda shortly before she (they) moved from Knox County or shortly arrived arriving in White County (or somewhere along the way from Knox County to White County).  Since we have no marriage record for them, it is doubtful that they were married in Knox County because marriage records for that county were common in the early years of the 1800s.  According to his brother's obituary (Rev. James Mitchell), the Mitchell family was living in the part of then-Knox County, TN that is now Greene County, TN in 1786.

• Second of 13 children born to Morris & Elizabeth (Hoosong) Mitchell
  Elizabeth was the daughter of Jacob Hussung, so her son "Jacob" was probably named for her father.

• Assaulted by Daniel Haston sometime before July 21, 1818

• Man by same name & age appears in Monroe County, TN 1830 census with wife and eight children (four girls & four boys).  No later TN records for him, other than the sale of his 50 acres in White County in 1837. 
  Note:  This (1830 timeframe) was about the same time that Isham Bradley and Isaac Haston moved to the Monroe County/McMinn County area.

• Sold this Big Spring area 50 acres in White County to Pleasant White on September 4, 1837

• According to 1840 census, he probably was living in Washington County, MO, but there is no known record of him owning land in that county.  In that census there are three Mitchell families (plus some others that are definitely not connected) -- the elder Jacob, a younger Jacob, and Lorenzo.  They are listed in close proximity to John Paul's family.  In 1842, Robert D. Mitchell married Martha M. Paul, daughter of John Paul.  Robert D. Mitchell may have been the son (younger unnamed male in the household) of the elder Jacob.  If the Monroe County, TN, census is correct (with the family of four sons and four daughters), this would account for three of the sons and the two young females living with the elder Jacob in 1840 would be two of the daughters.  One of the women giving affidavit that they attended the wedding of Robert D. & Martha Paul Mitchell might have been one of these younger sisters; the other woman might have been a widow of the younger Jacob Mitchell.

• Mentioned in his father's will.  Bought some livestock from his father's estate sale on February 29, 1848 in Polk County, MO.  Estate papers for his father include a note due from Jacob Mitchell for $5.00.

• Appears to have been living with Lorenzo Mitchell in Crawford County, Arkansas at the time of the 1850 census.

• In 1863 he and his (supposed) daughter-in-law and one grandson participated in a strange "fruit basket turnover" of property in Greene County, MO.  Jacob bought Martha's lot plus an adjoining lot and then, in 1866, sold it to the grandson (Martha's son). 

• His brother, Rev. James Mitchell, was married to Sarah / Sallie Nave who was born March 4, 1793 in Rockingham County, VA.  They were married October 6, 1808 in Knox County, TN.  She was the daughter of George Nave and Veronica Fanny Moore.  Obituary

Major source for Jacob Mitchell information:  No. 2, "Jacob Mitchell" in chapter two or The 720 Descendents of Morris and Elizabeth Mitchell.

Sources for White County real estate deed:  General grant # 50 Certificate of Survey, available from the Tennessee State Library & Archives in Nashville, TN.  Also, page 62 from Volume B of the White County, TN Deed Books and page 20 of White County, TN Deed Abstracts (1801-1820) as abstracted by Joyce Martin Murray.