Jack Day's Worlds -- -- -- Browningsville Connections

Jackson Day was born at the 'Parson Day' farm in Browningsville September 27 1830⁽¹⁾, during the term of Andrew Jackson, "seventh President of the United States, frontier military folk hero, and symbol of equalitarian democracy."⁽²⁾ His childhood and youth were spent on James Day's last home place. When he was 11, his father died at the age of 79.

On November 11, 1852⁽³⁾ when he was 22, he married Survila Ann Beall, born in 1831 to Elisha Beall and Aletha Ann Lewis. Jackson enjoyed a close relationship with his father-in-law, being named executor of his will.⁽⁴⁾

Jackson's son Roby recalled his appearance. "As I remember my father, he was about 5 foot 10; not square shouldered nor round shouldered, but shoulders that slanted from his neck. My judgment is he weighed about 165 pounds. He had black or very dark eyes. In early life his hair was black; when I knew him his hair was iron-gray, and so were his whiskers. He had whiskers but not a full beard. He kept scrupulously shaved his upper lip, and a space I should judge of about one quarter of an inch below and on either side of his mouth, leaving that important organ free to perform its normal functions without any obstructions."⁽⁵⁾

Like his father, Jackson Day was a farmer. "He began his married life with little money. But he had rich possessions in a sound body, a clean heart, strong arms, ambition to work and to make the most out of his life. Added to those was the love of a sweet country girl, to whom he had given the undivided affection and devotion of his heart."⁽⁶⁾

Six years after his marriage, he was able to buy land of his own.⁽⁷⁾ A little more than half way between the farm where he grew up, and Damascus, his new farm was part of the "Silent Valley" tract, which in 1752 had been among the earliest land patented in the Damascus area.⁽⁸⁾

Silent Valley, home of Rev. Jackson Day until his death in 1883. From an old photo given to Rev. J. Wesley Day by Gladys Day, 11/29/1975. In 1995 Jack Day of Damascus, owner of the land, along with Wesley Day, Jackson Day of Columbia, and Gene Walker, walked into Silent Valley, then planted in corn, to see if the location of the house could be found, but all traces were by then gone.


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Silent Valley is in the open space to the left of the star.

When the Civil War broke out, Jackson Day was already 35 and beyond the age of service; but the excitement of war did not entirely miss the family. At one point "Confederate General Jubal Early brought his army down through our country in a drive on Washington. He had been up in Pennsylvania... The grapevine had it that they were living off the land, with special emphasis on hams and horses. Folks bowed to the inevitable, and tried, before the soldiers called on them, to hide their best hams and horses.

"Grandfather Jackson Day took up the kitchen floor and hid most of his hams, and sent one of the boys into the woods with the best horses, leaving a few of each as bait for the soldiers. Little Lummie, just learning to talk, saw them put the hams under the kitchen floor. When the soldiers came , he kept pointing to the floor and saying, "Meat, Meat." They were afraid to try to shut him up, but fortunately, the soldiers paid no attention to him. But it wasn't little Lummie's fault that General Early didn't get Grandfather's choice hams."⁽⁹⁾

Five years after the Civil War ended, Elisha Beall died, and Jackson obtained his farm, adjacent to his own in Silent Valley. He farmed both these farms until his death. "They were hilly and they were stony, but his skill and industry persuaded them to yield an abundance of practically everything that section of Montgomery County could produce.⁽¹⁰⁾

"He took much pleasure in fruit culture. He had one of the finest orchards in that section. He understood the science of grafting. Some of his apple trees produced a variety of fruit. I recall one tree on some branches bore a little deep-red sour winter apple that ripened about Christmas and was a fine eating apple. It was called the 'Pound Apple.' Then there was on the same tree a light red 'Sweeting' that ripened in late summer. A pear tree down by the garden gate bore two kinds of pears-a sugar pear and a semi-choke pear. Some of the apple trees he planted over sixty years ago are still living and are still bearing fruit.⁽¹¹⁾

"But he could turn his hand to more than ordinary farming; he was a carpenter, a painter, and a black smith. He didn't attempt the structure of any large buildings, but smaller farm houses were within the range of his constructive ability. He built himself a blacksmith shop, fully equipped with mauls, hammers, anvil and bellows. He shod his own horses and repaired his own farming implements and tools."⁽¹²⁾

Religion played a major role in his life. A Methodist Protestant, he was licensed to exhort November 9, 1861, licensed to preach November 11, 1862, and ordained deacon in September 1867.⁽¹³⁾ "He never held a pastorate, but he preached many a sermon. He was frequently called upon to supply pulpits in both Methodist Episcopal and Methodist Protestant Churches. He was a devout worshipper and brought up his family to regular attendance at Sunday School, Class Meeting, and regular preaching services in the church on the Lord's Day. He was a valuable assistant in revival meetings."⁽¹⁴⁾ His record book records 48 baptisms and 30 funerals between 1854 and 1882.⁽¹⁵⁾ His record of sermons lists the places each was preached - Browns Church, Bethesda, Providence, Howard Chapel, Pleasant Plains, Parrsville, Mt. Carmel, Mt. Lebanon, Fairview Chapel, Cedar Grove, Pleasant Grove⁽¹⁶⁾.

Rev. Jackson Day's license to exhort. Original now in the possession of his great-grandson, Rev. Jackson H. Day of Columbia, MD. A year later, he also obtained a license to preach, which was different.

Class meetings were an important part of the Methodist life. "How well do I remember those Class meetings here at Montgomery in my boyhood days. I remember some of those old saints of God...better than I remember many acquaintances of later years. How they would sing and pray and testify and shout...The women didn't shout very much, but they testified, and often broke down crying before they were through. Most of them were able to finish with some such expression as this: 'Pray for me that I may hold out faithful to the end and meet you all in heaven.'

My father never shouted; neither did mother - to my recollection - though she sometimes broke down crying before she was through, which was a good sign she was 'holding out.'⁽¹⁷⁾

Jackson Day "loved music but was not much of a singer. He only sang when alone, or when in worship with his family or the church congregation. He advocated music culture for his children, and furnished them a reed organ on which to practice and play.⁽¹⁸⁾

"He was a patron of education, tho he bore no degrees from any educational institution. All the 'book larnin' he got was from a little log schoolhouse in Browningsville, on winter days when it was not fit to work on the farm. He was a friend of Western Maryland College and left that institution a small gift in his last will and testament.⁽¹⁹⁾

"Father must have had a premonition of his approaching death. For he called his children, one by one to his bedside, told them he was going to die, and gave them his parting counsel. I do not know what he said to the others, but remember two things he said to me: 'Roby, when I am gone, you will have to go and live with somebody else. Be good to them and they will be good to you.' ...The other thing father said to me was, 'Roby, go to class meeting.' I did that as long as I could find any class meeting to go to.⁽²⁰⁾

"Shortly before father died he called a Christian physician to his side and said, 'Doctor, I want you to promise me something.' 'What is it, Brother Day?' 'I want you to promise me that you will meet me in heaven.' 'Brother Day, by the grace of God I will meet you there.'⁽²¹⁾

"A man who made no profession of the Christian faith overhearing my father so speak, walked out of the room, and givng down the hall, he met my cousin Rev. R. H. Mullineaux, and said to him, 'If I could die as Jackson Day is dying, I would willingly go at any time.'"⁽²²⁾

Jackson Day died April 6, 1883 at the age of 53, eleven months after his wife died May 8, 1882.⁽²³⁾ They had ten children.

1. Sarah Frances, Sep 1853 - Mar 15, 1857

2. Zeru Clark, Aug 10 1855 - Mar 8 1895

3. Amanda Wilson, Jun 17, 1857 - Dec 5 1925

4. Columbus Washington, Oct 31, 1859 - Aug 28 1948

5. James Elisha, b. May 4, 1862 - Oct 23, 1955

6. Fletcher Asbury, b. Oct 6, 1864 - Nov 1947

7. Ella Roberts, Jan 22 1867 - May 9 1881

8. Cora Belle, Jul 12, 1869 - Dec 24 1952

9. Roby Franklin, Jun 18, 1872 - Jul 28 1964

10. Vivia Cochel, Jul 2 1874 - Dec 1 1950

1. James Day Family Bible

2. Collier's Encyclopedia, XII, p. 421

3. Frederick County Marriage Licenses, Nov 9, 1852

4. Elisha Beall Will

5. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

6. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

7. On September 14, 1858 from John W. Miles (Montgomery County Land Records JGH7, folio 126) and James Marcellus Etchison (Montgomery County Land Records, JGH7, folio 127).

8. T. H. S. Boyd, The History of Montgomery County, Md, From its Earliest Settlement in 1650 to 1879, Clarksburg, 1879, p. 47. Patented to Ellsworth Beane.

9. W. Day Boyer, as told him by his mother. Letter of 1957.

10. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

11. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

12. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

13. Jackson Day, Record of Baptisms and Funerals, 1854-1882. Owned by Vincent Day in 1975; also, Record of Sermons, now owned by Jackson H. Day.

14. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

15. Jackson Day, Record of Baptisms and Funerals, 1854-1882. Owned by Vincent Day in 1975.

16. Jackson Day, Record of Sermons, now owned by Jackson H. Day.

17. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

18. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

19. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

20. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

21. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

22. Roby F. Day, Remarks to Jackson Day family reunion, Montgomery Chapel Methodist Church, Claggettsville, 1940.

23. Montgomery County Wills, Liber RWC, folio 318, April 17, 1883.