Jacob C. Roll biography

Jacob C. Roll

Jacob C. Roll was born 4 Apr 1782 Jacob born in Springfield, Essex Co, NJ. His parents were Isaac and Sarah Cauldwell Roll. He married Sarah D. Pierson who was born 23 Jul 1786 in Springfield, Essex Co, NJ.

A biographical sketch of Jacob and Sarah was written by John Carroll Power in "History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County" which was published in 1891.

They were there (Springfield, NJ), Oct 9, 1810. One child was born in New Jersey, (their son Pierson was born Jul 31, 1811 in Springfield, NJ) and the family moved in 1813 to Cincinnati, Ohio, where they had one living child. (Their son Charles D. was born Aug 28, 1818 in Cincinnati, OH.) In the summer of 1825, Mr. Roll loaded a keel boat at Cincinnati with family stores and merchandise. He went down the Ohio to its mouth, and when he had ascended the Mississippi river about thirty miles, his boat sunk. By that accident he lost the principal part of his goods. Securing what he could from the wreck, he continued to ascend the rivers, and reached Sangamo, in Sangamon county, Oct. 10, 1825. There, in connection with Ebenezer Brigham, he commenced merchandising, and at the same time began to improve some land. One eighty acre lot that he broke and fenced, foiled some other man, who was evil disposed, and his fences were destroyed, hay burned and other depredations committed, but the parties who did it all passed away, and he enjoyed the land peaceably for many years after.

The sketch also states that their son, Charles D., died in Sangamon Co, IL. on Jun 21, 1839.

John Linden Roll, who was a great grandnephew (Jacob was his great grand-father's brother) of Jacob's, wrote that Jacob arrived in Sangamo Town from New Jersey in the spring of 1828 and became the owner of a store, a grist mill and the Sangamo Town postmaster. He also operated a tavern in the loft of his house that was frequented by Lincoln when he was in town. A map of Sangamo Town shows that Jacob owned a lot (1/6th of a block) along Bridge Street across from the grist mill. An ad in the Sangamo Journal (a Springfield, Illinois newspaper) dated March 8, 1834 reads:

Mill and Distillery for Sale. For sale or rent and possession given immediately; my mill and steam distillery with from one to one thousand acres of land situated six miles northwest of Springfield in Sangamon county. The mill stands within a few rods of the distillery and is propelled by oxen on an inclined wheel and makes as good flour as is made in the United States. The distillery has over-head water and is capable of running 25 bushels of meal per day, and is worth the attention of persons wishing to engage in a profitable business. For terms which will be easy, apply to the subscriber on the premises. J.C. Roll.

The 1840 census for Sangamon Co, IL lists Jacob C. Roll and figures in the following columns: males 60-70 -- 1; females 50-60 -- 1.

Jacob died Jan 25, 1849 in Gardner Twp, Sangamon Co, IL. He is buried in Gardner Cemetery, Gardner Twp, Sangamon Co, IL. according to Wilma Jean (Schumacher) Ayers. Jacob died intestate and without leaving a will. His widow, Sarah, signed over her rights to administer the estate to her son, Pierson. The following document concerning Jacob's estate was written shortly after his death:

State of Illinois, Sangamon County. Know ye that my husband Jacob C. Roll deceased, died on or about the twenty-fifth day of January one thousand eight hundred and forty nine in the count of Sangamon and state of Illinois and I being his widow and being by law first entitled to administer on my husbands estate, he dying intestate and without will and being very aged an infirm health do relinquish to my son, Pierson Roll, he being the oldest son of said Jacob C. Roll and myself, my rights of administrating on my ---- husband's estate and having full confidence in my son, I do empower him to act in and about the administering said estate according to law. In testimony whereof I have here unto set my ---- and seal -- this the 8 February, 1849. Sarah D. Roll.

At the time of his death, Jacob C. Roll owned 1,347 acres of land in Sangamon County and 160 acres in Pike County. After Jacob's death, his son Pierson had to take a debtor to court to collect money that was owed to the estate. Thomas Lapwell wrote four promissory notes. Each was dated May 29, 1848 and stated he would pay Jacob C. Roll $53.14 "with interest from the first day of December 1847 till paid for value received." The notes were due December 1848, June 1849, December 1849, and June 1850.

Sarah lived with Pierson and his family for the rest of her life according to the 1850 and 1860 census listings. She died Jan 28, 1861 in Gardner Twp, Sangamon Co, IL.

Note: When viewing the person's detail page from a biography, you may need to scroll down the detail page to find the person you want

Top of page

Jacob C. Roll detail data