Given the lack of children produced in both of Jacob's marriages, even when his wives were young, it's possible that our subject was infertile and that both of the children listed here were adopted.  This possibility is suppported by the fact that a patrilineal descendant of their alleged son, Jacob Jackson, has undergone Y-chromosome DNA testing, and the results indicate he is genetically a NEWHOUSE (see Jacob's page for further information).  The probabilty that Polly is adopted is supported by the fact that she does not appear in our subject's household in the 1840 census.

1.  Jordan R. Dodd, ed.  1993.  Virginia Marriages:  Early to 1850.  Liahona Research, Orem, UT (Broderbund CD-229):

Stroud, Jacob

Kettering, Mary

25 May 1819

Wythe Co.

2.  1820 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #33 of 42; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1820

VA

Wythe Co.

Evensham Twp.

Roll M33_139

p. 223A

Ln. 3

Jacob STRAUP

000100-00200-0-100

no slaves

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	19-25*	1794-1801	= Jacob (b. ca. 1796)
2 females	16-25	1794-1804	= Mary (b. 1800) = ?
1	person engaged in agriculture
*In the 1820 Census, the third column is age class 16-18 and the fourth column is age class 16-25; therefore, any individual in column three is duplicated in column four.  By subtracting the number in column three from the number in column four, you can create an age class "19-25."

3.  1830 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #89 of 110 — indexed "Shamp"; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1830

VA

Wythe Co.

Roll 200

p. 356

Ln. 15

Jacob Stroup

000 001 - 000 010

no slaves

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	30-39	1790-1800	= Jacob (b. ca. 1796)
1 female	20-29	1800-1810	= Mary (b. 1800)

Listed one line below Jacob's mother, Molly STROUP.

4.  1840 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #9 of 84; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1840

VA

Wythe Co.

Roll 579

pp. 80B-81A

Ln. 26

Jacob Stroup

010 000 100 - 000 000 100

no slaves

_______

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	5-9	1830-1835	= Jacob Jackson (b. 1832/3)
1 male	40-49	1790-1800	= Jacob (b. ca. 1796)
1 female	40-49	1790-1800	= Mary (b. 1800)
1	person employed in agriculture

Where's Polly?  Listed five lines below Jacob's brother, George STROUP.

5a.  1850 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #88 of 235):  Sixty Eighth District, Wythe Co., VA, Roll M432_982, p. 267B, 611/611, enumerated 5 Aug 1850, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1850 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

Jacob Stroupe	65	M		Farmer		Virginia
Polly     "	50	F				"
Jackson   "	17	M		Labourer		"
Polly     "	11	F				"

Jacob's age is clearly enumerated 65, but based on earlier censuses, he should be in his 50's, not his 60's.  Is the younger Polly really their daughter?  She was not with them in the 1840 census.

5b.  1850 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):  Lucretia ARNOLD (æ 14, b. TN), Jacob's future wife, was living in Hawkins Co., TN, with her parents, Claiborne & Mary ARNOLD.

6.  1860 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #13 of 16 — indexed "Strouss"):  New Canton P.O., District No. 5, Hawkins Co., TN, Roll M653_1255, p. 48A, PN 166, 1183/1109, enumerated 26 Jul 1860, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1860 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

Jacob Stroup	52	M		Laborer		25	Virginia
Lucretia  "	23	F					"
Polly     "	21	F					"

Now, Jacob should be in his 60's, not his 50's.  Did he lie about his age to catch a young bride?  Not just women pull this one.  Listed next to Jacob's (apparently adopted) son, Jackson STROUP.

7.  1870 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #17 of 18):  New Canton P.O., District No. 5, Hawkins Co., TN, Roll M593_1536, p. 53A, PN 17, 139/139, enumerated 19 Aug 1870, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1870 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

Stroup Jacob	61	M	W	Farm Laborer	75		Virginia
______ Lucretia	33	F	W	Keeping House			Tennessee
Thacker Mary C	4	F	W	Bound Girl			Tennessee

Jacob should be in his 70's, not 60's.  Still maintaining the fiction?

8.  1880 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #13 of 36 — indexed "Strap"):  District No. 5, Hawkins Co., TN, Roll T9_1261 (Book 1), p. 224A, PN 25, SD 1, ED 78, enumerated 1 Jun 1880, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1880 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1880:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1

2

3

4

5

6

8

9

10

13

22

23

24

25

26

206

207

Strop Jacob

W

M

90

/

Farmer

/

/

VA

VA

VA

_____ Lucresia

W

F

45

Wife

/

Keeping house

/

/

TN

TN

TN

_____ John

W

M

22

GSon

/

Farmer

/

TN

VA

TN

Jacob should be in his 80's, not his 90's.  Has age inflation taken over?  John is son of Jacob's (apparently adopted) son, Jacob Jackson STROUP.

9.  1890 Census:  the 1890 Census Population Schedules were destroyed.

10.  WorldConnect / Ancestry World Trees (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).