Charity Jennings

By the 1850 census, Thornton and Charity had 10 children on their Ashe County, NC farm: Allen (19), Solomon (16), Sarah (15), Patcy (12), Polly (10), William (9), Franky (7), John (5), Thomas (3), and Martin (2). The farm was valued at $1200.

By the 1860 census, Thornton and Charity were living on a farm in Grayson County, VA valued at $2500. (Either they moved, or the borders changed, it isn't clear which.) In any case, by 1860 Allen, Solmon, Sarah, Patcy and Polly had left home (Polly having married Willburn Carr 3 years prior), leaving William (19), Frances (17), John (16), Thomas (14), Martin (15), Susan (9), and Peggy (6).

By the 1870 census, the widowed Charity had only Martin (21), Peggy (16), Thomas (23), Jane (23), baby Ellen (11 mo) and also a Jack Chadis (25), a farm laborer of unknown relation. Ellen seems likely a granddaughter (perhaps of Jane) rather than a daughter, and Jane may have been the wife of one of Charity's sons, perhaps Thomas. Jane and Ellen were the only two listed as born in Virginia rather than North Carolina.

A great many more details about Thornton and Charity are listed in this Cheek Family tree.