John Bracken Mankins

A family history has John buried in the Pioneer Cemetery, just west of the entrance to Yosemite, Mariposa County, California.

Son of Peter Mankins Sr. and Rachel Bracken Lewis Mankins.

Married four times, with his first marriage Nov. 9, 1819, in Floyd County, Kentucky to Mary "Polly" Sloan. On June 24 1839, he married Matilda Gibson in Washington County, Arkansas. On Dec 7, 1864, he married Lydia Boyd in Tulare, California. On Sep 25, 1869, he married Jane Wood in Washington County, Arkansas. (Above bio by John Christeson)

Son of Peter Mankins Sr. and Rachel Bracken Mankins. The is their first child and first son.

He is brother to Walter Mankins (1806 – 1851), Edith Mankins (1810 – 1888), Peter Mankins Jr. (1813 – 1899), and Rachel Mankins (1819 – 1897).

He married Mary Stone on Novemeber 9, 1819. He later married Matilda Gibson on June 24, 1839 and they had six children together. He later married Jane Wood on September 25, 1868 -- he was 65 years old and she was 20 years old.

He is the father to Eddie Mankins (1821 – 1867), Rachel Mankins (1823 – 1867), Lydia Mankins (1825 – 1827), Elizabeth Mankins (1828 – 1899), Peter P. Mankins (1830 – 1861), Walter Mankins (1834 – 1908), John C. Mankins (1835 – 1898), and Samuel Mankins (1837 – 1898). Children with Mary Stone.

He is the father to George Washington Mankins (1841 – ), Mary Mankins (1842 – ), William Henry Mankins (1844 – ), Masa Jane Mankins (1846 – ), James Henry Mankins (1848 – ), and Abner Mankins (1850 – ). Children with Matilda Gibson.

He died at the age of 72.

(Source: Family History)

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Journal entry of the John Bracken Mankins Family entering the town of Visalia, California in 1854, written by one of they a J.H. Mankins.

"Late in April, 1854, had one been standing on Main Street, Visalia, he would have witnessed the entry of a unique cavalcade. There were ten riders traveling in single filled-- your humble servant one of them.

"That broad-shouldered man, weiging above two hundered and twenty pounds is "Dad". He is always in the lead and is dressed throughout in smoked buckskin with fringes up the legs, and a hunting shirt, also fringed roundabout. Add to the costume a very high plug hat, imagine him then with a mop of raven black hair falling over his shoulders, with coal black piercing eyes, seated on a large dapple gray horse. A hunting knife is at his girdle, a six-shooter on either side of the saddlehorn and he carries a "sharp-shooter" rifle in front. Such was J. B. Mankins, forty-niner and pioneer of pioneers.

"After Dad came next two boys, nearing manhood, one girl of eleven, a young Indian boy, two Jews and then three boys aged fourteen, eight and six. We were all, except the Jews, dressed wholly in buckskin, well fringed. For hats we wore bearskin caps.

"We pitched our camp just across Mill Creek, north of Visalia. The tules then came very close to town and the mosquitoes were very numerous. The town consisted of one store, kept by John Pemberton, a blacksmith shop and a tavern. O. K. Smith was sheriff and Judge Louis Van Tassell, undersheriff.

"I remember quite well Mrs. John Keener, Sr. She had gotten sight of us and perceived that we were sadly in need of repairs, for you see, we were half=orphans. So she had Dad get some cloth, and she made us up some clothes, for it became necessary for us to conform to the usages of civilization."

(Source: Family History) (bio by: [fg.cgi?page=mr&MRid=47134653" target="_blank Zuzu*s Petals)]

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 24 2018, 15:07:40 UTC