Lewis Jetton III

     Lewis Jetton III was born circa 1720 probably in Staten Island, New York. He was the son of Lewis II and Rachel. Lewis III moved with his father Lewis II and brothers John and Abraham to New Castle Co., St. George's Hundred, Delaware., sometime before 1726. 

     Lewis III's father Lewis II died intestate circa 1740 and his mother Rachel, who remarried to James See, was appointed administratrix of Lewis II's estate by the Orphan's Court. As the oldest son, Lewis III received two ¼ shares of his fathers real estate and in May of 1750 bought his brother John's ¼ share. There is no record of it but he most likely also bought the remaining ¼ share of land from his brother Abraham. This land was the 162 acres Lewis II purchased in 1726 from John Anderson.

     Records show that Lewis III's wife was Jane Boorum, daughter of Hendrick Boerum and Catherine Van Dyck of Flatbush NY. 

    New Castle Co. deeds Q-I page 316, show that Henry Boorum and  wife Mary, Nicholas Boorum and  wife Ann, Thomas Boorum and wife Eleanor, John Boorum and wife Ann, Lewis Jetton and wife Jane, William McKindley and wife Gerttude and Jacob Boorum sold land to Aaron Boorum for two Pounds and six Shillings.

    The land involved in the above deed was from the estate of Hendrick Boerum and shows Henry, Nicholas, Thomas, John, Jane, Gertrude and Jacob Boorum selling their shares to their brother Aaron Boorum.

    Lewis Jetton III died intestate circa 1759 and Jane's brother Aaron Boorum was appointed guardian to John Jetton, minor heir of Lewis Jetton, deceased  (Orphans Court Vol D Page 85) on July 19, 1763. On the same day, Jane Bartlet and John Bartlet, admins. of the estate of George Burch, dec'd who was the administrator of the estate of Lewis Jetton, dec'd provided an account of their admin. Balance remaining on the account was £101.7.7. 

    Sometime after Lewis Jetton III's death circa 1759, Jane married George Burch who was, along with Richard Carroll and James Ward, an administrator for Lewis Jetton III's estate. George Burch died circa 1761 and by 1763 Jane was married to John Bartlett as the following record shows:

    Orphans Court 17 April 1764. John Bartlett and Jane his wife, late Jane Burch, execs in the last will and testament of George Burch, dec'd produced an account of their admin. Balance due Jane £48.12.

    John Bartlett died circa 1773 and Jane Bartlett's will was dated April 28, 1774 and probated on June 14, 1774 in Appoquinimink Hundred, Delaware. The will states that she was the widow of John Bartlett, late deceased, and that all of her real property and personal estate be divided equally between her son John and daughter Mary. The will directs that her son John Jetton, as executor, keep and educate her sons Thomas and Isaac and her daughter Elizabeth. 

    On April 20, 1779, Thomas Bartlett, a minor orphan of John Bartlett chose William Martin as his guardian. On the same day, the Orphan's Court appointed William Martin as the guardian of Isaac and Elizabeth Bartlett, minor children of John Barlett, dec'd.

Children of Lewis Jetton III and Jane Boorum 

1. John Jetton

    Little is known about John Jetton, son of Lewis Jetton III and Jane Boorum. He died intestate in 1777  according to the following records and apparently never married:

    William Martin, John's brother-in-law, was appointed administrator of John's estate and he and  Joseph Holliday posted a bond of £700 to the state on May 30, 1777. 

    New Castle Co., Delaware April 21 1779 gives and account of his estate - "Administrators account of Jno Jetton lately deceased, who in his lifetime exor. implied of the Testament & last will of Jane Bartlett, late of New Castle, widow dec'd,. who died intestate, now exhibited by William Marton adm of all singular the goods and chattels, rights, & credits, of the said John Jetton as well of and for som".

2.  Mary Jetton

    We also know little about Mary Jetton, daughter of Lewis III and Jane Boorum. Her will was dated July 17, 1781 and recorded in Appoquinimink Hundred, Delaware in March of 1782.   Mary's will states that she was the widow of William Martin, who died six months prior to Mary's death, and names her son John Gaton Martin, brothers Thomas and Isaac Bartlett, sister Elizabeth Bartlett and sister-in-law Margrit Wilson.

    Mary willed all her real and personal estate to her son John but allowed that if he should die without heirs, then everything is to be divided equally among her two brothers, Thomas Bartlett and Isaac Bartlett and her sister Elizabeth Bartlett.

     Mary named and appointed her trusty friend, Richard Cantwell as executor of her will, and also stated that it was her desire that in regard to her young son John, Richard Cantwell should "have the bringing of him up".

     When Mary's husband, William Martin died intestate in 1781, she and Richard Cantwell posted a £600 bond for the administration of William's estate. The administrative accounts, which were completed July 21, 1789,  state that William Martin was seized of three several plantation farms and that he left an only son named John Jetton Martin who was at the time, and is still, a minor.

     The administrative account further states that Richard Cantwell, now deceased, did in his lifetime undertook the bringing up of the said John and also the management of the real estate. This record also shows that Mary's half brothers Thomas and Isaac Bartlett were living on this land and paying rent.

     After the death of Richard Cantwell, Thomas Read was appointed guardian of J. G. Martin. Sarah Cantwell, Richard's widow, became the administratrix of her husband's estate and as the last surviving Exec. of the lwt of Mary Martin produced an account to the Orphan's Court in 1789. There was a balance of £399.9.7 due to the estate of Mary Martin, with interest from March 1783.

    There was also a balance due from the estate of Richard Cantwell to John Jetton Martin for £20.13.9½.  

    John Jetton Martin, only son of William Martin and Mary Jetton, would have been born circa 1770s. Nothing further is known about him at this time.

Children of  John Bartlett and Jane Boorum

1. Thomas Bartlett

    According to the Orphan's Court records, dated April 20, 1779, Thomas Bartlett, minor orphan child of John Bartlett dec'd, chose William Martin as his guardian. This indicates that Thomas was at least 14 years old in 1779. Based on the timeline of Jane's marriage to George Burch and his subsequent death in 1761, and Jane's subsequent marriage to John Bartlett, perhaps in 1762/63, Thomas was probably born in 1764. 

2. Isaac Bartlett

    On April 20, 1779, the Orphan's Court appointed William Martin as Isaac Bartlett's guardian. Isaac was therefore under 14 and was probably born in 1766. 

3. Elizabeth Bartlett

    On April 20, 1779, the Orphan's Court appointed William Martin as Elizabeth's guardian. Elizabeth was therefore under 14 and was probably born in 1768.

Foot Note:

Early Jetton researchers, and apparently some today, believe that the John Jetton who married Elizabeth Brevard and moved to North Carolina was the son of Lewis Jetton III and Jane Boorum. Based on the above records, there can be little doubt that the John Jetton who married Elizabeth Brevard and died in North Carolina in 1789/90 could not possibly have been the John, son of Lewis III and Jane Boorum, who died 1779 in New Castle Co., Delaware.

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