JACOB A. & MARY A. RICHARDS WORK OF DALLAS, TX.

The following information is found in the book, PIONEER FAMILIES OF DALLAS COUNTY, published by the Dallas County Pioneers Association. It was contributed by Thomas Allen Harris of Dallas, a great grandson of Jacob Augustine Work and wife, Mary Adaline Richards. I've abbreviated it and rearranged it for clarity's sake, but have made no additions or changes.

Fleming Work was born 12 May 1795 in Tennessee, and died 06 March 1870 in Tennessee.
Fleming Work was married to Julia Bishop, born 14 May 1794 in Petersburg, Virginia, and died 13 March 1880 in Tennessee.
Fleming and Julia Bishop Work had children Jacob Augustine, William, John M., Robert C., Andrew Jackson, Thomas, Harriet, Martha, Millard, and Eliza.

Jacob Augustine Work, son of Fleming and Julia Bishop Work, was born 25 October 1824 in Tennessee, and died 23 January 1893 in Dallas, Texas.
Jacob Augustine Work married Mary Adaline Richards in Tennessee on 08 May 1845. Mary Adaline Richards Work was born 12 May 1826 in Kingston, Tennessee, and died 25 October 1891 in Dallas, Texas. She was the only child of Richard Richards (Born 07 July 1782 in Virginia, and died 16 November 1849 in Tennessee.) and Mary Ellen Brown Ayres (Born 26 September 1785 in North Carolina, and died 17 September 1855 in Tennessee.)

The children of Jacob Augustine Work and Mary Adaline Richards Work were.
1. Richard Valle, born 08 January 1846 in Tennessee, married first Susan Bradford, and secon Mattie Beatty.
2. William Alexander, born 16 October 1847 in Tennessee,
married Parthenia Eliza Ellis.
3. Laura Sophia, born in Tennessee 10 February 1850, married J.G. Eblen.
4. Alpha Kingston Ayres, born in Tennessee 25 March 1852, married Janie DeBoise, died 21 November 1884.
5. John M. Fleming, born in Tennessee 26 February 1854, died 1929, married Bertie Horton.
6. Charles Augustine, born in Tennessee 02 May 1856, married Rappie Gale.
7. Mary Kate, born 1858, died 1861 in Tennessee.
8. Thomas Albert, born in Tennessee 08 December 1860, died 04 November 1939 in Dallas, Texas, married Lulu Ann Johnston.
9. Ida Belle born 20 January 1867 in KENTUCKY, married W.K. Rawlins.
10. Robert A., born 17 November 1869, died 1870 in Dallas, Texas.

Jacob Augustine Work, called Jake, was a Colonel in the forces of the Confederacy during the Civil War. He led the charge at Horseshoe Bend at the battle of Chickamauga, where his horse was shot out from under him. He was twice captured and imprisoned, and twice escaped and returned to duty.

He lived only a few years in Kentucky, and moving to Dallas, Texas in 1869, rented the Coit farm. He raised cotton, bought cattle with the profits, and lost his investment when the cattle developed blackleg while being driven to market in New Orleans.

He then rented a farm from Thomas Crutchfield. Son Thomas, taking the cotton to be ginned, lost control of the team, and it destroyed the fence around the courthouse. After aying for it, Jake was left with only $15.50. He used it to rent a one room house, and hired himself out as foreman of a livery stable owned by Gaston and Barkeley. Gaston tought so highly of Jake that he bought Barkeley out, and sold the partnership to Jake. Three years later, Jake's holdings were valued at $75,000.00.

Jacob Augustineand Mary Adaline Richards Work are buried in Greenwood Cemetary in Dallas, Texas.

Thomas Allen Harris, descended from Jacob and Mary Work through their son, Thomas Albert Work, and wife Lulu Johnston Work, goes on to tell of how Thomas fractured an arm at the age of twelve and had to have it amputated. He later read for the Bar, became a lawyer, and was elected a Judge, serving as a district Court Judge for twelve years.

In another article, also written by Thomas Allen Harris, he reports Thomas was widowed in 1901, raised three little girls, Laura, Allene, and Ruth, alone, and never remarried.
Laura, from whom he's descended, married John Nickerson Harris, and became an accomplished pianist.

I hope this information may prove helpful to some of Jacob and Mary Work's descendents. I haven't verified it though, and urge you to follow the cardial rule of genealogical research - record and report nothing as fact until you have the source documents in hand and have personally verified it.

Good luck to you in your research!

Always,
Lynn

P.S. I discovered today I'm not a Work descendent. My connection to Jacob and Mary Work is in the fact Mary's mother, the widowed Mary Ellen Brown Ayres, who married Richard Richards, was the sister of General John Brown, my multi-great grandmother's stepfather.