Sixth Generation

77. Jacob CLINE {1.4.9}¹⁷⁷ was born about 1765 in Lincoln (Catawba) County, North Carolina^62,178,179 and died after 1850 in Catawba County, North Carolina.¹¹⁰ Jacob Cline identifies himself as a brother of Michael Cline in his supporting statement for the Revolutionary War pension application by the widow of Michael Cline in 1840. Michael Cline is named as a son of Sebastian Cline in Sebastian's will of December 27, 1791. Therefore, Jacob is also a proven son of Sebastian (Boston) Cline.

Jacob is born in 1765, per his listing in the Catawba county 1850 census. In 1779, Jacob receives his first communion at age 14 from Rev. Arends in Lincoln county. Jacob marries Elizabeth Wilfong on November 28, 1786.

On December 22, 1791, Jacob acquires, from his parents, 151 acres and another 100 acres, both on Clarks Creek. The records note he is still on this land on April 29, 1793. This land adjoins that of his brothers John and Michael Cline.

In 1797, Jacob claims two additional tracts of land, 100 acres and 140 acres, both on Clarks Creek. In June of 1798, Jacob sells to his brother John Cline 15 acres of his original 100 acres acquired from his parents.

Jacob Cline and Andrew Hoyle buy a lot in Lincolnton in March 1799, which they sell in July 1808. Jacob acquires another 200 acres on Clarks Creek from John Killian on July 6, 1806 (this tract is surveyed December 29, 1810) and another 200 acres on Snow Creek on July 14, 1810. Jacob claims another 50 acres on Clarks Creek in January 1810. He sells 144 acres to John Miller on November 5, 1812.

In May 1810, Jacob sells 150 acres in Burke county, which he had bought in November 1803. It is not known if he actually farmed this land. Jacob appears on the Burke county 1815 tax list as owning 100 acres. Jacob's land holdings in Burke county are not well documented, since many of the early Burke county records did not survive the Civil War.

Jacob appears frequently in the early court records in Lincoln county. He serves as a juror 14 times from 1791 to 1812. He is appointed to a road project along with his brother Michael in January 1795 and is appointed as a patroller in Michael's company in July 1805. Jacob is noted in John Benefield's court complaint in October 1799 against John Anthony for stealing Benefield's hat in Jacob's house in Lincolnton.

In 1808, Jacob helps his brothers John and Michael administer the estates of Hartle and Killian. On April 29, 1811, Jacob and his brother Michael witness the will of William Bost, probated in January 1823. Jacob is appointed to oversee the road from the east side of Clarks Creek to Sherriil's Ford road in January 1812.

On March 18, 1817 Jacob's wife Elizabeth is mentioned as Jacob Cline's wife in her father George Wilfong's will. A newspaper obituary notes that Elizabeth dies on April 12, 1827 at age 59. Jacob marries a second time to Barbara Halman on October 23, 1841.

In January 1853, F. L. Herman is appointed guardian of Jacob Cline, a lunatic (probably meaning senile). Jacob dies about 1854, and his second wife Barbara petitions for her allowance and dower in July 1854. Henry Cline (1.4.8.2), son of Jacob's brother Michael (1.4.8), is the estate administrator. No will is found for Jacob Cline, nor any estate papers naming heirs of Jacob Cline.

However, the children of Jacob Cline, as named in Ciscero Cline's history, can be confirmed by seeing that their age group entries appear in Jacob's census household from 1790-1840 and then seeing them appear by name, as they form their own households, in the 1820-1860 census. The children of Jacob Cline are distinguished from all their Cline cousins in the area in one of two ways:

First, the children of Jacob's brothers John (1.4.6) and Michael (1.4.8) are known from their fathers' wills and, therefore, these children can be identified distinctly from Jacob's children in the census.

Second, the children of Jacob's only other brothers Boston Jr (1.4.1) and Christopher (1.4.2) are born prior to Jacob's 1786 marriage. The only exceptions here are Christopher's two youngest children born in 1789 and 1793. However, these two children, George and Michael, are clearly in the household of Christopher's widow, Sally Cline, in 1800 before having their own households in the 1820 census, as discussed in Christopher Cline's notes.

The children of the only other Clines in the area, Valentine and Martin Cline, are all known from their fathers' estate papers. Therefore, Jacob's children are clearly distinguished in the census from the other Cline children of their generation.

[Sources. Civil and church records, census records and Ciscero Cline]

Jacob CLINE {1.4.9} and Elizabeth "Betsy" WILFONG were married on 28 Nov 1786 in Lincoln County, North Carolina.^{179,180,181,182} Elizabeth "Betsy" WILFONG was born between 1766 and 1768 in Lincoln County, North Carolina.^183,184 She died on 12 Apr 1827 in Lincoln (Catawba) County, North Carolina.⁸⁴ They had the following children:

Jacob CLINE {1.4.9} and Barbara LANZ were married on 23 Oct 1841 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Barbara LANZ was born about 1796 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. She died about 1868 in Catawba County, North Carolina. Barbara's first husband, John, died from a fall from a load of hay. There may have been other children born to her first marriage.