The Path to Fife, Scotland, 1350

Katy, Peggy and I are so blessed to have had Nell Jenkins Stark as a Grandmother. Such a kind, intelligent and practical woman must come from strong roots. Following is one story about the fascinating family behind her. (Nell is our Mother's Mother.)

Nell Jenkins Dad was Oscar Jenkins, our G-GF.

Oscar Rudolfo Jenkins (1861-1928)

 Oscar's dad was William Jenkins, our GG-GF.

The Children of John and Rosa Jenkins.
1st Row: Anna, William (our GG-GF), John, Ida
2nd Row: Thomas, Stanhope, Andrew, Marion, Walter

  Williams parents were John and Rosa Cash Jenkins, our 3G-GPS                                                           

John E. Jenkins (1810-1875) and Rose Cash Jenkins (1819-1875)

4G-GPS:  Rosa's parents were Reuben Cash (1794-1847) and Bethana Wright (1795-1847).
                  They are also the GG-GPS of Johnny Cash.

5G-GF:  Reuben's Father was Thomas Cash (1766-1856), Amherst, VA

              

6G-GF:  Thomas's Father was Stephen Cash (1727-1799), Amherst, VA

7G-GF:  Stephen's Father was Robert Cash (1703-1772), Westmoreland, VA / Amherst, VA

8G-GF: Robert's father was William Cash (1653-1708) Born in Fife, Scotland.
               Immigrated to America in about 1673. Settled in Westmoreland, VA

       

Cash Back to King Malcolm

King Malcolm IV (1153-1165)

In 1160 King Malcolm IV ruled Scotland. He was nicknamed, "The Maiden King" because of his youth and feminine ways. He died at a young age. Before his death he gave a large piece of land (now known as Fife), to the daughter of his sister, Ada, on her wedding day. His niece's name was Cashel. Her husband was the Earl of Fife. Cashel was adopted as the family surname and passed down. Somewhere along the line Cashel became Cash. 450 years or so later, William Cash was born in Fife (1625). A talented seaman, by the age of 22, he was already master of his own ship, Good Intent. He made a career of transporting pilgrims to the new world. His nephew also named, William Cash accompanied him  on his final voyage from Scotland to America (1673), where they both settled. The younger William was our 8G-GF.

The following is a coloful description of William Cash (9G-Uncle). Taken from the, Cash USA website.

"Owner and Master of the Brigantine, 'Good Intent', Cash was very likely a master Mariner by the time he was 22.He operated his ship in the British Isles-American Colonies trade. To have sailed a wooden vessel for nearly fifty years on the treacherous waters of the Atlantic, with the crudest of instruments or by the stars, particularly in winter, and finally after a lifetime to bring to port his vessel and crew intact, marks him certainly as a Master of the sea. He was of that intrepid group of early mariners who pioneered the routes for the commerce that would follow them."

The Will of our 8G-GF summarizes his accomplishments in America.

The Last Will and Testament of William Cash (Our 8GGF)

In the name of God Amen!  I, WILLIAM CASH, being sick and weak of body but of perfect sense and memory praise be God, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament Revoking all other wills heretofore made save only this in manner and form followeth:  I give my soul to God which gave it and my body to the Earth there to be decently buried according to the discretion of my executor in sure and certain hopes of Resurrection and that I shall see my Savior  at the last day.

 Item.  I do make my loving wife ELIZABETH CASH my Executrix and PETER SKINNER my Executor.  Item.  I give unto my loving wife my plantation with a third part of my land during her life.

Item.  I give one hundred acres of land being at the head of my land westward from my plantation to my son WILL: CASH and to him and his heirs and if he dieth without male heirs then tis my will that my son THOMAS CASH shall have it and his male heirs, and if my son THOMAS CASH dieth without male heirs then it is my will that it should fall to my son JOHN CASH and to his male heirs.

Item.  I give the remaining part of my land, it being one hundred twenty four acres to my son JAMES CASH and to his male heirs and if he die without male heirs, then it is my will that my son HOWARD CASH shall have it and if he dieth without male heirs, it is my will it should fall to my son JOSEPH CASH and his male heirs, and if he dieth without male heirs it is my will that my son PETER CASH and to him and his heirs forever.

Item.  I give all my personal to my loving wife after my debts is paid.  In witness whereof I have set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of Febr'y 1708/7.

To my son WILLIAM CASH underlined between the seventeen & eighteen lines before signed.

WILL: CASH sig.

(seal)Testes: JOHN SKINNER, JNO.  THOMAS, MARY HORTON

 I having a fatherly care of my children do order them my son WILLIAM CASH to live dutifully with his mother until he be of age of one and twenty and likewise my son THOMAS CASH and my daughter ANIS CASH until she be eighteen years Of age and if she or either of them will not be governed by their mother then it is my desire that my friend and Executor PETER SKINNER shall have full power over them or either of them that will not be obedient unto their mother to take them to himself for the full time aforesaid.  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.  WILL: CASH sig.WILLIAM CASH age 19 yrs. 5th day of March 1708/7, THOMAS CASH age 11, 2nd day of August 1708,  ANISH CASH aged 15, 31st day of July 1708.

Testes: JOHN SKINNER, JOHN THOMAS his mark.

Westmoreland Co. Va.  At a Court held for the said County the Last Will and Testament of WILLIAM CASH was proved by the oathes of the witnesses thereunto as also the codicil above written and ordered to be recorded 25th August 1708.

Johnny Cash was fascinated by the ancestry we share. Towards the end of his life, "The Man in Black" was regularly seen wandering the streets of Fife.

From an article about Johnny Cash

"The unlikely tale begins in the late 1970s when Cash was returning to the United States and found himself seated next to Major Michael Crichton-Stuart, hereditary keeper of Falkland Palace in the Kingdom of Fife on the east side of Scotland. Cash mentioned that he had heard that his family originated in Scotland. Crichton-Stuart told the singer that he knew this to be the case since there were farms and streets in Fife that still bore the Cash name.

Inspired by the chance meeting on the plane, Cash visited a genealogist and discovered that he was of Scottish descent and that his clan had originated around the 12th century in the Strathmiglo area of Fife. The connection was traced back to when the niece of Malcolm IV (1153-1165) – who was named Cash or Cashel – married the Earl of Fife. The first American Cash connection came in the 1600s when mariner William Cash and his nephew, William Cash sailed from Scotland to Salem, Massachusetts, with a boatload of pilgrims.

Rosanne has returned frequently to Fife, visiting Falkland Palace and driving around searching for places that carry the Cash name. She paid tribute to the Cash connection with Fife in a song called 'Good Intent', after the ship that carried the first Cashes across the Atlantic in the 17th century.

The connection that her father felt with his Scottish heritage endured until his death. "Our family was descended from King Malcolm IV of Scotland," she said, "and when my dad was very ill and in his last years of life whenever he visited hospital he did not check in as Johnny Cash – he always went under the name of Malcolm." "

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Johnny Cash's daughter, Rosanne wrote a song, Good Intent. It is the story of William Cash and WIlliam Cash.

This has been just a glimpse down one of so many past paths. I hope it has as interesting to you as it is to me. I will post a new glimpse soon. 

The Good Intent by Rosanne Cash