Probable son of Jacob of Lawrence Co., TN
The estate settlement papers of Jacob Pennington were signed in Lawrence Co.,TN on 22 November 1827. Among the signers was a John Pennington. Among Jacob's immediate family living in Lawrence County included, the oldest John would be Jacob's grandson John Wilkes Pennington (son of Isaac) born in 1817 and therefore too young to have signed the estate settlement. Thus, this John Pennington was probably not a resident of Lawrence County. Many researchers believe this John to be the same John Pennington who resided in Greenville Co., SC and who, like Jacob, had a close connection to the Burns family.
In "Ancestors and Kin", Robert Walden Coggeshall wrote extensively of his wife's ancestor John Pennington who is found in the Spartanburg and Greenville Co.'s, SC records. This John is buried in a family cemetery near Greer, SC. His tombstone indicates he was born 14 October 1777, and died 22 March 1822. Coggeshall's research shows that John married Ellen D. McDade, and that their children included William Jefferson (b. 1807), Mary A. (b. 1809), Cunningham Mason (b. 1812), John McDade (b. 1815), Sarah C. (b. 1818), Elizabeth M. (b. 1821), Jane (twin of Elizabeth). Coggeshall concluded that John was the same person who sold 122 acres on Maple Swamp Creek in Spartanburg Co., SC to LeRoy Burns on 25 June 1818 for $122 (see below for a summary of some of the records). This is the same area where Jacob lived before moving out of South Carolina to Georgia, and then Lawrence Co., TN. Taking the Burns connection in both SC and TN into account, Coggeshall further surmised that this was the same John Pennington who signed the estate settlement papers of Jacob Pennington in 1827 in TN, leading to the overall conclusion that John Pennington was Jacob's son.
If Coggeshall's John was, in fact, son of Jacob of Lawrence Co., TN, then it is hard to conclude that Jacob was the son of the earlier Jacob. This is because the elder Jacob's son Jacob was born after 1762, possibly making him too young to be the father of John born in 1777. But, I would argue that it would NOT be impossible. It is, after all, conceivable (pardon the pun) that Jacob became a father while still in his mid teens. Further, it cannot be ruled out that John's date of birth, as given on the tombstone, is off by a few years. Based on the ages of his children, the oldest known of which was born in 1807, John could easily have been born a few years later than 1777, which would make it easier still to fit him in as a child of a Jacob who was born around 1762-1763.
Records pertaining to John Pennington of Greenville Co., SC
Except where noted or obvious, the records below are from the Spartanburg Co., SC courthouse and summarized in Pennington Pedigrees Vol. 8, No. 1, page 9:
1 Aug 1791-John Pennington granted land on Enoree R. (this acc. to a later transaction).;
15 Dec 1800-John Pennington bought 250 acres on Sourtree Cr. of Enoree R. from Zadock Ford;
same date-John Pennington sold Zadock Ford 100 acres on Enoree. Land was part of John's 1791 grant;
7 Sept 1801-John Pennington bought 1 acre from Denny Anderson (part of D. Andersons 250 acres granted in 1784);
same date-John Pennington gave Denny Anderson 7 acrs on Enoree (part of original grant of 600 acres to Samuel Gilkey in 1752);
10 Jan 1806-John Pennington sells John Dickey 420 (or 470) acres on north side of Enoree R. This land was originally granted to Jacob Pennington. Part had passed to Zadock Ford, part to Samuel Gilkey, remainder to John Pennington;
1810-John Pennington family listed in Spartanburg Co., SC census. One male 26-45, one male under 10, one female 16-26, two female under 10, two slaves. This matches the known composition of John Pennington's family.
Note: there is a John Pennington family in the 1790 and 1800 Spartanburg censuses. Coggeshall argued pursuasively that these were a different John Pennington. I personally agree, and further, I believe it likely that the 1790 and 1800 census listings are for John Pennington who is later found in Caldwell Co., KY.
25 June 1818-John Pennington sells Leroy Burns 122 acres on Maple Swamp Cr. of S. Tygar R. (Note that on 17 Nov 1795, Jacob Pennington sold Samuel Burns two parcels of land. One of these was part of Jacob's 6 Nov 1786 grant in the Pickney District of Old 96 District. Land was on both sides of Maple Swamp Creek of Tygar R. The other grant originally part of Wm. Earnest's Aug. 1774 grant, in same district on S. Tygar R);
1820-John Pennington family listed in Greenville, Co., SC census
Lawrence Co., TN records, 22 November 1827-John Pennington and Leroy Burns among those signing estate settlement of Jacob Pennington.
1830-John Pennington family listed in Greenville Co., SC census