Peter Jester

   FamilySearch ID: L44J-R3G. Find a Grave ID: 8599709.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Farmer, 1850, Appoquinimink Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware USA. ²²

• Cemetery: Asbury Methodist Episcopal Cemetery, Abt 8 Nov 1852, Smyrna, Kent County, Delaware USA.

Peter Jester: 1800, Appoquinimink, Delaware

Peter JESTER is shown enlisting in the Delaware Militia on 7 MAY 1813 as a Rank & File soldier. He is on the muster roll of a company of detached militia under the command of Captain Steven Redden in the service of the U.S. commanded by Major Comegys.
He mustered on 13 JUN 1813.

He is shown to have a rank of private with a commencement of pay 7 MAY 1813 to 31 AUG 1813, a period of 3 months and 24 days. His pay rate was $10.00 per month. He received $30.39.

He is shown as having been absent for 2 days from the Third Company in Six Regiment for the year 1813.

Delaware Archives Military Records; Vol V. Published by the Public Archives Commission of De. Wilmington, De.
Press of Star Publishing Co. 1916. Pgs 537, 607, 687

Since this puts his age at about 13, it is possible this is NOT my Peter Jester. If he was born earlier, 1795 - 1799 it would be more likely. Additional research is needed to determine just how young men were allowed to enlist.

Peter's grave is located in Smyrna, Delaware at North and North Delaware Streets. This is the site of the old Asbury Methodist Church.

There is an allusion to Peter being the son of John JUSTIS. This is based on certain court documents. See Research Notes

The census of 1840 shows his age as 45. However, many census ages are off by a few years. In the 1830 census, he indicates he is between 30 and 40 years old. While it is possible he was 30-35 at that time, it is more likely that he was between 35 and 40, with the higher date being more probable based on the tombstone finding.

There is no proven Coat of Arms for this family. A coat of arms would be issued to those of title or land who served the Crown with men, money, food, arms, horses, etc. It is good for that particular family only and is passed to the first son.

Thanks to the research of Lynette Jester we know the word Jester was originally Arabic, from the Sufi dervish Chisti. When the Saracens invaded Spain in the early 700s, they brought their Holy Men with them... in a couple hundred years, the word became chiste, (to joke or jest), only a few hundred years later to become a French word... And a couple hundred years later, The first known usage in the English language by Chaucer (ca.1343-1400) in a lesser known Tale. The meaning of the word has been the same: fool, joker, buffoon, harlequin. The Chisti wore patchwork robes, passed knowledge thru jokes, stories; carried rattles, bells, juggled, also associated with and related to troubadours and bards.

See for more information

His Find A Grave Memoria is l# 8599709.

Research Notes:

During the week of 28 July 2007, I took a trip, along with my wife and daughter Amanda, to Delaware, to look up records for Peter Jester. Supposedly, he was the son of one John JUSTIS.

This information is recorded on the "Births and Baptism records" card catalog in the Delaware archives in Dover, De. The reference given for the entry is to a court case, Chancery case #B27. According to one of the assistants, these cards were a created during a WPA project. The cards we located showed Peter (JESTER) JUSTIS as the son of John JUSTIS and Elizabeth (STIDHAM) JUSTIS. Another card lists Elizabeth JESTER as the daughter of John and Elizabeth (STIDHAM) JESTER. Both cards refer to Chancery Case #B27. John JUSTIS had a daughter Elizabeth and a son Peter. (Will of John JUSTIS dated 11 February 1805 and duly proved before Nehemiah Tilton Register for the Probate of Wills, the 6th day of May 1805.) I also found and researched a reference to Chancery Case B #8, which is a petition for partition filed by Elizabeth Beeson against Ingeburg Bryan. These are all relatives of Jonas STIDHAM, Elizabeth's father. Both cases involve some land John JUSTIS bought from Jonas STIDHAM.

To verify the information, I reviewed the actual case records, page by page. There are over 150 pages of records in Chancery Case B #27 consisting of the Bill of Complaint, the Interrogatories and answers to them. In every case, Peter and his sister Elizabeth are referred to as JUSTIS. Nowhere in this document is there any allusion to the JESTER name. In truth, I only saw one place in the whole set of documents where there could have been any possible mix up in the name. But, upon closer examination, it is obviously JUSTIS. There are two documents in which the clerk doing the transcription spells the name as JUSTICE. However, this is still phonetically correct and there can be no mistake in the pronunciation. At the time of this case, 1804, Peter is a minor as is Elizabeth. Based on allusions in the will, it appears that Elizabeth is the elder of the two. By the time a second case, Chancery case #B8, is concluded in 1816, Peter has reached his majority and Elizabeth is married to one William French. We can deduce Peter's majority as he signs this document in his own hand. This indicates that this Peter was born in or before 1795.


In looking at the Chancery Case #27, the name appears to be written as JESTER, JESTOR, JUSTIS and in one place, JUSTICE. Based on my reading, I believe they all refer to the same person. The Delaware Archives, in their birth index, cite this case for showing Peter as their son.

One of the applicable section reads, "The several answers of Jonathon Beeson, one of the defendants to the Bill of complaint of Robert Bryan and Ingeburg his wife late Ingeburg Stidham, Augustus Smith and William Richmond Smith and Mary his wife, late Mary Stidham, and Sarah his wife, late Sarah Stidham; of John Jester and Elizabeth Jester and Peter Jester by their next friend the said John Jester, heirs and representatives of Jonas Stidham late of New Castle County, deceased complainants."

My Peter JESTER, on the other hand, is known to be 52 at the time of his death in 1852. His tombstone, indicates his death on 7 Nov 1852 and states that he was aged 52 years. This suggests he was born in 1800. It is very unlikely that his wife Rebecca would have put the wrong age on the tombstone.

The census of 1840 shows his age as 45. However, many census ages are off by a few years. In the 1830 census, he indicates he is between 30 and 40 years old. While it is possible he was 30-35 at that time, it is more likely that he was between 35 and 40, with the higher age being more probable based on the tombstone finding.

There is also record which indicates that Peter JESTER JUSTIS was christened on 27 Jul 1784 at the Olde Swedes Church in Wilmington, De. We continued the trip and went to the church where we met with the archivist. He showed me the index they made several years ago listing all the baptisms and christenings up to the 1800's. Only the name of Peter JUSTIS is found there; no middle name. We then looked up the reference on the microfilm of the original book. The name is listed as Peter JUSTUS son of John JUSTIS & _______ No mothers name is listed on the original document.

CHRISTENING: Historical Society of Delaware. "The Records of Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church, Wilmington, Del., From 1697 to 1773. Translated from the Original Swedish by Horace burr, With an Abstract of the English Records from 1773 to 1810" 1890. Pg. 663.

The other difficulty with all this, is that this occurs in and around Wilmington, DE. His daughter-in-law, Rachel C. Jester, puts his birth in Appoquinimink Hundred. This is based on information from his son Pennell who was 10 years old when his father died. Presumably, he would have known his father and most likely his grand-parents.

So, for me, I am back to square one, trying to figure out just who this Peter JESTER is and how he managed to get Nordic DNA. It is a puzzle I may never solve but I shall never give up the quest.


All of this indicates, to me at least, that there is no link between the JESTER and JUSTIS families. I believe there were 2 Peter Jester's. One, as shown in the above paragraphs living in and around the Wilmington area. The other is my Peter Jester who was born in Appoquinimink, Delaware around 1800 and is living in and around Smyrna in Kent County and possibly New Castle County as Appoquinimik Hundred is close to both county lines.

Peter married Rebecca P. Price, daughter of Spencer Price and Ann Moody, on 13 Apr 1837. (Rebecca P. Price was born circa 1810 in Maryland USA,^23,24 died on 14 Feb 1857 in Appoquinimink Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware USA and was buried on 16 Feb 1857 in Smyrna, Kent County, Delaware USA ²⁵.)