Military Units at the Arsenal on July 7, 1865

[L Verge]

It is my understanding that Mary was the best educated of the children. I have never seen any reference to the oldest son, John Zadoc, receiving a formal education - but likewise there is evidence that he could read and write. Remember that the father, Archibald Jenkins, died when Mary was only two, and his death occurred in the fall of the same year that James Archibald was born, 1825. The parents had only been married four years at the time of his death.

I suspect that Mrs. Jenkins was a forward-thinking woman who knew that her daughter could not inherit the lands, so she made sure that she was educated better than the sons, who would instinctively become farmers. Maybe she also hoped that an education would help Mary rise in society via a good marriage. She herself did fairly well after her husband's death by managing the estate, which included eleven slaves, and buying more land. Maybe Archibald just fell through the cracks?