Jack Jouett
Kentucky career
Kentucky career
---------------

In 1782, Jouett moved across the [Appalachian Mountains](/wiki/Appalachian_Mountains "Appalachian Mountains") to [Kentucky County](/wiki/Kentucky_County "Kentucky County"), where veterans received land claims for their service. A family story claims that, on his journey to Kentucky, Jouett heard a woman's screams coming from a house. He burst into the house and found a wife being abused by her husband. He attempted to help by knocking down the husband, only to have the wife hit him over the head with a pot. The pot's bottom gave out, and the pot became stuck around Jouett's neck. Jouett fled the scene and traveled  before he found a blacksmith to remove the pot.

Jouett was among the ten men founding the town of New Market at the confluence of the [Dick's](/wiki/Dix_River "Dix River") and [Kentucky Rivers](/wiki/Kentucky_River "Kentucky River").George Morgan Chinn, Kentucky: Settlement and Statehood 1750–1800 (Frankfort, Kentucky Historical Society, 1975\) p. 371 Shortly after Jouett moved to Kentucky, the large county was divided into Lincoln, Jefferson and [Mercer Counties](/wiki/Mercer_County%2C_Kentucky "Mercer County, Kentucky"). Lincoln County voters elected Jouett as their representative in the [Virginia House of Delegates](/wiki/Virginia_House_of_Delegates "Virginia House of Delegates") (alongside Benjamin Logan). Jouett served one term from Lincoln County (October 16, 1786 – January 11, 1787\) before Mercer County's creation, then one term from Mercer County (alongside William MacDowell from October 15, 1787 – January 8, 1788\) before local voters replaced both by Samuel Taylor and Alexander Robinson. Jouett again won election to the Virginia House of Delegates from Mercer County in 1790, this time serving alongside [Anthony Crockett](/wiki/Anthony_Crockett_%28soldier%29 "Anthony Crockett (soldier)") from October 18 – December 29, before voters replaced both delegates with Samuel Taylor and Jacob Fromm.Cynthia Miller Leonard, Virginia's General Assembly 1619–1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978\) pp. 161, 165, 180

Jouett favored Kentucky's statehood at the Separation Convention held in Danville, Kentucky in 1788, in which he and Thomas Allen were Mercer County's two delegates. After statehood, Jouett served in the [Kentucky House of Representatives](/wiki/Kentucky_House_of_Representatives "Kentucky House of Representatives"), first representing Mercer County, then [Woodford County](/wiki/Woodford_County%2C_Kentucky "Woodford County, Kentucky"). His friends reportedly included both Democrat [Andrew Jackson](/wiki/Andrew_Jackson "Andrew Jackson") and his Whig rival [Henry Clay](/wiki/Henry_Clay "Henry Clay").

Politics being a part\-time occupation, Jouett also farmed using enslaved labor. In 1820, he owned 23 slaves.1820 U.S. Federal Census for Owingsville, Bath County, KentuckyIn 1810, John Jewit owned 25 slaves and farmed in Montgomery County, Kentucky, near both Woodford and Bath Counties. 1810 U.S. Federal Census for Montgomery county, Kentucky p. 15 of 37 on ancestry.com In addition to grain, Jouett raised and bred livestock, including importing some from [England](/wiki/England "England"). As discussed below, he married into a locally prominent family in 1784\. A few years later, Jouett moved his family to [Woodford County](/wiki/Woodford_County%2C_Kentucky "Woodford County, Kentucky"). He built a house there in 1797 (which still exists), but would later return to Mercer County in the same general region. This house was built in the style of the traditional hall and parlor plan, and was erected during the mid\-Federal period, five years after Kentucky statehood, and features five rooms—three downstairs and two half\-story bedrooms upstairs. When they left Woodford County is not recorded; Jouett later moved to Bath County to live with his daughter and her family.


When did Jouett serve in the Kentucky House of Representatives?