Jonathan McCauley (sometimes "McCally") Bennett achieved great success in life and was, for many years, considered to be Weston's foremost Citizen.

Jonathan McCauley, youngest child of William and Rebecca (McCauley) Bennett, was born near the junction of Bennett's Run and the West Fork River in Lewis county, West Virginia, October 4, 1816, died October 28, 1887. After obtaining such schooling as the locality and times afforded, he was appointed deputy to the county clerk, and was afterwards a deputy sheriff of his county. He finished his education by a wide range of reading. He studied law and in 1843, was admitted to the bar. He became the first prosecuting attorney of Gilmer county. He formed partnership with Gideon D. Camden, who later was a member of the legislature, judge, and candidate for the United States senate, but was defeated. This partnership continued until 1852, when Mr. Camden was elevated to the bench. In 1846, Mr. Bennett was elected first mayor of Weston. In 1852 he was elected to the legislature, taking the seat vacated by his partner, Mr. Camden. When his term expired he was appointed auditor of public accounts for the state by Governor Wise, which responsible position he held until 1865, making an enviable record as an official.

In 1853 he was defeated for nomination for congress on the Democratic ticket by only a small margin. At the outbreak of the civil war he was in Richmond, being then auditor of the state of Virginia, and continued as such until the close of the war. It had been his distinction to be instrumental in securing the appointment of Stonewall Jackson to cadetship at West Point, and also to the position of brigadier-general in the Confederate States army, and General Jackson tendered him a position on his staff. A Five Dollar Confederate Treasury Bill from the state of Virginia which was issued on March 13, 1862 which includes his portrait.

Returning to Weston he resumed his law practice, was elected a member of the state senate, and was one of the commissioners appointed to negotiate with Virginia relative to the division of the state debt, preparing the most comprehensive review of the subject which has ever been made. He was president of the Weston and Buckhannon railroad, and held with credit many prominent positions of trust and honor in the old and new state. He was an Odd Fellow of high rank. He was deeply involved in the growth of both Weston and Lewis County. He was influential in have good roads and railroads built to link the town with Clarksburg and Buckhannon. He also encouraged the establishment of the Weston Mental Hospital.

Mr. Bennett married Margaret Elizabeth, daughter of Captain George W. Jackson, who was born February 9, 1791, died in Lewis county in 1876. Margaret was the sister of General Stonewall Jackson. An interesting footnote that shows the relationship between the Jackson and Bennett families is found in Civil War High Commands by John H. and David J. Eicher, p. 316:

The physician, Dr. James McCally, recalls delivering baby Thomas just before midnight on January 20, but the family has insisted since then that he was born in the first minutes of January 21. The later date is the one generally acknowledged in biographies.

Dr. McCauley was the brother of Rachel McCauley Bennet who was the mother of Jonathan McCauley Bennett. - that is, Dr McCauley was Jonathan's Uncle. There are also several documents in the 1812 pension papers for Rachel McCauley Bennett Alkire that are signed by Jonathan, referring to her as his oldest sister. Also included in these papers are references to other family members as well as a recording of the permission slip signed by Rachel's father, William Bennet, for her marriage to David Alkire. For more on the origins of the Bennett family in Walkersville see this page at the West Virginia Archives.

Jonathan's Obituary appears in the Weston Republican on Sat. 5 Nov. 1887. Another, longer, obituary can be found in the Wheeling Intelligencer at about the same time. Very little about his family is mentioned in either obituary.
Departed this life October 28, 1887 at his home in Weston. He was born on the 4th day of October 1816 in what is known as Collins Settlement, in Lewis County.
He was the youngest child of Wm. Bennett and Rebecca (McCally) Bennett*, his wife a daughter of James McCally, and a sister of Dr. Jas. M. McCally.
William Bennett, who was the eldest son of Joseph Bennett of Scotland, who emigrated to America and settled in Augusta County, Virginia before the Revolutionary War, was born in Pendleton County, Virginia, from whence he moved to Lewis County in 1800. He died in 1857, raising a family of twelve children, five boys and seven girls. Three of his sons are James, David and Jonathan Bennett. Jonathan McCally Bennett married Margaret Elizabeth Jackson, a daughter of Capt. Geo. W. Jackson (and sister of Stonewall Jackson). They had four children, William George, Louis, Gertrude and Mary Lee.

The following page is an excerpt from The Journal of Southern History, vol 9 pgs 426-427. Feb-Nov 1943 by the Southern Historical Association contains an article that can be found here. Other interesting articles include some in the WV History Quarterly Magazine (V4 #1 Oct 1942) as well as a biography titled The Life of Jonathan M Bennett - A Study of the Virginias in Transition by Harvey Mitchell Rice (1943).

Two sons and two daughters were born to Jonathan McCauley and Margaret E. Bennett
1. Gertrude, wife of Dr. Fleming Howell, of Clarksburg, noted physician and author, a graduate in 1879 from Long Island College, Brooklyn, New York; has serves as an officer in the county, state and national medic al associations and societies.
2. Mary Lee (NSDAR member), wife of Hon. William D. Bowe, of Baltimore, Maryland, a son of the late Governor Bowe, and an ex-member of the state senate.
3 William George, who married Alice Brannon, daughter of Judge John Brannon , on March 28, 1872.
4 Lois

Jonathan's relationship to our family is through the marriage of his niece, Elizabeth Alkire to Jacob Conrad in the following lineage:
Gen 3: Hazel Julie Brooks & Lous Betler
Gen 4: Richard T Brooks & Landona Curry
Gen 5: John McAvoy Curry & Sabina Conrad
Gen 6: Jacob Peter Conrad & Elizabeth M Alkire
Gen 7: David Joseph Alkire & Rachel McCauley Bennett (sister of Jonathan McCauley Bennett)
Gen 8: William Bennett & Rebecca McCauley (parents of Rachel, Jonathan & brother to James McCauley)