She Discovered That Tennessee Whiskey Brewer Jack Daniel Was Her 3rd Great-Uncle

Linda Pickle, a dedicated family historian from California, was stunned to discover that she shares a close family connection to one of America’s most iconic figures: Jasper “Jack” Daniel, founder of the world-famous Tennessee whiskey brand that bears his name. After years of genealogical research, she learned that Jack Daniel was not a distant cousin as she once assumed, but her 3rd great-uncle.

“I always saw my great-great-grandmother, Louisa, as a Rutledge by marriage, but should have looked closer that she was a Daniel,” Linda says. Louisa Daniel Rutledge, Jack Daniel’s older sister, was born in 1829 and married at 14, nearly two decades before Jack was born in 1846. The age gap likely explains why the family memory of their close sibling relationship faded over time.

Louisa was the third of 11 children born to Calaway Daniel and Lucinda Cook. Jack, born Jasper Newton Daniel, was the last one.

Jack Daniel’s story

Jack Daniel’s parents came from long-established Southern families of Scots-Irish and English descent. The Daniel family had roots in early American settlements: Calaway worked as a farmer and distiller, skills he likely passed on to Jack. Lucinda died when Jack was young, and Calaway passed away during the Civil War, leaving Jack to grow up largely on his own.

Jack Daniel, listed as a ‘distiller whiskey’, in the 1900 U.S. Census, living with his sister Bettie Connor and her husband, and nephew Jack Motlow. Source: MyHeritage collections.

Jack’s fierce entrepreneurial spirit can likely be traced back to the independence he was forced to adopt at a young age following his parents’ deaths. Throughout his life, Jack Daniel remained close to his sisters Finetta and Betty. While he never married or had children of his own, he formed a deep bond with his nephews, whom he mentored, and to whom he eventually passed on the distillery.

Jack Daniel’s death in October 1911 as reported in The Columbia Herald, October 13, 1911. Source: OldNews.com.

‘It’s a work of love’

A lifelong enthusiast of family history, Linda was born in Chicago in 1949 and moved to California as a child, but has deep roots in Tennessee. Her father’s family hails from Shelbyville, TN, and she fondly remembers summer holidays and family reunions on the farm. She has attended reunions at the historic Shofner Chapel, even creating a photo book of the graves and family relationships, which she donated to a local library for other descendants to enjoy. “I grouped all the graves in family groups with their names and a mini tree showing the relationships,” she explains.

Linda’s passion for genealogy was sparked in high school, when her love of the War of the Roses inspired her to start mapping out royal family trees. Today, she’s built an impressive family tree of around 35,000 individuals on MyHeritage, where she continues her research daily. “It’s a work of love,” she says.

Linda’s story spans generations and continents. Her English mother was a member of the “Daughters of the British Empire,” involved in charitable work for British senior homes. Her American father served as a paratrooper on D-Day with the 101st Airborne Division and was briefly captured before managing to escape. He met Linda’s mother while training in Devon, England, and brought her to the U.S. after the war. The couple settled in Chicago before eventually moving the family to California.

Discovering the Jack Daniel connection

“I decided to check Jack Daniel’s history and family — and lo and behold, found his older sister was my great-great-grandmother. I was shocked to see how close the connection is,” says Linda. “I don’t know if my family appreciates it, but my siblings were happy to know about Jack Daniel, and my cousins were excited.”

The family connection between Linda and Jack Daniel

She has visited the Jack Daniel distillery two or three times, often during family reunions. She even owns a bottle of White Rabbit, a milder version of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, which she and her family enjoy.

Linda and her sister Ann, holding a bottle of Jack Daniel’s White Rabbit.

As a retiree, Linda now spends her afternoons at the library continuing her genealogical pursuits. MyHeritage remains her primary research tool. “I love adding photos when available,” she says, noting her appreciation for MyHeritage’s photo tools and accessible platform.

Many thanks to Linda for sharing her wonderful discovery with us. If you’ve also made an incredible discovery with MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it! Please share it with us via this form or email us at stories@myheritage.com.

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Source: My Heritage