MAY 10, 2008 REBECCA AND MARGARET ARE HALF-SISTERS

Are you still planning to go to the Seeley Reunion in July? I will be back in the area around that time.

Since you mentioned that the pension records listed Rebecca & Margaret as half-sisters, I started to look at the 1850, 1870 & 1880 census concerning Mary Ashley Withrow. The 1850 census puts her birth date around 1825, the 1870 census puts her birth date around 1823 and the 1880 census lists her birth as 1830. I believe she was probably born around 1823 and is most likely the mother of Margaret Mayberry...making Margaret & Rebecca maternal half sisters.


The 1850 census has Mary Withrow living in Ballard Co., KY with her husband F W Withrow and her sons James age 3 and Charles age few months old. Margaret is not living with them. I believe that the Margaret that is living with Frederick & Elizabeth Mayberry is our ancestor Margaret Elizabeth Mayberry. I believe Delphia is her sister and Frederick & Elizabeth are their grandparents. That might be why Margaret has the middle name of Elizabeth...in honor of her grandmother.

Mary Ashley must have 1st married a Mayberry, a son of Frederick & Elizabeth. The date of the marriage was probably in the late 1830's/early 1840's. They had at least 2 children together, Delphia b. 1842 & Margaret b. 1844. Mary must have been widowed in the mid 1840's and left the children with their grandparents. She probably married around 1846 to Frederick Withrow and had the following children with him.
James Withrow b. 1847
Charles Withrow b. 1850
Rebecca Withrow b. 1851
Mary Withrow b. 1855
John Withrow b. 1859.

I am not sure if Margaret and possibly Delphia lived away from their mother for a long period of time during their childhood or if it was a short period of time that coincided with the 1850 census.

An interesting note: The 1850 census lists Mary Ashley Withrow as being born in Louisiana. The later 1880 census lists Mary's parents as having been born in Mississippi. I wonder if any Native American branches mixes in with her blood in the south. It still could mix with the Mayberry side and could be Elizabeth Mayberry herself.

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. I do plan on being at the Reunion.

I re-read some of the papers last night and also looked at the census records. I came to the same conclusion that you did -- I do believe that it is our Margaret - with Frederick and Elizabeth. Also, on the one census record it had Frederick, Mary, James W., Rebecca J., Mary F., Nancy G and a Nancy Bowlin (13).

I do believe it may be Elizabeth that is our connection to the Native American branch. The "Allen" children that are with Elizabeth lead to believe this too -- I believe these may be the same "Allen" children that are listed on one of the Government Reports for the Indian Schools. I'm going to take a look again at the Rawles rolls - there are several Mayberrys listed and see what I come up with.

In re-reading the documents - there is only 2 references that Jane Peal's first husband may "not" have died -- someone saw in TX and other heard something about him 2 yrs before her application.

My daughter said it sounds like a movie -- two of husbands literally disappear, one is strong as an ox but becomes very ill and dies and her final husband dies....the Merry Widow.

I'm not sure if I included this quote from the examiner in my last email: regarding the claimant, Jane Peal, .... "not borne a good character" ... since married to Mr. Peal a respectable farmer she is living a better life."

Jane Peal didn't include her marriage to Rutledge in her first pension application -- the examiner went and found the records and copied - there is reference that he also found the record of her divorce from him.

I'm going to send an email to Larry to update him on what the new "developments" -- he said he found some ancestors in OK that were Native American.

Now -- we have to decide on our James Shay -- OH -- NY and PA. I'm still thinking OH - due to the 1860 census - most likely that James provided the info for the census. There were Owens in PA and I think that is the reason Thomas and Nancy came to PA and of course if everything is true with what they are saying about Jane Peal - I'm sure our Jane Shay didn't want to stay with her "Wicked" step-mother.

It will mostly like be Monday when I can scan the documents in.
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If we think that our James Shay is in fact still from Ohio, is he most likely still the son of David & Sarah. James Shay is listed as still living at home in July of 1860 in Crawford Co., OH. That contridicts James coming to MO around 1857 or 1858 and marrying Margaret in 1859. If the pension records are correct with the dates then our ancestor is most likely not the son of David & Sarah.

I cannot find anyone in the 1860 census either. I do not find Margaret Mayberry by herself or with a husband. I had trouble finding Frederick & Mary Withrow also. I will have to take a look again. Sometimes when I run names through the census again, I find them a second or third time when I was unable to find them the first time.
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