In a nutshell:
Babies and everlasting hard work.
To begin:
According to the Charles Kelley Bible, Margaret Kelley was born 20 January 1808. Her parents were Charles Kelley and Elizabeth Howard. Most family trees and the 1850 US Census for AL agree that she was born GA. Many family trees show her birthplace as Elberton, Elbert County, GA. Maybe it's true, but I have seen no proof. Maybe because I don't know the history of GA's counties well enough. For example:
In the Georgia Tax Digests 1809 - 1811 Charles Kelley and Robert Kelley and John Kelly are listed in 1810 in Pew/Pugh District, which I believe was in Jackson County, GA . Charles on Page 068, Robert 068, John 068. Robert Howard and William Howard are listed in Jackson County 1810, Robert in Pew/Pugh's District 068, and William 094. The records are on file at the Gadsden Public Library and anywhere the Georgia Tax Digests 1809 - 1811 are kept.
The Charles Kelley Bible is available here:
http://files.usgwarchives.org/ar/ashley/bible/k4000001.txt
An online source with the 1809 List is here:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gajackso/1809taxdigest.htm
The Georgia Tax Digests Vol. 3, 1814 - 1817 shows Charles Kelley and Robert Kelley both living in Jackson County, GA, in M. Hambleton's District.
In the 1820 US Census for AL, Chas. Kelly is listed in Shelby County, AL. The household has five females under 21 (including Margaret, who would have been 12). Nearby is the household of Timothy McGuire, Sr., where Davidson is probably the male under 21.
So Margaret has been on the move since age one. Pew's/Pugh's District, Hambleton's District, GA, then Shelby County, AL. Her mother, Elizabeth Howard Kelley, would have been 21 at her birth with another seven kids to manage by the time they were counted in the 1820 Shelby County, AL, Census. Margaret would have had her hands full just baby-sitting her siblings.
But wait...
In December 1822 at age 14 our Margaret marries Davidson McGuire, who is about 18. Probably 20. Has he been married before? Perhaps. His first son is Timothy McGuire, whose birthdate is usually given as January 1822. Was Davidson previously married? Did Davidson impregnate the 13-year-old Margaret and then have to marry her? Did she shame her family, but finally get the father to the altar? The possibilities are that there was a transcription error in the CK Bible, that Davidson was married before, or that the players really didn't keep track of the dates.
The reason for the discrepancy doesn't matter. Timothy named a daughter after her, indicating Margaret's importance in his life.
To continue:
In April 1835 Margaret joins the Mt. Hebron Baptist Church in Leeds, AL. By this time she is 27 and has already had Timothy (maybe), Mary Jane, James, Charles, Elizabeth Jane, Mahala, John L., Sarah Anne, and maybe even Alsy/Axy/Ailsie/Alice. Quite a caboodle. From the Mt. Hebron records at Samford University in Birmingham, AL.
By 1840 Hebron Church had excluded (removed from worship, effectively shunned) Davidson from worship because of excessive drinking. Margaret would have been 32 and had up to four more children: Alsy (maybe), Robert, Hiram K., and Emily.
Life continued for Margaret. Over the next nine years she would have "stood by her man" and done her job. By 1849 when Davidson was reinstated at Mt. Hebron Church by experience, she had borne Mary Amanda, Martha G., and William. Having her husband back in the church must have been a relief. Did his reinstatement indicate sobriety? One can only hope.
Her final child was Thomas, born 1851, when she was 49.
Margaret died in September 1859 according to the 1860 Jefferson County, AL, Mortality Schedules, of typhoid fever, age 51.
Possible burial places: Shiloh Cemetery, Cedar Grove Cemetery, Leeds, AL. I haven't found any record of her grave yet, and I doubt if I ever will.
16 kids in 37 years. A drunken husband. Farm life drudgery. Alabama summer heat and humidity. A hard life. Here's to Margaret's quiet determination.
(Copyright 2010 by ALRoots.Blogspot.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment