Mary (Alexander) Adams (1857 - 1929)

Born 30 Mar 1857 in Benholm, Kincardineshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of David Adams — married 21 Jan 1877 in Benholm, Kincardineshire, Scotland

Died 17 Feb 1929 at age 71 in Claremont, Sullivan, New Hampshire, United States

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Biography

Mary was born on the 30 March 1857, Benholm, Kincardineshire, Scotland. She was the daughter of James Alexander and Mary Carnegie. ^[1]

In 1861 Mary is 4 and living with her family at Fore Street, Johnshaven.^[2]

Her father James and sister Ann dies in 1866. In 1869 her brother Robert and half-brother John dies. By 1871 she is living in Fore Street, Johnshaven with just her mother Mary. ^[3]

She married David Adams on the 21 January 1877 in Benholm, Kincardineshire. He is a widowed farmer from Upper Tulle, she is 19 years old. Their marriage is witnessed by Isabella Collie and James Lawson.

A dispute between Mary and the housekeeper of her brother-in-law, Thomas led to her David and Thomas getting into a fight. When David tried to remonstrate with his brother over the dispute the housekeeper handed Thomas a stick which Thomas hit David with on the back. David got the stick off Thomas, and hit Thomas once on the back. Thomas then grabbed David by the whiskers pulling a large quantity out. David threw his brother on the ground to get free from him. The judge fined David £1 or a weeks imprisonment and a caution of £5 to keep the peace for six months, failing that he would get another week's imprisonment.^[4][5]

The 1881 census has Mary Aged 24, living with her husband David aged 50 with his two sons Alexander and David Adams both aged 23. It must have been strange for her and for step-sons that they were almost the same age.^[6]

Mary and David had a daughter, Margaret Lindsay Adams born in Johnshaven on the 21 December 1887.

Mary and David emigrated in 1889 to America.

In the 1900 American Census David is listed as a Farmer, he is listed as an owner of a farm in Claumont Village, Sullivan County, New Hampshire, that is mortgaged. Their daughter Margaret Lindsay Adams is the only child listed with them. ^[7]

In the 1910 US Census under Mary's personal description it lists that she had three children but only one is living. ^[8]David is still a farmer of a general farm and an employer. Her step-son Robert has moved in with them and is listed as having emigrated in 1888 and been naturalised. Robert is listed as a Machinist in a Machine Shop and Margaret is listed as a Clerk in a Machinist shop.

On the 15 January 1920 her husband dies.

On the 17 February 1920 Mary passes away at Claremont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire, USA. She is buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Claremont Section Q, Lot 27^[9].^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Source Information Ancestry.com. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013. Year of birth confirmed by 1861 and 1871 Census. Entry missing from index of scotlandspeople.gov.
2. ↑ 1861 Scotland Census Parish: Benholm; ED: 5; Page: 7; Line: 15; Roll: CSSCT1861_34
3. ↑ 1871 Scotland Census Parish: Benholm; ED: 4; Page: 16; Line: 16; Roll: CSSCT1871_45
4. ↑ Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review; and Forfar and Kincardineshire Advertiser dated Friday 8 May 1885.
5. ↑ The dispute could have been over the care of the mother-in-law Betty who died shortly after on the 1 May 1885.
6. ↑ 1881 Scotland Census Parish: Garvock; ED: 2; Page: 7; Line: 14; Roll: cssct1881_73
7. ↑ 1900; Census Place: Claremont, Sullivan, New Hampshire; Roll: 952; Page: 34; Enumeration District: 0245; FHL microfilm: 1240952
8. ↑ Margaret is the only one i have found, could they have died at birth or be stillborn at birth. Often when babies die or are stillborn they are put in the grave of a recently deceased female, usually an older woman or if no older woman an older man, so they are not alone. If they are not listed with family, they could be listed in another deceased female or male grave round about the time when they were born/ died..
9. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50286255/mary-adams
10. ↑ Date of birth on grave is different to that given by family search.org and record not coming up on scotlandspeople but census 1861 and 1871 confirms the year of 1857 and the details on her daughter, Margaret Lindsay Adams concerning her parents and her own birth date matches that of our Mary’s daughter Margaret Lindsay Adams. In the American Census Mary’s date of birth moves about in 1900 census it is March 1862, in 1910 her age makes her date of birth 1864, 1920 her age made her year of birth 1865.