There is another possibility and one I just documented in my family line.
1. Mary Jane's mother may have been married to Benjamin CHAMBERS, however briefly, and
for whatever reason he disappeared from her life either before Mary Jane was born. This
happens much more than history gives credit.
2. Depending on her mother's age at the time, there is a possibility of another
marriage prior to Benjamin (this is my just documented case.) However there is probably no
documentation of this even or you would have probably already found that.
3. Shortly after Benjamin is out of the picture, could be either before or after Mary Jane
was born, her mother marries a PETERSON and he "Adopted" her by what was legal
back before 1930, adding her to some legal document with his surname indicating he was her
father. This could have been anything from the Census, Tax roll, employee contract
(written or verbal) or land purchase just to name a few.
The case I just documented is where the mother married at age 16 and the husband
disappears shortly afterwards. A year later she marries again, using her previously
married surname, and they are divorced, or he deserts her about the time their child is
born. She is shown on a census in her mother's, recently married for the second time,
household as daughter 18 with second married surname along with her child with the same
surname, grand child (to head of household) at 1 year old. Two years after the census, she
marries for the last time and all family records today (as shown by one of the child's
descendants) show the child with the last husband's name and there is not record of a
formal adoption which would have been in 1923-4 which indicates this was the more normal
"Informal Adoption" that was the norm to about that time. It is obvious her
mother is the one that answered the census takers questions because if the husband had
been doing so he would probably have said she !
was he step daughter and the child would then have been his step grand child.
I have several such "informal Adoptions" in my extended family tree, whether in
my main line or spousal lines.
Sparkgapper
On 2 Nov 2014, at 8:57 AM, "gc-gateway(a)rootsweb.com"
<gc-gateway(a)rootsweb.com> wrote:
This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Author: Neil_Rensch
Surnames: Chambers
Classification: marriage
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.chambers/4468/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Does anybody have any information on this. The death certificate of my great grandmother,
Mary Jane Peterson (Bushman) shows that her mother was Maggie west and her father was
Benjamin George son of Henry George in Chambersburg, Pa. Apparently her step father's
name was "Peterson". I am thinking Benjamin Chambers got Maggie pregnant out of
wedlock and then never married her.
Would anybody have any clues on this? If I can prove this to b e so then my 5th great
grandfather is Col. Benjamin Chambers (founder of Chambersburg, Pa).
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