Sandy,
Thank you so much for your reply ... very helpful information!
Mary Jane Shackelford is not my direct ancestor, but I do descend from Willis G. West
and his first wife, Eleanor (Dixon) West. However, I wanted to straighten out the
marriages for Mary Jane and confirm that her youngest child, Laura Anna was indeed from
the marriage to James Chenoweth.
I think it is probable that William Martin, Mary Jane's first husband, either died
or they divorced in Kentucky, possibly Shelby County, circa 1854-56 before she marries
James Chenoweth in Boone County in 1856. I show four children of William and Mary Jane
Martin all born in KY, per census either in KY or IN: James born ca 1848, Sophia E. born
ca 1850, Samuel William (William Samuel?) born ca 1852 and Benjamin P. born ca 1854.
The 1850 Shelby County, KY census shows: W. S. and Mary J. Martin and children. [Image
Source:] Year: 1850; Census Place: District 2, Shelby, Kentucky; Roll: M432_218; Page:
369; Image: 200.
Perhaps I can offer you some help, as you mentioned having difficulty finding Mary
Jane's daughter, Laura Anna. I also have a little information for the other children,
let me know if you would like it. Indiana Marriage Records Index shows, Laura A.
Cheneworth marrying Fielding R. McClain in Boone County, December 24, 1879. [Source:]
Works Progress Administration (WPA), online data:
Ancestry.com, Indiana Marriage Records
Index, 1845-1920, (original data published 1938-1940), "Electronic," Book: C-7,
OS Page: 445, Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941.
They are also found on the following censuses. Names as shown on index or census:
1880
P.R. McClain
Laura A. McClain
[Image source:] Year: 1880; Census Place: Center, Boone, Indiana; Roll: T9_266; Family
History Film: 1254266; Page: 117.2000; Enumeration District: 118; Image: 0939.
1900
Fielden R McClain
Laura A. McClain
[Image source:] Year: 1900; Census Place: Center, Boone, Indiana; Roll: T623 360; Page:
2A; Enumeration District: 3.
1910
Fielding R. McClain (McClam on index)
Laura A. McClain
[Image Source:] Year: 1910; Census Place: Center Twp, Hendricks, Indiana; Series: T624;
Roll: 354; Page: 16B; Enumeration District: 31; Part: 2; Line: 14.
1920
Fielding R. McClain
Annie McClain
[Image Source:] Year: 1920; Census Place: Center, Hendricks, Indiana; Roll: T625_436;
Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 30; Image: 592.
1930
Fielding R Mcclean
Laura A Mcclean
[Image source:] Year: 1930; Census Place: Center, Hendricks, Indiana; Roll: 591; Page: 2A;
Enumeration District: 3; Image: 420.0.
Thanks again for your help, and I hope some of this information is what you needed.
Teresa
"Isenhour, Sandy" <Sandy.Isenhour(a)Cinergy.COM> wrote:
Teresa - My uncle had spent many years searching for this one. I was
thrilled when I found Mary, but sad that I didn't get to tell my uncle
because he had just passed away the month before I found this. George
Henry Johnson was my 3rd great grandfather. All of our family
documentation mentioned Mary as Mary Chenoweth, when in fact when she
married my grandfather her name was Martin. I do have some information
on her son Benjamin, but did not have any luck finding anything on her
daughter (Anna McClain) at Danville, Indiana. Hope you find the
following information as helpful as it was to me. Please note: the
documentation records spelled the name as Chenowith. My family records
had it spelled Chenoweth.
Mary Jane Shackelford, Martin, Chenowith, Johnson, West
S Isenhour 03-21-2003 - Mary Jane Shackelford married William Francis
Martin in Kentucky (Per
Ancestory.com family file of PPavel and Benjamin
P. Martin's obituary (Mary's son)). Unsure of what happened to William
Martin. No death or divorce records were found at the Boone County
Court House or the Boone County Library. She married James Chenowith on
12-24-1856 in Boone County, Indiana (Book C-3 Pg 211 Indiana Vital
Records), but they were divorced on 03-31-1858. Mary changed her name
back to Mary Jane Martin (per divorce decree). She married George Henry
Johnson in Boone County on 08-31-1859 (Book C-3 Pg 423 Indiana Vital
Records). George died 05-03-1869. She then married Willis West on
02-23-1871 in Boone County (Boone County Marriages 1842-1920, Book C-5,
Page 479). William died in 03-16-1888 and Mary died on 12-29-1908.
________________________________________________________________________
_______
Divorce decree:
Plaintiff Mary J. Chenowith Defendant - James Chenowith
Charges - Abuse and ill treatment
Gen Info. Infant child, name changed to former Mary Jane Martin,
alimony of $1,000.
(Per "Divorces of Boone County - 1830 to 1879 Pg 8")
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
Lebanon Pioneer, Lebanon, Indiana dated Thursday, 12-31-1908
Mary J. West
Mrs. Mary Jane West, aged 70 years, 4 months and 7 days, was found
dead in bed Tuesday morning at her home, 518 North Clark street. Mrs.
West had been in failing health for the past six months and for two
weeks had been bedfast. Monday, however, she seemed to be feeling
better than usual. Her daughter, Mrs. Anna McClain, of Danville, who
was here attending her bedside, slept with her Monday night. When Mrs.
McClain awoke Tuesday morning she found her mother dead. The end had
come peacefully some time during the night, and was probably due to an
attack of heart trouble growing out of the disease with which she had
been afflicted.
Mrs. West was a native of Kentucky, where she was born August 22,
1829. He last husband, William West, whom she married in Lebanon in
1872, died in 1888. The surviving children are Benjamin P. Martin, of
Frankfort, and Mrs. Anna McClain, of Danville.
Mrs. West was a member of the Baptist church of this city. Funeral
services were held at the late residence this morning at 10 o'clock,
followed by interment at Brockway cemetery.
---------------------------------
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