Life History

Notes

• "Mary Elizabeth 'Betty' TAYLOR, b. 20 Apr 1824, Louisville, KY; d. 25 Jul 1909; m. 5 Dec 1848, Col. William Wallace Smith BLISS"
  --  Taylor -- Zachary and Margaret, http://dgmweb.net/genealogy/FGS/T/TaylorZachary-MargaretMackallSmith.shtml
  
  Some sources have reported her birth date as 22 October 1820.  Her age of 25 in August 1850 census would match birth in the first half of 1825.  The 1860 age of 27 would make it the first half of 1823.  In 1880 she is 55, matching the April 1824 birth.  Her grave does not have her birth date, only the death date.  The Find a Grave Memorial for Betty reports the date as 20 April 1824, but does not report the source of this date.  Wikipedia and other reliable sources also report this April 1824 date.
  
  U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
  William Wallace Bliss
  Spouse Mary Elizabeth Taylor
  Marriage 1848
  
  Some genealogies report that the marriage took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  A Louisiana marriage record report the marriage occurred in East Baton Rouge Parish on 4 December 1848.
  
  Louisiana Marriages to 1850
  Spouse 1 Bliss, William
  Spouse 2 Taylor, Elizabeth
  Marriage 4 Dec 1848 East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
  
  "Married- On Dec. 5, by Rev. John Burke, in Baton Rouge, Col. William Wallace Smith Bliss, of the U. S. Army, to Miss Elizabeth Taylor, dau. of Maj-Gen. Zachary Taylor, President-elect of the U. S."
  --  The Richmond Whig & Public Advertiser, Richmond, Virginia, Tuesday, December 19, 1848, page 2, column 6; in the Library of Virginia Online, http://lva1.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/F/UU4XS42BK5I3YQACYPDUHSU75NTIKRJG9FRSH4I91A3MXMD9PP-54995?func=full-set-set&set_number=001177&set_entry=000121&format=999
  
  In the 1850 census, she and her husband are listing in the family of her father, President Zachary Taylor, in Washington, DC.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Washington, DC, 31 August, Ward 1, page 125 (63), Hse #930, Fam #983
  Zachary Taylor 66 M Prest US $100 Real Estate b Virginia [b abt 1784]
  Margaret Taylor 64 F Maryland [b abt 1786]
  Wm W S Bliss 35 M Lt Col USA b NY
  M E Bliss 25 F Kentucky
  
  After the death of her husband William Bliss in 1853, Mary Elizabeth married Philip Pendelton Dandridge.  I find the middle name spelled both Pendelton and Pendleton.  I find that his name on Betty's grave monument is spelled Pendleton.  Interestingly, Wikipedia spells in Pendelton (see below).
  
  "She married Philip Pendleton Dandridge 2 NOV 1858, son of Adam Stephen Dandridge and Sarah Pendleton. He was born 2 OCT 1817 in Virginia, and died 28 OCT 1881."
  --  RootsWeb, Edelen, McAfee etal, http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=REG&db=cw4peter&id=I020116
  
  Census records of the related individuals report that Philip and Betty lived in Winchester, Virginia.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Frederick County, Virginia, 19 July, Winchester, PO Winchester, page 116, Hse #824, Fam #825
  Philip P Dandridge 43 M Laborer $0 Real Estate $0 Personal stated b VA [b abt 1817]
  Mary E Dandridge 33 F Housewifery b KY [b abt 1927]
  Anna S Dandridge 18 F born MD [b abt 1842]
  Philip P Dandridge 16 M born VA [b abt 1844]
  Lilly D Dandridge 15 F born MD [b abt 1845]
  Charles V Dandridge 14 M born VA [b abt 1846]
  William F Dandridge 10 M born VA [b abt 1850]
  
  1880 Federal Census, Frederick County, Virginia, 2 June, Winchester, District 46, page 8, Hse #49, Fam #52
  Dandridge, P P  W M 62 Head Farmer At Home VA VA VA
  Dandridge, Mary E  W F 55 Wife Keeping House KY VA MD
  Berns, Jane Mulatto M 45 Servant Servant VA VA VA
  Turner, Mollie  Mulatto F 16 Servant Servant VA VA VA
  
  Some sources report she was buried in Bayou Sara, Louisiana.  But records show she and her husband Philip Dandridge were living in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia, in the years before her death.  Credible sources report she died in Winchester.
  
  Family Data Collection - Individual Records
  Mary Elizabeth Taylor
  Spouse William Wallace Smith Bliss
  Parents Zachery Taylor, Margaret Mackall Smith
  Birth 20 Apr 1824 Jefferson, KY
  Marriage 5 Dec 1848 Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA
  Death 26 Jul 1909 Winchester, VA
  
  Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index, Select Counties
  Mary Elizabeth Dandridge
  Birth Date 20 Apr 1824
  Death Date 26 Jul 1909
  Comments:
  Spouse. 1-WILLIAM WALLACE SMITH BLISS
  2-PHILIP PENDLETON
  Parents: ZACHARY & MARGARET MACKALL SMITH TAYLOR. TWELFTH USA FIRST LADY SERVED DURING HER FATHER'S TERM
  
  Note that the Cemetery listing reports the date of death as 26 July 1909.  Other sources report death date as 25 July 1909.  An obituary collection cites publication of her obituary on 26 July 1909, which states that death was that same date.
  
  Ohio Obituary Index, 1830s-2009, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
  Elizabeth Dandridge [Elizabeth Taylor]
  Birth Date abt 1824
  Death Date 26 Jul 1909
  Age at Death 85
  Parents Zachery
  Fremont Daily News, Fremont, Ohio, 26 Jul 1909, p. 2, col. 4
  --  Newspaper Repository: Hayes Presidential Library - Fremont, Ohio
  
  Wikipedia has a brief summary of facts about Mary Elizabeth.  The marriage date here is again different, giving us three different reported dates of marriage, if all these records indeed report the marriage of the same two individuals.
  
  ---------------------------------
  Mary Elizabeth Bliss
  
  Mary Elizabeth Taylor Bliss (April 20, 1824 - July 25, 1909) was the daughter of President Zachary Taylor and First Lady Margaret Taylor. She served as White House hostess due to her mother's ill health.
  
  On December 8, 1848, Mary married William Wallace Smith Bliss, the future president's secretary. Bliss died in 1853.
  
  On July 9, 1850, the Taylor presidency came to an abrupt end when the President died. After that, Mary lived the rest of her life out privately, living with her mother until her mother's death in 1852.
  
  On February 11, 1858, she married Philip Pendelton Dandridge.
  
  Mary lived until the age of 85.
  --  "Mary Elizabeth Bliss, Wikipedia, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Elizabeth_Bliss
  ---------------------------------
  
  There is a virtual memorial for Mary Elizabeth Taylor Bloiss Dandridge on Find a Grave.  Note that the builder of this memorial has added Mary Elizabeth's birth date.  There is no birth date on the grave monument, only her death date.
  
  ---------------------------------
  Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Taylor Dandridge
  Birth Apr 10, 1824 Kentucky, USA
  Death Jul 25, 1909 Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia, USA
  
  Daughter of General Zachary Taylor "Old Rough and Ready", President of the United States and Margaret Mackall Smith. "Betty" assumed the role of official hostess for her father due to her mother being a semi-invalid. She received high praise for the manner in which she preformed the required duties. She was only 25 at the time and had just wed her father's faithful Adjutant General Lt. Col. William Wallace S. Bliss.
  
  She became widely acquainted with noted men and women during her brief but brilliant regime in the White House and she was known far and wide as a young woman of rare fascination and beautiful character. It was regarded as a high honor to be asked to one of her entertainments. Her oldest sister Sarah Knox "Knoxie" Taylor was the first wife of Jefferson Davis, President of the Southern Confederacy. Betty lost her husband in 1853; she remarried to Philip Pendleton Dandridge of Winchester, moving to her husband's home in 1857 and living there for fifty-two years. A southern sympathizer during the civil war she saw fit to save a young scout, John E. Boyd who was captured by Federal officials and sentenced to death. He lived and served as one of the pallbearers that carried Betty to her final rest place.
  
  Parents:
  Zachary Taylor (1784 - 1850)
  Margaret Smith Taylor (1788 - 1852)
  Spouses:
  William Wallace Smith Bliss (1815 - 1853)
  Philip Pendleton Dandridge (1817 - 1881)
  
  Burial Mount Hebron Cemetery, Winchester, Winchester City, Virginia, USA
  Created Apr 23, 2007
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #19066269, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19066269
  ---------------------------------

Sources

• 1. Family Data Collection - Individual Records
• 2. 1880 Federal Census, Frederick County, Virginia
  • 2 June, Winchester, District 46, page 8, Hse #49, Fam #52
• 3. 1850 Federal Census, Washington, DC
  • 31 August, Ward 1, page 125 (63), Hse #930, Fam #983
• 4. Taylor -- Zachary and Margaret
  • Name: Name: http://dgmweb.net/genealogy/FGS/T/TaylorZachary-MargaretMackallSmith.shtml;
• 5. Various Sources
• 6. 1860 Federal Census, Frederick County, Virginia
  • 19 July, Winchester, PO Winchester, page 116, Hse #824, Fam #825
• 7. Library of Virginia
• 8. RootsWeb Trees
• 9. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 10. Wikipedia
  • "Mary Elizabeth Bliss," "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Elizabeth_Bliss
• 11. Wikipedia
  • William Wallace Smith Bliss" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wallace_Smith_Bliss
• 12. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
• 13. Louisiana Marriages to 1850