Jonathan HENSON Archibald C CHAPEL Thomas Jefferson CHAPEL James Jonathan CHAPEL Jeremiah A CHAPEL Benjamin Franklin SMITH Catherine Jane SMITH Hester Ann SMITH Charles H SMITH William L SMITH Ella SMITH Elizabeth BARCROFT Mini tree diagram
Mary Isabella HENSON

Mary Isabella HENSON1,11,2,3,4,5,7,10,8,9

May 18411,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 - after Mar 19146,10

Life History

May 1841

Born in Morris County, Texas.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

30th Oct 1856

Married Archibald C CHAPEL in Cass County, Texas.22,7

2nd Dec 1857

Birth of son Thomas Jefferson CHAPEL in Arkansas.12,3,13,14,7,15

30th Oct 1859

Birth of son James Jonathan CHAPEL in Bryan's Mill, Cass, Texas.3,16,17,14,18,19

between 1861 and Aug 1864

Death of Archibald C CHAPEL in Cass County, Texas

9th Aug 1861

Birth of son Jeremiah A CHAPEL in Caro, Nacogdoches, Texas.20,4,2,21

28th Aug 1864

Married Benjamin Franklin SMITH in Cass County, Texas.1,5,6,8,8

10th Apr 1868

Birth of daughter Catherine Jane SMITH in Cass County, Texas.23,24,25,26,2,27,28

9th Jul 1870

Birth of daughter Hester Ann SMITH in Cass County, Texas.2,6,30,31,14

about 1873

Birth of son Charles H SMITH in Texas.2,24

about 1877

Birth of son William L SMITH in Cass County, Texas.2,32,9

Sep 1881

Birth of daughter Ella SMITH in Texas.4

27th Aug 1887

Death of Benjamin Franklin SMITH in Bowie County, Texas.5,8

6th Sep 1900

Death of daughter Hester Ann SMITH in Marlow, Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory.6,29,14

16th Aug 1909

Resident Age 68, applied for a Civil War widow's pension on the service of her 2nd husband B F Smith, Texas Dismounted Cavalry in Cass County, Texas.5,8

after Mar 1914

Died in Bryans Mill, Cass, Texas.6,10

Notes

  • Sources are few for the family of Mary Isabella Henson.  Some genealogies provide some details, without source and documentation, as is so lamentably the case more often than not.

    Johnathan Henson
    Birth 1805 in Tennessee, Death 1842 in Tennessee
    Spouse Elizabeth Barcroft 1820-1904
    Daughter Mary Isabella Henson b 1841
    --  Pfaff Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/8527934/person/1564620111

    Mary Isabella Henson was married twice.  Some family genealogies spell her middle name Ersebella.  She was first married to Archibald (A C) Chapel (Chappel).  They were married in Cass County, Texas.

    Texas Marriages, 1851-1900
    Mary Henson
    Gender Female
    Spouse A Chappell
    Marriage 30 Oct 1856 Cass County, Texas

    They moved soon to Arkansas, where their first child was born.  They are back in Cass County for the 1860 census in October.  In censuses, their oldest child Thomas Jefferson Chapel is reported born in Arkansas in about 1858.  His younger brother James J was born in Texas 9 months before the census.

    1860 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas, 17 October, PO Unionville & Cusseta, page 73, Hse $490, Fam #562
    A Chappell 26 M Farm Laborer $500 Real Estate $530 Personal Estate born GA
    M S Chappell 18 F born TX
    Thos Chappell 2 M b Ark
    J J Chappell 9mos M b TX

    Archie after died around the time of birth of their third child Jeremiah in August 1861 and before Mary married Benjamin Franklin Smith in May 1864.

    Their first child, Catherine Smith, was born in 1868 in Cass County, Texas.  Their second daughter Hester Ann Smith, born July 1870, married Joseph Asa Jenkins [this writer's grandfather], also in Cass Country, Texas.

    In 1880, Mary and her second husband, Benjamin Franklin Smith, are living in the household of Mary's mother Eliza Barcroft.  Actually both Eliza and Ben (enumerated here as D F, instead of B F) are both listed in the 1880 fashion of Head of the Household, with no designation at all.

    Other sources tell us that Barcroft is Eliza's maiden name.  I have not found a specific documentation her maiden name.  However, her memorial on Find a Grave reports her parents as Daniel F Barcroft Sr and Elizabeth McDunagh.

    But in this census, note that she is reported as a widow, with the surname Barcroft, not Henson.  She apparently went back to using her maiden name after the death of her second husband.  A few genealogies erroneously report her name as Elizabeth Hambrick Barcroft, with no documentation or comment.  Hambrick was the maiden name of her second husband James Elliott's mother.

    1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas, 12 July, Precinct 3, District 12, page 60 (scan 150A), Hse/Fam #562
    Barcroft, Eliza W F 70 (No Relationship) Widow Farming NC NC NC
    Smith, D F [BF] W M 45 (No Relationship) Married Farming TN TN TN
    Smith, Mary E  W F 38 Wife Married Keeps House TX NC NC

    In the 1900 census and later census records, Catherine reports her mother was born in Texas, and her father in Mississippi, rather than Tennessee.  In 1910 Catherine's mother is reported born in Tennessee, and her father in Mississippi.  In 1910 Catherine reports her father born in Arkansas and mother born in Tennessee.

    1900 Federal Census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, 2 July, Marlow Town, District 164, page 18A, Hse #326, Fam #329
    Christian, Joseph Head W M Feb 1856  44 Married 16 years TX TX TX Day Laborer Rents Can Read and Write
    Christian, Cathrine Wife W F Apr 1868  32 Married 16 years  8 children/7 living TX MS TX Can Read and Write

    1910 Federal Census, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, 30 April, Kiowa Township, District 226, page 17B-18A, Hse #306, Fam #311
    Christian, Joseph B Head M W 54 Married 42 yrs TX TX TX Farmer Rents
    Christian, Catherine C Wife F W 44 Married 27 yrs 12 children/3 living TX AR TX

    In the 1900 census, Mary was living in the household of her son Jerry (Jeremiah) Chapel.  Also with her is her daughter Ella Smith.  She reports her birth state as Texas, but her son Jerry and daughter Ella both report their mother born in Georgia (the enumerator wrote it down that way, anyway).

    1900 Federal Census, Bowie County, Texas, 15 June, Precinct 2, District 7, page 16A, Hse/Fam #281
    Chapel, Jerry Head W M Aug 1861  38 Married 13 years TX GA GA Farmer Rents Can Read and Write
    Chapel, Alice Wife W F July 1871  28 Married 13 years  6 children/5 living MS TN MS Can Read and Write
    Smith, Mary Mother W F May 1841  59 Widow 1 children/1 living TX TN TN Can Read and Write
    Smith, Ella Sister W F Sept 1881  18 TX TX GA Can Read and Write

    In 1909, she applied for a military pension based on Benjamin Franklin Smith's Confederate service.  She states therein that she has lived her whole life in Bryan's Mill, Cass County, Texas, in spite of the fact that we have the census record of her living with her son in Bowie County north of there for some period covering the census time in 1900.

    U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958
    Benjamin Franklin Smith
    Widow Application 16 Aug 1909 Cass, Texas
    Enlisted June 1862, surrendered at end of war
    Co C 32nd Texas Dismounted Cavalry
    Pension File Number 14852
    Spouse Mary I Smith
    Marriage 1 Aug 1864 Cass, Texas
    Death 27 Aug 1887 Bowie, Texas

    In Mary's census record in 1910, she is reported born in Texas.  She is enumerated as the widowed head of household with her son Will in the home.

    1910 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas, 26 April, Precinct 3, District 32, Page 10A, Hse #124, Fam #126
    Smith, Mary E [Mary Isabella] Head F W 68 Widow TX TN AL Farmer Rents [b abt 1842]
    Smith, Will Son M W 28 Single TX AL TX Farm Laborer [b abt 1872]

    We have records of Mary up to 1914, related to her military pension.  In 1912, her physician, Dr McElroy, appealed to the Pension Board on her behalf, for an increase in the pension amount.

    Letter from Dr A P McElroy of Bryans Mill, Cass County, Texas, 17 Jan 1912
    General letter to the Military Pension Office
    In support of a request for an increase in military pension amount for widow Mary I (Henson) Smith
    Widow of Benjamin Franklin Smith, a veteran of the Confederate States Army

    Another appeal was made in 1914.  No record after that year has been found.  The pension file has no record of death, or indeed any resolution of her request for an increase.

    --------------------
    Letter from Dr A J Halbrook vouching for Dr A P McElroy of Bryans Mill, confirming him as the person physician of Mary I Smith, and confirming the total disability of Mrs Smith;  in regard to a request for an increase in military pension amount for widow Mary I (Henson) Smith, widow of Benjamin Franklin Smith, a veteran of the Confederate States Army.

    Written on the invoice pad of S J Brock, Druggist in Bryans Mill, Cass County, Texas

    Notarized by Judge J P Fant, Cass County, Texas, 24 March 1914
    --------------------

    In the 1920 census, Catherine's mother is reported as born in Texas, while Mary's son William P Smith, living in Catherine's household, reports his mother born in Tennessee.  Catherine and her brother both report their father's birth place as Tennessee.

    1920 Federal Census, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, 31 January, Kiowa Township, District 199, page 18B, Hse #350, Fam #357
    Christian, Joseph B Head  Owns Farm M W 67 TX MO MO Farmer [b 1856]
    Christian, Katherine Wife F W 53 TX TN TX [b 1866]
    -- page 19A, 2 February --
    Smith, William P Brother-in-Law M W 38 Single TX TN TN TN [b abt 1881] Laborer

    In the 1930 census, Catherine reports her mother's birth state as Texas.

    1930 Federal Census, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, 10 April, Kiowa Township, District 32, page 7A, Hse/Fam #120
    Christian, Joseph B Head (Ownership of home not reported) M W 74 Married at 28 yrs old TX TN TN Farmer [b abt 1856]
    Christian, Catherine Wife F W 63 Married at 17 yrs old TX TN TX [b abt 1867]

Sources

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