A
Pictorial History of
DeKalb County
Mary
Jane Wooldridge
A distant
cousin sent me this picture. On the back it says “Aunt
Mary Wooldridge”. The family story is that she had 22 children and that
she was my gggrandfather’s sister (may have been half sister). We are
pretty sure this is Mrs. William Melton Wooldrdige. Another sister,
Jemima,
made several trips back to TN and later to TEXAS. This also fits the
migration of the
family. I have the family picture of The Wooldridge Family and am
hoping to
find someone with a match for this pic. Also have several other
connections to
this family and especially Marshall Wooldridge and his wife Elizabeth
Ward. Can
Marshall be “John
Marshall”. Dale, I am also triying to find someone who has the book
that
traces the land. I am unable to obtain it through Library INterloan.
Thanks,
Carole Martin Ring in Nebraska.
Photo submitted by: Carole
Ring 2009
A second photo
was submitted by Evelyn Allen, a descendant of William Melton
Wooldridge and his wife Mary Jane. This photo is of the whole family
taken about October, 1871.
Top row L to R.
Mary Josephine, Luella Frances, Eliza Jane, Harriet Clay, John Harrison.
Seated L to R, William Melton, Mary Jane, Martha Evans, Sarah Givens,
William Thomas, Robert Jackson, with Julia Adaline standing behind him.
In front of Wm Melton, stands Virginia Ella. At his side is Joel
Tennessee. Nancy Evelyne is the infant in her mother's lap.
My husband is the gr gr grandson of William and Mary
Wooldridge. After comparing this picture you have posted to
the site with the family picture, I am almost certain that this is
indeed Mary Jane Wooldridge. My husband's gr
grandmother Nancy Evelyne Wooldridge married Albert Lee Grissom, April
15 1890 in Cherry Valley, TN. They came to Texas, shortly
after the birth of thier second child in 1893. Her sisters
and brothers were already in Grayson Co. Most of them went to
Collinsville Texas, some were at Sherman, and one went to Denton
Co.
Mary Jane Wooldridge is buried at Collinsville, Grayson Co. Texas along
with two daughters and their families and a son.
Albert and Nancy Evelyne Grissom settled first at Van Alstyne Tx where
another child was born, After a few years they moved into Sherman Texas
and there the twins were born.
Their oldest child was Mary E. Grissom, my husband's [grand]mother
married Charles L. Clarke
at the age of 15, in Ok. Their oldest child was my husband's
mother Catherine Evelyn
Clark, She married Ollie Allen abt 1934.
We have been trying to find a family for Mary Jane Heald or Heal for
over 20 years. [Heal or Heald was Mary Jane Wooldridge's maiden name]
Submitted by:
Evelyn Allen
05/01/2009
Valley View, TX
Place
"genealogy" in the subject line of your email to her or it will be
deleted
Additional information added by David Johnson:
This appears to be the household of Mary with her husband and
children. Frederick Miller
on the internet also reports some of the children did go to Texas-
Denton
and Grayson Counties, Texas.
1860 census of Dekalb County, Tennessee, District 5,
Smithville, page 119A:
559/549
Wooldrige, William 46 M keeper of poorhouse NC
Mary J. 34 F TN
Martha E. 15 TN
Sarah G. 13 TN
John H. 11 TN
Mary J. 9 TN
Luella F. 7 TN
Eliza J. 5 TN
Harriett C. 5 TN
Julia A. 6/12 TN
others- paupers in the household
******
1870 census of Dekalb County, Tennessee, District 9,
Liberty, page 194B:
107/107
Wooldridge, William 56 M W Farmer NC
Mary 44 F W housekeeper TN
Sarah 23 F W TN
John 21 M W TN
Josephine 19 F W TN
Luella 17 F W TN
Jane 14 F W TN
Harriett 13 F W TN
Julia 11 F W TN
William 8 M W TN
Robert 5 M W TN
Joel 4 M W TN
Virginia 1 F W TN
[Wooldridge] Martha 82 F W NC [William's mother?]
11 children in 1870, add Martha E from 1860, add Nancy E. in 1880 = at
least 13 children.
****
1880 census of Dekalb County, Tennessee, District 5, page 137B:
15/18
Wooldridge, William W M 67 md Keeper of the poor NC VA NC
Mary J. W F 54 wife md keeping house TN VA NC
Julia A. W F 20 dau TN NC TN
William T. W M 18 son TN NC TN
Robert J. W M 16 son TN NC TN
Joel W M 14 son TN NC TN
Virginia W F 12 dau TN NC TN
Nancy E. W F 8 dau TN NC TN
George H. W M 6 g[?] son TN TN TN
Paupers in the house:
William, Humphrey
[?], Rebecca
Botts, Ellen
Botts, Henry
Bullard, Nancy
******
William Wooldridge, the head of the household and keeper of the county
poorhouse, died Feb. 10, 1885 in
Dekalb County and is buried in Aaron Cantrell Cemetery. His mother was
Martha Cantrell, daughter of Aaron Cantrell, and she was reportedly
buried on the poorhouse property.
There is no Wooldridge found in Dekalb County in 1900.
View the Wooldridge family history page
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