Mary Jane Markham, the 7th child of Monroe Markham and his wife Mary was born in 1883, Caseyville, Mississippi, the same year Sojourner Truth died. Mary Jane was known as Polly for most of her life. Polly was the name of a character in a school play which Mary Jane was the actress. Because the name was repeated several times during the play, family and neighbors started cally Mary Jane, Polly. The name stuck and she became known as Polly.
Mary was eight years old on the 1892 educable children lists. The 1900 census indicates she was born in Dec 1883. She is 16, single, can read and write, and is the eldest daughter in the household of 12 people. By 1910, she is 25 years old, and the eldest of 9 siblings. The 1920 household has 10 people and at 36 yrs of age, she still reigns as the eldest sibling. The age of Polly decreases in 1930, she is 40, should be about 45-46. She is the only child in the household of her elderly parents. The parents are deceased in 1940. Polly, 52, is living with a younger sister and her husband, Silas and Beatrice Markham Johnson. She is unemployed from her job as farm laborer.
I never met her, Aunt Polly died before I was born.
She was the first Markham sister who did not marry, nor have children. She died in 1950.
2 comments:
It is always interesting to me how folks got a nickname.
I am enjoying your research and memories of the children of Monroe Markham and his wife Mary.
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