Robert Smith Mabry, Sr.: Last residence in Marion County, Illinois (1827-1842/5)

In about 1827, Robert Smith and Rebeccah (Adams) Mabry and their children headed west again, eventually settling in Marion County, Illinois . Their son (and our ancestor) Robert Smith Mabry, Jr. would have only been about 2 years old when the family moved.

The Mabry family had lived about 15 years along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, before moving. It is likely that the oldest Mabry daughters, Martha and Nancy, married while the family still lived in Kentucky.

Once again, they were not alone in their move. Rebekkah's brother, John Adams, also moved from Logan County, Kentucky to Marion County, Illinois. Many other families from Kentucky and Tennessee also made the move, settling in the "Tennessee Prairie" area of Raccoon Township, in the southern part of the county.

"Tennessee prairie, so called because settled by Tennesseeans, is in the northwest and extends to Little Prairie, to which it is connected by a narrow strip. Like all settlements of Illinois, the first settlers chose the timber land; first, because they found it more convenient to build and for fuel; second, because they were used to timber and loved its protection from the summer sun and blast of winter; third, the flies with which the prairie was infested, especially the green-heads, rendered it almost impossible for horses to work during the heat of the day."

Rebeccah did not live long in Illinois. She died on January 26, 1828, three days after giving birth to the youngest Mabry child, Susan. (note: it is possible that Rebeccah died shortly before the Mabry family moved to Illinois)

Robert Mabry not only worked his farm and raised his children, he also contributed to the community:

"The first school-house was erected in section 18 [of Raccoon Township], in 1832. It had a chimney and fire place and no floor, but mother earth. The first teacher in this primitive school-house was Robert Mayberry."

Robert purchased several tracts of land from the Federal Goverment in Section 16 of Raccoon township in 1837-1839, totalling 120 acres.

Also in 1839, Robert married for a second time, to Penelope Hinds, almost 30 years his junior. They had one son, George W. Mabry.

Robert died in 1842 or 1845, in his late 60s, and was buried in Burge Cemetery in Raccoon Township.

All quotes are from "Brinkerhoff’'s History of Marion County Illinois" published in 1909 by B. F. Bowen & Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. (pages 104-111 and 171-173). This is a very romantic view of life on the frontier.

Note that the the family name is often spelled "Mayberry" in early documents.

Links
• Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
• Illinois Land Plat Maps (1804-1891): For Marion County select "Southern Illinois"

• Mini biography: Robert Smith Mabry, Sr.

Previous posts:
• Robert S. Mabry: Live in Kentucky & Tennessee (1812-1827)
• Robert S. Mabry: Life in Pittsylvania County, Virginia (1777-1812)
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Robert Smith Mabry, Sr.: Life in Kentucky and Tennessee (1812-1827)

Robert Smith and Rebeccah (Adams) Mabry and their children headed west from Pittsylvania County, Virginia in about 1812, settling on the border between Logan County, Kentucky and Robertson County, Tennessee.

They did not travel alone. At least three of Rebeccah's siblings settled in the same area: Nathan and Sally (Murphy) Adams, William and Fanny (Meachum) Adams,and Dudley and Mary "Polly" (Adams) Farthing.

The 1820 Census lists the Mabry and Adams families in Springfield Township, in Robertson County, Tennessee, but most records indicate the children were born in Logan County, Kentucky. It seems likely that the Mabry's lived close to the border between the counties. (1826 Kentucky/Tennessee Map - look just west of center on the border between the states)

Robert and Rebeccah Mabry had seven children there: Dudley Henry, Richard Greenville, William Henry, Nathan A., Rebecca Littlejohn, Sarah Elizabeth,and Robert Smith Mabry (our ancestor).

After about 15 years, in about 1827, the Mabrys headed west again, settling in Marion County, Illinois, where they were listed in the 1830 Census.

Mini biography: Robert Smith Mabry, Sr.

Previous post: Robert S. Mabry: Life in Pittsylvania County, Virginia (1777-1812)

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Robert Smith Mabry, Sr.: Life in Pittsylvania County, Virginia (1777-1812)

Robert Smith Mabry was born on October 27, 1777 in Virginia, the oldest child of Braxton Mabry. Robert's mother died before 1790, before Robert was 13 years old. Apparently Braxton was unable (or unwilling) to take care of his three pre-teen children.

The first record we have found that names our Robert Mabry is a Pittsylvania County, Virginia court order dated December 19th, 1791. At that time the custody of Robert and his sisters Polly and Jane/Jean was transferred from their father, Braxton to their uncle, William Clark (husband of Jane White). At time they were about age 14,12, and 10, respectively). It appears that Robert had subsequently little to do with his father.[more about Braxton and his troubles in a later post]

In 1797 "S. Robert Mabry" was taxed in Pittsylvania county for one white adult male (age 16+, presumably himself) and one horse. In 1799 he was only taxed for one adult and no horse. Robert was probably a tobacco farmer, like his father.

On December 6, 1799 Robert married Rebekah (or Rebecca) Adams, the daughter of Nathan Adams, in Pittsylvania County. They had five children in Virginia: Martha White, Nancy Jayne, Joel Braxton, Polly C. and Jane S. Mabry.

Robert continued to be taxed by Pittsylvania County for one white male (age 16+) and one horse from 1800 through 1810. In 1800 and 1801 there was also one black (age 16+) in his household.

In March 1809, Robert had a bit of trouble:

Robert S. Mabry having behaved Impertinently and reproachfully in the presence of the Court It is ordered that the Sheriff put him in the stocks and there keep him for the space of one hour.

There is no record of what exactly Robert did to deserve this punishment!

By the spring of 1812, Robert and family had headed west and settled on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee.

Note: our Robert Mabry is often confused with a different Robert Mabry, who also lived in the same part of Virginia, and also had a wife named Rebecca. The other Robert Mabry, son of Nathaniel Mabry, served as a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War (our Robert Mabry could not serve during the Revolution, because it ended before he was 10 years old!).
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References:
Pittsylvania Co, VA Court Order Book vol. 7, p. 71
Pittsylvania Co, VA Court Order Book vol. 13, p.420
Pittsylvania Co, VA Personal Property Tax Lists, 1796-1810 (information about Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists)

Robert Smith Mabry, Sr. mini-biography

Needed information: The Pittsylvania county land records have not been examined to see if Robert owned property there.

Thanks to Nicki Beatty, related to us through the White family, for sharing her transcriptions of the original Pittsylvania County Court Orders.

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Mini bio: Nathan & Anna Adams

Brief biography of Nathan Adams (1736-1802) and his wife, Anna.

Nathan Adams
Birth: May 16, 1736, probably in Fairfax County, Virginia
Parents: William & Sarah Adams
Known residences:
--- by 1754 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia
--- 1778 moved to Pittsylvania County, Virginia
Occupation: farmer?
Death: 1802 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia

Anna ?
Birth: probably in Virginia
Parents: unknown. Her maiden name may have been Littlejohn.
Death: after 1788.

Marriage and Children:

Marriage: Nathan Adams married Anna ?, probably in Virginia

Children of Nathan and Anna Adams:
--- William Adams: born about 1770, married Fanny Meachum
--- Joel Adams: born about 1775, married Janey Payne
--- Nathan Adams, Jr.: born about 1774, married Sally Murphy
--- John Adams: born about 1775, married Nancy Burton
--- Sarah "Sally" Adams: married Rice Beadles or Begles
--- Betsy Adams: married Thomas Prosize
*** Rebecca Adams: born 1783, married Robert Smith Mabry
--- Mary "Polley" Adams: born 1786, married Dudley Farthing

Posts about Nathan & Anna Adams
none yet

Off-site links
• 1777 Oaths of Allegience, Pittsylvania County, Virginia ("Nathan Addams")
• 1782 Land Taxes, Pittsylvania County, Virginia
• 1782 Census, Pittsylvania County, Virginia
• Pittsylvania County Will Extracts (note that our Nathan Adams is not the son-in-law of Abraham Campbell)

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Mini bio: Robert Smith Mabry, Sr. & Rebecca Adams

Brief biography of Robert Smith Mabry, Sr. (1777-1842/5) and his wife Rebecca Adams (1783-1828). Their position in the family tree.

Robert Smith Mabry, Sr.
Birth: October 27, 1777 in Virginia (probably Pittsylvania County)
Parents: Braxton Mabry & ? White
Known residences:
--- 1796-1810 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia
--- 1812 in Robertson County, Tennessee
--- 1820 in Springfield Township, Robertson County, Tennessee
--- 1830-1840 in Marion County, Illinois
Occupation: farmer
Death: January 1842 or 1845 (his grave stone has been transcribed both ways), buried in Burge Cemetery, Raccoon Township, Marion County, Illinois

Rebecca Adams
Birth: 1783 in Virginia (probably Pittsylvania County)
Parents: Nathan & Anna Adams
Known residences:
--- 1799 and later with husband Robert Mabry
Death: January 26, 1828 in Marion County, buried with husband in Burge Cemetery, Raccoon Township, Marion County, Illinois

Marriage and Children:

Marriages:
Robert Smith Mabry married Rebecca Adams on December 6, 1799 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Rebecca died in 1828.

Robert Smith Mabry married Penelope Hinds on March 14, 1839 in Marion County, Illinois.

Children of Robert & Rebecca (Adams) Mabry:
--- Martha White Mabry: born after 1799, married Isaac Allen
--- Nancy Jayne Mabry: born 1803, married Henry Bass
--- Joel Braxton Mabry: born 1805, married Jane Gamble Copeland
--- Polly C. Mabry: born 1807, married Thomas Weems
--- Jane S. Mabry: born 1809, married Zachariah Wildon (or WSeldon)
--- Dudley Henry Mabry: born 1812, married Elizabeth Haley, Cordelia (Williams) Powell, and Mrs. Jane Parsons
--- Richard Greenville Mabry: born 1814, married Martha Jane Ray
--- William Henry Mabry: born 1817, married Susannah Burge
--- Nathan A. Mabry: born 1819, died 1833
--- Rebecca Littlejohn Mabry: born 1821, married Joseph Bundy
--- Sarah Elizabeth Mabry: born 1824, married John A. "Jack" Smith
*** Robert Smith Mabry, Jr.: born 1825, married Susannah Smith and Esther Jane Bayles
--- Susan Emily Mabry: born 1828, married Samuel Telford

Children of Robert & Penelope (Hinds) Mabry
--- George W. Mabry: born about 1840, married Catherine "Kate" Powell


Posts about Robert Smith Mabry, Sr. & Rebecca Adams:

• Robert Smith Mabry, Sr.: Life in Pittsylvania County, Virginia (1777-1812)
• Robert Smith Mabry, Sr: Life in Kentucky/Tennessee (1812-1827)
• Robert S. Mabry, Sr.: Last Residence in Marion County, Illinois (1827-1842/5)
• Joel Braxton Mabry beat Lewis & Clark to Puget Sound?

Off-site links:
• 1830 Census, Marion Co., Illinois, transcription
• 1830 Census, Marion Co., Illinois, p. 192.
• 1840 Census, Marion Co., Illinois, transcription
• 1840 Census, Marion Co., Illinois, p. 182.
• Burge Cemetery, Marion County, Illinois

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