On This Day in 1851

158 Years Ago Today
July 22, 1851

My 2nd great grandparents were married. Mary Jane Daugherty (John L.,John, John) and Daniel Parham Gregory (John Keatts, William, John, Thomas III, Thomas II, Thomas, Richard). They had six children and were laid to rest at the Daniel Gregory Cemetery in Clear Fork, Tazewell County, VA. Mary Jane was the granddaughter of Tazewell County pioneer, David Ward. Her brief obit is preserved in an old scrapbook belonging to her namesake granddaughter, Mary Jane Davidson.

Daniel Parham Gregory October 2, 1819 - May 16, 1859
Mary Jane Daugherty May 24, 1826 - April 13, 1897

In March of 1859, Daniel & Mary Jane Gregory's last child was born, a boy named Lewis H. Barely two months later, Daniel was dead. cause of death Scrofula {tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, at only 39 years old. Browne Hollowell
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Wikipedia says, "Scrofula is the term used for tuberculosis of the neck, or, more precisely, a cervical tuberculous lymphadenopathy. Scrofula is usually a result of an infection in the lymph nodes, known as lymphadenitis and is most often observed in immunocompromised patients (about 50% of cervical tuberculous lymphadenopathy). About 95% of the scrofula cases in adults are caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but only 8% of cases in children. The rest are caused by atypical mycobacterium (Mycobacterium scrofulaceum) or nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM). With the stark decrease of tuberculosis in the second half of the 20th century, scrofula became a very rare disease. With the appearance of AIDS, however, it has shown a resurgence, and presently affects about 5% of severely immunocompromised patients. Signs and symptoms...The most usual signs and symptoms are the appearance of a chronic, painless mass in the neck, which is persistent and usually grows with time. The mass is referred to as a "cold abscess", because there is no accompanying local color or warmth and the overlying skin acquires a violaceous (bluish-purple) color. NTM infections do not show other notable constitutional symptoms, but scrofula caused by tuberculosis is usually accompanied by other symptoms of the disease, such as fever, chills, malaise and weight loss in about 43% of the patients. As the lesion progresses, skin becomes adhered to the mass and may rupture, forming a sinus and an open wound."
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Note the 1850 Census for Tazewell Co., VA, Western District, p. 179, 24 Sept.

27 Chas. H. Greever age 44 male Farmer Real Est. 4,000 b. Va
28 Eliza 28 female "
29 Alexr 12 male "
30 Blair 10 male "
31 Chas 2 male "
32 Mary Daugherty 20 female "

Next door is:
33 Jno D Peery 62 male Farmer Real Est. 5,000 b. Va
34 Mary 20 female "
35 David P. 10/12 male "

Mary is Mary Clay Gregory, the younger sister of Daniel Parham Gregory. I would say this is how Daniel and Mary Jane Daugherty met. (speculation Browne Hollowell) And I would bet that living in Chas. H. Greever's house as probably a servant or helper to Eliza Greever, that Mary Jane named her next daughter after a woman who had been kind and a friend to her. Were they related? I don't know.

Charles and Eliza are buried at the Greever Cemetery at Five Oaks in east Tazewell. Eliza J., wife of Chas H. Greever, died Nov. 9, 1881, age 62 y & 7 D. I think that would make her born Nov. 2, 1819. So actually she was 31 (Lacking one month) in 1850. So a 31 year old married woman with three children, could have welcomed young 20yr old Mary Daugherty, and been a friend and mentor. As you know, it was very common in 18th and 19th centuries, for a young girl to leave her family and go live with another family, not necessarily as a servant but more as a mother's helper. Perhaps it was a way of dealing with adolescent attitudes which can be a little difficult between mother and daughter sometimes, but would have been tempered by being in another woman's house.

On 22 May 1852, twins were born. This was not unusual in the Gregory family to have twins.
These twins were named John K. L. and Elizabeth H. John K. L. died the next day, 23 May 1852, but he was named for Daniel's father, John Keatts Gregory. I do not know what the L stands for. Elizabeth H. is most probably named after Daniel's mother, Elizabeth Holland Corder Gregory. This was a strong custom to name the first after the father's family.

Next, in March, 1854, Nancy Ward Gregory is born. She is named after Mary Jane's mother, Nancy Ward Daugherty. Again, a strong custom to name after the mother's family at the next birth. Then Eliza Greever Gregory is born June 1856.

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109 Years Ago Today
July 22, 1900

Erastus Wiley Davidson (John Adams, Erastus Granger, Robert W., Joseph, John Goolman) was born to John Adams Davidson and Lillie Emma Bette Riggle. Erastus Wiley was my 2nd cousin, 2x removed.