Mary (Polly) Jones (daughter of Daniel Jones and Jemima Bernard) was born 1806 in NC, and died 03 February 1881 in Richland, WI, USA. She married Isam Wallace on 29 September 1822 in Surry, NC, USA.
Notes for Mary (Polly) Jones:
Mary [Polly] Jones
1806 - 3 February, 1881
Mary [Polly] Jones became the wife of Isam Wallace in 1822, they thereby became grandparents of Jennie Vance Vanda; she was from North Carolina and was married in that state.
The parents of Mary Jones were from Massachusetts and were Quakers; it is not clear if Mary practiced that faith or if she joined Protestant churches later in her life. [3] We have no information as to how Mary's family "emigrated" to NC [from MA] where Mary was later born and then married to Isam Wallace
They subsequently had a family of eleven children, the second of which was Margaret Wallace who was the lady who married William Vance and thereby became the ancestor of Nancy Jane Vance. These children have been fully listed under husband Isam Wallace biography.
Most of the known information about Mary was obtained from Pension Documents. These Pension application documents for Mary provide additional information about the various phases of her life.
As has been mentioned in the biography of husband Isam, it is quite apparent that Mary and husband Isam were very poor; she was especially poor after his death, as certified in these applications for a pension, as she was living in poverty and quite in need of financial help.
The documents transcribed below tell us that the family was very poor, that son Stephen Wallace served in the military, died in Arkansas while in the military [in 1863] and thereby entitled mother Mary to receive a pension of $8.00/ month for the rest of her life. It is not clear if she was not receiving this money or if that amount was inadequate to live a reasonably normal economic life.
In the first application document, facts were presented to a County judge, five years after the death of husband Isam:
"Wisconsin - County of Richland:
"On the 15th day of March, 1880....personally appeared before me...Mary Wallace, resident of Excelsior [WI]....aged 73 years, who ....makes the following declaration in order to obtain the pension provided by Acts of Congress granting pensions to dependent Mothers: that she is the widow of Isam Wallace and mother of Stephen Wallace who enlisted ...at Richland County on the 14th day of
7-3-1 May, 1862, in Co. B, 25 Wis. in the war of 1861, who died at Helena, Ark. on the 20th day of Aug., 1863 and that son Stephen Wallace left neither widow nor child....that she was partly dependent upon said son for support; that her husband...Isam Wallace, aged seventy four years, died in Richland Co., WI, in 1875.
"..that there were surviving at date of said son's death, his brothers and sisters, who were under sixteen years of age,... Isaac Wallace born February 19th, 1846 Lydia Wallace born January 31st, 1849 "that she has not heretofore none applied for pension...that she hereby appoints A. W. Fitzgerald of Wash[?] D.C. her attorney to prosecute the above claim......"
s/w her mark: Mary Wallace in front of D. L. Downs, county Judge [1]
A similar document filing was made on 17th of May, before H J Clark, Clerk of Circuit Court @ Richland Cty., WI, requesting a pension for reasons stated above. The only variance noted is that it states that son Stephen died at Helena, Ark., "of fever".
"I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt from your office of application for Pension 263254, and to retain it herewith.... "It appears...that Stephen Wallace was enrolled on the 14th day of Aug., 1862, at Orvin, in Co. B, 25th Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers, to serve 3 years...and was mustered into service as a Private on the 14th day of Sept. , 1862, at Camp Solomon....On the Muster Rolls .....for the months of normal muster in to June 30th, 1863, he is reported present July & August, '63. Died at Helena, Ark. Aug. 20, 1863 of congestive chills." Application filed April 13, 188 Attorney: A W Fitzgerald, present [1]
On the 5th day of September, 1880, a General Affidavit was filed for Mary Wallace, in front of the Town Clerk of the Akan, Richland Cty., WI "...that the following is a true list of all the Taxable property of Isam Wallace, late consort of Mary Wallace, the ...applicant, according to the records in my office:
On the fifth of November, 1880, a General Affidavit was filed on behalf of Mary Wallace, in the county of Richland, WI: "Mary Wallace, application to obtain pension, personally comes [and]....says that they are near neighbors and well acquainted with said Mary Wallace, her husband, her son Stephen and family for 25 years. That Stephen Wallace was an unmarried man. That her means of subsistence since her sons death was only the rent of 10 acres of poor broken land. That previous to his entering the Army, he labored for the support of the family. The husband was a weakly man and not able to do much labor. She now lives in a little log shanty covered with clapboard about 12 X 14 X 6 foot high, a few loose boards for loft, and all her household goods would not bring 25 dollars and has no other means of support but charity, as all her relations are in limited circumstances." s/by George Willoughby and John Turgerson [1]
Also on the 5th of November, 1880, an Affidavit was submitted at County of Richland, WI, before Henry L. Puckett, J.P., on behalf of Mary Wallace, stating: "That I am personally acquainted with Isam Wallace, late consort of Mary Wallace, the above applicant. That I am a Practicing Physician, that I attended him in his last sickness, whose death occurred on or about 9th day of January, 1876, have known said Wallace since 1862 that he was suffering with lung and heart disease, was very feeble since my first acquainted with him, was his family Physician for some years, previous to his death, [and] was a neighbor. Said disease totally disabled him from manual labor." s/by John T Coates, M D [1]
Another filed document, on 5 November, 1880: "Richland, Wisconsin: Mary Wallace application to obtain Pension. That I was called to see Isam Wallace, husband of the above named applicant, on 26th day of November, 1875. I found the old gentleman very low, laboring under inflamation of the lungs, together with palpitation of the heart; with proper treatment, this inflamatory condition seemed to subside and the cardiac difficulty seemed to yield to the action of sedatives, but which was only temporary, he died on the 9th of January, 1876" s/by J. H. Tilley, M.D. before Henry L Puckett, J.P. [1] 7-3-3 In an Affidavit filed 6th of November, 1880, to Henry L Puckett J. P., an acquaintance of the Wallace family served as a secretary to Mary Wallace, stating that: "...Isam Wallace worked for me in 1857 and 1858, that he was then a weakly man, being badly troubled with an inward disease which produced faintness and palpitation, that from that time to his death, he grew weaker; towards the latter part of his life, was an almost fleshless skeleton.... I never knew him to have any other means of support, that by his labor on his little place and for his neighbors.....Stephen was an unmarried man. Their other sons being older, who enlisted in same company, were married [but] all of whom died in the service... Isam...and Mary Wallace acknowledged having received money from Stephen, by letter while in the service. His brothers being dead, all known positive evidence is gone....Isam Wallace at the time of his death, left very limited means for the support of his widow who is now reduced to almost abject want and charity... Mary Wallace, being old, feeble, and unable to write, I do her writing and my P O address is Excelsior, Richland Cty., State of Wisconsin." s/by Laverns M. Thorpe [1]
A summary of information pertaining to Claim 263,254 and certificate #190916, states: "Mary Wallace, mother of Stephen Wallace who was a private.....is entitled to a pension at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence Aug. 21, 1863 [date after soldier's death]. "...Attorney Fitzgerald...fee of ten dollars....P.of A. having filed April 13, 1880, agent not to pay. "Approved January 20, 1880" [1]
A Brief for No. 190.916, was placed in the file of Parent's claim #263,254 for the mother of Stephen Wallace, submitted for final action January 18, 1887; it states that Mary Wallace, mother of Stephen Wallace, private in Co. B, 25th Wisc. Volunteers, was to be paid $8.00/month commencing 21 Aug, 1863 and payable at the Milwaukee Agency. [1] Therefor Mary was entitled to receive this eight dollars/month, until her death.
On March 31, 1884, a [Pensioner Dropped] notice was sent from Milwaukee, WI to the Commissioner of Pensions, stating: "I hereby report that the name of Mary Wallace [mother of Stephen Wallace] was a pensioner on the rolls of this Agency, under Certificate No. 190916 and who was last paid at $8.00 to 4 December, 1880 has been dropped because of unclaimed (?) three [3] years." [Mary had died 3 Feb., 1881] [1]
[End of Pension Papers information]
7-3-4
Mary was buried in the Tavera Cemetery, per [2] which states ".....There are marble slab markers in the Tavera Cemetery for Grandma's [ Margaret Wallace] parents but the names and dates are so dull I don't know if one could read them. Sometime when I am down there I will try and get them for you."
References: [1] U S Government Pension Papers for Mary Wallace [1806-1881] which display family information.
[2] A family letter from Chancie Vance [s/o Hiram Edwin Vance] to cousin Clifford Vance, from Blue River, WI and dated 24 February, 1973, concerning Vance family ancestry.
[3] In April, 2002, Loretta Mattson ["goldie@ptialaska.net"] advised of the ancestry of Mary Jones Wallace
7-3-5 3002325
More About Mary (Polly) Jones: Burial: Tavera, Richland, WI.
More About Mary (Polly) Jones and Isam Wallace: Marriage: 29 September 1822, Surry, NC, USA.
Children of Mary (Polly) Jones and Isam Wallace are:
+Margaret Wallace, b. 19 January 1824, Randolph, IN, USA, d. 16 December 1894, Aken Twp, Richland, WI, USA.
Mary (Polly) Jones (b. 1806, d. 03 February 1881)
Notes for Mary (Polly) Jones: