IGI marriage for Mary Ethington and John Chancey Jefferson FL.
Tombstone of John Chancy notes "1st Florida Cav".
The following book contains Prestwood family information:
Cain, Harper and Thompson
by D.E. Cain Sr.
published 1981Polly Ethington is found in the 1870 census of Coffee county Alabama as follows:
Page 26 fam 2
Johnson, Taylor 21 M W Farmer $80 $100 b. GA
Shiver, Catherine 38 F W Housekeeping
John 14 M W
Kate 12 F W
Serass 12 F W
Mary 9 F W
Ethington, Polly 30 F W At home
Peter 12 M W
Serass 10 F W
Victoria 7 F WThese two (3?) famililes are living in the same household.
Previous census
records show that Catherine was the widow of Jacob Shiver:(Coffee Co AL 1850)
Family # 117
Shiver, Jacob 35 M born SC
Shiver, Catherine 19 F born GA
Shiver, Milly 1 F born AL
Cooper, George 12 MFamily # 133
Presswood, Terry 50 M
Presswood, Gilley 32 F
...children...
Presswood, Mary 15 F(Coffee Co AL 1860)
Family # 1242
Shiver, Catherine 28 F Farming $1000 $1200 born GA
Shiver, Melia 11 F
Shiver, Samuel 10 M
Shiver, John 7 M
Shiver, Catherine F. 3 F
Shiver, Mary A.L. 3 F
Hooper, Joseph 18 MFamily # 1229
Presswood, Terry 60 M Farmer $2000 born GA
Presswood, Gilley 44 F
...children...
(Mary not found)Ethington, Joseph 20 M Laborer born GA
Ethington, Mary 19 F born AL
Ethington, Elmira 2 F born AL
Ethington, infant 2/12 M born ALFrom Marion and Virignia Sanders, we find the family of Jacob and Catherine Shiver as follows:
Jacob Shiver III married 2 Nov 1848 in Wilkinson Co GA to
Catherine M. Cooper (she born 19 Jan 1830).
Their children:
Permelean Shiver
Catherine Francis Shiver
Mary Salomy Shiver
Dorcus Emaline Shiver
Samuel Shiver
T. John ShiverBased on this information, we must assume that Polly Ethington is living with Catherine Cooper Shiver, and not her possible sister, Catherine Prestwood who had married a Shiver.
Polly Ethington may be the same person as Mary Presswood Ethington, wife of Joseph Ethington of Coffee County AL in the 1860 census, and also shown in the 1870 Holmes County FL census. The Coffee County census was taken 2 Jul 1870, while the Holmes County census was taken 3 Sep 1870. This is time enough for Mary/Polly to have traveled the 40 miles between the two counties and to have been counted in both places.
There are several instances of Ethington women using the names Mary and Polly interchangably. Polly/Mary Pines, wife of Joseph Ethington of Spottsylvania County Virginia in the late 1700's is one example.
Mary Prestwood's brother, Francis Marion Prestwood, was born in Holmes County Florida -- while the family was there on vacation per Marion Sanders in telcom Aug 1993.
A problem arises in trying to match the Mary Prestwood Ethington children found in the Holmes County census, with the Polly Ethington children in the Coffee County census. They are as follows:
(Coffee County 2 Jul 1870)
Ethington, Polly 30 F W born Alabama
Ethington, Peter 12 M W born Alabama
Ethington, Serass 10 F W born Alabama
Ethington, Victoria 7 F W born Alabama(Holmes County 5 Sep 1870)
Ethington, Joseph 28 M W born Georgia
Prestwood, Mary 30 F W born Georgia
Prestwood, Virginia 10 F W born Alabama
Prestwood, Elizabeth 8 F W born AlabmaaBased on this evidence, we cannot conclude that these two families are one and the same.
14 Aug 1993:
Telcom this day with Alvin Warner in NM, his work done in the 1950's shows Joseph Ethington married to Mary / Polly Prestwood with following children:1. Elmira born 1858
2. Peter born 1860
3. Sarah born 1862
4. Victoria born 1863Sources for this work are:
1. 1860 Census Coffee Co AL
2. 1870 Census Coffee CO AL
3. Terry Prestwood Probate RecordHe will detail the Probate Record reference for me tomorrow night.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- 13 Nov 1993:
It is now evident that Mary and Joseph Ethington were divorced sometime prior to September of 1876. On 18 Sep 1876 Mary is found marrying Mr. John Chancey in Jefferson County, Florida. The 1880 census, taken just 4 years later in Taylor County (adjacent) shows:Taylor County FL 1880 Federal Census 1st & 6th Election Pct
Chancey, John W M 62 Married Farmer
Mary W F 39 Married Wife
Melissa W F 22 Single dau
Peter W M 20 Single son
Williams, Queen A. W F 18 Divorced dau
Chancey, James W M 7 Single son
Jackson F. W M 4 Single son
Mary F. W F 2 Single dauWe see that the census taker has mistakenly identified Mary's children as "Chancey". This is the reason they have remained hidden for so long. Note also that the two younger children (Jackson and Mary F.) have been born since Mary's marriage to Chancey. It seems likely that at least the youngest is her child also.
The Florida census of 1885 again shows a John Chancy family. The entry is found on page (frame) 0605, and/or page 0638a for Taylor County. This reference has not yet been reviewed.
The Chancy's lived about 1 NW of the cemetery where they are buried (Lakebird FL).
9 May 1998
On this day I visited the Lake Bird Cemetery in Taylor County Florida in the company of Ruby Nell Johnson Collins, of Perry, Florida. Ruby Nell is the great granddaughter of Mary Prestwood, through her daughter Melissia Ethington.Mary Prestwood Ethington Chancey's grave is on the east side of the cemetery, about 30 feet from the east fence, and about 60 feet from the north fence. The stone shows the following:
Mary Chancy
Sept 24 1841 -- Mar 5 1893
In God we TrustMany of her Chancy family are buried in the same row, as well as many of her Ethington family through her daughter Melissia.
Ruby Nell took me to the site of the Chancy home, about 1 mile north of the cemetery on US 19, and then west about 1 mile at the end of the paved road. There is an intersection where the home used to stand, but nothing is left at this date.
Ruby Nell could remember many joyfull days at the home of both her grandmother Melissia, and her great-grandmother Mary Chancy.
e-mail from Ed Mason Feb 2003:
Did not research for several years. Just started again and got out package of material received from you in 1993. I'm not sure if you descend from Joseph Ethington who married Mary Prestwood in South Alabama or if you were helping others.
Thomas Prestwood Jr and his wife Elizabeth were in Spotsylvania Co in 1744. I notice that you place the source of Joseph Ethington in Spotsylvania. Please reply and let me know if you are interested in what I have recently uncovered concerning Thomas Prestwood Jr's wife Elizabeth's apparent family in Spotsylvania and a connection in documents with the Ethingtons.
Ed Mason
132 Garland Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404-374-7300
Sister to Jospeh Lee Ethington, per Irene Derooy Ethington telcom Nov 1993.
Deceased at date. Lived in Gratz KY.
Birth: Ky state mortality vol 56 cert 27697.
!Death: KY state mortality vol 38 cert 18598. Assumed the same person due to
middle initial, birth county and death county.