A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for Maria Louisa Brents
Her first name is spelled Maria, Marie, and Mariah in various records. Her probate case file in Saline Co., MO, is filed under Marie L. Isbell, but in fact her name is spelled Maria in most places in the file. I have the following evidence that Maria was from the Brents family: A number of sources give John's wife's name as Miss Bunts, but a few say Mariah L. Brents. In an e-mail to me, Martin Sandidge mentioned that Micajah Sandidge (Maria's son) was listed with the Samuel W. Brents family in the 1850 census. That seems like strong backing for Brents rather than Bunts. (And note that Brents genealogies show Maria Louisa Brents, daughter of Joshua Brents, to have had a brother named Samuel W. Brents.) Furthermore, some Brents family trees (including "Brents, The Joshua Tree") list Maria or Marie Louisa Brents, with husbands Sandage, Chandler, and J. Isbel. The second one is off, but the other two agree with husbands listed in the cemetery record from Ridge Park Cemetery in Marshall, MO. There, she is listed as Maria L. Isbell, with spouses Jno. L. Sandidge, B. F. Whitsett, and James Isbell. In addition, "Brents, The Joshua Tree" says that Marie Louisa Brents married Sandage of Kentucky and moved to Missouri. The log of Ridge Park Cemetery says "Brents" in the column for parents, and Mary Sandidge Wilson's death certificate gives her mother's name as Maria L. Brent. Lastly, DNA testing (Family Tree DNA's Family Finder test) has shown a match at the 2nd to 4th cousin level between Michael Leonard Wilson (descended from John Wood Sandidge's daughter, Mary Wood Sandidge, who married Leonard Wilson) and two descendants of Samuel Worley Brents' daughter, Mary Elizabeth Brents, who married William Dickinson. This DNA match is strong evidence of the Sandidge-Brents link.
Questions about birth and death dates: The ones I am using come from the log of Ridge Park Cemetery: 16 Jul 1816 and 8 Jan 1906. However, the 1900 census lists her birth as Jul 1817 and the probate case file gives her death as Dec 1905. Which is right? Additional confirmation of the dates I am using comes from a death notice in the Marshall Republican, dated 12 Jan 1906 (obtained from http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/; note that the Monday before 12 Jan 1906 was 8 Jan 1906, and birth in 1816 would make her about 89 1/2 at her death.):
MRS. M. L. ISBELL
died at the home of Patrick Donahoe, on South Lafayette Monday at 4:40 p. m. of heart failure, at the advanced age of 89 years and 6 months, after a lingering illness. Her remains were intered in Ridge Park cemetery Wednesday afternoon, after services conducted by Rev. J. E. Abbott, her pastor.
Mrs. Isbell was a pioneer of Saline county, having come here before the war. She had been married three times, her first husband being Capt. Jack Sandidge, her second Maj. Whitsett and her last one, James Isbell. She is survived by three children.
Martin Sandidge listed her birth place as Hart Co., KY, but Hart Co. wasn't split off from Barren and Hardin Counties until 1819. The biography of her brother, Joshua M. Brents, implies that their father, Joshua Brents, lived in Green Co. until 1820, so she was probably born in Green Co., KY.
Additional information from Ridge Park Cemetery is that her cause of death was listed as "heart failure, senility".
Maria's will, from her probate case file (obtained from the Saline County probate clerk):
I, Maria L. Isbell of the City of Marshall, Saline County Missouri, do make and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other wills by me heretofore made.
Item One:- I will and desire all my just debts and funeral expenses paid as shortly after my death as practicable.
Item Two:- I will, give and devise unto my grandson, Micajah C. Sandidge, the following described real estate situate in Saline County Missouri, to wit:- Lot No. Eleven (11), in Block No. Four (4) of Breathitt and Sebree's Addition to the City of Marshall, the same being my home place, upon which I now reside. The said devise is made to my said grandson, independent of any other interest he may have in the balance of my property and estate.
Item Three:- I give, will and devise unto my grandson John Thomas Sandidge, the brother of my said grandson Micajah C. Sandidge, the sum of Two hundred dollars, before there is any distribution of the residue of my estate.
Item Four:- I will, give and bequeath unto my said grandson Micajah C. Sandidge, one bed, bed-stead and the necessary bedding and bed-clothes therefor; and also the necessary furniture, chairs, table &c for one room, all of which shall be selected by my executor hereinafter named, before a sale of my property and effects.
Item Five:- I will, desire, authorize, empower and direct my said executor to sell all other personal property, and all other real estate, either at public or private sale, and upon such terms, and at such times, as may be, in the opinion of my said executor, to the best interests of my estate, and convert all of said residue of my said property into money; and after the payment of all debts, expenses and bequests, I will and desire and so direct that my said executor distribute and dispose of the same as follows, to wit: One-fourth thereof to my daughter Rebecca E. Craddock; One-fourth thereof to my daughter Mary W. Wilson, wife of Leonard Wilson; One-fourth thereof to my son John T. Sandidge, and the remaining one fourth to the children of my deceased son Micajah C. Sandidge, including the children by his last wife as well as those by his first wife.
Item Sixth:- The portion left my daughter Rebecca E. Craddock, I will and desire that the same go to her, as her sole and separate property, free from any control of her husband, and should she die before my death, her said portion to go to her children.
Item Seventh:- Should any of the legatees or devisees, named herein, die, before my death, then their descendants, if any, shall take the portion of said legatee or devisee.
Item Eighth:- I nominate and appoint Dean D. Duggins of Marshall Missouri as executor of this my last will and testament.
Witness my hand and seal this 24th day of May 1897
(signed) M L Isbell
I infer from this will that only three of her children were still living in May 1897: Rebecca, Mary, and John. (She also stated in the 1900 census that she had had 11 children, of whom only three were still living at that time.) It also appears that none of her children besides those three and Micajah had children themselves -- and I don't know whether or not John had children. As of 13 Jan 1906, after Maria's death, apparently those three children were still living (also, the above death notice states that she had three surviving children at the time of her death). However, by the time of the final disposition of her estate on 14 Mar 1908, Rebecca had also died, so only Mary and John were still living.
A note about the will: Grandson Micajah was left her house and some of its furnishings. Maria and Micajah are both listed as boarders at the same address in the 1900 census. Not sure why they were boarding if she had a house; perhaps she bought it after 1900? He was also living with her in the 1880 census, when he was only 6. Perhaps she raised him after his mother died?
The division of Maria's estate on 14 Mar 1908 was as follows:
John S. Sandidge, son, 1/4
Mary or Mollie Wilson, daughter, 1/4
James Arch Craddock and Robert M. Craddock, grandsons, 1/4
John Thomas Sandidge, grandson, 1/24
Micajah C. Sandidge, grandson, 1/24
Ida Celeste Sandidge, granddaughter, 1/24
Louise Sandidge Champlin, granddaughter, 1/24
Sarah A. Sandidge, granddaughter, 1/24
Bessie M. Sandidge, granddaughter, 1/24
There is a note that Bessie was a minor. Note also that Sarah maybe should be without the "h" (she signed her name Sara). Another thing to note is that son John is listed as John T. in the will, but John S. in other documents. Lastly, note that the two Craddocks purchased the share of John S. Sandidge, Jacob VanDyke purchased the share of John Thomas Sandidge, and Leonard W. VanDyke purchased the share of Micajah C. Sandidge.
Also of interest is that the following places of residence were given for the heirs in a document dated 13 Jan 1906:
Denver, Col. - Mrs. Mollie Wilson
Saline Co., Mo. - Mrs. Rebecca Craddock, Micajah C. Sandidge [Jr.]
Texas - John S. Sandidge, Thomas Sandidge
Chicago, Cook Co., Ill. - Celeste Sandidge
Cook Co., Ill. - Sarah Sandidge, Bessie Sandidge
[unknown] - Louise Sandidge ________ (married)
Note, though, that the probate case file later contains a receipt dated 3 Jul 1906 by John Thomas Sandidge, writing from Indian Territory (Sulphur, I think). The estate inventory is listed as $28 personal and $9080 real. At the final disposition of the estate on 14 Mar 1908, a quarter share was worth $2083.38.
1850 census
Image 60 on Ancestry.com (Saline Co., MO)
Listed as Mariah Sandridge
1860 census
Images 1 and 2 on Ancestry.com (Black Water Twp., Saline Co., MO)
Listed as Mrs M L (?) Sandidge. Value of real estate listed as $21500, value of personal estate listed as $20500. Household consisted of Maria, Micajah (M C), Maria L. (L M), Rebecca (R E), Presly, John S., Mary, Jack, William, and H. G. Sandidge. Also listed as having 16 slaves in 2 slave houses (Ancestry.com Image 1, Black Water Twp. Slave Schedules, Saline Co., MO).
1870 census
Image 106 on Ancestry.com (Saline Co., MO)
Listed as M L. (?) Sandige. Value of real estate listed as $4000, value of personal estate listed as $200 (?). Household consisted of Maria, Presly, and John S. Sandidge.
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
Page generated on 14 September 2024