Mary M. Young, married to Edward Hilyard? then to Isaac Brittson; and then to James Madden

Mary M. (Young) Hilyard Brittson Madden

From my research outside this source, Mary was born Mary M. Young, to parents, Johnson M. Young and Sarah A. Imbody. She was born in Ohio (probably Lucas County). Mary had these siblings: Samantha, Lydia, Cyrus, Nancy, James, Emma Alice, and William Young (probably William Allie Young).

Mary's first known relationship was with the elusive Edward Hilliard, and is thought to be a common-law relationship, possibly adulterous. (He was probably married to someone else). Mary had at least two children by Edward Hilliard: Franklin Hilliard, born 1878; and Sadie Helen Hilyard, born 1881. (The surname spelling varies in different documents.)

In 1882, Mary married a much older man, Isaac Brittsan, in Adams, Indiana. (Her name on the marriage register is listed twice: once as Mary M. Young, and once as Mary M. Hilyard.) She had three children by Isaac: James, born 1883; Mary Catherine, born 1885; and Bessie May, born 1887. These three children have the Brittson surname, which is helpful in identifying Mary in later census listings.

Isaac Brittson died in 1892. Mary then married or took the name of James Madden. She appears in census in 1900 as Mary Madden, with offspring, Edward T. Hilliard; and the three Brittson children, James, Mary Catherine, and Bessie Mae Brittson.

Mary's daughter, Sadie Helen Hilyard, married Charles Furrer. Later, in Charles' household, James Brittson is found, as the brother-in-law--once again helping cement the identification of Mary's children.

Mary Madden died in 1924 in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio. This is an extract of her death record. (This copy was from an image of the county register, and did not have a state file number):

Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001, (typed register) page 50. Lucas County Reg. Dist. 769. Primary Reg. Dist. no. 8349. Registered no. 3048. State File no. ----. Full Name: Mary Madden, aged 71 years, 3 months; widowed white female, deceased; resided at 1312 Nevada, (Toledo, Lucas, Ohio). Occupation: housewife. Birth: 25 July 1853, Cairo Ill. Death: 25 Oct 1924, St Vincent's Hosp, Toledo, Lucas, Ohio. Cause: Diabetes mellitus (2 yrs); pneumonia, 1 day (contrib.) Signed: Walter W Randolph, M.D. Name of spouse: James. Name of Father and Mother: unknown. Informant: Edward Hilyard, of 627 Church st. (presumably in Toledo). Burial: 28 Oct. 1924, Memorial Park. Undertaker: H H Birkenkamp, 1003 Broadway. [Extract by D.K. Pritchett, Family Search contributor.]

Places associated with this family: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri. (One descendant marriage had a Tennessee connection).

William Headrick - Deed for Gibson's Chapel, Murray County, Georgia (Headrick/Hilliard)

William Headrick and Gibson's Chapel

Murray Co., Ga.

Murray County, Georgia, Deed Book N, page 185:

Spring Place, Ga. May 23rd 1870.

Received of William Headrick five dollars for an interest in a piece of land in the 10th District of the 3 Section for a place to erect a church house, known as the Gibson Chapel.

Signed in behalf of the M.E. Church South.

Robert McCamy agent,
Recorded and certified for Sept 11th 1877 (date on my copy nearly illegible, could be different)
Signed by the clerk, ? N. Bramblett
———————
Cross-reference no. 1: Murray County Heritage, p. 312: “In 1855 George Gibson gave land for a Methodist Episcopal church located in land lot 91 (10th District, 3rd Section). Trustees for the church were James Julian, William Headrick, Peter Brakebill, Abasalom Ledford, and Johnathan Lusalor. This is believed to be the church known as Gibson’s Chapel where school was held in 1880.”

Cross-reference no. 2: Land lot 91, 10th District, 3rd section, Murray County, Georgia, is dispensed with in Deed Book 32, pp. 15-21, as it is conveyed by various Headrick/Hilliard heirs of James Headrick, dec’d, unto Lester Headrick.

Note: I’ve tried to trace the William Headrick above, but can’t be completely sure. My speculation is that he might be the brother of James Headrick (who married Minerva Stephenson). I have very little information on that William, but he was born about 1837-1838 and would be old enough to handle this land transaction of 1870. His brother, John B. Headrick, lived in Spring Place at one time, and had a granddaughter who married a Hilliard: John B. Headrick’s son, James Headrick, was the father of Lillie Bell Headrick, who married Amos W. Hilliard. This could be the Hilliard connection from the deed. However, I haven’t researched far enough to rule out some other Hilliard-Headrick connection, and I can’t find much information on John B. Headrick’s brother, William.

There is another William Headrick of the appropriate age in Murray County, but his land is in northern Murray, not Spring Place, and he has no close connections to the Hilliard family, as far as I know.

[Note: Lillie Bell Headrick’s mother, Sarah Dunn, is also descended from a Headrick.]

Previously published on my Family Tree Documents blog on Tumblr.