I cannot remember exactly how Mary Clara first appeared in my research. There was a big mystery when I found an obituary for Franklin Martin's wife.
It should have said Sarah Ginter (our great grandmother) who had died, but the name listed was Caroline Smith. After much 'sluthing' I wrote to our cousin, Sylvia Noel. She cleared it up quickly, she had also found the obituary, and had asked her mother about it. Her mother said it was a mistake, and the proper name of Sarah Ginter was printed later in a corrected version of the obituary.
I learned that Caroline Smith was Franklin Martin's first wife, and had died at an early age. Franklin is our great-grandfather. She was the mother of Franklin's first child, Sarah "Sallie" Martin.
I was browsing in the John Timon Riley books one afternoon and I discovered Caroline's name in the baptism records. She was, however, listed as a parent with another man who had baptised a baby named Mary Clara.. I wondered if this was a mistake and began to investigate.
So this is the story, pieced together from those Conewago Chapel Baptism, Burial, and Marriage records. My only regret is that the books cannot talk!
Our "Other" Mary
1846-Caroline Smith is married to Bartholomew Sulliavan, on September 8th, in the Conewago Chapel. This is the first spelling of the name. It later changes to Sullivan.
1847, on August 12, they had a daughter. They named her Mary Clara, and she was baptized August 15, 1847 at Conewago Chapel. Caroline and Bartholomew must have been friends with Franklin Martin, as Franklin was a sponsor for Mary Clara, along with Johanna Sullivan, perhaps Bartholomew's sister or his mother (see below). Franklin Martin is 16
1847-- Mary Clara is born
1848-- Mary Clara's father, Bartholomew Sulliavan dies. Caroline is widowed.
Bartholomew is buried at Conewago Cemetery next to his mother, Johanna. A note in "Conewago Trivia" says Johanna came to this country as a widow, with two children. It also says they lived with the John Lilly family, probably relatives, around 1840. Perhaps a brother? The Lilly family owned slaves, per trivia book, so they must have been well off.
1848--Mary Clara is 11 months old
1854--Caroline Smith Sullivan re-marries
Six years after the death of Bartholomew, Caroline marries Franklin J. Martin, b.1831, who is 23, on January 29, 1854, at Conewago Chapel, per Marriage Book, John Timmons Riley Records.
1854--Mary Clara Sulliavan is 6 1/2 years old when Caroline and Franklin marry.
1854, Sarah Jane Catherine Martin is born, December 21st, first child of Franklin and Caroline Martin, half sister to Mary Clara.
1854--December, Mary Clara is 7
Sarah Jane "Sallie" is born
Franklin is 24 (your great grandfather)
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| Caroline Smith Martin-Conewago Cemetery |
She s buried in the Conewago Chapel Cemetery, not very far from Anthony Martin. She and Franklin Martin, have been married a little less than 5 years.
1858-- Mary Clara is 11
Sarah Jane "Sallie" is 4
Franklin Martin is now a widower, age 28, with two children, one his Godchild, Mary Clara Sulliavan, perhaps now called Mary Clara Martin
1861--Three years after Caroline is buried, Franklin Martin marries Sarah Ginter, January 10, 1861. This is the Great Grandmother of James Martin and his brothers and sisters. He is 31, Sarah is 22
1861--Mary Clara is 14
Sallie is 7
1869, on April 23, 8 years after they married, Franklin and Sarah have their first child. They name him Anthony Jacob. Anthony for Franklin's brother, Anthony M. Martin who was killed at the Battle of Monocacy, and Jacob, for Franklin's father. Of course I am assuming here! He is baptized at Conewago Chapel. Sarah is 30, Franklin is 38
1869 Anthony Jacob, "AJ" is born
Mary Clara is 22
Sallie is 14
1870--on November 20, Mary Clara Sullavin dies. She is buried at Conewago Cemetery.
1870--Mary Clara is 23 at her death
Sarah, "Sallie" is 15
AJ is 1 1/2
I could not find any records indicating Mary Clara was ever married. How little we know of this young lady who was a part of Franklin and Sarah Martin's life before any of "us" became one of his descendants. I did not look into death certificates so I don't know anything about her death. Perhaps she was not married by 23 because she was 'sickly' or had some physical limitation?
This is almost the last of our story of Mary Clara Sulliavan (perhaps Martin), but there's more.
1870, March 11th 8 months before Mary Clara's death, Franklin Martin and Sarah Ginter
Martin had a baby girl. They named her Mary Elizabeth Martin
Martin had a baby girl. They named her Mary Elizabeth Martin
1870-- November, Mary Clara is 23, and dies
Sarah Jane "Sallie" Martin is 15
AJ is 1 1/2
Mary Elizabeth Martin is born in March
So their family once again is blessed by the gift of a daughter, another Mary, named for her sister, who they may have known was going to die soon. Sarah is 31, Franklin 39
1876, November 23, Francis Lewis Martin is born. This will be Jim's Grandfather.
1879,, June 26, another daughter is born. Franklin is 47, Sarah 39
1879- Clara Johanna Martin is born, Another child named for our Mary Clara?
We can imagine whatever we like about the origin of the names. I thinks it's for the little girl who lost both parents so early, and who we only met "between the lines" of the Conewago Chapel history volumes, our "Other Mary".
Today, we have more Marys in our family, Mary Martin Menges, Great Grand daughter of Franklin and Sarah, and a great great grand daughter, Mary Helen Riggs Santana, perhaps we will have more, named for our most Blessed Mother and our other Mary.
We also have another Clara, Clara Martin Riggs, Great Granddaughter of Franklin and Sarah, who named her first daughter Mary although she says she never heard of "Our Other Mary".
This letter is to remind us of "Our Other Mary", the little girl Franklin brought into our family, and who had to leave too soon. I hope we remain the 'adopted' family who love her.
By Sharon Martin
June, 2008
Most all facts and dates are from the Conewago Chapel Marriage Records, 1796-1883, and the Conewago Chapel Adams County Pa, Baptism Records, 1790-1890, addendum 1890-1900, produced by the John Timon Riley Society, Mc Sherrystown, Pennsylvania. JTR began the task of translating from original texts into English, all of the Conewago church records. They were available for sale by this society, and may still be available. Not expensive, they tell many stories, and of interest to any of the area families. We use them often. I think there are 4 or 5 books/collections of records.
Also, sorry, ages may vary a bit, I didn't use a calculator.
