The
theme for this week is “Maiden Aunt” I did not find a maiden aunt
within my closer generations, so decided to write about an “aunt”
who escaped marriage, was married, was divorced and then remarried
during her 35 years of life in the mid -1800s.
My
2nd gt-grandaunt Priscilla was the daughter of Seth and
Lydia (Jewett) Hayes. She was the youngest of 8 children and was the
only one born in Indiana as her older siblings were born in Ohio. She
was born 5 Feb 1837. Apparently the family was not in Indiana for
long as by 1840 the family was listed on the census in Jefferson
County Iowa.
By
1850 her 5 oldest siblings were all married. But when her parents
decided to go to Oregon in 1853 all the family went together on a
wagon train where Nelson Davis was Captain. Nelson's wife was a
sister to 2 of Priscilla's brothers-in-law. So it really was a family
affair.
In
the Year Book of 1968 for the Jewett Family of America, a
granddaughter of Priscilla's sister Louisa related a story she had
heard about 16 year old Priscilla on that journey. When some friendly
Indians visited where the wagon train was camped, they had spread out
blankets and it seems that Priscilla picked one up and put it around
her shoulders and danced around. It was then they discovered their
Indian custom was that it meant she would be married to that Indian.
Apparently it took a fair amount of persuading to get the Indians to
leave and they continued to follow the train for several days. But
Priscilla did not have to marry the Indian and she arrived safely in
Oregon. But there was sadness on that trip, for one of Priscilla's
sisters delivered a baby girl while they were traveling in the Blue
Mountains and then died when they were going over Mt. Hood.
I
wonder if Priscilla was excited when her 22 year old sister Sybil was
married to Benjamin Windom in the fall of 1853. It was in the spring
of 1854 when Priscilla, at age 17, married Benjamin's brother, Drury
Douglas Windom. By the time of the 1860 census Priscilla and Douglas
and their 3 children (Alanson, James Henry and Polly Anna) were
living with her unmarried brother, Ebenezer, in the Peoria Precinct
of Linn County, Oregon. In about 5 more years, 3 more children were
born to this family: Emily, Jesse and Carrie.
But
things must have gone wrong somehow, because Priscilla filed for
divorce and 31 Oct 1868 the Circuit Court in Linn County granted her
a divorce with custody of the children. The next door neighbor in
1860, George M. Hill, was now a widower and he and Priscilla were
married on the 14th of Nov 1868. So when the 1870 census
was taken it included George and Priscilla; George's 3 daughters ages
12 – 17; Priscilla's 6 children ages 5 – 15; and their 1 year old
daughter Sarah.
It
was about a year and a half later. 2 Mar 1872, when Priscilla died at
age 35. Her infant daughter Lydia died almost a month later on 29
Mar 1872.
Congratulations on your 7th blogiversary! I wish you many more fun years of sharing family history.
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