Martha Ann Broyles (abt. 1816)

Born about 1816 in Tennessee

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Biography

Martha was probably born in White Co., Tenn. She is unplaced in the Broyles family. James Reuben Broyles, originally of White Co., is said to have had a first wife named Martha Geer. It has been considered that this Martha is Martha Geer but the following evidence suggests that it is unlikely.

Martha Broyles and children James and Vance are found in the census records in White Co., Tenn., living with the William Mason family from 1850 onward, to the point that son Vance ended up taking the name Mason. We would normally assume Martha is a widow, but the following indicates otherwise.

3 Feb 1840 - Elias Wilhite is charged in a bastardy case of fathering a male child upon Martha Ann Broyles and agrees to pay "the same by which law she would be entitled to". David Snodgrass and Jeremiah Wilhite provide bond.^[1]

The child was surely recently born and is therefore most probably her son James. Bastardy cases typically involve single women, not married women. The issue in cases like this is support for the child. A married woman who commits adultery generally does not have a support issue unless her husband leaves her. This leaves us with two interpretations: 1) Martha was married to James Reuben Broyles and he left her, 2) she was unmarried and had two children anyway and is in no way connected to James Reuben Broyles.

In the 1880 census this Martha is given as single (i.e. not married and not a widow) and she is listed as William Mason's niece. We conclude she had two children out of wedlock.

Sources

1. ↑ Various indexers, White Co., Tenn., Court Minutes, TNGenWeb.org, p352