Mary (Chamberlain) German (abt. 1800 - 1878)

Born about 1800 in New York [uncertain]

Wife of Zachariah German — married before 1831 (to before 30 Jun 1855) in Prattsville, Greene, NY [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 11 Feb 1878 at about age 78 in Athens, Nebraska

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Douglas German [send private message]

Biography

Mary (Polly) Chamberlain German c.1801 - 1878 Mary (Polly) Chamberlain German was born c. 1801 in Greene County, NY and died on February 11, 1878 in Athens, Nebraska at the age of 77. She was the first wife of Zachariah German. Zachariah and Polly's children who lived to adulthood were Mary Jane (born c.1831), Samuel (born June 15, 1834), Pratt (born c.1836) and Abel (born May 2, 1839).

In February 1855 Zachariah and Polly jointly sold all of their land in Roxbury Township. The 1855 census of Prattsville, Greene County, dated June 15, shows Polly living with Willson and Mary Howard, her daughter and son-in-law. This census indicates that Polly had been living there for three months. Zachariah and his sons do not appear in the 1855 census in either Greene or Delaware counties.

In January 1856 Polly German purchased a house and land in her own name in the village of Prattsville.

In December 1856 Zachariah bought 51 acres of land in Ogle County, Illinois; Zachariah and Polly sold the same on September 23, 1857 to their sons Samuel and Pratt acting as trustees for Polly German. Samuel and Pratt issued a mortgage for $600 that same day to William Garrett, payable in three installments of $100, $200 and $300. Probably the boys were Trustees for Polly because the installments were not scheduled to be completed until 1858. Samuel and Pratt sued the buyer on September 8, 1858 for $500 for trespass, apparently forcing payment of the final two installments, because they released the mortgage in October. Zachariah and Polly also sold 2 1/2 acres of land in Carroll County, Illinois on September 23, 1857. These records are in the courthouses at Oregon, Illinois and Carroll, Illinois. It seems that Zachariah and his sons moved to Illinois after the sale of Lots 7 and 20 in February 1855, before the 1855 census was taken. Polly was also in Illinois in September 23, 1857 for the land sales, even though she bought a house in Prattsville in 1856. We do not know whether or where Zachariah and Polly were divorced, but it seems that Polly's last in-person involvement occurred on September 23, 1857. By 1858 it appears that Polly was no longer in Illinois as the final Illinois land transactions by her sons were done on her behalf.

Polly's daughter Mary Jane German married Willson Howard before the 1855 census; they were living next to Polly in Prattsville at the time of the 1860 census.

By 1865 Mary Jane was a widow and living with Polly. Polly's son Abel was also listed there in 1865, because he was in the Army.

This census also shows Polly as a widow, although her (ex?) husband Zachariah was living in Missouri.

In June and August 1874, Polly wrote these letters to her son, Samuel:

"Wallace" is almost certainly Wallace McDaniels. The McDaniels lived near her in Prattsville, and Wallace McDaniels appears in the 1880 census with Samuel in Nebraska. (Ancestry.com mistranscribes his name as "Nathan" in the 1880 census.)

"Aunt Betsey" probably refers to Wallace's mother, who may be Polly's sister, evidenced by a Jane Chamberlain (Polly's maiden name) living in the McDaniel home in the 1850 census for Prattsville.

In 1874 Polly, Wallace McDaniels (and possibly her granddaughters by Mary Jane, Hattie and Mary Etta) moved to Richardson County, NE where her son Samuel German was living. Samuel had changed his surname to Germain.

On March 2, 1878 the Catskill, NY Examiner published this death notice: "In Athens, Neb., Feb. 11, Mrs. Polly German, formerly of Prattsville, aged 77".

1867 map of Prattsville, NY. Mrs. P German appears two dwellings to the right of L. H. Howard, on the north side of Washington St.

A Mrs. J German was living two houses to the left of the Howard's; this is certainly Jane German, Isaac F German's widow.

The pink triangular insert shows the portion of Greene County that is actually located on the west side of Scoharie Creek, bordered by Delaware and Lexington Counties. E. Soule appears here. He married Issac F German's daughter, Rachel. This is very close to the land owned in Delaware County by Issac, Ezekiel and Zachariah German during the 1830's - 1850's.

A marriage notice published in the Windam Journal of March 2, 1865 says that on February 25, 1865, Jane Chamberlin of Prattsville married a Wesley Cooke at the house of C. McDaniels. We suspect that Jane Chamberlin was Polly's niece, that Mrs. Betsey McDaniels was Polly's sister and Jane's mother as well as the "Aunt Betsey" referred to in Polly's 1874 letter to Samuel, and that Charles and Betsey's son Wallace McDaniels is the "Wallace" referred to in the same letter. See the McDaniel listing in the 1865 census above.

Name

Name: Mary (Polly) /Chamberlain/^[1][2][3][4]

Birth

Birth:

Date: abt 1800

Place: New York or Vermont^[5][6][7][8]

Residence

Residence: Relation to Head of House: Mother In Law

Date: 1855

Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York, USA^[9]

Residence:

Date: 1860

Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York, United States^[10]

Residence: Age: 70Census Post Office: Prattsville

Date: 1870

Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York, United States^[11]

Residence: Age: 49

Date: 1850

Place: Roxbury, Delaware, New York^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S-178697520 Page: Year: 1850; Census Place: Roxbury, Delaware, New York; Roll: M432_495; Page: 410A; Image: 379 APID: 1,8054::12529630
2. ↑ Source: #S-177959744 Page: Year: 1870; Census Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York; Roll: M593_940; Page: 387A; Image: 779; Family History Library Film: 552439 APID: 1,7163::28147357
3. ↑ Source: #S-177934279 APID: 1,7181::1654441055
4. ↑ Source: #S-178697526 Page: Year: 1860; Census Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York; Roll: M653_758; Page: 934; Image: 624; Family History Library Film: 803758 APID: 1,7667::49311080
5. ↑ Source: #S-178697520 Page: Year: 1850; Census Place: Roxbury, Delaware, New York; Roll: M432_495; Page: 410A; Image: 379 APID: 1,8054::12529630
6. ↑ Source: #S-177959744 Page: Year: 1870; Census Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York; Roll: M593_940; Page: 387A; Image: 779; Family History Library Film: 552439 APID: 1,7163::28147357
7. ↑ Source: #S-177934279 APID: 1,7181::1654441055
8. ↑ Source: #S-178697526 Page: Year: 1860; Census Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York; Roll: M653_758; Page: 934; Image: 624; Family History Library Film: 803758 APID: 1,7667::49311080
9. ↑ Source: #S-177934279 APID: 1,7181::1654441055
10. ↑ Source: #S-178697526 Page: Year: 1860; Census Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York; Roll: M653_758; Page: 934; Image: 624; Family History Library Film: 803758 APID: 1,7667::49311080
11. ↑ Source: #S-177959744 Page: Year: 1870; Census Place: Prattsville, Greene, New York; Roll: M593_940; Page: 387A; Image: 779; Family History Library Film: 552439 APID: 1,7163::28147357
12. ↑ Source: #S-178697520 Page: Year: 1850; Census Place: Roxbury, Delaware, New York; Roll: M432_495; Page: 410A; Image: 379 APID: 1,8054::12529630

• Source: S-177934279 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: New York, State Census, 1855 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. APID: 1,7181::0
• Repository: R-797502548 Name: Ancestry.com
• Source: S-177959744 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: 1870 United States Federal Census Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Record Note:
• Source: S-178697520 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: 1850 United States Federal Census Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. APID: 1,8054::0
• Source: S-178697526 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: 1860 United States Federal Census Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. APID: 1,7667::0