Question of Mary Ann “Mittie” McLean Owens parents? (Mittie b. circa Aug 1829 in Wilcox County Alabama – d. 28 Apr 1907 in Monroe County, Alabama – m. Phillip Owens 15 Feb 1849 in Pineapple, Al.)
I fear and suspect that the parents I have entered for Mary Ann in my genealogy database and on this WikiTree website are incorrect. In 1994 a cousin Dennis Owens informed me, that Ms. Florance Bert Waters had much research accumulated on the Owens line (descendents of Phillip Owens Sr. & Martha Byrd). After checking with several people, I discovered that Ms. Waters had a very good reputation as a reliable and accurate genealogy researcher. Resulting from these positive endorsements, I purchased a copy of Ms. Waters research notes.
Within these notes, Jefferson Daniel McLean was listed as the father of Mary Ann. It is regrettable to admit that in the early 1990’s my skills and ability as a genealogist were evolving and the standards employed were not as critical as they became in the middle to later part of that decade. The information supporting Jefferson Daniel McLean as Mary Ann’s father was scant; its source was one less than conclusive US census report and the notes from Ms. Waters. Back then I accepted those notes as correct an accurate without proper verification. Almost all of the information contained in the Ms. Waters notes has been proven to be correct.
The exception is Mary Ann’s father. On Apr 24, 2014 one Ms. Gail Allred challenged my conclusion, stating that Mary Ann’s father was John McLean, the second husband of Elizabeth Jenkins Jones McLean. I am most grateful to Ms. Allred for this challenge. I have much respect of Ms. Allred reasoning and supporting evidence. Below is the reasoning she used in reaching her conclusions predicated mostly on Bible records accessed through her DAR affiliations:
Information contained in a May 19, 2014 email from Ms. Allred,
I found copies of Joseph Jenkins Bible. I have attached my transcription of it. Elizabeth Jenkins Jones McLean is listed as Elizabeth Jenkins, daughter of Joseph Jenkins. She was the second daughter they named Elizabeth being that the older sister had died. Elizabeth's death is listed as E. J. McLean in the Bible. She was first married to Joseph Jones and had children. She next married John McLean (listed in the Bible) and had children. She had a child named J. D. Brown (in the Bible and also listed with his mother on the 1850 Wilcox County, Alabama census - J. D. Brown abt 1822, Elizabeth McLean b. 1790 SC, Rachel McLean (should have been Jones - she is listed in the Bible as dying Feb 7, 1856) b. abt 1818 SC, Eliza McLean (should have been Jones) b. abt 1820 SC). J. D. Brown was born out of wed lock - source Baldwin Co., AL bastardly bond filed by John McLean against J. D. Brown's father for child support. 1860 Wilcox County, Alabama census finds E. J. McLane and E. C. Jones together - mother and daughter. You will find in the Bible, Elizabeth C. Owens b. June 27, 1850. Elizabeth Owens Blackwell's headstone listed her birth date as June 27, 1852. I think 1852 was in error - have found incorrect birth years often. Per her death certificate, her parents were Phillip Owens and Mary McLean. I did not see Mary McLean listed in the Bible, however, that's one section about four lines, that is very light and I couldn't read it. I believe that Elizabeth Owens Blackwell is the binding factor listed in Joseph Jenkins' Bible. Please note that on the 1830 Wilcox County, Alabama census you will find Joseph Jenkins and three entries down is John McLean. Per the Bible, Rachel Maria Jones and Hannah Green Jones are Elizabeth's children as is George Lewis McLean and James Duncan McLean.
I find Ms. Allred reasoning to be sound and responsible. Thus I am prepared to make the needed corrections, after one additional collaborating source evidence is obtained. I do believe that Ms. Allred is correct, but wish any form of verification before making the revisions. My attempts to obtain independent source information supporting her conclusions have been unsuccessful through this date. Any assistance will be most appreciated.
On June 4, 2014 I contacted Ms. Sherry S. Johnston in the genealogy department of Evergreen-Conecuh Co. Public Library. She has an Owens Family file. The info in that file supports Jefferson Daniel McLean as Mary Ann's father, I have not seen the file but it has been mailed. Bottom line is that this remains an open question and we are no closer to a conclusive resolution.
My note of June 20, 2014
On Friday June 20, 2014 I received a package sent through the US postal service from the Evergreen, Conecuh County Public Library in Alabama. I had ask the genealogist there, Ms. Sherry S. Johnston, to check her archives and see if she had any information that may help in resolving the issue as to the parents of Mary Ann McLean. Ms. Johnston is a kind person and sent some good information relevant to Owens Genealogy.
Included in this package were the notes of Ms. Helen Burt, which I had obtained a copy of years ago. But there was also a report generated by Windell Clifton Owens. Windell was a great grandson of Mary Ann and Phillip. Windell, an attorney in Monroeville had pursued his family genealogy for many years. This was my first time to see the information he had collected.
Windell’s report listed the parents of Mary Ann to be Danield McLean and Elizabeth St???. I show them to be Jefferson Daniel McLean and Elizabeth Stenner. This is but one independent validation that supports the conclusion of Mary Ann parents being Jefferson Daniel and Elizabeth. If his report had indicated that John McLean and Elizabeth Jenkins had been the parents of Mary Ann, I would have been prepared to make that revision. However with it validating my early finding, I consider this to be an open issue needing a conclusive settlement. Thus unresolved at this date.
