Mary (Casiah) Presley (abt. 1768 - 1844)

Born about 1768 in Mecklenburg, North Carolina

Ancestors

Wife of Charles (Presley) Priestley — married 2 Mar 1783 (to about 1835) in Rowan Co NC

Died 26 Dec 1844 at about age 76 in Bledsoe, Tennessee, United States

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Polly (Casiah) Presley is a member of the Keziah Name Study Project.

Biography of Mary "Polly" Casiah Priestley

EVENTS

Birth Estimated from marriage, census, and court records to have occurred about 1768 in Mecklenburg County North Carolina. Daughter of Dunning Casiah and Margaret "Maysie" Casiah

Her father's military records allow us to place her family in Mecklenburg County at the time when she was born.

^[1] A Company of Militia Commanded by Capt. Adam Alexander, Esq.
Officers: Lieut Charles Polk, Ensign Jas. Harris; Sergt. Thos. Macfaddon, Sergt William Blair, Sergt. Jno. Foard; Corporals Jno. Calberson
Foot Soldiers: List included:
Sandiver Cashia, Dunning Cashia, Wilm Wynchaster, Thomas Wynchaster, Frances Nowel, William Nowel, John Nowel (Newells)

[Note] 'Sandiver' (Sandifer) was Dunning's brother, William Winchester was his sister Sarah's husband, Thomas was William's father.

Marriage Charles Priestley 2 March 1783 in Rowan Co NC
Birth of 1st child John b 1785
Birth of 2nd child Nancy b say 1787
Birth of 3rd child Betsey b say 1791
Residence 1795 , Kershaw County SC, Charles Priestley served on petit jury.
Birth of 4th child William b 1796
Birth of 5th child Patsey b 1798
Residence 1800 Census, Kershaw District, South Carolina
Birth of 6th child Charles b 1800
Birth of 7th child Kesiah b say 1802
Birth of 8th child David b say 1805
Residence 1835 Morgan County TN
Death of Husband 1835 Bledsoe County TN
Residence 22 March 1844 Bledsoe County TN
Death After March 1844

Records and Sources

^[2]

The Minutes of the Kershaw County Court reveal that Charles Prestley served on a petit jury in 1795.

^[3]
Charles and Polly Priestley had eight children:
John b 1785; living in Bledsoe Co in 1840
Nancy
Elizabeth "Betsey"
Martha "Patsey"
William b 1796; living in Bledsoe County in 1840
Charles
Kesiah
David

^[4]
HOH Charles Presley
two FWM 0-10 - [William b 1796 and Charles b 1800]
one FWM 10-16 - [John b 1785]
one FWM over 45 - [Charles]
two FWF 0-10 - [guessing on the girls' birth order Betsey and Patsey] - 1790-1800
one FWF 10-16 - [Nancy]
one FWF 26-45 - Polly

This leaves daughter Kesiah and son David born after 1800, say by 1805

Charles and Polly's son Charles Presley Jr. is found on the 1830 Monroe Co TN census where his age is listed as between 30-39 years. By comparing the ages on the 1800 and 1830 census we can determine he was born in 1800.

^[5]
Name: Charles Priestly
Pension Enrollment Date: 4 Mar 1831
Rank: Private; Service: S.Carolina Line
Birth Year: act 1744; Age: 87
Residence: Morgan, Tennessee
See image

Charles died in 1835 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.

Charles Priestley's wife Polly aged 90 years, came before the Bledsoe County Court and swore she was the widow of Charles Priestly and applied for the widow's benefits recently granted to widows of soldiers who fought in the Revolution; see images of her affidavit.

Polly died after 22 March 1844. She said she was 90 years of age when she came before the court to apply for her widow's pension, but census records indicate otherwise. In 1800 she was between 26-45, i.e. born between 1755 and 1774.

She married in 1783, so we can assume she was at least 13 years old at the time of her marriage, so she could not have been born later than 1770, probably closer to 1768. This probably wasn't a deliberate fabrication, people were not so cognizant of time as we are, and many did not even know their birthdates.

^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Colonial Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774; Murtie June Clark,© 1983 Genealogical Pub. Co. Baltimore MD, ISBN 0-8063-1036-7
2. ↑ Marriage Records of North Carolina
   Polly KEZIAH "of Kershaw Co. SC" m Charles Priestley 2 March 1783 in Rowan Co NC. He s/o Andrew a blacksmith from Cecile Co MD.
3. ↑ Source: The Sons of Andrew Presley Jr. compiled by Ed Dunn
4. ↑ 1800 Census: Kershaw District, South Carolina Series: M32; Roll: 49; Page: 151; Image: 49; Family History Library Film: 181424
5. ↑ United States Senate.The Pension Roll of 1835
   4 vols. 1968 Reprint, with index.
   Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1992.
6. ↑ Fact: Military Service (04 Mar 1836) Knoxville, Knox, Tennessee, United States

"Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 25 June 2018, 02:27), entry for MARY POLLY CASIAH (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LKYP-C8X); contributed by various users.