Mary Catherine (Hall) Dodrill (abt. 1841 - aft. 1910)

Born about 1841 in Randolph County, Virginia

Wife of Joseph G. Dodrill — married about 1861 (to before 1870) in Virginia

Descendants

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Biography

Mary Catherine Hall

Mary Catherine Hall appears to be the daughter of bookseller Henry G. Hall, and Jane Hall (maiden name unknown). There is some confusion in the census records due to the apparent presence in 1860 of two different Hall families with similar names in the same general area, and inconsistent ages recorded for the same families in different census years.

One family consists of a Henry and "Jennie" Hall, with daughters Mary C. and Elizabeth, listed in the 1860 census for Nicolas County^[1]. This Henry, a missionary baptist preacher, and his wife are reported the same age.

Meanwhile, "Jane" is reported as older than her husband Henry in both the 1860 and 1880 census. To add to the confusion, the 1870 census^[2] records Henry and Jane as the same age.

Jane's daughter Mary, in the 1860 census for Clay County, Virginia^[3], has a middle name written as either "R" or "K", not "C". It is assumed that it is a "K", indicating the census recorder took her name to be spelled "Katherine". However, it is listed as "C" in the 1880 census that also shows her sons Henry and Luther.

Some genealogists report the marriage of Joseph and Mary in 1861, but the marriage records have not been identified. Family history reports that Joseph was an abusive alcoholic, and that Mary Catherine left him after he abused James Henry. The family's house burned down, and some people believe it was Mary Catherine who set the fire before she left. The 1880 census^[4] shows Mary as single, not divorced, living at her parents' home in Calhoun County with her sons Henry and Luther Hall. The same census^[5] shows Joseph in Webster County with his wife Mary A. Dodrill and multiple children, the eldest 8 years old.

In 1910, a Mary C. Dodrill, widow, is living with James Henry^[6], while Joseph's known wife Mary A. Dodrill is living with her son Lawrence.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Year: 1860; Census Place: District of Nicholas, Nicholas, Virginia; Roll: M653_1365; Page: 986; Family History Library Film: 805365
2. ↑ Year: 1870; Census Place: Lincoln, Braxton, West Virginia; Roll: M593_1685; Page: 440B; Image: 144059; Family History Library Film: 553184
3. ↑ Year: 1860; Census Place: Clay, Virginia; Roll: M653_1340; Page: 72; Family History Library Film: 805340
4. ↑ Year: 1880; Census Place: Sherman, Calhoun, West Virginia; Roll: 1401; Family History Film: 1255401; Page: 234B; Enumeration District: 143
5. ↑ Year: 1880; Census Place: Fork Lick, Webster, West Virginia; Roll: 1415; Family History Film: 1255415; Page: 395C; Enumeration District: 150
6. ↑ Year: 1910; Census Place: Salt Lick, Braxton, West Virginia; Roll: T624_1677; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0015; FHL microfilm: 1375690
7. ↑ Year: 1910; Census Place: Lick Fork, Webster, West Virginia; Roll: T624_1698; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0155; FHL microfilm: 1375711