Margaret (Knowles) Carey (1844 - 1917)

Born 1844 in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas

Ancestors

Wife of William H Carey Sr. — married about 1865 in Bahamas

Descendants

Died 21 May 1917 at about age 73 in Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carolyn Martin [send private message]

Biography

Margaret (Knowles) Carey is part of a Bahamian family.

Margaret (Knowles) Carey is buried in Key West Cemetery.

Margaret was born about 1844 in the Bahamas. Margaret Knowles is the daughter of Thomas Knowles and Mary Thompson as stated on her death certificate.^[1]

She married William H Carey in the Bahamas around 1865 (based on the 1910 census which states they had been married 45 years, and the Dolly Mae records)^[2], and had at least five children there before immigrating to Key West, Florida, sometime after 1874 (her obituary states the year as 1876). The Dolly Mae records lists the following children:

• Carey, Emma Jane, b. 16 Aug 1867, Rock Sound, Eleuthera Bahamas
• Carey, Mary Ida, b. 16 Feb 1869, Rock Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas
• Carey, William Nelson, b. 18 Jan 1871, Rock Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas
• Carey, Gertrude, b. 16 Oct 1872, Rock Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas
• Carey, Mr., b. 13 Dec 1874, Rock Sound, Eleuthera Bahamas

Birth records indicate the following children:

• Emma Jane, 1867^[3]
• Mary Ida, 1869^[4]
• Gertrude, 1872^[5]
• William, 1874^[6]

By 1880, the family was living in Key West, Monroe County, Florida, on Grinnell Street. Margaret was a housewife and her husband worked as a seaman.^[7]

They had one more daughter, Nettie, who was born in Key West in 1881.

The family was still living on Grinnell Street in Key West in 1885. Margaret and her two teenage daughters were working as tobacco strippers (for the cigar industry). Her husband and son were seamen.^[8]

In 1910, the census lists W H Carey and wife, Margaret, living on Newton Street in Key West. The census taker obviously was mistaken where he drew the line between Angela and Newton, as the house number is clearly their home on Angela Street.^[9] The census indicates they had been married 45 years, and had 7 children of whom only 5 were living.^[10]

A newspaper article appeared in the Miami News (Miami, Florida), 29 Jul 1913, Tue, Page 3, entitled "Heirs of William Carey sold acreage to E F Holmes for $1000," stating that: "Margaret Carey, Gertrude Higgs, Emma Albury, Ida Lones, Nettie Boll, and William H Carey, sole heirs of William H Carey, of Monroe County, Florida, to E. F. Holmes for a consideration of $1000: lot 1 of section 35, and lots 3 and 4 of section 36, township 57, south of range 41 east and containing 129.13 acres." This land apparently is on Elliott Key, which is now part of Biscayne National Park, and otherwise uninhabited.^[11]

A newspaper article on 23 Oct 1906 in The Miami Evening Record, which recounts the harrowing events of a tidal wave,^[12] stated that a "William Carey of the schooner Marcab, who with his family, lived on Elliott's Key remained in the house until it was overturned. His schooner had gone, but a small boat being near the house, he loaded his family, consisting of his wife and five children into it and made his way to the mangrove trees on the mainland. They were all saved and arrived in the city this morning little worse for their experience...Every plantation on Elliott's Key is devastated and it is doubtful if there is any attempt made to restore them." I wonder if this is the same William Carey as mentioned in the land deal and was the deceased husband of Margaret?

Apparently the family was associated with Elliott Key as William and Margaret's grandchildren, Roland and Flossie Albury, attended school there in 1896!^[13]

Margaret passed away in 1917.^[14] Her son-in-law, Davis Albury, was the informant on her death certificate. Her DOB was not given, but her age was estimated at 73 at the time of death.^[15]

When she passed away, she was buried in the Key West Cemetery, Key West, Florida.^[16][17] The funeral record indicates the cause of death was "Mitral Decompensation," her occupation was housewife, and religion was Methodist. She had an expensive casket for the times ($125.00) and 12 carriages for the procession.^[18][19]

Margaret and William were listed in the death records of their children:

• Emma Jane Albury, 01 May 1921^[20]
• Nettie Boll, 19 May 1938^[21]

Sources

1. ↑ Copy of Death certificate, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Florida, in possession of great great granddaughter, Carolyn Martin
2. ↑ The Wyannie Malone Hope Town Museum, Dolly Mae Genealogy Records Online Database (Internet site), at www.genealogy.hopetownmuseum.com[1]
3. ↑ "Caribbean Births and Baptisms, 1590-1928," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLLW-GXP : 29 December 2014), Margaret Knowles Carey in entry for Emma Jane Carey, 16 Aug 1867; citing Eleuthera, Bahamas, reference ; FHL microfilm 222,939.
4. ↑ "Caribbean Births and Baptisms, 1590-1928," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLL7-W9Y : 29 December 2014), Margaret Knowles Carey in entry for Mary I. Carey, 10 Feb 1869; citing Eleuthera, Bahamas, reference ; FHL microfilm 222,940.
5. ↑ "Bahamas Births, 1850-1891," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLM1-1FG : 27 November 2014), Margaret Knowles Carey in entry for Carey, 09 Dec 1872; citing Rock Sound, Bahamas, reference p 118; FHL microfilm 222,941.
6. ↑ "Bahamas Births, 1850-1891," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FL93-SSM : 27 November 2014), Margaret Knowles Carey in entry for Carey, 13 Dec 1874; citing Rock Sound, Bahamas, reference 127; FHL microfilm 222,942.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNZ4-JSW : accessed 22 September 2015), Margaret Carey in household of William H Carey, Key West, Monroe, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district 116, sheet 270B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0131; FHL microfilm 1,254,131.
8. ↑ "Florida State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNJC-JG5 : accessed 22 September 2015), Margaret Carey in household of William Carey, 4, Monroe, Florida; citing p. 31, sheet letter C, number , line 14, NARA microfilm publication M845 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 888,970.
9. ↑ personal information from great great granddaughter, Carolyn Martin, who also lived in the home at one time as well as her parents and grandparents. This was the family home from the early 1900's and passed down through the family.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVKN-4W6 : accessed 22 May 2017), W H Carey, Key West Ward 4, Monroe, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 124, sheet 9B, family 224, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 165; FHL microfilm 1,374,178.
11. ↑ Elliott Key on Wikipedia(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Key)
12. ↑ (https://www.newspapers.com/image/615653111/?terms=William%20Carey&match=1)
13. ↑ The Sweeting Homestead on Elliott Key, p 32 (http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1996/96_1_02.pdf)
14. ↑ "Florida Deaths, 1877-1939," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPZY-DZZ : accessed 29 July 2015), Margaret Carey, 21 May 1917; citing Key West, Monroe, Florida, reference 6638; FHL microfilm 2,116,889.
15. ↑ Copy of Death Certificate, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Florida, in possession of great great granddaughter, Carolyn Martin
16. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial 51705223[[2]] ll&]]
17. ↑ Information recorded by Carolyn Martin from Grave site, Key West Cemetery, Key West, Florida on 4-8-2014
18. ↑ Information recorded by Carolyn Martin from Dean Lopez Funeral Home records, housed in the Monroe County Library archives room, Key West, Florida, on 8-12-2016
19. ↑ Obituary: "U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current"
    The Miami Herald; Publication Date: 23 May 1917; Publication Place: Miami, Florida, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/616200115/?article=cfa14bc4-add6-4f04-81af-2cea06712b7b&focus=0.051593218,0.5916158,0.20226218,0.6713528&xid=3355
    Ancestry Record 61843 #785663675 (accessed 20 February 2022)
    Name: Margaret Carey; Gender: Female; Death Age: 73; Birth Date: abt 1844; Birth Place: Bahamas; Residence Place: Key West; Death Date: Abt 1917; Death Place: 1320 Angela street; Obituary Date: 23 May 1917; Obituary Place: Miami, Florida, USA; Newspaper Title: The Miami Herald; Child: Davis Albury Ida Lone Jno T Iliggs W II Bolle Wm H Carey.
20. ↑ "Florida Deaths, 1877-1939," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPQH-P4M : 24 December 2014), Margaret Knowles in entry for Emma Jane Albury, 01 May 1921; citing Monroe, Florida, reference 5060; FHL microfilm 2,116,179.
21. ↑ "Florida Deaths, 1877-1939," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FP91-SM5 : 24 December 2014), Margaret Knowles in entry for Nettie Boll, 19 May 1938; citing Key West, Monroe, Florida, reference cn9369; FHL microfilm 2,115,036.

See also:

• Newspaper obituary - Date: Sunday, May 27, 1917 Paper: Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida) Page: 33, GenealogyBank.com
• Dean-Lopez Funeral Home paperwork for casket and funeral