Mary Palmer (abt. 1788 - abt. 1844)

Born about 1788 in Martock, Somerset, England [uncertain]

Wife of James Vaux — married 13 Dec 1808 in Martock, Somerset, England

Descendants

Died about 1844 at about age 56 in Aurora, Erie, New York, United States

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Biography

Mary Palmer's birth date, birth place and parent's names are not known. She may have been born in Martock in Somerset. She was of South Petherton in 1808 when she married James Vaux in South Petherton in Somerset. If she was at least age 18 at marriage, then she probably was born between 1786 and 1790. She was age 40 on the May 1832 passenger list in New York, and age 40 to 49 in the 1840 U.S. census. An estimated birth date of 1790 is reasonable.

The marriage record of James Vaux and Mary Palmer in the South Petherton parish register says[2]:

No. 30 James Vaux of this Parish and Mary Palmer of the same Parish were Married in this Church by Banns this 13th Day of Dec'br in the Year One Thousand eight Hundred and eight By me Thomas Rob???? Vicar This marriage was solemnized by Us { James Vaux Mary Palmer In the Presence of { Hannah Squire { Wm Harding

Their first two children were baptized in the Martock parish church, which signals a possible Martock connection to Mary Palmer's family. They had ten children between 1810 and 1831, all born in Somerset[1].

Mary (Palmer) Vaux inherited her uncle John's entire estate (worth under L600), proved 14 June 1820[1]. Her son John and daughter Ann also received bequests.

The passenger list for the ship Cosmo that docked in New York City on 1 May 1832 included these names[3]:

• James Vous - age 42, male
• Mary Vous - age 40, female
• James Vous - age 20, male
• Saml Vous - age 16, male
• Josiah Vous - age 8, male
• William Vous - age 13, male
• George Vous - age 12, male
• Ernest Vous - age 1, male

These names match the known list of names of this family, although some of the children are missing.

After the death of James Vaux on 23 July 1839 in England, Mary (Palmer) Vaux petitioned the Erie County (New York) probate court for administration on the estate of James Vaux, since he died intestate[4].

"The petition of Mary Vaux showeth that she is the widow of James Vaux late of Aurora in said county deceased. That the said deceased died in England, while on a visit there, on 23 of July last. That he left no will as far as your petitioner has yet ascertained but left personal property which in the opinion of your petitioner will not exceed two thousand dollars. Your petitioner is desirous that letters of administration ... that James Vaux and John Vaux her sons may be appointed with her in said transaction, that Elizabeth John and Daniel B. Stiles be appointed appraisers of the personal property of said deceased."

In the 1840 U.S. Census, Mary Vaux was a head of household residing in Aurora town, Erie County, New York[5]. The household included:

• one male aged 5 to 10 (probably son Ernest)
• one male aged 15 to 20 (probably son Josiah)

• one female aged 40 to 50 (certainly Mary)

The date of Mary (Palmer) Vaux's death is not known, and there is no known burial location. She probably died in Aurora, Erie County, New York where several of her children resided. She does not appear in the 1850 U.S. Census, so she probably died before 1850. A death year between 1840 and 1850 is a reasonable estimate, say about 1845.

Sources

1. Sara Anson Vaux, The Vaux Family of England, the United States, and Australia (unpublished), Chapter 6, page 33.

2. Church of England, Parish Church of South Petherton (South Petherton, Somerset), South Petherton Parish Registers, Marriages, 1806-1812, Marriage of James Vaux and Mary Palmer, 8 October 1808; accessed on FHL BRITISH Film 1,526,363, Item 13.

3. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), accessed 14 March 2013), ship Cosmos, Bristol to New York, arrived 1 May 1832, List 242, Page 2, Line 19, James Vous family entry, (image 5 of 11); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, Roll 16.

4. Erie County, New York, Probate estate files, Estate papers 1800-1929, Case 23178-23220, Case 23181, James Vaux, 1839, image 321, petition of Mary Vaux; "New York , Probate Records, 1629-1971," digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 4 April 2014); original records in Erie County Probate Court, Buffalo, N.Y..

5. 1840 United States Federal Census, Erie County, New York, population schedule, Aurora, page 237, Mary Vaux household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M704, Roll 280.