Mary Pennington Perkins1

b. 25 May 1848, d. 29 November 1931
FatherWilliam Perkins2
MotherLockey Ann Henderson2
Birth25 May 1848 Mary Pennington Perkins was born on 25 May 1848 in Tennessee.3,4 
Childhood  Mary spent at least part of her childhood in Memphis, Tennessee, where her father was a successful merchant. He had gone west in the gold rush a year after Mary's birth but was unsuccessful in that venture and returned to Tennessee. Mary's grandson recalled that she spent some of her youth on a plantation in Mississippi where she learned Latin and French.5,6 
Marriage30 Mar 1870 She married William Buchanan, son of Benjamin Keys Buchanan and Rachel Branch Goode, on 30 Mar 1870.7,8 
  They were second cousins, their grandmothers (Ann Cochran Findlay Goode and Mary King Findlay Henderson) having been twin sisters.  
Cens-18705 Oct 1870  The 1870 census was enumerated a few months after William and Mary's wedding. The were recorded in the home of William's parents Benjamin and Rachel in Washington County. William stated that he was employed as a merchant.9 
  Benjamin had helped his son establish a business in Saltville after William returned home from the Civil War. However it was not successful and William returned to farming.10 
  Benjamin eventually divided his land among his children. Later census records recorded them living near one another on the Glade Spring-Saltville Road. William and Mary appeared to live comfortably - census records indicated the presence of farm help as well as servants. Mary's 1900 and 1910 census enumerations stated that she was the mother of 9 children, 3 of whom died before 1900.11,12,13 
  This would include Willie (d. 1878), Lockie (d. 1888) and Benjamin (d. 1889). Willie may have been a twin to George, who was born 2 Jan. 1876 as Willie's headstone says he too was born in 1876. Or Willie may have been born very late in the year. 
Widowed1925  William died in 1925, following which Mary lived with her son Daniel and his family.5,14 
  Mary's grandson remembered her as a woman of great strength and piety. In the years after the Civil War Mary and her sister Elizabeth undertook to educate the newly freed slaves in the community. Mary also taught her own children as well as others in the neighborhood in a one-room school house near the family home. As an elderly woman she drilled her grandchildren on their lessons, often requiring them to memorize Bible verses. She selected a special verse for each of her children and grandchildren which she hoped would guide them through life.5 
Death29 Nov 1931 Mary died on 29 Nov 1931 at age 83.15,4 
Burial She was buried at Edgehill Cemetery in Washington County, Virginia.15 

Family

William Buchanan b. 15 Feb 1846, d. 20 Jun 1925
Children
Last Edited4 Dec 2013

Citations

  1. [S2272] Jean Keys Buchanan, The Buchanans, manuscript, 1928.
  2. [S2274] William Buchanan, "Buchanan Family History", 1984-1995. William Perkins and Lockey Ann Henderson were the great grandparents of William Buchanan.
  3. [S634] William Buchanan household, 1900 U.S. cens., Washington Co., Virginia, pop. sched., Saltville district, ED 122, sheet 23, dwelling 313, family 313, viewed online at Ancestry.com, March 2007, image 45 of 53. Enumeration includes: William Buchanan, 54, marr 30 yrs, b. Feb. 1846, b. VA, parents b. VA; Mary P., wife, 52, b. May 1848, b. TN, marr 30 yrs, mother of 9 children, 6 are living; George P., son, 24, b. Jan. 1876; Rachel B., dau, 22, b. Feb. 1878; Daniel L., son, 20, b. __ 1880; William G., son, 14, b. Jul 1885; all children b. VA, father b. VA, mother TN; also Lizzie Thomas, servant.
  4. [S5] Elizabeth Kelly Allison, Early Southwest Virginia Families, p. 56.
  5. [S2274] William Buchanan, "Buchanan Family History", 1984-1995. Mary (Perkins) Buchanan was the grandmother of William Buchanan (b. 1918).
  6. [S2275] William Perkins household, 1860 U.S. cens, Shelby Co., Tennessee, pop. sched., Memphis-8th ward, p. after 242 stamped, dwelling 1082, family 1158, viewed online at Ancestry.com, May 2009, image 39 of 42. Household includes: William Perkins, 45, merchant, b. VA, owns land valued at $40,000 and pers. propr of $1,500; L.A., 42, b. Alabama; Lilleton, 18; Mary, 12; Lizzie, 10; Daniel, 7; Welbor, 5; Lesinie, 3; Annie, 1/12; all b. TN; Louis Kink__, 30, lumber merchant, b. TN.
  7. [S2370] G. Brown Goode, Virginia Cousins - The Ancestry and Posterity of John Goode, p. 393.
  8. [S2272] Jean Keys Buchanan, The Buchanans, manuscript, 1928. "William married Mary Pennington Perkins of Memphis, Tenn. a cousin."
  9. [S635] Benjamin Buchanan household, 1870 U.S. cens, Washington Co., Virginia, pop. sched., First Division, p. 22 (original script), dwelling 124, family 139, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jul. 2006, image 22 of 44. Enumeration includes: Benjamim Buchanan, 54, farmer, owns land valued at $30,000, pers. prop of $20,000; Rachel B., wife, 43; William 24, merchant, marr in March; Mary 22 (b. TN), marr in March; Jack, 22, student; Thos P., 16 student; Alex F. 7; Wm J. Moore, 16, student; all b. VA.
  10. [S2274] William Buchanan, "Buchanan Family History", 1984-1995. William Buchanan was the grandfather of William Buchanan (b. 1918).
  11. [S165] Wm Buchanan household, 1880 U.S. Census, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., Saltville district, ED 99, page 46B, dwelling 405, family 417, viewed online at www.Ancestry.com, March 2007, image 46 of 63. Enumeration includes: Wm Buchanan, 34, farmer, b. VA, parents b. VA; Mary, 32, wife, b. TN, father b. VA, mother b. AL; Lizzie, 9, dau; Lockie [?], 8, dau; Benjamin, 6, son; George, 4, son; Rachel 2, dau; Daniel, 9/12, son; all b. VA, father b. VA, mother b. TN; also Sarah Carter, a black servant, age 17 and James Widener, 21, a boarder.
  12. [S237] William Buchanan household, 1910 U.S. cens., Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., Saltville district, ED 115, sheet 17B, dwelling 230, family 232, viewed online at Ancestry.com, March 2005, image 34 of 37. Household includes: William Buchanan, 62, marr 40 yrs, b. VA, parents b. VA, farmer; Mary P., wife, 61, marr 40 yrs, mother of 9 children, 6 living, b. TN, father b. VA, mother b. AL; William G., son, 24, marr 7/12, b. VA; Ollivene, dau-in-law; (no age), marr 7/12, b. VA; Henry W. Beasley, adopted, 14, b. TN, parents b. TN.
  13. [S634] William Buchanan household, 1900 U.S. cens., Washington Co., Virginia, pop. sched., Saltville district, ED 122, sheet 23, dwelling 313, family 313, viewed online at Ancestry.com, March 2007, image 73 of 89. Enumeration includes: William Buchanan, 54, marr 30 yrs, b. Feb. 1846, b. VA, parents b. VA; Mary P., wife, 52, b. May 1848, b. TN, marr 30 yrs, mother of 9 children, 6 are living; George P., son, 24, b. Jan. 1876; Rachel B., dau, 22, b. Feb. 1878; Daniel L., son, 20, b. __ 1880; William G., son, 14, b. Jul 1885; all children b. VA, father b. VA, mother TN; also Lizzie Thomas, servant.
  14. [S2276] Daniel L. Buchanan household, 1930 U.S. cens., Danville, (Independent City), Virginia, pop. sched., Pittsylvania County, ED 106-10, sheet 11A (p. 216 stamped), dwelling 228, family 257, viewed online at Ancestry.com, May 2007, image 21 of 39. Household includes Daniel L. Buchanan, 48, marr at 34, owns home, is not a farm, owns radio, secretary YMCA; Cora B., wife, 47, marr at 32; William, son, 11; Mary P., mother, 81, wid, b. TN; all others b. VA.
  15. [S2] Catherine McConnell, High On A Windy Hill, p. 151. Stone reported to read: Mary Perkins, 1848-1931.
  16. [S2103] "Shelby County Death Records 1848-1957", database with images, Shelby County [Tennessee] Register of Deeds (http://register.shelby.tn.us/index.php : accessed Aug. 2008), Mrs. Lizzie G. Allison burial permit #21740. Mother listed as Mary Buchanan b. Virginia.
  17. [S86] Fridley, "Washington Co., VA Deaths 1886-1896" online database, <www.Ancestry.com>, Lockie Buchanan data, downloaded Mar. 2007.
  18. [S2268] Research of Tom Colley, Hanceville, Alabama; Mr. Colley cites the Washington County Death Register for the year 1878 originally held by the Virginia Bureau of Vital Statistics and viewed as Library of Virginia microfilm reel #30: Willie P. Buchanan, d. 01 Oct 1878, age not given, s/o William & Mary P. Buchanan.
  19. [S1344] Notification re the estate of Jean Buchanan, dec'd, The Journal Virginian, Oct. 11, 1962.
  20. [S2268] Research of Tom Colley, Hanceville, Alabama; citing "Virginia Cousins; Ancestry and Posterity of John Goode" by George Brown Goode Richmond, 1887.