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NANCY (ISLEY) WARD (c1825-1870), OF MEIGS CO., TN
WIFE OF NICODEMUS WARD AND DAUGHTER OF GEORGE ISLEY
by Charles M. Ward, Jr.
I have previously made statements regarding Nancy Isley, the second wife of Nicodemus Ward (b.ca 1795-9; d. 1848), of Meigs County, Tennessee, which expressed my opinion that she was not the daughter of George and Nancy (Queener) Isley, of Meigs Co., TN and Franklin Co., AR. I was wrong.
I have made an exhaustive search of public and private records relating to George and Nancy (Queener) Isley and their children. Clearly, Nancy (Isley) Ward, was their daughter.
My only reason for questioning Nancy (Isley) Ward as being a daughter of George and Nancy (Queener) Isley was based on the 1850 Census. Nicodemus Ward married Nancy Isley in Meigs Co., TN. He died in 1848 and Nancy (Isley) Ward is found as the head of her own household in the 1850 Census. However, the household of George and Nancy (Queener) Isley
reflects the presence of a Nancy Isley, 20 years old, in their nearby household in the same census. I assumed that this 20 year old "Nancy" found in George Isley's household was his daughter and that logically George Isley would not have had two daughters named Nancy. Further
investigation revealed that the census ennumerator was apparently mistaken in listing the 20 year old in George Isley's household as "Nancy."
The 20 year old residing in George Isley's household in the 1850 Census was almost certainly his daughter, Elizabeth M. Isley, who married James Harrison Lee on 4 Jan 1860, in Franklin Co., AR. The marriage record lists Elizabeth's age as being 29, placing her birth date in the exact time
period as the "Nancy" listed in the 1850 Census. Elizabeth M. Isley is not found residing with other relatives in the 1850 Census and it must therefore be deduced as likely
that she would have been residing with her parents, George and Nancy (Queener) Isley. It would appear that Elizabeth M. Isley was incorrectly listed as "Nancy" on the 1850 Census.
There is an indication that the census ennumerator may have made another mistake in listing the members of George Isley's household. The 1850 Census records the presence of Louisa Isley, 6 years old. However, no female
"Louisa" is found in the 1860 Census and in her place is found a female, Susan, listed as being 14 years old. "Susan," is not found in the 1850 Census, where
she would have been listed at about 4 years of age. "Louisa" is not found in the 1860 Census where we would expect her to be listed at about 16 years of
age. Of course, it's possible that Louisa could have died before the ennumeration of the 1860 Census, but that doesn't explain the absence of "Susan" from the 1850 Census. A plausible explanation would be that Susan and
Louisa were one and the same. It may be that she was named Susan Louisa or Louisa Susan. Additional research is needed here.
A number of important pieces of information point to the identity of Nancy (Isley) Ward's parents.
1. James Preston Ward, son of Nancy (Isley) Ward, spoke of his aunt, Barbara Burcham, and lived with her for a period of time (see GenForum posting
http://genforum.genealogy.com/isley/messages/276.html). George Isley's Mexican War pension clearly states that Barbara Burcham was his daughter.
2. James Preston Ward, son of Nancy (Isley) Ward, served as administrator of the estate of Martin R. Isley (2 Apr 1877, Meigs Co., TN), eldest son of George and Nancy (Queener) Isley.
3. John Stewart Ward, son of Nancy (Isley) Ward, spoke of his uncle, Mart Isley (Martin R. Isley). This according to John Stewart Ward's grandson, Albert Ward.
4. Nancy (Isley) Ward named her eldest son, Martin Benjamin Ward, and he was commonly known as "Mart" Ward. He was named for Nancy's brother, Mart Isley.
5. The name "George" was used among the descendants of Nancy (Isley) Ward, her grandson, James George Ward, youngest son of John Stewart Ward, being so named.
6. George Isley was the only Isley residing in Meigs County and in the immediate area throughout the time period under discussion. There were no other Isley families residing in surrounding counties.
An 1840s reference to Martin R. Isley gave a false indication that there may have been an older Isley residing in Meigs Co., TN. However, a comprehensive look at all census records, etc. clearly indicates that the 1840s
reference to a Martin Isley in Meigs Co., TN is in reference to George Isley's son. Therefore, no other Isleys are found in Meigs Co., TN who could possibly be Nancy Isley's father.
7. George Isley served as the surety for the marriage of Nicodemus Ward and Nancy Isley.
8. A female Nancy Isley's age can be found in George Isley's household in 1830 and 1840. No female of that age is found in the 1850 Census in George Isley's household. As Nancy Isley (b.ca 1825) married Nicodemus Ward well before the 1850 Census enumeration, this would account for
the absence of this female in the Isley household in 1850.
9. The Queener-Isley-Ward families constituted a closely connected kinship group. Nancy Isley (b.ca 1825) was the daughter of George Isley and Nancy Queener. Nicodemus Ward's first wife was Margaret Queener, a sister of George Isley's wife, Nancy Queener. Both were daughters of John Queener. Therefore, Nicodemus Ward's first wife, Margaret Queener, and his second wife, Nancy Isley, would have been aunt and niece. This placed Nancy Isley in the interesting position of being a step-mother to her own
first cousins.
George Isley served in the Mexican War and received a pension. I obtained copies of all papers in his Mexican War pension from the National Archives. Barbara (Isley) Burcham, as the only surviving child of George and Nancy (Queener) Isley, made a claim on the pension and stated that she was the only surviving child of George and Nancy Isley. Documents in the pension clearly show George Isley was married to Nancy Queener, that he lived in Tennessee,
and moved to Arkansas.
Unfortunately, a search of Franklin Co., AR probate and deed records has not turned up any sort of record which would clearly name all the children of George and Nancy (Queener) Isley. Sadly, many of George Isley's children
died before him and only one child survived Nancy (Queener) Isley (Mexican War pension records indicate Nancy (Queener) Isley died sometime in the late 1880s/early 1890s). A brief reconstruction of the George and Nancy (Queener) Isley family group follows.
George Isley (b.ca 1800; d. 7 Feb 1877 in Franklin Co., AR, per his Mexican War pension) married Nancy Queener (b.ca 1806), daughter of John and Betsy Queener. They were residents of Roane Co., TN; Meigs Co., TN; and Franklin Co., AR.
Children:
1. Martin R. Isley (b.ca 1823 per 1870 Census or ca 1828 per 1850 Census). It is more likely that he was born around 1823 as other records would confirm the earlier birth date. He never married, but was remembered fondly by his nieces and nephews. The given name "Martin" is preserved among the descendants of his sister, Nancy (Isley) Ward, to this day.
2. Nancy Isley (b.ca 1825 in TN; d. 24 Aug 1870 in Meigs Co., TN); m. Nicodemus Ward, 1843, Meigs Co., TN.
She is buried at Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery in
Meigs Co., TN.
3. Elizabeth M. Isley (b.ca 1830); m. James Harrison Lee, 4 Jan 1860, in Franklin Co., AR.
4. John Isley (b.ca 1832); m. Elizabeth Wisdom, 12 Aug 1855, Franklin Co., AR.
5. Mary Isley (b.ca 1833/4; d. 1887); m. Barbaroosa "Ross" Burcham, 30 Jan 1851, Meigs Co., TN.
6. James Isley (b.ca 1835) m. Maranda Mitchell, 4 Mar 1858, Franklin Co., AR.
7. Barbara Isley (b.ca 1836); m. 27 May 1853, Burrell Burcham. In the 1890s, Barbara (Isley) Burcham made a claim based on her father's service in the Mexican War and described herself as the only surviving child of George and Nancy Isley.
8. Susan Isley (b.ca 1846, per marriage record); m. James W. May, 6 Sep 1873, Franklin Co., AR.
Charles Ward
CMW12635@aol.com
Copyright @2003 Charles M. Ward, Jr. Copying is permitted for noncommercial, educational use by individual scholars and libraries. This message must appear on all copied material. Any other use, including electronic reproduction or distribution, requires written permission of the author.
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