Mary Alexander Snow (b.1794), dt of Isaac Snow & Elizabeth Alexander
Who was Mrs. Mary Fitch (b.ca 1794; d. ca 1863),
the First Wife of John Jacob Fitch (1800-1884), of Roane Co., TN?
by Charles Martin Ward, Jr.
Mrs. Mary Fitch, the first wife of John Jacob Fitch, was born about 1794, based on her age as given in the 1850 and 1860 Census enumerations (1850 – Meigs Co., TN; 1860 – Roane Co., TN).Her birthplace is identified in both as being TN.As TN did not exist as a state at the time of her birth, this couldn’t be the case.Her birthplace is either given incorrectly or she may have been born in an area that became TN when it achieved statehood in 1796.She was married, circa 1824, most likely in Sullivan Co., TN to John Jacob Fitch (b. 11 Jun 1800 in Sullivan Co., TN; d. 7 Jun 1884 in Roane Co. TN), the son of John Fitch and Barbara Waddell, of Sullivan Co., TN.As Mary would have been thirty years old at the time of her marriage, it raises the possibility she may have had an earlier marriage, but this is supposition and no evidence of an earlier marriage has been found.
The premarital identity of Mrs. Mary Fitch remains unconfirmed at this time.I stated in an earlier posting on the Fitch GenForum site (message #2336) that the premarital identity of Mrs. Mary Fitch was unknown, but suggested the possibility she may have been a Woods.Her son, Joseph Fitch (unmarried at the time), is recorded as residing with the John W. Woods family in the 1860 Census enumeration in Meigs Co., TN, perhaps indicating a familial connection.John W. Woods came from Washington Co., VA which is adjacent to Sullivan Co., TN.John W. Wood (sic) married Elizabeth Cox, 4 Sep 1817, in Washington Co., VA.Elizabeth Cox (b. 14 Jun 1800) was the daughter of Samuel Cox and Eleanor Thomas.There is no discernable connection Joseph Fitch would have had to Elizabeth (Cox) Woods, so any possible kinship between him and the John W. Woods family would likely have been through John W. Woods, if at all.Robert Dickenson has done extensive research on the Waddell family and has written of the connections between the Waddell and Woods families (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bobdick001&id=I1).Based on the fact that members of the Fitch family frequently intermarried within a network of close-knit, interrelated families, often marrying cousins, I theorized Mrs. Mary Fitch may have been a Woods, while stipulating her premarital identity was unknown.Although it remains entirely possible the John Jacob Fitch family may have been related to the John W. Woods family, the connection may stem solely from the Waddell family’s connection to the Woods family, the mother of John Jacob Fitch being Barbara (Waddell) Fitch, and not through Mrs. Mary Fitch.It’s also possible the connection was not familial, but merely one of acquaintance.
Fitch descendant and researcher Jim Fosdyck, of CA proposed in an email dated 27 Jan 2014 that Mrs. Mary Fitch was the daughter of Isaac Snow and Elizabeth Alexander based on material he found on Ancestry.com.The claim is not a new one.Therefore, it is important to determine what evidence exists to lend credence to this claim.
A researcher first informed me in 2003 of an oral tradition in which Jacob Fitch was said to have been married three times, his first wife (Mrs. Mary Fitch) being a Snow and one of his other wives a Shipley.The information was said to originate with Ottis W. Fitch (1902-1978), of Hindsville, Arkansas, a son of George Washington Fitch, Jr. (1879-1907), grandson of George Washington Fitch, Sr. (1840-1933), and great-grandson of Jacob and Mary Fitch.There is reason to believe Ottis W. Fitch may have learned the information directly from his grandfather, George Washington Fitch, Sr. (1840-1933), who was the youngest child of Jacob and Mary Fitch.Ottis W. Fitch lived with his uncle, Henry Fitch (1876-1947), for over twenty years (Ottis is found in his uncle’s household in Madison Co., AR in the 1920, 1930, and 1940 census enumerations).George W. Fitch, Sr. also lived with them (being found in the Henry Fitch household in the 1920 and 1930 census enumerations), so it’s reasonable to conclude the Ottis W. Fitch information may have been related to him by his grandfather, with whom he resided.George W. Fitch. Sr., as a son of Jacob and Mary Fitch, would have known his mother’s maiden surname.
There were other branches of the family with an oral tradition of the three marriages of Jacob Fitch, but they didn’t identify his wives specifically, except for one branch that identified one of the wives as a Shipley.Since there wasn’t any concrete, substantive documentation to verify the Ottis W. Fitch claim that Mrs. Mary Fitch was a Snow, I dismissed the claim when first investigating the matter in 2003.Jim Fosdyck’s aforementioned email caused me to reevaluate the claim and conclude my initial dismissal may have been too hasty.All other aspects of the Ottis W. Fitch account are verifiable.Public records confirm Jacob Fitch was married three times and his second wife was a Shipley, albeit the widow of a Shipley.Although the absence of corroborating evidence remains highly problematic, perhaps further consideration should be given to the possibility Mrs. Mary Fitch may have been a Snow.
An examination of the LDS International Genealogical Index (IGI), an admittedly unreliable source, reveals several entries for Mrs. Mary Fitch, identified as Mary Alexander Snow, born 24 Mar 1794 in Randolph Co., NC the daughter of Isaac Snow and Elizabeth Alexander (“International Genealogical Index (IGI),” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/9XM8-964 : accessed 2014-02-18), entry for Mary Alexander Snow.).A second entry identifies Mary Alexander Snow as marrying Jacob Fitch ("International Genealogical Index (IGI)," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/9N94-NNR : accessed 2014-02-18), entry for Mary Alexander Snow.).As is often the case, the IGI entries cited list no proof to substantiate any of this information.Several other IGI entries allude to Mary Alexander Snow, but attribute an incorrect death date for her of 1 Jan 1870 and give Portage Co., OH as her place of burial, confusing her with a lady named Mary (Hawley) Snow, wife of Erastus Snow, who did die in Portage Co., OH on 1 Jan 1870 and is buried at the Windham Cemetery (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=snow&GSfn=mary&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1870&GSdyrel=in&GSst=37&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=55987464&df=all&).
Isaac Snow and Elizabeth Alexander were married 14 Nov 1789 in Randolph Co., NC.Isaac Snow (b.ca 1765) is known to have been a son of William Snow (c1720-c1783) and Martha Snow, who left Kent Co., DE and settled in Randolph Co., NC; grandson of Isaac Snow (1683-c1748) and Alice Snow, who left Eastham, MA and settled in Kent Co., DE; great-grandson of John Snow (1638-1692) and Mary Smalley (b.1647), of Eastham, MA; and great-great grandson of Nicholas Snow (1599/1600-1676), the English born immigrant ancestor, who married Constance Hopkins (1606-1677), who came to New England on the Mayflower with her father, Stephen Hopkins.Elizabeth (Alexander) Snow’s parentage has not been established, but it is possible she belongs to the extended family of Scots-Irish pioneers George and Jane (McCord) Alexander who left Pennsylvania and settled in Randolph Co., NC.
At present, the only thing approximating corroborating evidence for the placement of Mrs. Mary Fitch as being Mary Alexander Snow, daughter of Isaac Snow and Elizabeth Alexander, is the proximity of Elizabeth Snow (over 50 and under 60 years of age) near Jacob Fitch in the 1830 Census enumeration in McMinn Co., TN.Ebenezer Snow (d.1835) a brother of Isaac Snow, resided in McMinn Co., TN at one time, based on his Revolutionary War pension records, so there is some reason to believe the Elizabeth Snow in the 1830 Census may have been the widow of Isaac Snow.A 1796 deed is the last known reference for Isaac Snow when he was known to still be living (Stokes Co., NC, Deeds Vol. I and II, 1787-1797, p. 287; 8 March 1796, Ebenezer Snow, John Snow, Isaac Snow, Joseph Snow, Benjamin Snow, and William Snow, of Randolph County NC sold 260 acres originally granted to William Snow, deceased, to Thomas Tucker).
We have no good record of what happened to Isaac Snow and Elizabeth Alexander between the time Isaac Snow is mentioned in the aforementioned 1796 Stokes Co., NC deed reference and the enumeration of Elizabeth Snow in the 1830 Census in McMinn Co., TN.Mrs. Mary Fitch would almost certainly have married John Jacob Fitch in Sullivan Co., TN, or in an adjacent county, about 1824, but to date no record has been found showing the presence of either Isaac or Elizabeth Snow in that area.One might consider the possibility Elizabeth (Alexander) Snow was widowed at a young age and settled in the Sullivan Co., TN area and due to economic circumstances, “flew under the radar.”Census records for Sullivan Co., TN prior to 1830 no longer exist.As mentioned earlier, it’s also possible Mrs. Mary Fitch had an earlier marriage and she may have settled in Sullivan Co., TN with this theorized first husband, but I reiterate, there is no evidence of an earlier husband.
Analyzing naming patterns can be useful when other avenues of research are limited and can provide important clues.It is important, however, not to overrate their significance as naming patterns among individual families weren’t always set in stone, but were often only loosely followed.The Fitch family, for example, did not adhere strictly to any type of naming pattern, but definitely did utilize traditional family names.Therefore, when unusual given names are found within the family, it’s useful to ascertain where they originated.It’s reasonable to conclude it’s a possibility that any uncharacteristic given names bestowed on the children of Jacob and Mary Fitch may have originated on the Mary Fitch side of the family.
Jacob and Mary Fitch had the following children:John, James, William, Isaac, Mary Ann, Pheby Jane, Wiley, Samuel, Joseph, Thomas, and George Washington.The names John, James, Isaac, Jane, Samuel, Joseph, and Thomas are all Fitch family names that can be found either among the siblings of Jacob Fitch or those of his father, John Fitch (c1760-1840).The name Mary would almost certainly have derived from Mary Fitch.The names Wiley, Ann and Pheby [sic] have not been linked to any family connection.George Washington Fitch was obviously named after the nation’s first president.The name William was utilized in the Snow family to which Isaac Snow belonged.Isaac Snow (b.ca 1765) was a son of William Snow and also had a brother, William Snow.It’s important to take note of the use of the name Isaac among the children of Jacob and Mary Fitch.Although Jacob Fitch did have a brother named Isaac Eliot Fitch, it is also the name of the father attributed to Mary Alexander Snow.Joseph was another name used in both the Snow and Fitch families.
Another Fitch family given name worth noting is Alice.Although not found as a given name amongst the children of Jacob and Mary Fitch, it was a given name that is found among their descendants, unaccounted for in origin, but appearing in two different branches of the family.A granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Jacob and Mary Fitch were both named Alice.It is interesting to note Isaac Snow’s paternal grandmother was named Alice.However, this may be too distant an association to be of any relevance and may not have any bearing at all on the naming of the two females in the Fitch family.
Therefore, based on the above, I would suggest Mrs. Mary Fitch, the first wife of John Jacob Fitch, should be identified as follows:
Mary “Polly” _______ (Her surname is unknown, but she was possibly a Snow.She is said to have been Mary Alexander Snow, born 24 Mar 1794, the daughter of Isaac Snow and Elizabeth Alexander, but with insufficient proof.), born circa 1794 per census records, probably in North Carolina, perhaps in the area which became TN in 1796; died Roane Co., TN, 1863.
An updated sketch of her family group would look like this:
John Jacob FITCH (John, Samuel, Daniel, Daniel, James), b. Sullivan Co., TN, 11 Aug 1800; d. Roane Co., TN, 7 Jun 1884; m. probably in Sullivan Co., TN, about 1824, Mary “Polly” _______(Her surname is unknown, but she was possibly a Snow.She is said to have been Mary Alexander Snow, born 24 Mar 1794, the daughter of Isaac Snow and Elizabeth Alexander, but with insufficient proof.), born circa 1794 per census records, probably in North Carolina, perhaps in the area which became TN in 1796; died Roane Co., TN, 1863. Jacob Fitch married, Meigs Co., TN, 10 Sep 1864 (bond), Barbara (Goodwin) Shipley, widow of Martin Shipley. Jacob Fitch married, McMinn Co., TN, 11 Sep 1870, Mary McFarling, died Roane Co., TN, 2 Nov 1884. Mary Fitch, the first wife of John Jacob Fitch, is buried at Mount Zion Cemetery in Meigs Co., TN. Her gravestone, which no longer stands, was a fieldstone marker that gave her name as “Mary Fitch Wife of J. Jacob Fitch.” John Jacob Fitch does not have an identifiable gravestone marker at Mount Zion Cemetery and it is possible he was buried at the Poor Farm Cemetery in Roane Co., TN.
Children, born in Sullivan and McMinn Counties, TN:
1. John Fitch, b. Sullivan Co., TN, 27 Jul 1825; alive 16 Oct 1903, Ten Mile Stand, Meigs Co., TN; m. Meigs Co., TN, 9 Mar 1847, Eda "Edy" Talley, died 20 Dec 1856 in Meigs Co., TN, the daughter of Sterling Talley and widow of James Fitch. He maried, as his second wife, McMinn Co., TN, 17 Feb 1858 Mary (Clark) McNatt, a widow, born Dec 1828.
John and Edy Fitch are found in Meigs Co., TN in the 1850 Census. John and his second wife, Mary, are found in Meigs County in the 1860 Census. They are found in McMinn County in the 1870 and 1880 Census and Meigs County in the 1900 Census. It should be noted that Ten Mile Stand, the community in Meigs County where many members of the Fitch family resided, was located close to the county borders with McMinn and Roane Counties.
The grave markers of John Fitch and both of his wives may be found at Mount Zion Cemetery in Meigs County and are nearly illegible.
2. James Fitch, b. Sullivan Co., TN, 27 Jul 1825. He is probably the “j. Fitch Junr” listed as a buyer at the estate sale of his uncle, James Johnson Fitch, on 2 Nov 1846. He is not found in the 1850 Census near any of his relatives. No further information.
3. William Fitch, b. 10 Oct 1826; d. 28 Mar 1910; m. Meigs Co., TN, 4 Aug 1847, Elizabeth J. Phillips, b. 21 May 1831; d. 3 Apr 1905. They are buried in Maple Park Cemetery, Greene Co., MO. They are found in Meigs Co., TN in the 1850 Census, but were residing in Camden Co., MO in the 1860 Census enumeration. They are found in Pulaski Co., MO in the 1880 Census enumeration and eventually came to reside in Greene Co., MO where they are buried.
4. Isaac Fitch, b. McMinn Co., TN, 6 Jan 1828; d. Roane Co., TN, 16 May 1879; m. Meigs Co., TN, 3 Aug 1848, Rebecca Ann Fitch, b. 9 Apr 1834; d. Roane Co., TN, 13 Sep 1879, daughter of Isaac Eliot Fitch and his first wife, Mary Talley.
Isaac Fitch was identified as Isaac Fitch, Jr. in order to differentiate him from his uncle, Isaac Eliot Fitch, referred to as Isaac Fitch, Sr. Isaac Fitch, Jr. married his first cousin, the daughter of his uncle for whom he was named, Isaac Eliot Fitch. Isaac Fitch, Jr. purchased a one hundred-sixty acre farm in the eighth civil district of Roane Co., TN on which he resided. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in Roane Co., TN on 3 Oct 1862 serving as a private in Co. A, 26th TN Infantry, 3rd East TN Volunteers. He received a certificate of disability due to chronic bronchitis and was discharged on 5 Dec 1862. He and his wife were involved in litigation involving the land holdings of Isaac E. Fitch, Sr. Isaac and Rebecca Fitch are buried at Mount Zion Cemetery in Meigs Co., TN.
5. Mary Ann E. Fitch, b. Sep 1830; m. Meigs Co., TN, 25 Dec 1851 (bond), Isaac Henderson Cundiff, b. 11 Jun 1830, Virginia; d. 24 Jul 1907, Camden Co., MO. They were residing in Pulaski Co., MO in the 1860 Census enumeration, adjacent to the household of Mary Ann's brother, Samuel Fitch. Isaac H. Cundiff served in the Union Army during the Civil War, serving in several different outfits, all Union, including Missouri's 45th Regiment Infantry Volunteers, Company G; 47th Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia, Company G; and the 48th Regiment Infantry Volunteers, Company D. Isaac H. and Mary Ann Cundiff established themselves in Auglaize Township, Camden Co., MO prior to the 1870 Census enumeration.
6. Phoebe Jane Shipley, b. McMinn Co., TN, 25 Apr 1832; d. 22 Dec 1922, Shawnee, Pottawatomie Co., OK; m. McMinn Co., TN, 31 Oct 1856, John Christopher Shipley, b. McMinn Co., TN, 7 Jul 1837; d. Shawnee, Pottawotamie Co., OK, 17 Dec 1916.
7. Wiley Fitch, b. 1833; no further information.
8. Samuel Fitch, b.ca 1835; m. Roane Co., TN, 19 Nov 1857, Mary E. Jones. They are found in Pulaski Co., MO in the 1860 Census enumeration residing next to the household of Isaac H. Cundiff and his wife, Mary Ann. During the Civil War, he served as a 4th Sergeant in Missouri's 45th Regiment Infantry Volunteers (Union), the same outfit in which his brother-in-law, Isaac H. Cundiff, served. This would have placed him in an unenviable position, as his brothers in Tennessee served in the Confederate Army. Nothing further known.
9. Joseph Fitch, b.ca 1837; m. 2 Aug 1863, Rhoda A. Fitch, daughter of Isaac Eliot Fitch. He was a railroad engineer and eventually settled in Knox Co., TN.
10. Thomas Fitch, b. 5 Dec 1837; d. Bedford, Tarrant Co., TX, 19 Apr 1922; m. Meigs Co., TN, 12 Oct 1864, Catherine (McCollum) Fitch, b. Roane Co., TN, 10 Sep 1840; d. Bedford, Tarrant Co., TX, 2 Jul 1923, daughter of Malcolm and Sarah (Jaquish) McCollum and widow of John Fitch, son of Isaac Eliot Fitch, Sr.Thomas Fitch served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant in Company C, 24th Texas Cavalry Regiment.Michael Patterson has compiled a good biographical sketch of his life, see (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txtarran/military/civil_war_vets.htm).
11. George W. Fitch, b. 1 Nov 1840; d. Madison Co., AR, 22 Jul 1933; m. Roane Co., TN, 20 Oct 1861, Martha Jane Garland, b. 29 May 1845; d. Madison Co., AR, 23 Dec 1910.
George W. Fitch served in Company G, 62nd TN Mounted Infantry (Confederate) during the Civil War. He was mustered into service at Sweetwater, TN on 26 Sep 1862. He was captured as a prisoner of war at Vicksburg, Mississippi and was released on 8 Jul 1863.Following the Civil War, George W. Fitch settled in Prairie, Madison Co., AR
I strongly emphasize that the premarital identity of Mrs. Mary Fitch remains unconfirmed and unproven.Her placement as possibly being a daughter of Isaac Snow and Elizabeth Alexander represents a theory as to her premarital identity and should be viewed only in that light.Any definitive proof confirming the parentage of Mrs. Mary Fitch would be welcome.
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