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Mary (Polly) L COMER (b 1846)

Mary L (Polly) Comer is my maternal great-grandmother.

Mary L (Polly) Comer was born on 12 Jul 1846. She was the daughter of Jason Comer (b c1813) and Nancy Crawford (b c1815). Her birth was almost certainly in Union County, SC. She was found by the 1850 US Census in the household of her father Jason Comer, a farm overseer, in Union County. There is no wife in the household but there are three children. In fact, Jason's wife Nancy, the mother of these three children had died earlier in the year. The other children in the household were Franklin (10) and Sarah (7). Nancy's youngest child, and Mary's younger sister, Frances Margaret (age 1) was being cared for in another household.

By 1860, Polly's father had remarried. The 1860 Census found the family in Santuc, a part of Union County between Union and Carlisle. Polly's father was reported to be a farmer, age 50. His wife Jane [Vance] was nearing 40. The eldest child Francis (sic), a son age 29, was reported to be a farm laborer. The next younger child was Benjamin, a son age 24, also a farm laborer. The other children in the household were Sarah (age 16), Mary (age 13), Nancy (age 6), Elendar (age 5), Susan (age 1) and infant (age 1/12).

Just four years later, on 02 Sep 1864, just two months after her 18th birthday, Polly married Thomas N Kelly, a Confederate soldier who was home recuperating from injuries received in battle in May of that year. Her husband returned to service only months after their marriage but was paroled in April 1865. The couple's first child, Karan, a daughter, was born on 18 Jan 1866. Karen lived only one year, dying on 07 Jul 1867.

Children arrived with regularity once Thomas returned home. Thomas Elzie was born in 1867, Nancy M in 1869, William Richard in 1871, Sallie Jane in 1873, Mary Elizabeth in 1875, Lena L B in 1878, Sibbie A in 1880, John Wesley in 1882, Maud E in 1884 and Butler N in 1888.

The 1870 Census found the family living in Pinckney Township. The household consisted of Thomas N, a farmer age 41, Mary, age 23, Melissa (Thomas's mother), age 60, the couple's two living children, Elsy (age 2) and Nancy (age 1) and a male child named Walker Kelly (age 14) who was not able to read or write but was in school that year.

The family was still in Pinckney Township in 1880. The household included Thomas N Kelly, a farmer age 51, Mary L, his wife, age 33, and six children, T Elzy (age 12), Nancy M (age 11), William R (age 9), Sallie (age 6), Mary E (age 5) and Lena (age 1). The three eldest children were in school.

Polly's husband, Thomas N Kelly, died on 07 May 1891. She was left to care for five minor children under the age of 14, Lena (age 12), Sibbie (age 10), John Wesley (age 9), Maud (age 6), and Butler (age 2).

Polly was found by the 1900 Census living still in Pinckney Township in Union County. She was reported to be a farmer, age 55. Four children were living with her, Sallie (age 25), Sibbie (age 19), James (John Wesley, age 16), Maud (age 15), and Butler (age 11). All of the children, save Sallie, were in school. Polly reported that she was the mother of 13 children, ten of them living.

In 1910, Polly was still in Pinckney Township. She was 65 but still considered herself a farmer. This year she told the enumerator that she was the mother of 11 children, nine of whom were still living. Her daughter Sallie, single at age 37 was the only child living with her. These two had two boarders living with them in the household, a married medical doctor and a single teacher. Later that year or possibly some time later, following the death of her daughter-in-law Sallie Brown Kelly in 1910, Polly's granddaughter Sara would come to live with her. Sara recalled that her uncle Butler and his wife Lina were also part of the household. (Lina died in 1917 and Butler remarried in 1919.)

In 1919, Polly applied for a pension. In the application, she reported that she was the wife of Thomas N Kelly, Company B, 5th Regiment under Capt WJT Glenn from 15 Apr 18611 to 09 Apr 1865, that she had married Thomas on 02 Sep 1864 and that Thomas had died on 07 May 1891. She was then 71 years of age, living in Kellys, South Carolina and had been a lifelong resident of Union County.

By 1920, Polly's son, Butler, and his wife Virginia had moved in with her. A granddaughter by her son Thomas Elzie, Sara (age 13) was also living with her. Sara, in her 90s, remembered her grandmother very fondly.

Polly died on 18 Apr 1925 in Pinckney (Union) South Carolina and was buried the next day in Fosters Chapel Cemetery in Union County. She was 79 years old.

Sources and Notes:

Polly's birth: The date of Polly's birth is recorded in the Kelly family Bible. The entry reads "Mary L Kelly was Born 12th July 1846."

1850 US Census, household of Jason Comer: Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census. Union County, SC. 09 Nov 1850. [Unfortunately, the name Comer has been transcribed as Pomer in the Ancestry database. The name in the record is almost certainly Comer but the reason for the confusion is obvious.] The household is listed as dwelling and family 201. It is comprised of (1) Jason Comer (age 40, male, overseer), (2) Franklin (age 10, male), (3) Sarah (age 7, female), and (4) Mary (age 5, female). NOTE: In 1850, Jason's son Benjamin (age 16 and a laborer) can be found in the household of Messer Fuller, son Simpson (age 12) can be found in the household of Andrew Mullinas, and daughter Frances Margaret in the household of Betty Gregory, all in Union County, SC.

1860 US Census, household of Jason Comer: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census. Santuck (Union) SC. 19 Jun 1860. Dwelling 360 and family 307. The household includes (1) Jason Comer (age 50, male, farmer, person estate valued at $500, no real estate), (2) Jane (age 4[0], female), (3) Benjamin (age 24, male, farm laborer), (4) Francis [Franklin] age 27 [age 21], male, farm laborer), (5) Sarah (age 16, female), (6) Mary (age 13, female), (7) Nancy (age 6, female), (8) Elendar (age 5, female), (9) Susan (age 1, female) and (10) Infant (age 1/12, female (sic). All members of the household were reported to be born in South Carolina. NOTE: Jason's daughter Francis Margaret was not part of this household but can be found in the household of George Spencer in Union Township.

1870 US Census household of Thomas N Kelley (02 Aug 1870): Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Pinckney Township, Union County, South Carolina; Roll: M593_1510; Page: 481; Image: 315. The household is comprised of (1) Thomas N Kelly (age 41, male, farmer, real estate $1700, personal estate $700, born SC, can read/write, citizen), (2) Melissa (age 60, female, born SC, can read/write), (3) Mary (age 23, female, born SC, can read/write), (4) Elsy (age 2, male, born SC), (5) Nancy (age 1, female, born SC), and (6) Walker (age 14, male, born SC, attending school, cannot read/write).

1880 US Census household of Thomas N Kelley (04 Jun 1880): Ancestry.com, 1880 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Pinckney Township, Union County, South Carolina; Roll: T9_1242; Family History Film: 1255242; Page: 585.4000; Enumeration District: 158. The household is comprised of (1) Thomas N Kelly (age 51, male, married, farmer (8 mos), maimed, crippled, bedridden or otherwise disabled, can read/write, born SC/NC/SC), (2) Mary L Kelly (age 33, female, wife, married, keeping house, born SC/SC/SC), (3) T Elzy Kelly (age 12 male, son, single, at school, can read/write, born SC/SC/SC), (4) Nancy M Kelly (age 11, female, daughter, at school, born SC/SC/SC)), (5) William R Kelly (age 9, male, son, at school, born SC/SC/SC), (6) Sallie Kelly (age 6, female, daughter, born SC/SC/SC), (7) Mary E Kelly (age 5, female, daughter, born SC/SC/SC), (8) Lena Kelly (age 1, female, daughter, born SC/SC/SC) , (9) Carolina Kelly (age 30, female, black, servant, single, cook (12 mos), cannot read/write, born SC/SC/SC), and (10) Charles Kelly (age 17, male, black, servant, single, works in field (8 mos), cannot read/write, born SC/SC/SC).

1900 US Census household of Mrs Polly Kelly (16 Jun 1900): Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Pinckney, Union, South Carolina; Roll: T623 1544; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 73. The household includes (1) Mrs Polly Kelly (head, female, born July 1846, age 55, widow, 13 children, 10 living, born SC/SC/SC, farmer, can read/write, owns free of mortgage, farm, sch# 242), (2) Sallie Kelly (daughter, female, born Jun 1874, age 25, single, born SC/SC/SC, can read/write), (3) Sibbie Kelly (daughter, female, born Aug 1880, age 19, single, born SC/SC/SC, can read/write, at school 8 mos), (4) James Kelly (son, male, born Oct 1882, age 16, single, born SC/SC/SC, can read/write, at school 8 mos), (5) Maud Kelly (daughter, female, born Dec 1884, age 15, single, born SC/SC/SC, can read/write, at school 8 mos), and (6) Butler Kelly (son, male, born Sept 1881, age 11, single, born SC/SC/SC, can read/write, at school 8 mos).

1910 US Census household of Mrs Polly Kelly (18 Apr 1910): Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Pinckney, Union, South Carolina; Roll: T624_1474; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 119; Image: 881. The household on Lockhart Public Road includes (1) Mary L Kelley (head, female, age 65, widow, married 45 years, 11 children, 9 living, born SC/SC/SC, farmer, can read/write, owns farm free of mortgage), (2) Sallie Kelly (daughter, female, age 37, single, born SC/SC/SC, can read/write), (3) Dr J M McLaughlin (boarder, male, age 35, married (first) 8 yrs, born SC/SC/SC, MD practicing medicine own account, can read/write), (4) Edna Baldwin (boarder, female, age 28, single, born SC/SC/SC, teacher in school on wage (8 mos), can read/write).

1920 US Census household of Butler N Kelly (12 Jan 1920): Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Pickney, Union, South Carolina; Roll: T625_1713; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 138; Image: 736. The household includes (1) Butler N Kelly (head, owns free of mortgage, male, age 31, married, can read/write, born SC/SC/SC, merchant of general merchandise, own account), (2) Virginia Kelly (wife, female, age 22, married, can read/write, born SC/SC/SC), (3) Mary L Kelly (mother, female, age 74, widow, can read/write, born SC/SC/SC), (4) Sarah Kelly (niece, female, age 13, single, attended school, can read/write, born SC/SC/SC).

Mary L [Comer] Kelly death certificates: FamilySearch.com. Family Search, South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1943. Curiously there are two instances of the death certificate, one recorded on 10 May 1925 and the other on 06 Nov 1925. The basic information on the two certificates is the same. Mary L Kelly died on 18 Apr 1925 in Pinckney (Union) SC. She was widowed. Her date of birth was 12 Jul 1846 and she was 79 years old. The cause of death was chronic nephritis. She was buried at Fosters Chapel on 19 Apr 1925. For both, the informant is listed as Mary's son Butler N Kelly. Oddly, the parents named differ on the two certificates. The former names her parents as Jason Comer and Sallie (sic) Crawford. The latter names only her father and the name given is Jessie Comer. The latter information is almost certainly incorrect. The former seems more reliable, but Butler does not seem to have known his grandmother's given name.

Sara Kelly's recollections: On multiple occasions in the 1990s I talked with my aunt Sara Kelly about her memories of her earliest years and career. My notes on these recollections of her grandmother and the household where she lived after her mother died are unfortunately undated, but they were contemporaneous.