Mary Jemima Beecher ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7}

   FamilySearch ID: L6KR-YL9.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Relatives To Research: It appears likely that father William Beecher (1816-1897) did not have 2 daughters named Mary, and that Mary born in 1865 is actually his daughter Mary Jemima Beecher born earlier. Here are the facts:

Mary born in 1865 did have a death certificate naming her parents as William Beecher and Isabell Alexander.

Mary, born in 1865, never appears as a child in her father's census in 1870 or 1880 when she would be 5 or 15 years old.

Mary, born in 1865, is never mentioned as a child in the 1895 will of her father, William Beecher, which left most of his possessions to his daughter Mary Jemima Beecher who married John Henry Bridge, and her sister Emma Louis Nicholson, and mentions their brothers and some grandchildren, but not a second Mary.

Mary Jemima Beecher's 1900 census has her born in Jan 1854, however, Mary Jemima does appear in her father's 1850 census as age 3 and 1860 census as age 12, so an 1847-48 birth, not 1854.

Mary Jemima's husband John Henry Bridge was committed to a mental hospital according to his 1910 census, but in the 1902 and 1904 Pittsburgh City Directory Mary Jemima is listed as a "widow" living with her brother Samuel Beecher.

No further census or other records can be found after 1904 for Mary Jemima, although we know she was alive in June 1923 listed as a survivor in her sister Emma's obituary. Therefore, it seems she married a second time.

No earlier records are found for Mary born 1865 before her 1910 census living as the wife of William Gordon.

This evidence suggests that Mary Jemima Beecher is actually the person who married William J. Gordon as her second husband, and there was not a second Mary Beecher born in 1865 since she was never mentioned in her father's census or will.

Since William J. Gordon (1861-1934) was 10+ years younger than Mary Jemima, when she first met him she may have told him she was younger than she was, which was easy to do in a time when there were no Social Security registrations, driver's licenses or other forms of ID.

It is possible William Gordon made a mistake about her birth year and/or age when he gave that information as the death certificate informant, leading us to think there is a second younger Mary.
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2. Census in 1850 in Manchester, Allegheny, PA. ⁸ William Bucher (two handwritten e's look like a u so was indexed wrong) is listed in the 1850 Census in Manchester as a carpenter, age 31, living with wife Isabella, 33; Emma, 5; and Mary, 3. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. His real estate is valued at $800.

3. Census in 1860 in Manchester, Allegheny, PA. ² William Beecher, master carpenter, 44, was living with wife Isabella, 42; Emma, 15; Mary, 12; and Henry, 9. William's real estate was valued at $5000 and person posessions $200. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. The post office was West Manchester.

4. Newspaper: Pittsburgh Press: The Beecher Will Admitted To Probate, 11 Feb 1897, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA. ⁷ Caveat Withdrawn.
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The Beecher Will Admitted to Probate
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Attorney William Blakeley has withdrawn the caveat filed a few days ago to the probate of the will of William Beecher, deceased. The will was presented this morning and admitted to probate. It makes certain small bequests to his children and makes his two daughters, Emma Louisa Nicholson and Mary Jemima Bridge, the residuary legatees.

5. Census in 1900 in Allegheny City, Allegheny, PA. ¹ The 1900 census recorded owning a home at 621 Rebecca St.: John H. Bridge, day laborer, 47, born Sep 1853, living with wife Mary J., 46, born Jan 1854; son Samuel B., salesman, 19, Aug 1881; and son John P., plumber's apprentice, 16, Feb 1884. John and Mary were married about 1879 and she had birthed 5 children by 1900, 2 still alive that year. Everyone and their parents were born in Pennsylvania except John H's parents in England.

6. Residence: Bridge Mary widow John rr 414 Avery Allegheny in 1902 in Allegheny City, Allegheny, PA. ⁹ Also in her home: Bridge Samuel B. clerk rr 414 Avery Allegheny
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7. Residence: Bridge Mary widow John rr 414 Avery Allegheny in 1904 in Allegheny City, Allegheny, PA. ¹⁰ Also in directory: Bridge Samuel B. bookkpr 119 3d av h 414 Avery Allegheny
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8. Newspaper: Post-Gazette: obituary of Mrs. Emma Nicholson, 3 Jun 1923, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA. ¹¹ Mr. Emma Nicholson. Mrs. Emma Beecher Nicholson, widow of Thomas P. Nicholson, died Friday in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Josepn Rocereto, 753 Mellon street. She was born in Pittsburgh and had resided here all her life. She was a member of Homewood Methodist Episcopal Church. She leaves three daughters, Mrs. Violet Page and Miss Hattie Nicholson and Mrs. Rocereto; a sister, Mrs. Mary Bridge, and nine grandchildren.

Mary married John Henry Bridge, son of Samuel Bridge and Ann, about 1879.¹ (John Henry Bridge was born on 4 Sep 1853 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA,^{1 12} died on 21 Feb 1944 in South Fayette Township, Allegheny, PA ¹² and was buried on 23 Feb 1944 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA.)