Martha Elizabeth Bobbitt

1846 - Yes, date unknown

• Name	Martha Elizabeth Bobbitt  [1, 2]
  Born	May 1846	Gibson Co., TN, USA   [2]
  Gender	Female
  Census	24 Sep 1870	Starrville, Smith Co., TX, USA   [3]
  R1605P55S#366
  Gentry Bobbit 21 farm laborer personal $295 TN Susan 20 TN Martha Bobbit 58 TN Joseph McMurray 24 farm laborer personal $175 AL Martha 26 TN Axa 3/12 TX
  Census	23 Jun 1880	Wills Point, Van Zandt Co., TX, USA   [2]
  ED121P44S#69, Pct. 3, Family No., 71
  P. B. Sprague 38 shoemaker VA NY VT Mattie 34 wife TN TN TN Achisah?? McMurray 9 stepdtr TX TX TN Jessie E. Sprague 3 dtr TX VA TN Bennie E. Sprague male[sic] dtr[crossed out] 3/12 TX VA TN
  Died	Yes, date unknown
  Buried	Y  [3]
  	From Jane Sanderman Mason, correspondent, note of 23 February 2020 ALERT: A number of ancestry.com family trees report Martha Elizabeth died in Dallas on 1 Aug 1914 giving the following as their source - Texas Death Index Name: Elizabeth Sprague Death Date: 1 Aug 1914 Death County: Dallas Certificate: 16310 Researching that I find this is an error. This Elizabeth was 7yo with parent's George and Minnie (Schwartz) Sprague.
  Notes	From Jane Sanderman Mason, correspondent, note of 11 February 2020 Dallas City Directory (Texas) 1889: Sprague Martha E. (wid P.B.) boarding house 1045 Elm bt St.Paul, S. Harwood 1896: Sprague Martha E (Mrs. P.B.) propres Shuford house 153 Patterson av Sprague P. Bernard r 153 Patterson av 1897: Sprague Burnie E. Miss bds 163 San Jacinto Sprague Martha E. (Mrs. P.B.) boarding house 163 San Jacinto Sprague Persho B boot shoemkr 430 Ross av r same Sprague P. Bernard r 163 San Jacinto Sprague William G. messenger M K Spray tel office h 163 San Jacinto 1900: Sprague Percy B. saloon 192 Ross av r same ===== Dallas City Directory (Texas) 1889: Sprague Martha E. (wid P.B.) boarding house 1045 Elm bt St.Paul, S. Harwood 1889: King Thomas R carp bds Mrs. M. E. Sprague ===== Dallas City Directory (Texas) 1902: Sprague Martha E (wid P. B.) r 268 Thomas av 1903: Sprague Martha E (wid P. B.) bds 158 Leonard 1904: Sprague Martha E (wid P. B.) h 268 Thomas av 1904: Sprague George B helper Dallas News h 268 Thomas [2] (Research): From Jane Sanderman Mason, correspondent, note of 29 February 2020 I am unable to determine what happened to Martha after 1904. I am not alone in this. There is much confusion in genealogy land re the true facts of her life. Of statistical interest (to me): 80 family trees on ancestry.com under the name of Martha Elizabeth Bobbitt 15 are private so a total 65 trees. Of the 65 trees, 13 report she died 1 Aug 1914. Of the 65 trees, 44 reported her parents were Stephen J. and Lucy Ann (Holt) Bobbitt Of the 65 trees, 3 reported her parents were John Stephen and Martha (Glenn) Bobbitt Of the 65 trees many reported Martha's marriage to Joseph McMurray and/or Persho Sprague. Only 1 reported her 3rd marriage to Thomas R. King. I was worried that I had been accurate that she is not the woman referenced by so many who died 1 Aug 1914 that I went back and rechecked. She is not. Texas Death Index Name: Elizabeth Sprague Death Date: 1 Aug 1914 Death County: Dallas Certificate: 16310 Texas Death Certificate Dallas County No.16310 Name: Elizabeth Sprague Gender: Female Race: White Age: 7y 9m 0d Birth Date: 31 Oct 1914[sic] Birth Place: Oak Cliff Death Date: 1 Aug 1914 Death Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA Father: Geo A Sprague, b Minn. Mother: Minnie Schwartz, b Minn Informant: Mrs. G. A. Sprague Burial: Oak Cliff Cemetery, Dallas Earlier I sent in the reasons I felt John Stephen and Martha (Glen) were Martha's parents, particularly the 1870 census showing Martha and 1st husband Joseph McMurray living with her mother and brother. 1870 Texas Smith county Starrville R1605P55S#366 24Sept Gentry Bobbit 21 farm laborer personal $295 TN Susan 20 TN Martha Bobbit 58 TN Joseph McMurray 24 farm laborer personal $175 AL Martha 26 TN Axa 3/12 TX [4]
  Person ID	I450262	Sprague Family History on Guild
  Last Modified	7 Mar 2020

  
  

  Father	John Stephen Bobbitt,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Martha Glenn,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	Abt 29 Feb 1836	Williamson Co., TN, USA   [2]
  	Tennessee Marriage Record Williamson County License issued 29th Day of February A.D.1836. John Bobbitt to Martha Glenn I solemnized the rite of matrimony between the __ within mentioned on the 3rd of March 1836.  Theo D. Porter [5]
  Family ID	F167029	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Joseph Polk McMurry,   b. 23 Dec 1844, Lauderdale Co., AL, USA ,   d. 5 May 1872  (Age 27 years)
  Married	13 Aug 1868	Smith Co., TX, USA   [2]
  	Texas Marriage Index Name: Martha E. Bobbitt Gender: Female Marriage Date: 13 Aug 1868 Marriage Place: Smith, Texas, USA Spouse: P. T. McMurray [2]
  Children	1. Achsah McMurry,   b. 8 Jul 1870, TX, USA ,   d. 27 Mar 1895  (Age 24 years)
  Last Modified	25 Feb 2020
  Family ID	F167023	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Persho Bela Sprague,   b. 15 Sep 1842, Brasher Center, St. Lawrence Co., NY, USA ,   d. 3 Mar 1916, Edgewood, Van Zandt Co., TX, USA  (Age 73 years)
  Married	22 Oct 1876	Van Zandt Co., TX, USA   [1, 2, 4]
  	Texas Marriage Index Name: Mrs. Martha E. McMurray Marriage Date: 22 Oct 1876 Marriage Place: Van Zandt, Texas, USA Spouse: P. B. Sprague ===== Dallas Morning News (Texas) 23 Sept 1899 p8 Divorce Case 18.320 P. B. Sprague vs. M. E. Sprague [2]
  Children	1. Jessie Idell Sprague,   b. 25 Sep 1877, Wills Point, Van Zandt Co., TX, USA ,   d. 27 Mar 1965, Los Angeles Co., CA, USA  (Age 87 years)   2. Bernard E. Sprague,   b. 31 Mar 1880, Houston, Harris Co., TX, USA ,   d. 7 Nov 1930, Houston, Harris Co., TX, USA  (Age 50 years)   3. William Gentry Sprague,   b. 23 Sep 1881, TX, USA ,   d. 30 Mar 1962  (Age 80 years)   4. George H. Bernard Sprague,   b. Abt 1885,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	7 Mar 2020
  Family ID	F165128	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 3	Thomas R. King,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	15 Sep 1899	Dallas Co., TX, USA
  	ancestry,com "Kathi Appelt Family Tree" posted by Nick Cimino is the only family tree that reports Martha next married Thomas R. King. Marriage: 15 September 1899, Dallas county "Marriage performed by J. T. Toof, Pastor of Commerce Street Christian Church" Thomas had been boarding at Martha's boarding house on Elm Street. The marriage did not last and it appears Martha returned to using the surname Sprague. Weekly Times-Herald (Dallas Texas) Saturday 31 May 1890 p1 Judge Burke's Court Suits Filed...Martha E. King vs Thomas R. King, divorce. ===== Weekly Times-Herald (Dallas Texas) Saturday 14 June 1890 p1 Judge Tucker's Court Martha E. King vs Thomas R. King: divorce granted as prayed for.
  Last Modified	1 Mar 2020
  Family ID	F167456	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Census - R1605P55S#366 - 24 Sep 1870 - Starrville, Smith Co., TX, USA Census - ED121P44S#69, Pct. 3, Family No., 71 - 23 Jun 1880 - Wills Point, Van Zandt Co., TX, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S28] Correspondent: Mason, Jane Sanderman, note of October 4, 2019. [S28] Correspondent: Mason, Jane Sanderman, note of 11 February 2020. [S28] Correspondent: Mason, Jane Sanderman, note of 23 February 2020. [S28] Correspondent: Mason, Jane Sanderman, note of 29 February 2020. [S28] Correspondent: Mason, Jane Sanderman, note of 25 February 2020.