A Tale of Two Marys

 

Mary Thomas Bridges

(No photos are available for Mary Bridges Thomas)

The name Mary is a very popular name in the Thomas-Bridges family.  The name was especially popular in the pioneer days as it was the given name of many young ladies in several branches of the family that had settled in North Carolina and Virginia in the 1700s.  Looking at the family trees of the many cousins of Drury Bridges and James Thomas reveal several young ladies named Mary.

However, for this story, we are going to look at two specific Marys:  Mary the daughter of James Thomas and Mary the daughter of Drury Bridges What makes these two Marys somewhat unique and often confusing to family researchers is that these two Marys married siblings and actually “switched” their last names.  James’ daughter Mary Thomas married William Bridges, son of Drury Bridges and became Mary Bridges.  Drury’s daughter Mary Bridges married Starkie Thomas, son of James Thomas and became Mary Thomas.  These young ladies were sisters-in-law—Mary Thomas Bridges and Mary Bridges Thomas.

Mary Thomas was born on July 1, 1802 in Bertie County, North Carolina. She was the fifth of seven children of James Thomas and Mary Standley Thomas. Mary was named after her mother who was called Mollie by her father.  Mary was just four years old in 1806 when her family left their plantation on the Cashie River in North Carolina and headed west to Kentucky.  After a very long trek, the family settled in an area of western Kentucky about eight miles north of the Kentucky-Tennessee state line and about seven miles east of the Cumberland River.  James and his family constructed a one-room log cabin in the Donaldson Creek valley near what is now the Donaldson and Cadiz roads.

On July 6, 1820, five days after Mary Thomas had turned 18, she married William Bridges, the only surviving son of Drury Bridges and Charity Cohoon Bridges. Mary Thomas Bridges and William Bridges had twelve children, nine boys and three girls. The twelve children were Orren, born in 1821; Starkie, born in 1823; Simco, born in 1825; Drewry, born in 1827; Burnetta, born in 1830; James, born in 1832; William, Jr., born in 1834; Stanley, born in 1837; Mary Adeline, born in 1839; Charity, born in 1842; John (twin of Charity who died at birth, born in 1842; and Cullen, born in 1844.

Mary Thomas Bridges died on July 28, 1876 at the age of 74. She was buried in the William Bridges Cemetery in the Maple Grove Community of Trigg County, Kentucky.

Mary Bridges was born on July 25, 1807 in Trigg County, Kentucky.  Mary was the seventh and youngest child of Drury Bridges and Charity Cohoon Bridges. She was born in the original log cabin built by Drury on the north side of Beechy Fork Creek in the Maple Grove Community of Trigg (then Christian) County, Kentucky. Drury and his family had traveled from Edgecombe County, North Carolina in 1804 and Drury had acquired an 85 acre tract of land on Beechy Fork Creek where he built a log cabin. Eventually he acquired almost 700 acres on both side of Beechy fork Creek surrounding his original homestead.

On March 24, 1825, when Mary Bridges was 17, she married Starkie Thomas, the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Mary Bridges Thomas and Starkie Thomas had eleven children, eight boys and three girls.  The eleven children were William, born in 1825; Stanley, born in 1828; Adeline, born in 1830; James Jasper, born in 1833; Peachie, born in 1834 Francis Marion, born in 1839; Bluford, born in 1841; Perry Curlin, born in 1843; Starkie Armstead, born in 1844 and Mary Jane, born in 1847.

Mary Bridges Thomas died at the age of 83 on October 7, 1890 in the Oak Grove Community. She was buried in the Starkie Thomas Cemetery in the Oak Grove Community of Trigg County, Kentucky.

Although these two Marys were sister-in-laws, very little is known about their relationship. Since they were both born in July, did they celebrate their birthdays together? Or were birthdays not celebrated much in those days?  Since they both had large families, there is no doubt they had many family social occasions.   We do know that the inter-marriages of these two Thomas and Bridges families began a relationship that continues even today. And since both families had daughters named Mary, it is hoped that there was no confusion among the Marys at their family socials.

Tombstone of Mary Bridges Thomas

 Tombstone of Mary Thomas Bridges

LINEAGE:  (Mary Thomas was the daughter of James Thomas and Mary Standley Thomas.  Mary Bridges was the daughter of Drury Bridges and Charity Cohoon Bridges.