Kissing Cousins

I know that most families have at least one couple in their tree that along with being husband and wife also happen to be first cousins. Although, it may not have been too unusual a century or so ago, from today's viewpoint, it is still a shocking discovery.

I recently discovered just that sort of situation. The most shocking thing about the find is that is came from a side of the family that I would have never expected. The Wright's of Graves County, Kentucky, were by most accounts, very upstanding citizens. The local precinct was named after them, one donated the land and building for the community church (of which he served as pastor), one was a dentist, ect. So here is what I found...

William James Wright and Catherine Sibert were the parents of Josiah Thomas Wright. William's brother was Rev. Robert Thackston Wright. He and his wife, Eleanor Brame, had a daughter named Fredonia. When Fredonia was 23 years old she married her first cousin, Josiah Thomas Wright. He was 22.

Tragic Tuesday

While I was researching some of those that are buried in the Wright's Chapel Cemetery in Graves Co., Kentucky, I came across a death certificate that said Cause of Death: "Drowning Suicidal." Her name was Josephine "Josie" Stubblefield Jones.

Josie was the wife of Luther David Jones. He died on 24 Jul 1909. I emailed Bill Foy, a volunteer at the Graves County Library, to see if he could find out anything about her death. I received an email back with the following newspaper article attached.

It reads:

Mrs. Josie Jones Suicides By Drowning

Mrs. Josie Jones, living south of the city, near the home of J. T. George, was found dead early Sunday morning, where she has drowned herself in a pond some time during the latter part of the night.

It seems that she had walked into the water, which was about four feet deep, and took her life by holding her head under the water until life was extinct.

Her body was discovered by her brother and wife while making a search for her. The body was in a partial standing attitude.

Mrs. ones had been in slightly ill health for the past year, but had every appearance of enjoying the perfect health. She had not complained, but acted rather unconcerned and strangely for the past few days. She was about 36 years of age and was a daughter of Tandy Stubblefield, living west of Mayfield, where a big birthday dinner was given last Friday and which Mrs. Jones attended.

It is thought that she left her room sometime after midnight Saturday and walked to the pond. She had taken a braid off her head and laid it down near the water. The pond is near the house. 

She is survived by one son, Alton Jones, aged about 15 years.

The funeral will be held Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock at Wright's Chapel.

Coroners Verdict.

"We, the jury, find from the evidence that Mrs. L. L. Jones came to her death on the night of Sept. 11, 1915 by drowning herself in a pond. No person was present when it happened.

(Signed)
A. L. Wilson,
H. C. Warren,
G. O. McPherson,
B. T. Byrd,
R. L. Bennett,
S. A. Cross.
"Jury"
______________________________________

The question that is always wondered in these type of situations is, "Why?" It will probably never be answered. Maybe the stress of raising a teenage boy alone was too much to handle. Maybe other things were in play. Who really knows what a person is dealing with?

Lost In The Woods

Over Thanksgiving Break I began the process of restoring the Wright's Chapel Cemetery in Graves Co., Kentucky. It is located six miles northwest of Mayfield on Highway 80. The cemetery contains over 40 known burials.

Josiah McGehee Wright came to Graves County from Warren County, Kentucky, in 1837. He and his son, William James Wright, bought 480 acres of land four miles east of Fancy Farm. He was a devout Methodist and since there was no church nearby, he offered his home as a meeting place for the traveling circuit rider.

In 1845, a log schoolhouse was built in the neighborhood that had become known as the Wright's Chapel neighborhood. Two years later the church was officially organized and met in the schoolhouse. In 1866, a new church building was built. That same year Josiah McGehee Wright's son, Robert Thackston Wright, became the pastor of the church, a position he held for 65 years.

The schoolhouse and the church are all now long gone. All that remains is an abandoned cemetery that is... lost in the woods.