I have a mystery on my hands. Well, okay, I admit I have lots of mysteries, but this is today’s mystery.
Exactly who was Mary Brawdeway (Broadway) who married John Dulworth on 2 December 1803 in Knox County, Tennessee?
I have written about the Dulworth family, but I have never put the spotlight entirely on Mary, who left only a handful of clues. Here they are:
- In 1850, she reported that she was 75 years old, thus born c1775, and from South Carolina.
- Many list Broadway as Mary’s maiden name, but I don’t believe that was so for two reasons and they are both children. Peggy Broadway was born c1796, in NORTH CAROLINA, if the 1850 census is correct, and married (1) Thomas Robinson on 23 December 1813 in Knox County, Tennessee. Thomas Robinson died soon, as Peggy Robinson married (2) John A. Smith, 26 August 1815, Knox County, Tennessee. (3) John Henry, 13 July 1849, Lawrence County, Indiana. She died after 1850, last found living with her family in Iroquois County, Illinois.
- Louvina Broadway was born c1800, Tennessee, and married John Rush, c1820. The 1820 census shows John Rush with one adult female in the household, both 16-25, with no children. They appear to be newlyweds. Louvina and John rush both died 1870-1880, probably in Cumberland County, Kentucky, where they were living. I have seen references to these young ladies being called Dulworth, but I believe that is because John Dulworth would have been their stepfather and the man who raised them. The Broadway surname is non-existent in early Knox County records. With the connection to the Dulworths, it appears they are Mary’s daughters by a previous marriage.
- Mary Broadway left John Dulworth and settled in Cumberland County, Kentucky. I have found no evidence that John ever left Knox County, Tennessee. Mary married (3) Solomon Prewitt on 4 November 1840, per information in his pension application as a soldier of the American Revolution. Mary died sometime after 16 February 1853, when she is last mentioned in it.
- I can find no other mention of any surname close to Broadway/Brawdway/Bradway in Knox County, Tennessee records between 1790-1820.
- The 1790 census of South Carolina has only one Broadway entry, that of Charles Broadway who lived in Laurens County, South Carolina. This Broadway family was good sized with 4 males over the age of 16, 5 males under 16 and 3 females. Charles Broadway certainly had some young men who might have married c1795. By 1800, Charles was gone, but I find Alexander Braudway, 0001-2001, and William Braudway, 1001-2001, in Laurens County, South Carolina. Some of the family obviously went on the move unless they all died.
- If Peggy Broadway Robinson Smith Henry was correct about being born in North Carolina, that opens up another entire can of worms. Laurens County, South Carolina is nowhere near the border with North Carolina. In 1790, there were 4 Broadways listed in the North Carolina census. First, there is Eliza Bradway in Franklin County, Gracy Broadaway in Anson County, and both James and Jesse in Craven County. Of those four, Anson County is the only one that borders South Carolina. Gracy had three males over 16 and seven females in the household. This looks like a real possibility to check out because, while Gracy was gone in 1800, John and William BRAUDAWAY both appear in Anson County. Mary’s name on her 1803 marriage record was spelled BRAWDEWAY. Both spellings indicate that they may have pronounced the name as Broad-a-way.
- If Mary (MNU) Broadway was born in South Carolina and married there, she might have been from either Lancaster or Chesterfield Counties, South Carolina, as they both have borders with Anson County, North Carolina.
NOTE: Although my husband hasn’t had any matches to Broadway kin who have trees, I have found two or three cousins in the Dulworth side of the family who have matches to Broadways in Anson County, North Carolina! I may be on to something here.
That’s it for all the clues, but I think I am going to look into the Braudeway/Broadway/Braudaway family in Anson County, North Carolina. If you have any other suggestions, please share them. 🙂