Mary M. Birdsall was born about 1835 in the state of New York, the only daughter of Egbert Benson Birdsall (1797-1845) and Mary Wilcox (1798-1849), both from New York state. They married after her father (a West Point Military Academy graduate) had served in the US Army several years. He was a career Army officer, who served in many frontier Army posts. She may have been born at the family home of either parent.
It is not clear whether the family accompanied Capt. Birdsall to few, or many, of his posts. Mary's only known sibling was a brother, John Sanford Birdsall (1837-1920 ), born at Ft. Towson, Indian Territory.
Their father's posts were in many frontier Army Forts, including Ft. Towson, Indian Territory; Ft. Armstrong, Illinois; Madison Barracks, New York; and Jackson Barracks, New Orleans. His last assignments were in Florida during the Second Seminole Wars, at Forts Picolate; Russell; Shannon; Micanopy; Brooke; and Marion Barracks.
Egbert Benson's last post was in Marion Barracks, Saint Augustine, Florida, and he died in Saint Augustine on March 4, 1845, after about 3 years on sick leave. Many military personnel in Florida during the Seminole Wars suffered from malaria.
As executor, Mary Wilcox Birdsall probated her husband's will in 1845, in St. Johns County, Florida. She died 4 years after her husband, on April 12, 1849 in East Bloomfield, NY; both parents' burial sites are unknown.
Mary was about 11 when her father died in 1845, and about 14-15 when her mother died in1849. It's not clear where she and her brother John, orphaned while minors, were raised to adulthood. Their maternal grandparents lived in E. Bloomfield, NY but In the 1850 US Censuses, Mary, then 15, was living with an Episcopal priest and his family in East Bloomfield, NY, and John was with a paternal cousin, John Birdsall Harris, in Grimes County, Texas.
In Houston in 1854, Mary M. Birdsall, 19, married John Wilson Stump II (1824-1867), 29. He was the son of John Wilson Stump "of Oakington" Manor, Harford County, MD and Sarah Jackson Biays, in Harford County, Maryland. According to family oral history, Mary was visiting her paternal aunt in Houston when the couple met. Her aunt was Jane Birdsall Harris, widow of John Richardson Harris (a settler with Stephen Austin's First Colony, Texas Territory, Republic of Mexico), who founded Harris County and Harrisburg (now part of Houston), Texas.
The couple lived in what is now downtown Houston until his death, and is said to have attended Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral. They had five children, but only the older two are known to have survived to adulthood:
Cassandra "Cassie" Norris Stump, 1855–1926
John Wilson Stump III, 1857–1925
Egbert Birdsall "Eddie" Stump, 1859–?
Sarah "Sallie" Biays Stump, 1861–?
Herman Williams Stump, 1864–1867
In Houston, John Wilson Stump worked to establish the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway (B.B.B. and C. Railway). He then was supervisor of the Houston Tap and Columbia Railway.
According to oral family history, John Wilson Stump died in 1867 at age 42 from a fall from his horse after he felt a "spell coming on" and was attempting to ride to his physician for a diagnosis. His burial site was in Houston but its whereabouts have been lost. Mary's youngest son Herman died 3 months after her husband's death. She was 33, a widow, with 4 living children. It's not clear where, or when, son Egbert or daughter Sarah died.
Also according to oral family history, Mary as a widow lost most of the large real estate holdings (which her husband had acquired) to unscrupulous characters, resulting in her financial difficulties. Her family and her husband's family disowned her and her children after she became pregnant by a man who "took advantage of her" naivete and lack of business knowledge. She gave birth to a daughter, Kate Stump, in 1870 but it's not clear where; Kate gave Florida as her place of birth in her Census records, but there is no record of Mary's having lived there as an adult. Mary and her children lived briefly with a family in Omaha, NE, during the 1870 Census.
Mary and her children moved to Galveston after Kate's birth, where Mary worked from home as a seamstress, and did fine needlework and embroidery to support her surviving children. Her oldest son, John Wilson Stump III, helped support her after he was grown, and married Sophia Ellen Schreier. Her older daughter Cassandra married William H. Bristol in Galveston. Kate married Felix Felix of Houston in 1897 and lived there. Mary continued to live with family members in Galveston and sometimes in Houston.
There is no record of Mary's whereabouts or her date or place of death, after about 1886. Some references to her death in 1918 have not been documented. Her burial site is still being researched.
It is not clear whether the family accompanied Capt. Birdsall to few, or many, of his posts. Mary's only known sibling was a brother, John Sanford Birdsall (1837-1920 ), born at Ft. Towson, Indian Territory.
Their father's posts were in many frontier Army Forts, including Ft. Towson, Indian Territory; Ft. Armstrong, Illinois; Madison Barracks, New York; and Jackson Barracks, New Orleans. His last assignments were in Florida during the Second Seminole Wars, at Forts Picolate; Russell; Shannon; Micanopy; Brooke; and Marion Barracks.
Egbert Benson's last post was in Marion Barracks, Saint Augustine, Florida, and he died in Saint Augustine on March 4, 1845, after about 3 years on sick leave. Many military personnel in Florida during the Seminole Wars suffered from malaria.
As executor, Mary Wilcox Birdsall probated her husband's will in 1845, in St. Johns County, Florida. She died 4 years after her husband, on April 12, 1849 in East Bloomfield, NY; both parents' burial sites are unknown.
Mary was about 11 when her father died in 1845, and about 14-15 when her mother died in1849. It's not clear where she and her brother John, orphaned while minors, were raised to adulthood. Their maternal grandparents lived in E. Bloomfield, NY but In the 1850 US Censuses, Mary, then 15, was living with an Episcopal priest and his family in East Bloomfield, NY, and John was with a paternal cousin, John Birdsall Harris, in Grimes County, Texas.
In Houston in 1854, Mary M. Birdsall, 19, married John Wilson Stump II (1824-1867), 29. He was the son of John Wilson Stump "of Oakington" Manor, Harford County, MD and Sarah Jackson Biays, in Harford County, Maryland. According to family oral history, Mary was visiting her paternal aunt in Houston when the couple met. Her aunt was Jane Birdsall Harris, widow of John Richardson Harris (a settler with Stephen Austin's First Colony, Texas Territory, Republic of Mexico), who founded Harris County and Harrisburg (now part of Houston), Texas.
The couple lived in what is now downtown Houston until his death, and is said to have attended Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral. They had five children, but only the older two are known to have survived to adulthood:
Cassandra "Cassie" Norris Stump, 1855–1926
John Wilson Stump III, 1857–1925
Egbert Birdsall "Eddie" Stump, 1859–?
Sarah "Sallie" Biays Stump, 1861–?
Herman Williams Stump, 1864–1867
In Houston, John Wilson Stump worked to establish the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway (B.B.B. and C. Railway). He then was supervisor of the Houston Tap and Columbia Railway.
According to oral family history, John Wilson Stump died in 1867 at age 42 from a fall from his horse after he felt a "spell coming on" and was attempting to ride to his physician for a diagnosis. His burial site was in Houston but its whereabouts have been lost. Mary's youngest son Herman died 3 months after her husband's death. She was 33, a widow, with 4 living children. It's not clear where, or when, son Egbert or daughter Sarah died.
Also according to oral family history, Mary as a widow lost most of the large real estate holdings (which her husband had acquired) to unscrupulous characters, resulting in her financial difficulties. Her family and her husband's family disowned her and her children after she became pregnant by a man who "took advantage of her" naivete and lack of business knowledge. She gave birth to a daughter, Kate Stump, in 1870 but it's not clear where; Kate gave Florida as her place of birth in her Census records, but there is no record of Mary's having lived there as an adult. Mary and her children lived briefly with a family in Omaha, NE, during the 1870 Census.
Mary and her children moved to Galveston after Kate's birth, where Mary worked from home as a seamstress, and did fine needlework and embroidery to support her surviving children. Her oldest son, John Wilson Stump III, helped support her after he was grown, and married Sophia Ellen Schreier. Her older daughter Cassandra married William H. Bristol in Galveston. Kate married Felix Felix of Houston in 1897 and lived there. Mary continued to live with family members in Galveston and sometimes in Houston.
There is no record of Mary's whereabouts or her date or place of death, after about 1886. Some references to her death in 1918 have not been documented. Her burial site is still being researched.
Mary M. Birdsall was born about 1835 in the state of New York, the only daughter of Egbert Benson Birdsall (1797-1845) and Mary Wilcox (1798-1849), both from New York state. They married after her father (a West Point Military Academy graduate) had served in the US Army several years. He was a career Army officer, who served in many frontier Army posts. She may have been born at the family home of either parent.
It is not clear whether the family accompanied Capt. Birdsall to few, or many, of his posts. Mary's only known sibling was a brother, John Sanford Birdsall (1837-1920 ), born at Ft. Towson, Indian Territory.
Their father's posts were in many frontier Army Forts, including Ft. Towson, Indian Territory; Ft. Armstrong, Illinois; Madison Barracks, New York; and Jackson Barracks, New Orleans. His last assignments were in Florida during the Second Seminole Wars, at Forts Picolate; Russell; Shannon; Micanopy; Brooke; and Marion Barracks.
Egbert Benson's last post was in Marion Barracks, Saint Augustine, Florida, and he died in Saint Augustine on March 4, 1845, after about 3 years on sick leave. Many military personnel in Florida during the Seminole Wars suffered from malaria.
As executor, Mary Wilcox Birdsall probated her husband's will in 1845, in St. Johns County, Florida. She died 4 years after her husband, on April 12, 1849 in East Bloomfield, NY; both parents' burial sites are unknown.
Mary was about 11 when her father died in 1845, and about 14-15 when her mother died in1849. It's not clear where she and her brother John, orphaned while minors, were raised to adulthood. Their maternal grandparents lived in E. Bloomfield, NY but In the 1850 US Censuses, Mary, then 15, was living with an Episcopal priest and his family in East Bloomfield, NY, and John was with a paternal cousin, John Birdsall Harris, in Grimes County, Texas.
In Houston in 1854, Mary M. Birdsall, 19, married John Wilson Stump II (1824-1867), 29. He was the son of John Wilson Stump "of Oakington" Manor, Harford County, MD and Sarah Jackson Biays, in Harford County, Maryland. According to family oral history, Mary was visiting her paternal aunt in Houston when the couple met. Her aunt was Jane Birdsall Harris, widow of John Richardson Harris (a settler with Stephen Austin's First Colony, Texas Territory, Republic of Mexico), who founded Harris County and Harrisburg (now part of Houston), Texas.
The couple lived in what is now downtown Houston until his death, and is said to have attended Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral. They had five children, but only the older two are known to have survived to adulthood:
Cassandra "Cassie" Norris Stump, 1855–1926
John Wilson Stump III, 1857–1925
Egbert Birdsall "Eddie" Stump, 1859–?
Sarah "Sallie" Biays Stump, 1861–?
Herman Williams Stump, 1864–1867
In Houston, John Wilson Stump worked to establish the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway (B.B.B. and C. Railway). He then was supervisor of the Houston Tap and Columbia Railway.
According to oral family history, John Wilson Stump died in 1867 at age 42 from a fall from his horse after he felt a "spell coming on" and was attempting to ride to his physician for a diagnosis. His burial site was in Houston but its whereabouts have been lost. Mary's youngest son Herman died 3 months after her husband's death. She was 33, a widow, with 4 living children. It's not clear where, or when, son Egbert or daughter Sarah died.
Also according to oral family history, Mary as a widow lost most of the large real estate holdings (which her husband had acquired) to unscrupulous characters, resulting in her financial difficulties. Her family and her husband's family disowned her and her children after she became pregnant by a man who "took advantage of her" naivete and lack of business knowledge. She gave birth to a daughter, Kate Stump, in 1870 but it's not clear where; Kate gave Florida as her place of birth in her Census records, but there is no record of Mary's having lived there as an adult. Mary and her children lived briefly with a family in Omaha, NE, during the 1870 Census.
Mary and her children moved to Galveston after Kate's birth, where Mary worked from home as a seamstress, and did fine needlework and embroidery to support her surviving children. Her oldest son, John Wilson Stump III, helped support her after he was grown, and married Sophia Ellen Schreier. Her older daughter Cassandra married William H. Bristol in Galveston. Kate married Felix Felix of Houston in 1897 and lived there. Mary continued to live with family members in Galveston and sometimes in Houston.
There is no record of Mary's whereabouts or her date or place of death, after about 1886. Some references to her death in 1918 have not been documented. Her burial site is still being researched.
It is not clear whether the family accompanied Capt. Birdsall to few, or many, of his posts. Mary's only known sibling was a brother, John Sanford Birdsall (1837-1920 ), born at Ft. Towson, Indian Territory.
Their father's posts were in many frontier Army Forts, including Ft. Towson, Indian Territory; Ft. Armstrong, Illinois; Madison Barracks, New York; and Jackson Barracks, New Orleans. His last assignments were in Florida during the Second Seminole Wars, at Forts Picolate; Russell; Shannon; Micanopy; Brooke; and Marion Barracks.
Egbert Benson's last post was in Marion Barracks, Saint Augustine, Florida, and he died in Saint Augustine on March 4, 1845, after about 3 years on sick leave. Many military personnel in Florida during the Seminole Wars suffered from malaria.
As executor, Mary Wilcox Birdsall probated her husband's will in 1845, in St. Johns County, Florida. She died 4 years after her husband, on April 12, 1849 in East Bloomfield, NY; both parents' burial sites are unknown.
Mary was about 11 when her father died in 1845, and about 14-15 when her mother died in1849. It's not clear where she and her brother John, orphaned while minors, were raised to adulthood. Their maternal grandparents lived in E. Bloomfield, NY but In the 1850 US Censuses, Mary, then 15, was living with an Episcopal priest and his family in East Bloomfield, NY, and John was with a paternal cousin, John Birdsall Harris, in Grimes County, Texas.
In Houston in 1854, Mary M. Birdsall, 19, married John Wilson Stump II (1824-1867), 29. He was the son of John Wilson Stump "of Oakington" Manor, Harford County, MD and Sarah Jackson Biays, in Harford County, Maryland. According to family oral history, Mary was visiting her paternal aunt in Houston when the couple met. Her aunt was Jane Birdsall Harris, widow of John Richardson Harris (a settler with Stephen Austin's First Colony, Texas Territory, Republic of Mexico), who founded Harris County and Harrisburg (now part of Houston), Texas.
The couple lived in what is now downtown Houston until his death, and is said to have attended Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral. They had five children, but only the older two are known to have survived to adulthood:
Cassandra "Cassie" Norris Stump, 1855–1926
John Wilson Stump III, 1857–1925
Egbert Birdsall "Eddie" Stump, 1859–?
Sarah "Sallie" Biays Stump, 1861–?
Herman Williams Stump, 1864–1867
In Houston, John Wilson Stump worked to establish the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway (B.B.B. and C. Railway). He then was supervisor of the Houston Tap and Columbia Railway.
According to oral family history, John Wilson Stump died in 1867 at age 42 from a fall from his horse after he felt a "spell coming on" and was attempting to ride to his physician for a diagnosis. His burial site was in Houston but its whereabouts have been lost. Mary's youngest son Herman died 3 months after her husband's death. She was 33, a widow, with 4 living children. It's not clear where, or when, son Egbert or daughter Sarah died.
Also according to oral family history, Mary as a widow lost most of the large real estate holdings (which her husband had acquired) to unscrupulous characters, resulting in her financial difficulties. Her family and her husband's family disowned her and her children after she became pregnant by a man who "took advantage of her" naivete and lack of business knowledge. She gave birth to a daughter, Kate Stump, in 1870 but it's not clear where; Kate gave Florida as her place of birth in her Census records, but there is no record of Mary's having lived there as an adult. Mary and her children lived briefly with a family in Omaha, NE, during the 1870 Census.
Mary and her children moved to Galveston after Kate's birth, where Mary worked from home as a seamstress, and did fine needlework and embroidery to support her surviving children. Her oldest son, John Wilson Stump III, helped support her after he was grown, and married Sophia Ellen Schreier. Her older daughter Cassandra married William H. Bristol in Galveston. Kate married Felix Felix of Houston in 1897 and lived there. Mary continued to live with family members in Galveston and sometimes in Houston.
There is no record of Mary's whereabouts or her date or place of death, after about 1886. Some references to her death in 1918 have not been documented. Her burial site is still being researched.
Gravesite Details
Gravesite is not known. Likely in Houston or Galveston, Texas.
Family Members
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