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Sunday, May 24, 2009

1843 :: Mary Alexandrien Lemaire


On this date in our family history . . . the 24th day of May . . . in the year 1843 . . . Mary Alexandrien Lemaire is born in Liberty County, the Republic of Texas . . . aka Nellie . . . aka Alex . . . this baby girl grew up to marry Samuel Houston Sharp . . . and they had several children . . . one of whom was the great-grandma of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . 


A Texas Historical Marker at the Hall Cemetery in Houston County, Texas indicates that the earliest marked grave is that of this Mary A. Sharp (1843-1876) . . . the historical marker is located on FM 229, 10.9 miles NW of Crockett . . . although the fact that our Nellie had a tombstone is documented on this historical marker, as well as in a 1962 deposition given by one of Nellie's daughters, no evidence has been found of the location of her grave . . .






Hall Cemetery. Joshua James Hall (1790-1871) gave a portion of his land on this site about a mile from his homestead to be used as a burial ground. Hall Cemetery was already in use when freedmen French Taylor (1842-1937), Bob Denby, & Alf Warfield petitioned Hall for permission to bury their dead in the graveyard. Hall agreed, & the cemetery was used by both Anglo & African American Settlers. The earliest marked grave is that of MARY A. SHARP (1843-1876). Hall Cemetery had several owners during the 20th century. A 1997 count revealed 29 marked & more than 105 unmarked graves. Descendants of early settlers continue to care for & maintain the land. (1998).




Sketchy family lore says that Nellie's father was a French gentleman by the name of Mr. Lemaire . . . sometimes written as Lamar (see further discussion below) . . . 

Nellie's mother, Elizabeth A. Lemaire Beale nee Waring, was born ca.1824-1827 in Maryland . . . she is the daughter of Edward Gantt Waring and his wife (and 2nd cousin), Catherine Ann (Kitty) Waring nee Waring . . .





  • On the 1850 census, Nellie's mother is enumerated as E.A. Lemarre with the head of household being Kitty Waring (mother of E.A. Lemarre)
  • In 1860 Nellie's mother is indexed as Elizabeth Beale
  • Throughout 1865 and 1866, Nellie's mother is mentioned frequently in the Civil War-era journal of James Madison Hall (1819-1866) . . . always referred to as Mrs. Beale
  • In 1870 Nellie's mother is enumerated as Elizabeth A. Beale
  • 10 June 1871 :: Deed from C. L. Cleveland to Elizabeth A. Beale . . . this is the last known mention found of her name . . . her date and place of death is unknown




The story passed down through the generations indicated that it was believed that Nellie's father died under suspicious circumstances on a voyage to or from France . . . is he the Alexander Lemaire mentioned below? . . . the few details I have found on the following Alexander tend to "fit" with the few details we have on Nellie's father . . .


France is the first European power to recognize the independence of the Texas Republic. A treaty is proclaimed between France and the Republic of Texas in 1840, and continues until 1846. A French chargé or minister is sent to the Republic, and plans are made for sending French colonists to Texas.






  • Google Books. The Living Age (1845). Shipwreck of the Delphine. Regarding the captain of the ship that A. LEMAIRE last sailed on . . . translated from the French. . . . We sailed from Havre for Valparaiso on the 30th March, 1840, in the ship Delphine, CAPTAIN COISY, with a crew of sixteen sailors and four passengers. . . . Those on board of her were not strangers; they were CAPTAIN COISY, Lieutenant Lepine, our sailors and companions, who came to deliver us and bring us provisions. . . .

  • Google Books. Annual Report of the American Historical Association (1911) . . . 26 April 1842. A. de Saligny, Legation de France au Texas, to Hon. Anson Jones, Secretary of State. [Announcing the appointment of ALEXANDER LEMAIRE consular agent of France at Liberty, and asking orders for his recognition by the Texan authorities.] . . . 2 June 1842. Hon. Anson Jones, Secretary of State to Saligny. [Transmitting exequatur of ALEXANDER LAMAR, consular agent of France for "Liberty County," and of F. Guilbeau, consular agent of France for San Antonio.]

  • Google Books. The French Legation in Texas (1971). Vol. 1* contains chiefly the diplomatic and private correspondence, between 1839 and 1842, of A. Dubois de Saligny, Chargé d'affaires of the French Legation in Texas. . . . MR. ALEXANDER LEMAIRE, former student at the Agricultural Institute at . . . with necessary information on events taking place in various parts of Texas . . . and ALEXANDER LEMAIRE for the new agencies at San Antonio, Matagorda . . . Ten or eleven months ago MR. LEMAIRE, who had been named for the post at Liberty on the Trinity, embarked at Galveston on the brig Amanda (under CAPTAIN COISY from Havre) for France to look after his affairs. It was learned that the Amanda was forced to put into port at Bermuda for repairs. However, since she put to sea again she has not . . . [*If you have access to this book, I would love to know what the entire text says about Lemaire. I am only able to view a few brief clips at Google Books.]

  • Found online . . . regarding the ship that A. LEMAIRE last sailed on . . . Google Books. History of Thomaston, Rockland, and South Thomaston, Maine . . . Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost. John 6,12. (1865) . . . Nathan Robinson, lost at sea in BRIG AMANDA, 1843.

  • Found online . . . regarding the ship that A. LEMAIRE last sailed on . . . Google Books. Annals of the Town of Warren; With the Early History of St. George's, Broad Bay, and the Neighboring Settlements on the Waldo Patent. (1851). The town of Warren, in the county of Lincoln, State of Maine, . . . Capt. William James Lermond, b. July 18, 1813; sailed in THE BRIG AMANDA from N.O., in March, 1843, and with his vessel was never heard from. . . .

  • Google Books. The French in Texas: History, Migration and Culture . . . Upon the death of LEMAIRE, the French consul of the town of Liberty, Cramayel chose not to replace him, declaring: "Liberty is only a hamlet in the interior of a region that has no direct commerce with foreign countries. In the surrounding area there are only about thirty French residents, widely scattered, & living in a situation close to destitution." . . .





  • 1840 :: there is a Samuel F. Lunier on the Liberty County tax list . . . is he some kin to Alexander?
  • 24 May 1843 :: Mary Alexandrien Lemaire is born in Liberty County, Texas
  • 1846 :: there is a Lamiel (Samuel?) Lanier on the Liberty County tax list
  • 27 March 1848 :: there is a Samuel Laimer (b. 1826) who arrives in New York from Le Havre, France
  • 1850 :: Mr. (Alexander?) Lemaire is NOT listed on the Liberty County, Census with his wife and daughter
  • ca. 1852 :: The "widow" Lemaire marries John S. Beale . . . according to family lore, there was speculation that this Mr. Beale might have had some involvement in Mr. Lemaire's disappearance . . . but ongoing research is indicating that he actually disappeared at sea along with an entire shipload of people
  • 1850 Liberty County Census :: looks like Mary A. Lemarre (indexed as Lamane)
  • 1860 Liberty County Census :: enumerated as Mary A. Lamire
  • 11 July 1861 :: listed as Mary Alexandrien Lamier in the Journal of James Madison Hall when he writes about her marriage to his step-brother / brother-in-law, Samuel H. Sharp
  • 13 March 1862 :: JMH refers to her as Alexandrien
  • 20 & 22 March 1862 :: JMH refers to her as Alex
  • 17 & 30 April 1862 & thereafter :: JMH refers to her as Nellie
  • 7 October 1862 :: Nellie Sharp is a witness for the will of J. M. Hall
  • 15 January 1863 :: JMH refers to her as Mary A. Sharp familiarally called Nellie . . . thereafter he calls her simply Nellie
  • 1870 Houston County Census :: enumerated as Mary A. Sharp
  • 10 October 1876 :: Mary A. Sharp dies, and is buried in the Hall Cemetery in Houston County, Texas . . . she is survived by her mother, her husband and six children, and her mother-in-law, Mahala Lee Sharp Hall nee Roberts




Lamarre :: French: habitational name from any of the places in Normandy called La Mare, from Old Northern French mare ‘pool’, ‘pond’ (Old Norse marr).

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4



F
Mary Alexandrien Lemaire
Lamane (on census /index)/
Mary A. /Lamaire/
LaMire /LaMar/, Lemarre, LeMire
Mary A. /Lamar/
Mary Alexandrien /Lamar/
Nellie /Lamar/
Mary Alexandrien /Lamier/
Nellie /Lamier/
Mary A. /Lamire/
Alex /LeMire/
Mary Alexandrien /LeMire/
Mary A. /Sharp/

  • Born on 24 May 1843 - Liberty County, Texas
  • Died on 10 October 1876 - Houston County, Texas
  • Buried after 10 October 1876 - Hall Family Cemetery, Houston County, Texas
  • Age at death: 33 years old
Parents
  • Alexander ? Lemaire +ca 1843
  • Elizabeth A. Waring ca 1824-1871/
Marriage and children
  • Married on 11 July 1861, Liberty, Liberty County, Texas, to Samuel Houston Sharp ca 1839-ca 1885, with
    • James Hall 1863-1936
    • Infant 1864-1864
    • Samuel Houston 1867-1921
    • Margaret Elizabeth 1869-1935
    • Ida Mae 1871-1964
    • Berta Mary 1873-1955
    • Willie /1876-ca 1885

Notes -- as per Aunt Ida (Sharp) Halyard . . . My mother, Mary Alexandren Lamar Sharp, was born in France [sic] & was of French extraction, but I know nothing about her family history, except that she owned land on the Robeson Survey, Liberty County, Texas, & I still own my inherited interest in this land. My mother died when I was four years old, & is buried in the Hall Cemetery on the old Hall Plantation on Elkhart Creek, where I was born. There is a marker at her grave.




2 comments:

JamaGenie said...

Not many have ancestors who were the first burial in a cemetery. A lonely distinction, although I doubt Mary was aware of being alone! And what a lot of information you have! Congratulations!

Beth Niquette said...

Thank you so much for visiting. I find your blog to be fascinating! Thank you for dropping by, you can be sure I'll be back again here. ((hugs))

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