Scratching my ‘Head’

Many researchers have my ancestor, Louisa Catherine (married to James J. Evans), maiden name listed as Head and that she is the daughter of Ira Head. This was concluded when Ira Head’s estate document was discovered and it listed ‘Louiza Head’ as an heir. This is the only documentation that I know of that suggests who her father was. According to Louisa’s headstone she was born on 16 Jul 1851. Census records for Louisa also support her year of birth as being 1851. Louisa’s father, Ira Head, was married twice; 1^st to Mary Campbell and 2^nd to Mary Martin. The marriage record of Ira Head and Mary Martin shows that they married on 27 Nov 1853 in Sullivan County, Missouri. Because of their marriage date being after the date of Louisa’s birth, many believe that Ira Head’s first wife, Mary Campbell is the biological mother of Louisa. An old letter written by Marion Falconer, a great-granddaughter of Ruth Leathers, stated that Mary Campbell-Head died very shortly after the family arrived in Missouri [Rollie Campbell]. According to family tradition of Theophilus Head (a son of Ira Head and Mary Campbell), the party left Knox County, Kentucky and headed for Missouri on 24 Aug 1853, the day after he and his wife were married [Rollie Campbell]. We can reasonably conclude from the above statements that Ira Head’s first wife died sometime between 24 Aug 1853 and 27 Nov 1853. Apparently, Ira Head married his 2^nd wife, Mary Martin, shortly after his first wife passed away. I think a closer look needs to be taken at some items that might dispute Ira Head’s first wife, Mary Campbell, as being the mother of Louisa. I feel that everything that I have uncovered so far leads to the possibility that Mary Martin was indeed Louisa’s mother.

The following is a list of my research notes regarding Louisa:

1. Louisa's marriage bond to James J. Evans, recorded in Pineville, Bell County, Kentucky on 06 Jan 1865, states her name as Louisa Martin and the surety was Marion Martin (a son of Mary Martin, born 12 Sep 1847, father unknown, not listed as a heir on Ira Head’s estate document). Note: We need to ask why Louisa went by the maiden name Martin and not Head.

2. Louisa named her first son Marion Francis, obviously after Mary Martin’s first son--his full name is Marion Francis Martin. Note: The relationship between Louisa and Marion Francis Martin appears to have been close.

3. After Ira Head died in Missouri, Mary Martin-Head married William K. Evans and then returned to Kentucky with only 4 of Ira Head's children: (1) Louisa (2) James Marion, (3) Mary, and (4) Martin [Mary Martin being the definite mother of the last three children listed]. Ira Head’s other children from his 1^st marriage to Mary Campbell all remained in Missouri. Note: Why would Mary Martin-Head-Evans return to Kentucky with only one child of Ira Head & Mary Campbell and not any others? Why didn’t Louisa stay with a brother or sister in Missouri if she wasn’t Mary Martin’s daughter?

4. Per the 1870 Bell County, Kentucky census, William & Mary (Martin-Head) Evans’ household is reported as follows:

Pineville District #6; Page 259; Dwelling # 005-004

Name Sex Age POB

Note: Louisa's last name is listed as MARTIN along with Mary Martin’s first son, Marion, whereas the other 3 children of Ira Head and Mary Martin are listed as HEAD. I do not believe the census taker made a mistake. Louisa obviously went by the last name Martin but we need to ask again… Why would Louisa go by the last name Martin if she was the daughter of Ira Head & Mary Campbell?

Evans William K. M 45 KY

“ Mary F 46 VA

“ Margaret F 18 KY

“ John D. M 16 KY

“ Shelton M 14 KY

“ James G. M 11 KY

Martin Marion F. M 22 KY

“ Louisa F 18 KY

Head James M 15 MO

“ Mary F 14 MO

“ Martin M 11 MO

5. In an interview conducted by my self in Jan 2000 with Paris “Doc” Evans (a grandson of Louisa and also my mother’s Uncle), “Doc” Evans stated the following:

Ø Louisa’s maiden name was Martin and she was the daughter of Mary Martin.

Ø Doc was 24 years of age when his grandmother, Louisa, passed away and he knew her personally.

Ø Doc’s relatives, Bertha Head and James Evans, were FULL 2^nd cousins that had married. Bertha Head is a descendant of Martin Head – son of Ira Head & Mary Martin. James Evans is a descendant of Louisa & James J. Evans and a brother of Doc Evans. Note: In order for these two to be FULL 2^nd cousins as stated by Uncle “Doc”, then Louisa would have to be a daughter of Ira Head & Mary Martin.

Although I have been unable to locate any definite proof of which wife of Ira Head was the natural mother of Louisa; it does appear to me that everything stated above strongly suggests that Louisa was the illegitimate daughter of Mary Martin & Ira Head. This unproven theory would thus explain all of the above questionable items (see summary below) and support the fact that Ira Head married so soon after the death of his first wife. Of course, we may never know who was Louisa’s natural mother and everyone is entitled to come to his or her own conclusion. I welcome any thoughts, comments or additional statements that may strengthen or disprove any of the items regarding this unsolved mystery.

SUMMARY

Theory of Louisa being the illegitimate daughter of Ira Head & Mary Martin, if ever proven, would thus explain the following:

1. Supports why she went by the maiden name Martin instead of Head – She was born a Martin!

2. Supports why her birth year is before the marriage date of Ira Head & Mary Martin – She was born out of wedlock!

3. Supports why she left Missouri and went to Kentucky with Mary Martin-Head-Evans – She was her daughter!

4. Supports (1) why her relationship to Marion Francis Martin was a close one, (2) why he was her the surety on her marriage bond, and (3) why she named her first son after him – He was the only sibling she knew for the first three years of her childhood and was likely closer to him then the others!

5. Supports why Ira Head married Mary Martin so soon after the death of his 1^st wife, Mary Campbell – Mary Martin was his mistress and had already born one child of his!

6. Supports why Mary Martin migrated to Missouri although she was not married and had two young children plus no other kin related to her went to Missouri that I can determine – She followed Ira Head to Missouri because she was his mistress and had already born one child of his. If you analyze the migration trends of Ira Head & Mary Martin, you will find they are identical in every aspect: (1) Both Ira Head and Mary Martin were born in VA, (2) both moved to Knox Co, KY approximately the same time, (3) both moved to Sullivan Co, MO the same time, (4) Mary Martin appears in the household of William Martin in the 1850 Knox Co, Census near Ira Head, and (5) there is a William Martin & Ira Head listed in the 1830 & 1840 Scott Co, VA Census records!

7. Supports why Louisa is listed on Ira Head’s estate document whereas Mary Martin’s first son, Marion Francis Martin, was not – She was his illegitimate daughter!

8. Supports Doc Evans’ statement that Bertha Head and James Evans were second cousins – They are both descendants of Ira Head & Mary Martin!