Mary Jane Burrow was born about 1853 in Illinois, probably Hancock County, to Jarrel Burrow and Emiline Wright.  She died, apparently, between 1894 and 1897 in Macon County, Tennessee. Burial location undetermined. She married Taylor Burrow on July 29, 1872, in Hancock County, Illinois.  Marriage license Taylor Burrow's given name is found as both Zachary and Zachariah.  He was born about 1849 in Tennessee, the son of William Burrow and Elizabeth Ford Wilson. He died July 6, 1928, probably in Macon County, Tennessee.  Burial location undetermined. Evidence suggests that Taylor's brother was the Martin 'Mart' W. Burrow who married Mary Jane's sister, Carmilla, in 1869. Perhaps Taylor came to visit Martin in Illinois.  However they met, Taylor took his bride back to Macon County where they lived with his parents and soon began their family. The picture above, tentatively identified as Z. T. Burrow, is shared by James R. Peters.   Click here or click on the image for further information and to view the complete image.

Some records indicate that Mary Jane and Taylor's first child was Sarah Frances (Fannie) Burrow, but there is a notable discrepancy: Fannie's birth date is reported as July 12, 1870, two years before Mary Jane and Taylor were married.  This birth year is supported by census records from 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920.

Note also Fannie's entry in the 1880 Census, transcribed below.  Fannie was listed before Mary Jane and Fannie's mother's birthplace was shown as Tennessee.  Taylor and Mary Jane's sons were listed after Mary Jane and, in this one census, the boys' mother's birthplace was correctly shown as Illinois.  In subsequent census entries for all of Mary Jane's children, her birthplace was incorrectly reported as Tennessee.

The position of Fannie's name is not proof of anything, but of the many hundreds of census listings we have viewed, only a neglible percentage listed children's names before the wife/mother.  While anything is possible, assessing the few available records - error-ridden as they may be, leaves us with the opinion that Mary Jane was not Fannie's biological mother.

Taylor remarried about 1897.  His second wife was Lizzie Fisher.  An online transcription of the dates on her tombstone at Dixon Springs Cemetery, Smith County, Tennessee, indicates she was born November 30, 1877, and died July 11, 1965.

One source indicates there were seven children born to Mary Jane and Taylor, that total probably includes Fannie.  We have been able to document the following four:

i.	Charlie Franklin Burrow, born March 9, 1873, in Tennessee.  He died January 12, 1958, burial at Hillsdale Cemetery, Macon County, Tennessee.  He married Nannie Florence Thompson (March 16, 1873 - February 26, 1947), also buried at Hillsdale Cemetery. Pictures of their tombstones have been added to Find A Grave.
ii.	Roy Barberry Burrow, born April 17, 1877, in Tennessee; he died October 13, 1919, probably in Macon County, Tennessee.  Burial location not determined.  Census records and his WWI Selective Registration indicated that Roy was blind.
iii.	Elmore Leslie Burrow, born February 28, 1883, in Tennessee, probably Macon County.  He died after April 1, 1930.
iv.	Ernest Burrow, born July 31, 1894, 4th District, Macon County, Tennessee.  When he registered for Selective Service in 1917, he signed his name as Earnest Burrow.  He died after January 1, 1920.  There's a picture of Ernest in the Burrow Family Album

William Burrow, 41, male, farmer, value of real estate 1800, born NC, could not read or write
Elizabeth, 47, female, born TN, could not read or write
Mary A, 18, female, born TN
Sarah J, 16, female, born TN, attended school within the year
James W, 14, male, born TN, attended school within the year
Jarrel A, 8, male, born TN, attended school within the year
Margaret, 5, female, born TN, attended school within the year
[continued on next page]
[Martha crossed out] Martine W, 4, female, born TN
Zachary T, 1, male, born TN
Rachael, 60, female, born NC, could not read or write

Wm Burrow, 51, male, farmer, value of real estate 9240, value of personal estate 12000, born TN, could not read or write
Elizabeth, 54, female, born NC
Mary, 28, female, born TN
Jarrell, 18, male, farmer, born TN, attended school within the year
Margarett, 16, female, born TN, attended school within the year
M W, 14, male, farmer, born TN, attended school within the year
Zachariah, 12, male, born TN, attended school within the year

Burrow, William, 61, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 5000, value of personal estate 2500, born TN, could not read or write, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Elizabeth, 66, female, white, keeping house, born NC, could read but not write
Mary A, 38, female, white, born TN
Jarrel, 26, male, white, born TN, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Margarett, 24, female, white, born TN, could read but not write
Taylor, 21, male, white, born TN, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more

Burow, Jaral, 50, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 5000, value of personal estate 1000, born TN, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Emeline, 47, female, white, keeping house, born TN
Mary J, 17, female, white, born TN
Amanda E, 14, female, white, born TN, attended school within the year
Simmons, John A, 22, male, white, born TN, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more

Burrow Wm (S), white, male, 71, widower, farmer, could not read or write, born TN, both parents born NC
Mary A, white, female, 48, daughter, single, keeping house, born TN, father born TN, mother
born NC
Zachariah T, white, male, 39, son, married, farmer, born TN, father born TN, mother born NC
Fannie, white, female, 9, granddaughter, single, born TN, both parents born TN
Mary J, white, female, 27, daughter-in-law, married, keeping house, born IL, born parents
born TN
Charley F, white, male, 7, grandson, single, born TN, father born TN, mother born IL
Roy, white, male, 3, grandson, single, blind, born TN, father born TN, mother born IL
Rhoda, mulatto, female, (50), servant, single, servant, born TN, both parents born VA
John, mulatto, male, 15, servant, single, works on farm, could not read or write, born TN, both parents born TN
Burrow, mulatto, male, 12, servant, single, works on farm, could not read or write, born TN, both parents born TN
Carter, Robert, mulatto, male, 27, servant, single, works on farm, could not read or write, born TN, both parents born TN

Burrow, Taylor, head, white, male, Nov 1850, 49, married for 3 years, born TN, both parents born TN, farmer, could read, write and speak English, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 161

Lizza, wife, white, female, Sept 1878, 21, married for 3 years; mother of 1 child, living; born TN, both parents born TN, could read, write and speak English

Leslie, son, white, male, [month illegible] 1883, 17, single, born TN, both parents born TN, farm laborer, attended school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Violet, son [sic], white, male [sic], Sept 1898, 1, single, born TN, both parents born TN

Ernist, son, white, male, July 1894, 5, single, born TN, both parents born TN

Burrow, Taylor, head, male, white, 59, married (2nd) for 12 years, born TN, both parents born TN, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, could read and write, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 46

Lizzie, wife, female, white, 33, married (1st) for 12 years; mother of 3 children, 2 living; born TN, both parents born TN, spoke English, could read and write

Roy, son, male, white, 29, single, born TN, both parents born TN, spoke English, blind in both eyes

Leslie, son, male, white, 27, single, born TN, both parents born TN, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, could read and write, farm schedule 46

Ernest, son, male, white, 15, single, farmer, born TN, both parents born TN, spoke English, farm laborer, home farm, employee, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Violet, daughter, female, white, 11, single, born TN, both parents born TN, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Leony, daughter, female, white, 7, single, born TN, both parents born TN, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Burrow, Zachery T, head, owned his home free of mortgage, male, white, 69, married, could read and write, born TN, both parents born TN, farmer, working on own account, farm schedule 120

Lizzie, wife, female, white, [age over-written, perhaps 42 or 43], married, could not read or wite, born TN, both parents born TN

Leslie, son, male, white, 38, single, could read and write, born TN, both parents born TN, farmer, helper

Ernest, son, male, white, 25, single, could read and write, born TN, both parents born TN, farm, helper

Violet, daughter, female, white, 21, single, did not attend school after Sept. 1, 1919, could read and write

Martin, Robert J [or Jr], son-in-law, male, white, 24, married, could read and write, born TN, both parents born TN, farm, helper

Leona, wife, female, white, 16, married, did not attend school after Sept. 1, 1919, could read and write, born TN, both parents born TN

Elizabeth J, daughter, female, white, 1/12, born TN, both parents born TN

Fisher, Josephine, mother, female, white, 67, divorced, could read and write, born TN, both parents born TN