| Name | Margaret Ann BENNETT  |
| Birth | 30 Aug 1827, Troy, Waldo County, Maine |
| Death | 18 Jun 1917, Fosston, Polk County, Minnesota (at home of son, Nathan) |
| Burial | Rosehill Cemetery (formerly called Tyndall Cemetery), Fosston, Minnesota |
| Father | John BENNETT (1793-1850) |
| Mother | Berthinia (Bethenia) BRANN (ca1795-~1850) |
| 1 | James McPHERSON |
| Children | John Emmons (1849-) |
| 2 | Allison Larsdel CARVER |
| Birth | 29 Jan 1810-1811, Vinalhaven, Hancock County, Maine |
| Death | 9 Sep 1889, Fosston, Rosebud Township, Polk County, Minnesota |
| Burial | Rosehill Cemetery (formerly called Tyndall Cemetery), Fosston, Minnesota |
| Father | Wills CARVER (1785-ca1841) |
| Mother | Hannah THAYER (THAIR) (1788-~1840) |
| Marriage | Intent 10 Sep 1852, Clinton, Kennebec County, Maine |
| Children | Helen Marsha (aka Marcia Helen) (1853-1930) |
| Orin Francis (1855-1943) | |
| Orrison Page (1856-1909) | |
| Eldon Howard (1858-1933) | |
| Nathan Edwin (1860-1947) | |
| Fred Allison (1862-1947) | |
| Bertha Mabel (1864-1939) | |
| Mahlon Edward (1866-1928) | |
| Charles Bartlett (Died as Child) (1868-1875) |
Source: Donna Carver Larson (extensive correspondence, shared descendancy from Fred)
Source: Carmen Carver (death certificate info, documents, extensive correspondence, descendant of Mahlon)
Source: Michael Larson (census data, images of documents and other records, photos, descendant data for children of Allison & Margaret, extensive email correspondence, descendant of Orin)
Source: Jim Knutson (extensive correspondence, photos, documents, descendant of Nathan)
Source: Ardell Parkman Lynds (documents, extensive email correspondence, and her web site with Carver, Bennett, Brann, Gilley, et al., genealogy)
Husband #1: James McPherson
Son by James: John McPherson, b. ca 1849
1850 US Census for Troy, Waldo Co., ME: Berthenia Bennett [Margaret's mother], head of household; Margaret's son, John, was living with his grandmother.
1850 US Census: Margaret McPherson is in Holliston, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
1860 US Census, Burnham, Waldo County, Maine taken 6 July 1860 for persons in household as of 1 June 1860 from Mr. Sids Census image in file:
Alison Carver, Age 48, Male, Farmer, Value of Real Estate 400; Value of Personal Property 100, Place of Birth: Maine
Margaret, Age 33, Female, Place of Birth: Maine
Marcia, Age 7, Female, Place of Birth: Maine, Attended School within the year [b. ca 1853]
Orrin F., Age 5, Male, Place of Birth: Maine, Attended School within the year [b. ca 1855]
Orrison, Age 3, Male, Place of Birth: Maine [b. late 1856 or early 1857]
Elden H., Age 1, Place of Birth: Maine [b. late 1858 or early 1859]
Wm. Carver, Age 19, Male, Place of Birth: Maine, Attended School within the year.
[1860 Census doesn't indicate Wm. has an occupation such as hired hand, or other relative who helped out on the farm, since relationships of individuals in a household aren't indicated in 1860 Census, but given that Wm. "attended school within the year" it might indicate a closer relationship, such as Allison's son... by first marriage ca. 1840??? Birth year for Wm. would be ca. 1841.]
1870 US Census, Burnham, Waldo County, Maine, taken 5 Aug 1870 for all persons in household as of 1 June 1870 from Mr. Sids census image in file:
Carver, Ellison, Age 56, Male, Farmer, Value of Real Estate: 1000; Value of Personal Estate: 300; Place of Birth: Maine, Male Citizen of US of 21 years and upwards
Carver, Mary A., Age 43, Female, Keep House, Place of Birth: Maine [Margaret A. b. ]
Carver, Helen, Age 17, Female, Place of Birth: Maine [Marcia Helen or Helen Marcia; b. ca 1853]
Carver, Orrin, Age 13, Male, Place of Birth: Maine; [b 1857 - enumerator probably meant age 15, but census image says 13]
Carver, Orison P., Age 14, Male, Place of Birth: Maine; Attended school within the year [b. late 1856 or early 1857]
Carver, Elden H., Age 12, Male, Place of Birth: Maine; Attended school within the year [b. ca 1858]
Carver, Nathan E., Age 10, Male, Place of Birth: Maine; Attended school within the year [b. 1860]
Carver, Fred, Age 8, Male, Place of Birth: Maine; Attended school within the year [b. ca 1862]
Carver, Berty, Age 6, Female, Place of Birth: Maine; Attended school within the year [Bertha; b. ca 1864]
Carver, Mayland, Age 4, Male, Place of Birth: Maine; Attended school within the year [Mahlon; b. ca 1866]
Carver, Charles B., Age 2, Male, Place of Birth: Maine [b. ca. 1868]
LDS Web Site, 1880 Census, Burnham, Waldo County, Maine [also have Mr. Sids census image for 1880 in file which agrees with the LDS web info]:
Allason CARVER Household
Male
Other Information:
Birth Year <1812>
Birthplace ME
Age 68
Occupation Farmer
Marital Status M <Married>
Race W <White>
Head of Household Allason CARVER
Relation Self
Father's Birthplace ME
Mother's Birthplace ME
Note FIXED ORDER
Source Information:
Census Place Burnham, Waldo, Maine
Family History Library Film 1254488
NA Film Number T9-0488
Page Number 291D
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Allason CARVER1 Self M Male W 68 ME Farmer ME ME
Margaret CARVER2 Wife M Female W 50 ME Keeping House ME ME
Mahlon CARVER3 Son S Male W 14 ME Farmer ME ME [b. ca 1866]
Fred CARVER4 Son S Male W 17 ME Farmer ME ME [b. ca 1863]
Nathan CARVER5 Son S Male W 19 ME Farmer ME ME [b. ca 1861]
Bertha CARVER6 Dau S Female W 16 ME Keeping House ME ME [b. ca 1864]
Source Information:
Census Place Burnham, Waldo, Maine
Family History Library Film 1254488
NA Film Number T9-0488
Page Number 291D
1900 US Census, Rosebud Township, Polk County, Minnesota
Margaret, widow, age 72, born Aug. 1827, is living in home of Nathan Carver. Nathan, age 30, born July 1860, single, is head of household. Arthur Fyffe, Servant, age 29, born Dec. 1870, married, born in Ireland, father born in Scotland, mother born in Ireland, year of immigration 1891, is living in the household, too (Is this a brother of Alex Fyffe?). Ida O. Fyffe, Servant, born Oct 1863, Mother of how many children: 0, born in Massachusetts, father and mother both born in Maine. "Years married "column for Arthur & Ida each: 1.
Land Patent granted to Margaret A. Carver 9 Nov 1891. [Property description is of farm later owned by her son, Fred Allison Carver, in Sletten Township, Polk County, Minnesota (.gif image in file).]
State: MINNESOTA
Acres: 159.19
Metes/Bounds: No
Document Nr.: 5478
Accession/Serial Nr.: MN0380__.204
BLM Serial Nr.: MN NO S/N
[Unknown if Margaret lived on the property in her name.]
1910 US Census, Village of Fosston, Polk County, Minnesota
Margaret, widow, age 82, is living with Nathan, head of household, single, age 50 [wrong age], and his occupation is listed as Logging Contractor, in Fosston. No one else is in the household on 1910 census data.
MHS Death Index:
CARVER, MARGARRET N.
CertID# 1917-MN-010975
Date of Birth: not indexed
Place of Birth: not indexed
Mother Maiden Name: not indexed
Date of Death: 06/18/1917
County of Death: POLK
The Thirteen Towns, Fosston, Minnesota, published June 22, 1917:
Margarett Ann Carver [sic]
At the advanced age of 89 years, 9 months and 18 days, Mrs. Margarett Ann Carver passed peacefully away at the home of her son, Nathan, in Fosston on Monday of this week, her death resulting from old age.
Mrs. Carver has been a resident of Fosston for the past 30 years. Born August 30th, 1827, at Troy, Maine, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Bennett of that place, she was married there in 1851 to Allison L. Carver.
Mr. and Mrs. Carver came west to Fosston in the year 1887, Mr. Carver dying two years later. Since then Mrs. Carver has lived with members of the family, the greater part of the time with the son at whose home she died last Monday.
The members of the family surviving are Mrs. Helen M. Glidden, of Manchester, Me; O.F. Carver, of Yola, Minn.; E.H. Carver, of Cummings, N.D.; Nathan E. Carver, of Fosston; F.A. Carver of McIntosh; Mrs. Bertha M. Fyffe of Fosston; Mahlon Carver, of McIntosh; and Mrs. D.H. Jordan, of Waterville, Me.
As many of the family as could reach here were present for the funeral.
The departed was a member of the Methodist Epicopal [sic] denomination and the funeral was conducted yesterday afternoon by Rev. E.C. Parish, with the services in the First M.E. church of Fosston. Interrment in the Tyndall cemetery.
Throughout the many yeaars of her residence in this community, [Mrs. Carver] held the highest regard of all. Beloved by the members of the family, she received every care in her declining years. The people of Fosston and vicinity mourn with the relatives.
The Thirteen Towns, Looking Back, Seventy Years Ago, June 22, 1917
Mrs. Margaret Ann Carver died at the age of 89.
There is no grave marker for Margaret.
Microfilm of marriage intent obtained by Carmen Carver.
I'm using the year of birth calculated from the census data based on subtracting the ages of their offspring for most of their children - which sometimes coincides with family and other records and sometimes doesn't. Statistically (in genealogy research from the early 20th century back), there is most often 22-27 months between births of children in a day and age when there was little "birth control" except for the old wives' tale that a nursing mother didn't get pregnant until the youngest child was weaned. Ovulation is suppressed when a baby is breast fed on demand - the key phrase is "on demand" and current research seems to support the old wives' tale that nursing mothers don't get pregnant - but if a baby isn't fed on demand that form of "birth control" doesn't work. (In my studies on Medieval and Renaissance history, the babes of royalty were given to a wet nurse who breast fed the prince or princess. The queen did not breast feed her babies, her milk dried up, ovulation resumed immediately, and she thus became pregnant again almost right away after giving birth. For healthy women, this meant giving birth to a baby every year rather than every two years. In a day and age when infant mortality was high, to have many children might ensure there would be an heir to the throne who would live to adulthood. In less healthy women, yearly pregnancies meant a high rate of miscarriages, a high rate of stillbirths, and a high rate of childbed deaths for women, quite aside from other potential childbirth complications. Frequent pregnancies take a high toll on a woman's body.)
IF the census data is correct about the ages of the children, Allison and Margaret had a child approximately every two years - which is consistent with statistical averages. It's my understanding that the courthouse in Burnham burned - destroying all records - in the late 19th or early 20th century. If the births of their children were recorded at the courthouse, that data was destroyed in the fire... so we only have census data to go by to calculate the ages of the offspring of Allison and Margaret. With any luck, the census enumerator recorded the ages of the children more correctly than Allison's age!!! (On the other hand, Allison may have had a perverse sense of humor and lied about his age every ten years.... Who knows???)
There is some discrepancy on official documents for various offspring of Allison and Margaret (not to mention many of the headstones in the cemetery are wrong). By process of elimination, the first census each child was mentioned, and the fact that in 1900 each person had to list the month and year of their birth, it seems that the first mention of each of the children in the first census data they are listed is apparently reasonably correct.
Extrapolated 1900 US census data (listed under each person's Notes):
Helen b Sept. 1855 [this is incorrect - death certificate gives her birth date as 19 Sept 1853, and in the first mention of her birth in the census data, she would have been born in 1853 - and anyway it would be impossible for her to be born in 1855 because that is the year of birth for the next sibling and there are not enough months between Feb and Sept for a normal pregnancy]
Orin b Feb 1855
Orison Paige b Dec 1856
Eldon b Oct 1858
Nathan b 1860
Fred [no 1900 US census data in file - first mention of him in US census puts his year of birth as 1862]
Bertha [no 1900 US census data in file, but by the available census data and her obituary, she was born in May 1864]
Mahlon b May 1865 [which makes it impossible for Fred's birth to be Aug 1865 listed on grave headstone - but it is a real possibility since that would put one year and 14 days between the birth of Bertha and Mahlon - but the earliest mention of Mahlon in the US census data would point to 1866 as a year of birth. A birth year later than 1866 seems unlikely. There has to be time for pregnancy, nursing a baby, etc.]
Charlie was already dead by 1900 US census, but the earliest mention of him puts his birth year as 1868, and subtracting his birth from the year of death recorded on his headstone would put him born in 1869 - likely 1868 is the year of birth.