Bradley-Hingston Project
Bradley-Taylor-Polk Line
By Don Taylor

Overview

Marie Louise Polk was born in Jan 1864 in Arkansas to John Widener Polk and Anna Eliza Kean. She had four siblings[i], Anna, Magdalen, John, and Mary. On 17 January 1887, when she was 23, she married William S Taylor, the son of Jacob H Taylor and Rebecca L Pittman, in a ceremony by J. J. Kennedy at St. Joseph Church in Jackson, Missouri. She died on 18 July 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 39 years of age.

Bradley-Hingston Project – Ancestor #BH-11

Grandparents

• • Grandmother: Magdalen Polk Taylor(1890-1970)
  • 1^st Great-grandmother: Marie Louisa Polk (1864-1903)
  • 2^nd Great-grandfather: John Widener Polk (1820-1902) [ii]
  • 3^rd Great-grandfather: Robert Tyler Polk (____-____)

Life Events

Different records record Marie with several first names, Maria, Marie, and Mary. Also, some records indicate her middle name as Louisa and some Louise. I have selected Marie Louise as preferred.

Birth

Marie Louise Polk was born in January 1864 in Arkansas. That is shortly after the fall of Little Rock to the Union and before establishing a new Union government. Marie’s father was called “Colonel” in several documents. Also, her siblings were born in several states, suggesting regular moving as might be expected of a military officer. I’ll know more when I research Col. John Widener Polk in further detail.

Children of  and John Widener and Anna Eliza (Kean) Polk

1870 Census

For the John Polk family, the 1870 Census reflects one of the few times I’ve seen a family enumerated twice in the Census but very different locations.

The enumeration date for the Missouri location was 28 June 1870.
The enumeration date for the Kansas location was 20 June 1870

The differences between the two census locations are minimal. John’s age is two years different, and his birth location shifts between Indiana and Kentucky. The only other difference is that Tascar is a year older, eight days between the two Censuses. I suspect that John provided the information for one of the censuses and Anna provided for the second one.

1880 Census

In 1880, Marie lived with her sister, Madeline, and her husband, A. C. Buell, in Washington DC. The sixteen-year-old is attending school. With them are Mr. Buell’s two children, Rudolph and Augusta, ages 1 and 0, respectively. Also living with the family are two servants. Also of interest is that the Census taker reported that Madeline’s parents were born in LA and KY, while her sister’s parents were reported as being born in LA and MO. This confuses the birth locations of their parents, particularly their father.

Marriage

Marie Louise Polk married William S Taylor in a ceremony by J. J. Kennedy at St. Joseph Church in Jackson County, Missouri, on 17 January 1887. After their marriage, they located to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Children of William S Taylor and Marie Louise Polk

1900 Census

Marie was enumerated in two different Census locations, Philadelphia, PA, and Cape May, NJ.

Again, the difference between the two censuses is discrepancies in the ages of William and Maria and where Maria was born. In New Jersey, they have a border, 80-year-old John W. Polk. Marie’s father, John Widener Polk, was born about 1820 in either Indiana, Tennessee, or Kentucky. This census says he was born in Kentucky, so it fits that the “boarder” was really William’s father-in-law.

The Philadelphia enumeration indicates that the entire family were boarders, someplace on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. Living with them was a 30-year-old Servant, Margaret Raby.

Death/Burial, etc.

Marie Louise (Polk) Taylor died on 18 July 1903; she was 39 years old. She was interred at Westminster Cemetery[iii] (Bala Cynwyd Community) in Lower Merion, Montgomery County, PA.

Events by Location

• Arkansas        1864 (Birth)
• District of Columbia, Washington – 1880
• Kansas, Miami, Wea  – 1870[iv]
• Missouri, Jackson, Independence – 1870, 1887 (Marriage)
• New Jersey, Cape May, Cape May – 1900[v]
• Pennsylvania, Montgomery, Lower Merion – 1903 (Burial)
• Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia – 1900, 1903 (Death)

Further Research

In 1880, Marie was living with her brother-in-law A. C. Buell in Washington, DC. Mr. Buell is a journalist. Research to see if he is a celebrity or otherwise famous.

In 1880, Marie attended school in Washington DC; research into what school she attended.

Sources

• 1870 Census, NARA, 1870 – John Polk – Independence, Jackson, Missouri. “United States Census, 1870”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M46C-FPQ : 29 May 2021), John Polk, 1870. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/L14S-D8F.
• 1870 Census, NARA, 1870 – John W Polk – Wea, Miami, Kansa. “United States Census, 1870”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCJR-V7F : 28 May 2021), John W Polk, 1870. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCJR-V7F?id=L14S-D8F.
• 1880 Census, NARA, 1880 – A C Buell – Washington, DC. “United States Census, 1880,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6C7-W1Y : 19 February 2021), A C Buell, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 24, sheet 28A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,122.
• 1900 Census, 1900 Census – William S Tayler, Jr – New Jersey, Cape May, Middletownship, Angelsea borough, Wildwood borough, Avalon Borough. “United States Census, 1900,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9NR-RYH : accessed 23 August 2018), William S Tayler Jr., Middle Township Angelsea borough, Wildwood borough, Avalon Borough, Rio Grande Village, Cape May, New Jersey, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 107, sheet 12A, family 308, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,960.
• 1900 Census, 1900 Census – William S Taylor, et al. – Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1900; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 9, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 0159; FHL microfilm: 1241455. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/2442/records/25439613/.
• Find a Grave Memorial, Find a Grave, Magdalen T. Bradley (1890-1970). Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 August 2018), memorial page for Magdalen T. Bradley (31 December 1890–24 November 1970), Find A Grave Memorial no. 182390190, citing Lawnview Cemetery, Rockledge, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by DAO (contributor 47943782). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182390190.
• Find a Grave Memorial, Find a Grave, Marie Polk Taylor – Memorial 94300773. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94300773/marie-taylor : accessed 29 October 2021), memorial page for Marie Polk Taylor (1863–1903), Find a Grave Memorial ID 94300773, citing Westminster Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Shiva (contributor 47163650). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94300773/marie-taylor.
• Jackson County, Missouri, US Marriage Records, 1826-2014, Jackson County, MO – Official Website, William Taylor & Marie Polk – 17 January 1887. https://www.jacksongov.org/.
• 1887-01-23 – Page 9 – Taylor-Polk (Marriage). https://www.newspapers.com/image/650264514., Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri, online images (newspapers.com).
• Missouri, US, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 (Maine State Archives), Ancestry.Com, Marriage – William S Taylor & Marie Louise Polk. Missouri State Archives; Jefferson City, MO, USA; Missouri Marriage Records [Microfilm]. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/6649223:1171.
• Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. – 1903-07-21, Page 7 – Maria Louisa Polk Taylor – Death. Newspapers.Com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/168750648.,
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates Index, 1803-1915 (Philadelphia City Archives), Ancestry.Com, Marie Polk Taylor – Died 18 July 1903. Ancestry.com. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates Index, 1803-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
• Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987, Various, Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 for Dorothy Rankin. 1977 > 13000-13499 – State File Number 77-913324 (Image 325 of 500). https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9278/images/43006_162028006073_0186-00325.
• Virginia, Death Records, 1912-2014 (Richmond, Virginia, Virginia Department of Health), Ancestry.Com, Magdalen T. Bradley.
  

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Endnotes

[i] I have confirmed four siblings. Several other researchers indicate she had many more siblings, however, I have not confirmed them. I expect I will when I research Maria’s parents John Widener and Anna (Kean) Polk.

[ii] I have not researched the ancestors of Maria Louise Polk and any date here about them is speculative.

[iii] I have requested a photo of her marker/memorial via Find-a-Grave.

[iv] Marie was enumerated in both Kansas and Missouri during the 1870 Census.

[v] Marie was enumerated in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania during the 1900 Census.