Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” Mayberry  in the Censuses

Census Sunday
Blanchard Project
Blanchard-Bodge-Mayberry Line
By Don Taylor

Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” Mayberry Bodge died October 10, 1882, at 45, suggesting she was born in 1837 or 1838. Her marker indicates she was the “Dau. of Edward & Frances Mayberry.”[i] She married Albert Bodge in March 1867[ii] and divorced in 1880.

With that in mind, I expect to find Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie (Mayberry) Bodge in the census records between 1840 and 1880.

Censuses

1880 Census[iii]

Lizzie and Albert divorced in January 1880. In the 1880 Census, I would expect Lizzie to be living with her children Albertha (aka Bertha or Berta) and Minnie Mabel.

The Frances Mayberry household in 1880 consisted of the following:

All were born in Maine.

1870 Census[iv]

1870 – Windham, Cumberland, Maine.

The Albert S Bodge household in 1870 consisted of the following:

Of note, Charles W Lane & family are reported as in dwelling 343 (family 439), and Albert & family is family 440 in the same dwelling. Albert has no real estate in this census.

1860 Census

I cannot find Edward, Frances, Mary, or George Mayberry in the 1860 Census. I will need to do a neighbor study to try to find them that way. 

1850 Census – Windham, Cumberland, Maine.[v]

The Edward Mayberry household in 1850 consisted of the following:

All were born in Maine.

1840 Census

In 1840, I would expect Lizzie’s Family to consist of Edward Mayberry, Age 32, his wife Frances, age 29, and Lizzie, age 2. Lizzie was born in Windham, so I’d expect the family might be there. I found:

Edward Mayberry – Windham, Cumberland[vi]

• Males 15 to 19            1          Unknown.
• Males 30 to 39            1          Clearly Edward
• Females < 5                 2          Probably Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie”, & an unknown
• Females 20 to 29        1          Probably Frances

Employed in Agriculture         2

This family unit fulfills all my expectations; however, it includes two unknown people. The male 15 to 19 is too old to be a child of Edward or Frances. The second female under 5 is possibly a second daughter of Frances, that is otherwise unknown and who died before 1850.

Conclusion

• Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” lived with her parents during the 1840 and 1850 Censuses.
• I have not found her in the 1860 Census. She would have been about 22 years old and single.
• She was with her husband, Albert S Bodge, during the 1870 Census.
• She lived with her widowed mother during the 1880 Census. 

Follow-up

1. Perform a review of the neighbors of Edward Mayberry in the 1850 and 1870 Censuses and try to find Edward, Frances, Mary, and George Mayberry in the 1860 Census.
2. Review the Bodge family in the 1870 Census. Are they related to the Charles W Lane family?
   

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Endnotes:

[i] Find a Grave, Find A Grave, Lizzie Mayberry Bodge (1838-1882). Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116062268/elizabeth-bodge: accessed 21 July 2022), memorial page for Elizabeth “Lizzie” Mayberry Bodge (1838–10 Oct 1882), Find a Grave Memorial ID 116062268, citing Gray Village Cemetery, Gray, Cumberland County, Maine, USA; Maintained by Debi C (contributor 46830109). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116062268/elizabeth-bodge.

[ii] Maine Vital Records, 1670-­1921, Family Search, Marriage – Albert Bonge – Lizzie Maybury – 13 Apr 1867. citing Gorham, Cumberland, Maine, United States, multiple sources, Maine; FHL microfilm. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q28Q-QT4Z.

[iii] 1880 Census, Year: 1880; Census Place: Gray, Cumberland, Maine; Roll: 478; Page: 328C; Enumeration District: 036.

[iv] 1870 Census, Albert S Bodge, Head, Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine   . “United States Census, 1870”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6DF-CTZ : 29 May 2021), Albert S Bodge, 1870. https://ttps://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6DF-CTZ.

[v] Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Federal Census (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009), Ancestry.com, Year: 1850; Census Place: Windham, Cumberland, Maine; Roll: 251; Page: 158a.

[vi] 1840 Census, Various, Edward Mayberry – Windham, Cumberland. Year: 1840; Census Place: Windham, Cumberland, Maine; Roll: 139; Page: 442; Family History Library Film: 0009702 via Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/29577401?h=1d2795.