Person:Mary Covalt (3)

The family records I inherited had Mary's name as Polly CARAULT, but the Internet soon provided the correct spelling. A letter quoted below from Mary's daughter, Mary M. Jones Vorhis, dated March 24, 1891, Troy, Iowa, states: "Grandma's Mothers name was Polly Cavault." It's easy to envision how CAVAULT was misread as CARAULT at some point in time. Also note the name Polly in both records, a common nickname for Mary.

A notation following the memoir written by Mary about her father and their early days in Ohio suggests that Mary was about 15 at the time she came to Ohio in January 1790, which in turn suggests that she was b. ca. 1774. See Notes with Mary's father, Abraham COVALT, and <http://home.earthlink.net/~greggkinney/covalt-draper.htm> for a complete transcription along with related manuscripts.

Mary had 12 children in 21 years and lived to be nearly 80, a phenomenal accomplishment, especially for the time. Her youngest son, Ephraim, was the first of the 12 to die (in 1849) when he was age 39. Mary had approx. 64 known grandchildren.

1820 Hamilton Co., OH, census, p.144A, Sycamore Twp., line 38, MARY JONES, 120200 / 22210 / 02 (sons EVAN, ISAIAH, and JONATHAN were md.; ISAIAH is on the next page, and JONATHAN is here, but where was EVAN?) 1 F 26-45 (b. 1775-1794, Mary); 2 M & 2 F 16-26 (b. 1794-1804, Jonathan & wife Nancy, Joseph, Sarah); 2 M & 2 F 10-16 (b. 1804-1810, Joel, Reason, Nancy, Mary); 1 M & 2 F under 10 (b. 1810-1820, Ephraim, Elizabeth, Sydney); 2 persons engaged in agriculture. (A John HARPER is the 7th name before Mary's)

1830 Hamilton Co., OH, census, pp.197A-B, Symmes Twp., line 11, MARY JONES, 00011 / 10113001 (sons EVAN and ISAIAH were in Fountain Co., IN; sons JONATHAN and JOSEPH are on the next page, and son JOEL appears to be with JOSEPH) 1 F 50-60 (b. 1770-1780; Mary); 1 M & 3 F 20-30 (b. 1800-1810; Reason, Sarah, Nancy, Mary); 1 M & 1 F 15-20 (b. 1810-1815; Ephraim, Elizabeth); 1 F 10-15 (b. 1815-1820; Sydney); 1 F under 5 (b. 1825-1830; identity unknown); 9 total.

1840 Hamilton Co., OH, census, p.310, Symmes Twp., line 19, MARY JONES, 000011 / 001010101 1 F 60-70 (b. 1770-1780; Mary); 1 F 40-50 (b. 1790-1800; Sarah); 1 M 30-40 (b. 1800-1810; Reason); 1 M & 1 F 20-30 (b. 1810-1820; Elizabeth, Ephraim); 1 F 10-15 (b. 1825-1830; unknown girl); 6 total.

1850 Hamilton Co., OH, census, p.425A, Symmes Twp., August 1, 1850, N. Brownell: 73/74 WM. C. WYKOFF, 38 M, merchant, OH; Sidney, 36 F, OH; Therese A., 12 F, OH; Lawrence V.C., 9 M, OH. Therese and Lawrence attend school. 73/75 MARY JONES, 78 F, $3500 real, NJ; Sarah, 40 F, OH; Reason, 38 M, farmer, OH; Elizabeth 34 F, OH; Marion [Reason and Sarah's nephew], 3 M, OH.

Based on this census, LDS IGI (International Genealogical Index), Film 2034689, has that Reason JONES md. Elizabeth JONES, ca. 1845, Hamilton Co., OH, but the 1870 will of Francis M. "Frank" JONES identifies Reason as his uncle (Reason never married); Elizabeth in the 1850 census was Reason's sister; Marion was their nephew, the only son of Reason and Elizabeth's brother Ephraim.

6 v. Mary Covalt(19) was born in 1772 at Bedford Co, PA.* She married Joseph Jones in September 1792 at Hamilton Co., OH. She died on December 8, 1851, at Fountain Co., IN.(20)** She was baptized by Rev. Mr. Lyons, an early Baptist clergyman and married by John Smith, a prominent preacher of the Baptist denomination and later a Senator from Ohio who was accused of complicity in the Burr Conspiracy. She was buried in a graveyard in Symmes Twp. locally known as "Stewarts." --Nancy Ranck <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nranck/> (19) G.G. Chambers, correspondence and family group sheets, early 1900s; copies in [Nancy's] files. (20) Gregg Kinney, Sept. 2000**

• The 1850 Hamilton Co., OH, census has that MARY was b. in NJ; the 1880 Davis Co., IA, census for dau., MARY M. VORHIS, has that her father was b. in Wales and her mother in NJ; the 1880 Hamilton Co., OH, census for another dau., ELIZABETH WYCKOFF, has that her father was b. in England and her mother in NJ.
  • MARY JONES d. about 1-1/2 years after the 1850 census. Some genealogies have that she d. in Fountain Co., IN, but the evidence suggests that she d. in Hamilton Co., OH, especially since she is buried in a Symmes Twp. cemetery. Her son-in-law, WILLIAM C. WYKOFF, was in Fountain Co. in April 1858 when he witnessed the will of MARY's grandson, REASON L. JONES, but he (and probably his family) were likely visiting relatives as he was enumerated in the 1860 Hamilton Co., OH, census, and was living with his 2nd wife, ELIZABETH JONES, and her bachelor brother, REASON JONES, on the old JONES homestead when the Hamilton Co. history was published in 1881. Family letters written to and from MARY's grandson, TIGHLMAN JONES, during the Civil War clearly show that the JONES families in eastern Illinois, western Indiana, and southwestern Ohio kept in close contact and visited each other on occasion.

Will of Sarah JONES filed March 13, 1871, Hamilton Co., OH, Box 25, Case 15193 16 mile Stand Ohio } March 5th 1870 To All whom it may concern The last will and Testament of SARAH JONES. 1st After my Funeral expenses are paid I give and bequeateth to my neice [sic] LUELLA JONES youngest child of E.W. JONES $50.00 Fifty Dollars, 2d To my neice [sic] MARTHA MELVINA VOORHEIS Daughter of MARY VORHIS $25.00 Twenty five Dollars. To my neice [sic] JEMIMA WATTS Daughter of NANCY WATTS., $25.00 Twenty five dollars to draw legal intrest from my Death untill the Farm is Sold. If eather of these heirs die Single their portion to be divided with the other two. The balance of My intrest in the Farm known as the MARY JONES Farm Lying and being in Symmes Township Section 34 [sic; 36?] Range 1 Hamilton County State of Ohio Bounded as follows Bounded on the South by Hellen W. HARPER on the North by John Vogel & Samuel Short on the East by The Section Line on the West by J. HARPER-- And all my Chattel property to be given to my Sister ELIZABETH H. WIKOFF With the understanding that if the Farm Sells for (100) One hundred Dollars or upwards per acre that She Shall pay each neice [sic] above named ten dollars more apiece. If it does not sell for ($100) one Hundred per acre Dollars this will is to remain unchanged. Given under my hand and seal this 5th day of March A D 1870 at 16 mile Stand Hamilton Co Ohio [signed] Sarah x Jones (Witnesses) { Seal } [signed] N. K. Snook [signed] R. L. JONES Written on a separate paper: I do hereby certify that I apoint WILLIAM C. WYKOFF my Executor to Settle all my estate [signed] Sarah x Jones

Writing for her grandmother, Mary M. Jones Vorhis, Ada Tharp wrote Jane C. Love, granddaughter of Mary's brother, Evan W. Jones, in a letter dated Jan. 29, 1891, Troy, Iowa: Evan W. Jones was born September 9th 1794 Mary Jones was born August 31st 1796. his first Wife. Harriet Jones was born September 16 1816. His Daughter. Lydia Jones was born June 11th 1802. Second Wife. your Grandmother Isaih Jones July 28. Jonnathan Jones March 23. Sarah Jones. October 23. Joseph Jones. was born Aug 1st 1801 Nancy Jones was born March 1803 Joel Jones. Mary Jones. was born Dec. 30th. 1806. Reason Jones was born Apr. 7th. 1807. Elizebeth Jones was born Aprl. 6th 1809. Ephram Jones was born Feb. 4th. Sidney Jones was born Nov. 14th. [Side note] We put down all the ages we could. Some of the year's they were born in we did'nt know.

Ada Tharp and her grandmother, Mary M. Jones Vorhis, wrote another letter to Jane C. Love, dated March 24, 1891, Troy, Iowa: "Your Grandmother name was Lydia Rollins. They lived so far away that Grandma don't know much about her, they lived on Pickaway, Troy Ohio.* Grandma's Mothers name was Polly Cavault."

• Troy, county seat of Miami Co., OH, where Evan W. Jones and Lydia Rollins were married, Jan. 6, 1820.

Correspondence from the family letters and papers of Jane Love and her cousin, Lillice Jones Harper, courtesy John, Danny, and Dave Harper in 2001 and 2004, transcribed by Brenda Boyer

Joseph, Mary, 6 known family members, and a son-in-law are buried in Lot 53 in the Stewart Family Graveyard, Symmes Twp., Hamilton Co., OH, now known as Union Cemetery. The Stewart family passed the cemetery to the Sycamore Presbyterian Church who in turn gave it to the Township in the mid-1800s. --cemetery records courtesy Carol Sims, Zoning and Cemetery, Symmes Township Administrative Staff, March 2004

First Families of Hamilton County, Ohio - The Index of The Official Roster Volumes 1 and 2 (combined). COVALT is not listed JONES, MARY ...V1-15, 29, 39, 42 ...V2-40 JONES, NANCY ...V1-15, 24, 39, 41 http://members.aol.com/ogshc/ffhcindx.htm

1. ↑ Union Cemetery records, Symmes Township, Hamilton Co., OH
   Section 2, Lot 53, Space 5.
2. ↑ Henry A. and Kate B. Ford. History of Hamilton County, Ohio. (Cleveland: L.A. Williams, 1881; reprint, Evansville, IN: Unigraphic, 1974)
   400.
3. ↑ Nancy Ranck, The Four Abraham Colts (http:/freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nranck/).