Person:Mary Crandall (8)

Mary Elizabeth Crandall was born July 21, 1838 in Calvert County, Maryland (Source: Ohio Certificate of Death- No. 12600.), and died February 8, 1932 in Muskingum, Washington County, Ohio (Source: Ohio Certificate of Death - No. 12600.). She married James Martin Pegg Bet. 1870 - 1880 in Washington Co., Ohio (Source: family Bible of Mary E. Crandall Pegg). Passed down through the generations, Mary Elizabeth Crandall decided not to marry until she was in her forties because she saw her sisters marry young and bear many children. This was a hard life for a woman and apparently Mary wanted none of it. Therefore, Mary had no biological children. However, Mary did adopt Isabel "Belle" Pegg who is believed to be the illigetimate daughter of her brother. Isabel Pegg came to live with Mary and James Pegg when she was about 4 years old. Please refer to notes for Isabel "Belle" Pegg for information on her natural parents. Mary and James Pegg owned a farm near Newport, Ohio until oil was discovered on their property. Mary and James sold their farm and bought a house in Marietta, Ohio living quite well for the times. According to Mary Campbell Baker (daughter of Isabel Pegg), Mary Elizabeth Crandall would tell stories of her childhood in Maryland. Mary indicated that her father, Thomas B. Crandall, was a slave overseer in Maryland before the Civil War. It is told that Thomas Crandall was proud of the fact that he never "hit" a slave and would tell the slave owners that if this is what they wanted then they could get someone else to do the job. Thomas B. Crandall said that the slaves would obey him without resorting to such harsh treatment. It is also told that Thomas B. Crandall decided to leave Maryland for Ohio to find work that did not involve slavery. Mary was about 10 years old when her family moved to Ohio in 1848. Mary told stories about slave children being sold away from the plantation and the mothers running down the road after the wagons, sobbing and crying for their babies. Mary E. Crandall told a story of an elderly slave named "Uncle Henry" who would pray over his food a long time when he received it. Mary would hide behind a tree, sneak up on "Uncle Henry" while he prayed and would steal his food. When "Uncle Henry" would open his eyes and saw that the food was gone he would carry on about, "Where has my dinner goneand how could this happen?". Mary would start laughing and bring his food back to him. This apparently happened many times so old "Uncle Henry" was wise to the game. It also appears that "Uncle Henry" knew it paid to make friends with the overseers children.