Person talk:Maria Clark (5)

Removed sources [21 September 2016]

I removed the source Family Tree Maker-World Family Tree Vol. 4 and the data that appears to have come from it: b. abt. 1807, d. Ashby 13 May 1857. This data appears to make a reasonable assumption and then layered a clearly incorrect assumption on top if it. So this source appears to be based on sloppy research and is not credible.

The reasonable assumption, unstated, is that widow Maria Calkins may be the Maria C Calkins who m. Longmeadow 11 Sep 1846 to Rufus B Taylor (here). This cannot be determined for sure based on the records available. In the 1850 census line 7) a daughter Elizabeth Taylor, b. 1842, is listed in the household, which is too young to be a child of Erasmus but too old to be of this marriage, so presumably from an earlier marriage of Rufus. There is no sign of the children of Erasmus Calkins, no naming of parents on the marriage records, nor any other obvious clues that could confirm this is the widow of Erasmus.

The incorrect assumption is the death in 1857 in Ashby. This appears to be based on a Find A Grave memorial, but the corresponding death record No. 1401 clearly indicates that this lady's maiden name was Gardner, not Clark. Further, the 1865 census shows Maria is still alive and still married to Rufus Taylor (line 36) several years after this date.

It is possible that after Rufus died in 1870, Maria m. (3) Ithra Goddard in 1872 here where her parents are given as Joel & Hannah Clark of Southwick. If so, she is the person who d. 13 Nov 1887 here. But this requires firming up the identity of the wives of Erasmus Calkins and Rufus Taylor to be sure this all applies to the widow of Erasmus Calkins who is only known as Maria Clark. --Jrich 14:40, 21 September 2016 (UTC)