The uneventful life of Martha Jane Pope

The most remarkable thing about Martha Jane Pope is that she never did anything. Never married. Never had children. Never appeared on any official documents other than censuses. She's always just a member of the household; she never appears alone. This in opposition to her delightful great-grandmother Zilpha and dynamo mom Zilpha Elender.

Martha Jane Pope was:

• the daughter of W.H. Pope, Sr., and maybe Zilpha Elender Eddins Pope Freeman

• the sister of Frances Marion and William Henry Pope

• the granddaughter of James A. Eddins and Nancy Ann Hendrix

• the great-granddaughter of John and Zilpha Eddins

According to her grave marker, Martha Jane was born on November 13, 1836. All the censuses agree that she was born in AL. Best guesses for place are either Wilcox County or Tallassee, where Francis Marion was born.

The first time we see Martha, she is probably the female 0 - 5 in the 1840 household of William H. Pope in Wilcox County, AL. Since we know that W.H. Pope and Eleanor Edins married on January 9, 1839, any child born before that date was the product of W. H.'s first marriage. Thus Francis Marion, (possibly) born October 9, 1838, would also have been from the first marriage. And, by golly, that's the make-up of the household in 1840: one adult male, one adult female, one male 0 - 5 and one female 0 - 5. It's not surprising that they were there; parents James A. and Nancy Eddins were in Wilcox County in 1830.

Here's the link for 1840:

http://interactive.ancestry.com/8057/4411216_01272/1377087?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1840usfedcenancestry%26gss%3dsfs28_ms_db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dpope%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msrpn__ftp%3dWilcox%2bCounty%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d3151%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c3151%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

By 1850 there were three children in the family (Martha, Francis, and William Henry, born 1840 - 1845. William Senior was out of the picture from either divorce or death. And Zilpha Elender had remarried to Francis M. Freeman,  who was just 10 or so years older than Martha. Crazy. They had probably moved to Tallapoosa County to be near Zilpha's parents, but I've yet to find this family in 1850.

In 1860 Martha is still living at home:

In the 1860 US Census for AL, Zylpha E. Freema is living near the Realtown P.O., Western Division, Tallapoosa County, AL. She is 39, born AL, living in the household of Francis M. Freema, 28, a mechanic, born Georgia, $300. Also in the household is Martha T., 23, Francis M., 21, a farmer, and William H, 19, all born AL. They are living next door to Ann Susannah Eddins Rice (Rix) and family. Peter Eddens, 16, is up the street. Neighbors: McKissack, Summers, Haywood, Echols, Harrison, Martha (Helton) Freeman, Nancy Freeman, Susan Freeman.

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7667&iid=4211198_00208&fn=Zylpha+E&ln=Freema&st=r&ssrc=&pid=12719406

Still at home with mom in 1870:

 In the 1870 US Census for AL, Z. E. Freeman is living in Oak Bowery, Chambers County, AL. She is 45, female, keeping house, living in the household of F. M. Pope, a farmer, $550, born AL. Also in the household are Ann Edwin, 20, born AL, at home; Martha Pope, 20, born AL, and Nancy Eddins, 70, at home, born AL. Black neighbors: Blosengame, Moore, Prince, Dowdeth; Wilson; white neighbors: Kelly, Waldrop, Jeter.

Weird stuff in this family: her age is listed as "20;" it should be 33 or 34. She's listed as younger than Francis Marion; she's four years older.  She and Zilpha can read and write, while F. M. cannot. 

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7163/4257480_00361/12927513?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1870usfedcen%26gss%3dsfs28_ms_db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dfreeman%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msbpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dChambers%2bCounty%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d544%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c544%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26_83004002_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dwy5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

Still at home with mom in 1880, but now in Opelika, Lee County:

In the 1880 US Census for Al, Z. A. Freeman is living in Opelika, Lee County, AL. She is 50 born AL, parents born SC, has rheumatism, can read & write. Also in the household are M. J. Pope, 25, parents born  SC., son F. M. Pope, 23, clerk in a junk shop, N. Edins, 84, widowed, born SC, parents born SC; SIL A. M. Edins, 30 or 38, sewing, born SC, father born SC, mother born KY; and  Neil Gilmore, laborer & servant, born AL, parents born AL. Neighbors: Wilkerson, Smith, Harris, Hightower, Tucker, Slaughter, Moore, Simms, Frazier. Apparently, right on the outskirts of Tallapoosa.

Now M.J. is only 25, when she should be 453 or 44. What is it with this family and aging????

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6742&iid=4239780-00060&fn=Z.+A.&ln=Freeman&st=d&ssrc=&pid=6079779

I wondered if Martha's sheltered life meant she was disabled in some way. She may have been, but it's not listed anywhere, not even in the 1880 Schedule of Defectives. There is a Martha Pave, but upon further investigation it's clearly a "Martha Pool," in Chambers County. Martha Jane is clearly listed in Tallapoosa with mom Z.A. Freeman.

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6742&iid=4239780-00060&fn=Z.+A.&ln=Freeman&st=d&ssrc=&pid=6079779

By 1900 her mother Zilpha, grandmother Nancy Ann, sister-in-law Ann, and in-laws Sallie & Lula have died. The family is reduced to just Martha's brothers. And....again the age is wrong.

In the 1900 US Census for AL, Marian Pope is living in Precinct 2, Opelika, Lee County, AL. He is 56, male, head of household, born AL in Oct 1843, single, father born SC, mother born AL, a farmer, can read but not write, rents. Also in the household are sister Jane, 58, born Nov. 1841, single, no job listed, can read and write; and William, brother, 54, single, born Nov. 1845, shoemaker. For all, born AL, father born SC, mother born AL. #195 on farm schedule.

Again, so many errors: ages, birthdates, William's marital status. 

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7602&iid=004119993_00054&fn=Marian&ln=Pope&st=r&ssrc=&pid=34561966

Martha makes her last appearance in the 1910 Census. In the 1910 US Census for AL, F.M. Pope is living at 34 Harper St., Precinct 2, Opelika, Lee County, AL. He is 64, single, a laborer doing odd jobs, can read and write, rents, currently working, but out of work 10 weeks. Also in the household is sister Martha J., 66, single, can read and write, no job. Both born AL, father born SC, mother born AL. Neighbors: Beard, Martin, Barnes.

http://interactive.ancestry.com/7884/31111_4327203-00935/155208903?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dNonPopCensus%26gss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dpope%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msrpn__ftp%3dAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d3%26msrpn_PInfo%3d5-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c0%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dwy5%26gl%3d%26gst%3d%26hc%3d50%26fh%3d100%26fsk%3dBEEb1j4IgAAE-47-ABAkds-61-&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

And finally, according to Ancestry’s Alabama Death & Burial Index, 1881 - 1974, Martha Jane Pope was born about 1838, died 1917, father’s name William H. Pope, mother’s name Ellen Edine. Death place Opelika, Lee County, AL.

Remember Tap Roots?

The source above lists Martha Jane Pope b. November 13, 1836, d. October 17, 1917 (on reverse F. M. Pope #1). She is buried in Block 17 of Rosemere Cemetery in Opelika, AL. Also in the block are brother W.H. Pope, Sallie Pope, Lula Pope, brother F. M. Pope, mother Ellen Pope, aunt Ann Eddens, and several Gibsons, who may be cousins. 

TAP ROOTS: Epitaphs in East Central Alabama Cemeteries, Vol. 3, Rosemere Cemetery, Opelika, AL, by Robert C. Horn and Mariemma Fuller, et. al., Copyright 1985 by the Genealogical Society of East Alabama, Inc., P.O. Box 84, Dadeville, AL 36853. 

As far as I can tell, the only thing Martha Jane ever did was lie about her age. I certainly haven't found evidence of anything else!