The Facts Unravel #7 [Sensitive readers should skip this essay, which includes frank reproductive discussion.] Two days after St. Valentine�s, 1838, my ancestor Jimerson (James Jr.) Liddell posted an unloving newspaper announcement in Rodney, Jefferson County MS. "Notice. All persons will take notice that, whereas my wife, Martha Ann Liddell did quit my bed and board, without provocation, during the month of May [1837], I will hereafter pay no debts that she may contract. Jamison Liddell." What on earth was that all about? I still don�t know, but I�ve unraveled enough facts for a working theory: a newlywed spat gone public, two years of celebration, separation, joy, sadness, farce, tragedy, and a happy ending. Celebration, autumn 1836. Jimerson Liddell age 36 married Martha Ann Baldridge age 21 in September. By the finger-counting method, assuming full-term delivery, Martha Ann became pregnant around Christmastime. Separation, spring 1837. By May at five months Martha Ann probably began to "show." At this point middle class women commonly withdrew from male society for "lying in" until the baby was born. (Poor women and slaves kept working until birth-pains started.) Since her widowed mother Mary "Polly" Stampley Baldridge lived in Jefferson, the young wife probably went home to Mama. For over a year Martha Ann lived apart from her husband. Though her motives cannot be known, perhaps she had difficulty adjusting to married life under Jimerson, a New York City Scotsman 15 years her senior. (Jimerson and I have the same hair. Assuming the personalities beneath the hair to be similar, my sympathies lie entirely with Martha Ann.) Joy, summer 1837. Martha Ann�s pregnancy advanced with the season. On September 22 firstborn son John Wesley Liddell arrived in the world. But mother and child did not come home to Jimerson. Sadness, winter 1837/8. On January 8, 1838, Mary "Polly" Stampley Baldridge died a month short of age 46, leaving six adult and three minor children, more or less. If Martha Ann was living in her mother�s house (now probably her brother�s house) she and her infant stayed on without the excuse of visiting mama. Farce, spring 1838. Tuesday February 13, the day before St. Valentine�s, Jimerson raised $5000 with a first mortgage on his plantation. (Converted to today�s prices, $5000 is more money than I�ve seen in my whole life.) Probably Jimerson intended to buy land or slaves, or otherwise increase his fortune, but very likely he offered a nice present to Martha Ann as a Valentine gift, and she declined. If so, doubtless his nose was seriously out of joint. Friday he cut off her credit in the newspaper notice above. Tragedy, autumn 1838. John Wesley Liddell died October 2, a few days past his first birthday. (Infant mortality is one antidote to nostalgia for the "good old days." Martha Ann ultimately lost 4 of her 10 babies.) Happy Ending. Perhaps their son�s death reminded the newlyweds of the most important thing in life, Life. A week or two before the tragedy the couple reconciled and Martha Ann again got pregnant. Over the next fifteen years Martha Ann bore Jimerson eight more children, a sure sign of a satisfactory marriage. For me personally their decision proved of vital importance. The seventh child, my great-grandfather, was born in 1848. Had Jimerson and Martha Ann not reconciled, I wouldn�t even be here. Grin. Liddell family research by Barbara Liddell Thornhill and her late father Jefferson Walter Liddell Sr. Bruce D. Liddell, BDLiddell@yahoo.com Birmingham AL, 08-Nov-2003 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree

Just been rebuilding my computer and couldn't find it for a day or so! Ann ----- Original Message ----- From: Bruce Liddell To: MSJEFFER-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 12:22 AM Subject: [MSJEFFER-L] The Facts Unravel #7 The Facts Unravel #7 [Sensitive readers should skip this essay, which includes frank reproductive discussion.] Two days after St. Valentine's, 1838, my ancestor Jimerson (James Jr.) Liddell posted an unloving newspaper announcement in Rodney, Jefferson County MS. "Notice. All persons will take notice that, whereas my wife, Martha Ann Liddell did quit my bed and board, without provocation, during the month of May [1837], I will hereafter pay no debts that she may contract. Jamison Liddell." What on earth was that all about? I still don't know, but I've unraveled enough facts for a working theory: a newlywed spat gone public, two years of celebration, separation, joy, sadness, farce, tragedy, and a happy ending. Celebration, autumn 1836. Jimerson Liddell age 36 married Martha Ann Baldridge age 21 in September. By the finger-counting method, assuming full-term delivery, Martha Ann became pregnant around Christmastime. Separation, spring 1837. By May at five months Martha Ann probably began to "show." At this point middle class women commonly withdrew from male society for "lying in" until the baby was born. (Poor women and slaves kept working until birth-pains started.) Since her widowed mother Mary "Polly" Stampley Baldridge lived in Jefferson, the young wife probably went home to Mama. For over a year Martha Ann lived apart from her husband. Though her motives cannot be known, perhaps she had difficulty adjusting to married life under Jimerson, a New York City Scotsman 15 years her senior. (Jimerson and I have the same hair. Assuming the personalities beneath the hair to be similar, my sympathies lie entirely with Martha Ann.) Joy, summer 1837. Martha Ann's pregnancy advanced with the season. On September 22 firstborn son John Wesley Liddell arrived in the world. But mother and child did not come home to Jimerson. Sadness, winter 1837/8. On January 8, 1838, Mary "Polly" Stampley Baldridge died a month short of age 46, leaving six adult and three minor children, more or less. If Martha Ann was living in her mother's house (now probably her brother's house) she and her infant stayed on without the excuse of visiting mama. Farce, spring 1838. Tuesday February 13, the day before St. Valentine's, Jimerson raised $5000 with a first mortgage on his plantation. (Converted to today's prices, $5000 is more money than I've seen in my whole life.) Probably Jimerson intended to buy land or slaves, or otherwise increase his fortune, but very likely he offered a nice present to Martha Ann as a Valentine gift, and she declined. If so, doubtless his nose was seriously out of joint. Friday he cut off her credit in the newspaper notice above. Tragedy, autumn 1838. John Wesley Liddell died October 2, a few days past his first birthday. (Infant mortality is one antidote to nostalgia for the "good old days." Martha Ann ultimately lost 4 of her 10 babies.) Happy Ending. Perhaps their son's death reminded the newlyweds of the most important thing in life, Life. A week or two before the tragedy the couple reconciled and Martha Ann again got pregnant. Over the next fifteen years Martha Ann bore Jimerson eight more children, a sure sign of a satisfactory marriage. For me personally their decision proved of vital importance. The seventh child, my great-grandfather, was born in 1848. Had Jimerson and Martha Ann not reconciled, I wouldn't even be here. Grin. Liddell family research by Barbara Liddell Thornhill and her late father Jefferson Walter Liddell Sr. Bruce D. Liddell, BDLiddell@yahoo.com Birmingham AL, 08-Nov-2003 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree ==== MSJEFFER Mailing List ==== "The South--where roots, place, family, and tradition are the essence of identity." --Social historian Carl N. Degler