Mary Catherine Corley (1873-1928) was the daughter of Nancy Rebecca Harman and Martin Harrison Corley. Or was she? Mary Catherine Corley was connected to these parents in FamilySearch. Analyzing the attached records in FamilySearch should provide evidence of the relationship. If the records do not support the relationships, then connecting Mary Catherine to her parents could be made with indirect evidence.
Table of Contents
Mary Catherine Corley in the U.S. Census
The 1880 U.S. lists a daughter of Martin Harrison Corley and Nancy Rebecca Harman named Callie Corley born about 1873 in South Carolina. There was not a daughter named Mary Catherine. It is possible that Callie and Mary Catherine are the same person and that Callie is a nickname, but it would be an unusual diminutive variant.1
| Name | Census Year | Birth Year *Calculated | Birth Place | Census Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callie Corley | 18802 | 1873* | South Carolina | Edgefield County, SC |
| Catherine Giles | 19003 | Nov 1876 | Georgia | Colquitt County, GA |
| Mary C Giles | 19104 | 1874 | South Carolina | Colquitt County, GA |
| Mary C Giles | 19205 | 1874 | South Carolina | Colquitt County, GA |
It is not possible to link Mary Catherine to Martin Harrison Corley and Nancy Rebecca Harman with the census records listed above. However, some of her siblings are found in Colquitt County in later censuses. Both Rebecca Martha and John Frederick were found in Colquitt County, beginning in the 1910 U.S. Census.6 John Frederick is listed a few pages before Mary Catherine in the 1910 U.S. Census in the same district.7
The correlation of the census to provide indirect evidence of Mary Catherine Corley as a child of Martin Harrison Corley and Nancy Rebecca Harman is rather loose. There could be other reasons Mary Catherine Corley is living in the same area as John F. Corley and Rebecca Martha Corley, though a possible relationship seems the most likely. Additional evidence is needed.
Evidence Analysis
An ideal piece of evidence would be a document where Mary Catherine Corley’s parents are named. A death certificate is one document that may be named. Very often information provided on a death certificate is provided by family members, if they know. Unfortunately, her death certificate does not identify her parents.8
Another option would be a record where Mary Catherine’s children refer to her as “Callie.” Unfortunately, none of the records attached to Mary Catherine’s children indicate the potential nickname. Instead, she is referred to as either Mary Catherine or Catherine Corley.
John Frederick Corley’s spouse Sarah Elizabeth Giles is the sister to James Warren Giles. James Warren is the spouse of Mary Catherine Corley. It could be a mere coincidence, but it seems more likely that the Corley family and the Giles family interacted with each other. It would make sense for Mary Catherine Corley to be a sibling of John Frederick.
Results Summary
The correlation of the census records provides weak support that Mary Catherine Corley is the daughter of Martin Harrison Corley and Nancy Rebecca Harman. If John Frederick and Mary Catherine were living in the same district of Colquitt County in 1910 and John Frederick was the son of Martin and Nancy Corley, then Mary Catherine might be a daughter as well. Both Mary Catherine and Callie have similar birth years and locations. Callie may have been a nickname that was used when she was young, but not used when she was older.
Until other evidence can be found, connecting Mary Catherine to Martin Harrison Corley and Nancy Rebecca Harman is the logical option. A family letter, photograph, or bible entry may provide some good evidence. DNA matches would provide the best evidence to help connect the family. For example, the descendants of John Frederick Corley and some of the other siblings could be compared to the descendants of Mary Catherine Corley. DNA matches with the expected range of shared centimorgans would provide good evidence Mary Catherine Corley is the daughter of Martin Harrison Corley and Nancy Rebecca Harman.
Sources
- “Behind the name,” Mike Campbell, accessed 18 August 2024, search for Callie and Catherine, https://www.behindthename.com/info/. ↩︎
- 1880 U.S. Census, Edgefield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Huiet Township, enumeration district (ED) 54, sheet 216 (stamped), p. 43 (penned), dwelling 401, family 401, Martin Corley household; digital image, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 18 August 2024); citing NARA microfilm publication T9. ↩︎
- 1900 U.S. Census, Colquitt County, Georgia, population schedule, Thigpen 1482, enumeration district (ED) 27, sheet 318A (penned), dwelling 566, family 570, J. W. Giles; digital image, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 August 2024); citing NARA microfilm publication T623. ↩︎
- 1910 U.S. Census, Colquitt County, Georgia, population schedule, Monk District 1549, enumeration district (ED) 46, sheet 17B (penned), dwelling 73, family 75, Warren Giles household; digital image, FamilySearch, (https://familysearch.org : accessed 18 August 2024); citing NARA microfilm publication T624. ↩︎
- 1920 U.S. Census, Colquitt County, Georgia, population schedule, Monk Township, District 1549, enumeration district (ED) 29, sheet 11B (penned), dwelling 210, family 210, James W. Giles; digital image, FamilySearch, (https://familysearch.org : accessed 18 August 2024); citing NARA microfilm publication T625. ↩︎
- 1910 U.S. Census, Colquitt County, Georgia, population schedule, Thigpen District 1482, enumeration district (ED) 44, sheet 2B (penned), dwelling 29, family 32, Chas S Beasly household; digital image, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 6 Aug 2024); citing NARA microfilm publication T624. ↩︎
- 1910 U.S. Census, Colquitt County, Georgia, population schedule, Monk District 1549, enumeration district (ED) 46, sheet 15B (penned), dwelling 35, family 35, John F. Corley household; digital image, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 Aug 2024); citing NARA microfilm publication T624. ↩︎
- “Georgia Deaths, 1928-1943,” entry for Mary Giles, no. 35083, 2 November 1928, Colquitt County, Georgia; digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 18 August 2024). ↩︎
