Probable: henry
Tenley
and
elizabeth talbert
Henry Tenley
was born in Prince George’s County, MD and married
Elizabeth Talbert
on December 7, 1820 in PGC.
Although
not proven, George Tenley may have been the son of a Henry Tenley of
Prince George’s County. Henry
had 2 wives: Felly Tenley, married in Washington DC 13 Feb 1812, and
Elizabeth Talbert married in Prince George’s County 7 Dec 1820.
George M. "Big RED Tenley
and
Mary Jane Webster
George M. “Big Red”
Tenley
was born
in 1817 in Prince George’s County, MD.
One site lists him as full-blooded Piscataway Native American Indian.
Click
HERE also.
He died October 1888 in PGC, MD at the age of 71. Big Red married three
times - Mary Jane Webster, Sarah Day, and Eliza Jane White. He fathered
six sons and ten daughters.
George
"Big Red" Tenley owned a store, shown on various maps of the time, located on what is now Pyles Lumber Company, Clinton, Maryland.
His wife, Mary
Jane, was born about 1824 in Maryland and died about 1860 from childbirth
complications soon after the birth of Annie Violet Tenley.
Together they had four children.
Mary Jane’s father was James Gibbs Webster who was christened 4/17/1768
at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Broad Creek.
James moved with his parents to Prince William County, VA about 1781.
He married Sarah Edelen, Mary Jane's mother, on November 20, 1821.
They had had three children.
He
owned 311 acres 2 miles from Centreville which was time-purchased from Charles
B. Calvert. The purchase price,
with interest, was paid by James Webster before he died on December 3, 1852, but he never received a
deed of conveyance and a sale of the land was ultimately held on 12/10/1855 and
sold for $5 an acre. (Biography of James G.
Webster, Surratt House)
Following Mary Jane's death by childbirth complications soon after Annie Violet
was born, George was left with children of the approximate ages of 13, 10,
3 and a daughter of a few months.
About
a year after his wife Mary Jane’s death, he married Sarah Day who was
about age 35 at the time. She
gave him 9 children in 11 years (age 46!).
Evidently
the poor soul had enough on her plate without being concerned with
churchgoing and christenings, so the last seven of his children were late
baptisms, 5 on the day of their father’s marriage to Eliza Jane White,
which incidentally was Christmas Day, 1884.
Eliza
was about age 38 when she married George.
The
1880 census shows that Eliza White, age 34, had been a single boarder in
George Tenley’s home. His
marrying someone already in the home and knowing the family certainly
couldn’t have hurt George’s situation - but then poor Eliza was left
with a number of these children after only four years.
Since
the lifetime of Big Red (1820 - 1888 period) had several major events of
historical importance, let’s review some of what was happening in news of that
day:
In 1820 when Big Red was born, Napolean had just five years earlier been
defeated at Waterloo! Photography
and the single wire telegraph were invented and developing.
Florida was finally under the control of the United States through the
Adams-Onis Treaty in which Spain gave the US control of East and West Florida.
Orchestras were expanding and the first conductors (with batons) were
used. Electromagnetism was found in
1820. The Erie Canal was completed
in 1825. By the end of Big Red’s
lifespan, Aluminum could be produced economically (1886) and radio waves were
produced in 1887 by Heinrich Hertz. 1887
was also the year when the American Indians were confined to reservations.
And that same year, the Interstate Commerce Act was passed.
Whereas photography was invented near the time of Big Red’s birth, by
his death Eastman had invented his photographic film and paper products.
Photography certainly changed the world!
In the 1850
Census Big Red is 28 and wife Mary is 26. Their son William P. Tenley is 3
and daughter Susanna Tenley is 1.
In the 1860 Census Big Red and Mary lived in
PGC/District 9, he was a merchant and their real estate was worth $1000 and
personal estate was valued at $100. Big Red was 43 and Mary was 36.
They had three children then - William (13), Susannah (10) and Charity (3).
The teacher, perhaps their teacher lived with them. She was originally
from Pennsylvania.
When the 1870 census rolls around, Big Red is now ONLY 50.
He is
now married to Sarah Day who is 35. Red is a farm laborer. With them are
children: Charity 15, and now Violetta or Anna Violet who is 10 and is likely
the last child of Mary who died the same year that Violetta was born - 1860.
The remainder of the children are Sarah and Big Red's...Louisa, Annie, William
and George. Living with them is Eliza White 22 whose family is likely the
one living next door at the home of Elizabeth White. Eliza is likely helping
Sarah with the large family. After Sarah dies, George M. Tenley, Big Red, will
marry Eliza White.
Known
information on Big Red and Mary Jane Webster Tenley’s children:
-
William P. Tenley, born 1847.
No
more is known.
-
When Susanna "Susie" Tenley was born in December 1850 in Maryland,
her father, George, was 33 and her mother, Mary, was 26. She married John
Thomas Hutchinson on September 15, 1868. They had six children in 28 years.
She died on June 27, 1916, at the age of 65,
4 of whom were living per the 1900 census. She
is buried at Christ Episcopal Church, Clinton MD. Died in July of 1916.
Susannah
ð
-
Charity Tenley was born 1857 in Clinton MD.
Lived in Surratts MD in 1870 (census).
Lived in Wash. DC when she was 65 in 1920.
She married Samuel Pettit.
Charity
is buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suitland MD.
She became the mother of Belle Estelle
Pettit who married William Charles Cator.
(SEE NEXT GENERATION)
-
Annie Violetta Tenley was born
in 1860 in MD and died November 27, 1914 in Capital Heights, MD.
She is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington DC.
She married Columbus Burgess, b.
1852 in MD. They had one known child, Virgie Anna Burgess (1886-1939)
CHARITY A. TENLEY and SAMUEL PETTIT
CHARITY A.
TENLEY was born in
August 1857 in Clinton, MD.
She
died
in 1932 in DC. Charity married
HENRY
SAMUEL PETTIT on August 24
1881 and they had one known daughter, Belle Estelle/Estella Pettit. She was a
homemaker and she was an Episcopalian. Charity
with daughter Belle►
Per the
1900 Census for Surratts, MD, Charity was widowed and working as a
"washerwoman". She was living in the household of her daughter Susanna
Pettit Hutchinson and Susie's husband, John.
Charity is buried at Ced
ar Hill
Cemetery in Suitland, PGC, MD.
BELLE ESTELLE PETTIT
and WILLIAM CHARLES
CATOR, JR.
Belle Estella/e Pettit was born on September 6, 1893, in Clinton,
Maryland, the child of Henry Samuel and Charity A Tenley Pettit. She married
William Charles "Uncle Willie" Cator on October 15, 1913, in DC. They had seven
children in 16 years. She died on December 14, 1969, in District of Columbia and
was buried in Suitland, Maryland at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Her husband
Willie was born 20 August 1893 and died Feb 3, 1938 in DC. He also is
buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Willie was only 44 years old.
Belle did not remarry after her husband's death even though she lived to the age
of 76. Willie was the son of James William Cator and
Margaret Liston
Cator.
Marriage
license:
Belle Cator Grave:
William Charles & Belle Pettit Cator's
Children:
Margaret Estelle Cator -
Birth May 27, 1914 in DC;
death November 16, 2005 in Tucson, Pima, Arizona. On Feb. 12, 1938 she
married Edward Philip Young,
born 1/21/1911 in Baltimore, MD and died 12/31/1977 in Tuscon, AZ.
Margaret Estelle Young was 91 when she died.
Helen Lorraine "Peggy" Cator
-
Birth January 10, 1917 in District
of Columbia; Death January 13, 1967 in District
of Columbia. age 50. Married Kenneth Wyvill. She is buried at
Washington National Cemetery.
Thelma Irene Cator.
Born 1917-18 in DC. She married.
William Charles Cator,
b. January 29, 1920, 203 14th Street Washington, D. C., d. January 26, 1971.
Buried Epiphany Episcopal Church, Odenton, MD.
Robert Edward Cator (Sr.) -
Birth Dec 14, 1922 in DC; Death Dec. 1 2007 in DC.
He married Bernice Eliza Hart (see photo to right) on June 25,
1947 when she was 22. She died
July 13, 1990 at the age of 65 in MD. They had a son, Robert Edward
Cator, Jr., was who born on Aug. 15 1947 in Providence Hospital in DC.
Robert Jr. died Feb. 2, 2011. Dad, Robert Sr. served with the
U.S. Coast Guard, WW II (Ret.). He was a member of the Sheet Metal Workers
Union Local Union No. 100, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Moose Lodge, American
Legion, and Elks. Preceded in death by his wife, Bernice E. Cator. Survivors
include children, Robert, Jr., Connie, & Louanne; grandchildren, Bobby, Carl,
Shelly, & Danny; sisters, Thelma & Marie; son-in-law, Donnie. Interment followed
funeral services conducted Monday, December 10, 2007. PER: Find A Grave
Memorial# 33741221 for Maryland Veterans Cem. in Cheltenham, PGC, MD;
Plot: SECTION A E7 ROW 17 SITE 6. Note:
Robert Jr has died:
Elizabeth Ann Cator -
Birth June 17, 1925 in DC.; Death July 10, 1978 in Surrattsville MD.
She married Raymond Leroy Purdy, son of John Alphonso and
Mary Estelle Purdy.
Elizabeth Ann Cator was baptized at St. Frances Church in DC; buried at Cedar
Hill Cemetery in Suitland MD on July 12, 1978. Raymond L
eroy Purdy
was born 1919 and died 2009. They had two children.
Belle Marie Cator
-
She married
and they had 4 children.
See Belle Marie's baby photo:
Click
here for information on:
William and
Mary Liston Cator's family
Click
here for information on:
Mary
Liston Cator's Siblings
Click
here for information on:
William
and Charity Clifton Cator's Family
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