H0203 The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.
· A life in the study

Martha Jane Whitehead

Born at Missouri in 1832 and last recorded at Joplin in 1880.

born about 1832 at Missouri, United States died after 1 Jun 1880

Also written Jane Chandler

Life story

Martha Jane Whitehead was born in Missouri about 1832.1–2 She married John Chandler, and they had a family of at least five children, the eldest, Thomas, born about 1852, and the youngest, Sarah Ellen, on 4 March 1863.1–2 John died young, and Martha Jane brought up the children herself.

In June 1870, as Jane Chandler, she was keeping house in Osage Township, Crawford County, in the Missouri Ozarks, with a small property of her own: land worth $400 and other property worth $375. Thomas, 18, was farming, and George, James, William and Sarah were still at home.1 By 1880 she had moved west to Joplin, the lead-mining town in Jasper County, where M. J. Chandler, 48, headed a household of her three grown sons, George, Robert James and William Henry, and her daughter Sarah, 17.3 A year later Sarah married Elijah D. Wilson in Benton County, Arkansas.

What we know

Proven

  • Birth at Missouri, 1832
  • Marriage to John Chandler, 1852
  • Death, 1880
  • 2 homes, from the census and other records

What's still open

  • Death. When and where she died is not yet known.
  • Widowhood. She had no husband in the household in 1870 or 1880.
  • Parents. Not yet identified.

Sources

Sources 1–2

1 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Osage Township

1870 U.S. Federal Census, Osage Township, Crawford County, Missouri, post office Cuba, p. 670A, dwelling 112, family 107 [image; indexed as dwelling 107]: Sarah E. Chandler (6, female, born Missouri) in the household of Jane Chandler (38, housekeeper, real estate $400, personal estate $375, born Missouri), with Thomas (18, farmer), James (11), George (14) and William H. (8), all born Missouri; NARA M593, roll 772; image 4273247_00720; database with images, Ancestry.com.

2 Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1937

Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, file no. 538 (1937), registration district 160, Sarah Ellen Phillips: died 6 January 1937 in West Dolan Township, Cass County; female; white; widow; husband Frank Phillips; born March 4, 1863, Crawford Co., Mo.; age 73 years, 10 months, 2 days; housekeeper; father John Chandler, birthplace unknown; mother's maiden name Martha Jane Whitehead, birthplace unknown; informant Alford [Alfred] Wilson, Pittsburg, Kansas; cause intestinal obstruction and toxaemia, contributory gall bladder disease (a supplemental report adds malignancy); physician E. H. Owen [reading], Harrisonville; burial Sulphur Springs, Ark., date not given; undertaker Geo. E. Myers [reading], Cleveland, Mo.; filed 7 January 1937, Mary Meador, registrar; image, Missouri State Archives, "Missouri Death Certificates, 1910–1975" (sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1937/1937_00000538.PDF).

Source 3

3 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Joplin

1880 U.S. Federal Census, Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, E.D. 74, p. 620B, dwelling 98: S. E. Chandler (daughter, 17, single, housekeeper, born Missouri, father and mother born Missouri; cannot write) in the household of M. J. Chandler (head, 48), with G. (son, 25), R. J. (son, 23) and W. H. (son, 19); NARA T9, roll 695; image 4241896-00258; database with images, Ancestry.com (index read; image not viewed).

Life in time

about 1832

Birth , Missouri, United States

proven Sources 1, 3

How we know

Aged 38 in June 1870 and 48 in June 1880, so born about 1832; born in Missouri by the 1870 census and by her daughter's answers in 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920. The FamilySearch tree gives 1831.

  1. 1832 Birth about 1832 · Missouri, United States · proven

    Aged 38 in June 1870 and 48 in June 1880, so born about 1832; born in Missouri by the 1870 census and by her daughter's answers in 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920. The FamilySearch tree gives 1831.

    Sources 1, 3

  2. 1852 Marriage, with John Chandler before 1852 · proven

    Not found. Their eldest known child, Thomas, was born about 1851–52. The FamilySearch tree gives 17 Oct 1850, Osage Township, Crawford County, Missouri, without a source seen.

    Sarah Ellen's death certificate names John Chandler and Martha Jane Whitehead as her parents; the eldest son in Martha Jane's household of 1870, Thomas, was 18, so born about 1852. The marriage is placed before about 1852 on that basis only.

    Sources 1, 2

  3. 1863 Daughter born: Sarah Ellen Chandler family event
  4. 1870 Residence Osage Township, Crawford · proven

    Post office Cuba. "Jane Chandler", 38, housekeeper, head of the household, with real estate worth $400 and personal property worth $375; with her children Thomas (18, farmer), George (14), James (11), William H. (8) and Sarah E. (6).

    The head of the household in which Sarah E., 6, lived in Crawford County, her birthplace; the given name Jane and the children fit the M. J. Chandler of 1880 and the Martha Jane of Sarah's death certificate. Image read.

    Source 1

  5. 1880 Residence Joplin, Jasper · proven

    "M. J. Chandler", head, 48; with her sons G. (25), R. J. (23) and W. H. (19) and her daughter S. E. (17).

    Her initials, her age (born about 1832, as in 1870) and her children George, Robert James, William Henry and Sarah Ellen identify her. Index read; the image was not viewed.

    Source 3

  6. 1880 Death after 1 Jun 1880 · proven

    Living at the census of June 1880. Her death has not been found. The FamilySearch tree gives 1890, without a source seen.

    Source 3

  • proven
  • family event

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Places in this life

3 places, in order
1 2 3
  1. 1 Missouri, United States Birth about 1832
  2. 2 Osage Township, Crawford County Residence 1870
  3. 3 Joplin, Jasper County Residence 1880

Hollow markers are placed approximately, at the town, county or region.

Family

This page Martha Jane Whitehead c. 1832–aft. 1880
Husband · m. before 1852 John Chandler bef. 1833–c. 1862
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The evidence 5 facts with their grades, 3 sources, and the research notes

Facts

Fact Date Place Grade Sources
Birth about 1832 Missouri, United States proven 1 , 3
Marriage with John Chandler before 1852 proven 1 , 2
Residence 1870 Osage Township, Crawford, Missouri, United States proven 1
Residence 1880 Joplin, Jasper, Missouri, United States proven 3
Death after 1 Jun 1880 proven 3

Research notes

  • Sources: Her daughter's death certificate (image read at the Missouri State Archives), the 1870 census (image read) and the 1880 census (index only).2, 1, 3
  • Mother of Sarah Ellen: Sarah's death certificate names her mother Martha Jane Whitehead. The informant was Sarah's son.2 The certificate's Martha Jane is the Jane Chandler with whom Sarah E. lived in 1870 and the M. J. Chandler whose daughter she was in 1880. The same sons are in both households, and one of them, Robert James, later lived with Sarah.1, 3 The relationship is well supported. The maiden name Whitehead rests on the certificate alone.
  • Children: Thomas (born about 1852), George (about 1855), James, called Robert James or R. J. (about 1857; he gave 11 in 1870 but 23 in 1880), William Henry (about 1861) and Sarah Ellen (1863) are in the records seen.1, 3 The FamilySearch tree adds Mary Elizabeth (1854–1888), Samuel A. (1859–1870) and Eliza J. (1859).
  • Widowhood: She had no husband in the household in 1870 or 1880. The 1880 image, not yet viewed, would show whether she gave her status as widowed.3
  • Death: 1890 in the FamilySearch tree; not verified. Look for her in Jasper County records after 1880: probate, cemeteries and the Joplin city directories.

Working notes

  • Mother of H0049 (her death cert. 538: mother's maiden name Martha Jane Whitehead); 'Jane Chandler', 38, head, Osage Twp., Crawford Co., Mo., 1870 (PO Cuba; household of 7163/5039326); 'M. J. Chandler', 48, head, Joplin, Jasper Co., 1880 (household of 6742/34040801); children Thomas c.1852, George c.1855, Robert James c.1857, William Henry c.1861, Sarah Ellen 1863; FS d. 1890 (unverified)

Sources

  1. 1

    1870 U.S. Federal Census, Osage Township, Crawford County, Missouri, post office Cuba, p. 670A, dwelling 112, family 107 [image; indexed as dwelling 107]: Sarah E. Chandler (6, female, born Missouri) in the household of Jane Chandler (38, housekeeper, real estate $400, personal estate $375, born Missouri), with Thomas (18, farmer), James (11), George (14) and William H. (8), all born Missouri; NARA M593, roll 772; image 4273247_00720; database with images, Ancestry.com.

  2. 2

    Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, file no. 538 (1937), registration district 160, Sarah Ellen Phillips: died 6 January 1937 in West Dolan Township, Cass County; female; white; widow; husband Frank Phillips; born March 4, 1863, Crawford Co., Mo.; age 73 years, 10 months, 2 days; housekeeper; father John Chandler, birthplace unknown; mother's maiden name Martha Jane Whitehead, birthplace unknown; informant Alford [Alfred] Wilson, Pittsburg, Kansas; cause intestinal obstruction and toxaemia, contributory gall bladder disease (a supplemental report adds malignancy); physician E. H. Owen [reading], Harrisonville; burial Sulphur Springs, Ark., date not given; undertaker Geo. E. Myers [reading], Cleveland, Mo.; filed 7 January 1937, Mary Meador, registrar; image, Missouri State Archives, "Missouri Death Certificates, 1910–1975" (sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1937/1937_00000538.PDF).

  3. 3

    1880 U.S. Federal Census, Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, E.D. 74, p. 620B, dwelling 98: S. E. Chandler (daughter, 17, single, housekeeper, born Missouri, father and mother born Missouri; cannot write) in the household of M. J. Chandler (head, 48), with G. (son, 25), R. J. (son, 23) and W. H. (son, 19); NARA T9, roll 695; image 4241896-00258; database with images, Ancestry.com (index read; image not viewed).