Mary Eleanor (Webster) Stevens (1749-1807)

Stevens family Bible page showing marriage of Thomas D. Stevens to Mary Eleanor Webster

Mary Eleanor Webster was born in Saint John's Parish, Prince George's Co., Maryland.  Her birth date has been shown as 14 February 1749, 31 March 1749, or 1751.  The two 1749 dates come from the Maryland Births and Christenings database at Family Search.org.  The 1751 date comes from the Bible entry regarding her death in 1807 that says she was 56 years old.  Perhaps she was born on 14 February and christened on 31 March.  I think 1749 is the correct birth year and her age at death found in the Bible is incorrect.  I will explain my reasoning.

Mary Eleanor's mother was Elizabeth Webster, Jr., the daughter of William Webster, Sr. (died before 1776) and his wife, Elizabeth (maiden name unknown).  Her father was probably a man named Joseph Poore, about whom I have as yet found nothing.  It seems that Mary Eleanor's parents were not married.

In a court record dated 4 June 1749, Elizabeth Webster was tried by 17 grand jurors in Prince George's Co., Maryland, (on the information of William Foard, constable of King George Hundred) for having delivered 'a base born child.'  Elizabeth was brought to court in the custody of the sheriff, and she confessed her guilt.  The court declared that she should be fined or suffer imprisonment, so she chose to pay the 30 shillings fine.  Elizabeth's brother-in-law, Duncan McDonald (Duncan was the husband of Elizabeth's sister, Eleanor), acted as her security and guaranteed that the fees due to the officers of the court would be paid.  On that same day, Elizabeth Webster, "spinster," acknowledged her debt.  Duncan McDonald agreed to ensure her appearance in court to testify four months later as to "her knowledge of the matter wherewith a certain Joseph Poore stands charged."  This call was repeated in March, June, August and November 1750, and in March, June, August, and finally in November 1751 when it was struck off the docket.

From this information, I believe that Mary Eleanor was born in February 1749 and that her parents were Elizabeth Webster, "spinster," and Joseph Poore.  Somewhere in my research, I remember seeing Mary Eleanor listed among the family of her grandfather, William, indicating that she was probably raised among his family.

Mary Eleanor Webster married Thomas Darnell Stevens on 14 April 1771 in Prince George's Co., Maryland.   They had six children that we know of.  Please see the post on Thomas for details of their children. 

Thomas Stevens' sister, Joanna Catherine Darnell Stevens, married John Webster (in 1764), one of Mary Eleanor's uncles.

In William Webster's will dated 20 November 1772, he names "Mary Eleanor Stevens, wife of Thomas Stevens," as his granddaughter.  He left her a "negro girl Sue." 

Thomas and Mary Eleanor moved to Loudoun Co., Virginia at some point around 1792.  Their children married and lived in Loudoun Co. 

Mary Eleanor (Webster) Stevens died 9 October 1807 in Loudoun Co., Virginia.  Her grave has not been found, but I suspect she may be buried in the Catoctin Free Church Cemetery that her husband, Thomas, and sons-in-law, Robert and John Braden, helped establish.

Stevens Family Bible page showing entry for the death of Mary Eleanor

Mary Eleanor's mother, Elizabeth, married a Campbell sometime before 1776.  She is named as Elizabeth Campbell in her son-in-law, Thomas Stevens', will; he left her an annual maintenance allowance and stated that she was his late wife's mother.  I believe she is the same Elizabeth Campbell found on the 1776 census in Prince George's Co., Maryland.  Husband, James Campbell (age 42) and wife, Elizabeth (age 48) are shown with a male age 12 (born ca 1764) and a female age 23 (born ca 1753) and are listed right next to William Webster (Elizabeth's father) and her brothers, William, James and Thomas, and their families.