Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Carle, 1864

Mary Jane Eggleston Carle v Francis Townsend Carle (Journal 6 p410 - Nov 1864; Roll 17 case number 12)

 

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 10 October 2021)

 

The couple was married on 6 Sept 1845 in Geauga Co (now Lake Co), OH.  "Frank" was born in Dutchess Co, NY on 29 July 1824, the son of Isaac and Hannah Hamblin Carle, both natives of NY. He moved with his parents to OH and they were found in the 1830 federal census for Painsville, Geauga Co, OH.  Mary Jane Eggleston, the daughter of Erastus and Mary Goodwin Eggleston was born in Auburn, Geauga Co, OH on 26 May 1826.  

 

From the 1850 Spencer, Medina Co, OH federal census p426, the Carle family was listed as Francis 26 NY, Mary J 24 OH, Mary C 7 OH, Benjamin F 4 OH, Augusta M 3 OH, and David H 21 NY.  They lived next door to Mary’s parents and possibly her grandmother Mary Goodwin.  Mary Jane may have been a mother to a daughter Mary C who was age 7 in 1850, or the girl belongs to Francis from another relationship; however Mary Carle Axtell’s death certificate stated these were her parents.

 

By the 1860 federal census for Madison Twp, Wms Co, OH the family, under T. Carroll, lived east of Pioneer. In 1861 Frank moved to Coldwater, Michigan and on 13 Aug 1862 enlisted in Co H 19^th MI Infantry.  He would later receive a medical discharge at Danville, KY on 1 Feb 1863 and collect a pension for his service amounting to $4 per month.  He briefly returned to Coldwater after his discharge.

 

Mary informed the court in a notarized statement on 22 Nov 1861 that she was advised her husband no longer resided in the State of Ohio. She further stated that the couple had the following children: Benjamin F (15), Augusta M (13), Elva E (8), Lucy L (5), and Edwin Orville (1).  She said that Francis committed adultery on 15 Jan 1861 in Madison Twp with Cornelia Carl/Carle and in Mar 1861 he sneaked away in the night with Cornelia; he had been gone for almost four years by the time Mary received the court’s attention. It appears that Mary was granted the action she sought.

 

In the period between 1864-1870 Mary Jane, taking some of the children to Wisconsin, married Samuel Pearsall, a CW vet of the 16^th WI Volunteers and native of NY; they resided in Columbia Co, WI. On 14 Sept 1894 Mary died at her home in Dekorra, WI at the age of 68Y.  Samuel remarried and died in Poynette, WI in 1910.  They did not have any children together.

 

The Carle children of this couple were:

1. Mary C  (10 March 1844 - 26 Mar 1923), m1 Jones, m2 Allen Hurtt, m3 William Axtell

2. Benjamin Franklin (1846 - 1921)

3. Augusta Matilda (1847 - aft 1861)

4. Elva Elizabeth (8 Mar 1851 - 3 June 1940), m Ebenezer Rowland

5. Lucinda Lucy (1855 - 1928), m John Pearsall

6. Edwin Orville (1860-1870)

 

The traveling man, Frank, married Nancy Emily Bowersox, born June 1840 in Ohio, daughter of David K. and Martha Bowersox, early Wms Co, OH pioneers, in Brimfield, Noble Co, IN on 13 Feb 1865. On 13 July 1871 Frank applied for a Civil War Pension as an invalid. The couple had six children and moved at least nine times in 20 years, living in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Kansas. In 1900 the couple lived in Butler, DeKalb Co, IN; in 1910 they resided in Madison Twp, Williams Co, OH.  He died on 2 Oct 1918 in Sandusky, Erie Co, OH at the Old Soldiers and Sailors Home and was buried on the grounds of the place for “old forgotten soldiers.”  Before this his second wife Nancy died in Fayette, Fulton Co, OH on 17 Jan 1912.  

 

This couple had the following children:

1. Martha (1865-1945)

2. Marcus (1868 - )

3. George (1869 - 1870)

4. David Francis (1874 - 1912)

5. Alice Bertha (1877 - 1925)

6. Myron Clayton (1880 - 1912)