Mary Jane LeGrand

Mary Jane LeGrand

Mary Jane LeGrand Wood, 1830-1900

• Father: William Chambers LeGrand b. 16 May 1803, d. 4 May 1841
• Mother: Jane Green Paul b. 6 January 1811, d. 8 May 1843

• Mary Jane LeGrand was born on 23 January 1830 in North Carolina.
• William Chambers LeGrand and Jane Green Paul appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1830 in West Side PeeDee River, Montgomery County, North Carolina, and it is an educated guess that the male age 10-14 is William's younger brother Thomas.. Other (counted but unnamed) members of the household apparently included Mary Jane LeGrand.
• William Chambers LeGrand and Jane Green Paul appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1840 in Macon County, Alabama. Other (counted but unnamed) members of the household apparently included Mary Jane LeGrand, Milton Paul LeGrand, Margaret Deborah LeGrand and Cornelia Anne Elizabeth LeGrand.
• After the death of her parents, Mary Jane LeGrand was raised in the household of Charles George Rush .
• She married Green Mark Wood, son of Green Wood and Mary Wilkie Hall, on 9 April 1846 in Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, with Theodore W. Brevard officiating..
• When the Wood family traveled to Texas by water in 1850, Mary Jane LeGrand Wood and children joined them on the steamer at Selma. It is an educated guess that for some time prior to the relocation she and the children were staying with Letitia Ann McNair (daughter of Green's cousin Ashley Wood) who raised Mary Jane's sister Margaret LeGrand.
• On Sunday, 26 May 1850, Green Wood recorded: "A very fine day, had Green & wife & Rush to dinner."
• Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Walker County, Texas, near Danville.. Other members of the household included Rush Brevard Wood and Solomon William Wood.
• On Sunday, 30 June 1850, Green Wood recorded: "Green M. Wood & wife & children & Willis B. Wood wife children & Duncan G. Campbell all Dined with us to day at the new place."
• On Sunday, 4 August 1850, Green Wood recorded: "As usual Green & his wife & children spent the day with us."
• On Sunday, 8 September 1850, Green Wood recorded: "A very pleasant day. Green & Willis & their Familys Spent the day here."
• On Sunday, 22 September 1850, Green Wood recorded: "A beautiful day, all in fine health. Mr & Mrs Carothers, Green & Wife & Willis & wife & all their Children & Mr Powell spent the day with us."
• On Sunday, 3 November 1850, Green Wood recorded: "G. M. & W. B. Wood & their fameley's with us & some Gentlemen from Grimes County."
• On Saturday, 3 May 1851, Green Wood recorded: "Mrs. Abercrombie spent the week with us. " And on the following day, "Had Mrs. & Mr. Abercrombie, Mrs & Mr [Thomas] Carothers, G. M. Wood and family and Willis B. Wood to dinner with us. Mr. A. and family returned home this evening." Noted above entry: "Paid Abercrombie 1 Barrel flour and 1 of pork, due him 1 Barrel pork yet."
• Evelina Wood wrote on 14 May 1855, to her daughter Lizzie Powell, undergoing treatment for cancer in Murfreesboro, Tennessee: ". . . Mary Jane has another son born the 8th of May she call him Milton Le Grand, he favors all the rest, will be very dark-skinned -- Rush & Solomon go to school, they are fond of it. Mary Jane is doing finely, Leah waited on her all last week. . . ." Letter in private collection of B. M. Henwood, descendant of Wm Wood Powell; original transcription by R. E. Reichardt.
• Green Wood wrote to Bolling Hall Jr. in Alabama on 26 August 1855, ". . . Billy has gone to Church - Josey & Mary Jane are with Lizzie, - she has mended considerably but requires a good deal of attention . . ."
• On 31 January 1859, Mary Jane LeGrand wrote to John Brown LeGrand:
       Danville Texas - January 31st 59
  My Dear Uncle
       Your letter to my husband has just been received. I was much gratified to hear from you all, and would like to keep up a correspondence with you, and certain it will not be my fault if we do not. When we first moved to this state I wrote to uncle Uncle Edwin, received one letter from him in which he promised me he would make me a visit. I looked for him until we heard of his death 6 years ago. I wrote to Uncle E. twice after the reception of his letter but heard no more from him. It seems to me I wrote to you also, am not certain tho. Tell Uncle E. he has treated me badly not to visit or write either. He must now make amends and come to see me. I have six children, as many as you, 5 boys and one girl. I think I have a very interesting family all good looking and smart. Am glad my informant was mistaken about Uncle E. I suppose he had heard there was a LeGrand dead and took it for granted it was him as he had not known him. Did Uncle James have a family? Who did Aunt Sallie's daughters marry? I do wish some of you would visit me. I am so anxious to see and know some of my own kin. Give much love to them all, and tell them to write. I would gladly receive a letter from any of them. Uncle Henry Wade is the only one of my fathers family I remember ever to have seen, he was at my house in Ala. after I was married. Did he have a family? He told me he married a widow lady, who had a daughter as large as myself. I never knew whether he was in earnest or not. Do you ever hear from him? Has my other Uncle Wade a family? Please write about them. I have long wanted to know my kin. Pa & Ma you know left 5 children, 4 girls and one son. They are all married and doing well except the youngest. She is now grown, 18 years old this month, she only came out as a young lady this winter, has been going to school all the time. Mrs Gindrat the lady that raised her has no children of her own, she treats Willie as though she was her own child. She has had every advantage. The rest have all had the same good luck. I have seen none of them since we moved to Texas 9 years ago. Willie is comming to see me this spring, Mrs Gindrat speaks of coming with her. Happy will be the time when we meet. Brother Milton deserves a great deal of credit. He went out to make a living for himself at 16 years of age. He now owns part of a large drug establishment in Montgomery Ala, his father-in-law and himself are in partnership. Brother is a very steady hard working man, attends very closely to his business. He has only one child, a little girl. Sister Margaret married a Mr Weaver, she has three little daughters. Sister Cornelia married Dr Johnston, a dentist. She has a little boy only a few months old. They are both living in Selma Ala. We all correspond. Do write often Uncle. What are the ages of your children? My oldest is 12 years old to day. Please give my love to all the kin and tell them I would be most happy to see any of them. Tell me your wifes name when you write again. With love to her and the children, believe me your affectionate Niece, Mary J. Wood
       I hope to hear from you again very soon
  Minimal punctuation added by the transcriber to enhance readability.
• On Wednesday, 11 September 1859, Green Wood recorded: "Green & Willis and their wives went to the Thicket this morning."
• On 23 March 1860, Mary Jane LeGrand wrote to John Brown LeGrand:
            Danville Texas - March 23 60
  My Dear Uncle
       Do excuse my long silence. It has been an effort for me to write for the last five or six months. I need to be fond of it. I am sorry I feel so as it will be the means of my writing less often, and I am so very fond of receiving answers from my relatives and friends. I have written but one letter since I wrote you before. I had a letter from Sister Willie yesterday. She is to be married next month. They speak of making me a visit immediately. Cant some of you meet them here. I would be glad to see you, and she would love to meet an Uncle. Come if you can and let us have a rejoicing. Brother Milton has quit the drug business and bought the place we left in Alabama. I do not know whether he will farm or market. He has not written me himself, am looking for a letter every mail from him. Uncle he is a noble man, I wish you knew him. Farmers are anticipating a fine crop year all bussy preparing and planting. Our neighborhood have all finished planting corn. Some are through planting cotton. That is not our luck however, though Mr Wood is planting. My garden is looking very well. We have Lettuce, radishes, spinage, mustard to eat, peas are blooming, beans tmatoes & cucubers are up. Have transplanted cabage plants, beets will soon be large enough to eat. I will have a quantity of strawberries. They are just begining to ripen. Will have very few peaches, the trees were nearly all killed. Figs were killed to the root, raspberries very much injured, plumbs were not hurt much. Our four oldest are still at school. Tell Uncle Edwin I am still looking for him. Write soon Uncle and tell me all about your family and all the kin. With love to Aunt and the children, I am as ever your niece
            M. J. Wood
  Please write soon.
       Minimal punctuation added by the transcriber to enhance readability.
• Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Danville PO, Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included Rush Brevard Wood, Solomon William Wood, Robert Cummings Wood, Martha Frances P. Wood, Milton LeGrand Wood and George Scovell Wood.
• The following appeared on 16 April 1862 in The Tri-Weekly Telegraph:
  Ed. Telegraph--I beg to acknowledge the receipt of the following articles, contributed for the Hempstead Hospital, by the ladies of Danville and Waverly, through Mrs. Major Green Wood, of Danville, Montgomery county:
       278 lbs. lard, 160 lbs. ham, 40 lbs. soap, 6 doz. candles, 88 lbs. butter, 93 doz. eggs, 2 calico spreads, 2 comforts, 12 mattrasses, 30 sheets, 27 pillows, 40 pillow cases, 40 towels, donated by the following persons:
       Mrs. Mayfield, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Spiller, Mrs. Sessum, Miss Sarah L. Davis, Mrs. Green M. Wood, Mrs. J. M. Leivi, Mrs. Geo. Redding, Mrs. Major Redding, Mrs. Maj. Green Wood, Mrs. McGarr, Mrs. Charles Abercrombie, Mrs. Tryler, Mrs. Dr. Carr, Mrs. W. B. Scott, Miss Thompson, Mrs. Tabb, Mrs. Richard Williams, Waverly; Mrs. Col. Campbell, do; Mrs. Dr. Campbell, do; Mrs. Dr. Scott, do; Mrs. Col. Jno. Hill, do; Mrs. John C. Abercrombie, do; Mrs. Laura A. Scott, do; Mrs. Wm. B. Wood, Danville; Mrs. Wynne, do; Master Solomon Wood; Major Green Wood's servant[s], 31 doz. eggs; Mrs. Green Wood, cash, $10; Miss Sarah L. Davis, $10; Mrs. Dr. Stewart, $5.
                      Mrs. C. A. Groce,
                  Principal Hempstead Hospital.
  Hempstead, April 10th, 1862.
• On 7 October 1864, Mary Jane LeGrand wrote to Rush Brevard Wood:
  My Darling Son: I have been feeling quite uneasy about you. We heard you were sick from eating fruit. Do my dear child take care of yourself and you must feel no hesitancy in going to Mr. Spyker's if you should get sick or wounded. Your Pa has written to Mr. Spyker concerning you. They are most excellent people. You will feel perfectly at home there, and no doubt he would take pleasure in having the son of his old friend with him. Should you get back to Louisiana, Mr. Cummings Post Office is Collinsburg. . . . Miss Sarah has made Jack and yourself each a hat. . . . Give my love to Jack. Tell him if he should get sick he must call on Mr. Spyker. I forgot to mention it when I was speaking of it. . . .
• On 3 December 1864, Green Mark Wood wrote to Rush Brevard Wood:
  My Dear Son: I returned home day before yesterday after an absence of three weeks in the Reserve Corps. All were well when I arrived. Campbell was taken sick yesterday and your mother has chills every two or three weeks. The school is out and Solomon will be home today.
       We caught a good many deserters and conscripts in the Big Thicket. We get very little news now. We have not heard a word from you since Jack Williamson's letter just after the arrival of Capt. Raney Fisher. Old Lincoln is elected and the war will probably go on for years to come. So you may make up your mind to remain in the service for years to come. I regret it on account of my children. I shall not be able to give them an education. And I fear should it end you will not feel like going to school.
       I am looking for Mr. Cummings out here. He and his mother-in-law and brother-in-law are going to move out with all their negroes some 700 to get out of the way of the Yankees. . . .
• Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included Rush Brevard Wood, Solomon William Wood, Robert Cummings Wood, Martha Frances P. Wood, Milton LeGrand Wood, George Scovell Wood, Campbell Clark Wood and Green Alexander Wood.
• Green Mark Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included Mary Jane LeGrand, Campbell Clark Wood and Green Alexander Wood.
• In 1887, a photographic portrait was made of Mary Jane LeGrand Wood with her grandson Langston Goree Wood.
• Evelina Wood wrote from Willis to her grandson Wood Powell in Christian Conuty, Illinois on 12 April 1887, " . . . Your aunt Mary Jane is going to Montgomery soon & from there to North Carolina to see Mrs. Brevard, the lady by whom she was raised. Dr. Legrand wrote Mary Jane he would foot all of her expenses - a dear good brother. Milton Wood is building a brick house with seven rooms. He is making money & saves it - he has only one child. George Wood & wife will begin keeping house now very soon. Green Aleck will remain with his father & mother. . . ."
       Letter in private collection of B. M. Henwood, descendant of Wm Wood Powell; original transcription by R. E. Reichardt.
• The following appeared on 16 April 1896 in The Dallas Morning News: (Navasota, April 14) On April 9 Mr. and Mrs. Green M. Wood celebrated their golden wedding at the residence of their daughter, Mrs. L. J. Goree, Revs. Duncan and J. M. Wesson officiating. At the ceremony were five children, thirty-eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren, besides a hundred or more friends. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves as much as if the venerable couple had just fallen in love with one another instead of having lived together for a half century, and congratulations by word of mouth and telegraph "were as plentiful as leaves in Vallambrosa in autumn." After everybody had wished everybody else everything good an elegant repast was discussed and the party dispersed.
       Green M. Wood, the groom, was born in Georgia in 1814, and lived near the city of Montgomery and married Miss M. J. LeGrand of Tuskegee. In 1849 they settled in Walker county, where they resided till their taking up their residence in this city. They reared a family of seven sons and a daughter, the latter Mrs. L. J. Goree, whom they make their home with. Mr. Wood was a private in the confederate army.
       Mrs. G. M. Wood was a daughter of W. C. LeGrand and was born near Wadesborough, N. C., and removed to Tuskegee at a very early age.
• With all their children in town for Green Mark and Mary Jane's 50th wedding anniversary celebration in April 1896, it is likely that this was the occasion for the photograph of their five surviving sons, treasured more than a hundred years later by all of their descendants.
• Mary Jane LeGrand became a widow at the 5 March 1898 death of her husband Green Mark Wood.
• In her later years, a photographic portrait was made of Mary Jane LeGrand Wood.
• Mary Jane LeGrand died on 19 March 1900 at age 70 in Navasota, Grimes County, Texas.
• She was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Navasota, Grimes County, Texas.
• A single grave marker identifies the graves of Green Mark Wood and Mary Jane LeGrand.

• Last Edited: 28 Feb 2013

• Charts: Descendants of ABERCROMBIE Charles & Edwina Malinda "Dicey" Booth, Descendants of LeGRAND John & Margaret Chambers, Descendants of WOOD William & Lydia Ballentine